Our Medical Updates

BRANDON UPDATE: 

Brandon's surgery went well yesterday.  We had some wonderful friends from church switch off babysitting our little man, and I got to spend most of the day at the hospital with him.  He was nauseous and dizzy from the anesthesia for a while yesterday, but he is doing better in that department.  Now, he is just really sore and has to sleep a lot.  Being immobile for long periods of time is not at good for preventing blood clots, so please do keep praying.  He hasn't been able to walk around as much as we thought he would. 

I don't think the doctor prepared us that well for how much he would need to recover from his surgery.  I had another impression entirely.  He will be out of commission for a while, I think.  

MANDY UPDATE: 

I think I had mentioned that I was supposed to go in for some fertility tests this week.  I cancelled them, and I am going to start in January.  Our insurance deductible is really high, and mine hasn't been touched this year.  So, I am going to wait a few weeks to allow the costs to go to my 2009 deductible...which will hopefully be finished off by the costs of pregnancy.  Si Dios quiere...  

Thanks for the notes, emails, texts, comments and calls.  We love our friends.

My Doctor's Appointment

I went to the doctor today to talk to her about my infertility.  We are going to start tests next week...a progesterone test to see if I am ovulating...and a few others. It was harder than I expected to sit there and discuss this with her.  I guess it was because it makes the problem more real. 

The Lord gave us an incredible child two years ago, and I believe he will bless us with another one again.  I am not exactly sure how He will do that...whether through getting pregnant or adoption...both wonderful options.  But, God is helping me to trust Him, and I am grateful for the opportunity to walk with Him on this journey.  

We really do appreciate your prayers.  Thanks, friends.  We love you. 

And as fears have risen in my heart, the Lord has continually been blessing me with amazing views of the moon and planets...our lovely sunsets...autumn...etc.  And, He keeps reminding me that He who created all this created me too...and He has our lives in His hands.  Thanks, Lord.

 

Still Waiting...

When you're single and dating someone, people often ask,

"When are you getting married?" 

When you're married without kids, people often ask,

"When are you guys thinking of having kids?"

When you are married with kids, people often ask,

"When are you guys thinking of having more?"

Although these questions have been known to be annoying, I often find myself asking them in conversation.  I, personally, have never minded responding to them either, but answering that last one has been getting a little harder lately. 

As many around here already know, Brandon and I have been wanting to get pregnant again for over a year now...since last August. Because my pregnancy with Caleb was unexpected, I think I expected to have a baby nine months from when the date we decided we wanted another one.  I never dreamt it would take the fifteen or so months we have been waiting for a positive pregnancy test.  God has had other plans, it seems. 

Some days are honestly hard, but thankfully most are not.  Overall, the Lord has shown His goodness to us in so many ways.  I have grown more and more grateful for what He has given me...especially in our son...and I am cherishing each stage of his development.  I have been able to better understand the struggles with infertility of some of my very best friends.  And, most importantly, He has reminded me again and again that it is He who is directing my life, and the plans I so carefully lay out aren't always His.  I am just grateful that His plans are so much better than mine...and so glad that one day I will get to see just how true that is. 

So, I guess I am writing this to let you in on our struggle and ask for prayer.  Please pray that we will trust Him and get to know Him better through this process of waiting.  Please pray that we would walk well with Him through this...and that we would follow as He guides.  We have thought and talked about adoption for a while now, as there is such great need out there for homes for so many kids.  We had planned on having a few of our own before possibly adopting, but God might have other plans for us.  Please pray for guidance with that as well.  THANK YOU so much. 

  

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6