Jenny did you know?

As I sit here and reflect on all that has happened this year.......I realized just how blessed I am!  Babies aren't something that comes easy for me!  We tried over a year to have our first son and I was a nervous wreck during the entire pregnancy.  The pregnancy went very well until the last few weeks when my blood pressure went up.  I was able to deliver a very healthy 7lb. 13 ounce baby boy at 37 weeks!  Well, when we were finally ready for a second child, it was even harder than the first.  We tried for over 2 years and had started to discuss adoption.  Finally, we were blessed with another healthy pregnancy. I didn't worry with this pregnancy!  I was enjoying it!  Then things changed at week 28!!!   I know just how very lucky I am to have had two pregnancies.  My heart breaks for those who so badly want to have this experience.  I pray for these women.  I have been there.....it is so hard to wait!

Now, as I sit here and look at my two sleeping boys, I am so very thankful!!!  Life is truly miraculous!  It is an amazing gift!  I think about the Chirstmas song that I used to hear my mom sing in church when I was younger, "Mary Did You Know".  I have thought about this song several times. Mary did you know you baby boy would someday.......and it lists a host of amazing things that her son, Jesus, would do.  Here was this humble woman giving birth to the King of Kings in a stable.  Mary was given a precious gift, a baby!  A baby that would one day walk on water, save your sons and daughters, give sight to the blind man, calm the storm with his hand.  How awesome!!  Did Mary know?  Here she was in a foreign city giving birth surrounded by animals.  How amazing!  This small baby born in a manger so meekly turned out to be King of Kings!  I thought about this.  This small baby I was given, this small miracle, this amazing work of God.  I asked myself, "Jenny, do you know"?  Do I know what he will become?  What amazing things he will do?  I have already been amazed in so many ways!  I have been given the ultimate gift!  I can't wait to see what he will do!!!  

We are so very thankful this Christmas!  We have been blessed!  I can't even described how amazing it is to watch him grow and change from day to day.  It has been amazing to watch a bond between brothers grow.  My oldest son sings to him all the time!  He watches over him and is amazed at the sounds and smells he makes!!!  It has been a blessing in so many ways.  Then today, my phone gave me my weekly pregnancy update!!  It is week 36!  Which means that Mr. Eli is still supposed to be baking for another month inside my body!!  How totally awesome is that!  Again, I get to watch this little guy mature before my eyes as he would inside the womb!  

We have still had Christmas this year, just in a very different way!  My family of four could not be all together as we traveled to family to family to celebrate Christmas.  We did it in shifts!  My husband would take our oldest son to his side of the family and I would take him to my side of the family!  My sweet nephew had an awesome idea and I was able to watch my oldest open his gifts with my husband via Skype!!  Everyone has been so helpful with us being on lock down!!

This week.....we received the bill!!!!  I have read in my preemie books (thanks to an awesome friend for getting me this books) that the average cost of NICU per day is around $2,000 to $3,000 a week)! The bill for just the facility charges was........$120,000 for five weeks!  Per day in NICU is $2,700!  You know what....this is the best CHRISTmas Present EVER!!!  Eli is PRICELESS!!  The cost of a miracle....PRICELESS!!!!  I will blog about week five very soon!!  I just wanted to express how blessed I am this Christmas!!!