Oh what a wonderful day! We’ve got ourselves a regular little Heavyweight here! Little Miss Six Pounds Five Ounces!!

The pulmonologist, Dr. Chini was wonderful and showed genuine concern for our little girl as a person – not just a diagnosis. As of yet we do not have any definitive answers as to why she was desatting relatively quickly when taken off of the oxygen. However, we were very pleasantly surprised and optimistic when Nora was able to stay at a reasonable saturation level today for the half hour that she was being monitored off of the oxygen flow!! They did dip down into the 70s a couple of times, but she was quickly able to bring it back up. I know that Nora reacts to her Mommy and Daddy’s voices and loving caresses, but it brought tears to my eyes to see a machine validate that. Any time we talked to her or stroked her head her oxygen levels would rise right up. How sweet it is to love this little girl and to know that she loves us right back.

In addition to the O2 monitoring Nora had a chest x-ray today (that she was NOT at all happy with!!), and is to have a sleep study and a swallow study done within the next few weeks. The sleep study involves an overnight stay and will monitor her breathing / oxygen while she sleeps. The swallow study will track the path of her milkies as she swallows to determine if she is aspirating any into her lungs. She will also have some blood work done to check the carbon dioxide levels in her blood (blood gas panel) and another test, which if I remember correctly is a renal test as it pertains to possible hypertension?

I’m so relieved to have left there today without any bad news!! God hears our prayers loud and clear. I give thanks and praise!!!!!!!!

Nora celebrated her 7 week birthday today with a warm relaxing bath when we got home and excessive snuggles with Mommy. Here she is in a pretty new party dress!

On another note, I want to ask for continued prayer for the Mummert family on their journey after the loss of their little Harrison, who had trisomy 18 as well. While our stories had different outcomes, they are alike in that our children are working together to bring so many people closer and into a relationship with God. One from heaven and one on earth, making sure they have all their bases covered! If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read their story and daily updates at www.harrisonjamesmummert.com. I especially enjoyed the photos from today – a beautiful celebration of Harrison’s tiny but mighty little life. God bless you, James and Emily!

Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
(Psalm 8:2 NIV)

Yesterday evening while I was snuggling with Nora, I glanced down and noticed that she had my I WILL CARRY YOU necklace pendant firmly in her little grasp. *tears!* I swear that wasn’t in any way staged!

This evening Nora visited our church for the first time. It was so good to be back after having been absent for so long (even if we did have to sit in the Cry Room because a certain little somebody was a little fussy fuss!). Fortunately we have the ability to watch the services from past weeks online (Crossroads), but it’s just not the same as being there in person. Kirk Perry (president of global family care for Procter & Gamble) was the guest speaker this evening. He talked about what it’s like to integrate his faith in the business world. While I’m not so much in the business world as a stay at home mom, much of what he touched on was still very relevant. I was particularly inspired by the myths or common misconceptions of what it means to live a faith based life. I would have taken notes but for the fact that I was swaying back and forth and bouncing a grouchy little baby girl in my arms! One of “myths” that stood out to me was that our faith is something that is meant to be private. Many people, including myself at one point, believe(d) that you go to church on Sunday and then there is really no need to talk about it or utilize your faith past that point. I remember how awkward it was in my driver’s ed class 20-something years ago when our driving instructor insisted on listening to a Christian rock station in the car. “Lame-o!!!!” I remembered thinking. I was under the impression that there was no need or use for that kind of stuff unless there was something NQR with ya, or that you were some kind of Bible beater! (in retrospect, why WOULDN’T a person in charge of teaching a car full of moody teenagers how to drive be listening to Christian music, whether they were religious or not!!!???) *wink* Fast forward many years later where the surly 16 year old is now a “bedraggled homemaker”, tried and tested. I literally LOL to think that I once felt that my faith was something that was private!! No, of course I’m not going to shove my faith down anyone’s throat or threaten you that you’re going to go to hell if you don’t believe and repent (through a megaphone on a street corner)! I don’t think that is a very endearing approach, and I hope I’ve never come across that way in any of my posts!! I hope that by being honest and open about my life and Nora, sharing all the ways that God has been ever present – maybe a seed is planted. A seed that will someday become the inception of faith in someone else’s life. I no longer harbor any fear of “what will people think??”. God is so very good, real, cool and hip to me, so much greater than the risk of someone whispering behind my back or thinking I’m some kind of wackjob Bible beater. I can’t possibly sit here and pretend I had anything to do with the outcome of this beautiful love story, or the fact that it has reached and touched thousands of lives. To God alone be the glory. I can’t be quiet about that!

In summary, it was a great service. I’m glad we decided to go at the last minute. We also met some new friends tonight who have been following our blog. It was so nice to meet you Caitlin and Nicole! And so nice to see you, Amanda and family!

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

On an unrelated topic, I was distressed upon noticing this warning label on Miss Nora’s medication today:

I have no idea how I’m going to break it to her that she’s no longer able to operate the crane trucks. #majorbummer # whattodo

Night night!

Today was a lazy, relaxing day. The cold and rainy (aka CUDDLE) weather dictated that we all stay in our pajamas for the day. Nora, however wanted to change into one of her chic new outfits later in the day. You never know when paparazzi (Mommy’s phone camera) is going to show up!!

Bright eyed and bushy-tailed at 6am!

Stretch Norastrong

He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. (Deuteronomy 10:21 NIV)

I can no longer regard Nora’s trisomy diagnosis as the great tragedy that I once did. Back in January and for months after, I didn’t understand how something like this could happen to US. I now see very clearly that God knew exactly what He was doing! I’ve been given the opportunity to stand back and see glimpses of the Big Picture, and WOW is it ever gorgeous! This isn’t something that just happened to William and I, it happened to thousands and thousands of people. My faith and spirituality have grown immeasurably these past four months, but it’s not just me. There are almost 2000 comments I can look back on that would suggest Nora has had a profound effect on MANY. What if the difficulties and tragedies we are dealt in this life aren’t meant for just us personally, but are designed and authored to impact, inspire, and cultivate others? To look at it that way certainly changes my self-centered perspective, and diminishes any self-pity I might have had. The “Why would God do this to me?” question suddenly becomes null and void. In a state of vulnerability and desperation I allowed God to use me as His instrument really because I just. didn’t. know. what. else. to. do. It would have been really nice to see how beautifully everything would unfold back then, but I couldn’t have had a clue. I felt I had no other options but to take the blind leap and give it all to God. Blind leaps of faith can be scary as all hell (speaking from experience), but the splash will be huge and the ripples just might carry to the ends of the earth, impacting and inspiring thousands. Can you trust Him? YES. God can list me as a reference on His resume any day!

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:13 NIV)

Here are pictures of Nora from today. Greta was so proud of herself that she can hold Nora while standing up! She’s such an awesome big sister and such a help to Mommy!

Nora has an appointment with the pulmonologist on Tuesday! Please pray that we get some answers and some solutions! Thank you and God bless!

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV)

Nora’s pediatrician appointment went very well this morning but for the torrential rain outside! She’s below the 5th percentile on the growth curve, but she’s moving right along at the right growth rate. Nora weighed in today at {drum roll} 5 lbs. 15 oz!!!!! (wild applause)

She has been overloaded with kisses today, just as she is every day.

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. (Galatians 3:26 NIV)

My heart is heavy for the Mummert family who have suffered the loss of their little Harrison yesterday, several weeks before he was due. Like Nora, Harrison was diagnosed with trisomy 18 while he was still in utero. Like William and I, Harrison’s Mommy & Daddy promised him, “I Will Carry You.” And they did. They carried him for exactly the time that God had mapped out for Harrison. James and Emily will continue to carry their precious son, but now it is in their hearts, until they meet again.

We’re so very sorry for your loss, James & Emily. Please know that you have been and will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers. May God bless you and bestow extra helpings of the familiar peace that surpasses all understanding.

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 receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV)

I greatly rejoice in this little girl!!

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV)