Miracles

A picture of my miracles.

This was an e-mail I got today after receiving a few text messages from my best friend Lori:

I went into preterm labor on Sunday, June 8. I was 31 weeks along. We were flown to Denver and I was able to "stay pregnant" for 6 more days. Lucas Reid Raile arrived June 14 at 11:11pm at Presbyterian/St.Lukes in Denver. He weighed 3 lbs 2 oz. and was 16.75 inches. He didn't tolerate labor well at all and after several scary hours he was delivered by emergency c-setion. It was quite a day for all of us.
I am currently still in the hospital recovering and Lucas is in the Neonatal ICU. We are both doing well. He is on a ventilator but the doctors are hopeful that will be able to be removed soon. He is going to be fed via a feeding tube starting tomorrow. He is a precious little guy who already has quite a personality. He has tons of really dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. We are already so in love with him. We haven't been able to hold him yet but he will hold onto our fingers tightly.

So when I first found out about this, I noticed that the first text message that I still had in my inbox was from Lori about what she thought then was a miscarriage.
Just to catch you all up...Lori had a really hard time getting pregnant with this little miracle. They went to an infertility doctor, Clomid...the whole bit. She called me a few days before Christmas, after the doctors told her they thought she was having a miscarriage due to decreasing HCG levels. It broke my heart. Justin and I went through a very early miscarriage (undoubtedly the hardest thing in my life despite the earliness of it) just a little over a month before Joel was conceived. But this was not to be the story for Lori.....the HCG levels rose and finally they were high enough to be seen on ultrasound. On Christmas eve, while I was at my in-laws' church in Ohio, Lori called to let me know that there was indeed still a baby and they weren't miscarrying! Oh, what a Christmas present that was! It just reminded me what a miracle this child already is. There are only a few friends who truly cry when you cry and rejoice when you rejoice and Lori is totally that person for me. Today I was doing both, crying and rejoicing for her.

Romans 12:10-
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;

not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,

contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.