Fantastic Friday: The Miracle of Life

Life is a miracle.  The mere act of breathing is not something that we ourselves can even control.  The beginning of life, cells that become this tiny breathing, crying human being is nothing short of miraculous.   Job said we are fearfully and wonderfully made and I am seeing this miracle week by week. 

Yes, you are reading this right!  God has blessed us with a lil miracle!  I still can hardly believe I am carrying a lil’ life within me!  I have been half in shock ever since I found out.  I was having so much pain I never suspected.  In fact, I was so sure I had no qualms moving, lifting boxes, scrubbing baseboards and shampooing when we were moving.

According to my wonderful doctor, this pregnancy is quite normal!!  The pain means the baby is growing!  The back pain that scared me so bad this week is quite normal as the baby is doing flips in there and resting on rather sensitive areas.

I found out on a Thursday and the next Monday the doctor put me on bed rest.   By the next Monday, I was in his office scared to death.  I cannot tell you the magnitude of joy to see that precious heartbeat! 

I have been blessed with an amazing doctor!  He is seeing me every Friday, hence Fantastic Fridays.  He has monitored our baby from the beginning every Friday. I have had the wondrous pleasure of seeing Baby grow and another dream come true, hearing that awesome heartbeat!  It is one thing to see the flicker of light that is the heartbeat on the screen; it is quite another to hear that thump-thump!  Each Friday, I sit in the waiting room, heart pounding, and each Friday I have walked out grinning from ear to ear with another picture of my baby!  My doctor has done everything in his power to reassure this terrified mommy-to-be and himself.  At eight weeks, he took my hands in his, looked me in the eyes and said, “I think your baby is going to be all right.”  The growth measures exactly where it should and the heartbeat has increased each week to where it should be for a baby this early.  Because of my past history I am high risk so he is monitoring us, but we have all agreed he is also monitoring me to reassure all our minds.  I thank him over and over and I can’t say enough good things about my doctor.  Thank God that He gives some people the talent and the intelligence to become doctors!

Today, we saw our lil miracle and oh my word, I am overwhelmed with joy to see little tiny legs kicking away and a teeny hand going to the mouth!!!  The whole tiny body is wiggling in there squirming all around and doing a tiny flip to the wonderment of these adoring parents!  We even saw the tiniest, adorable toes!!!!  I dreamed about hearing that elusive heartbeat, I never even fathomed seeing my precious baby being a wiggle-worm!!!!  I’ve been crying off and on ever since just in amazement and thankfulness.  I am so grateful to be given this chance, this moment, to witness another miracle and one that is doing flips for Mama!!!  I think I literally floated out of the office today!  Oh and Baby’s daddy, he is just so awed all he can say is words like “awesome” and “wow”.  I believe my hubby fell in love with his child from the moment he saw that little flicker on that screen.  All he could do is stare in wonder and ask my doctor over and over, “That’s really the heartbeat?  It really is okay?” 

I am still in the first trimester, but I am further than I have ever been.  According to my doctor, this baby seems perfect from what he can see this early.  Every Friday, I will say my doctor is as excited as we are and leaves with a big grin on his face.  

The bed rest has been an adventure for me.  I am so used to working and cleaning that it is has been extremely hard to sit or lie here and watch others clean and do laundry.  I don’t do a thing.  It is imperative that I don’t and I follow my doctor’s order to the T. 

I am so thankful we moved!  I am next door to Mamo and Poppy now and that means I have spent every day with Mamo.  She has been there during the day when I’m scared and I have been there with her when she isn’t feeling well.  In fact, we have spent a lot of time in bed together.  Every night, Mom hugs me and tells me to go to sleep, say goodnight to anxiety, and lectures me to quit worrying.  Thank God for Mamas!  Dad has nicknamed our baby “Peanut.”  It has been quite an adventure.  He routinely will ask, “How is Peanut today?”  When you are going through a “normal,” yet scary time, having hubby and family near means the world!!!

 In January when I started going to the doctor for my previous baby, I always had a nurse who would take me back and see me before the doctor.  When we lost our baby, she was there to give me her condolences.  Two weeks ago when I was leaving my appointment, I ran into her and gave her the wonderful news.  We had quite the conversation and each Friday, I have given her updates and showed her our baby.  Today, I was all smiles and she gave me a hug and I was so excited I could hardly talk.  She looked at me and said, “You know, it is because of women like you why I work in this occupation.  I have seen the heartache you went through and I see nothing but joy and oh I’m so happy for you and your miracle.”  I thank God for my nurses and doctors who know the odds and are cheering us on!

Thank you to those who knew from the beginning and have prayed many prayers for us.  It means everything to me knowing there is prayer going up.  Every night, I pray, “God, let the brain develop and function correctly and be intelligent and recognize your awesomeness.  Let the eyes see the beauty of your creations and the ears hear.  Let the nose smell your fragrances and the mouth speak correctly and with love.  Give my lil miracle ten toes and eight fingers and two thumbs.  Bless baby with arms that will praise you and legs that will shout for joy.  Most of all, God, give this baby a heart full of you.  Give baby a heart full of joy, compassion, and love for the Creator and all God’s creations.  Always give us wisdom to raise this precious blessing the way a child should be brought up, to pleasure the One who gives us the miracle of Life. And God, most of all, keep Baby safe.”

For all of you out there still waiting for your miracle, don't give up hope!  Miracles do happen...I am living mine.