Mercy's Birthday

So Miss Mercy was breech, I became aware of that right around 34 weeks, because of pain in my ribs, and ultrasound confirmed that was her little round head pressing into my ribs on my left side...nice.

After a successful version at 37 weeks, she decided to flip back up to where she seemed most comfortable, so Dr. Keith and I decided to give it one more try at 39 weeks and if it worked to immediately induce labor.

It just so happened that my doctor was scheduled on call on Friday Sept 20, the very first day of my 39th week.  Sept. 20th also happened to be the exact same day that we found out we had lost our sweet baby last year.  This realization floored me, it felt so full circle and completely redemptive.

Romans 8:28
 ^"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,^[a] for those who are called according to his purpose."

To have all the pain and sadness that started last year on Sept. 20th, to be relieved and the desires of our heart fulfilled exactly one year later, was just more than we could have imagined, but the Lord knew, He knew when he created that sweet baby, and when He took that baby, He knew his plan even though we didn't.

Jeremiah 29:11
 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Mercy-"A blessing as an act of divine love"   Jayne- "God is gracious"

And she is every bit of these definitions.  We are blessed beyond measure.

Ephesians 3:20-21
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

It's a.....

Healthy Baby!!

I am so relieved!  We loved seeing all the pictures and hearing over and over again, yep that looks good! We got some pretty good pictures, but baby is very active and it wasn't very easy to get a good one of the face.


We came home and gave this card to the kids to open...

Here's the video of Annalee reading it...

Another Chance

As you all know I'm pregnant! I am 18 weeks and 4 days. Exactly 1 week from today we will be going in for the "BIG" ultrasound where we (hopefully) see that this sweet baby has all it's fingers and toes and and everything is functioning  and healthy as it should be at this point, and we will get to find out the gender! Which is the most exciting part for most people.  But I have to say that I am the most anxious about the healthy part.  I know it sounds cliche, but I am truly just hoping for a healthy baby, I do not care about boy or girl, just healthy.

I finally feel like I can share this with all of you. See, today April 30th is my due date.  Well it was anyway, with a sweet little baby that we conceived last summer.  We were surprised and a little bit anxious.  We had 2 previous very early losses since Ezra had been born, and so for the first little bit we were nervous, but as the days passed we got more and more comfortable and used to the idea, so at about 8 weeks, just a couple of days before our first ultrasound, we told our parents and our kids, and everyone was so thrilled and excited to be adding to our sweet family!  Annalee and Jude especially could barely be contained.  My heart was so full!

Then came time for the appt.  We were waiting for this appt to share the news with the rest of our family and friends.  My doctor likes to do the 1st ultrasound herself, so it was just Jay and I and Dr. Keith in there, she turned the lights off, and the screen came up, and you could immediately make out this little bitty bean with teeny tiny little arm and leg buds!  But it was also immediately evident that something was missing.  Dr. Keith said "Amy I'm not seeing a heartbeat".  and she scrolled the picture in really close and we all watched with held breath, willing that little flicker to appear.  But it didn't. As Jay stood there holding my hand, I couldn't stop the tears, they just came and came. I asked if there was anyway it could be a mistake, she said no, the baby measured perfectly at 8 weeks and 2 days, and there should definitely be a heartbeat at that point, which of course I knew. But still I couldn't give up, I asked her if I could take a couple of days and come back for a follow up "just in case".  I was hoping for a miracle.  But it didn't come. I went back 2 days later and there was no change.  After an extremely painful and heart wrenching week I had to go in for a D&C.

As I woke up in the recovery room, a nurse had already gone to get Jay, apparently I was crying before I was even fully awake. I can barely describe how difficult all of this was for me. I struggled with so much guilt and just pure sadness for the loss of a baby that I had already bonded with and loved. It seemed like everywhere around me someone was either announcing a pregnancy or giving birth. I mourned over ultrasound pictures I had but would never share. 

But as they say it got easier with time, and we had our wonderful friends and family who rallied around us and offered us so much comfort and support, and as the months went by I knew I wanted to actually "try" for a baby.  Something we had never done before.  We decided when the doc gave us the ok, we would give it 3 months, if we got pregnant great, if not, then it was just time to move on to the next phase of our life.  Well turns out we only needed one month, and here we are. Even though I still feel a little melancholy today, remembering that time and the pain that came with it, I am  now even more thankful for another chance to carry and mother another sweet child.

So yeah I'm nervous. I am anxiously waiting to hear the "everything looks great" way more than the "it's a boy! or it's a girl!" part.

I wanted to share this because it seems like no one talks about pregnancy loss, for some reason its still taboo, yes it is extremely painful, but it can also be very isolating.  If no one knows then you have to just move through life like everything is fine when it very much is not.  I hope that my experience has made me a better person and friend, and that it can help someone else somewhere along the way.

So if you think about it in the next week just say a prayer for us and this sweet babe, for a good report and a healthy pregnancy.

The Bug....and a teeny announcement

I never should have opened my big mouth. I had just been telling Jay how we seemed to have dodged a bullet this winter with no real sickness other than runny noses..

And then Monday afternoon came, and we were hit. Annalee started complaining of stomach pain, and a few hours later, I knew why.  She was sick for days, and by Thursday I thought we were surely past it and somehow it had missed the rest of us...nope. 

At about 4 am Thursday morning it hit Ezra, and by Friday night, though the vomiting seemed to be over, he was running a temp of nearly 105.  While we debated on whether or not to take him to the emergency room that night, Jude woke up...puking.  and continued to puke until nearly 6 am.  Thankfully Ezra's fever broke around 2 am, and Jay and I took shifts being with Jude.  I think I seriously had 1 1/2 hours of sleep that night.  Saturday was much the same, the boys continued to run temps off and on and to throw up every now and then. and just wanted lay around. We have definitely eaten more than our fair share of popsicles over these days.

Poor Jude, he tried to fight the vomiting, and made it so much more forceful coming out, he actually has little burst blood vessels around each eye. 

It has seemed to hit each of them a little differently, and has left Jay and I wondering when it's our turn.

Here we are at Sunday, almost a full week into this, and can I just say I am exhausted.  I have cleaned bathrooms and floors and rugs, and cuddled kid after kid, and wiped and washed every piece of bed clothing we own and all of the towels we own more than once, and stripped vomit covered kids and vomit covered beds, through all hours of the day and night.  And yes this is just part of the job, and I try to do it with out complaining to much, although Jay might say otherwise :)  But this sickness has hit us hard, and me hard it seems.  I am having a hard time recovering from the lack of sleep and over work...



But there might be another reason for that too...This is happening, right now...

Yep...another precious little Scott baby is on the way! We are so thrilled to be blessed with another addition to our family.  But let me be honest, it is kicking my but right now.  I have been sicker and more exhausted than with the others.  But hopefully easier days are on the way! 

Baby #4 is due to arrive near the end of September!  Please join us in praying for a healthy and happy pregnancy.

Much love to all, more updates coming soon!