Praises & Prayer Requests

PRAISE: Abigail (and Jesus) decided she was ready for her close-up today. :)

I've been asking for prayer that we'd get a good clear portrait of Abigail for months now. Today we had our last ultrasound of this pregnancy and I had fully given up on getting that picture. I cried on the table as we gazed at our beautiful baby girl's face for the first time and marveled in her chubby cheeks and silly tongue sticking out between her lips. Isn't she gorgeous?! Thank you, Jesus!

Another praise: Abigail continues to grow big and strong. Her estimated weight is now 5 lbs 3 oz - up from 3 lbs 10 oz at her last medical scan just under a month ago.

Please pray for all of us. Abigail needs to reach 6 lbs to be eligible for organ/tissue donation and be born alive. It's something we discussed months ago but due to some obstacles we had not been pursuing this aggressively. There's more communication and questions that need to go back and forth between Midwest Transplant and our MFM team, but the question of whether organ/tissue donation is possible in our case is officially back on the table. Pray for strength and wisdom as we wrestle with this hard topic and that God would make it easy to coordinate on the medical side and to allow from our side if it's what He wants for Abigail.

Abigail's heart rate was 118 bpm today. You can see it (and her profile as she rolled around) in this clip:

Another praise: I've asked everyone to be praying for us to get Dr. B and Room #29 for labor/delivery. We got signed up for our induction - November 1st (41w+1d) as hoped for - and guess who is on call that day? My favorite person at MFM - the receptionist who greets us every time - was happy and a bit surprised to tell us: Dr. B! Apparently Dr. B doesn't typically get put on the rounds for labor/delivery and the receptionist couldn't quite think why she suddenly is on the schedule for November 1st. But she said she is happy for us - she knows we've been praying for this.

We got to see Dr. B for our appointment today and gave her a copy of Abby's name announcement and our birth plan. She said everything looks reasonable. They'll scan it in to my chart and post it for everyone to see. She's 100% on board with my desire to labor in the tub. I also brought a copy of this report and she had already seen it before. I feel comfortable with her.

I have three more appointments before induction day - all on Fridays around 9 am. October 14th, 21st, and 28th. I will most likely be going to these without Michael and would appreciate your prayers for those. As much as I wanted a normal, natural labor...I'm also getting super attached to November 1st. I told Theo today: It will be good whenever Abby comes. And I believe that. But I also really want to keep her for Halloween. Pray for my heart.

Other amazing things God has been doing lately:

• Someone at Michael's work went to his boss and advocated for him (without our knowledge). The result: Michael has been granted 5 days of paid bereavement leave. Praise God! (And thank you so much, Michael's Coworkers and Boss!)

• My fluid levels and blood pressure continue to look great. I have been having lots of pre-labor contractions and unfortunately my nausea and vomiting have returned, but honestly my perspective on hyperemesis has changed completely and I'm not emotionally bothered. I'll take anything as long as she's safe and cozy in there. I've also gained a little weight for the first time this entire pregnancy despite the vomiting! Another great sign that Abby's growing the way she should.

• It is October 6th. In just 4 days I will be 38 weeks pregnant. I think 39 weeks is the new official definition of "full term" so there's certainly still time for us to lose Abigail before then, but I just want to say that every day we get closer I celebrate more and more. They said this wouldn't happen. They said Abby wouldn't make it full term but look at us now!

Michael is planning to do his own series of blog posts - hopefully soon. There is not a lot out there written from the Dad's perspective in these situations. As he gets ready to share his own words and feelings, I'd ask that you would cover him in prayer and receive him with love and grace and support. He has his own prayer requests that he is working on drafting up. For now...

Marcy's top prayer requests as we come closer to meeting Abigail:

1. That God would fill our labor/delivery & postpartum rooms with joy and laughter

2. That Abigail would be born alive and meet those who love her before she goes to heaven

3. That we would shepherd Theodore's heart well as we help him navigate his first loss

4. That Michael and I would be protected and united as a team through everything to come and

5. That our confidence would be in Jesus - not in an outcome.

Thank you for your continued prayers. I've been saying this from the beginning, it has held true, and I still mean it: your prayers are everything. I know many of you wish you could do something, but prayer REALLY is the most helpful, powerful thing you can do for us.