Yesterday we went in for a Nuchal fold scan. Praise the Lord we were at a huge teaching hospital, because what they found may have been missed. It looks like our baby has a severe congenital defect. As of the scan yesterday, it looks like our baby's diaphram has a hole in it, and it's stomach has herniated into the chest, causing the heart to push to the side. If this is a true diaphragmatic hernia, the prognosis isn't good at all. They say if it is as severe as they think it is, that the baby's lungs probably won't grow and so it won't be able to survive outside of the womb. Now I know that the Lord can so easily heal our baby....I have no doubt about it, and I know that the Lord created this baby to his perfect will, and I am so comforted with that. We will be having a 3D ultrasound and an amnio in three weeks to see if the defect is really as bad as they think it is. I have already clearly stated to the docs that this baby will live as long as the Lord sees fit, not us...so I will carry this baby as long as the Lord blesses us with him/her, and do everything we can to help this child survive....but I know that there is a huge possiblity that it won't.....but what a blessing to have our child go straight to the Lord. I can't think of a more perfect place for his beautiful creation!!

I am sad.....don't get me wrong...I wanted my baby to be perfect....but in the eyes of the Lord he/she is as perfect as the Lord made him/her to be....and I can't argue with that!!! I think right now the hard part for me is hearing people who have healthy babies in their bellies complain that they hate being pg, or it's just so hard for them to go on...I know that life is so very subjective, but right now, I fell like I would want to go through anything to have a healthy baby.

If the Lord brings it to mind, please pray for my heart....I want it to be focused on the Lord and not any bitter feelings. He has given me so much grace allready, but I think in the weeks coming, I am going to need to rely on him so much more!!

I pray you all have a great day!

Blessings,
Amber

Will pray. If it is there, did they mention any chance of surgery before delivery? It sounds like something that could be fixed in that way? Praying for healing, even via medical intervention.

Maybe they weren't seeing what they thought they saw afterall. Dh's cancer scare earlier this year was a misread of a scan. I hope you get good news soon.

[hug] Oh my poor dear sister! How shocking to receive such news! :( But you are right dear one...we serve an awesome God. Nothing is impossible with Him. [cross] And your child is precious to Him now and forever!

I will most certainly be praying for you and your dh, your hearts and minds and for wisdom to make the decisions the Lord would have you to make. I pray too that a miracle would occur and this anomaly to simply disappear! I know that there have been surgeries done on babies inutero to sew up the hole so the lungs could develop normally and the intestines put back where they belong. But I know it is not an every day occurence...and it is a HUGE deal. I worked with some babies at Children's Hospital who were born with this problem undiagnosed before birth. They are special babies and their families were wonderful people!

Know I will be praying. [praywhensad] [heart] [hug]

Oh Amber! I'm so sorry to hear that. What pain that must bring to you and your husband. I will be praying that they can do something to save and heal your precious baby.

And thank you for giving a reminder to all women not to be complaining about being pregnant.

I'm so sorry. I have to say that it is such an encouragement to hear how unselfish you are. I know you would miss your child terribly, but you are focusing on his happiness if the Lord would take him home.

You are such a strong woman.. I admire you. I will be praying for you! Hugs

I'm sorry to hear that Amber. Stay strong and positive - the Lord is in control. Praying for you.

I also admire your courage and strength. The Lord is with you. I will be praying for you and your family!! [prayer]

Know that I am praying for you and for a miracle. Just want to say how courageous and unselfish you are. I really admire your outlook on things. Stay strong in the Lord.

You're in my prayers.

Amber,
I am praying for you and your family! Praying you will know God's loving arms around you holding you tight right now !
Sending you a big hug from all your sisters here at C-moms! [huddle]

Amber, i'm praying for you and your unborn baby. Your faith is very encouraging amidst this situation.

You have a great attitude. I am praying for you, your husband and God's will to be done in your lives and the life of your child.

Thank you all, what a support you are!! :-D

I felt bad for Dh....he went to work today, and said he was doing fine until his boss asked him how his family was....he said he had to come home after that. I did show him a good website on the CDH, and I hope it helped.

Thank you all so much for your prayers. The Lord is giving me so much grace....he's awesome!!

Amber

Praying for healing, even via medical intervention.

[pray]

Your attitude is awesome and SO inspiriational! Praise God! He IS SO good and God loves you and this precious baby so much. You stay strong in your faith and God will see you through.

Please keep us posted and I'll be praying for you and your baby!

Stephanie [amen]

Praying for you, your dh and your precious baby!

I will pray for you and your precious child inside. That is so tough. We had a bit of a scare and are still monitoring a situation with my unborn baby and know it is so tough to be in this position. Our God is Jehovah Rapha, the healer, and nothing is impossible with Him. He asked Sarah in Genesis when she was barren, "Is anything too difficult for me?" Your mindset is so wonderful and I am praying that God will keep you in perfect peace, just keep your eyes on Him. God bless you.

I will be praying for you [amen]

So, we only have 5 whole days to make it through until it's our apt day!! We were able to hear the baby's heartbeat last Thursday, just for reassurance that he/she is still alive, and that was such a blessing.

Sadly, during this time of waiting and wondering I had another trial put into my life. My father, who was not a believer committed suicide Friday. It's taken some of the pressure off of thinking about the baby, but that's not much of a diversion.

If the Lord brings it to mind, please pray for my family, that this will be what brings them to the Lord, and also please pray for my Dh and I as we go to his memorial Friday. The service will be led by a Non-believer, and that's hard enough to sit through, but then knowing that my Dad bought himself a one way ticket to Hell....how do you go through life knowing his is eternally separated from the Lord, and probably in so much pain that will never stop?
I do have to say that the Lord has blessed my heart with calmness so far. I feel so blessed to be able to rely on him.....but I know the **** of emotions will break sooner or later, and I am sooooo not looking forward to that!!

Amber

Sorry you are going through such a difficult time right now. You r family will be in my prayers.

Oh Amber, I'm so sorry that you have to go thru all of this. My prayers are with you and your family and your unborn baby.

Amber I'm so sorry. I did read your post ages ago but I never know the right thing to say. I hope your baby will be ok. And I'm so sorry to hear that your father committed suicide. As if you didn't have enough to deal with. I really don't know what I can say to help. But my sister once attempted suicide. So I've kinda been there. You're probably feeling rather angry right now as well as extremely upset. *BIG HUGS*

Oh my I am so very sorry. You are being prayed for!

I will be praying for you sweetie.. hugs.

Gosh, what a time you have been through. I will say prayers for your family and yourself. You do sound strong in your post and I think that is so incredible. I can see you are truly relying on God and His stregth. That is such a testimony. God will see you through it all. I hope for comfort and miracles to take place in your life. He is amazing! I really recommend you read Pat Robertson's book on Miracles that come out earlier this year. It is such an uplifting and faith building book. It is available on cbn.org God bless you and keep us updated!

i am so sorry for all the trials you are going through right now, but i admire your strength and faith in our lord. i will keep you in my prayers!

I am so sorry for all you are going through, what a wonderful example you are, I will be praying for you and your family......dd

Oh, I hate to hear about all the trials you're going through right now. I pray God keeps you strong during these difficult times. Stay strong in Him and lean on Him when you need to.

Sending love your way, dear sister.

Amber,

I'm so sorry for all that you're going through. I will be praying
for you to find peace in your heart from our precious Lord Jesus. He will never leave you nor forsake you. I'll keep praying for you & your baby.

God Bless you,
Jennifer

Well today was the day! Now that it has come and we are done with the apt, I feel like it didn't take that long...LOL! Isn't hindsite kind of nice?

Anyways...we found out we are having a son! Praise the Lord. He does in fact have the Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. They didn't do the 3D ultrasound because they said the 2D actually gave them a better look see, but they weren't able to see everything just yet, since the baby is still pretty small. So far, we can see that HIS...(LOL I love saying he, knowing what our baby is makes him so much more real!) stomach and intestines are up in the chest cavity. His heart looks normal except it's on the right side, and a bit tilted. There isn't much lung growth at all on the left side due to the organs being up there, but there was some lung tissue on the right side. The ultrasound doctor (we had both a tech and doc look at him) couldn't see if the liver was herniated yet, or how big the hole in the diaphram is. To have fetal surgery there are a few things that have to happen. First some of the lung has to be herniated, there can be no chromosomal abnormalities, and this certain measurement called LHR has to be 1.0 or less. So far we know that the LHR is 0.7, which is a pretty sever defect. We will find out more about the baby's chromosomes completly in two weeks, and I should be having another ultrasound, and most likely a special MRI for fetuses (I hate that word) soon.

So for now, our son is growing safe and sound and strong in my belly. As long as he is inside, he is fine, but we have to see if we can make it so he can be ok on the outside. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors and us to know how far to go with treatment! I so appreciate your prayers! The Lord totally hears them and answers them!!

Amber

[huddle] you're not alone

praying for you

You are still on my heart and mind. Prayers going to you and your son.

You and your family are in my prayers. Never give up hope!

I'm praying for you.
You might want to call (817) 722-2000 (for anonymous prayer for specific healings.)
An awesome & powerful Christian Healing Ministry prayerline in Texas. We've known many miracles through this ministry!! Great men & woman of God who work here...filled with the Holy Spirit.

Your positive outlook and strength in the midst of everything is truly a testimony! Prayers are being sent up for your little boy and for your family's strength!

Well, we got some more bad news today....*sigh* I guess the Lord knows my strength way more than I do!
We found out that our son has a piece of his 8th short chromosome missing. It's called an 8p deletion. Although the part missing is very very small, there are so many things that can go wrong because of it. They say he has the diaphragmatic hernia because of this defect, and he could have all sorts of things like facial abnormalities, ear abnormalities, mild to severe mental retardation, behavioral problems, heart problems, brain abnormalities...etc and so on. I talked to a good friend of mine tonight that really encouraged me, but part of me really wonders why the Lord is heaping so much on our plante right now. I feel like I was just getting my head above water with dealing with my Dad and our baby's probs, and now another heap is put on us. I know the Lord is doing this for his glory, and if one person comes to know him due to our son, his life and "problems' will be all worth it, but I am really tired right now. I feel pulled between happiness that the Lord knows our strength and is blessing us with our son for reasons we may not know until we get to heaven, if then, but then I feel sorry for myself because a child of mine that I love so much may have a life of problems if he even lives. Uggg.....I need to go to bed, my grace for the day is running short....but I thank the Lord for everyday he gives us with our son...and I know he is working his miracles through him!

Amber

I cannot imagine right now what you must be going through. I just wanted to let you know that I will lift you up in prayer. I also wanted to say what an awesome testimony you are showing just in your posts here. You are very strong in your faith and it shows. I pray that the Lord wraps his arms around you and your little son and continues to do His will. He will bring you through all of this. He promised to never give us more than we can handle. Believe me, I know sometimes it seems like He thinks we can handle more than we think we can handle. But, He knows us better than we know ourselves. There is a reason for all this. We may not know it until we get to Heaven. I'm praying for your comfort and for healing for your son!

Lori

Amber, I am so very sorry. There are no words enough to comfort you. " Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Please know that my thoughts and prayer will continue to e with you.

Amber, continuing to lift you and your family up in prayers. You are so right when you say the Lord knows your strength better than you :) But your strength is evident even here in your posts.

Remember, even while giving God the glory, He understands you have saddness and worries. He knows that you know He supplies, and He still wants to hear our saddness right along with His praises.

I feel pulled between happiness that the Lord knows our strength and is blessing us with our son for reasons we may not know until we get to heaven, if then, but then I feel sorry for myself because a child of mine that I love so much may have a life of problems if he even lives. Uggg

It really is okay to feel this way. You are doing a fabulous job of processing the information. I can see why God would chose a grounded woman like yourself....hugs and prayers to you.

Bless your heart, I am so sorry you are going through this. I am praying for you. I must say, your strength and grace through all of this is inspirational. I know it has already been said, but God doesn't give you more than you can handle. But, in times like these He is waiting with open arms to comfort you and carry you through this.

I can't even grasp trying to process all that you are mentally and emotionally....you have such a strength. Prayers.

Amber I'm so sorry for everything you are going through right now. I admire your strength, courage and Faith in the Lord. You are an encouragment to many others in all types of situations. Your family is in my prayers [huddle] Hugs to each of you

Melissa

Amber,

I'm so saddened to hear the pain that you're going through right now. There are no words to offer the comfort you need, but know you're in my prayers.

wow, thank you all so much! What a blessing to have all of you out there! it's weird to hear that you all think I have strength when I feel so close to falling apart. It does feel awesome to know that he will never give me what I can't handle..he is such an awesome Lord! I think of Job and think...man, I have it easy, I still have my husband and my daughter...and I can't stop praising him for them!

Thank you all so much for all your prayers, I know the Lord takes them very seriously! You are so wonderul!

Amber

Will be praying for you and the family. :(

Amber, you have an amazing strength & faith in the Lord. don't ever doubt that !
I am sad to hear of all the problems, but at the same time, seeing a woman so firm in her faith - the enemy won't bowl you over (even though he is trying)

Remember:
Only God can turn:
a Mess into a Message
a Test into a Testament
a Trial into a Triump and
a Victim into a Victory

Someone once said:
"The seed for a great miracle lies not in the difficulty, but impossiblity"
Keep focus on Jesus, hold on tight, and wait for your Great Miracle

I am praying for you and your entire family

You are in my prayers and heart. I'm so sorry that all this has happened at once. :cry:
He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
BUT they that wait upon tha Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:11, 28-31 Love you

Amber

When I was pregnant with my twin boys, I found out at 15 weeks that they had an intraunterine disease that only gave them 15% chance of survival. If they did survive, I was told, they would be very high risk for other disorders, disabilities, etc. I encourage you to keep relying on God for the Faith and Strength you are shining right now. To keep myself surrounded with His comfort, I wrote scripture on index cards and taped them all over my house! Some women in my church also laid hands on my tummy... The boys were also showing signs of heart failure until the hands were laid... then miraculously, they were completely healed, no signs of anything and are now 4 year old active healthy little boys. Never give up thta God knows His plan and it is PERFECT! I will keep you in my prayers.

just got into reading this. I'm so sorry to hear about what is going on and I'll be praying. . . :cry: -renee

Thank you all, tomorrow we have yet another ultrasound. It's such a blessing to get to see our son a lot more than normal, but it sucks why! :wink:

Allison, That's awesome about your twins! I totally know the Lord can provide miracles. I am hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. I believe we need to hope for the miracles, but not be disappointed if the Lord says no.

We did find out Wed. that our son has a missing piece off of one of his chromosomes. Therefore he doesn't qualify for fetal surgery...at least not at UCSF...I have an email into three other fetal treatment centers, but they probably have the same criteria that UCSF. We will find out more about his chromosomal defect tomorrow. If anyone wants to look it up just for FYI it's called 8p Deletion.

Thank you all for your continued support, it's just amazing!

Amber

Sadly we had more bad news told to us today. It looks like Noah's heart has a severe defect also. It looks like only his right side of his heart is doing the work, and the left side is very small and not productive at all. With the heart defect, the diaphragmatic hernia, and his abnormal chromosome they say his chance for survival is almost nothing. We will be having a fetal echocardiogram to see 100% what his heart is doing, but the doctor is pretty sure of what he saw. After the echo we will talk to a pediactric surgeon and neonatologist to see what they would do if we decide to try and save him and also what they would do if we decided to just let him die and keep him comfortable.
What a position the Lord has put us in. I know he knows we are strong enough to make it through, but I feel pretty inadequate right now to handle this. It's hard to know how far to go to try and save our son, but yet we are pulled to do everything even though his outcome will probably be the same no matter what.......but we love him, and know the Lord put him in our life for a reason, and we are just trying to figure out how to glorify the Lord through out son's life, and to glorify him by our choices...and man is that hard to figure out. Please remember us in prayer if the Lord brings it to mind....we have a very long 19+ weeks ahead of us no matter what we choose, and we really want to do what's best.
I asked Dh tonight if this would make him want to stop trying for babies even though we found out that our chromosomes are fine, and he said he was thinking about it....I just hope this doesn't cause him to want to stop having babies. He knows I want more for sure, and he does too, even though we lost two already and are looking at losing a third, I know the Lord gave us these babies as gifts, and our DD is the biggest gift of them all....and we find so much joy in her...how could I ever stop wanting more? Even with all the hurt!!

Thank you all so much for your outpouring of love and support...I have felt so wrapped up in comfort and prayer, and that means so much right now. I know the Lord hears our cries and answers our prayers as he sees fit...so thank you!!

Amber

Oh Amber
I read you message with such "amazement" - amazed at your faith & courage in the Lord. I am sure He is pleased to see that.
Remember God does not bring illness to us. it is the devil that brings that sort of thing. (God may allow it - if He knows we will grow from it, or if our lives are not in line with Him - and we have moved "out of His protection" - or rather, on satan's territory - given him right over us.)
But it sounds like satan is trying to steel, he does not like the fact that you have all this faith in God, and he wants to break that down. but remember, God WILL reward your faithfullness. and every time the devil steels, we, as a child of God can in the name of Jesus, demand he returns to us 7 fold what is rightfully ours. (so far, i see he has to give you at least 14 children) :)
Stand on the Word. but on the full armour of God (Eph 6) and stand. do not back down, do not let the enemy defeat you. remember, the battle is already won. but we need to keep the faith, and stand - cause satan does not want us to think he has already lost.
keep the faith girl, God will reward you in abundance for your faithfullness!

Amber,

I am so sorry. Words aren't enough. I will continue to lift you and your family before the Lord. He never gives us more than we can bear. He must know what amazing faith you have! I know He will continue to provide for you strength, wisdom, grace, courage, and love to get through this time. I can't imagine the emotions that you must go through daily. Please know I am praying for you. Love in Christ,

I have no words but I wanted to let you know that I am still praying for baby Noah and you and your family as well. [hug]

Please know I'm praying for you all. My heart goes out to you.

You are remembered and covered in prayer, you have a great support group with CM that is always here for comfort and prayers. God bless you and know we are here.

Amber,

My thoughts and prayers are with you and baby Noah.

Amber continued prayers for you, your hubby, baby Noah and your daughter. You sound so strong, and I know this can't be easy by any means. Please continue to keep us posted. Hugs, hugs, hugs.

:cry: While I am crying with/for you, I am in AWE of your strenght! You are an amazing testament to us all! Saying tons of prayers that the Lord will guide you, and know we are all there with you.

[prayer] Lord, please bless this family. Let them be surrounded by your love and the love of all of us here! [prayer] [hug] [huddle] [lovebanner]

Thank you all so much. This last blow has been hard. We have so many decisions to make, and it's almost impossible to know what's the right thing to do. I do call out to the Lord for clear wisdom, but part of me wishes he would make the decision to take Noah before he is born so that we don't have to decide. KWIM? I was looking at a website of a woman who was pregnant with a baby with anacephaly and she choose to continue her pregnancy, praise the Lord, even though there was 0 chance for her baby (at least in the eyes of science). She gives advice to people who are expecting terminally ill children who don't terminate. It feels so good to know that I am not the first, and the Lord has brought others through this....Praise him for his strength!

Again, thank you all so much for the love....it's so comforting!

Amber

I will keep you in my prayers.

I don't know what else to say. I know that I do not know how I would handle it if I were in that situation. It is so sad.

Just run to Jesus' arms...

I'm so sorry that you keep getting bad news. We're praying for you. :cry:

you are very much in my prayers and at the forefront of my thoughts. i can't even begin to know what you and your family are going through, but know that all of us here are still hoping for the best.

Amber,

You are surrounded with Angels' wings as God wraps you and your little one in His warmth. May He truly bless your faith, your strength, and your deep desire to do His will. Christ can do all things. He will heal your precious son, be it here on Earth in your arms, or in Heaven in His own arms... But you can find comfort in knowing that he will be healed. You are in our daily prayers. In His AMAZING Grip, Allison

Sadly we had more bad news told to us today. It looks like Noah's heart has a severe defect also. It looks like only his right side of his heart is doing the work, and the left side is very small and not productive at all. With the heart defect, the diaphragmatic hernia, and his abnormal chromosome they say his chance for survival is almost nothing. We will be having a fetal echocardiogram to see 100% what his heart is doing, but the doctor is pretty sure of what he saw. After the echo we will talk to a pediactric surgeon and neonatologist to see what they would do if we decide to try and save him and also what they would do if we decided to just let him die and keep him comfortable.
What a position the Lord has put us in. I know he knows we are strong enough to make it through, but I feel pretty inadequate right now to handle this. It's hard to know how far to go to try and save our son, but yet we are pulled to do everything even though his outcome will probably be the same no matter what.......but we love him, and know the Lord put him in our life for a reason, and we are just trying to figure out how to glorify the Lord through out son's life, and to glorify him by our choices...and man is that hard to figure out. Please remember us in prayer if the Lord brings it to mind....we have a very long 19+ weeks ahead of us no matter what we choose, and we really want to do what's best.
I asked Dh tonight if this would make him want to stop trying for babies even though we found out that our chromosomes are fine, and he said he was thinking about it....I just hope this doesn't cause him to want to stop having babies. He knows I want more for sure, and he does too, even though we lost two already and are looking at losing a third, I know the Lord gave us these babies as gifts, and our DD is the biggest gift of them all....and we find so much joy in her...how could I ever stop wanting more? Even with all the hurt!!

Thank you all so much for your outpouring of love and support...I have felt so wrapped up in comfort and prayer, and that means so much right now. I know the Lord hears our cries and answers our prayers as he sees fit...so thank you!!

Amber

I am just completely amazed at your amount of faith and your whole attitude/outlook on all this! What a spiritual inspiration you are to me! I really needed to read this today. While it is so incredibly sad and disheartening, your story and your words spoke volumes to me. What a testimony of faith you are! Thank you!!!!

So, in your heartache, just know that in your situation, you have reached out to all of us here, and have been such a wonderful example of the Strength we can find in our Lord Jesus Christ! Thank you, sister!!! [lovesign] I sure will be praying [prayer] for a miracle for you! It's not impossible!!!!!!!

Your strength and faith comforts me. God is going to bless you for your decisions and your reliance in him. I am continuing to pray sweetie.

I'm so sorry to hear this latest news, I will be praying for God's graciousness to you. I have a friend from church who had twins inmarch and the birth caused problems to one of them. She died 3 months later. They cronicled their experience on a blog. . .While I was catching up I thought you might like to read it. They were open with each step of the thinking and they're feelings during and after. They had to make the same desions about how much do they intervein and how much do they just let happen. A spot none of us ever wants to be in. If you'd like the link let me know and I'll send it your way. love to you -ren

Take comfort Amber, Your son has already served such a hug role in this life. He has shown you and all of us what an amazing Faith, hope and love you have for our Lord. You are an inspiration to, I believe all of us, that have heard your story. You are an inspiration to me and have caused the Holy Spirit to convicte me in the area of faith. Your son has already began to serve his purpose in this life. I don't know what the Lord has in store for his life, but I know I am in prayer for you, your family and your son. I pray Lord God for Amber's stength, You have promised us that you do not give us more then we can handle and I know Your Word is truth. I praise you Lord for the strength you are giving to Amber and her dh. I pray Lord you will surround their family with your love, grace and healing. I pray for You to completly heal their son. I pray that you will give them the mirical they pray for, that you will make all the doctors wrong and raise this child up and be completely healed. You Lord are the ultimate physician, I trust in your will and healing. I pray Lord that if it is your will that thier son shall be with you, that you prepair their hearts and that they will continue to take comfort in you.
I praise you Lord for your perfect will. Amen

I'm just finally catching up reading this thread- Amber, I know no one can say anything to make you feel better right now, but I will be sending up prayers for you and for your son Noah.

Thank you everyone for all the encouragement, prayers, and kind words. Lately I have been feeling very "normal" as a pg woman. I know it's totally the Lord blessing me with calmness and probably acceptance. It's hard to wallow in self pity when I know this is the Lord's will, and he is perfect, and can change things in an instant. I keep praying for a miracle, sometimes it's just pure begging of the flesh to keep our son with us, but most of the time, I just feel like I need to thank the Lord for this gift...I want him to know how special we feel having been given Noah..no matter how he comes out.....and I just hope I tell him enough...what an awesome God we have! :D

Ok, so I totally forgot that when pg your stomach shrinks overnight, and wow, I remember doing this with DD, but every time after I eat I feel so bloated and yucky....and everytime I tell myself that I will eat more smaller meals intstead of the reg. 3 times a day..and have I done that? NO!! LOL It's almost like I totally forget that I will feel icky and bloated for hours after I eat, so I try and eat normally...this has to go! haahaa!!!

Amber

Amber thank you so much for the updates. I find strength through your posts and here I should be the one offering strength. You are such an amazing mom, woman, and wife. And I feel your joy through your posts. Continued prayers for you and Noah and family always. Please know we are always here for you anytime. Praying for that miracle with you!

I remember eating too much all the time too. Oh that and the peeing all the time. Has Noah found your bladder yet? I think my babies all loved to do the jig on my bladder. Enjoy Amber enjoy. What a wonderful mom Noah has, and what a wonderful example you are for all us moms. Hugs

[hug] Iwill keep praying for you, dh and Noah. I wish that there was more that I could say or do, but it is all in God's hands - how wonderfully strong you are to be blessed with the faith to accept this.

Well today we went in for our Fetal Echo. What a mess that turned out to be...LOL! So the tech did the ultrasound while a Ped. Cardiologist watched and asked for certain views and such, and then after the ultrasound, he came to talk to us. He said that Noah DID NOT have the Double Outlet Right Ventricle like they thought last time..PTL!!!!! He did say that it looks like he may be developing Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome...but he said Noah's heart looked pretty good. He said all the structures are there and in the right place and functioning well. He did say that some of his vessels were a bit small, and his left ventricle is a wee bit smaller, but he said Noah may not even need surgery on his heart after birth, but we will have to see what the next echo showed. So we were pretty happy with that, because it seemed like the doc wasn't really sure by what he saw if Noah had any defect of his heart at all. So Dh, my midwife (she came to support us and learn with us), and I went to breakfast with pretty happy hearts. Then we went to the Neonatologists and were put into this HUGE conference room with like 20 chairs....we were all wondering how many people were coming in...LOL! Anyways one doc came in to chat with us. We were not able to physically walk the paperwork from the fetal echo over with us because the doc wasn't done with them, so we were waiting for them to be faxed. The doc asked us what we were told...and then she started talking.....she pretty much told us that Noah had a 0% chance of survival because of his Diaphragmatic hernia and heart defect. We were all pretty stunned. Why would the cardiologist say it wasn't as bad as they thought, even good, and now she is telling us our baby will NOT make it? Come to find out later, she was still under the impression that Noah had the first defect they thought......but still! Anyways, she was telling us about our "options." It seemed like she was trying to make the choice of letting him die comfortably after birth really wonderful and the best choice. She told us they could have someone come in and play the harp, and they could take his footprints and keep him warm and medicate him if he needed. It was almost like I could hear the comforting music behind her....then she talked about our option to get Noah treatment....boy did that sound a lot different than the first one. She made it seem like we would be torturing Noah if we tried to help him. She talked about him suffering, and getting all bloated and disfigured looking from the IV and meds, and she really made it sound like we would be horrible aweful people if we tried to help him.
We asked a lot of questions for both situations, and I told her straight out that we have to pray hard and long about it, and that we believe the Lord gave us this child for a reason. I told her we understood there is a good chance Noah will die, but we believe in the Lord and that he can perform miracles, and Noah may be one of those. I also told her I don't think I could just give birth to our son just to let him die with at LEAST trying to save him...but we were not dumb, and knew if treating him wasn't working, we would know to take him off support. She seemed to lighten up a bit, she even took us to the NICU to see what the facilities were like. She was very nice, just a bit obvious to her beliefs as to what we should do......
After we talked to her and saw the NICU, we met with a Pedicatric surgeon who knew about Noah's case, and he was awesome! He was open, he was honest, but he was compassionate, and had lots of info, that didn't seem biased. He did say that of all the babies in the country (doctors have to report all babies with defects I guess) no baby has survived with both a Diaphragmatic hernia AND a heart defect. He has seen babies with them, but none of them has survived. That was hard to hear, but he said it with such tenderness, it didn't seem like a hard blow.

Sooooooo, to make a short story long, as of now we really don't know (yet again) what Noah's heart is doing. We have to wait until Jan. 31st to have a second echo. His measurement of how much lung he has is a lot higher than we first though, but the same as we were told last time...if that makes sense. His liver is herniated into his chest, which makes his "survival rate" go down, but he has a pretty darn good LHR (the measurement of lung tissue) for a liver herniation. He is growing like he should, he is super active, and he is such a joy to us!

Emma even kisses my belly now, and waves and says "hi" to Noah...it's so cute! If I ask her where her baby is, she lifts my shirt and either pats my belly or waves to it! LOL Kids are great!!!

I told Dh today that I feel like the Lord is telling me..."just trust me, just believe that I can heal and/or sustain your child through this." It may be my heart crying out for something, but I just feel so strong in the life of our baby....it's so hard to explain, and I know the Lord can take him anytime, and we really don't know, and may never know what he has in store for us and for Noah, but I do believe.....I do know that he could do this...and I ask him to heal him.
I asked Dh if he thought the Lord had healed Noah's heart, and he said he didn't know.....I like to believe he did a little miracle for us.....either way, we know the Lord is so good, and so gracious, and so comforting....like we know, with him, ALL things are possible!!

Thank you all soooooo much for praying! If the Lord brings it to mind, please pray for Noah's heart, and that the left side will grow and the doc's will know for sure after the next fetal echo what's what.

Bless you all!!
Amber

If the Lord brings it to mind, please pray for Noah's heart, and that the left side will grow and the doc's will know for sure after the next fetal echo what's what.

Bless you all!!
Amber

I will be praying for Noah and you!!

Amber, what an amazing woman you are!! I will be praying for little Noah and the rest of your family. Our God is the God of the impossible!! I pray His will be done!

Wow Amber! :shock: So much to take in and process. It is good to know that the Lord walks beside you through it all. He will give you wisdom and grace and peace about your decisions. He is the God of all flesh and nothing is too difficult for Him.

Love always hopes, believes all things, endures all things. You are such a wonderufl example of that! You are hoping and believing for this young one that the Lord has formed within you. The Lord's arm is not short that it cannot save. This life was planned before the foundation of the world for HIS glory. Thank you for your witness of love and hope and joy and peace. I will continue to pray for your family, and I know that our God is an awesome God. He is sufficient for all of our needs, and He will provide for you according to His riches in glory!

Oh, Amber, I have seen too many miracles in my lifetime to say that you don't have a chance! "HOW BIG IS OUR GOD?!" He can move mountains! I love that verse about how if two come together to pray in My Name... ugh... gives me goosebumps! Pray *WITH* your husband, out loud, together, as often as possible, for your miracle! You WILL get it!

I truly believe if you have the faith of a child (the kind of faith HE wants us to have), that HE will deliver you! God's will is in fact, God's will but, God knows our hearts too... and knows when we are going to dedicate ourselves to prayer for something; Just think of HIm as the Supreme Father! He wants us to be happy! I truly believe if you two pray together that God will deliver your little NOah! I'm praying for you to receive this miracle!!!

God bless you, Amber, and Little Noah!!!

I am so sorry you are going through this. My thoughts and prayers are with you, your baby and your family.

This phrase I heard in a woman's seminar...all I came awawy with all weekend in fact since the speaker was SO boring! LOL...was this....it sustained me through my miscarriage and several other rough times......

God purposely hides in the unlovely to reveal himself to us.....

Hang in there, for him to be giving you such peace and optimism in the face of such a trial must mean something!

Amber, thanks for the update.

Praying still.....you are doing an incredible job. Well done, good and faithful servant.

I just read this whole topic for the first time and I am speechless, but wanted to also pray for you and your family. I admire your faith and can feel a lot hope in my heart for you and your baby.

PLT that things look a little better for little Noah! Still praying for you all!

Amber, continued prayers for you and Noah and your family. God can work miracles. I am sorry about the problems with the second dr. you would think in your case they would be better prepared. Probably not telling you anything you haven't already felt and thought. I am just in such awe of your faith. You are such a strong mommy, though I am sure you need support too. Please whenever you need us we will all wrap our arms around you.

For some reason I found with my water breaking at 29 weeks that doctors are very pesimistic and I don't know why?! Not saying my experience is anything as yours. But they all prepared me for the worst. And I was scared to death with their prognosis that I would lose her. With her birth at exactly 31 weeks she surprised everyone me included, I should have been more faithful. She is my miracle to this day. Miracles are everywhere. Please continue to keep us updated. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.

I am praying for you. I am so sorry to hear of your fathers death. I have been through the loss of a loved one from suicide and understand how hard it is to cope with. Know you are in my thoughts.
Hang in there, special needs children are blessings in disguise and I am sure that God will use this baby to bless others. Praying for his healing on your baby and you right now. Remember, he is the God of Miracles!

My thoughts and prayers and with you, Noah, and your family. Thank you for being a testimony of strength even at times you don't feel as if you are. You truly are. Praise God for you as you serve Him so tenderly.

I pray over Noah's body and his strong will. May God lead the doctors with patience and compassion. May His grace surpass all our understanding as we draw closer to Him for healing Noah according to His loving will. AMEN

One of my twins was showing signs of heart failure and had distorted ventricles as well. God did a miracle and the Doc couldn't find a thing wrong with his heart next time they checked. I know GOd can and WILL do a miracle in Noah. I did not have a peace with the statistics they gave me with my sons... I knew my God was BIGGER than any statistic. With Faith like a mustard seed... You keep believing, we will keep praying and God will take care of it all! Lots of Love, Allison

PRAISE THE LORD [cheer]

I normally am not into the thought of God doing miraculous healing- that's just me. I often pray for comfort of the person afflicted because I just don't often believe that God is going to do miraculous healings- it seems sensational to me, HOWEVER- the first feeling and thought I had was that this IS a miracle and I nearly cried being overwelmed with joy for you. I am SOOOOOO HAPPPY FOR TODAYS GOOD NEWS!!!!!

God's (already=) Blessings to you and love from me. -ren

The first thing I thought when I read the update is that God is absolutely healing Noah's heart - praised be His name [bow] Praying that God continues to heal Noah and to bring your family closer to Him through this - you are such a positive example of how we should handle our trials in life - thank you.

Praying for you Amber. Praying for Noah's heart and the pictures to be clear next time [amen]

you are such a positive example of how we should handle our trials in life - thank you.

YES!

Today was an awesome blessing! My Dh talked to the elders at our church, and today they gathered after service, stood around me with their hands upon my arms and shoulders, and prayed. It was awesome! I also talked to them about praying over Noah and annointing him with oil in the name of the Lord like it says to do in James 5:14-15. Since I am not the one sick, they didn't annoint me with oil today, but I felt like we were obeying the Lord by having them pray over me. What a blessing they are! The Lord must be smiling up in Heaven to know that such Godly men have been put into this leadership role. I have known some of them for many many years, but I have only known them as fellow brothers for just under two years...and I feel blessed to have them in these roles.
In James, it says that if you are sick, call your elders to pray over you and annoint with oil, that person will become well. What an awesome promise from the Lord. I know that Noah may still come out sick, and I know that he very well may die, but does that mean that the Lord isn't working? I don't believe so......

Anyways, just wanted to share this precious moment in our life with Noah!

Buttercup,

Thank you for your continuing testimony. :....)

Alison

Amber that is awesome!!!

Remember, ultimate healing comes in heaven, so regardless of what God's plans are, He will heal Noah. You are so focused!! Keep leaning on Him!

Thanks for sharing your awesome prayer time yesterday! What an amazing blessing to have a wonderful church family to support you!

WOW! What a wonderful example of trust in the Lord!

Thanks for sharing.....what a wonderful moment in God! Thank you for your testimony.

You are an amazing woman, Thank you for allowing us to become part of your journey, I will pray for you and your family.

Amber, how are you and Noah?

Thank you for asking, I have another fetal echo today so we will have more info later this afternoon! I will update you all by nightfall!

Thank you for your continued prayer and support!!

Amber

Amber continued prayers for your family. Hoping to hear your update from your recent appointment soon. You are such a wonderful and amazing mom! Hugs and prayers

Well, not much to update, but we had a "good appointment!" We went in thinking we were going to get a second fetal echo to see if there were any changes and/or to see if Noah's heart had a defect, well come to find out we were only scheduled for a growth ultrasound. I was a bit annoyed at this because I thought it was important to find out if Noah's heart was in fact "growing" into a Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome....just a little info that would be nice to know...LOL.
Anyways, we were blessed with the newest ultrasound tech in the hospital I think...he knew what he was doing, he was just new to the clinic. He also had never seen a baby with CDH and was confused at the fact that Noah's stomach was above the diaphram....um....that's why it's a hernia...haahaa :roll: He didn't believe me when I told him what the stomach was on the ultrasound..he said it was his bladder....Dh nudged me a bit, I think I was getting to "knowledgeable" sounding. When the training ultrasound tech came back in, he told her Noah's stomach was above the diaphram and she said something like "yeah, that's the whole thing with a CDH." I feel blessed the Lord let this man learn on our son....it was a good opportunity for him!
So after a kind of funny experience with the ultrasound tech, we found out that Noah is growing well, he is about 2lbs and a few ounces. His heart is growing well, working well, still seems a bit small on the left side, but is functioning as it should! Praise the Lord! Maybe the Lord made this little one so feisty so that he will survive........ :)
I go back in two weeks for another fetal echo...for sure this time, and then we go back in two more weeks for a growth ultrasound. So from now on, we will be getting a growth ultrasound at least every four weeks, and an amniotic fluid check every two weeks since babies with CDH tend to have probs swallowing fluid, so mom gets extra bloated. PTL so far our amniotic levels are normal, in the high range, but normal!

Another thing that was awesome...the doc who seems to be "assigned" to us seems really cool. He knows I had a homebirth last time, and that we want to do things as natural as possible. He said I won't have to have an epidural "just in case" Noah needs to be taken ASAP..he said they would just do a spinal....he said I could walk around the halls while being monitored during labor if I wanted...no staying in bed the whole time. He also said I could have a friend in the delivery room (which is really an operating room in case we need a c-sec) along with Dh...that way I won't be left alone when Dh goes with Noah...and I can have that womanly companion during labor when I need it! My doc actually said that he would try and make this delivery as close to a homebirth as possible, with the circumstances. Praise the Lord for that. He is also going to try and induce me when he is around...that would be a HUGE blessing!!

Overall, I feel pretty happy with our appointment today. No new BAD news....no feeling like the docs think we are making a bad decision by trying medical intervention on Noah....they actually didn't seem as DOOM DAY as before! Such a blessing!!

Thank you all for praying...it's so obvious the Lord is listening!!
Bless you all!
Amber

I'm glad the appt went well and that the doc is so nice and is making this as comfortable for you as possible. Still praying for little Noah!

I am glad it went well and that the doctor is being so accommodating. Praying for you, dh, dd, and Noah.

I continue to pray for you and for Noah. Glad you were pleased with the doctor. You are truly a light shining for Christ! :)

Amber this was good news! You made my day, yes Noah is showing you he is fiesty and strong just like his mommy. Please continue to keep us update on everything. I pray earnestly for your family and my husband knows of your circumstances and prays as well.

Hugs and prayers

PTL that things are getting more posative. What a blessing that you have a doctor who is understanding of your needs!

I am so glad you guys got a doc who seems to know stuff, and is that supportive of everything!!!!! Wow!!!! God hand picked him for you :D

Will continue to pray for little Noah, and the rest of the family. He sounds like a fiesty one for sure.

*nearly crying* so glad for your doctor. PTL that Noah is doing ok at this point. Your additude humbles me. I know why God trusts you with little Noah- you're like Mary, given an impossible situation and saying, "I am the Lord's servant" (lk. 1:38). God bless you buttercup=) -ren

Wow, I don't know what to say, thank you for all of your support. You know it's weird really. I feel like I am just another plain ole Joe. I was actually talking today at our women's bible study, well, we split into groups at tables, and I was telling them that as a fairly new Christian ( I was saved almost two years ago) I have a VERY hard time knowing if I am producing any fruit with my faith. So honestly, it's so weird to me that people say I am showing good faith, or am an encouragement. I know it's ALL the Lord. If I was on my own, I would be a puddle of goo for sure...but it just shows how awesome our Lord is....to take someone like me...and give me a trial, but yet he sustains me completly through it.
All I really know is that I have been given a gift to know the Lord and have him as my savior, and that I love my children so much that even if they were to go be with the Lord, I would rejoice through my tears knowing the Lord loves them waaaaay more than I do and will take care of them way more than I ever could!

Please don't get me wrong. Tonight while I was nursing Dd to sleep, I was thinking that there was no way I would be able to say goodbye to our son....the thought made me want to throw up...I just pray that if Noah does go with the Lord right away that my heart is prepared enough to not turn away from the Lord....he has been so awesome to us so far, it scares me to think that I could possibly separate myself from him because of my own grief..KWIM?

Anyways...just wanted/needed to vent that. It's hard when those feelings break through the "cracks" of our faith...but the Lord ALWAYS restores me, and I need to focus on that!

Thank you all again so much for your support, it really means so very much to me!!

Amber

Thank you for being so candid about your thoughts and fears. You are right. The Lord will sustain you. You are a very strong person and I admire your faith. You're a blessing to me! :)

if you didn't have some "cracks" you'd be in heaven cause you'd be perfect AND I would think you were faker than a three dollar bill :wink: but, despite the pain, you're loving the Lord. It encourages me to not be so complain-y about feeling morning sickness. Have a lovely day dear *smooches* -ren

Isn't it amazing that God uses such horrible creatures such as we *sinners*?? It just amazes me every day! You are truly an inspiration! I wish I had your faith and committment to God when I went through a loss of a child; I turned away from God, and instead of making things easier, it was only much, much harder! Stick close to God, and HE will get you through anything and everything! I hope that at my next "test" in life, I am stronger and cling to HIM even more than before. I'm praying for you and little NOAH! All our hugs, and prayers!

Edit to change wording....

Totally in tears at this point, but all good :)
First of all, congrats on the awesome visit. Those are like little golden nuggets in the midst of trials eh? I love how God gives us stuff like that to sustain us.

Your ability to encourage and your great show of faith is because you are so real and honest with your emotions. It is totally okay to have the gamet of emotions and show them, because in the end, even if it is after a little encouragement from others, you see God's glory.

Will continue to lift you all up in prayer. Thank you for allowing us to take this journey with you....

We had another fetal echo yesterday. It wasn't good. They confirmed that Noah does indeed have HLHS (hypoplastic left heart syndrome) and it seems that his heart, as it has formed, will not be able to pump blood to his head and neck area after birth if the holes that are there during pregnancy close like they should. His right side of the heart is doing some of the work for the smaller left half, but it's not something we wanted to hear. The doctor, who was a different one this time, said that they can reevaluate Noah in about 6 weeks to see if the valves in his heart grow, which he isn't very optomistic about, and then he will be checked after birth. We were also told that to be considered for the repair surgeries on this kind of heart defect, Noah would have to have good lungs...and we know that babies with CDH do not have good lungs, they are too small, so really he was telling us he would not get the surgery, and that would kill him.
So, we have to reconsider our choice to have Noah treated after birth. We really are in a state of limbo right now. Do we go on to have him treated still and see how he does, knowing it's pretty unlikely that he will survive even with all the help, or do we just let him die after birth. We even talked about inducing him early, but we want to talk to our elders first, because we are afraid that having him early is the same as an abortion, and we do NOT want to do that. We are so trying to do the Lord's will and not trump his choices in our child's life either, so it's hard to know if we are really listening to him or following our own flesh's desires.
I think about other women who have gone full term with a baby they knew would die, and now that I am in their postion, I wonder how they ever got the strength. I know the Lord will provide, but right now I feel too weak to do that...but yet I want as much time with Noah as I can manage.
I also see how my pregnancy is affecting Dd. I now have gestational diabestes and am so tired. I am carrying Noah so high that I can barely bend over, and am so slow and sluggish. I do know the Lord knows how this is affecting me, and is so gracious to us that he can and hopefully will protect my Dd from being harmed by my shortfalls, but I can't help but think about her too. I also wonder how we will be after Noah dies. I don't do grief well. I like to have my issues dealt with right away and then move on, and that's probably not going to happen. I don't sit in mourning and pain every well......ahhh so many things to think of.

I just ask for prayer for Dh and I to make a decision that is right in the eyes of the Lord. That our focus stays on glorifying him through this. We may never know why this trail was put on our plate, but we know it's for his glory. Also please pray for Dd. She is amazing, and so smart, and I don't want her to be "held" back during this time because of our issues. KWIM? This is an awesome opportunity for her to see the Love of Christ working in our lives, through us and our friends, but she's also very young and tender.

Thank you all for your prayers....although we may not have been given the miracle of Noah's healing, maybe the miracle will come after his birth in the lives of someone unsaved!

Amber

Oh Amber! I am so sorry sweetheart. :( But I hear your faith shine through in your post. :) I KNOW God will give you grace in the moment! He is sufficient in our hour of need and not before. I cannot imagine how your mind must be whirling around. :? There is so much to consider and pray about and all the emotions involved! :shock: Wow! My heart just aches for you. :cry: I know that our God is an awesome God and He loves Noah and He doesn't make mistakes. I know that there is a reason for all of this and that reason is good, acceptable and perfect. And I know that He will lead you and guide you through it all, never leaving or forsaking you one iota of a second. And your faith will shine through and give Him glory! :)

Jesus,

I lift up my dear sweet sister and her family. Please surround them and protect them and guide them. We know that you are always with us. We know that your purposes are greater than our circumstances. We know that nothing is too difficult for thee. That you are the God of all flesh. Thank you that this is not the only world that there is. Thank you for our assurance of a better place. A place where we will have new imperishable bodies. A place where there will be no sorrow, no good-byes, no tears, no disease and no death to separate us.

Please grant great wisdom and discernment to my sweet sister and her husband. May Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done in this situation. May glory and honor and praises be given to Your name. Let them feel your everlasting arms beneath them. Let them KNOW that when they are weak then they are strong. Let them FEEL deep within their spirits Your love and joy and peace that passes all understanding. Shower your grace upong them through this all and especially when little Noah is born. May their experiences through that be surreal and supernaturally blessed, filled with Your love and grace and peace and joy! Give them a vision of Your hand in this Lord that they might know that they are in the center of Your will. Lift them up as on eagles wings and strenthen their arms and their hearts and their spirits through this trial, that their faith may be found as pure gold. Bless them and keep them. Make Your face to shine upon them. Lift your countenance upon them and give them peace. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

I can't write, becuase I am crying for you! I can't imagine the magnitude of the weight of the issues on your heart....many prayers....

Prayers are all I have to offer but they are yours aplenty right now. Lean on all of us as you need to. We are here.

Amber my heart is breaking for you and your family. I will continue to keep all of you in my prayers. To be going through this your faith is so amazing. In your words you are still praising Him for the gift of Noah that He has already given to your family. In every way this child is a blessing. Keep your head held high and your strength and trust in God close to your heart. [amen] [hug]

You are truly an inspiration to me! I am amazed at your amount of faith and devotion to GOD through all this! I just wish, so much, that I could give you a big hug!

Don't stop having faith, sister. It's so hard to have faith when the world is telling you that something is "doomed" but, how BIG IS OUR GOD?! HE can move mountains! If you truly believe that GOD can reach down and save your little boy, then I think you should pray (and I am praying with you) for JUST THAT! I just keep having these flashes of my twins!

I prayed SO hard for twins! They didn't run in my family, I ovulate pretty regularly, there was NO reason that I should ever think *I* would have twins... yet, I prayed every moment I thought about it, my husband prayed with me, and we GOT twins! I kept praying that God would grant me this prayer, my motives were pure, I just wanted two little babies to love, I knew it would be my last pregnancy... God blessed me for having the faith to pray THANKING HIM for the twins HE had given me, when I didn't even know I had them yet.

The Bible tells us that if we pray with the faith that GOD Will grant our prayer, then GOD will reward our prayer with the answer that our faith told us we would get!!

Also, I'm thinking of the verse that says that the deacons/elders of your church should lay hands on you and anoint you with oil, and you will be healed. Has this already happened?? My heart is aching for you and I am praying with fervent tears!!

God is working in your lives! That much is evident! I'm praying for you all, dear sister. ::hugs::

Praying for you and you dear son Amber. [hug] [prayer] [loveflag]

I am praying for you, your family, and your and your precious little one. I am praying for you and your husband strength and peace as you make these tough decisions. I was not in your situation, but I do have a child with multiple disabilities. I know that dealing with bad news from doctors can be heart wrenching. I pray you feel God's presence and His arms literally around you during this time.

Praying!

Praying for you and your family. I don't think you can ever prepare for death, but trust in the Lord, He will give you so much comfort and peace. I am still praying for a miracle. I so wish and hope for Noah to be healthy. Praying that God shows you the best path for all of this.

Dear Amber,
I am so sorry you got bad news. The Lord will help you, and when we don't know what to pray the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. Sometimes that is all we can do and the Lord hears and helps. I love you and you are in my heart and prayers. [huddle]

Amber
You are a very special person and I just marvel at how you are responding at this very difficult and heart breaking time. Thank-you for taking the time to update us. I will pray for your family in these huge decisions you have to make.

Amber,
I'm not sure what to say except that I'll be praying for your family and precious child. Your faith and strength are an inspiration to me. Please continue to let us know how we can lift you and your family up to Him during this time.

Blessings,
Beth

I am praying for you and your family. You have been such an inspiration to me - I am praying for miraculous healing if it is God's will and miraculous comfort and grace for your family in your time of grief if it is not. :cry: [hug] [prayer]

Dear Amber,

You and your family continue to be in my prayers and on my mind.

My prayers are with you and your family. The Lord says He will give you wisdom if you ask in faith-James 1- and reminds us that the trials we face have purpose. I will pray this for you. You are so strong and have meant so much to the women here and impacted our lives and I am certain that God will use you far beyond what you can imagine in all areas of your life.

I can't for the life of me remember where this quote came from, but it's one that's been in my signature for a little while; "The seed for a great miracle lies not in the difficulty, but impossibility." ::hugs:: Ma-dear.

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers! They are so precious to us.
Dh and I have made a decision. We will be delivering Noah at home, so he can die peacefully here (Lord willing). This in no way means that we don't trust in the Lord or his miracles, but we have been praying for clear guidance from the Lord, and we feel he is being VERY clear to us. After really taking in all of what the doctor said about Noah's heart in addition to all his other defects, we feel it would be just delaying his home coming, and would probably be a painful path for him.
We want the best for our son..and if that means he will die peacefully in our arms at home, we will provide that for him. We are still praying for a miracle, but we know that the Lord answers prayers according to his will, and we cannot, and would not ever expect "our miracle" based on our wants alone.
My heart is breaking and full of sorrow, but I dance for my son. He will spend all but a few hours or days of his eternity in Heaven, dancing and singing with the angels and our Lord. I really feel blessed that my son will never feel the consequences of the sin in this world. He will not have to feel the temptations of the evil one, and that is so amazing to me!! Yes, I would love to have the time to raise my son here on earth, but if the Lord says no...how can I ever argue with him? He knows what's best for us!
I pray our son's short life will lead others to the Lord. I know his life has never been and will never be in vain. He is an amazing blessing.

Please continue to pray for us in this time. I do have some fear in my flesh about the labor. I don't know how I will be able to let my son go. Even if it's letting him go to the most amazing place I could ever ask for....he is my son, and I am selfish and want him here with me. I ask for prayer for Dh. He is not the type to look to the future very far, so it's hard for him to process what will come. We know there will be grace for us when those days come, as the grace is here today, but he is......well, he's a man, and he doesn't do emotions very well. He is amazing to me right now, so supportive, and I feel so blessed!
Please continue to pray for Noah. A miracle CAN happen, we know that.

Again I thank you all SO much for your prayers and love. I just can't say that enough!

Love in Christ,
Amber

p.s. if anyone has questions please never feel like it's not appropriate to ask. I know that situations like these are curious ones, and I would never feel offended, well unless you attack our choices, but I just can't see that happening!

I pray that you will feel God especially close to you during this time.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." -Psalm 34:18

Lots of hugs to you!

My heart is breaking with yours. I think your decision is so beautiful, and I think that is a wonderful and just...beautiful. Your courage is so inspiring, God has already been using Noahs life. I believe if he should pass he has already accomplished more in his little life then most people do in a lifetime. He will never be forgoten because of the love and God fearing life his parents have shown through his. May Gods peace surround you and your family...I can't even imagine. Much love and prayers sent your way.

I can not imagine being in your shoes right now hon. I can only begin to guess what the past few months have been like for you and your family. You have had more grace, patience and peace than I think I would have had in this situation.

Babies are born knowing their Mama's voice. I have wittnessed this to be true. I also think that babies are born knowing if they are loved or not, wanted or not. I think Noah knows somehow that you love him and are doing your best for him.

I think he is blessed to be able to be born at home, surrounded by love and peace. That he will only know love and peacefullness and not pain and agony if he were born elsewhere. You are very brave for making this decision, and I know that even through the pain of it all, you will be blessed by it.

I just had the time right now to catch up with your post. And my heart breaks for you Amber. :cry: I don't know what to say at all. :cry: I will continue to pray for you and your precious little angel as well as the rest of your family. ((HUGS))

Your kind and gentle spirit shines through in your posts. :) The Lord's hand is surely close to you. He is near to those who fear Him and who call upon His name, and it is clear He is near to you.

I see such wisdom in your choice. I worked for 4 years at a children's hospital. There are so many more worse things than death. :? I will continue to pray for your miracle. [pray]

We are still praying for a miracle, but we know that the Lord answers prayers according to his will, and we cannot, and would not ever expect "our miracle" based on our wants alone.


Your words show a wisdom beyond your years and the power and grace of the Lord working in your heart.

Yes, I would love to have the time to raise my son here on earth, but if the Lord says no...how can I ever argue with him? He knows what's best for us!
I pray our son's short life will lead others to the Lord. I know his life has never been and will never be in vain. He is an amazing blessing.


Amber, please know that I will be praying that this truth will remain in your heart forever no matter what the Lord decides. [prayer] And some day you will have the mind of Christ and see the beauty of His plan. I know that the Lord will pour His grace and mercy upon you and your husband when you need it most. You, Noah and your husband are in my prayers. Thank you for you forthrightness and transparency and taking the time to keep us posted. [heart] Love always in Christ, Leslie [hug]

Oh Amber,
I have just read this journey of yours and wanted to send my prayers for you and your family.
Your courage, honesty and obedience to the Lord are like a brilliant beacon of light. What an amazing testamony.
[huddle] to you and I join my prayers with all of the other ladies on c-moms.

Amber I'm praying for you and DH and for this precious gift from God. Your strength is such a blessing and a testimony to God. Thank-you for keeping us updated and peace be with you! Stephanie :D

Amber, I am crying to hard to put my thoughts into words...I'll just say that you are an amazing woman, and you are a blessing to all who know you![hug]

I am praying for you and your family. You have been such an inspiration to me - I am praying for miraculous healing if it is God's will and miraculous comfort and grace for your family in your time of grief if it is not. :cry: [hug] [prayer]

Exactly my sentiments. Praying for you and your family, sweetie.

I am so sorry :( [pray] Praying for comfort for you and your family

Oh Amber, I am actually speechless. Speechless bcuz of the agony you must be going thru right now, speechless bcuz of your great faith in God through this situation. You and little Noah have been in my prayers and will continue to be in my prayers. I wish I were there to give you a hug, but I bet hubby and dd are giving you plenty of those. My heart breaks for what you have to go thru. Anyway, you are definately in my prayers.

Oh, Amber, I don't know what to say. I am so sorry you are going through this. You are so strong, I am amazed. I don't know how you are doing it, by the Grace of God that is for sure. I pray for continued comfort and a miracle. God bless.

My spirit is just so touched by your decision. What a beautiful way to bless his life. Prayers continue to be raised for you and your family by all here.

Amber,

Not sure what to put into words right now. Know that I am praying for you. For continued peace that surpasses all understanding. For continued direction as the Lord leads you through this difficult journey. For strength beyond anything you could ever accomplish on your own.

Please, if you are led, PM me. I have a testimony that I would like to share of one who has walked a similar journey before you. I will share here on Christian-mommies forum as God leads, but I just feel he is prompting to share this with you right now.

I don't normally frequent this board, as I'm past the pregnancy part of my life, but was drawn to read this morning and thankful I have......so thankful......

The following verses have come to have great meaning to my dh and I....

Romans chapter 5 says: (NIV) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us.

and

2 Corinthians 1, starting in verse 3..........Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.......

Thank you Lord, that no matter what, we can count on you. And that no matter what we experience here in this lifetime, you will bring glory and honor to yourself........

Such courage and grace is something I strive to have. I feel so blessed to know you as you have helped the Lord to strengthen my own hope and faith in him.
May he bless you for your willingness to obey and listen to him.

I'm still praying for divine miracles, but also for his hand to be on you in his diving love whatever may happen.

You are truly an inspiration to me. I am honestly in awe of the work that God is doing through you and your son. God knew that you and Noah could handle this, he knows everything and that is why this has happened to you. He knew that you were the right woman to show His amazing love in times such as this. I am still praying for a miracle and that your little Noah will be born perfect, but no matter what happens he will be perfect in your eyes, and in the Lords.
Thank you so much for allowing all of us to follow you in your journey. I pray that God continues to give you strength and I pray that you continue to have faith in Almighty God. As my Pastor always says, "I love you, may the peace of God rule over your heart and mind."

Thank you for allowing us to journey with you Amber. I have been thinking and praying for you, little Noah and your family. xoxo

"Put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? When I cry unto thee: this I know, God is for me." Ps. 56:8-9

"The Lord...will...bind up the brokenhearted, to give them that mourn: beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified." Isa. 61:1,3

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. She that gorth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bring her sheaves with her." Ps. 126:5,6

"Be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." Ps. 31:24

I love you. You are in my heart and prayers. Jen

Thank you all!! I don't know if I can say that enough to get across how I feel about all your support!!

I was talking to Dh last night about how to tell if something is a "sign" from the Lord or just life. I had been praying so hard about what to do about Noah....and was starting to feel some uneasyness about just letting him die. I know that compassionate births can be amazing, and I do not feel they are wrong or not trusting in the Lord, if anything the opposite, but we have not been told that Noah has 0% chance....ok, one doc did say that when they thought he had another heart defect, but she seems like doctor doom anyways. I guess we want to make sure that if Noah has even a 2% chance, that we give him that option. If that makes sense.

I was talking to a very good friend of mine, and she asked me if I was feeling more at peace when thinking about having him in the hospital, and I said yes...I really am. She said that our Lord is a Lord of peace, and he wouldn't give us peace about something that was against his will...and I believe that too. I also was seeking some wise counsel from an elderly woman I help out, and she pretty much said that same thing. I am just so thankful for strong Christians in my life!! Praise the Lord for them!!!!

So, I guess for now, we are going to plan on having him at the hospital and see how he responds to medical intervention like we first thought. Dh said to continue to "plan" his funeral because we don't want to put that aside and not have things ready if he dies quickly after birth, but we want to give him a chance!!

Did any of you hear about that baby that was born at 23 weeks, was less than 10oz, and about 9 inches long? I remember asking "doctor doom" what is the earliest gestational age she had worked on, and she said "23 weeks, and that should NEVER be done" so I guess the Lord proved her wrong there..why not with Noah?

So, I just wanted to let you all know where we are today. I feel so wishy washy, but I have been blessed by many people telling me they would be the same, so I don't feel so bad. Maybe after our appointment on the 28th we will be saying something different.

Please lift us up in prayers as the Lord brings it to mind that we are clearly following the Lord's will.

Again, thank you all!!

Amber

Oh Amber, definately praying for you!!

Amber, I continue to lift you and Noah before the throne of grace. A righteous man plans his steps but the Lord directs them all. I know God will guide you through this. He is faithful. Much love sweetie and lot of prayers for you! [heart] [prayer] [hug]

I have to say that I am so thrilled at your change of mind here... We (me, my family and friends) are all praying for you! I have so much faith in the power of a Christian Prayer Circle; filled with Christian Prayer Warriors! We're praying for God's will to be done.

My husband has a favorite saying; "When God closes a door, nobody can open it and when He opens a door, nobody can CLOSE it!" That's so true!

We're praying for you, Ma-dear! I wish I could give you a big hug!!!

I stand behind your new choice 2000%!! Whatever you feel God is giving you peace about....that is sooooo true! Follow your heart, God is a God of the heart and leads us through love and peace and emotion!
Praying for miracles!! There is a verse that I claim while praying for you and your little Noah and I thought it might be helpful to you...I've always claimed this verse in my prayers for my own little boys when pouring my heart out to Him......
Lamentations 2:19
Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children. [armourofgod]
Bree

I too feel so blessed to be allowed to be a part of this journey with you and your family. My prayers and that of my local church are with you.

And as to your recent choice to try to have him in the hospital, I am behind you of course in whatever situation you feel is best for all of you. Keep listening and asking God to show you. I know your heart is where it should be so I know that you are going to do what is ultimately what God wants for you and Noah.

We will continue to pray and thank you for sharing with us again!

I'm praying for God's will in little Noah's life and you are SO right that God has the final say and doctors do no always know what will happen. That precious baby in Florida is living proof of that.

PTL.

You are doing the right thing in letting God lead your decision. We are all still praying for you and your precious baby. [hug]

Praying for you and your precious litte one!

Continuing to pray for healing, wisdom, comfort and peace for Noah and your family. We are here for you Amber and will support you in any way that we can. God grant you whatever you need, He is the provider of our needs and answers when we need Him.

Amber- you have my full support on either descion though, I love the feeling of hope in this descion! Have a good day dear. -ren

I continuously find hope, strength, and encouragement in your testimony.
My thoughts and prayers are with you daily.

I've just read your updates. Praying for strength for you and your family.

I agree that whatever you and your family have peace about is the direction of God. I know you are seeking His will about all of this, and I too would be wishy washy. You have such a tough choice...I just pray for you and your peace with thatever God has for you and your family. Much love and prayers.

I believe that the Lord will lead you into the right decision. I know that it is hard going back and forth. But PTL that you have those options and that you are able to pray about and decide what is best. I will continue to pray for you always. You have truly touched me more than you know.

Thank you for letting us share in your journey!! We all love you here!!

Amber,

I am so sorry for your loss. I know that God is with you, and he will carry you through this time. I will pray that you and your family continue to feel His peace and love.

I am sorry that I don't have more words. My heart is just aching for you right now, and I will continue to pray for you.

Kendra

Amber, sweetie, whatever peace God is granting you throughout this time, hold tight to it and allow him to carry you through. It is for you and your hubby to decide whether to have Noah in the hospital or at home. You do what God is telling you. He will bless you, no matter what the outcome and no matter what we think we can handle. He knows what the completed tapestry of your life looks like........trust Him.

{{{{{hugs}}}}}} and continued prayers.

[prayer] Praying for strength, guidance & wisdom.

Today we had another appointment, and it went well. No new "bad" news, and Noah is growing really well, so that was good to hear. He is about 4lbs already...which surprised me since I am not even 31 weeks yet, but hey, DD was big, so it must be our genes!!
He is finally headdown..and we are hoping he stays that way. I felt like he may have turned because I was feeling "smaller" and I was right! I had two days of pretty uncomfortable Noah movements, but I guess he was squishing himself around...LOL!
Dh has decided that we are going to deliver at the hospital. We even went on a guided tour of the labor and deliver floor today. We met with a nurse coordinator who is going to make sure we have what we need...and are not asked 900 questions while I am in labor. She was awesome, and said she has seem babies with both CDH and HLHS, and I asked her if they all die, and she didn't say yes...she just said it complicates things! I think the Lord has really given us peace about our decision to try and see how Noah reacts. I just can't give birth to him just to have him die....and I thank the Lord that he convicted my husband of that too!!!

On another note, I met another CDH mommy on a web group, and she had her little girl today. Please pray for baby Maddie, she is holding her own, PTL, but she is small and has CDH issues, so we just pray for the Lord to sustain her! I was able to meet this mommy in person today, and her husband actually took DH and I into the NICU to see Maddie. She was so tiny and so pretty!! She was actually only a pound or less than Noah is right now...so weird!!! I feel it was a blessing from the Lord to see this baby today. It showed me what Noah will go through a bit, but also that she is just a beautiful miracle from the Lord...and I can actually think about seeing Noah in terms that are different now. I still know he is sick, but he may look like a "normal" baby, and not a sick one..and that is so awesome to know!

No induction date set yet....probably will be set in a few weeks!! I hope to talk them into letting me deliver on May 1st...that way both Emma and Noah will have been born on 1st of their months. The Lord knows his birthdate already though, so it would be wonderful on any day!!

Thank you still and always for the prayers!! The Lord is listening!!

Amber

Glad to hear some good peace in your post. I can definitely sense the Lord is carrying you and giving you direction and wisdom. I am thankful to read your post as you remain on my heart. God bless you, your family, and especially Noah, what a purpose his life has had so far in many different ways.

Amber, I've been praying for baby Noah from the beginning and I will continue. I love reading about how much you are trusting God to carry you through. [hug]

[loveflag]

Joy [welcomewave]

I will keep praying! I am so glad your appt went well :D

Glad to hear some good peace in your post.
Yes, definitely "hear" the peace in your post! And what a blessing to be able to minister to baby Maddie and her family at this time! God continues to bring glory to himself through all circumstances. :) PTL!

SO many prayers....everyday from Missouri! We'll offer up little Maddie too....I can't imagine the weight you guys carry as parents......hold strong to the hand of the Lord......I love the Footprints in the Sand poem....it's embroidered in my Bible cover.....know that there is only one set of footprints for you right now because Jesus is carrying you through this journey!

I am rejoicing with you in the renewed hope I see in your posts! We do serve the ultimate Physician, and we must always remember that! I am glad to see that you and your DH have found more peace about this.

Thanks again for sharing the journey with us at C-Mom's. This has blessed me tremendously.

Praying for you and Noah!

Praying!

Still thinking of you and praying for a miracle! Your posts bless me greatly!

OHHHHH buttercup! I'm so happy for the encouraging time you've had. The Lord's kindness is great! -ren

Still praying for you, Amber! And for your little blessing, Noah! I can't tell you how much I enjoy reading your posts and look forward to your updates! Your faith means so much to me! God is using you through all this! :) ::hugs::

God is using Noah in my life and he isn't even born yet! I am praying for you and your family. I'm so glad He brought you a friend with similar circumstances.

Thanks for keeping us posted. :) It is so encouraging to hear your faith shine through. I have been praying for your family and will continue to do so, plus Maddie is now on the list too! A great big hug dear sister. I just know Jesus has this all under His perfect control. :D

Well I feel really terrible that I am just now reading...I saw all the pages and wondered what it was about. I am SOOO sorry you have to go through that, ian t even find anywords, my heart is so sad ...I will be praying, HUGS!

Amber I'm still praying for little Noah and for your family. I'll be praying for baby Maddie and her family as well.

No real update, but I did have another appointment today. First one I had to go to by myself, but praise the Lord it went pretty well. First time I didn't have an ultrasound to start it off. I met with our doc first, he actually measured my fundal height today. I usually don't have this done since I get ultrasounds every visit, and they can see how big Noah is, but I am measuring 37cm....so a bit "big." I had my first ever Non-stress test, and Noah did well. I have never had a monitor strapped to me because we had DD at home, so that was weird. A nurse did check my fluid levels by ultrasound, but she isn't a tech, so she didn't do any baby measuring. Noah is still headdown, so that's a blessing.

The only thing that bothered me was that they asked me AGAIN what measures they want us to take if Noah doesn't tollerate labor. So I wonder how many times they will ask us this before the write it down in my chart? It's almost like they are asking us if we REALLY want them to treat Noah. He brought up his chromosomal defect again saying it will cause mental retardation, which is doesn't in ALL babies, but it's like..."yeah, we know how bad off you think Noah is!" Doesn't mean we want to just let him die..we made a decision, one that was hard to make, by prayer and much discussion, let it rest! KWIM?

Anyways, Noah is thriving inside as much as any other baby, it's just when he comes out we have to "worry" about him!

I did find out that one of the nurses in the office is a believer. She was very sweet to me, and it was nice to share our beliefs a bit about what's to come in heaven. I feel like she was a gift from the Lord today...at least ONE person there knows where we are coming from!!

I hope everyone is doing well! Thank you all for your suppport and continued prayers! The closer we get, the harder it is getting, so we are so thankful for the prayers that are lifted up for us!

Blessings,
Amber

Oh amber. How hard! I continue to keep you and little Noah in my prayers. Thanks so much for keep us posted. Let us know if anything comes up we can cover for you! [prayer] [heart] [hug]

Amber continued prayers for Noah, you, your husband and daughter. So sorry about the of the inscentive people in the dr's office. And how wonderful when all seemed lost on everyone that the nurse was there and your both freely spoke of your faith. God will not foresake you.

How wonderful of a gift you carry in your belly so strong and vibrant and miraculous is Noah! And how very, very proud he certainly is to know he has one special mommy. More than understandable this is getting more difficult as the weeks pass. Lean on family, friends, church and us for suppport. Hugs and prayers always Amber.

Amber, my husband and I were talking last night... about the "why's" of How God works... Why would God be "letting" this happen... and we realize... God lets things happen for a purpose, which I know you already realize.

Noah has touched SO many lives already, and has so many people looking UP right now! So many of our family and friends are praying together over you, your husband and Noah; your general situation; I just can't believe how many people are praying for you right now! How many people are being touched by your lives and NOAH's LIFE! It's truly amazing and miraculous to me! I feel so blessed to be able to see this, myself!

I just needed to share with you how blessed we all are to be praying for you all and lifting you up to The Lord, together! All our hugs, and prayers!

You are on my mind and in my prayers. I am continually asking God to give you peace. You have truly blessed me with your spirit.

I am praying for you and your ds. Also that God continues to lead you and give you His comfort and peace.

I have placed your name on our prayer list at church. I know that I do not know you personally but I really do feel for you. You are an amazing person, who is going through some very rough times. My heart and prayers continue to go out to you.

My heart is heavy for you and what you are going through. Our prayers continue and support is here from everyone. What a great group of ladies are on this board and just think that all across this nation and internationally as well there are prayers lifted for you and Noah everyday. God has him in his hands I am confident.

I just saw and read this thread for the first time. I am so sorry for what your baby is going through. You are an amazing testimony of God! That you are so willing to walk this out with God and hold His hand and continue to seek His face -- well, it just leaves me speechless. You humble me and make me want to seek Him out more and to remember more often that He is God no matter what and that I need to just trust in that! I will be praying for Noah, you, your husband and your daughter.

What more can any of us say that you have not already felt and heard except that continued prayers are being lifted up daily. God's strength is surely sustaining you and know that HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU! I pray that His will will allow you precious and sweet days with your son. As he dances inside of you now, he will dance with you here on earth and again with you at the feet of CHrist forever. You have an amazing testimony and I pray that through it all God will use it for amazing means to His glory. Remember that Our Father also lost a son...and it was for a great purpose. We are praying that the miracle of Noah's life will also be for a great purpose and that many will be touched by it... know that He is already using Noah to touch each of our lives, even before he is born he is a witness of God's great and mighty hand. My love is with you.

In His Amazing Grip,

Allison

Thinking of you today. My prayers are with you.

Hey all,

Just a "feel good" post to send you all into the weekend. I had an appt today, I am 36 weeks exactly. We had a growth ultrasound..Noah is "measuring" 6lbs 10oz, and he looks "good!" No new bad things to report, he is growing like he should, His heart doesn't look any worse than before, and he is just a happy little baby in there. He was moving SOOOO much...LOL! The ultrasound tech was telling me that he hasn't seen a baby move that much in a long time. That's our Noah...making it difficult!
We set our official induction date for April 30th, and Praise the Lord, my doc, my favorite doc will be there to catch our son! So excited!

My fluid level is almost 3 times what most women have, but I don't feel that big, so that's a huge blessing! Noah likes the freedom he has to float around in there...crazy kid was all stretched out! haahaa!!!

So, today was a good day! My daughter slept well last night, I slept well last night, it's about 75 degrees here today..and Noah is keeping his own and the Lord is sustaining him for us!

Thank you for all your prayers...the Lord is hearing them!

Have a wonderful Easter....He is risen!

Amber

PTL Amber! We'll keep those prayers coming.

Amber I have been awaiting your update today. Just you, your hope, faith, and love for your son is just so special. The bond one developes with their child just always brings me to such joy. The miracle that grows within you still amazes me, Noah is just a miracle.

I pray for you dear Amber daily, and Noah. Please know all us moms here are praying. And wow April 30th is coming so fast. I am sure you are just welled up with so many emotions. For any reason we are always here day and night to lend and ear to rejoice, or just talk of worries and concerns. Thank you so much for continuing to update us.

Please rub your belly for me, let that growing miracle know how much he is loved by so many that have never even met you. He has changed and touched me in ways I can't even begin to describe. What a true blessing you are Amber, you are such a wonderful, wonderful mom!

Have a most blessed Easter weekend.

Thanks for takingthe time to keep us posted Amber! I continue to pray for you and Noah! I know God will guide you anf br with you through it all! You are a shining example of faith in action! :D

That is wonderful that you have had such a good u/s and have been so positive and putting all your faith in God on this one. I will keep praying for little Noah and your family!

Your son will be born on my birthday! I will certainly be thinking about you all that day and praying!

I am so glad to hear that things are going well. I am continually blessed by your strength, and faith!

We are ALL still praying for you, Amber, and for little Noah!! Our prayers and hearts are with you! All our hugs!

You are still in my prayers Amber! And I've got others praying for you and little Noah as well. [hug]

So many prayers! If you would like us all to promise to pray during the 30th...each take an hour that we promise to pray for you and Noah on your induction day so you are surrounded by prayer warriors at all times....just say so! I'm sure we'd all beg for our time slot to bathe you and little Noah in prayer!

Thank you all...there is no doubt why this road has been much "easier" to handle than expected....you are all such wonderful prayer warriors for us...Praise the Lord for each and every one of you!


I would absolutly LOVE for you to pray for us during our induction. I am actually getting induced after 10pm, so it might be late for some, but those who can, it would be awesome! I am in Portland, OR so we are in the Pacific Standard time. Just FYI. :-D

Again, thank you all so much! There isn't probably much more to update on unless we deliver early, but I will try and give a quick...here we go when we head out if it's early!

Bless you all!!

Amber

Great idea breezy!!! How can we go about this any ideas?

I guess I can set something up or breezy or we work together as a group. Just PM me if you are interested? Unless there is someone more familiar in how prayer circles work, I do not have any prior experience. I just would be doing my best to schedule whomever is interested. Are certain prayers recited, maybe prayers Amber you would like us to say?

Breezy so sorry, I can't remember your first name, sorry but great idea. Amber is there a way you would prefer this to be set up??? Even though I am EST there are plenty of us from all time zones willing to pray I am sure of that!

We have some time, but just in case Amber you go into labor early could you let us know so we can start the prayer circle when needed.

Again great idea! Any ideas?

Any prayer lifted up before the Lord in our name is a HUGE blessing to us. You can say whatever you want to him. He knows what your heart is trying to say!

Thank you all sooooo much!!

I will do what I can to let you know when I go into labor if it's early...there's always time for a quick CM post! LOL

Bless you all,
Amber

I am so glad that little Noah is doing fine. I'll be praying for you and your family, since April 30th is not far off! :D Have a wonderful weekend. :wink:

Amber.. I have been following this thread and wanted to tell you I will be praying for little sweet Noah. You are an amazing women with incredible faith. God bless you!

Continued Prayer For Noah & Your Family. [pray]

I will be praying for you and your ds too!

Praying sweetie.

My cup is overflowing with Joy! Thank you all for your kind words and on going support! It's weird to think that we might only have just over two weeks to go! Like I am teaching our DD to say...."wowzers!" LOL!

I sometimes get the "I wonder if he's getting ready to come today" vibes, but so far he is staying put. I think it's more that the docs office always tells me he could come at anytime....I would be just as happy having him wait....

Wanna hear something funny? I am craving Thanksgiving dinner, and we really didn't have one of our own this year because of my Dad killing himself, so I am making the whole thing tomorrow. LOL! From a 21lb turkey to all the fixings. I so hope my water doesn't break tonight! haahaa

Amber

My first name is Bree! I'll do whatever I can to help facilitate this....thought that maybe we could just set up a 24 hour time slot schedule.....then keep the same hour we sign up for for however many days it's needed....it might be a two day committment due to impending surgery for baby Noah and we want to cover him too!
Hmmm......I'm awful with time conversions! LOL.....I live in Missouri, so I'm central standard time, so Portland is two hours earlier than my time......Why don't we set it up on Portland's time and everyone take a time slot who wants to and then they are responsible for converting to their time zone...if every hour is taken, then it will be covered at all times, even with the time conversions!
WDYT?

Enjoy your Turkey and fixins' That sounds AWESOME! :) Can I come over? I'll bring home made rolls and a pumpkin pie with whipped cream! :) MMMmmmMMM!!! Now I'm craving turkey too!!! :P :)

Yummy Thanksgiving dinner sounds so good. I have not posted on this particular thread before but today I felt led to do so. Amber you are an amazing woman whose faith is abounding. Your strength and positive attitude through all of this has been an amazing testament to what our Heavenly Father can do for us. He has calmed you in the midst of a terrible storm and you are holding up so well. Sometimes I have to say "What do the Dr.'s know when it comes to giving the outcome of little Noah" God knows what is best for him and will see you and your family throught what ever may come. I will keep you in my prayers as you continue on your journey. I pray for you to hold a healthy little Noah and that he is going to be strong and pull through anything. Keep the faith sister and never give up for our Father never gives up on us. Lots of hugs and prayers sent your way

Mmmmmm turkey was yummy! Only my Mom and our good friends who are pg with their first and are also our Dd's "god parents" came, but it was sooo good! We had a good time along with stuffing ourselves. Why does Thanksgiving only come once a year? My mom said I could do a thanksgiving dinner for her birthday....um Mom, your birthday is a week before the real thanksgiving! haahaaa!!

So, who wants leftover turkey? A 21lbs turkey goes a long way with only 5 adults eating!

Amber

you are HILARIOUS!!!!!! but, mmmmmm- turkey dinner- ahhhh. . .sounds good.

Can I start off by saying that you are simply Amazing!!! I read your posts and am left in tears.... I am not pregnant but am ttc and I thought I'd check out the pregnancy forums. I am speechless as to what to say, but I know that God must have something so great for you instored! You are a pillar of strength! Your love and dependency on God is overflowing, and I want you to know that everyday I will pray for you and baby Noah! Thank you for sharing..

Wow, what a long road you've had! i'm new to the group so I've had a little fill in and got the gist of things. It's so wonderful to be part of a group of women who are such prayer warriors... you go girls! Amber, I'll be praying for you from down here in Australia - all the very best for a wonderful experience of God's grace. I've just been studying Eve and boy did she have a rough time of it, but I'm so overwhelmed by just how much grace there is in store for her despite her mistakes. PTL! God is so good and gracious even when things seem hopeless. Love and hugs, Mairi

Amber, I am so humbled by this thread and the strength with which you are handling this trial. I don't know what I would do if I was you but I hope that I would be half as strong as you are. Such strength, grace and dignity. You are my hero ;).

Thank you Rachel...totally cheesy but when I read your post about me being your hero, that Enrique Iglesias song "Hero" popped into my mind! LOL :lol:

"I can be your hero baby! heehee!

It's the Lord, let him be your hero...alone I am pathetic, with him I can do anything!

Amber

Todays the day ladies!! I had my appointment today and an ultrasound. Noah looks just as good as he has at all his ultrasounds. Doc said he couldn't see his heart very well because of how Noah was laying, but he looks to be maintaining where he is, and growing like he should! Nothing new to report, except growth! They guesstimate him to be about 8lbs.....seems so small to me compared to an almost 10 pounder last time! Maybe I will shoot him out in one push! LOL

Anyways, I am still only dilated to a 1 1/2cm and am 75% effaced, so they are going to go ahead with the mesoprostin tonight. I check in at 10pm! I am pretty tired today, so I am going to go lay down and nap...might as well sleep while I can right? Last night my MIL slept in our room and I slept on the futon in DDs room, so I really didn't get much sleep.... so I am off!!

Thank you again so very much for your prayers. I will update you all as soon as possible, or through someone!!

Blessings,
Amber

Oh my goodness!! I will be anxiously waiting to hear how everything goes. Know and be confident in the fact that you have many many many people loving and supporting you through this AND prayers from people all over the world! What a HUGE blessing. :)

Go sleep and get tons of rest... I'm praying right now for a nap that feels like you slept a whole night and more!

Laura

I pray everything goes beyond what you can even imagine... God is good!

Praying for you Amber.

so praying for you! Will check for posts! Love and prayers are with you!

Praying for you, sugar!!! :)

Well we are all praying for your little Noah down here in Australia
Our little one,s love praying for you they have become great little prayer's.
Will pray for Gods healing power for your beautiful baby and for God's peace to fall onyou and your Husband.
He is a mighty God [amen]

Amber,

I'm fairly new to this site and just happened to click on the link to all of your posts.
Through tears I have been reading all of your messages for the past half hour. God has given you a strength that I cannot comprehend ... you are amazing!
Please know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers!

Lori

I am praying for you and your family...I hope you have a lovely nap and everything goes very smoothly. We serve an awesome God!!

I can't wait to hear an update! :)

praying for a peaceful sleep and the best possible everything for tomarrow. Love, love, love you. -ren

Praying for you and Noah!!

Praying for you and Noah!