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Sunday, July 21, 2013

aaaaaaaand the Moment You've All Been Waiting For...


We are SO excited to announce that we are having a baby GIRL!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Travel Plans and Little Baby Update



It's hard to believe that in one week from today we will be boarding an airplane to start the long journey back to America. We are anticipating meeting with you, sharing stories of how God is working in Papua, Indonesia, and preparing for the birth of our Little One.

When searching for international tickets our thoughts were a bit different this time. This time I wanted the fastest way home! In that past long layovers and multiple stops didn't bother us, but this time is different. I just want to get there! Our journey will begin on Thursday, July 25. We will fly 2,335 miles from Sentani to the capital city, Jakarta, where we will overnight because other connecting flights cut it too close to our international departure time. Friday, July 26 we will depart at 2:15 in the afternoon. We will fly 2371.5 miles from Jakarta to Taipei, an island nation off the coast of China,  where we will hang out for about a three hour layover. We will leave Taipei at 11 PM and fly 6066.8 miles and arrive in Seattle, Washington in time for dinner on Friday night at 6 PM. My mind can't comprehend the time travel that will happen sometime between Thursday morning and Friday night.
Prayer: I don't know if anyone actually anticipates LONG flights, but this girl is NOT looking forward to the last and longest leg of the flight. Please pray that I would travel comfortably at six months pregnant. Pray that I would be able to sleep on the flights. On many flights I have not slept or slept very little. This is a small thing (but it could be big for others) pray that I would be able to sit on the aisle. This would allow me to get up easily to walk around or to go to the bathroom without disturbing Josh or others.

We will be spending August in Washington. Sometime in September we will be moving to Texas where we will "settle". We've graciously been offered a house on two acres. We are excited about the change of atmosphere. Our house in Sentani shares walls with neighbors on three sides. Although we don't have a dog, we always know when visitors, strangers, or by passers are outside because the neighbor's dog alerts us. I'll be honest I think our entire neighborhood is on less than two acres! One thing we are still in need of is a reliable automobile in Texas. Could you help us brainstorm about possible solutions? Do you (or someone you know) have an extra reliable car you would be willing to lend, rent, or sell to us? Would you pray that God would provide a car for us?

Quick Baby Update: I'm feeling movement! This is real! Our Little One continues to grow and develop, and we continue to pray that the ventricles in the brain would decrease in size. A few days after we arrive in Seattle, we have a sonogram scheduled to check any progress. Pray that we would easily be able to make appointments in Texas with an OBGYN.

Looking forward to SEEING, HUGGING, and CHATTING with you soon!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Baby Update- Post Singapore


Thank you for your prayers, words of Truth, personal testimonies, and support during this faith-building time.

During this whole experience we have seen the Lord preparing the pathway ahead of us. Here are a few (NOTE: there were MANY "God-Things") examples:
- Before we left, I contacted a doctor we had previously consulted with about a referral for an OBGYN. He immediately responded saying his wife is an OBGYN and she would see us Thursday morning. He and his wife share an office space.

- An affordable guesthouse had one room available during a conference. This is a big deal because hotels in Singapore are expensive. A "budget hotel" room can still cost around $100.

-Nothing is ever "quick" in Indonesia when it comes to travel. A flight from Papua to the capital city of Jakarta takes at least six hours. Although all our flights were delayed, we did not miss any of our connecting flights.

Thursday morning we went to the doctor's office and waited until she could see us. She was such a sweet woman who brought an overwhelming amount of peace with her to our consultation.

 
The ultrasound machine was finely tuned giving us a much clearer picture of the baby. We could see a healthy baby wiggling around. The machine was so detailed that we could see the blood flowing in and out of the heart's chambers. She did say she was concerned about the ventricles in the brain and did not feel that she could make any decisions. However, her colleague specializes in this area and suggested we visit him. She thought he would be out of the office but tried to make the appointment as soon as possible. It turns out (another "God-Thing") that he was in the office and had time to see us that afternoon!

We continued our journey to the National University Hospital's Fetal Care Center, where "all the pregnant women go" to get ultrasounds done.

 

 A second ultrasound was performed. Once again, we saw our sweet Little One sleeping. After the technician found out that I take afternoon naps, she was not surprised that the baby was sleeping and wasn't able to easily get pictures of the spine.

The doctor saw us and after checking measurements said there were four possibilities.
1. I could be infected with the virus toxoplasmosis. It is said to be carried by housecats, which is why it is recommended that pregnant women avoid litter boxes. This virus has an oral antibiotic.
2. I could be infected with the virus Cytomegalovirus (CMV). This virus is said to be passed around by children. There is no antibiotic and hopefully passes with time.
3. The dilated ventricles can be a marker for Down's Syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities.
4. It is possible that the ventricles are just dilated, but fluid and size will decrease as the baby grows.

After a blood test, results were negative for toxoplasmosis and CMV. We declined the genetic test checking for chromosomal abnormalities, but all doctors seemed fairly confident that there were no other markers of concern. We were lead to believe that overall the baby is healthy, and at our next ultrasound in America we will monitor the measurements of the ventricles. If the measurements from our first sonogram were accurate, after one week the ventricles have already decreased in size!

We continue to trust the Lord as the Great Healer, knowing that His plan is good for our Little One.  We continue to be amazed at how the Lord is using YOU in our lives. Your prayers have been answered in ways we can't even begin to explain or understand. Please continue to pray with us that the ventricles will decrease in size, that the clog will be opened up so the cerebral fluid can flow freely, and that through all of this God would receive the maximum amount of glory!

 
 
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