Is That OUR Phoebe, Mom?

We've known that Phoebe and I were in a high risk pregnancy since I was exactly 20 weeks along. We were at my 20 week ultrasound when the radiologist informed us that I had a medical condition that could be problematic and sent us to the hospital. Only minutes before, we had found out that we were having a GIRL after our three boys, and suddenly having a girl was the least interesting thing about this pregnancy.

So after being discharged from the hospital that evening to go on bed rest at home, we sent out prayer requests. And we (mostly I) sent out prayer requests via email whenever something new was going on. When I was hospitalized 4 weeks later, at 24 weeks, we really stepped up the prayer requests. And our friends answered the request for prayers in more ways than we could have imagined. People hit their knees on our behalf. Our ministers and an elder came to the hospital and prayed for Phoebe while standing over my hospital bed. Facebook friends we haven't seen in years lifted us up in prayer.  And God answered those prayers.  Within hours of being admitted, we went from "Phoebe is coming ANY MINUTE", to "let's see if we can buy you another 5-6 days." And of course, much to the medical staff's surprise, Phoebe didn't come until 6 WEEKS after that initial hospitalization. This was not by luck or chance or by medical intervention...this was God answering the prayers of humble people. Amazing.

Recently, it hit me just how amazing that is and how blessed we've been. My friend, Carnel, told me on Facebook the following story about the co-op we both usually attend and something her young son, Stephen, said. I think Stephen is 4 yrs old:

Heather, after Maree prayed this morning for Phoebe, Stephen came up to me and whispered, "Is that OUR Phoebe, mom?" It's funny that he only knows her through our prayers at home so she must be ours.

Well that just floored me. This little guy has taken such ownership of his family's prayers for our little daughter that she feels like she's his Phoebe. I am so humbled and grateful for that. I look at her in her little incubator and think, "You are so blessed to have so many people on your side...and most of them haven't even met you yet!" Some of them don't even know us, they've just heard about our journey and felt compelled to join us in prayer and thought!

If you are reading this and have prayed for our family and our little Phoebe, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you SO MUCH. I cannot come up with words that are eloquent enough to express my gratitude. Your prayers helped sustain my pregnancy when it was in danger, then after I was hospitalized at 24 weeks, it bought her 6 more weeks in the womb. That has changed her experience in the NICU drastically. A 24 weeker's chances and challenges are very different from those of a 30 weeker. I'm not saying she's out of the woods; she is little and may face challenges.  But her life so far has been dramatically changed by you.  THANK YOU for making such a difference in the life of this little girl who I believe will have a powerful testimony of love, friendship and faith before she can even talk.



Phoebe, holding Daddy's ring