Blessings and Thank you

I realized this morning before Mass started that I have not thanked everyone who prayed for Stella and me during my pregnancy and delivery. 

Prior to Mass starting,the cantors sang the song, Blessings by Laura Story.  I'd never heard this song at Mass before.  I've heard it twice now in the last week.  I haven't heard it since March.  I can't hear it without getting teary eyed or crying.  When I heard it in March, it was just after a miscarriage.  At the time, obviously, I had no idea of the blessings I would receive as time went on.  We found out in April that we were pregnant again, and again unexpectedly.  The miscarriage was my first cycle in 3 years, then to immediately get pregnant again...so many emotions.  Our doctor said we could be cautiously optimistic about the pregnancy. 

I found myself being much more private about this pregnancy, but at the same time needing and asking for prayers.  I was humbled from the beginning.  I was tired and didn't feel well--as is normal with early pregnancy.  Then I had to start progesterone injections.  I continued to feel sicker and throw up so often that it didn't phase my kids anymore and they would even mimic me. 

By June when I was just about 11 weeks along I found myself in the hospital for 3 days to rehydrate and recover from some anemia.  It took the rest of June before I finally had some energy back.  I was determined that we'd go on our family vacation to the beach and south Texas to see Jaime's extended family.  In August school started and then we had our sonogram.  We'd had a couple early on due to the previous miscarriage and when I was in the hospital, but this was the exciting one.  This was the one where we got to find out boy or girl, see baby's profile, hands, and feet.  Also, I was finally starting to feel better!  It'd been a LONG 22 weeks!  At my next prenatal visit we found out that not all was well.  The radiologist suspected something called amniotic bands.  These could cause malformations, amputations, or death of the baby.  A week later we met with the perinatologist for a level 2 sonogram.  Relief swept over us as he ruled out amniotic bands, but then he diagnosed velamentous insertion of the umbilical cord.  Not near as serious as amniotic bands, but still a serious condition.  We started our weekly sonograms and non-stress tests.  Many many prayers were prayed.  We thank everyone who prayed for us.  We have truly been blessed to have you in our lives, to have you to pray for us, and to now hold a healthy baby girl.  I pray that 2012 brings you many blessings and much happiness.