Check Please...

After almost 5 weeks Lilly came home today! What an amazing answer to prayer and a testament to the power, love and faithfulness of God. We are so excited to welcome this little one into our home and to walk with her in the wonderful works that God has in store for her life. Blessings to you all and Merry Christmas from the Jordan family who are enjoying the gift of life this day.

Slightly Poopy

I love it now that Lilly is out of her isolette, it is absolutely awesome to be able to bend down and give her a kiss when I see her. You may know that when you kiss a baby the "baby smell" invades your nostrils. Keri and I thought it was a million dollar idea to be able to market that smell in a candle or some sort of potpourri. If you are really honest with yourself the smell consists of mostly new life, but with a hint of poo thrown in for good measure. So in my extremely creative mind I thought a great name for this new product would be, "Slightly Poopy". Keri was not amused. I have been referring to Lilly all week by this new nickname. I don't think it is going to stick through high school but hopefully it will last long enough to embarrass her a little bit. Maybe I will bring it up when she brings home her first boyfriend, that should scare him away. Solid plan. Anyway, sorry for rambling I tend to get excited about brainstorming ways to get rid of boyfriends. I couldn't help but wonder how I must smell to God as His child when He holds me close and brushes His nose across my head? I know when Lilly needs a change because of her smell and I hate the idea that the choices I make force me to smell like that to God. It is a reminder to me that every moment I can choose to give an aroma of newness and life or an aroma that says I need a change. Thank you Jesus for choosing to save me in my foul state, for giving me the aroma of new life. One day kneeling before you I get to change the name from "Slightly Poopy" to "His Image" and praise you for eternity.

Thank you all again for prayers, gifts and time. Lilly is doing well. The doctors are saying she just needs some time for her body to mature and then she will be home. It is great that she is not having any problems, she is just young. Please continue to pray that her body matures and continues to grow in a healthy way. There are now no tubes in her at all, her feeding tube was removed early this week! Praise God! She is 3 weeks and 4 days old today!

6 Days Old

There are so many things to be thankful for right now. It is not often that you pray and experience the answer in such an intimate way. But this last week has been a lesson in answered prayer. Lilly came out crying and was breathing room air within 28 hours. Keri came home after 77 days in the hospital. Just tonight we received a call letting us know that Lilly was being transferred from the Level 3 NICU to the Level 2 NICU. This is a huge step that means the doctors feel she is not in danger of respiratory distress and is free from infection. On the level 2 NICU she will focus on feeding issues, attempt to move off of a feeding tube and towards eating with her mouth. She will also have to work on being out of an incubator and regulating her own temperature. There is still some work for her to do but she has taken huge strides towards coming home.
I have been trying to think about how to articulate some of the experience we have had over the last week and I think the doctor who performed Keri's surgery said it best, "If you come to us willing to fight for your baby then we will fight with you the whole way." There were so many moments that doubt wanted to creep in and take over. When I wanted to play the "What if.." game. Every time that happened someone said something, I read something or saw something that affirmed my faith and challenged me to trust in whatever it was that was in store for us. I think what our surgeon said helped me to understand faith a little bit better. God wants us to fight for our faith. If we are willing to do that then He will fight with us the whole way and our faith will be strengthened. Tomorrow will bring another fight and I pray that the lessons I learned today and over these past days will bolster my trust in God so that I can meet that fight and see God the victor when all is said and done. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." We will continue to cast all our cares on him and fight the good fight. Please continue to pray, it works. Blessings to you all.