Giving Thanks Challenge ~ {Day #3}

Thanksgiving Challenge ~ Day #3
Topic: Noelle
Title: Spitting

{If you are new to this challenge, you can catch up on the details here, and please feel free to join along at any time...}

Yes, you read the title correctly.  I have actually shocked myself in being thankful for something I never thought possible as Noelle has added a new trick to her bag {you can see her others here and here}.  Of course, once we started videoing, she first acted as if she had no idea what we were referencing and just did one of her old tricks; but she finally cooperated and showed off what she now does all.the.time.  It is often non-stop from the moment she wakes up, and I hear her in the cradle doing that more often than any other kind of noise!  While I know we will soon need to train her not to spit {especially when it turns into spitting food!}, for now I am enjoying this as yet another sign of her development, while she explores new sounds and attempts to copy what we do with our own mouths.  She is doing so well, and I am constantly amazed at the changes I see with her, almost daily sometimes.  So as strange as it is, today I thank God for Noelle's spitting and wonder if perhaps it puts a smile on His face too.

***Do not forget there are less than two weeks left to submit your entry for the book project for Noelle's birthday.  You can read about the project and the deadline by clicking here .  We are enjoying the submissions we have already received but would love to hear from you, if you are willing to participate.  Thank you so much for helping us make Noelle's first birthday a special time of remembrance!!***

Giving Thanks Challenge ~ {Day #2}

Thanksgiving Challenge ~ Day #2
Topic: Noelle
Title: Tiny Fingers

{If you are new to this challenge, you can catch up on the details here...}

We love things that are miniature.  People everywhere never seem to tire of stopping to ooh and ah over things or people that are tiny.  I think that is part of the attraction with babies; they are miniature versions of us, and there is something unique and special about that, different than any other type of miniature dog or toy.  We are fascinated with babies' tiny ears and mouths, and we count all their toes; we marvel at their sweet little eyes and their itty bitty noses.  But it is their fingers which you often find us touching and holding more than anything else, I think because it is one of the first things they use to respond back to us.  That sweet "grab and hold" reflex warms our hearts; and you often find people reaching out to babies' hands, knowing that those little fingers will grab tightly onto theirs in an immediate response.  Noelle's fingers are extra special to me.  I think partly because after she was born, it was really the only part of her which we touched for many days; and she responded to us.  Her fingers were the tiniest I had ever seen in my life; her entire hand was barely the size of my pinky nail.  She could not grab onto our fingers the way most babies could, but it did not mean that she did not try!  It was through this touch, between our fingers, that we physically communicated that we were with her, encouraging her to fight hard with us by her side.  But there is another distinct reason why I thank God for these darling fingers.  I am not sure we ever publicly shared this detail since it was the least of our concerns at the time; but at our first high-risk ultrasound, one of the issues they believed they saw in Noelle's development was that her fingers appeared to be deviating to one side, at least on her left hand.  At the time, they were convinced it was yet another sign {of the many they had seen} that pointed them to the Triploidy diagnosis.  As we went through many other ultrasounds through the following weeks, they were never again able to get images of that hand; and so it was yet another thing we would have to wait and see, if she even survived the pregnancy.  Still, with all the other grave concerns she was facing, it was not the first thing I remembered after she was born.  In fact, I think it was later that night or the next day before I thought of it and asked Tom, "what about her fingers?" and received the reply {with a huge grin}, "they are absolutely perfect."  It is a small thing in comparison to all of the issues she has overcome, but these perfect, petite fingers {which are now giant sized compared to when she was born!} are a constant reminder of another evidence of God's grace in our lives; and today, I thank Him for them.

***Do not forget there are only a couple of weeks left to submit your entry for the book project for Noelle's birthday.  You can read about the project and the deadline by clicking here .  We are enjoying the submissions we have already received but would love to hear from you, if you are willing to participate.  Thank you so much for helping us make Noelle's first birthday a special time of remembrance!!***

Giving Thanks Challenge ~ {Day #1}

Today begins a 30 day challenge of giving thanks {if you missed yesterday's post, you can read it here for the explanation}, but not just your typical "think of something each day for which you are thankful."  I have done that before and think it is great; but this year I wanted to do something different~something that made me put more effort and thought into the season.   So I decided to choose one topic and find 30 different aspects of it for which to be thankful.  Several have said they will take up this challenge with me, and I am excited to see how some are already beginning to be encouraged and to pray for others as we embark upon this endeavor to purposefully give thanks each day of this month.  We still welcome anyone who would like to participate with us and encourage you to share each day as well through this month.  I pray this sets a pattern for my life that will continue far beyond the 30 days of November and this Thanksgiving month, and I hope it does the same for you.

I had originally planned a different type of post for today, but that changed when I saw and read some stories regarding NICU evacuations during Hurricane Sandy and was reminded of something else in Noelle's situation for which I am thankful.  So the original post will just have to wait for another day as this is now on my heart.  Updates on Noelle will continue to be provided throughout the month as well and will be woven into the daily posts when we have new information to share.  So, for what aspect of your topic are you thankful?

Thanksgiving Challenge ~ Day #1
Topic: Noelle
Title: Forsyth Medical Center NICU

~Today, I am thankful for the incredible NICU in which Noelle lived for so many months and the protection that God provided while she was there.  As I watched the news today and read reports on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy,  I saw and read stories of various preemie babies who had to be transferred through the chaos of the storm in the middle of the night, due to a loss of power.  The pictures and emotions of parents that were described brought back a flood of memories and my own emotions.  We went through one somewhat traumatic transfer (here), but we were with Noelle almost the entire time and never had to worry about power, flooding, carrying our less than 2 pound baby down flights of stairs, bagging her to help her breathe because of loss of power, and the list just continues.  I can only imagine the stress and anxiety these families experienced in this situation, on top of their already difficult NICU experiences; and it made me incredibly thankful, once again, for our NICU family at FMC.  I know there are many misconceptions that NICU nurses, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners, and neonatologists simply rock and feed babies all day long, but nothing could be further from the truth.  On the contrary, I believe that the NICU team has one of the most difficult jobs within the medical field.  I know there are other challenging fields, but my point is that while the job is sometimes very rewarding, the path to that reward is often an incredibly long and difficult struggle as these precious people fight to do everything possible to save babies' lives.  Their patients never speak to them to tell them how they are feeling or where it hurts; they must instead closely follow the clinical signs for how to treat them.  They use monitors and lab results, ultrasounds and x-rays; but when it comes down to "the rubber meeting the road," they rely on their knowledge, experience, and instinct to respond to so many situations that happen and then change from one minute to the next.  So when the power goes out, and they are left without technology, they rise to yet another challenge and continue to do their job in providing the very best care for the tiniest and sickest babies that are born into this world.  Respiratory failure, organ failure, heart failure, brain bleeds, bowel perforation, and infection are only a few of the items that they handle on regular basis; and yet they return to each shift with a passion and a love that is unrivaled.  I think that is what amazes me the most~the care and concern and the communication with the parents through the process.  A lot of bad news is delivered to various parents on a daily basis in the NICU; and yet they handle it with honesty and deep compassion.  If I wrote a book on this, I could still never do these incredible people the justice they deserve.  I wish I could adequately explain even one hour in the NICU and give you a true glimpse of what they actually do, but I hope you understand that it is far more than rocking and feeding babies.  I know not every NICU is as incredible as the one with which we were blessed, and I am forever grateful to our FMC NICU family for your faithful service, your incredibly hard work, your tireless efforts, your sweet optimism, your endless hours of answering questions and explaining issues, your gentle honesty, and your undying love for Noelle and our family.  I cannot think of you or speak of you in this way without tears in my eyes and a heart overflowing with gratitude for the impact you have made in our lives.  You will forever be a part of our family.

***Do not forget there are only a couple of weeks left to submit your entry for the book project for Noelle's birthday.  You can read about the project and the deadline by clicking here .  We are enjoying the submissions we have already received but would love to hear from you, if you are willing to participate.  Thank you so much for helping us make Noelle's first birthday a special time of remembrance!!***

A Thanksgiving Challenge

~Daddy got me a pumpkin just my size!!~

I love fall.  The smell of crisp air, the sight of beautifully colored bushes and trees, the sound of crunching leaves beneath my feet, the feeling of cozy sweaters, and the taste of freshly baked pumpkin bread are many of the nostalgic items that awaken all the senses and signify fall to me.  But it is also so much more than that; and while we should have an attitude of thankfulness all year round {especially as believers}, it seems that this is the time of year when the entire world around us endeavors~in some way~to demonstrate a thankful spirit, even if only for a short time.  Thanksgiving is the time of year in which my family comes together from across the states, so it makes it even easier to celebrate that spirit as I am surrounded by the ones who know me best and still love me the most.  But this season is different.  The impact of this past year has made the attitude of a thankful heart sink deeply into my soul; and more than ever, my eyes have been opened to the incredible blessings which Christ has lavished upon me.  Still, being thankful is an action which requires thought and effort; it does not happen to us passively.  Thus, I am issuing a challenge to myself and decided to include anyone else who is also willing to participate.  For the next 30 days, I will be doing my best to post something for which I am thankful, each and every day {if I happen to miss a day, as can happen with Noelle's schedule, then I will make it up on the next day}.  However, as I thought through this, I wanted it to be deeper and much more significant than 30 various things, so I have narrowed the focus.  It is much more challenging and thought-provoking to dwell on one subject and examine it from all facets to determine how it is affecting your life.  So the challenge is as follows:

1.  Choose a theme (this can be a person, place, thing, etc...).  For example, you might choose your job or your family (or get even more specific and choose only one member of your family).  Be thoughtful and creative as you will be dwelling on this and thanking God for it each day.

***On this note, if you are currently struggling through a circumstance or an issue, then I would encourage you to make that your theme for the month.  Nothing changes your perspective or your attitude quite like finding aspects of your trial for which to be thankful.***

2.  Each day in November, think through some of aspect of this theme for which you are thankful, and write it out.

3.  Post it.  Post it on your fridge or your facebook wall or wherever you will see it consistently.  If you have a blog, then write a blog post each day and share it with others.

4.  Share it with us.  Whether you choose to leave a comment each day on this blog or you post a comment on the Grace Outpoured Facebook Page, others are encouraged when they read through your experiences of learning to be thankful, so if you are willing to share it with us as well, then we would love to hear from you!

In keeping with the current subject of this blog and the theme of our lives for the past year, my topic will be Noelle; and I look forward to what God reveals in my heart through this next month as He continues to teach me to give thanks in everything.

Will you take up the challenge?  If so, what is your theme?

Stopping to Snuggle

This is the first week that I truly feel as if we are on lock down.  The past few weeks have still been full with a couple of doctor appointments, the sleep study, and Tom having his wisdom teeth removed {which, if I were a "mean" wife, would have been plastered all over the internet in video form...suffice it to say that Tom under anesthesia is quite entertaining!}.  My mom also started her new jobs, so we have all been adjusting to the various schedules that occur around here.  I have long been looking forward to this week and hoping to get much accomplished around the house.  Still, many of the things I plan to do never seem to get done during the day, or they happen on a day which I did not expect.  I am really on no one's schedule but my own {well, Noelle's, that is}, but some days it seems to be a great accomplishment just to grab a shower or make dinner.  I know this is normal for moms, and I truly love falling into that category now; but some days I find myself putting Noelle in her swing or her bumbo seat or in her cradle for a nap, just so I can get something done.  There is nothing wrong with that; in fact, she needs times like these to learn to play by herself or fall asleep on her own {which she does quite well, thanks to the NICU}.  But today, it was time to stop.  Time to stop and just be with her.  It happened in the form of grabbing the camera and talking and playing with her as I tried to capture some images; it also meant holding and snuggling her as she fell asleep for her morning nap.  These are moments and days I will never get back, and I want to capture them before they are gone.  Because stopping to create these memories will someday be one of the sweetest treasures I hold.

{P.S. We will keep reminding about the book project through November 15th.  We are so thankful for the entries we have received but would love to hear from more of you, if you are able to contribute.  We really appreciate the time and love so many have you have spent on this project!  Keep them coming!!}

~Captured Moments from Today~ 

We tried on a special outfit from Aunt Sara...

Then we pulled out the headband from Grandpa & Grandma Aguiar and caught a few more...

And the Miracles Continue...

~Tired Girl after the Sleep Study Night~

Many of you remembered and were praying fervently for Noelle's sleep study last week.  Personally, I thought it had gone well, based upon the monitor reading through the night {I took our own monitor this time so that I would have some indicator of her saturation levels through the night}.  However, I had thought the previous sleep study had gone well until the results came back; so I was cautiously optimistic this time around.  During the weeks in between the two studies, we had been very aggressive about addressing Noelle's reflux issues {through medication, sleep positions, holding her upright for long periods of time after feedings, etc...}, but she had a terrible flare up the week before this study which made me somewhat nervous.  We adjusted her medication again, and that had seemed to help; but we still did not know how this would affect the study this time around.  She actually did not sleep very well that night and woke up crying a few times {I think she was just extremely uncomfortable with everything that was attached to her}, so I really had no idea what to expect as far as the results were concerned.  We were tired girls the next day, but I was grateful to be past the whole experience since she gets pretty upset by the time they are done gluing and taping everything to her.  Then came the waiting.  "Waiting" seems to be one of our hallmark lessons of this past year {more on that in a later post}; and while we certainly have not mastered this trait, we have learned that it does not help our situation to worry through the waiting process.  I secretly hoped to have the results the next day {as we did last time}; but when we did not, I took comfort in God's perfect timing and wondered if maybe the longer waiting period meant that the situation was not as urgent this time.  The sleep study was on Wednesday night, and by Friday night we had still not heard anything and would have to wait through the weekend.  We enjoyed some wonderful, rare family time together, and Noelle even laughed several times, making me earnestly hope that we would not be losing that wonderful sound to a tracheotomy.  Most of today passed {the business hours, anyway} with still no word; but then suddenly the phone rang, the caller ID reflecting "Wake Forest."  My heart skipped a few beats as I picked it up, and the conversation that followed went like this:

Me: "Hello?"
Pulmonologist: "This is Dr. ____.  Is this a good time to talk?"
Me: "Yes, it is.
Pulmonologist: Well, her sleep study results are normal.
Me: W-w-what? 
Pulmonologist: They are basically normal!!  The normal overall grade is "1" or less, and she was at "0.5."
Me: Really?!!!
Pulmonologist: Yes!!  I say "basically" because she had one desaturation episode associated with an apnic episode in which she dropped her levels to 85, but it was only one time.
Me: That is great!!
Pulmonologist: Yes it is!!  She went from severe, severe, severe, SEVERE sleep apnea to completely normal, and I am so pleased!!  It shows you how bad reflux can truly be...

We discussed a few more things before ending the conversation, but I was in some shock.  We had hoped and prayed for some improvement; and God demonstrated how small our faith is {once again} and how big He is by completely eliminating the improvement clause and jumping right to normal range.  Noelle went from an average of forty episodes per hour to only one through the entire night.  Our hearts are filled with awe of our great God and extreme thankfulness that we are not scheduling her for a tracheotomy procedure.  Would He be less great if things had turned out differently?  Absolutely not.  We would have walked the tracheotomy path if that is what was best for Noelle in the larger scheme of things; but as her parents, we are so grateful that God intervened, and she is not going through such a traumatic event.  Now, we are ready to truly settle into this lock down period and attempt to stay as healthy as possible through these winter months, hopefully avoiding any setbacks or hospital stays.  We cannot thank you enough for your many prayers for this sleep study issue and your continued prayers for Noelle's health.  We are incredibly grateful from the very bottom of our hearts.

Noelle's Latest Trick

Noelle has taken up "silent talking" and is consequently generating much laughter in this household.  Aunt Barbie caught her on camera last week during her visit, so we thought we would share this little video to hopefully brighten your Monday afternoon.  We appreciate your continued prayers as we have the sleep study on Wednesday night and hope to have final results by early next week.  Also, do not forget The Book project as we moved up the entry deadline to allow compilation time before her birthday arrives.  Thank you to those who have begun to contribute and to you who are still planning to write ~ we truly appreciate it!!  Have a wonderful Monday and a great week!!