Rain

I’ve always loved the smell of rain. The way the grass smells greener, the air cleaner and the pavement cooler on a hot summer day. In Colorado where I grew up, it wasn’t this constant drizzle that we experience here in the Pacific Northwest when it rained. On most early summer afternoons, the swollen black clouds blew in dramatically and dumped their contents on the thirsty high desert ground.

I believe God is taking Tim and I through one of those summer storms right now. One minute it’s looking a little brighter, and then the storm clouds roll in suddenly and the sunshine is temporarily interrupted.

We had another ultrasound on Tuesday of this week and were able to see Sam’s perfect, beautiful face via a 4D ultrasound. We were awed by his little nose, mouth and even thought we saw a little hair on his head (which explains the horrible heartburn)! We were so encouraged to see that even though things on the inside aren’t exactly perfect, the outside looks completely healthy (including how he’s moving, growing, etc). That excitement was a little short lived. When we spoke to the doctor after he read the results of the ultrasound, it turns out that little Sam’s brain ventricles grew .3 millimeters from our last visit. We were hoping that they would stay the same size as our last ultrasound, but unfortunately, the docs see this happen more often than not in babies with ACC. With the part of his brain that’s missing, his body is trying to compensate for the empty space so it’s filling it with fluid.

What this means for us is that on Sam’s first day of life, he will more than likely go into surgery to have shunts put in his brain to drain the fluid into his abdominal cavity. If we opt out of the surgery, the alternative could potentially cause more damage from the pressure of the fluid on the brain. But there is still hope for a miracle; the doctors are basing this information on a trajectory, given the growth rate of the fluid stays the same. If it does, then we will for sure be sending Sam off to surgery as soon as he’s born (also meaning a C-section for me because of the swelling of the head).

We’re continuing to stay on our knees in prayer and asking for all our friends and whoever’s reading this to pray for our sweet boy.  We have our final ultrasound on August 4^th which will determine the final outcome of the birth details. We’re asking you all to join with us and pray that the fluid in his brain will reabsorb and that surgery won’t be necessary. I think the C-section is inevitable, but prayer for my original birth plan (natural) would be welcome too even though it’s not about me.

I’ll close with a couple of verses that are encouraging to me. Rain mentioned in the Bible always results in fruitful harvests. It has to rain or there is no life, no growth and no benefits to reap. God is faithful and the purpose He has for this time of hardship will be fulfilled and not returned empty, just as the rain that falls from the skies doesn’t return empty but produces abundant life-giving growth. We’re trusting and holding onto hope while looking forward to the promised time of blessing.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven  and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,  giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;   it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,   and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11