Thankful Day 12

12.  New Life

Today I am thankful for my friend Caroline's new baby boy.  She was hospitalized last week with preeclampsia.  Yesterday doctors decided complications were such that her baby boy, Andrew, needed to be delivered... at 26.5 weeks.  If you are not familiar with the numbers, pregnancies are "supposed" to last 40 weeks.  Yesterday evening, Andrew was born weighing 1 lb. 3 oz.  I cannot even really fathom that size.  Caroline shared a picture today and Andy is about the length of a Bic pen!  He's shorter than my hand from finger tip to wrist!  Stop and look at your hand--think about that.  It is amazing, and God is sustaining this precious, tiny life.  Thanks to the steroids Caroline took to help his lungs develop, he is breathing *on his own.*  Of course, everyone expects some set-backs in the weeks to come, but it's so amazing to me that God is breathing life into this little boy who "should" still be tucked away.  I am so thankful that Caroline is recovering well, that Andy is doing "exceptionally" according to doctors, and FOR those doctors and nurses--their widsom, skills, discernment, and care.

Please join me in praying for sweet Caroline, her husband Lawrence, and baby Andy as they start the long journey of having a micro-preemie and being parents.  And maybe pause to realize how much we take the miracle of a new life and a full term, uncomplicated pregnancy for granted.