The Blessing of Family

"Bear each other's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2

The last couple of days have been not so good, great, and good today...promising to be great. Sophia started swelling again a couple of days ago and had some fluid on her lungs which made it hard for her to breathe. The doctors weren't that worried about it and reassured us that it wasn't a step back as much as that they tried to take to big a step forward at first. Of course since that was the first bad news we have really had, it made for a very bad day. We didn't get to hold her, and she was hard to watch when she was breathing so hard.

They gave her some things to help the swelling and she seemed to respond quickly. Yesterday, there was so much swelling gone from her face that for the first time we could really tell they are identical...now we're worried again about not being able to tell them apart! (I'm happy to worry about that:) Last night we came in to hold them again, hoping we could hold Sophie. We each got a girl and held them for about 2 1/2 hours. Yesterday we felt much better about everything in general.
Today things are still going better for both girls. They continue to hold steady. Amber's checkup for her blood pressure is much better and she is doing really well. They are moving up how much they are eating... they are up to a whole 7 cc (7 ml, I think) of milk through a feeding tube. We are about to go up and hopefully hold them for a couple of hours again. That will make today great!I wanted to post the picture a couple of days ago when I was holding the feeding tube up. I didn't think it would be possible to feed either baby as the dad before amber did. I'm not sure if "with God all things are possible" applies to this situation, but I'm claiming a miraculous ability for the dad to be the one feeding the babies. :)

There is another family in the house with us- a husband and wife. The husband has a brain tumor and is on bed rest trying to get healthy enough to have surgery. We haven't seen much of him because he has to stay on so much medication. His wife is running herself ragged and has made herself sick with worry and taking care of him.

There has been absolutely nothing that we have needed that hasn't been provided for by members of the Fairlane, Spring Hill, and Natchez Trace congregations, family members, friends, and friends of our family members that we don't even know. Galatians 6:2 has taken on a whole new meaning to me. I can't imagine going through this alone. We are passing on some of the food that people have sent. They are feeling the love from the Natchez Trace congregation and have already noticed the care that we have recieved from our family in Christ. Paul said that caring for each other and helping them carry the heavy stuff is how to fulfill the law of Christ. The law of Christ is to "love one another as I have loved you." That means sacrificial love. I am so thankful that God's love is being shown to this couple by you. They know that you belong to God because of the love that you are showing us. And they know that God is love. Thank you. Your prayers have been so effective, I'd ask that you would include this couple in your prayers as well.