Trust

We have some exciting news! We are expecting baby #3 in late April! All of us are very excited about this. Annika really wants a baby sister. Eric and I really do not have a preference and Jackson is pretty much clueless about what we are talking about. Above all these requests is a prayer for health. How our prespective has changed over the years. We no longer take the health of a baby for granted and pray fervently and fervently for this. With this announcement comes some questions.

First, what are the chances that this baby will have M-CM? The answer is not likely. The actual cause of M-CM is unknown, but it is believed to be a random mutation of the genes. Currently there are no reported cases of a family having two children with M-CM.

Second, are we anxious? Not really. Months ago we worked through the possibility of having another child. We thought about the fact that a future child may not have M-CM, but there are thousands of other syndromes out there and really it is amazing how many kids are born completely healthy. This is where trust comes in. I had to ask myself some questions and do some soul searching. Do I still trust God? Do I trust Him again? What if God gave us another baby with a disability? And how would I respond? The conclusion that I came to drove my fears away. I do trust God and I know that all of His ways are perfect.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths."

Psalm 112 :7 "He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord."

II Samuel 22:31 "As for God, his way is perfect, the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."

Thanks for thinking and praying alongside us.

Jackson's first day of school!

Today Jackson started school at Brown School Elementary in the ECDD room (Early Childhood Developmentally Delayed). We have been trying to get Jackson into Brown School, which is located in St Joseph, instead of sending him to Niles (which is about 20 minutes away). Finally, we got him in after agreeing to start him now instead of waiting until after his third birthday in December since they do not like to take kids during the middle of the school year.

Jackson did great on his first day and I was greeted with a big smile when I came to pick him up, although he was beat and slept for 4 hours this afternoon. I was a little apprehensive and just kept wondering if I really was doing the right thing. He just seems so little and ever since he has been born I feel like I have been trying to protect him and keep him healthy and safe, so for me it was a little difficult to send him off to school. However, now that the first day is behind us I am sure that it will get easier. Eric and I are really proud of Jackson and all of the accomplishments that he has made.

All ready for his first day