The Lord has favored us with a smooth adjustment from one son to two. I am still amazed at how quickly I have recovered from my c-section and transitioned to taking care of two beautiful boys! All of His grace.

At twelve weeks old, David weighs almost 17 lbs. Henry likes to tell everyone that "David is a chunk" and "We call him ‘Buddha belly.’" It took him a couple weeks to adjust to the newcomer in our family, but he now loves David, especially having his little brother "tackle" him in the morning.

David is about as laid-back as you could ask for, full of eager smiles when you give him any attention. He’s starting to get distracted when I read to Henry while nursing.

I’ve started thinking about "homeschooling" Henry gently this year while his friends are in preschool two days/week, just to get both of us used to the structure and learning. I especially need the practice in discipline, to make sure my day doesn’t slip by without conscious effort to entertain his interest, whether reading another book, answering questions, coming to look, remembering that these are all teachable moments. His conversations are most amusing, though I sometimes realize that a simple comment that sounds extraordinary coming from him is simply quoted from a book (George and Martha, Blueberries for Sal, Mouse Soup, etc.).

We've enjoyed some weekend visitors over the last month. First, my former roommate, Melody, and her husband Steven, came up from Charleston, and then the following weekend my parents and Jordan came up to see David in person. We had a wonderful time both weekends (I got to take my Mom to The Bookfair!).

Michael and I are celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary this weekend. He’s taking two days off so we can stay at a Lexington B&B (Henry is going to stay with his grandparents in Waynesboro), and I’m really excited. We need the time off, away, together (with David), in this beautiful, historic setting.

I’m sorry this is short—I’ve got to get back to laundry in what remains of the afternoon. But I knew that pictures were the important thing! J

And Henry at a wedding about two months ago...

Where do I begin? With the Saturday a week ago that was such a blessed family day of relaxation together, just the three of us? Or the following Monday (a week ago) when I learned that our baby might weigh a pound more than Henry already, and my body was not ready to deliver, and I panicked in tears and was ready to submit to induction only a few days past my due date? Or last weekend, when my to-do list was so short that I made good progress on the baby’s quilt (may I finish it before he/she leaves for college…)? Or Saturday night, when I thought I was in labor, but my body changed its mind, and I went to church the next day anticipating the well-meaning "You’re still here?"

But God is sovereign, and I am not. And God knew I needed to hear the message Sunday morning, and be encouraged by the love of the saints, and draw me nearer to Himself, so that as I do laundry and dishes this afternoon in anticipation of being induced tomorrow, I am entirely at peace! I felt a little wistful as I snuggled Henry a little longer before his nap today, knowing that soon everything will change again, and we will wonder how we ever had such joy before this little one arrived, even as Henry has brought such delight to our family.

Our baby is presently 11 days past his/her due date, without showing inclination to appear without some help. So we're going to the hospital in the morning (unless something happens before then!) to start the process.

I am so thankful for Tiffany, our doctor-friend-doula who came Saturday night and walked with me up and down the road, trying to re-start contractions, then stayed overnight with us just in case, then made tea and picked black raspberries with me for breakfast on a fresh Sunday morning. And who, when I confessed that I was discouraged by lack of progress, replied "Of course you are!" and cheerfully proceeded to lift my spirits. She’ll be coming with us tomorrow to help coach me through labor.

For the Sochor family, who never seem to tire of keeping Henry, and with whom Henry gladly stayed overnight when we thought we’d be going to the hospital, and who are already planning to make mudpies and have a picnic in the treehouse with our son tomorrow when we go in.

And of course, for Michael, who has been perpetually encouraging. He is looking forward to being able to hug me without bending forward.  He will have the hymnbook on hand during labor, and will alternating reading Scripture cards with singing to keep my thoughts focused on the only true Source of my strength.

He and I have been talking lately of our need to re-kindle our passion and love for Christ, longing for spiritual drenching that is ready and available, even as God has supplied so much rain for the earth in these past weeks.

"Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth." (Hosea 6:3)

I feel so at peace, preparing for tomorrow, which is entirely God’s doing. I pray for a deep sense of His presence throughout this event. Your prayers are most welcome!

Psalm 139.

Though I was initially reluctant to start a Xanga blog 2+ years ago when "everybody" was doing it, I confess that I’m disappointed to hardly "hear" from people anymore. I guess Facebook is the network of choice, though for various reasons I don’t spend much time on there, and therefore miss out on the vignettes. I miss you all!

I’m sorry it’s been so long since posting regarding our Cincinnati trip! In summary, it was a very blessed, enriching time. We made a mini-vacation out of it, since our fears were allayed, and the doctors and nurses were incredibly warm and kind. We also had a great time of fellowship with friends over the weekend. I write memories now so I do not forget. Read or skim, as you wish; this is a long one! J

We met with Dr. Lisa Young at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for the first time on Friday. She came out to the lobby looking for us as we registered, as though she had nothing else to do but take care of us that morning, though we also had to meet with a nutritionist and the social worker. As the morning grew late, we realized that time was growing short before we needed to check out of the hotel. Rather than simply find the number and hand us the phone, she dialed the number herself and informed the desk clerk with quiet authority that she needed to spend a little more time with our family and would they please grant another hour or so. Wow!

The hospital gave us passes to the zoo, which was located only a few blocks away. It was COLD but sunny, so although many of the animals we wanted to see were not available, we had a good time. On Saturday we went to the Creation Museum, and though we did not have time to experience everything, we appreciated the quality of their presentation of Scripture and science.

At the zoo:

At the Creation Museum:

We enjoyed the hospitality of the Woodmans over the weekend, especially worshipping with them on Sunday. Henry talked about Josiah and Janaya for a long time afterwards!

Sunday evening we went back to the hotel close to the hospital where we kept Henry up until midnight watching football (not a regular practice in our family, but convenient that he enjoys it since we needed him to be very tired on Monday morning for the PFT). Then we woke at 5:30 am when I fed him one more time, and then we had to keep him awake until the procedure. We were all tired, but the doctors were thrilled to see Henry getting cranky at the right time, meaning that he was ready to be sedated and sleep deeply. Thankfully they had seen him at his charming best on Friday, and promised not to judge our parenting by his attitude on Monday. J

The PFT (pulmonary function test) went well. I couldn’t nurse Henry again beforehand as he wished, but gave him the sedative myself, and Michael and I sang him to sleep. It didn’t take long, but it was hard for a tired Mommy to watch her baby being positioned wearing the vest in the machine that would gauge his lung capacity. Henry slept so well, in answer to the many prayers that were offered up on our behalf. Michael and I finally went and got a late breakfast, then returned to continue observing.

The results were satisfactory and that Dr. Young confirmed her diagnosis of NEHI with no need for a lung biopsy. Praise the Lord! It took Henry a while to rouse sufficiently so they would release us to go home, but we finally got on the road. We only drove a couple hours before stopping at a hotel for the night, so our return was truly refreshing. We did stop in Blacksburg for TCBY, and a visit to Michael’s favorite bakery from his college days.

So, life with NEHI has not been too overwhelming thus far. Henry’s appetite has improved, and so has his weight. I have to sneak butter on his bread, and he is finally learning to enjoy ice cream (!), but we’re finding ways to encourage him to eat pretty well. His progress is being monitored by the pulmonologist in Roanoke.

BTW, my family will be amused to know that Henry is developing the habits of a chocolate nibbler, just like his Mama. He can make three 60% Ghiradelli chocolate chips last quite a long time (leaving significant evidence on his face and hands).

Henry turned two last month and continues to astonish us with his vocabulary, much to our amusement. Let me encourage you young mothers, to SATURATE your children with Scripture and doctrine long before you think they are paying attention! Right now he’s soaking up hymns. Yesterday he was singing "It is well, it is well with my soul" as we strolled to the mailbox. He frequently requests stories about Jesus, David and Goliath, God calling Samuel, etc. Our breakfasttime Scripture reading together has become precious (Hebrews 13:16 is a very useful verse at this age!).

And Henry is already developing a taste for tea (and lattes), just like Daddy and Mommy. Recently I made myself a latte to enjoy while reading my Bible. Henry wanted one too, so I gave him a little and added extra milk. Then he wanted the tiger (a gift from the Children’s Hospital) to have a latte too, so I found another cup. Here we are having morning lattes:

And he is all-boy. Acquiring age-appropriate tools became a necessity after such experiences as these:

After a brief trial of concern for our unborn little one, due to two "soft markers" for Down Syndrome that showed up in the ultrasound, the Lord again strengthened us through the prayers of His people and the promises in His word, and granted us relief with the follow-up quad screening results that indicated little likelihood for Downs or other similar conditions. Praise be to Him alone! I am relieved because I really wanted to deliver with the help of the midwives at the hospital in Lynchburg again, and so it appears that having neonatal surgeons on hand will not be essential. Our whole family enjoys the activity of this precious gift, bouncing around in my womb! Henry has promised to share his dump trucks and screwdrivers with his little sister (we don’t know if we’re having a boy or a girl), and loves to talk to the baby and kiss my growing belly.

We are encouraged with the growth of the church plant in our area, led by one of our dear pastors, and joined by several families from our church and another Roanoke church, plus "lake" families who are hungering for greater depth in preaching. We have outgrown the space in the library and are moving to a new temporary location while the elders continue to search for something more permanent so we can start meeting both mornings and evenings, hopefully in the near future. My heart aches to think of leaving so many sweet friends behind, but what is this life compared to eternity, where we will all worship together again?!

Henry will probably wake up soon, and I need to finish up some things before then so we can have teatime together.

Hosea 6:3

So we're planning to drive to Cincinnati on Thursday (after Michael returns home from Grand Rapids probably late Wednesday), meet with Dr. Young on Friday, spend the weekend with Steve and Melissa (thanks, Woodmans!!!) and worship with them at Kemp Road, keep Henry up *late* Sunday night (thankfully he loves watching football and there's a game on), wake him up *early* Monday morning (I wonder if there's a Starbucks next to the hospital?), and pray he sleeps well through the PFT. I think we should be able to talk with the doctor performing the test about the results fairly soon after, and then Tuesday we hope to drive home, if all goes well. Phew!

My favorite part is that the hospital will provide passes to the zoo, aquarium, and a discount to visit the Creation Museum, so we can have some fun as a family while we're there. God is so good! And we will hopefully learn all we can about how to help Henry get through NEHI until he outgrows it.

Today I brought home our half of a beef that was raised just down the road, so my freezer is FULL. Michael is looking forward to plenty of steak, if I can find it under 40+ lbs. of ground beef. And there's a turkey in the refrigerator that will just have to thaw by next Wednesday so it will be ready for Michael's family to come for Thanksgiving. We're very much looking forward to having Jonathan and Chelsea visit that weekend, too!

I love that Thanksgiving still retains an aura of gratitude to God. Karma Wilson is a children's author with a very good ear for rhythm and story (Bear Snores on, etc.) and an understanding of the Holy (Mortimer's Christmas Manger, several versions of the Psalms), so I recommend you ask a librarian about her books...or add them to your own collection!

Must run to a going-away dinner for a friend.

"He leads His flock like a shepherd;
He gathers the lambs in His bosom
And carries them in His arms;
He gently leads those who are with young."

I dwelt on this verse last Friday while Henry and I went to the park with friends, then to McDonald’s (spending a coupon for a free hamburger from the library Summer Reading Program), then to the store, then home, where we both napped. Then Dr. Tamez called to confirm that his colleagues agreed with him that we ought to pursue further evaluation of Henry’s condition in Cincinnati. So we’re going to Ohio, and I am content. We had prayed that God would give the doctors wisdom, and after a relaxing day of realizing how closely God cares for His children, I know that He is not only sending, but leading us there according to His sovereign purpose.

Now we wait to find out when (we pray not during Thanksgiving holiday), and whether we go for a better CT scan (during which they would control Henry’s breathing to get a clearer picture), or a lung biopsy (which I would rather not think about yet, but am learning to trust more heavily in God’s wisdom for what is best) in order to determine what treatment is best.

Although Dr. Tamez is concerned about the possibility of a rare diffuse lung disease, there is such a wide range of them; some respond to temporary steroid treatment, while others actually go away on their own!

I am so thankful that Henry is so lively and delightful in our home! These things do not seem to trouble him…he’s far too busy finding a bat (or maraca, since Mommy hid the small bat so he wouldn’t knock it against walls) so that he can throw himself a ball and hit it. I think he may be starting a growth spurt, too, so it helps that we’re now indulging in eggs and wheat. We’re enjoying having fresh bread in the house again. (And brownies.)

I hung sheets on the clothesline today, and later planted crocus bulbs at the base of the posts. Henry was helping me water them, so now the sheets need to dry a little longer. Oh well. You would think I would take them off the line first…

We've been encouraged by attendance at Covenant Fellowship (our church plant, meeting in a library community room) on Sunday evenings. The last two Sundays have been packed with over sixty people, including various visitors and repeat visitors! Praise be to God!

Great book I'm reading, by the way.