Saturday April 17, 2004

Hi Everybody,

As most of you have probably heard by now, our baby (Andrew), will be born with Down Syndrome. He will also most likely require surgery to fix the obstruction in his small intestine after he is born (probably the next day). Chris is doing well. All the IV's were removed this morning. She still has some contractions occasionally, and the Dr. still plans on sending her home on Monday. Our emotions are mixed...and up and down. We feel prepared for this and like God has chosen us for this awesome responsibility, but like any parent, we are dealing with the disappointment of not having the “perfect baby”. Overall, I think we are at a good place.
The next month will be spent educating ourselves and asking alot of questions. I don't know what we need spiritually right now, so please pray as God would lead you. All we can do right now is step out and trust Him. We know His mighty hand has been with us from day 1 and he has been preparing us for this for longer than we will probably know. Pray for Jonah and Ben as this will disrupt their lives for awhile with Mom and Andrew in and out of the hospital. I am sure God will use this little one in a powerful way in our family.

Thank you for all the prayers, visits, phone calls, treats and child care. We are truly blessed.
Duane