We are always blessed with people helping us get our paperwork done for our babies. It normally takes 6 weeks to get the birth certificates/social security cards/etc. Jose always talks with the people running those departments and they always take “heart” about our situation. God has always placed people in our path to help us get back to Haiti as soon as we can. This time has been no different. Their passports are being filed and we are nearly all set!!
NOW – before you start posting comments about me taking the babies into Haiti too soon – they are NOT the ones going back to Haiti in two weeks!! I just wanted to tease you a little!! Jose is heading back and taking Gigi with him. There is a lot of small things that Janeil would like for him to do and I would really like to get the babies’ room fixed and ready as well.
Our goal is to head back to Haiti with the twins late August. We want them to get their first set of shots before we head back. Having two little girls with Rubella and Tetanus – I will NEVER risk having one of my children come down with something so preventable.
The babies have had good check-ups. We see the doctor once a week until they reach the date they were supposed to be born. Levi has a clogged tear duct and may have to have a small surgery to open it but they will give him another two weeks before they reach that decision. Asher is perfect!
I’m going to have my gallbladder checked out and get my migraines all under control so that I can go back to Haiti with a clean bill of health too! Hopefully my health won’t hold back our plans. But I’ve learned – - it’s all out of my hands anyways!!
We’re doing good though! We’re tired but completely in love with our family. The gray skies have cleared up and we’re putting on our happy face!! 
Now I would LOVE to say that what I’m going to write came from my own observations after reading the story of Hosea and Gomer – - but it actually was shared by a girl named Leah at devotions in Haiti back in January. Since I’m up all night – I started watching a sermon and it was about this same story. I never really thought about it the way it was explained and I was so excited to share this with everyone else.
So the story of Hosea – - God tells Hosea to go and marry a promiscious woman (A woman that he knew would be unfaithful to him). Then he was to have a child with her. Imagine if God told us that’s what He wanted – for us to find a mate that would completely cheat on us. Hosea marrys Gomer. They have children. Gomer cheats on him – finally leaves him. Hosea has to be thinking – YES – I’m finally out of this marriage and then God tells him to go back and PAY to get his wife back. So Hosea is going to pay money to a get a wife that was already his. He does that – tells her from this point one we’re going to be faithful to each other and that’s that.
NOW – the purpose of God telling Hosea all this is because He’s making a parrallel to Isreal. Isreal is forsaking God and “cheating” on Him by serving other Gods and even after they treat God that way – He comes back for them.
Now how does this relate to us? We’re already God’s people — yet even though we’re His – He paid for us again – He comes back for us every day. Every morning when we wake up – He’s calling for us.
I just think about my sin – my frustrations over the last few months – and despite it all – every morning I woke up….God was calling for me……He’s still calling for me. I just wasn’t silent enough to hear Him.
Jose took the kids to the convention this week in Louisville. We kept debating about whether he should go or not since I just got out of the hospital with the babies – but the kids have been looking forward to going for a while. It’s only an hour from here so Jose is spending every other night here and driving back. I’ve been REALLY blessed to have my sister and momma here. You know the saying it takes a village to raise a child? Well how many does it take to raise 7 children?? Right now it takes 3 to take care of the twins – mainly because I can still barely walk right now -although I’m getting stronger every day.
I have to share this story though that Jose told me. He said yesterday that a lady came by the booth. She said she had been to a CIY conference where thousands of people were. She had heard about a missionary to Haiti who was pregnant with twins and having a really difficult time. She said they prayed for this lady there at the conference and then her church has continued to pray for her.
She was going around to each of the Haiti booths to see if she could find out anything about this lady. Jose asked her if she remembered the name. She said it was JODY something. She couldn’t remember the last name. Jose told her that he was the husband and the babies were born last Thursday. He told me she began to cry. She couldn’t believe that she was meeting the “husband” of this lady she had been praying for and then to hear the news that everything was okay – it was just a God-thing. Jose said it made him teary-eyed talking to this lady and I cried when he told me. To think that we were even brought up at a CIY convention – that it meant enough for this lady to continue to pray for us and she’s never met us – for it to mean so much that she went to all the Haiti booths – — I feel so humbled…..so very, very humbled.
On Thursday morning we had an appointment with the doctor for another ultrasound. It should have just been a half hour visit. For some reason I just felt like something might happen that visit. I told Jose to grab the camera, my overnight bag, our cell phone chargers, etc. He asked me if I knew something he didn’t know. I told him for some reason I just think we should have everything we need. Sometimes my mom goes with us and sometimes she doesn’t. I told her to come with us. I think it was just a nudging of the Holy Spirit.
We arrived at the doctor’s office at 11:00am. I was in the waiting room and I told the nurse I thought I was starting to have contractions. They took me to a little room and put me on the monitor. She told me that the contractions weren’t that bad and she’d be back in 10 minutes to take me off the machine. (Almost like I had wasted her time). She came back in 10 minutes and I was in full blown labor. No way to stop it this time. It was one contraction on top of another contraction. We couldn’t tell where one started and the next one began.
As soon as he checked me though – everyone started getting really nervous. Baby A started going into distress. All of a sudden we weren’t talking about just “making our way” upstairs for delivery but being told we needed an emergency c-section and was rushed to the OR prep-area. There wasn’t much time to think or process what was happening. I was pre-occupied by the labor and had people working all around me.
If you remember I had said I was nervous about the epidural because I had a bad one last time. I SAW the guy who gave me the bad epidural. There he was talking to another patient right next to me. I felt SICK to my stomach. I couldn’t believe I was going to have him again. I had wanted to take Jose and my mom back to the OR but they told me only Jose could go. I had less than 15 minutes before I go back - other patients had been bumped so I could take the OR. As I’m being hooked up to machines – I see Tammy Wrenn (who delivered Malaya) and has become a great family friend. I asked her if she could go back with us. She asked those in charge and went as one of the baby-catchers. I had 15 MINUTES before I go back and here is Tammy?? She told me she just felt like God wanted her to check for my name on the delivery board….
I had Jose trying to make phone calls, update the blog, and write a note on facebook so people could start praying. It seemed like we couldn’t get a hold of anyone in Haiti and I really wanted Magdala and Heather to know so they could have everyone praying. We had less than 5 minutes and still hadn’t gotten a hold of them.
Tammy immediately began praying for me and trying to calm me down. The contractions were hard and normally someone with these type of contractions would have had an epidural or at least lots of pain meds. I had neither. Tammy started helping me breathe through everything. I had told the other nurse that was monitoring me that I was scared to death of the anesthetist because he gave me the bad epidural last time. She told me to hold on a minute. The next thing I know I have a WOMAN coming towards me and says she is taking over my case. What? This friendly lady is now going to be my anesthetist? Her smile alone was calming. She too prayed over me.
They took me on back (without Jose) so they could prep me in the OR. I started to get really nauseated. The anesthetist gave me something for my nausea. She prayed over my back. She stuck me with no problems and this huge thing I had been scared of was over. I laid on the table and as I began to go numb she talked to me the whole time. She gave me just a little bit of medication to relax me. Jose was then let into the room and told me he had gotten a hold of Heather and Magdala and everyone was praying.
There was just this overwhelming peace – my body quit shaking. I closed my eyes and went over scripture that you all had sent me. I reminded myself that God never leaves. I thought about how God had already lined up everything – all these people – this specific OR staff – JUST FOR ME. I heard the babies cry and that was the last thing I remembered. I was given more relaxing drugs and I woke up in the recovery room.
I can’t tell you how many nights of sleep I lost thinking about this day. But from the moment the day started – God had everything taken care of. The fact that we brought everything we needed – especially the camera – we were already prepared. I was actually at the hospital when labor was impossible to stop – the OR was cleared out for me with no waiting – the anesthetist prayed over me and was more than I could ever have hoped for – there was Tammy praying and helping me breathe through the labor – in less than 30 minutes we were able to get the word out to everyone to pray – I mean the list just goes on and on.
The babies are doing much better and we hope to bring them home soon. I can’t even believe I get to write that sentence. When I was in the recovery room I saw my regular OB doctor. The one I wished I had again because I knew he would have delivered me back at 32 weeks like I was promised. Mom and I listened as he told the mother about the breathing machines her son would be on. It was the speech that I got with Gabriel. Another sign? It was just confirmation that God had put me in the right hands – despite my constant grumblings and suffering – He had protected me all along. He had protected these babies all along. It was almost unreal listening to all the things wrong with this little 32 week old boy. That could have been my boys.
I’ve spent the last few days in the hospital trying to process all of this. It’s hard to believe looking back through all my old blogs – this huge pregnancy drama – - just like that – it’s over. The light that we never thought would come – it came and it’s beauty was beyond anything we could have ever hoped for.
I know babies when they’re first born aren’t very cute – and maybe I’m a little biased – but I’m telling you – my babies are beautiful!! Fresh out of the womb and they’re perfect!! We’ve had a few set backs – they’ve been in and out of the NICU with breathing issues – but they’re coming home! They’re healthy enough to come home.
While I still remain in awe of God’s protection for my family – I can’t help but thank all of you for going through this journey with me. I’m sure you figured out things way before I did – - I’ve been so emotional trying to process everything that has happened these past 7 months. I know that God has been teaching me and stretching me throughout this whole adventure……. I thank HIM and YOU for your patience as I continue to learn!!
Thanks for all the visitors who came by today and for all the goodies! We are just so blessed…..so very – very blessed.
They were too cute this morning. They’re out of the NICU – PRAISE THE LORD!! One is obviously bigger than the other but they’re only a 3oz difference. The one with his eyes open is Levi. The one sleeping is Asher. They were born at 2:45pm June 25th. I have a beautiful story to tell about how God lined up people in the right place – how HE provided comfort and peace on the operating table. BUT – I’m still in quite a bit of pain and will share it a little later. I cannot believe this pregnancy roller-coaster is over! Jose and I don’t know how to process it all – our Miracle Babies – healthy, happy, and in our arms today. Thank you all for your prayers – your love – and your support! We couldn’t have done it without you!
