LUKE HAS ARRIVED!!! September 28th, 2009

For those of you not aware, Luke arrived on Monday morning at 2:58am by c-section weighing 7 lbs 9.6 oz and 19 3\4 in long! I had done a lot of activity on Sunday afternoon. Matt pressure washed the outside of the house and I "supervised". I had a lot of cleaning and organizing outside to do, then mom and I did some cleaning on the inside, so I guess with all that activity, it got him here before the scheduled section. I woke up about midnight and as I went to the bathroom, felt my water break. Matt was asleep on the couch, cause I'd turned the TV on,unable to sleep, after he was ready for bed. I went to wake him after I made sure it was time, and told him, "honey, I think my water just broke". He was like, "What?!" I told him not to panic, everything was fine. He said, "do I have time to shave?!" because he'd gone several days and was very scruffy. I felt like we did, so I got the last minute things packed, got Tobi up and ready, and let the dog out. I started having contractions, and we got going. We dropped Tobi off at Nana and Papa's, and by that 10 minute drive, the contractions were really starting to get strong and close. By the time we got there, I'd really saturated the towel I'd brought to sit on. I knew it wouldn't be long. Once I was there, OMG, the contractions were coming and I was hollering! I didn't cuss, but said, "Oh GOSH!" and "OWE" about 100 times. They got me some pain medication to take the edge off just a bit until I could get the spinal. So, then it was done. They pulled him out at 2 minutes till 3am, and hearing him cry, hearing that loud, healthy cry, was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard! I didn't cry surprisingly, but I think it's because I was so overwhelmed, and still in kinda disbelief it was actually happening. He is the most beautiful baby. I wonder if this is what Tobi would have looked like, had he come full term. He has huge feet! I will take a picture of his feet compared to Tobi's and Layah's. It's amazing! I had a very difficult day on Tuesday. I woke up with extremely excruciating pain in my shoulder radiating down into my rib cage. I was crying but with every breath it felt as though someone was kicking me in the rib and stabbing me in the shoulder blade. Apparently, this pain, was referred pain from gas! I was shocked, but apparently it's pretty common after surgery. I thought I was dying and worried it was a blood clot or something. Thank God it passed by Thursday morning. I had some great friends visit us in the hospital, and of course all our family. It was very surreal that this joyous time was finally ours. Matt was amazing while I was in the hospital. It really is like we're first-time parents all over again. Matt is 180-degree different than when Tobi was born. He's such an amazing husband and father. I'm so glad that we never let the enemy destroy our marriage when it was so under attack. We wouldn't have this beautiful miracle!

I have to tell you about Wednesday afternoon. Matt and I were just hanging out in the room, and I just began to feel very weired. I felt like my hearing in my right hear was distorted a bit, and that my heart was racing. I felt short of breath and like I wanted to get outside. I knew that it was very similar to the fear, anxiety, terrified feeling I felt the week of Layah's birth\death anniversary, and that it was a panic attack. I asked the nurse to come in and check my pulse, and she did. It was 100, but not alarming. I know she thought I was crazy when I told her how I was feeling, but then I felt it was an attack of the enemy. I walked up and down the hall, taking deep breaths, but the feeling were not relieved. I felt something was gonna happen to me or Luke, and i was just scared. Then I went back in the room and decided to take a shower. In the shower, I just began praying, and worshiping and just praying against the enemy. I felt calmed, and relaxed after about 30 minutes and just continued to sing His praises as I got out. I went over to Luke and just prayed over him, and the continued peace followed. I know that this was not just a panic attack, but the enemy's attack, and through the Holy Spirit, we won. I don't know if he just thought he'd try one last time to terrorize me, but it did NOT work, Praise God!

We were discharged Thursday by lunch, and the nurse that was my discharge nurse, was a nurse that had worked in RNICU with one of the nurses that kept Tobi, and we'd met at this other nurse's daughter's first birthday party in January 2004. It was so nice to have a nurse that new of our fight for Tobi's life in the RNICU and our loss of Layah, and now to get to celebrate with us in the miracle we have in Luke. Luke is such an amazing baby. He is nursing so well. It's so odd how tiny he seems to me, but yet he is the same size Tobi was when we brought him home. Luke's billirubin was a bit elevated so we had to go to the peds office on Friday and again on Saturday to have it rechecked. It's coming down so there is no need for him to need photo therapy. We're just getting him some "sunbathing time" in the swing in the window. I had developed a cough while in the hospital, and was concerned since my staples were removed Thursday morning. I thought that was a bit soon, but the docs said that since I'm thin, they take them out before discharge. If I was a very large person, they'd leave them in longer. Apparently the staples are more cosmetic than anything. The fascias muscle underneath, and uterus sutures are sewn very tightly, so the staples are just to close skin. Anyway, Thursday evening, in getting Luke's bassinet ready for him, I leaned over and coughed, without being able to hold my wound, and felt a sharp ripping pain. I was scared. I went and looked and saw some of it had opened up. I was so upset. I told Matt and he was afraid we were gonna have to go to the hospital, but after I called them and my mother in law who's a nurse, I was assured that it was okay, and the steristrips I'd put on it, along with the waterproof medical tape, should do just fine. I didn't have any other symptoms that would be signs of bleeding internally or anything, so it was just another scare tactic of the enemy. I talked to my precious nurse, Veronica, on Friday and she said that all that was true and that I could come by clinic on Wednesday to get it looked at. So, that's all worked out as well.

We have been home now for almost 3 days and it's still so dream-like to have him healthy and home with us. I say "Praise God" a million times a day! We went by the cemetery after the peds office on Friday, and got Luke out to see where his sister is laid to rest. I was emotionally, but just really thanked the Lord for allowing Layah to give up her place for her brother, as he must have an amazing plan for Luke's life and future. One of my "sisters" Ginger asked me the other day, in the most delicate and loving way she could, hoping not to upset or anger me, if I was glad that Layah had gone on to be with the Lord, having been born so early and with the potential for so many life long debilitating complications. I really feel that was best now, of course you could not have spoken anything close to that a year ago. Of course I would have wanted her to be living and healthy and whole, but if she'd lived and been a prisoner to a body that was broken and not free, I would love her and take care of her, but know this plan of the Lord's was much better than what I wanted at the time. I think of my sweet friends, Amber, Johanna, and Allison that are on the journey to the life of a child and I pray that they will get to experience the changing seasons the way I did. I could not have anticipated the happiness and joy I feel now, at this time last year. Like Ecclesiastes 3:1-10 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, "

I pray that my dear friends will be blessed with 2010 as a new year for life and many blessings. I will post a devotional soon.

We have so much to be thankful for. Thank you to all of you who read this and have lifted our family up in your prayers. We know that is the only way Luke got here, by the petitions of God's children!

Faithfully His,

Mika