His first trip around the sun!

***note:I thought this posted on May 7th! It was supposed to!***

One year ago today I was having a baby in Miami, after 2 weeks of being the worst patient ever on bedrest. Nothing about this birth was as planned.

My water broke 3 months early.

I took a quick flight out of Haiti to Miami where I under the care of doctors, not my midwife I had been seeing in Ohio.

I laid in bed for 2 weeks with my mom sleeping in a recliner by my side.

Then the big day came.

Omri was born.

2.5 months early.

With a very medically interventioned birth.

Without baby daddy.

Without. Baby. Daddy.

My mom was there...thank the Lord. 

But there was this moment right after Omri was born...I got to hold him for 2 seconds and then we was wisked off to the NICU with a whole team of doctor's and nurses who took my mom with them!

Then the doctor left.

Then my nurse left.

And I was in that birthing suite all alone. I remember telling God, "I just want to hold my baby. This isn't fair. Isn't it bad enough my husband isn't here? I am stick here in Miami with none of my friends or family to come visit and oogle over my baby."

The rest of the night I tossed and turned and threw questions at God.

With no response. 

Now one year later hindsight is 20/20. God was there and He continued to watch out for my baby as I threw my temper tantrum. Omri was born 10 weeks early and has zip zero zilch deficiencies. He is 100% healthy. He never was on a ventilator. Just oxygen through his nose. 

God was faithful in providing doctors, nurses and a facility to care for our son (even though they weren't the ones I would have picked) even through my rants.

God was there the day I was discharged from the hospital to a hotel and left my baby in the hospital as other mothers were getting into their cars holding their babies and balloons and gifts.  The proud fathers buckling their infants into car seats. The Lord continued to watch over my child even as a river of jealousy ran through me.

I just wanted to hold my baby.

And so today I did. One year to the day when he was whisked away by strangers I held my boy.

Omri may be the most spoiled baby known to mankind. But when you finally get to hold your baby, whenever you want...

you do!

Because he won't be a baby much longer...

Omri-may the Lord bless you and keep you in all your trips around the sun

 as He has during the first one.

Love, Mommy

Chantal continues to do well at our house. She now does weekend over night visits with her birth mother and we are excited for her in this milestone toward getting back home. (I need tissues!)

That being said we know she has several months, probably until the end of this year, until that happens. (More tissues please!)

 

That being said...

we need support for Chantal. We have set up a page on GOFUNDME to raise support for Chantal's care and education.

Click here to be directed to that page.

Or you can support this teen by donating (Tax-deductible!) directly to Invest Hope. 

Invest Hope

1578 Dayton Rd

Newark, OH 43055

And please share our GoFundMe page! You can share it on your facebook page or copy the link and send it over email.

Chantal update!

Chantal is our foster daughter who has lived with us for the past year and a half.

She is a hardworking kid who is a former "restavek" (aka slave child).

Here's the link to an earlier post about her.

 She is quiet and reserved and has lot of patience.

We continue to work with her birth mother with the intention of Chantal being reunited with her, living with her full time one day. Currently Chantal visits them weekly and sometimes stays with them for the weekend.

Their family needs a lot of prayer

and so do David and I as we try to help them be reunited permanently. 

Invest Hope supports Chantal financially. There is no money received from the Haitian government to care for her.

It costs $250/month to support her. 

If you would like to help support Chantal, you can write a check to:

Invest Hope

1578 Dayton Rd

Newark, OH 43055

He walks!

Yesterday I watched my baby take his first steps! Well...his second. He took his first while I was at work and my mom was watching him...boo!

My baby who was born 10 weeks early, who spent 6 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, who would tire out after drinking 1/3 ounce of milk for weeks and weeks...

WALKED before his first birthday. This is a big deal to us.

Our insurance didn't cover outpatient therapy for him once he was discharged from the hospital. The hospital doctors and his Pediatrician tried to get me to pay for it out of pocket because they said he would be so behind developmentally if he didn't receive therapy.

This put a lot if worry into mine and David's minds. 

So I prayed for him everyday and I worked with him. His dad worked with him. And his sister rough housed with him daily to toughen him up!

And God answered.

It's hard for me to imagine how He loves my son more than I do, but I know He does. 

 Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times.

Romans 12:12 (NCV) 

Thank you for all your prayers and oohs and ahh's over our little man. It's not easy living in a foreign country with an infant, away from family and friends.  But you have made it a little easier with your encouragement :)