God is good all the time

Since we have been here, there are moments when I feel like time is dragging its feet. Other times, I can not believe how fast things are moving. One of my goals is to stay current on my blog and keep everyone informed of Ella's progress, but another week has gone by and I have plenty to tell. So here are more updates on our sweet girl!

Saturday the 21st was Jason's mother's birthday. She came and spent the afternoon with us, then later that evening, I gave Ella a bath for the first time, which was pretty scary. It was a pretty special day for us. And little did we know, the whole week would be filled with special moments and lots of firsts.

Sunday my Daddy came to visit, and we went out to lunch as a family for the first time in months. We had another day of blessings from the Father, and Sunday night, Jason held his little girl for the first time. I can not even explain to you how I felt when he was looking down at her snuggled in his arms. He is already a great daddy, and I can't wait to watch him grow as a father.

Monday, Ella was 3 lbs. which meant we could finally put some clothes on her! My mother and I had fun picking out something for her to wear for the first time, and then my mama got to hold her for the first time. Another moment I won't forget. My mother already talks about taking Ella to the park and teaching her to cook. My prayer is that Ella has many, many years with her grandparents doing lots of fun things together.

Tuesday, we bottle fed her for the first time, which was a huge step as she had only been feeding through a tube. This is sort of a milestone. We began trying with 2 bottles a day, one per 12 hour shift, so as not to tire her out. As I've mentioned before, it's hard work for a premie to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time.
As she gets more comfortable with this, they will begin to increase using the bottle for more feedings, and that is one of the main requirements before we go home. We pray that she continues to gain weight and get stronger so, again, maybe we can be home by Christmas.

Wednesday, Mrs. Myra and Grandaddy came to visit again. This time, Jason's mother got to hold her. I have been lucky enough to witness these special moments, and for that I am so thankful. With every moment that passes, every milestone reached, every first...I am so amazed by the Lord's goodness, and my cup runneth over with love and joy for our Father as well as for my baby.

Thursday brought a different kind of Thanksgiving. It was one of the most special days that I can remember. Thanksgiving meant a lot of different things this year, and though we were thankful for so many things, we were not excited about being away from home. But home came to us! My Daddy, Aunt Sandra, Uncle Jack, Lori, Ben, and sweet little man Jack, came to join us in Pensacola (my mother was already here:) and brought one of the biggest and best Thanksgiving dinners I can remember! They rented a hotel room with a kitchen and a table, and we had one of the nicest dinners imaginable! I get teary-eyed just thinking about it. What a special, special family I have! There was one important person missing though, but it sure was helpful that she was only a mile away, and I know she will be with us next year. Even little man Jack said, "I want baby Ella." I can't wait for him and the rest of my family to meet her! Not to mention all our friends...After dinner, Jason and I went for our nightly visit and Ella finished her whole bottle for the first time! What an appropriate end to the day! To the Sansoms and the Foremans you will NEVER EVER be able to understand what Thursday meant to us, and we love you so much. Thank you for everything you have been and everything you have done during this time. You have no idea what having you as our family means.

My Daddy sacrificed a day of hunting, and spent the night Thursday night to stay with Mama Friday for Jason and I to go home for the day. J and I got up about 4:30 Friday morning (yes, there were already people lined up at the mall across the street!), and we went to see Ella before heading to Andalusia. When we got home, I was so happy to see my pets! Me, Tip, Happy, and Maisy sat in the recliner and watched a movie while J worked. (I was instructed not to lift a finger...) It was so great being at home, but it also reminded me of how much we have to do before Ella comes home. I know the Lord will help us work it out. He has taken care of everything else. Friday afternoon, Jason and I went to Lori and Ben's to watch the ballgame. It was nice to be able to relax, but after a quick visit to the Sansoms and the Fores after the game, Jason and I were ready to get back to our little one! When we got back, Mother (after MUCH convincing) and Daddy headed back to Andalusia, and Jason and I spent the rest of the weekend doing a lot of sleeping and spending time with Ella. My mom came back yesterday prepared to spend another week baby-sitting me and Ella. Thank God for wonderful Mamas!:)

Today has brought more changes. I had a checkup this morning, and my bp was 114/68!
Dr. Dobak decreased my meds, and we will see where to go from here. Ella has been doing excellent in holding her own temperature, so today they took her out of the incubator, and put her in a regular crib! She finished another whole bottle again today, which makes the fifth time so far, and we are still praying for her to
continue to progress. God IS good ALL the time, and all the time God is good. Please remember us in your prayers, and I look forward to posting that we will be coming home soon! Until then...

Update on Ella

Not too long ago, I made a statement on one of my posts about how all the people on facebook do not need to neglect their blog. It has occurred to me just tonight that I am guilty of that very thing. I realized I have not posted anything since I have been out of the hospital! For that I'm sorry, as I tell everyone that they can keep up with our family through my blog! So, here's what's been happening...


Last Friday morning I woke up early expecting to leave the hospital sometime that day. Though I was still in pain, I was feeling better. Jason went to check on Ella before he left for work. He came back by my room and told me that she had had some dips in her heart rate, which is one reason I had to deliver her early. When Jason left I became really upset and cried myself to sleep. When I woke up later in the morning, my mother and I went to see Ella, and her sweet nurse explained that those dips were very common in premies because they sometimes forget to breathe as they are eating or sometimes for no reason at all, and that sometimes they just need to be touched or if it continued, be given caffeine as a stimulant. Wow, did I feel better. I don't think I would have such a hard time if I were given explanations in the beginning. I am learning to ask lots of questions. The nurse assured me Ella was doing great, and they upped her food, as she was tolerating everything well.

Saturday morning came and, for who knows what reason, I found myself hysterical about Ella. Jason once again reminded me of how much Jesus loves Ella, and how He had brought us too far to take away our little girl. I began to think of everything He had brought us through. I began to think of everything that had happened, and how I even went to Ecuador when I was pregnant! I couldn't help but to think about how these things had not been in vain, and how the Lord protected in each situation. I thought of all the events that had taken place in the hospital, and how He had His hand on us the whole time. Then I began to experience such a peace. Later that day, I held her for the first time, and I realized even more than ever that everything we had experienced was worth it. We prayed for years to have this sweet baby girl, and here she was our precious, tiny gift from the Father. The Bible speaks of how the Lord loves to give His children good gifts, and aside from God sending His Son, this is the best gift Jason and I could ever receive.

I woke up Sunday morning praising the Lord for all He had done. Though my heart was light, I thought of our church and how I missed being at home, especially since revival was beginning. Revival had already begun in our lives, however. When you come to the place where you have no choice but to depend on the Lord, it makes you want to love and serve Him more. I pray that we can stay focused on Him as Ella gets stronger and even as we go home. I pray that we remember how much He has done for us, and we change our lives and strive to live accordingly. Once again, Ella had another great day.

Monday was the goal for us; the date we had set for Ella to be born. I thought of how we almost made it, and how we made it further than many thought. Again, we praise God and are thankful for the excellent doctors and nurses surrounding us. They have become like family. I thought of how blessed we were to have such a healthy child from the beginning. I probably mentioned this in my last post, but Ella did not have to have any assistance breathing nor was she on any medications when she was first born, which is not always the case with any newborn, but especially with premies. They did place a tube of oxygen (that had the same flow as room air-what you and I breathe) in her nose just to help her remember to breathe. Monday they removed the tube to see if she would breathe on her own, and she has done great with the change. Monday is also the day they took her out from under the light that helps with jaundice, and it's ALSO the day I held my sweet girl for the second time. Jason could not stand it! He was scared the whole time, and ever since he has discouraged me from holding her explaining that she is too little! He is such a daddy now, and he says he doesn't want to hold her until she is at least 6 pounds. I have a feeling he will change his mind... :) Monday was also the day I finally got out of the hospital. The doctors were reluctant because my blood pressure was still high, but they decided that would be an ongoing battle for a while. It's funny...I had been so ready to leave the hospital, but when the day arrived, I cried thinking of how I would no longer be just around the corner from Ella! Again, we thank God for The Ronald McDonald House!

Tuesday Ella was a week old. In ways it seems like she was born yesterday, and in other ways, I feel as if she has been in the NICU for months. I look at her little, little body and am so amazed at God's handywork. I think of Jesus holding her in His hands, and how one touch from Him keeps everything working as it should. Ella had her first ultrasound of her brain, a routine practice with premies, and we thank the Lord above that everything came back normal! She continued to do well Tuesday, and when we went back for our late night visit, the lady at the desk told us she had been moved to Level 2, the level right before she goes home! WOW, God! We anticipate several more weeks, and are hoping they don't rush her. We want her to have all the time she needs before we go home. But what a huge step! This is where they will start trying to teach her to bottle feed, and where they will begin to see if she can hold her own temperature to be in a regular bed instead of the incubator. Again, we are praying for huge strides forward every day, and are hoping to be home by Christmas. Everyone says with premies often it is 3 steps forward and 5 steps back. But we expect great things from our Father, and are excited about Ella continuing to progress.

Wednesday came and Jason and I had to adjust to the fact that though Level 2 meant progression, it also meant less one on one time as far as nurses are concerned. It is quite different that what we grown accustomed to! The doctor upped her food, as she seemed to be tolerating things well, and the day was very uneventful. When it comes to the NICU, that is the best kind of day! Ella did have her hearing test on Wednesday and she passed! Thank you, Jesus!

When we went for our morning visit on Thursday, we were delighted to find that they had removed Ella's IVs. She was continuing to improve, and again they increased her feedings. However, yesterday afternoon when Jason and my mother visited, they thought her little tummy was swollen. The nurse measured it, and sure enough, it was. Ella's doctor (who we LOVE) came to check on her, and she thought it was just air. She ordered an x-ray just to be sure that Ella did not have an infection. Her doctor told us a couple days earlier that this is the stage where the risk of infection is a little higher as the food is increased. Though the x-ray came back normal, I was still beside myself. Being a mother is so scary! The doctor discovered that the nurse had not been venting her after her feedings, and that she thought she just needed to get rid of the air in her stomach. She assured me that it was probably nothing, and that she would be better over the next couple of days. Needless to say when we went back last night there was a sign on her crib saying "Please Vent Me After Feeding!" They promised to continue to watch her, but we woke up this morning anxious to go check on her!

We found our pretty girl fast asleep this morning. The doctor came by and told us that Ella was better today. They increased her food all the way up to her maximum amount today, and, again, she seems to be tolerating things really well. Bro. Barry came for a nice visit this afternoon, and through his prayer, I was reminded that the Lord has kind and loving hands. I always pray that He holds Ella in His hands, but I forget sometimes what that means, and how special that is. Bro. Barry also prayed that not only did we feel God's Presence, but that Ella would too. This brought tears to my eyes. It never occurred to me that she could be aware of the Father, but the very thought of this gave me so much comfort! I am thankful that the Lord provides wisdom and comfort to His children through other people!

This afternoon the nurses gave her a suppository to help her tummy. When that kicked in she felt much better and Jason and I literally watched her stomach go down in front of our very eyes! We felt much better, and were able to enjoy a nice dinner with my mother. I will close for now, as it is time to practice Kangaroo Care with my little one! I would like to again say thank you for everything including lifting us up in prayer. Please continue to pray for Ella to grow stronger and healthier, and for us a family.

***FOR MORE PICS OF ELLA, CHECK OUT LORI'S BLOG***
(Just click on Foreman Family under my list of friends on my blog page.)

SHE IS HERE!!!

I can not believe she is finally here. We wanted to wait a little longer, but the Lord has
His perfect timing. The past couple of days have been really hard, but I thought I would share with you the events that led up to the arrival of our little, tiny miracle.

Monday I began to have the feeling that something wasn't right. Nothing had changed physically, but I had a feeling I could not explain. I woke up Monday morning determined to take a shower because I felt like it might be the last chance I would have before she was born. Little did I know that I would be right. Again, I absolutely can not explain it, except to say that I do feel like the Lord sometimes uses those feelings to prepare us for what lies ahead.

Monday Ella's ultrasound was fine, except she did not practice breathing, which is not uncommon in her age (plus all the meds I was taking), but then her heart rate started to dip some during the day. It had happened before, but, again, I just felt like things were different. My doctors put me on continuous monitoring, and gave me another ultrasound that night, which was fine except, again, she would not practice breathing. I called Jason (who was planning to go to Andalusia that night), and convinced he and my Daddy to come spend the night Monday night. Hurricane Ida was set to hit the coast, and there was talk of closing the bridge in Pensacola. I really wanted Daddy and J to be with me and Mama when she was born, and I felt like I wasn't sure if I would make it through the night without delivering Ella. So, they came. But, Monday night passed and still no baby.

Tuesday I woke up with that same weird feeling, and my sweet nurse told me that Ella's heart rate had still been dipping through the night. I asked her if she thought that I would deliver Ella. Though she wasn't saying much, I could tell she was nervous, and she paged one of the resident doctors who came in my room and told me my anxiety was getting the best of me, that I should think positive thoughts and that we would see how my ultrasound went that day. Five minutes later, Dr. Doback, one of the two main doctors handling my case, came in and did an ultrasound, and could not get Ella to move. He said we had one hour, and that I needed to get my Daddy and Jason here right away. From that point, things moved very quickly, and I got to see Jason walking through the door as Dr. Doback was wheeling me into the operating room. He was not allowed to come in with me because since I had back surgery, they weren't sure an epidural would take, so they decided to put me under general anesthesia. Since my delivery, I have learned that Dr. Doback does not usually go into surgery with his patients, and Jason and I have discussed how much that meant to us that he was with me. We feel like that is just another way the Lord was looking out for me and Ella, and we believe Dr. Doback is a gift to us from God. We're not sure if it's just because he loves the Tide like J, or what, but whatever the reason he chose to be with us, we are very greatful, and I feel like he is the reason things went as well as they did. So thank you, Dr. Doback...you are forever in our hearts and lives.

Looking back, I am really thankful that I was, in a way, prepared, as it made seem things less scary. Of course the rest of Tuesday is a huge blur, and I was completely out of it the rest of the day. I vaguely remember people who visited, and bits and pieces of conversations. It was only today that I remembered Jason bought me a necklace with Ella's birthstone that day, and he also bought her a tiny ring with hearts and her birthstone. He wanted us both to have something special to celebrate her birth. Did I tell you I have the best husband ever?

Yesterday I woke up thinking what a breeze my C-section had been, and how I was not even in pain. What I didn't realize was that I had an IV hooked up with medication that they later told me was 13 times stronger than Morphine, and all I had to do was push a little button to receive the meds, and that I could get a dose of it as often as every six minutes. One of my great resident doctors came by and told me that they would be unhooking that and the magnesium drip at 11:00 yesterday morning. I remember her telling me to hit the button before they unhooked me and before I attempted to get up, and I remember thinking how that would probably not be necessary. Well, I guess I didn't realize how often I pushed my little button, because when 11:00 rolled around, for the second time during this hospital stay, I thought I would not make it through the day. I got up to find lots of blood, which really scared me, but everyone reassured me was completely normal. Then as I tried to eat before my shower, I discovered I couldn't keep anything down, which is REALLY fun when you have stitches and staples in the muscles of your stomach that you use for many things but just don't realize it. Not only did they have to cut me across my stomach, but Ella got stuck so they also had to make a vertical cut in my uterus. Super fun.

I finally made it to the shower, and then I was faced with the task of changing rooms. Even though my sweet family did all the work, I felt so overwhelmed, and I began to be overcome with emotion. Plus, I had not even laid eyes on my daughter.

We got moved, and then I went to meet my sweet Ella. I did not know how much I loved her until I saw her. I came back to my room to find some friends and family who had come to visit, and they provided a much needed distraction from the pain, and the fact that our baby girl was what felt like miles away hooked up to a bunch of machines. When my sweet company left, my sweet mother was left to take care of me. I know I have said this before, but I could not have made it here without her, my daddy, and Jason. My mother has been here to carry me around in the wheelchair, listen to me, cry with me...and she has never once complained. Not once. I am amazed at her strength and love, and again, I thank the Lord above for such a special woman as my mother. I hope I can be half of the mother she is.

As I was crying through the pain with my stomach feeling like a watermelon, she assured me that I would be better every day that passed. After an exhausting day for her, she went to stay down the hill at the Ronald McDonald house. We were fortunate enough to be able to reserve a room there (another blessing from God), and until I get out of the hospital, a family member has to stay there or we will lose our spot. I have not been there yet, but my mother and Jason say it is amazing. I am so thankful we will be able to stay close to Ella without the costs of hotel fees. I will also be forever thankful to whatever genius came up with this idea.

Last night, Jason stayed at the hospital with me and, of course, got no rest, as he had to wake up and help me walk to the bathroom, which proved to be a long and daunting task. When you wake up at 2:30 in the morning to go to work, every moment of sleep lost is huge. Again, what would I do without him? About 12:30 last night, I was overcome with emotion (and hormones?) and became almost hysterical thinking of Ella, which, again is not ideal with a stapled stomach. My wonderful nurse came and got me, though, and we went to see my baby girl for about an hour in the middle of the night. I have been so surprised at how much I have been crying over Ella. Afterall, Jesus has blessed us by watching over her from the moment she arrived. She has, so far, had to have no medications, or even oxygen, which is not always the case with premie babies. Her breathing has been fine, and all of her nurses assure us she is doing wonderful. Still, there are moments when I am consumed with the fact that she is so little and helpless, and there are times I find myself begging the Lord to take care of her, to make her healthier and stronger and to keep her safe. My faith is in Him alone, but Satan uses quiet moments to instill doubt and fear deep in my heart. Please be in prayer about that.

Still, today has been much better. My pain has been decreasing, and my mood has been improving. Mother and I visited baby Ella in the NICU unit today, and she is doing very well. She has lost a little weight, which is to be expected, but other than that she is pretty and perfect. To us anyway. When Jason got here after work, we went back to see her, and I got pretty upset again. I am feeling better now after some prayer and comfort from J and my awesome nurses. I hope things continue to get even better and better as the days pass. I can't wait to start our new life with our little girl, and I can't wait for all you who have prayed so hard and kept us in your thoughts to meet her! Please keep praying for me and my family. I know we have some long days ahead...

Ella Charles

One more picture of our sweet girl!!

Ella Charles is Here!!

Hey guys! This is Lori... the only people that can see Ella Charles is Jason right now and then they are going to let the grandparents see here but that's all for a while. She will definately be in the hospital for 5 weeks at the best so she'll be here for a while.

She weighed 2 lbs. 11 oz. and is 15 inches long and BEAUTIFUL!! Here are our first pictures that Jay took for us. So, enjoy!! Mother and baby are still doing well!

11 days?

Today has been a good day. Other than those fleeting moments of worry and wonder, I woke up surprisingly overwhelmed with a confident peace that the Lord was taking care of things. And once again, He has.

As you may know, we, along with the doctors, have set a goal of Nov. 16 for Ella's birthday. Earlier this week, I asked Dr. Thorp if Nov. 15 came around, and things were still good, then what? He said if I made it to next week, we would revisit that question then. We know that the docs. know best, and we don't want to push too far, but we (J especially) don't want to short ourselves or our daughter on time. Again, we are praying every day for more and more time, as that will be less time she has to be in the hospital. It's funny how much my point of view has changed lately. I feel so blessed with each passing day, and just thank our Father above that I am still here. My nurse and I were discussing today just how sick I was when I came here (AND HAD NO IDEA), and as I've said before both of my docs. have said they both thought I would have delivered by now. They weighed me the other day, and I have lost 21 pounds since I have been here. Just fluid. I am truly, truly amazed at how far I have come, and I shudder to think of what could have happened had I not been transferred from Dothan that night. Tomorrow will be one month exactly. The days do seem to be passing faster, but I guess it's because my days are full of lots of sleeping. I can tell my poor mother is wearing down, as HER days are filled with crossword puzzles, reading, and walks through the courtyard. I can not imagine being here without her.

The itching is MUCH better, so thanks for all the prayers about that. My bp is still kind of all over the place, but just not as high as it was before. They are discussing changing my meds a little, and that is scary because I never know how my system will take even a minor adjustment in medication. Please be in prayer about that. I am also praying that Ella will arrive healthy and strong, and that the docs. will be amazed at how well she is. Ultimately, I will say again, we realize she is in the Lord's hands, and He loves her more than we do. I really never knew you could love someone so much when you haven't even met them!

Dr. Thorp just came in and said my strips (where they monitor her heartbeat three times a day for an hour) looked better today than he has seen them, and that today is the first day in several weeks that the bloodflow through the umbilical cord was not absent, which is good. Though my fluid was a little lower yesterday, it was back up today, and everything is looking great. She's been moving a lot, which he says is the most important indication of how things are going. Before he left my room, he said "Nov. 16, right?" I just laughed and told him we would talk about that next week. He said he is usually pushing patients to go further, not the other way around. He said he has never had a patient push him before. Well, we just believe God is doing amazing things every day, and we have much faith that He will continue to work miracles. We give Him the glory in everything, and we continue to thank you for your support and your prayers. As one of my favorite (resident) docs. said to me the other day, "It ain't as long as it has been..." This will all be over soon, and I pray that one day Ella can use this story to speak of God's amazing love and faithfulness. I know Jason and I will. We will never be the same, and really I am excited about how the Lord will use our story for His kingdom. We will see...