One of the questions we are always asked when we visit the cardiologist is, “Does she tolerate feeds without spitting up?” That being one of the many symptoms of congestive heart failure. Of course with my other kids, they puked constantly and consistently which explains the bins of ruined baby clothes that can’t be lent out to anyone. Nora just doesn’t do that. Ever. She had spit up just a little bit in the 2 previous days, but nothing like today. Prior to today I just chalked it up to mucus drainage upsetting her belly. When she started spitting up (to put it politely) with every single bottle today, my heart began racing and my thoughts amok.

An after-hours trip to the pediatrician alleviated our fears. The puking was NOT related to her heart. (Of course there were the 3 birds on a wire as we were walking in.) Her heart sounds normal for her and her lungs are crystal clear. It seems that she has a touch of whatever is going around on top of her cold.

Not that I necessarily expected the puking to stop just because we went to the doctor, but it was unsettling to have her do it again when we got home.

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ANNABEL

I’ve been so saddened to hear of the passing of one of the little rock stars in the trisomy 18 community. Annabel Leigh at 3 years old was one of the many sweet children that have given me such hope over this past year. Annabel beat the odds year after year, her BEAUTIFUL smile daring anyone to question her quality of life. Of course any parent of a baby with t18, myself included, is beyond grateful for what ever time we are granted with our children even when they are born still. I never dared to dream that we’d be here 8 months later celebrating Nora’s first Christmas. Annabel’s parents were faced with the same set of statistics. Of course they are so lucky to have had those 3 years with her, but is there ever really a “good” time to say goodbye to a child!!?? No!! There is not. I don’t care if that “baby” is 50 years old. I can’t even imagine. My prayers are with Annabel’s family and friends, that they may be granted peace, that they are blessed and comforted amidst this saddest of times. Heaven sure received a beautiful little angel yesterday.

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This morning I had one of those moments when I felt God’s voice so clearly that it may as well have been audible. I will preface that with the scripture that I used for yesterday’s post:

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)

I chose that verse so “randomly” that I may as well have opened up to any given page of the Bible and blindly pointed my finger to a spot on the page. The only reason I didn’t do that is because I obtained it from the digital version of the Bible on my phone — but same idea. I found it, I liked it lots, so I pasted it into my post, and goodnight.

Imagine the chills that gripped me when I read today’s Jesus Calling this morning and I encountered the exact same verse. Of the 31,240 verses in the Bible (give or take, depending on which version you’re using), you mean to tell me I chose the exact one that would be the featured verse and featured topic in my devotional the next day??? Skeptically one could argue that I looked ahead, but I sure as Shinola know that I did not! That was God saying to me, “I really want you to know this and I really want to make sure you don’t forget this. I love you enough to show you again incase it didn’t sink in the first time.”

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)

Reassured about the assurance about the things I can’t see. Wow! How ’bout that??

Appropriate sign as you turn into the pediatrician’s parking lot: