As the days draw near and we are both physically and emotionally preparing to embark on this journey as Heart Warrior parents, I can't help but feel both anxiety and peace. There is always going to be some level of anxiety or feeling of restlessness as you prepare for the birth of your child, but when you add a Congenital Heart Defect on top of it all it's hard to not let yourself give in to the fears and anxieties of your mind. I know that I am supposed to cast my fears onto the Lord and give him all the glory as we move into this new stage, but I am far from perfect.
One of the biggest anxieties for us right now is accommodations for our extended hospital stay. Garrett and I are not allowed in the hospital at the same time so we need to either have set accommodations in place or one of us needs to do this journey alone. Since we are looking at an approximate 4 week stay (if everything goes smoothly) the burden of accommodations has become a factor for us since non-profit charities such as Ronald McDonald House are currently closed to new families. There is no word on when these organizations may open back up or what the rules and regulations will look like once they do start excepting new families. To say this aspect of preparing to head to UVA in a week and a half without knowing where we will stay is stressful, does not even begin to explain in.
We were blessed with a bright light during all of that uncertainty last week when we had a follow up echo that showed no further deterioration of our little ones heart. Praise God! In the midst of all the stress and anguish of what is going on, I can truly said that God has been so so good. We may not get all of our prayers answered, but he hears our cries and he is watching over our little one.
As we draw near to our final days as a family of three and as we prepare to be a separated family of four, I will keep this near as a reminder that we will only get by with the love of our God and with a little help from our friends. <3
While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed. When Moses's hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. Exodus 17:11-12
We have had many friends and family members reaching out to us over the last few weeks asking how they can help us as we prepare for our upcoming arrival, as well as once he is here. If you feel led to do so, a dear friend of ours has started a Go Fund Me page to help with any uncovered housing expenses and medical costs.
We ask that you continue to keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we expect the arrival of our son, Asher in less than 2 weeks. Your words of encouragement and continued prayers is what will help us get through the tough times we will soon face.
We appreciate all of you more than we can ever express and we'll make sure to let you all know once Asher has made his arrival and we are all settled in!