Hadley Update

Family and Friends,

Thank you so much for all of the prayers and support you are giving us.  They are wonderful and please keep them coming.  I want to give everyone an update of what is going on right now...

As of Saturday I was leaking fluid and had about 7-8 cm of fluid around Hadley.  I have leaked more fluid since then but not a large amount.  We had a sonogram yesterday and the fluid had decreased to around 5-6 cm but the sonogram doctor told us we were still in the "ok" zone.  Anything below 1 does gets scary.  Right now I am receiving fluid through an IV and drinking as much water as I can.  Baby Hadley makes her own fluid through her urine so the more I take in the more she makes.  We know at this point that my membranes have ruptured but we aren't sure how big the tear is and most likely will not know.  I am allowed to get up and go to the bathroom and take 1 shower a day but the rest of the day I am on strict bed rest.  As of right now here are some of our goals that I want to share with you so you can be praying for these things with us:

1.  Viability of Hadley would be 23-24 weeks so right now our goal is March 1st.  I will be 23 weeks then.  (Today I am 21 weeks-each Tuesday I am a new week).  Of course our big goal is to go WAY past this but for us we are focusing on short term goals and going from there.

2.  Our next big goal is April 5th.  That is 7 weeks away and I will be 28 weeks at that point.

3.  Our ultimate goal is May 17th.  That is 13 weeks away and I will be 34 weeks. 

Another area that we need prayer is that I do not get an infection.  Infection would be not only bad for Hadley but very bad for me so we are praying that the antibiotics they have me on right now will keep infection away.

One last area that we need a lot of prayer for is our time away from Briley.  That is one of the hardest things that Daniel and I are struggling with right now but we know God's plan is so much greater than ours and we trust him.  Briley is being well taken care of by so many people already and Daniel and I keep joking when we get home in 13 weeks (our big goal!) she will be spoiled rotten!!  :)  Just please pray for peace for both us regarding this. 

To end this entry I want to share a story with you that will not only show you how amazing our God is but how he is constantly working through us and others to show how much he loves us.  After receiving the news on Monday that our fluid had gone down I was pretty upset.  The sono doctor could tell I was upset and tried to comfort us as much as he could.  When I left the sono room there was another girl waiting to go in.  We smiled at each other and I remember thinking when I passed her I wonder what her story is.  Later that day our nurse and another nurse came in and mentioned to us that there was a girl down the hallway that was in a similar situation as us and would love to share her story and talk.  When she had gone in after me for her sonogram the doctor said it might be nice for her to talk with me.  Daniel and I were so excited to hear this.  Isn't our God so awesome?  She and her husband came in last night and stayed about an hour talking to us.  Here is a little bit of her story...she ruptured at 16 weeks and came to the hospital for a couple days.  They told her she had to go home until her baby was viable at 23 weeks.  She had the strength to go home for 7 weeks and sit there all day everyday leaking and not knowing whether her baby was ok.  She would come in for a sonogram to her doctor once a week to check and eventually she made it back to the hospital at her 23 week mark!!  When she ruptured she had ZERO fluid around her baby.  Now she has been at the hospital for over a month and is almost 29 weeks!!  Her baby will gain fluid at times but mostly she sits below 1 cm of fluid.  Hearing her and her husbands story last night was such an inspiration to Daniel and I.  Last night when we were talking we both knew that God put her here for a reason and me as well...and one reason is to be there for each other!!  Daniel and I prayed that night thanking God over and over again for everything he has given us and especially for our new friends.

Daniel and I know that God's plan for us is not the same at their plan.  We know that if something happens before viability it will be because of his perfect plan and though we may not understand it today or anyday...we will be thankful and praise him always.  We are praying endlessly that his plan for us will be our ultimate goal in May (or even later).  

Today is also one month since my courageous mother-in-law passed away.  We not only feel comfort knowing that God's hand is on our sweet Hadley but her Nonnie as well.

God's plan is perfect...

We love y'all and please keep praying!!

Daniel, Melissa, Briley, and Hadley