While many have encouraged a book writing project, we have decided that the first endeavor will be a compilation effort for Noelle's first birthday and would like to request participation from anyone willing to take part. Since she will have no memories of how her life began, it would be wonderful for her to have something which she can read someday, which would reveal to her the many who have prayed for her through this journey. Our desire is for her to clearly see God's hand upon her life in a very tangible way, and so we would like to collect these memories while they are fresh upon the minds of many. The book will be named, For This Child I Prayed...., and if you would like to take part, we will be compiling the following submissions:
~Specific prayers or Scripture you prayed for Noelle
~Special memories of Noelle
~Sweet stories (there are several we have already heard from children, for example)
~Scripture or encouraging words
Submissions will be collected through Friday, November 16, 2012; and then we will compile them into a book to commemorate her first year of life outside the womb. If you would like to participate, you may contact us in the following ways:
~Email: graceoutpoured@gmail.com
~Our Facebook Page: {Grace Outpoured} (Leave a comment with a designation of "Birthday Book" or "For This Child....")
~Grace Outpoured Blog: comments may always be left on our posts, but if you leave it on any other post than this one, please designate it the same as you would a comment on the Facebook page.
***We would also love for you to include a picture of yourself and/or your family so that Noelle can one day place a face with all the names.***
We thank you in advance for your participation, if you so choose. More than that, we are ever grateful for each one of you who have invested in the life of our family, especially through prayer. We hope and pray that this will be a tangible testimony of God's grace to Noelle.
{Please note that all submissions will become the property of Grace Outpoured to be used and possibly edited as desired for public or private publication.}
I have debated retelling this story. It's a story of confusion, surprise, excitement and especially hope. Noelle's birth was for the FMC NICU staff a challenge to say the least. I was doing charge and got a call that there would be a delivery soon, but the baby would not survive....we would send a team anyway to do what we could for the parents. I did not attend the delivery myself but as the team scrambled back to the nursery to get a ventilator and bed ready, I asked what was going on. The nurses told me that she was really tiny but "she cried" and Dr Tatum had miraculously intubated her. They brought her down to the unit and we started doing what comes natural for a NICU team...all the while wondering in our minds if she would survive. Little did I know that while we were admitting a miracle named Noelle, there was a TV News crew and a bereavement photographer waiting to capture on film and photos what was to be her brief life. That day will be remembered for many reasons...sadness, surprise, confusion, excitement, joy, hope and love. Happy Birthday Noelle!!! I will forever thank God for allowing me to witness such an amazing miracle.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Martha, for sharing that! It brought tears to my eyes and is just another evidence of the miracle that she truly is. Wow. Thank you for being there for us through all the ups and downs of that journey. We knew the outlook was grim at the time, and everyone was careful to be gently honest in the prognosis; and yet at the same time, we always felt that everyone was doing their very best to give her every opportunity at life, while also "pulling for her" and being cautiously optimistic with each hurdle that was overcome. This entry means a lot to me, and I'm especially thankful to have it for Noelle to read for years to come. Thanks again, and we love you all!!
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