Today was a pivotal day for Steph.  While she still is having a lot of memory problems due to the induced coma , she has bounced back in an amazing way.  She was moved to a chair this morning, and while she was visually groggy, she was able to have more coherent conversations.  I was able to recount the events that landed her in the ICU and what ultimately led her to having to give birth to Abby via C-Section at 35 weeks.  When I told her that Dr. Rawson (THANKS, JON!) turned around from his vacation and came back to deliver the baby she began to cry with tears of gratitude.  I then helped her to begin to, how do I say this in a non-embarrassing way for my single friends, provide nourishment for Abby via mechanical devices (pump), which led her to bring a bit of her snappy wit back into action.

I was able to get the nurses to bring Abby back up to the room for a bit this morning.  However, Steph had to wear a mask and started having trouble breathing relatively quickly.  So, they had to take Abby away from her again.  Later in the day Steph asked me when she could meet Abby…  Her memory is still not all together.  She remembered the events that happened that led to her being put into the coma, giving birth, etc., but she thought they happened last night.  Her concept of time is still out of whack.

As the afternoon wore on, she said she wanted to walk again and that she was tired of sitting.  So, the nurse and I got her up, along with her shopping cart full of vital sign monitors and oxygen and we went for a walk. She walked around in the hall and went way further than the nurse expected!  It was a HUGE step for her.  We are praying that she will be moved to a different floor tomorrow or Thursday.  Braelyn cannot visit her next, and they both want to see each other.  We want our family to be all back together again so badly.

This evening I was walking out of the hospital with our dear friend Catherine Haskew, and we saw the Labor & Delivery nurse who noticed that Steph was in danger on Friday night.  Had she not stepped in when she did… I cannot even think about that right now.  She came up to me and asked how Steph was and I told her the great news.  She looked at me and said, “Well, now that I know there is good news, I want you to know that I was expecting bad news.”  That’s when it hit, again, that I could have lost my love, my best friend, my bride, my kids mom…  I can’t entertain that thought for long.  All I can do is thank Jesus that His sovereign grace and kindness permitted her more life.  Not because she did anything to deserve it, but because that is what He wills.  It is both a freeing and terrifying realization.  God hears prayers, God answers prayers,  all glory is due to Him.

I drove home in tears.  I’m not a basket case, I’m not ‘losing it’, but I am aware that I am a weak man, who needs to take the Yoke of the Lord upon me (Matthew 11:29) and allow Jesus to do the heavy lifting right now.  I’ve had friends in the mental health arena check in on me, and I have been candid.  I am overly thankful, truly sobered, and definitely recommitted to my Jesus, my wife, my children, my family, and my church.  There is much that I need to learn from this, and I trust that nothing is wasted.

I may or may not be going back to the hospital tonight.  That’s really up to Steph.  However, I am humbled by the overflow of love that you all have shown over the last few days.  The grace of God through you has been so humbling.  We love you and we need you.

We are all busy people, and I do not want to dominate your life or time, but when you have a moment, please say a prayer for my little family.  Not only for health and happiness, but for consequence.  We want to be a family that is intentional about living for the glory of God through His Son Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.  That is our desire, even in this circumstance.  For His Glory, For Our Joy.

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Several folks have asked if we are registered anywhere.  By God’s grace we have most of the ‘items’ needed for a baby, but we do have a registry on Amazon.  This is not a cheap solicitation, just provision of information in a macro manner, so that I can focus on my family.  To view our registry, you can CLICK HERE.