Moving the Moving Date

You read the title correctly, the moving date has moved.  

Christi had regular contractions all morning and called the doctor's office around 10:30 in the a.m. Wednesday, the 17th.  The contractions continued in regular 5-10 min intervals. Dr. Lebleu wanted her to take some benedryl, rest and if they did not slow down then to call back.

At 4:30  she was still having contractions and at that time Dr. Lebleu wanted her to come to the hospital. So they gave Christi what I call a "knock out concoction" of stadol and phenergan; she was slurring words and slurring texts (so if you got a random text Wednesday evening.....it should all be making sense to you now).

They kept her overnight to watch the contractions and make sure that she did not progress into labor.  On Thursday morning Dr. Lebleu came and advised us to get on down to Houston......so that's what we are doing.

Christi has been in packing mode getting everything together for her and the boys to go down.  Nothing like packing in 3 days to be gone for the next month to two months.  On a positive note, it's like ripping off a band-aid, the quicker you snatch it off, the quicker you can just move on.

The contractions have slowed down and Christi is on "take it easy" orders.  A whole lot of water and couch sitting.

We are leaving for Houston this Sunday, September 21st.  Christi, the boys and my sister will stay in Houston. 

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

That’s what we are doing. This is Jennifer, Michael’s sister, Christi’s sister-in-love, and aunt to their three boys and soon to be baby girl. They have asked me to write a post for the blog and the word “Wait” has been a reoccurring theme for me since I first heard of Aly’s diagnosis. In this experience each member of our family has all been called to wait. As extended family members we wait for news, we wait for answers, we wait for plans, schedules, potential outcomes, prayer needs, something, anything that we can DO or HELP with. Oh my goodness what a job to ask someone to do! It’s so simple really, but our humanness just can’t fathom not being able to DO something about what is wrong in our lives. I know that as we go through this process that we as a family will be the front lines of support for Christi and Michael as Aly is born and the process that will follow. But for now God has told us to simply rest in Him and wait.

Why is waiting so hard for humans? A definition of the word wait is “to remain stationary in readiness or expectation.” The Bible says those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) It’s not easy to see how the Lord is preparing us and resting us during this time of waiting. We have struggled with feelings of helplessness and simply not knowing what to do. The story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5:10-13 has really struck home with me as I have struggled with this idea of waiting.

¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” ¹¹ But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! ¹² Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.¹³ But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’”

We haven’t been told to do anything very difficult, just to wait on God’s plan. But just like Naaman how much more willing we would be if it was something very difficult or supernatural that God wanted us to do. Something so simple like waiting on God can frustrate us. We have all been on our knees over and over before God and will continue to do so, but is that ALL? And for right now the answer is yes. Wait on God. 

What blessings have come to our family when we have simply stepped back and let God do His work in us and in Aly. The blessings and the healing that Aly has already received have been amazing. God has great plans for Aly. Wonderful friends, family and even complete strangers have stepped up to help Christi and Michael through this time of need. I am so overwhelmed by the generosity I have seen. People wearing the Strong Like Aly t-shirts, donating money, and even providing a home so that Christi, the boys and my mom can live while in Houston. These actions have touched our hearts and mean so much, but may not have come to be if we had rushed forward without thought to God’s plan for Aly and her family.

So for now thank you for supporting us as we wait. Thank you for encouraging and loving Christi, Michael and the boys as they walk this road. It means so much as those of you who have been called to act have done so. We happily anticipate the day of Aly’s arrival and will be ready and rested to face this battle with our sweet Aly because of our willingness to do what God has called us to do right now. WAIT.

If you would like to help Michael and Christi financially, an account has been set up at Community Trust Bank for medical expenses. You can go to any branch and make a deposit into the account under the name “Strong Like Aly.” And if you want a t-shirt, those are still available so feel free to contact Jennifer Socha Lowery on Facebook to order yours.

What makes the wait sweeter is getting to see precious baby Aly’s pictures from time to time. So I leave you with this sweet smile.

 

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