Prayers for Ella

Last night was, well, rough. Ella was her usual sweet self last night and we put her to bed as usual. I was exhausted and tried to go to bed shortly after 11am and woke up around midnight to a screaming Ella. She was inconsolable and had a hard time telling us what was wrong. Eventually, she said that her ear hurt and agreed to take some medicine (which is usually a fight). I gave her some Advil and gave her a few eardrops that were leftover from an ear infection earlier this year. After about half an hour, it seemed to help. We snuggled up in her bed but she was restless and kept crying on and off for several hours. It wasn't until 4:30am that I was able to make it back to my bed without her waking and getting upset. All through the ordeal, I kept thinking:

• What if she is sick when I have to go to the hospital for the baby? Who will I leave her with? Will she be traumatized? Will whoever we leave her with be traumatized by having to deal with a sick kid?
• What if I'm exhausted from taking care of her and go into labor?
• Baby #2, you're not allowed to come until Ella is better.
• Oh, I want my bed....

At 8am, she arrived at my bedside like her chipper self. But, it's been less than an hour and she's lying in bed by her own choice. So, my guess is that she still does not feel well. I'll try calling the doctor in a bit and see if we can get an appointment today to have her checked out. I needed to call them anyway to make a well-child visit for January AND to give them a heads-up that they will have a new patient within the next couple weeks.

I'd really appreciate your prayers for Ella's health, for all of the childcare details while we're in the hospital and for her happiness while we're in the hospital. Thank you!

36-Week Check-Up

Well, I had some good news today at my check-up. I did NOT test positive for Group B Strep which means I do not need to have antibiotics during labor and delivery. One in four women has GBS so it is not unusual, but it can cause problems in newborns if they become infected. They recommend that you have antibiotics at least 4 hours prior to delivery if you do test positive. I tested positive when I was pregnant with Ella...it wasn't awful, but I'd prefer not to have to do it again. I'm just thankful that it is one less thing I need to worry about during labor.

Also, Dr. Echt decided to do an ultrasound to see how the baby is situated. From looking at my belly, she thought the baby was either breech or O.P. (head down, but face-up). Babies in the OP position tend to take longer to deliver, as was the case with Ella. Thankfully, the ultrasound showed that the baby is head-down (good news) but she couldn't tell which way the baby was facing. That part can change in the coming weeks. Dr. Echt also took some measurements and it appears that the baby is 6 pounds so she doesn't think I'll be having an almost 9-lb baby this time around.

As I head into the last 3 1/2 weeks of pregnancy, I'd love your prayers...that the baby would in the right position (head down, face-back), that the details with Ella's childcare during labor/delivery would work out well, for strength & peace during the labor process and for a healthy baby! Thank you!

Prayer Request for Aunt Cass

The above photo is of me, Baby Ella and my Aunt Cass -- my mother's sister. I confess that as a child I did NOT like going to her house, mainly because she always put us kids to work! She almost always threw a party for the extended family while we were visiting in Minnesota and did not hesitate to draft us kids into her service. I have memories of working alongside my siblings and some cousins cleaning her brass curtain rings (and I have an aversion to steel wool to this day). But over the years, I grew a deeper love and appreciation for her and have looked forward to visits with her. Although she never had children of her own, family has always been important to her and she has done what she can to help create connections between family members. She is truly a special woman...and a woman in need of prayer.

When we were in Santa Clarita a few weekends ago, I learned that Cass had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Needless to say, the last few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster for her. She is scheduled to have the tumor removed next week at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and that will later be followed by chemotheraphy and radiation. My mother will be flying out there next week to be there with her for surgery and the first few days of her recovery. Please pray for Cass' healing, her emotional welfare and that God will work this situation for good. Thank you!