"What would have become of me had I not believed that I would see the Lord's goodness in the land of the LIVING. Wait, hope for and EXPECT the Lord. Be strong and of good courage and may your heart (Ned) be sturdy and enduring.....Yes, Wait For and Hope For and Expect the Lord."

Psalm 27:13-14 (Amp)

Monday, January 21, 2008

We formally met Ned!!

We finally got to go down to the NICU about 5:30 to see our son.....it was the most long awaited, anticpated introduction of my life. He and I had a brief encounter this afternoon after he was born. We held hands and he refused to let go....another Mama's boy....I love it!!! But tonight, I finally got to tell him some things that I have been thinking about for 6 months. I told him about how God was holding him and caring for him and how blessed he is that the Lord chose him to reveal Himself to others at such an early age. I told him how I had such a difficult time learning this lesson, but he didn't have to fight too hard because God was holding him and his future was secure in Him.

I know Travis let you all know that he cried at birth which for us was amazing (totally God) since they had told us not to expect a cry at all and that he would be blue and may not be able to be intubated at all? BUT, he let out loud belly cries and it blessed my soul. I'm pretty sure I kept saying "Thank you Jesus" out loud in the delivery room. If I had been in a better position, I think I may have gotten up and danced a jig while I said it.....completely unashamed!! He was a very normal 7lbs and I'm not sure of his length, but he looks comepletely proportionate. I have counted each of his beautiful fingers and toes and there aren't any extra or abnormally shaped. Again, it was difficult for me to trust God's provision when so many negative reports kept coming in about his conditions, but God has certainly shown himself today.

So....when we got to the NICU, the doctor on duty gave us a quick update and the first thing he noted about Ned was that he was extremely strong. So strong, in fact, that they had to sedate him tonight because he had pulled out his breathing tube! I was so proud! They also said that they had done lots of testing and his heart showed no anomolies. The doctor went on to tell us that he had a good bit of bowel in his chest. Now while this seemed like he was delivering bad news, he was actually telling me of God's first big miracle for Ned. In response, I asked if he hadn't seen most of his liver in his chest. The doctor said there may be some liver up, but not that much.

WOW.....when we went to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, they told us that his stomach was up, his bowel was up and his liver was up. I knew that the liver being up was a worst case senario because the liver is such a dense, hard organ that it really prevents any lung from forming against it, but I could clearly see in the MRI images that at least 3/4 of his liver was in his chest. When we met with the specialist there, I asked if it were "possible" that the liver could descend back into the abdomen. They assured me that it wasn't possible for that to happen.....but, ALL THINGS are possible thru Christ!

So, we went in to see little Ned and he is absolutely beautiful!! Even with all those tubes, he was a living doll! He has a head full of curly blond hair. Right now it's still kinda matted to his head, but once they wash it, I think it will be quite the boufant hair-do. Although he was sedated, he was still repsonsive to my touch and voice.

I have been held by all your prayers in such a supernatural way that I couldn't begin to put into words. Please keep praying that we will continue to place our trust in God's soverignty. I am also praying that God will hold Ned in His arms the entire time that he is alone in his bed and that the Holy Spirit will hover over his little bed filling his little body with the grace and peace that surpasses all understanding. As always, I am praying for complete healing....I put my hands on his little chest and asked God to fix everything and to give the doctors discernment and wisdom. We're also praying that in whatever capacity God chooses to continue to use our family, we will be open and obedient to his direction.

As for his surgery, we don't know what to expect as far as a time-frame. The first 48 hours are considered a honeymoon period. After that, they will want him to be able to remain stable for a time period then they will schedule the surgery. For now, we'll just rest in the place where He has us for the moment.

I love you all so very much. You have sustained us through your prayers and love in Christ!

Betsy, Travis, Jack and Ned

15 comments:

Olive said...

Welcome, Ned! You are beautiful! Friends at North Richmond Community Bible Study, St. Matthew's Church, Richmond, Virgina and our relatives in Virginia are praying for you, your family and hospital staff. God Be With You, Pam and Bill Ward

Anonymous said...

Betsy, Travis & Ned... Wow! He is so beautiful. Less than 24 hours old and you can tell he's gonna be a little heartbreaker! Sounds like he is resting in God's hands and God is holding him up where he is safe. Hope his progress will be nothing short of miraculous!

Lucinda said...

He is so adorable!!!!!! I am excited for you. I am keeping you all in my prayers. I love You!

Vic Brown

Jessica said...

What an incredible miracle! Our prayers are with you!
Robert & Jessica

Krista said...

Congratulations Betsy and Travis on the arrival of baby Ned. We have beeen following your blog and want you to know that your family in south Georgia are praying for you. Your faith through this journey has been truly inspiring. We wish Ned the very best and pray for him to continue to wow the doctors and grow stronger each day.

Again, Congratulations! Way to go mama!

Love,
Krista, Bill, Kasey and Riley Griffin
and
Sony, Stephen, Joshua, Lauren and Caleb May

Anonymous said...

Praise God, Hallelujah, and thank you, Jesus! I have been praying for God to make this little boy strong and whole. Congratulations, you have been chosen by God for a great blessing. Much love to you all.

Anonymous said...

God is AMAZING!! I'm so excited and Happy for you guys and so thankful for how he's already using little Ned! I can't wait to meet this little miracle! Praying and thinking about you guys all the time!I love you!
Emily

Darcy said...

Betsy,
He is beautiful, I will continue to pray. The words in your post are so touching, your faith is powerful and God will continue to work miracles in your little boy and your family.
darcy
Psalm 115:14 (New Living Translation)
May the Lord richly bless both you and your children.

Leslie said...

Betsy, Travis and Ned,

I have been so blessed reading your blog and seeing the amount of faith you put in our Lord Jesus Christ. Ned is a miracle and really is being used by God already to touch people's lives. Praise Him for using such a hard situation to glorify Himself and bless you and Travis for embracing that. Rom 8:28 is my verse to you, it's meant so much to me when trying to understand the way God does the things He does sometimes. I pray for your family often. We love you!

sarahfowler said...

Betsy,
Clearly,God has already placed his healing mercies upon Ned's tiny body, just as you had envisioned him to. His amzing progress so far is not a medical miracle, but God's healing powers. God is so GOOD! What an awesome witness you and Travis are going to have to share with others. It sounds as if Ned is going to be tough like his Mama (another answered prayer). I will continue to pray for Ned's complete and total healing. Take care of yourself (remember, you just had a baby!). I love you!
Sarah

Anonymous said...

I'm thankful to have been able to spend some time with each and every person at the hospital yesterday especially you Betsy. I'll never forget the time I was upset over cheerleading and you held me as I was crying, you repeated "Everything will be okay, everything will be okay." Everytime I saw you growing up I always knew you were going to deliver good news or gifts! You present comfort and strength to everyone around you. And everything is okay as it should be. God is so good.

Anonymous said...

Betsy, Travis, Jack and Ned.....
WHAT GREAT NEWS!!! Congratulations on your wonderful addition. You guys have been in our hearts and on our minds so much. We praise the Lord of all creation today for the miracle He is continuing to work in your lives. We send special blessings to Robin, Greg and Margaret too...and all the family.
Much Love, Sherry, Pastor and the whole Hefner Family

Anonymous said...

Hey Betsy,
I just recently got your blog info. I've keeping track of your beautiful baby boy. Just wanted to let you know we are praying for a full recovery. I'll keep checking in. Love ya, Betsy (Smith) Arnn

bpayseur said...

Travis and Betsy, Jack and Ned,

Congratulations on the new addition to your family. I know that each of you have been tested but know that the Good Lord will bless you in only the way that he can. You have certainly put your faith in God's hands and he will guide you as only he knows how. Please know that I continue to think about all of you and pray for your family. I wish you nothing but the best.

Ben Payseur

Anonymous said...

Now he is Beautiful! Such a Handsome little man. Congrats and with lots of luv and prayers to you and your family