Our Baby Girl

5/7/09
Today we received the exciting news that we are having a GIRL! We also found out that our baby girl has spina bifida. We covet your prayers as we navigate the unknown path before us. Our minds are whirling with all the information and things to be done. The next few weeks will be a blur of doctor appointments and research.

The Lord has been preparing me for this special baby. I was not completely surprised today as I feel the Lord has been speaking to my heart about the uniqueness of our new baby. One month ago today I wrote these words in my journal:

4/7/09
“I feel God has a special purpose for your life. Of course, He does for all of us, but I feel there is something different about you, even now. It is kind of scary. Will it be a high and noble purpose of human significance? Or will it be a humble, unseen by the world significance of spiritual value? I just feel we are “missing” something with you. The fact that God gave you to us when we thought we were done, prayed to be done, shows me God had some reason to say “no” to those prayers. Little one, may you grow to fill the exact purpose God made you for. May we celebrate that purpose no matter what it is.”

At this point we have really just begun to research and understand what spina bifida means. We have been told of a clinical trial currently being conducted in which they operate on the baby before birth. We are looking into that, but it must be done in the next 5 weeks. Otherwise, we know the baby will be born via c-section at about 37 weeks and have surgery immediately to enclose the spinal cord. We understand there is a spina bifida clinic here in Loma Linda which is where we are currently being seen. We also know that the current and future nerve damage is irreversible.

We know that God has given our daughter to us and we know He will see us through and use her life for His glory.