A Change of Direction - Following God's Beautiful Plan

We all have plans for our futures... plans for the next hour, the next day, the weekend, the next month, throughout the year, and throughout our lives. A lot of times we make the plans and think nothing can change them and they will happen as they are. As we journey through our life though we experience moments where our plans we had set didn't go quite the path we pictured. However, often times the changes to our plans turn out so much more beautiful and meaningful, even if it may mean making some adjustments to our lives.

Let me venture back to my mom and dad's past. When Josh, my brother, was born they planned normal baby plans, nothing seemed to cross their minds at first that anything would go too differently. As Josh progressed through his toddler years, they began noticing some things that didn't seem normal... for example him army crawling across the floor and to get up off the floor... seeing him struggle using furniture to pull himself up. After getting him checked, he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the age of 3. They were scared and felt lost. What did this mean? What would be his future? They hoped only the best for their son, and now he had a challenge to face his whole life. It crushed them. However being the strong faithful parents they are, they didn't let this diagnosis stop them. They educated themselves with this muscular disease and took Josh to St. Louis multiple times throughout his life to do all they could to be sure they did all they could to keep Josh strong throughout his life. He eventually went through leg braces and then to a powered wheelchair. My parents turned into his legs and arms. They were super heroes who brought him strength both through exercises and just by their faith and love. He may have been different by means of not being able to dribble a basketball, kick a soccer ball, ride a bike, walk, run..... but it never really got to him. Just as my parents had to adjust to the change, he adapted just as well. Because of my parents great love, care, and ambition in life, Josh held his head high and was content with his life. He enjoyed being with his family, cousins, friends. He loved watching IU basketball, playing video games, reading comic books, and telling all of us jokes. He was very intelligent in so many ways as well.... way better at math and drawing than me! Best of all, even though he may have not known it, he was a gift from God. He taught us and so many people the true meaning of life... to cherish each and every moment.. both small and big. My mom and dad's change of plan was far greater than they could ever imagine.... because it was God's plan. Yes they would have loved to not see my brother face all the obstacles they did and still be here today.... but Josh brought them strength and a close relationship with God..... and after all he is still present in our lives today... now as a guardian angel watching over each of us... even Easton and our little miracle Asher who was due on Josh's birthday. They would not change God's story for the world!

In January 2016 we found out that God had blessed us with the gift of my pregnancy. We were so excited and so was Easton! Again, just like my mom and dad, we had things planned in our minds. Over the summer we would paint and decorate Asher's room, we would get Easton potty trained, I would do learning activities with Easton and take him to the library each week. We also planned to get Easton a playground and tricycle for outside. The principal at my school, Hallie, got my maternity leave and sub set up. I planned to work for 5 weeks and then be off until the start of the new year. I planned to help the sub over the summer get things organized. Yes... again.. we had all these plans set not stopping to think they would go any differently. Just like my mom and dad... our plans did change as God stepped in... His story would unfold into the most beautiful change that we never could have imagined... this Miraculous Journey began. Like my mom and dad, we experienced a very dark and scary moment. We felt lost and didn't know what our future would hold. But we didn't lose faith... we reached for the light ... we reached for strength..... we reached out to God through prayer. God brought the most beautiful sunshine out of the darkest moment. The first few weeks on bed rest were like walking down a path where we couldn't fully see ahead, but yet we just knew in our hearts that God was walking right with us and He had a beautiful rainbow that He was leading us to. Before we knew it, July hit and so did contractions. Again there were scary moments, but God held us and we knew He was guiding us to His perfect plan. July 11, 2016 (29 weeks, 2 days) came... and God brought our miracle into the world. What a beautiful day that was and one we will never forget! In the nicu he entered.... some shaky rides have came and gone... but God has never left. Now at 36 weeks, 2 days.... 7 weeks have passed since our miracle's beautiful entrance.. and in the nicu he is still in God's healing arms strong and growing big. Our plan of a c-section at 39 weeks changed. Our plans for the summer never happened. But the story God gave us is so much more meaningful than any of our plans! I would go on bed rest again any day. It blessed me with two amazing things..... keeping Asher strong and forming a much deeper relationship with God. God blessed us with a miracle.... there is no plan greater than His!

So where am I getting at you might ask? Well if my plan had gone as I planned, I'd be teaching at this very moment and have a couple weeks to go. I would then be returning to school in January and teaching 22 second graders until the end of the school year while Easton and Asher went to the sitter. Again, those plans have changed... God had a different story in place for the year.... again a more beautiful story.

After talking with Dr. Pyle a few weeks ago, we were told how important it is to quarantine Asher and Easton for the year. Due to Asher being born at 29 weeks with little fluid, his lungs were hard and needed a lot of assistance. Babies born with underdeveloped lungs are highly prone to any germs... especially the flu and RSV... which if they would get would be very risky and mean hospital stays. With me being a teacher, I have a high chance of bringing these types of bugs and colds into the house where Asher could easily then pick up. With Easton going to the sitter, he again is in an environment where he could easily bring these types of illnesses into the house.. again putting Asher at risk. Dr. Pyle encouraged us to discuss with Hallie and Father Ed to see if there was any way they would grant me a year leave. Yes it hit me, and I never imagined this being the plan. But again, it was God's plan and His plan is the most beautiful!

James and I knew that we needed to make this work. Again this change was very scary to us.  It was hard to not take Easton to the sitters as that was where all his buds were and where he learned so many things. What would Father Ed and Hallie think?... I felt in my heart they would understand... but it was scary because I loved my job and didn't want to lose it. However, again we knew we had to take a leap of faith because this was God's story and it would all work out according to His beautiful plan. So we took that leap of faith and met face to face with Father Ed and Hallie a couple weeks ago. On our way we said prayers and just knew God would be with us. The meeting went very well, and they were very understanding of the situation... after all they only want the best for Asher too. Last week God's plan got even more beautiful as I was granted the year off and Janet (lady taking my leave) is going to teach the whole year for me. God definitely had that planned as her grandson is in the class this year... so it will be a special year for both of them! It broke my heart as I received some mail from the 2nd graders praying for Asher and saying how they looked forward to me being back. However, I knew they would understand as they knew Asher needed Mommy's love and care this year. Teaching is my passion, especially in a place where I am blessed to teach about God's everlasting love. So it is difficult being away, but God is calling me to a different plan this year. He is calling me to be at home as a Mommy to our little miracle and Easton this year to be sure they get the best care in an environment as germ free as possible. It is a blessing and I look forward to each moment and will cherish each moment! Yes God has led me on a complete different path than I had ever imagined... but how special of a path it is! God gave us a miracle, and now I am blessed with the year off to take extra special care of our miracle. I want to send a special thank you to Father Ed and Hallie for their understanding and granting us this opportunity as it will provide Asher with the care he needs. It means the world to us.

At first James was looking into finding a second job. Right away I told him that just didn't feel right to me in my heart. I felt God speaking to me that that wasn't part of His story for us. I felt God was calling us down a different path... a path that would allow James and I to work together and form a little side job while getting to stay at home with our sons. James is a handy man... and loves carpentry. He enjoys creativity and working with wood. We have been those people who have always enjoyed looking on Pinterest for ideas and Etsy to observe peoples creative talents. James has made things for the house such as lantern holders etc., but the thought never really crossed our minds on making things to sell. After all we both worked in the past, so extra time we dedicated to Easton, our family, and friends. But now James is working while I stay home with Easton and eventually Asher. So the thought hit me one day... I felt a calling to create an Etsy shop of our own and come up with something creative for James and I to make together. This would allow for him to let his carpentry shine. It will allow me and him to have a second little hobby that we would both enjoy. I began looking for ideas on what we could create together and sell. We enjoy the rustic style, so I began searching for things that we could create out of pallet wood. At the same time, I wanted to create something meaningful to praise God for the miracle He blessed us with. Then the thought hit me, I felt a calling for us to begin our shop by creating items in honor of Christmas- as Christmas is the season we celebrate our GREATEST miracle... Jesus. So to me I felt what a beautiful way to honor God for the miracle He gave us... by honoring the GREATEST miracle he gave ALL of us on Earth. While searching for rustic items that we could make and Christmas ideas, an idea was made in my heart. I always have loved rustic trays made out of pallet wood. Why not create rustic decorative trays with Christmas sayings on them? James could make the trays, and I could then finish them by using stencils and paint to create them. We also will be creating rustic stocking holders to hang on walls for the Christmas season. Our idea was formed and we both agreed it would be something we would enjoy while honoring God at the same time for our little miracle. Once Christmas season passes, we have other ideas in mind for our store that we will share later.

I have already ordered stencils and James has began getting wood ready. This weekend we hope to make our first Christmas tray so we can then begin to set up our shop on Etsy.  We look forward to sharing photos of our creations and more on this with you as we get it together.

Did we ever plan this journey? Did we ever plan our summer to be in a hospital? Did we ever plan our miracle to be in the nicu? Did we ever plan for me to take a year off from my passion? Did we ever plan on using our creativity to create and sell items on Etsy? No... God did. And we are so grateful He did. I can't say enough what beautiful stories He writes for each of our lives. Because of this miraculous story He has changed our lives and led us to a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him. He has shown us what life is all about.

What do I hope you take from this post? I hope it reminds you that when your plans go in a complete different direction there is a purpose. I hope that when they change you stop and remind yourself God has a different plan... a better, more beautiful plan. Also, I hope when you feel scared and lost when they do change, that you turn to God in faith and know He will lead the way and guide You to His beautiful plan as He writes the most amazing stories of our lives.

I ask that you keep us in prayer, as you have since day 1 of this journey (which means so much!). Please pray that we continue to let go and let God.... this year will be a little rocky at moments I predict as it will be busy. But we have a rock to lean on... God. Pray our creativity may shine and our Etsy store becomes successful. Most importantly pray that we stay healthy throughout the year, especially throughout flu season to continue to keep Asher healthy and free of sickness once he arrives home. Your prayers bring us strength and mean the world to us! May God bless all of you for the amazing prayer warriors you are..... Because of you and God Asher is the amazing warrior he is and we stand strong in faith. We love all of you so much and God above all things!

I had to update this post with the following beautiful words below.... I just got back from the nicu and it has been several hours since I made this post. But as I was pumping I opened my reflection book that I usually read in the morning, but didn't get to yet this morning. Each day I flip to next page where there is a verse and a reflection to go with it. The verse and reflection made my eyes widen.... it went right along with this post. I felt God talking to me through the words... I felt He sent me these words to go along with this post and to share with all of you from Him... a beautiful God Moment!

From the book Blessings for the Morning
Written by Susie Larson

Todays Verse:
"Do no be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown." Isaiah 43:1-2

Reflection Title: Do Not Fear

Reflection:
When you can't sense what God is up to, may you trust even more His heart toward you. When your journey is different than you would choose, may you see His invitation to make you new.

When the storm rages overhead, may you know - with everything in you- that new mercies are on the other side.

And when you're tempted to overstate your problems and understate His promises, may you step back and find your footing again.

On Christ the solid Rock you stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

Embrace a joy - perspective this day!

Happy 36 Weeks to our Warrior!

Happy 36 Weeks to our little miracle! You continue to amaze us with your strength and growth! You have now hit the 5 lb milestone and at 2.5 liters of oxygen pressure. Your face is filling out and you are so cute! Your strawberry blonde hair shines as you talk to us with your precious coos. Your eyes are observant of what is close by you. Every moment we hold you we sing praises to God for you.. the miracle He blessed us with from above! We all love you so much and can't wait for your arrival home! Love, Hugs, and Many Kisses ~ Mommy, Daddy, and Easton

I can't believe another week has gone by! It was definitely a busy week, but another very blessed one because of our loving and merciful God! Some of my favorite moments of the week would include giving Asher a bath, dressing him in clothes for the first time, holding him face to face while we talked to each other, spending time with my sister and family, Easton being a big helper around the house and running errands together, and of course each moment I got to spend with Asher and cuddle with him.

Bath Time: Monday night, James stayed home with Easton while I went to the hospital to visit my miracle boy. I will explain in more detail later in a separate post, but James is starting to see Asher every other day now due to work and spending meaningful time with Easton. When I entered, it was bath time. The nurse asked if I would like to give him a bath, and of course I said yes! I am still a little nervous as he has cords and his breathing tube to work around, but it gets easier each time. The nurse guided me through it and gave me tips on where to start and end. I began by wiping both eyes from the inside corners to the outside corners. Next came wiping his precious face. Then I took the soap and dropped some droplets on his tummy and gently wiped his tummy making sure I wet the sticker areas where the cords were so they could easily wipe off as he gets new ones each bath. Then it was time for his little feet, to his legs, and then his bottom. Last I soaped his hair, as that is the part of the body that loses heat the quickest, so she said it is always best to do last.Finally she helped me pour clean water over his tummy, legs, and hair to clean the soap. She then showed me how to wrap him in a towel being sure to dry the hair first and to do it well. Then it was time to place him on the scale.. which he was in the 4 1/2 pound range.. getting big! As she made his bed, I got to dress him. It was my first time dressing him in clothes. It was a little challenging as I first had to put on a tiny t-shirt  onesie. Then put the sleeper on. Due to it being a zip up, she had to cut a tiny hole in it for the cords to go through. We then wrapped him up in a warm blanket. He was wide eyed and very comfy. Giving him a bath was such a beautiful gift and he did very well.. didn't get too upset! I loved seeing him all clean, happy, and warm. :)

Mommy/Son Time: Wednesday I met my parents at the hospital. Mom went in with me first. When we arrived I again got to give Asher a bath. This time he was a little mad at first, but we managed to calm him down. Mom heard Asher cry for the first time and it cracked me up because it broke her Grandma heart. She couldn't take seeing him mad, and being the loving grandma and mom she is, she just wanted to so bad pick him up and cuddle with him and let him know all is okay. While I gave him a bath, she then got my dad. My dad loved seeing Asher and enjoyed watching him get a bath, get weighed,and get dressed. He took several pictures and video of it, which I am so grateful for to add as memories of Asher's miraculous journey. Dad enjoyed seeing him all wide eyed and observant. As Asher got cuddled back into bed, Dad got mom as she didn't get to see Asher all content and wide eyed since he was upset when she was in. As my mom reentered, the nurse came over with a pillow. I thought it was to help me prop up my arm in the chair, but instead she had a beautiful idea. She placed the pillow vertical on my lap and then placed my little fighter face to face upright on the pillow. He was all wide eyed, full of coos and smiles. I told him all about how Daddy and Easton painted his nursery, how Daddy was putting his crib together, how I had washed his clothes and hung them in his closet, played with Easton.. etc. all the happenings of the day. I can't put into words how special that moment was. Our eyes locked together in a special Mommy/Son conversation. The nurse then came and took photos on my phone of the special bonding moment. I just remember sitting there with him eye to eye thinking how blessed I truly was that God blessed us with this miracle and this miraculous journey. Yes it is hard to see Asher on oxygen and all that he has went through, but I honestly wouldn't want the story any other way. This story God has written for James and I is beyond beautiful. It has changed our lives and led us in a much stronger relationship with Him. It has led us to truly cherish each day and moment. It has led us to see what a miracle life is... and especially how precious it is! He has blessed us with a little fighter who has touched our lives so deeply.

Nesting: So yes usually the nesting phase comes to mothers in the third trimester prior to baby's arrival. Well my story is a little different. My nesting phase I believe has officially hit this week. I have felt more energized this week and so I went on a nesting mission... to get the house organized prior to Asher's home coming. Tuesday I had my 6 week check-up at Jasper, yes it has already been 6 weeks (now more like 7) since Asher's arrival... crazy! All went well, so when I came back home, I was ready to get the house put back together.

I began by hanging up the clothes mom and I had washed a couple weeks ago, while washing some of the clothes we didn't get to. In the end, I have arranged Asher's closet from newborn size up to 12 months. I then have 18-24 months in bins. With Easton being born in the month of November, and Asher technically due in September, most of Easton's clothes should fit perfectly. I then got all his drawers organized with sleepers, blankets, bibs, burp cloths, etc. Hand me downs are such blessings!

The next mission was to get all the toys mom and I had cleaned organized in his room. James had put together his crib on Wednesday evening in our room as we will have close watch over him the first year. So in his room, we have stored all his toys and gear for the first year. We will gradually get to putting decor on the walls, but our main focus is to just have everything organized. I will be doing the warrior theme in his room... arrows and deer..... as he is a true warrior! With the grey walls I will be adding mint and navy and white as accents. But like I said, that will be a winter project most likely as our main focus is our little miracle right now. :)

Easton enjoys helping mommy, so he was all excited when I asked him to help me organize his room. Prior to this journey his room was pretty organized, but since I have been home and not been able to get down on the floor to help him clean up or to control how many toys he dumped at a time, the toys have gotten all mixed together in different boxes. So he thought it was a treasure when I told him to dump a box at a time and we sorted the toys together. Eventually  we got the toys in the right boxes. We then looked in his toy box and got it all organized. Next was the puzzle shelf as most of the puzzles were missing pieces etc. So we managed to put them all together and find all the missing pieces. Then I let him dump his 2 shelf spaces of books on the floor. We put them back on his shelf spaces in a much neater way as before they were just piled on top of each other where you couldn't see which book you were choosing. Next we went in his closet and organized his memory boxes as we had a whole summer of items to add to his boxes. Easton loved looking at his favorite baby toys again as we went through the boxes. We then went through his clothes hanging in the closet putting away the ones that no longer fit him into the bins in Asher's room. We then ran errands together Thursday early morning as the nicu was in need of more breast milk. After running to the nicu, we went to Target and Wal-Mart to get a crib sheet, diaper changer cover, and boppy pillow cover. Easton then wanted a cookie as each time we run errands he assumes we are going to Schnucks for a free cookie and grocery shopping. He had been such a great helper and so good running errands that I couldn't say no, and I was need of frozen spinach anyways to make some spinach dip I had been craving. It made my day to see him full of smiles as he chose one of his favorite cookies... M&M (or as he call it "M's).

James also was a big help in this "nesting"  phase lol. Our tile floors hadn't been scrubbed since prior to this journey, so we knew it was time to clean them as they felt grimy on our feet (gross I know!). This had obviously been the longest time we have went without cleaning as we weren't home over the summer and since we have been home our days have been quite busy. So James got the fun job of scrubbing them :). It honestly was such a gift once they were clean as the floor felt so smooth on our feet.. you could just tell they were fresh and clean! Next was the lovely bathroom..... our tubs and floors needed cleaned badly as they too have not been touched since prior. So yes James... (he gets the fun jobs as you can see!) cleaned them good. However, I can't forget to mention that he had a helper.. Easton! He was truly daddy's boy on the cleaning day because Easton loves to help.. especially when it comes to cleaning! He will take the swiffer across the floor... pretend to vacuum along with daddy with his little toy push mower, dust with mommy or grandma with a cloth, and now he was in  the bath room helping daddy clean the floors and observing daddy scrubbing the shower and tub.When they were done, Easton had to come get me and show me how clean the floors were as he was so proud to have helped clean them.. something that truly melted my heart!

This week my "nesting" goals are to shred a bunch of papers that have built up over the past few months, dust the house, and file all our lovely hospital papers to help keep us organized as we get many, many, many envelopes in the mail daily that are hospital related.. so it is hard to keep them organized when we just stack them on a desk. I also plan to officially sign papers for us to join Saint Wendel Parish as we love going to Mass there, not only because it is where I work, but because Father Ed means the world to us and we feel at home there. We also will then be planning Asher's Baptism with Father Ed. We plan to do it in October/November sometime and Father Ed has told us that we will do a family Baptism that is separate from Mass as Asher is to be away from any sickness for a year. That means so much to us, as most Baptisms are during the Mass, but Asher would be at risk of catching something more easily in a big crowd. So we thank Father Ed for going out of his way for us. I also plan on dropping off photos of Easton and Asher for the Saint Wendel Social photo contest. My sister was here over the weekend and took some cute photos  of both of them for it. :) On a more fun note, I hope to make spinach dip tonight as I have been craving it for a long time!

I thank God for this time to "nest" as I didn't really get to "nest" as a normal mother would. I would much rather have Asher home, but God has blessed our little miracle in so many ways and keeping him strong in the nicu right now is such a blessing. So as I sit and wait patiently for his arrival, I cherish this "nesting" time God has blessed us with to prepare for our sweet miracle's homecoming.

Family Time: On Saturday my parents along with my sister and Hunter visited. I was excited as Lacy was bringing her wedding DVD that our cousin taped and put together. He did an AMAZING job with it! Even though I Skyped the whole wedding, there were still things that I didn't get to fully see, so it was so neat getting to see it all again. When we watched the moments Easton walked down the aisle as ring bearer and when I gave my speech over Skype, my eyes teared up. It brought me back to that actual day, yes it was so hard not being there, but how grateful I was for that day! With God's blessing of technology I was able to "be there" and that is what meant the most to me! After watching the DVD, we visited our little miracle in the nicu. Hunter got to see him for the first time, which he was all smiles when he saw him. Lacy got to see him wide awake and take some cute video and pics of him. She even got to see Dr. Pyle again as he was on for that day. After the nicu, we went out to eat and then headed back to our house as Lacy took photos of Easton for the contest. It was nice to again get to spend time with my family. I couldn't be more blessed..... they are always here shining the gifts of love, support, care, smiles, and laughter.

I will be posting another post today about God's special plan for us this year. I wanted to post it separately so I can just focus on the one topic. So you will be blessed with 2 posts this week! :)

Dear Loving God, I praise You for all Your endless blessings in our life. Thank You for keeping our little miracle strong and blessing him with amazing growth. Thank You for the gift of family time. Thank You for this beautiful "nesting phase" to help us prepare for Asher's arrival home in Your perfect timing. Thank You for time with Easton as he is such a big helper! Thank You for the joys of giving Asher a bath, dressing him, bonding with him in special ways, and holding him, our miracle, in our hands. Thank You for amazing prayer warriors who pray daily for our little fighter. Our trust is fully in You as You heal Asher in Your perfect timing. You are so beautiful to us! May You continue to shine Your miraculous works  through Asher so all may witness the power of Your healing grace and grow closer to You. Please heal and protect all the nicu babies... which are all miracles! We love You above all things! Amen.

Thank you to all of you for being the powerful prayer warriors you are! We couldn't be more blessed to have all your amazing prayers surrounding our little warrior and all of us. May God send many blessings upon all of you for being our strength. Let us continue to hold hands together with God, Josh, and all the Angels and Saints in prayer throughout this amazing journey! Asher is comforted in all your prayers and in our Miraculous God's loving and healing arms!

Happy 35 Weeks to our miracle!

Happy 35 Weeks to our little miracle from God above! You amaze us each day with how strong you are, how much you are growing, and how much of a blessing you are from our Amazing God! You have now graduated to an open bed as God has blessed you with regulating your body temperature. God is holding you in His loving, healing arms and blessing you each day with unending strength and healing grace. Easton loves being your big brother so much and prays to Jesus each day for you to be healed and get to go to "his house". Mommy and Daddy sing praises to God above each day for His amazing gift of you, and we love you so much! Hugs, Kisses, and So Much Love, ~ Mommy, Daddy, and Easton

What another beautiful week it has been filled with God's blessings all around! We can't believe Asher has reached his 35 week milestone. It is going on 6 weeks since his miraculous entrance into God's beautiful world, and I am going into my 6th week of recovery. How fast time has flown by! I continue to send God praises each day for His gift of Asher's strength and healing, along with this whole miraculous journey. Each time I hold my warrior in my arms and look at him, it makes me flash back to the unknown at the beginning of this road, but yet there was something truly known all along. That even though you can't always see the road ahead and all hope around you seems lost and you feel like you have dropped into a dark place, that you are NEVER alone. That if you have faith (which is believing in the unseen) in God above and His miraculous works and loving mercy, that You can trust the road He has planned ahead is the best and most blessed road. Even in that darkest and scariest moment, I held on to my faith and prayed that God would guide us to His road and trusted in it, even when I didn't know what the outcome was. I let go, and let God. He has written us the most beautiful story...  a story that I can't wait to share someday with Asher... a story that with Him nothing is impossible... a story that displays the power of His healing grace and everlasting love... a story that has changed my life. With faith and hope in Him, He has delivered us sunshine and a miracle - a beautiful son. So as I sit each day and hold my miracle in my arms, I thank God for the story He has written for my family and the story He continues to write and leads us to each day. Even though I can't see the story ahead, I wake up each morning excited to see what He places in front of us each morning and the blessings He shines upon us each day. He is truly a Merciful God!

 This past week started with an exciting and beautiful blessing! Just as I left Church on Sunday, I called the nicu to get an update on our little miracle. The nurse told me she had some good news... Asher had graduated to an open crib as he was blessed by God above in being able to maintain his body temperature. My eyes lit up and a huge smile appeared on my face as I heard the news! We looked forward to seeing Asher out of his incubator and in an open bed later that afternoon. Prior to seeing him, James bought paint and he painted Asher's nursery, of course with Easton's help! Easton was so excited to help his daddy paint Baby Asher's room, it melted my heart. Later that afternoon we saw our little warrior in the nicu in his brand new open bed. Not only was that a first, but he also graduated to his first outfit.... a onesie, a sleeper over the onesie, and a sleep sack over the sleeper. To help him maintain his temperature, this was a must. Seeing him in clothes for the first time was such a blessing, and how cute he looked! We then both took turns cuddling with our miracle that afternoon while singing praise to God for the strong little guy He blessed us with in our arms.

Throughout the week I got several items accomplished. I managed to finally get Easton successfully transferred to Asher's and his new pediatrician along with setting up his 3 year old checkup. I also managed to contact individuals about lovely insurance items with our hospital stays, which is always fun :). I managed to cook dinner, wash dishes, do laundry as I am slowly getting more energy to do it without me feeling too tired and my back not giving in. I even managed to drive back to my hometown for the first time since that scary day when this journey began... which is what I am going to write about now.

Thursday arrived and Easton and I were heading back to my hometown for a dental appointment and to visit my parents. Yes.. I still need to switch dentists... but o well.. just twice a year of driving back home. It would be my first time home since May 23.... the day my water was beginning to break earlier in the day, but no one really knew...the day I and James left work early to drive back to our hometown to see Dr. Hopf and see what was going on. As I began to drive home on the interstate, it hit me of the thoughts that were going through my mind that day. It seemed just like yesterday. Now here I was, 7 weeks of bed rest had flown by, my miracle was heading to be 6 weeks old and getting stronger each day in the nicu, I was already 6 weeks into recovery, and I was driving on the interstate for the first time in 3 months with my son to visit my hometown. As I listened to Christian music play on the radio, I thanked God for His blessings in my life.

It was so nice to enter my mom and dad's house again and relax and visit. Easton was so excited to be at Mamaw and Papaw's house. I couldn't get over how big and spread out the pink petunias had gotten that Easton gave Mamaw for Mother's Day in his handprint painted pot. It made me think of Asher. He was so small from the start, but now he has truly grown and became such a strong little warrior. As I left for my dental appointment, Easton waved bye as Mamaw was caring for him while I was gone. Driving there I had a feeling that I had a cavity on my one tooth. While on bedrest, there were days when I had an IV in my right arm which made brushing my teeth with my left hand pretty hard... and I knew I wasn't brushing them too good. So, it wouldn't be a surprise to me if I indeed had one. I wasn't going to get upset if I did either. Afterall a cavity is nothing, life can be so much more scary. While I got my teeth checked and cleaned, it was nice catching up with the dental assistant who cleans my teeth. Her one daughter has had a baby in the nicu too, so she could relate to Asher's story. I couldn't believe it when she told me that I had no cavity. She knew my one tooth was sensitive, but it was more of a gum sensitivity she said. So instead of a cavity, God blessed me with the gift of Sensodyne tooth paste instead. I felt relieved and so blessed.

Before heading back to my parents' house, I visited my brother. It was a while since I was there, so I looked forward to visiting with him. I pulled up, got out, and placed my hand on his beautiful picture. I told him how much I missed him and loved him and how thankful I was to have him as a Guardian Angel over all of us, especially right there with Asher from day 1. Asher was due on his birthday for a very special reason... to let me know that Josh was watching over him and he would be just as strong as my brother was. When I left my brother, I left with a smile on my face. Yes, I miss him dearly. I can't believe it has been almost 16 years since he entered Heaven. But no matter what I know he is always right here with me and my family watching over us from a beautiful place above. Easton and Asher are so blessed to have an Uncle in Heaven to watch over them. :)

When I returned back to my parents' home, I pumped and then Easton and I got ready to head back home. I would be  back on Tuesday for my 6 week check-up with Dr. Hopf and my yearly eye appointment (yes I need to switch eye doctors yet too!). I thanked my mom for helping watch Easton throughout the day as we headed into my car to head back home. Last time I headed back home from my hometown I was still unsure of what was all happening. We knew I was leaking, but Dr. Hopf did an ultrasound and my fluid appeared to be okay. I remember being nervous still as I just felt that something wasn't right. So the moment I left my hometown this time, I felt so blessed to know that God was right with me through it all. Yes, I experienced a scary moment, but I can't be more grateful for the blessing it brought me. Again, God couldn't have written the story more beautifully. The story He wrote led me closer to Him and completely changed my life. I want to do all I can to serve Him and to lead my children to love Him and serve Him all their life. What a beautiful God He is!

Each evening throughout the week we visited our little miracle. Asher graduated to pod B mid week. So when we enter the nicu, there he is right there! As I held him Thursday evening, James brought Easton into the lobby of the nicu. Easton could look right inside the window and see his little brother. A huge smile appeared on Easton's face as he was excited to see his little brother in person once again. This time it was a closer view for him too. Seeing him so happy to see Asher made my evening so special. I look forward to the moment Easton gets to bring his little brother.. bestest bud.. home for the first time. What a special moment that will be!

Asher is now 16 1/2 inches long and 4 pounds, 9.2 ounces. He is on 3.5 liters of oxygen pressure. The goal is to get down to .5 or 1 before he can graduate from it. Once he reaches 1 liter, he can begin to be fed by bottle. With God's blessings of weight gain and temperature management, his main 2 checklist items before being able to graduate from the nicu are to get his liter level down to .5 on the machine and breathe independently along with being able to suck, swallow, and breathe when taking a bottle. They also would like him to be at least 5 pounds, so he needs to gain a half pound at least, which we are confident he will hit that milestone soon as he has been blessed with taking his feedings very well. We trust fully in God and know that He will bless Asher with these milestones in His perfect timing as He has the perfect plan set out for our miracle He has blessed us with.

Yesterday James picked up meat with the help of his mom. We received half a cow that his parents had raised, so that will help us greatly this year on our grocery bill! His mom then came and helped him pack it in the freezer. With me not being able to do a lot of lifting, I was glad she was there to help him, especially since she is good at organizing it for us! Thank you Bonnie for helping us, it meant a lot!

Today my mom and dad came up to help as James was back in our hometown working on our rental property as our renters were moving in. He has one more side to fix some items so we can rent it out as well. My dad played with and watched Easton, as Mom and I cleaned all the baby toys. James will be putting the 2nd coat of paint on Asher's room tomorrow. So, once it drys, my job this coming week will be to move the toys into his room and get his clothes hung in the closet. We will be storing the toys in his room, as his crib will be put up in our bedroom for a good year. Right now all his toys and clothes are sitting in our sitting room. So, it will be nice to get things organized. I want to send a special thank you to my mom and dad for coming to help today. You truly mean so much to me and are such big helpers! I could never say enough how much I love you! You are blessings to us!

Rainbows have always been beautiful signs from God above reminding us of His everlasting love and His constant presence in our lives. Over the weeks since I have been home we have seen several pretty rainbows... always on the way to the hospital to see our miracle. God blessed us with two beautiful rainbows this week... again both on the way to see Asher. These rainbows were God Moments and we praise God for sending us to them... His works are amazing! (You probably have to look closely to see them... but they were so beautiful to see as we drove to see our warrior!)

Dear Loving God, I sing praises to You for Your endless blessings in our lives. You are truly merciful in all Your ways! Thank You for continuing to wrap Your loving, healing arms around Asher and keeping him strong as You heal him in Your perfect timing. Thank You for blessing him with growth and the ability to maintain his temperature in an open bed. Thank You for the gift of holding him in our arms each day as we praise You for our miracle. Thank You for amazing family who are right here with us always. Thank You for powerful prayer warriors who continue to pray for Asher's healing and strength. Thank You for this beautiful story You have written and continue to write in our lives. We place our full trust in You as You heal Asher in Your beautiful timing and keep us strong. You are miraculous in all Your works, and we love You above all things! May You continue to shine Your miraculous works through our little miracle so all may witness the power of Your healing grace and grow closer to You. May You also bless all the babies in the nicu with Your healing grace. You are merciful, and Your love is everlasting! Amen.

We continue to feel your powerful prayers surround us each day. Asher continues to grow stronger as he is blessed in God's loving arms while surrounded by Josh, all the Angels and Saints, and your endless prayers. All of you are blessings in our lives. I pray that all of You praise God each day for the blessings surrounding your life and the beautiful story God is writing for all of you. May He shine special blessings upon all of you for the amazing prayer warriors you are! Let us continue to unite hand in hand with God, Josh, and all the Angels and Saints in prayer throughout this miraculous journey as God heals Asher in His perfect timing. All of you mean so much to us, and we love all of you more than you could ever know...as Asher does too!

Happy 34 Weeks to our Miracle!

Happy 34 Weeks to our little miracle! We can't stop smiling at how much you have grown and how strong God has made you. We can't stop singing praises to God for blessing us with you, our little warrior. God is holding you in his healing, loving arms always and blessing you with strength and miracles each day. Josh, all the Angels and Saints, and your amazing prayer warriors' prayers are surrounding you too. Easton prays to Jesus each day for you, and he can't wait to have his little brother home, just like your Mommy and Daddy. We love you so much!! Love, Hugs, and Kisses~ Mommy, Daddy, and Easton

It has been another week of beautiful blessings from God above. God is truly merciful! Asher is now 34 weeks and weighs 4 pounds 1 ounce. God has blessed him off his normal ventilator, and now helped him graduate to a machine that gives him  just oxygen. God is miraculous as he has blessed us with a miracle and a strong little warrior from above!

"And may you be so profoundly aware of God's song over your life that it puts a spring in your step. Walk blessed today. You matter deeply to God" (From a devotion book of mine)

God is always surrounding us and if we pay close attention, each day there are God Moments surrounding us. I challenge you to pay attention and praise God each day for the God Moments surrounding your life. He is truly beautiful! All praise to him for the God Moments I am sharing with you below.

Monday: There is nothing like the gift of good friends bringing us dinner. What a joy it is to us to be able to eat a home cooked dinner without cooking during the week, as our evenings are always focused on our little miracle and going to see him. Ali and Carrie, my great friends and teaching partners, came by to deliver us delicious dinner. Most days it is a challenge to have Easton clean his toys, especially as I can't sit on the floor with him to help him, which usually is more of a motivator for him. However, on this day it was no challenge. All I had to tell him is that Maverick's and Colton's Mommies were coming over so he had to make the house look nice. It made me smile as he got on the floor and cleaned up right away while singing his sweet little clean up song.. I love hearing him sing.. it melts my heart! After he cleaned up, he sat in his room and looked out his window for Ali and Carrie to come. The moment the cars pulled up, he came running to tell me they were here... and he was even more excited as Maverick was along! His smile was so big. Right away him and Maverick played, as we thanked Ali and Carrie for the delicious meal - meat loaf, cheesy potatoes, corn, rolls, and Easton's fave- dirt pudding with gummy worms. We couldn't be more grateful, and it was so nice to see them and catch up. They were starting school Wednesday, which seems so crazy to me! This whole journey began the Monday before school got out, and now school was already starting! Where did summer go? It makes me realize how fast this journey over the summer has truly gone. After Maverick and Easton played for a while and we visited with Ali and Carrie for a while, they headed back home. Easton said bye to Maverick and we again thanked them for their kind deed. We then ate the delightful meal and praised God for the gift of meaningful friends and food. Thank you again Ali and Carrie for your gift of kindness. It will be forever cherished in our hearts!

Tuesday: As Asher was nearing 34 weeks, it hit us that his arrival home will be here sooner than we know. So, I made a to do list of items we need to get and what we need to do around home to prepare for our little miracle's arrival home. One thing was to go through Easton's bins of baby clothes and get them sorted, cleaned, and organized in Asher's room. I couldn't be more grateful for my mom's help in doing this. She came down around lunch time and we spent the afternoon together going through the clothes. It was actually fun as it brought back memories of Easton as a baby. How fast time has gone! I even put a pair of his newborn size pants against Easton's leg, and they only went up to a little below his knees. I couldn't get over how much he has grown!

As we sorted the clothes, Easton cracked us up as he wore a pair of his monkey pants from when he was a baby around his head. Another time  he took a warm cozy jacket suit of his and tried to wear it. He enjoyed looking through the clothes just like us. We got all the clothes up to 12 months sorted. We didn't have time to get it all washed, but managed to get up to 6 months done, which made me very happy. We got the sleepers, onesies, bibs, burp cloths,  and socks put into drawers. I then placed outfits to hang in his closet in a hamper for now as I am going to wait for James to paint his room before hanging them up.

I was so grateful for my Mom's help. We couldn't get over the amount of clothes Easton had, and it made me feel blessed as Asher would be able to wear them. I wasn't sure how many newborn clothes we had, but we had more than I thought. Knowing that Asher will be in newborn size at first, that made me feel grateful that he would have warm clothes to wear. Thank you Mom for all of your help in preparing for our little miracle's arrival home! You are such a beautiful blessing in my life!

Wednesday: God has truly blessed us with amazing prayer warriors throughout this whole miraculous journey! I wish I could send a thank you card to each and every one of you. However, I hope you know how much we cherish each of you in our hearts. Asher and us wouldn't have the strength we do without God and  your powerful prayers surrounding us!

I did have some thank you cards to write out to family and close friends, plus my amazing doctor and nurses for their amazing care and help throughout this journey. The thank you cards were sitting on the table for a while, and I finally felt that I had time to do them as Easton was napping. So, I spent most of Wednesday afternoon writing them out. I enjoyed writing each one of them as writing is something I enjoy. However, it felt refreshing once I got them all done, as we have several items to get checked off our check list before Asher's arrival home. So, I thanked God for blessing me with time to finally get them done as He knew that was something I needed to get done.

In the evening, I got to hold Asher in my loving arms. James held him Monday and Tuesday, so I couldn't wait to have him resting on me all snuggled up. While on me, he slept the whole time. It was so relaxing to hear him breathe and feel his soft skin and warmth on me. As always, I sat there in thanksgiving for our precious miracle. As he snuggled on me, he got fed 34 ccs. His weight was nearing 4 pounds too. I couldn't get over how much he had grown. I could have lied there all night with him, but I knew he needed the warmth of his bed and Easton and James were waiting out in the lobby. After I left saying my gnite and love you to my little warrior and thanking God for the gift of holding him, James came in to say his gnite and love you too. He looked forward to holding him tomorrow as he too loved and cherished his snuggle time with him.

Thursday: Thursday I enjoyed my time with Easton at home. He pretended to cook me soup as he sang a little tune... "Make.. make...make" to himself. It makes me smile every time he notices me hearing him sing... when he realizes I am watching he stops and gets all bashful. It is the cutest thing! We went outside for a little bit and he rode his tricycle around inside the screened in porch. I watched him play with this  house toy that he got when he was little. Again I listened to him play pretend, it was too cute again. We then looked at his Thomas the Train seek and find book as he found all the items. It made me flash back to right when we first looked at that book, when he didn't fully understand the concept of finding items in the book. He just liked that it was a Thomas book and loved looking at the pictures. Now, he was able to find each item on the pages. It again amazed me at how much he has learned in the past 2 years. I truly enjoyed my afternoon with him and thanked God for each moment together!

When James got home, we got ready and headed  to the hospital as his parents were meeting us there to see their miracle grandson. When we arrived, Easton, James' dad Jim, and I sat in the lobby as James and his Mom headed into the nicu to see our little warrior. Easton entertained us as normal by putting rock on his head and trying to balance it and then let it fall on the ground. He brought a truck along too, but with him he would much rather play with a little rock from the parking lot. As he entertained us, my Dad came in. He has a Diocese meeting with the Bishop as he is on the finance committee, so he was in town. Dad and I sat and talked as we waited, and Easton then was trying to feed my dad Hot and Spicy Cheezits. It cracks me up because Easton takes after his Daddy and likes spicy things, unlike his Mom. So when my Dad got the Cheezit, it wasn't the normal Cheezit he was expecting, as my dad isn't a fan of spicy food either. As we waited, Dr. Fitzpatrick walked by, my high risk doctor who delivered Asher. It was nice again to see him as he always comes over to say hi and check on how things are going. I couldn't ask God for a greater doctor to care for me during my hospital stay.

After Bonnie came out, Jim went in to see Asher. As it was nearing time for the nicu to close for change of shifts, Dad and I walked in as James and Jim walked out. Asher was in his bed all comforted. Dad and I cherished the time with him. What a blessing to know that God was right there cuddling His loving arms around our little miracle while Josh and all the Angels and Saints and your prayer warrior prayers were surrounding him. We left the nicu with smiles on our faces.

Friday: I took it easy most of the day as I felt more tired. As I was showering in the morning, Easton somehow snuck playdough in the bathroom. When I got out, he had tiny pieces all over the tile and rug. I wanted to cry and scream lol as I knew it would be hard for him to pick it up and for me to get down to clean it too. However, I stayed calm because Easton has been such a big helper throughout this whole journey, and he didn't know better. So, after my shower I bent over and picked up as much as I could. It was a workout for me though, as I wasn't use to it and it was hard with my incision. That is why after my shower, I decided it would be a day to take it easy and rest. That little bit of bending over exhausted me and my legs.

As I rested, I called and checked on Asher. He was doing well and broke the 4 pound marker! He weighed 4 pounds and one ounce. I praised God the moment I heard that. It made me smile big! Throughout the day Easton and I watched some movies, read books, and played of course.

"Let the children come to me." Matthew 19: 13-15 (Part of Gospel Reading from Saturday)

When the hour of prayer came, I got my Rosary and prayed. It was then that the most beautiful God Moment came... Easton came up to me and asked for Jesus. I then gave him my Rosary and he held on to the Crucifix and told Jesus to take care of Asher, heal his lungs, and bring him home. He then ended by saying how he loves Jesus. It melted my heart... as he said his little prayer in the sweetest way. My goal in life is to lead my children in forming a special relationship with God, and seeing this just made me smile as Easton formed a special bond with Jesus at that very moment.

When the afternoon hit, I decided to surprise James and try to cook dinner by myself for the first time in over 3 months. Even though I was tired, I encouraged myself that I could do it. As I was preparing the dishes to place in the oven, I actually enjoyed it. It was stress relieving. Easton stood there and watched me. I think he was amazed that Mommy was actually cooking dinner... and not Daddy lol! I managed to get the dishes in the oven and wash the dirty dishes in the sink before James arrived home. My back hurt and I was ready to sit down, but it made my day that I finally had made supper in the first time in months! It made James smile too. I thanked God for the strength to do so.

After James got home, Easton ran to me with excitement! He saw Adam's truck pull up and his Uncle Adam coming to the door. He ran in circles in excitement as he knows  Uncle Adam will take him outside and play with him. This time his Uncle even had a special surprise for him. He brought Easton a little soccer net and ball. So while supper baked and I rested, Easton, James and Adam played soccer outside.... along with riding his truck and jeep of course. Once supper was ready, they came in and we all ate. We then got ready to go see our miracle.

When we arrived, Adam took care of Easton out in the lobby as James and I headed in to see our little warrior. When we arrived, his eyes were peeking open as he was nearing his meal time. Right away we noticed a different machine beside him. At first we wondered what the machine meant as we didn't call for updates in the afternoon. We sang praises to God as the respiratory nurse told us that Asher had graduated to a less supportive machine. The machine gives him only oxygen and he also graduated to a smaller tube in his nose. God is truly miraculous in all His beautiful ways!

I then took his temperature while James changed his diaper... for once it was just a wet one for his Daddy lol! James then gave him a bath..... which Asher doesn't like too much. However, once James crossed Asher's tiny arms against his little chest and held them there gently, he was comforted. One nurse taught us that position as it makes preemies feel like they are cuddled, and it truly does work to calm him down! After his bath, he got weighed. He weighed 4 pounds 1.1 ounces. He looked so cute in the scale as his eyes were wide open and observant. I then sat in the recliner as the nurse handed our little miracle to me. James then went to get Adam to let him see his little warrior nephew.

As he laid on my chest skin to skin, his eyes stayed wide open and observed the world around him. It melted my heart when he would lift his little head and meet his beautiful eyes with mine. He looked so much more alert and just bigger at that moment. Adam couldn't get over how much bigger he seemed too. The nurse said it was cute as he had his one little hand under his head while lying on me, and he was like massaging the back of his head with his tiny hand. Before he got fed, he sat there and sucked on his little fingers. As he was getting fed 35 ccs in a 30 minute period, he made sucking noises with his little lips. As I laid the recliner back, he then went right to sleep in my arms. God was truly blessing our little miracle and praised Him for this beautiful Mommy/Son bonding moment. Nothing compares to the amazing feeling of a miracle from God above in your arms!

After Adam left the nicu, James came in to say gnite and his love yous along with me. The nurse snuggled him back in his bed as he was all cozy and asleep. It was hard to leave him as always, but God was right there with him. We smiled and praised God for all His beautiful blessings and then headed to meet Easton and Adam in the lobby.


Today: This morning James took Easton along with him back to our hometown as his Mom wanted to spend the day with Easton while James worked on our rental property. Later today he will be showing the property to interested renters, so we pray if in God's loving will that we may get the one side rented out.,.. as that is another big item to get checked off our list before Asher's arrival home. Easton was excited to ride in his Daddy's work truck this morning and see his Mamaw and Uncle Adam.

As they are busy back in our hometown, my parents are coming down to help me get Asher's room organized so James can paint it tomorrow. We also will wash the rest of his baby clothes. I am going to see if my Dad can put some of the baby toys back together too. Our plan is to put the baby crib up in our room instead of Asher's as he will be sleeping in our room most of his first year. We will then just keep his clothes, and diaper changer table in his room along with storing his toys, swing, etc. in his room. I thank my parents for coming down to help us prepare and organize the room, as it is another big item to check off our list as well. Thank you Mom and Dad for all of your help, care, and love throughout this journey!

Later today I look forward to seeing our little miracle from God above! Happy 34 Weeks to you Asher, our little warrior!!

Dear Loving God, Thank You for keeping Asher and us strong throughout this whole journey! Thank You for all your beautiful blessings and God Moments in our lives. Thank You for blessing us with our little miracle and keeping him comforted in Your loving, healing arms. Thank You for the gift of family, friends, and powerful prayer warriors throughout this miraculous journey. Thank You for leading us to Your most beautiful plan. May You continue to shine Your miraculous works through Asher so all may witness the power of Your healing grace and grow closer to You through Asher's healing in Your perfect timing. We trust fully in You and all Your miraculous works! You are amazing and we praise You for Your everlasting mercy and love. We love You above all things! Amen.

We cherish each of you for continuing to journey with us throughout this miraculous ride. We are so grateful for your endless prayers and support! You help keep Asher and us strong through your powerful prayers! May we continue to unite hand in hand with God, Josh, and all the Angels and Saints in this miraculous journey as God heals Asher in His most beautiful timing. God is merciful as He has blessed us with a miracle who is surrounded by His love and Your love and endless prayers!

Happy 33 Weeks and God's Many Blessings!

"Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 (Part of Sunday's Second Reading... This quote has always had great meaning to me throughout my life. It reminds me to always place my faith and trust in God in every situation. We can never fully see the path God has in front of us, but through faith and trust in Him we can live joyfully knowing that He will lead us to His beautiful path for us. Sometimes we have to carry our crosses to get to His beautiful plan, but again through faith in Him we stay strong and know He knows what is best and His plan is always beautiful. Just as this journey has been a beautiful adventure filled with some bumpy moments, but we kept our faith and trust in God as He is our rock and we knew He had a beautiful plan set out for Asher and us. We continue to keep our faith and trust in Him as He leads us to his perfect plan. This journey has made our faith and trust in Him even stronger. He is a merciful and loving God.

Happy 33 weeks to our miracle from God above! What a strong warrior you are! How we love to hold you and watch you grow in strength while cradled in God's healing arms. We love you so much and can't wait to bring you home for the first time. Your big brother Easton loves you so much too and can't wait for you to be home so he can help you and play with you. God has truly blessed us with such a beautiful fighter! Love, hugs, and kisses always~ Mommy, Daddy, and Easton

It has been a few days since I have posted. I look back and realize what a gift this blog has been. It was my calming medicine so to speak to keep me together and keep me strong through my hospital stay and the unknown of when Asher would arrive. While I am at home adjusting while our miracle is wrapped in God's loving arms in the nicu, my blog is a place I look forward to as it brings me peace to share God's amazing works with all of you and it gives me a place to write out my thoughts on this miraculous journey God has blessed us with. Being back at home and taking care of Easton and doing needed chores, plus spending special time with my miracle, I realize I won't be able to post daily as I did, but my goal is to post twice a week as sharing this journey God has blessed us with with all of you means a lot to me as I love to share how amazing God is. I also want to continue writing about this beautiful ride so I can share it with Asher one day to show him how miraculous God is.

In these past few days God has blessed Asher and us with a lot of beautiful blessings that I am about to share with you....and I hope I don't leave any of the blessings out... as God is so gracious.

Thursday's Blessings: Asher was up to 29 ccs of feeding and doing very well keeping it digested. Since it was my first week on my own with Easton, Mom wasn't here to see her miracle grandson. She also didn't get to experience him being held in our arms yet, as dad was here the Sunday prior to experience the special moment. So my parents met us at the hospital in the evening. It was James' night to hold our little warrior, so we went in together first to see how he was doing. As always he looked precious. I believe James changed his diaper and it was another stinky lol. The nurses always joke at how much he stinks up his enclosed bed, and I will tell you they aren't joking! An air freshener would be nice lol. As he rested in his daddy's arms, my mom got to see him out for the first time. She couldn't get over just how small he truly is, and of course her heart melted at how sweet he is. My dad then visited and cherished the time watching him cuddle with his daddy. As always it was hard for James to put him back in the bed as we could both lay there all day and night with him, but we were happy leaving seeing him all cozy back in his bed.

After we left, my mom and dad treated us to Cracker Barrel for supper. Yes it was a treat as we shared dinner with them, but I cherished it the most because it was my first time in 3 months that I was eating inside a restaurant. It felt good to be out of the house eating with my family. I praised God for the beautiful moment. I really got to witness how much of a gift going out to eat is, as before I looked forward to going out, but didn't cherish it as much as I do now.

Friday's blessings: Asher was still on the less supportive machine, but God truly blessed him as he was at lower levels. He was close to room air, so Dr. Pyle's next mission was to ween him off that machine and onto normal cpap..or a normal ventilator. We truly look up to Dr. Pyle for his positive goals and outlook in every situation. He is truly an angel us Asher's life and ours...as God is working through him to heal Asher.

When James got home, he handed me an envelope. I opened it and a smile came to my face. Inside were two cards. I was to open one before the other. The first one was a nice card to congratulate us on our miracle. It then explained the beautiful gift that was in the other envelope. It was a special bracelet made with love from a student in my class from this past school year and her amazing family. It was made in morse code, so in morse code the bracelet says "Dancing in on angels feet". On the card of which the bracelet was in was this quote, "Precious one, so small, so sweet... Dancing in on angel's feet... Straight from Heaven's brightest star... What a miracle you truly are." The saying was so beautiful and the bracelet means so much to me. Asher is truly dancing as the Angels surround him and continue to help him grow in strength. Thank you Emily, Libby, Jeremy, Abby, Will, and Luke for this thoughtful and unique gift. It is a treasure I will cherish forever. Your kindness and prayers are truly appreciated!

Adam, James' brother came in the early evening. Easton was excited as Adam played with him outside before we left for the hospital. When we arrived to the hospital, Adam kept Easton entertained as James and I headed in to see our blessing for God. We arrived a little early, so we waited in the lobby of the nicu until visiting time was back open. While we waited, our hero doctor, Dr. Pyle, came by and talked to us. His smile always lights up the room and makes us smile. He updated us again on Asher. We then got to talking about our to do list before Asher gets home. It is crazy how fast time flies by, and it has sort of hit us that we have some things to start checking off our list in preparation for Asher's arrival home. Somehow we then got to talking about Dr. Pyle's 3 girls. I never knew their names, but as he was talking he mentioned that one of his girl's names is Ella. I then stopped him and told him that was funny because the girl name that we always had picked out was Ella. He then said that her name was Ella Grace. My eyes widened as Ella Grace was the name we always had picked out. We laughed and said that great minds think alike lol. We enjoyed that time with Dr. Pyle to not only get an update, but to just share in his humor for the night. He just knows how to make the best out of every situation..... and God sent him to us because He knew that he was the doctor that would keep us strong.

It was my night to hold him, so I sat in the recliner as his soft skin was placed on me and he snuggled on my chest. He got all cozy in a position where he and I saw each other face to face. His beautiful eyes widened and observed his surroundings. His strong neck muscles allowed him to lift and move his small precious head around. It melted my heart. Usually he would fall asleep pretty quickly in my arms, but that moment he was wide awake and very alert. It was such a blessing to see. Adam came in and visited and couldn't get over how much he had grown in a week and how observant and strong he was. James then came back in a little later to cherish time with him. By then he was repositioned with his head on my chest and his eyes closed as he was comfortable and asleep. He weighed around 3 pounds, 10 ounces that evening. Before I knew it, it was time for our miracle to go back in his bed and head back home so Easton could get to bed. As always, I didn't want to leave and wanted to stay there and hold him all night, but God, Josh, and all of the Angels and Saints were right there with him, so that made me feel at peace. I praised God as he blessed us with beautiful mommy/son time.

Saturday Blessings: I woke up excited as I looked forward to meeting my sister and parents at the hospital. My sister drove down for the day and was staying over until Sunday morning. Easton was so excited as he would get to have a sleep over with his Aunt. He loves playing toys with her.

Before leaving for the hospital, I placed a pizza in the oven for lunch. As it was baking, James came in and said that Jane was at our house. Jane is my good friend who I taught with at Holy Family. She had just retired a year ago and was blessed with watching her grandchildren, especially Cooper, who was born premature at 28 weeks. So, she understands the journey and has been a strong prayer warrior for my family and I ever since I have known her. She was in the area and had a special gift for Asher, so she surprised us with a visit. It truly made my day so special to get to see her. In her arms was a special Noah puppet that was blessed by a priest. It is adorable and I know Asher will love it, as Easton does already! Back a few posts I talked about the significance of my sister seeing 2 yellow butterflies and my dad 2 doves on my roof on a rocky day for Asher, but a day that God blessed us greatly and pulled him through. Jane wanted to bring us smiles to cheer us up and related it to Noah's Ark, as God was blessing them with seeing pairs, just like pairs of each animal entered the ark. So she joked and said, "Asher's Ark". So, of course she had to get him a Noah puppet. :) It was so nice to see Jane, and Easton enjoyed her company. Of course anyone who visits he assumes is there to play with him lol. Jane sat at his little table as he ate his pizza. He brought her over his little trucks. Then he wrapped himself up in blankets and pretended to be a ghost. Jane then helped him roll up in a beach towel of his and he thought it was so much fun! So, Jane thank  you so much for visiting us and bringing Asher a special puppet that he will forever cherish, and that I will have a story to share with him about why you chose Noah. Thank you for making Easton smile and laugh as you played with him. You truly mean so much to us, and we can't ever thank you enough for the amazing prayer warrior you are for us. God truly blessed me with a great friend!

While Jane visited, Dr. Pyle called me with an update. He informed me that Asher was off the less supportive machine and now on a regular cpap ventilator breathing room air. Chills hit me and my eyes opened wide with joy. I couldn't thank God enough for His beautiful blessing. Hearing that he was breathing room air meant the world to me. He said that Asher was a rockstar and it made me smile. All because of God's amazing, miraculous works, Asher was truly a rockstar as God was and is his rock!

With James being blessed with a work truck that is a double cab a couple weeks ago, we decided to sell our Camry as it has sat in our garage basically all summer. So as James washed, waxed, and shampooed the Camry, I took Easton with me to the hospital to meet my sister and parents. For the first time in 3 months, I was driving my car! It was the weirdest feeling. It made me flash back to that scary moment when I wet my pants and didn't know what was going on driving everywhere to figure out the problem. I then sang praise to God as I was sitting in my driver's seat with Easton in the back heading to see my miracle. I felt so free driving to the hospital. As I drove, a yellow butterfly crossed my windshield... a beautiful sign from God letting me know that He is with me and reminding me of this miraculous journey he has blessed us with. Again, as driving is a routine, before I drove and didn't really think much about it. But the feeling of the steering wheel in my hands and just the freedom to drive, listening to Christian music, and enjoying God's creation surrounding me was a moment I will forever cherish.

When I arrived to the hospital, my parents met me in the entrance. Lacy was about there, but mom and I went ahead in as I was going to see if I could hold Asher. When Mom and I arrived, it made my eyes fill up with joy as the blue less supportive machine was gone and replaced with a smaller device. He had just ate, so he was all peaceful on his belly inside his bed. I was hoping to hold him as my sister never got to see him out of his bed yet, but he was so comfy, that I didn't want to disturb him. The nurse agreed as he took a while to calm down a little before, as he has moments like that. I forgot to mention the other day, I checked him on the webcam and he was trying to escape his bed! The nurse told me this was his normal adventure lol. She also told me they had dropped his bed temperature down to 29 Celsius, and when it gets to 27 and he weighs 4 pounds and is doing well on oxygen, he will be close to transferring to an open bed. So she joked that he was trying to escape to say he is ready.


Mom and I enjoyed watching him sleep peacefully. We then went back out in the lobby as my sister had arrived. She was a little disappointed to know that Asher was sleeping and I wasn't holding him as she was hoping to see him out. I then told her that we would come back in the early evening and James will hold him and she could then see him out. That made her happy to know. She then came in the nicu with me and smiled big as she saw her special nephew laying comfy in his bed. She then agreed that there was no waking him up as he was too cozy. My dad came in next and again cherished time with him. We then said our love yous and I told Asher Mommy and Daddy and Aunt Lacy would be back later to see him.

After we left, Lacy headed to our house as my mom and dad ran some errands. We relaxed and played with Easton as James was still shining up the Camry. He also decided to shampoo my car which was never done in the 7 years I have had it. My parents came a little later with a gift for Asher. Mom knew we were in need of some onesies, blankets, burp cloths, wash cloths, etc. for Asher, so being the Grandma and and amazing Mom she is, she went on a little shopping spree for Asher. We were so grateful for my parent's gift as it will help out a lot! Thank you Mom and Dad for being here for us always and blessing us with this gift of necessities. Also, they got Easton a small gift of course of a horse family, crayons, and coloring books. I had mentioned to my Mom earlier in the week that Easton needed a new coloring book as he had colored on every page of the ones he had while at the hospital and how he needed new crayons as all of his were in pieces lol. So that meant a lot to us and to Easton of course!

After James was done, we then headed to eat and then to the hospital. My parents headed back home, but my sister stayed with us. She couldn't wait to see Asher out of his bed and in his daddy's arms. As she visited with James, I sat out in the lobby with Easton who was passed out as he was very tired. As he laid by me on the couch, I sat and prayed the Rosary. With all the events of the day, I hadn't got the moment to pray. So, it felt good to sit and relax with my hand on Easton's back as he slept and pray. Before I knew it, Lacy was heading out of the nicu and it was time for me to head in to say gnite and my love yous to my miracle boy. When I entered, my heart melted at how precious Asher looked in his Daddy's arms. James wanted to again lay there all night with him. It is so hard to put him back in his bed. However, we again smiled as he laid back in bed all cozy and happy. We said our gnites and love yous and then headed back home.

Sunday's Blessings: In the morning I woke up and got ready for Church. I looked forward to another moment to sit in God's beautiful home and praise him with my family.  When we got to His beautiful home, I sat and smiled as Easton kept asking where Father Ed was as he looked forward to seeing him each Mass. I again cherished the whole Mass and sang my praises to Him all throughout the Mass. After Mass I headed to my classroom to help Jan, the wonderful lady doing my maternity leave, on a few things she had questions about. It was nice to get to see her and talk with her. I know she will do a wonderful job, and I am so blessed to have her covering for me. The classroom looked great, and I know the kids will love her!


We then headed back home so I could pump and get ready to head to the hospital as my sister wanted to see our little miracle one more time before she headed back home. When we got to the hospital, Lacy and I went ahead in the nicu as James entertained Easton in the lobby. Asher was just getting his stinky diaper changed and was ready to cuddle in my arms. The nurse placed him on my chest skin to skin. She then started his feeding...up to 30 ccs! He would open his eyes a little a couple times, but most of the time was so comfy that he slept. The feeling of him laying on me was so beautiful. Lacy took a  few pictures and video of him. Then Dr. Pyle walked in and Lacy finally got to meet him for the first time. He had to joke with her about him missing Skyping on her wedding day as he joked that he was going to interrupt their ceremony through Skype. He sat and talked with us for a while and told Lacy how Asher is going to know the song "Purple People Eater" pretty good as that is the lullaby he sings him when Asher tries to escape his bed or gets mad. Lacy enjoyed meeting him and could see right away why he is an amazing doctor. Shortly after him visiting us, Lacy had to head back home. She said her love yous to Asher and looked forward to seeing him in a few weeks.

I then sat in the nicu with my miracle boy for several more minutes... and cherished each moment. I looked up and there was James holding Easton in the nicu lobby window. Easton's eyes were smiling as wide as his smile. For the first time, through the window, he saw Asher out of his bed in his Mommy's arms. He was so excited and loved seeing his baby brother for the first time in real life. Seeing him so happy and excited melted my heart. What a beautiful God Moment it was. Easton is a proud big brother and what an amazing big brother he will be to Asher!

Time was then up as Asher  needed to be back in his bed, and we had to head home to eat and go grocery shopping. The nurse laid Asher back in his bed and he fell right asleep. I told him my  love yous and walked out in a smile knowing that God was right with him. James then went in to check on him and tell him his love yous as I watched Easton in the lobby. We then headed home, stopping at Dairy Queen before as Mary Jo, a retired teacher from Saint Wendel, had sent us a nice card with a Dairy Queen gift card, which was so kind and thoughtful of her. She wrote a note to be sure Easton told us to get him ice cream... and he deserved it as he was a big brother who shows so much special love to his little brother. Thank you Mary Jo for your beautiful card and your thoughts and prayers. They mean so much to us, and Dairy Queen was a delicious treat for all of us!

When we got home, James phone had rang several times about calls on the car. Our first interested buyers were going to come at 3 to look at it. It was a father looking for a car for his son. We couldn't believe how fast we were getting calls. We sold his Dodge Truck in the Spring pretty quick, but didn't think the Camry would go as fast. So, we prayed if in God's will that the car would be sold today.

We ate lunch and then I made a list as we were going to go grocery shopping before the interested buyers came. It was my first time grocery shopping with James and Easton since the journey began. Honestly I always enjoyed grocery shopping as it was time where I could get out of the house. So I looked forward to shopping with them. I sent praise to God for giving me the strength to make it through the whole store and still feel energized. It felt so good to be able to walk and not feel tired.

When we arrived back, I helped put the groceries away as James prepared for the interested buyers to come by. 3:00 came and they arrived. As it was the hour of prayer, I sat in the sitting room and prayed my Rosary. I added in a special prayer that if in God's will he let the Camry be sold so we could get another goal of ours checked off before Asher's arrival home. After praying, Easton asked me to take him outside. I walked him outside as he rode in his little truck. There in front of my eyes was James taking off his license plate. God was truly beautiful! The first interested buyers were purchasing the car! I smiled and lifted my praise up to God. The father and son were very nice and we shared our story of Asher briefly with them. The father's wife was on bed rest 2 out of 3 of her pregnancies. So it was neat getting to share our stories as he too had went through the experience of bed rest with his wife. God had truly blessed us with the sell of our car and to an amazing father and son.

James then entered the kitchen a little later with another blessing from God. He got a call from interested renters for our rental property that James is in the middle of updating a few things, as we need to rent out both sides. His mom's lady who does her nails told his mom that her daughter and friend needed a place to rent. Bonnie then mentioned our rental property to her. Her daughter and friend then went by it and are interested. This was truly a God Moment! God knew it was another goal of ours to get checked off if possible before Asher's arrival home. We didn't know if we would get it rented before, but I kept praying that God bless us with it rented in His perfect timing. How beautiful are God's works! James will be showing them the property this coming weekend and work on a few things while there. So, I pray that if in God's will we get the one side rented, and that God may lead us to another renter for the other side in His perfect timing. This will help us greatly, so we can focus on what is most important once Asher gets to come home.... God, Asher, Easton, and our family.

In the evening we ate supper and then relaxed. With all of the events of the day, we weren't able to go back out to see our miracle in the nicu even though we wanted to. However, we looked forward to seeing him Monday evening. We knew he was in amazing hands as God was holding him in His healing arms surrounded by Josh. the Angels and Saints, and your powerful prayers. I called to check on him. The nurse informed me that he was doing well and breathing room air. He had a big weight gain too! He now weighed 3 pounds, 13 ounces. What a big boy!! I again sung praises to God for keeping our little warrior strong!


Dear Loving God, thank You for Your miraculous works and beautiful blessings! You are an amazing and merciful God. We praise You for sending us a miracle, Asher, who is now 33 weeks. He has changed our lives and led us to a closer relationship with You.Thank You for blessing Asher with Dr. Pyle as You work through him and all the doctors and nurses to heal Asher and all the babies in the nicu. Thank You for blessing Asher off the machine and to a normal cpap where he breathes room air. Thank You for keeping him strong and helping him grow. Thank You for the blessing of holding him in our arms and seeing him alert and curious of the amazing world around him. Thank You for family and time with my sister over the weekend. Thank You for all of the God Moments You have sent us this week. You love us with an everlasting love that is like no other. We trust fully in You and have complete faith that You will heal Asher and his lungs in Your perfect timing as You know the most beautiful plan for our little miracle. May You continue to shine Your miraculous works through our little warrior for all to witness the power of Your healing grace and to grow closer to You as You heal Asher. You are truly miraculous in all Your ways! We love You above all things! Amen.

All of you amaze us with Your endless prayers throughout this miraculous journey. Your prayers are so powerful and truly do wonders! Let us continue to sing praises to our amazing God for all of His beautiful works in our lives! Let us continue to unite hands with God, Josh, and all of the Angels and Saints in this amazing fight for our little miracle. We love all of you so much! Asher is the strong warrior he is because of our miraculous God and your powerful prayers!

Keeping Strong with God at my side

Monday morning I woke up to Easton walking into my bedroom at 5:40 am asking for juice. It was the start of my first week without my mom to help me out. I was a little nervous, but prayed that God would help me make it through and stay strong. I got Easton some juice and convinced him to lay beside me in bed for another hour. I was too tired to get up as I wake up around 2 or 3 each morning to pump. God blessed me as Easton took a few sips of his juice and fell back asleep.

It has been over 2 months since I cared for Easton on my own. I remember being on bed rest and looking forward to this moment again. I enjoy spending time with him so much, and I really missed him while I was in the hospital. So even though I am still in recovery mode, I am grateful for the strength God has blessed me with to care for him while James is at work.

These past few days taking care of him and being more independent have been tiring, but have really made me realize how strong my body truly is. I have managed to do laundry, with the help of my little guy getting clothes out of the dryer for me... mostly the ones in the far back that are harder for me to reach. I have managed to empty the top rack of the dishwasher, but need James to help me with the bottom. Easton has been doing a great job on his potty training. He likes to use the potty that sits on the floor better than the potty seat on the toilet. Honestly, I rather him use the potty seat on the toilet as it is better transition, but in a way it is a blessing that he is using the one on the floor as I don't have to lift him on the seat and he hands me the pot to empty and clean. With me not being allowed to lift more than 10 pounds, the other toilet method would be more difficult. I have also been able to handwash and dry dishes. It is just a beautiful feeling to get to slowly get back in routine of doing these household chores. It may sound funny, as I know we all wish for robots at times to do our weekly chores. But I am cherishing this week as I gain strength to do the chores again. It is sort of a stress reliever and makes me smile that I am able to be back at home again.

I wasn't sure how things would go with Easton as far as naps and listening during the day. With a toddler, sometimes it can be challenging to get them to listen. But what a blessing he has been. He knows Mommy is recovering still and needs help. He has been my little helper! He has cleaned up his toys pretty well after playing, told me when he has to go potty, and helped me with some daily chores. He has sat with me on the big table and ate his lunch. After lunch, he plays quietly as I clean up the kitchen and then pump. He then knows that it is time to watch a cartoon movie and take a nap. I wasn't sure if he would actually nap, but he has napped each time, and for a good 2 hours. I usually nap along that time for a good hour, and then the last hour or so do my hour of prayer and pumping. I again send my praises up to God for helping the transition go so well. I even had to laugh a little yesterday morning as I heard his little footsteps in the living room a little before 7, but he saw I was still in bed. So, a few minutes later I got up, and went to see where he was. I thought he was in the living room. But he was laying sweetly in his bed playing with a truck. It was so cute and sweet... he knew Mommy needed some rest yet, so he just laid in his bed and waited... another beautiful God Moment!

Monday early evening, we headed to the nicu to see our little miracle. With it only being us this week, James and I are taking turns each evening on who gets to hold our warrior for an hour. The other one of us watches Easton and keeps him occupied, and then gets to visit our miracle for a few minutes before we leave and the nicu closes for an hour for change of shifts.

When I arrived to see my miracle, the nurse was taking out his IV. Dr. Pyle had called me earlier that day and said he would be getting it out as he was off his antibiotics and fluids. He also told me that he would still receive medicine for fluid on his lungs as he was still in need of help to keep fluid off. It was an amazing blessing to see my miracle be free from his IV. Both of little hands were now able to move freely without an IV in the way. It made me reflect back to my hospital stay and the moment after he was born that I was finally able to be free from my IV too. It was a beautiful feeling. So I was so glad Asher got to experience that freedom too.

I held Asher Monday for a good hour. When the nurse placed him in my arms, he laid sweetly on my chest skin to skin. I loved feeling his breath against my skin along with the grasp of his tiny hands. His beautiful eyes looked up at me, and my heart melted. He then fell comfortably asleep in my arms skin to skin for a good hour... an hour that again flew by. I could have lied there with him all day. I again couldn't stop singing praises to God for another son/mommy bonding moment.... a moment where I was holding a miracle from God in my arms. When the hour was up, the nurse gently placed him back in his bed as I said my gnites and love yous. I then went to get James as it was nearing the time for the nicu to close for change of shifts. James went in for some son/daddy time to tell him how much he loves him and gnite.

As we were preparing to leave, I saw James wave to someone behind us. So, I looked around, and there was Dr. Fitzpatrick, my amazing high risk doctor who took care of me during my bed rest and delivered Asher. He walked over to us and shook our hands and held a big smile on his face as he was glad to see us. We were also so happy to see him. He asked how Asher was and mentioned how they all missed us in the high risk department. We again told him how grateful we were for him and all the nurses and doctors in the high risk department. They are all amazing people who truly went out of their way to help us and give us hope. We were so glad to see him. Easton gave him a high five and then we again told him thank you for everything. He made sure to let me know to call them anytime with questions and be sure we update them with pictures. We definitely will! We then headed back home to eat dinner and relax.

When we got home, we ate dinner and then spent some time outside. I pulled a patio chair out in the driveway and enjoyed the calming evening breeze. I watched Easton and James play outside. Easton rode his truck and jeep on the road and driveway. He then had daddy pull him in his wagon down the road. I just sat there and smiled in thanksgiving for a beautiful evening at home. Seeing Easton so happy to be at home and outside with his Mommy and Daddy made my evening so special. Yet, I was still missing something...how I long for the moment our little miracle joins us here at home too.. then it will truly be home sweet home. God will bless us with that moment at the perfect timing as He knows the best plan for Asher.... and what a special time will that moment be.

Tuesday afternoon, Easton and I were cuddled in the recliner look at his Thomas look and find book. As Easton was pointing out the items he was finding, my phone rang. My face lit up as it was Dr. Pyle giving me an update on our little warrior. He informed me that he was taking his 27 ccs of milk very well, so they would up it to 28 that evening. He also told me his oxygen was still good and they wouldn't adjust anything unless needed until Thursday after his blood gas test. He then told me that he got a summary on his heart ultrasound. It wasn't the full summary, but enough to let him know that Asher's vessels were closed, which was a beautiful blessing from God. He then mentioned how Asher's legs sort of twitch when he gets excited, which we have noticed. He just wanted to let us know not to worry as it isn't a seizure, but just part of being a preemie, but he would keep an eye on it. He just wanted to be sure we knew that if another doctor or nurse mentioned it, to not worry. So,  thank you for your endless prayers which have blessed our miracle in so many ways and continues to. You are blessings to us!

Tuesday evening we journeyed to the nicu before dinner. It was daddy's turn to hold our miracle son. As James entered the nicu, Easton and I sat in the lobby. Easton snacked on animal crackers and juice, then he played with his trucks and toys he brought from home. As he was playing, Robyn, one of my favorite nurses who cared for me, walked by. It cracked me up at first as she didn't recognize me from a distance with my hair cut and contacts in, but she then saw Easton and walked right over to us. The last time I saw her was the day of my sister's wedding when I was blessed to have her along with Donna care for me. They were the two angels who were with us when I got wheeled outside for the first time in weeks to get a photo in my dress. It was so good seeing her as I never got to tell her thank you for caring for me as I hadn't seen her after Asher was born. She sat beside Easton and I and asked how Asher was doing. She then played toys with Easton for a while, which excited him as he remembered her as she was always one to talk with Easton and play toys with him while I was on bed rest. Before she left, she told us that Donna was working and at the nurse's station. I was excited to hear that as Donna was my other favorite nurse who I really got to know well during my bed rest stay. I thanked God for blessing us with the moment of getting to catch up with Robyn. She is truly an angel for always bringing me smiles during my hospital stay.

Easton and I then gathered his things and went on a short walk to the nurse's station to visit Donna. On our way there, I noticed the couple, whose baby is beside Asher in the nicu, standing in the hall. We have always said hi to them and let them know that we are praying for them and their baby too. They were in tears in the hallway, and it crushed my heart. I gave them space and didn't want to interrupt , but I longed to go up to them and give them a huge hug and tell them that whatever the situation, I am praying for them and God is right there with them and their precious miracle. Instead I continued to walk with Easton down the hall as I talked to God in prayer asking Him to be with them and bless them in their situation.

That is what is special about the nicu, meeting families who are traveling the journey with you, and how we support and pray for each other. It is a very special relationship we get to build. Even though we may only share a few words with each other, we still have a special silent bond that is formed by just sharing smiles with each other that aren't just any smiles... but smiles that say we are here for you too.... we will overcome this journey together as God keeps us strong. We just understand the journey and want the best for all the babies.... the miracles from God above. So each day I say a special prayer for the families and all the babies in the nicu, that God may bless all of them with strength and healing in His beautiful time. I pray that all families in there develop a stronger relationship with Him as He wraps His healing, loving arms around all the babies...all His miracles.

When Easton and I reached the nurse's station, we were so full of joy to see Donna. She stood and gave me a hug right away. We were both so glad to see each other. I updated her on Asher, and she was glad to hear how God was right with him keeping him strong. Easton was showing her all his toys of course. She said she missed having Easton running around. She then joked and said I could visit my room, but someone was in there. I said that is ok lol. I do have to say though, even though I cherish being back home, that room will always hold a very special place in my heart. It is where I was blessed to fight for my miracle, where I met amazing doctors and nurses who fought for Asher too, where I got to spend quality time with God in prayer, where I went in labor with my warrior, and where I recovered from my miracle's entry into the world. It is also where God blessed me through Skype to be part of my sister's wedding. So that room will always hold special meaning to me. I was so grateful that God blessed me with visiting Donna. She was one who brought me Christian movies and books to keep me occupied, and one I could spend hours talking to about faith in God. She is an amazing nurse and woman. I thank God for blessing her into my life, especially during a time when I needed her most.

Easton and I then headed back to the lobby to wait for James. Easton was so excited when he saw his daddy come out. He ran right into his daddy's arms. I then headed to the nicu to see my little miracle. As I visited him, the nurse told me they were increasing his feeds to 28 ccs, which is close to an ounce for each feeding. His oxygen level was at 24 which was a beautiful blessing from.God. She also said that he was staying awake more, but able to relax more and be happy. Before as he was adjusting to his new bed and new machine, he would get upset easily. So, it was good to hear and see him more relaxed and happy. I sat there in smiles as I watched him rest comfortably in his bed. I just wanted to hold him in my arms, but was happy to see him so calm. I told him my love yous and gnite. I then walked out of the nicu full of joy knowing that God along with Josh and all the Angels and Saints were right there with our miracle son.

Today Easton and I have been enjoying our time together. I love spending time with him! He went #2 on the potty twice, helped me do some chores, cuddled with me, and of course we played. I enjoyed sitting out in the screened in porch with him before lunch. He brought out his race car and played mechanic. He loves being just like his daddy, a handy man. He then grilled me some lunch on his pretend grill. I thank God for this special time with him and of course for blessing Easton with being such a big helper for his Mommy!

Tonight I look forward to cuddling with my miracle. The nurse informed me that  he is still at 24 on his oxygen and  doing well with his 28 ccs of feeding over a 90 minute period. I asked her about when he could be bottle fed, but she said it depended on when he was ready breathing wise. She said probably sometime around 34 weeks or a little after. We aren't in any hurry to rush that as God will let that time come when it is the right time. We are just blessed that he continues to prosper each day and stay strong while wrapped in God's amazing healing arms and your endless prayers!

Dear Loving God, Thank You for keeping us strong and never leaving our side. Thank You for keeping our miracle wrapped in Your loving, healing arms throughout this beautiful journey and blessing him with amazing strength. Thank You for giving me the strength to take care of my son independently during my recovery. It is such a blessing spending time with him. Thank You for blessing us with moments to catch up with amazing doctors and nurses. Thank You for blessing us with special bonding time with our little warrior. Thank Your for powerful prayer warriors whose prayers are amazing and do wonders! Our complete trust is in You as You continue to heal Asher and his lungs in Your beautiful timing as You have the perfect plan for him. May You continue to shine Your miraculous works through Asher for all to witness Your healing grace and grow closer to You. May You wrap Your loving arms around all the babies in nicus in need of Your healing grace and keep them strong, along with their amazing families. You are truly miraculous! We love You about all things! Amen.

All of you mean so much to us. We continue to feel your prayers surround us and know Asher feels them surround him too. Please know that your prayers are so powerful. I ask that you may add a prayer for all babies and families journeying through the nicu that God brings them healing and strength. Let us continue to unite hands in prayer with God, Josh, and all the Angels and Saints in this miraculous fight. Asher is comforted in your prayers and is the strong warrior he is because of God's loving mercy and your endless thoughts and prayers.