Cora's Quest

      Hard to believe Cora is 3 weeks old today! Harder still to think back that this originally was the date we were going to try to stay pregnant until but alas, God had other plans. She is in a pretty steady and slow progression and really can't make much bigger steps until she develops more. Thinking about this period as the completion of her gestation helps with perspective. There's simply baby things she can't do because she wouldn't need to do them normally at 34 weeks! (Like eating). As such, she is slowly gaining weight and using a fairly low amount of oxygen to help fill and expand her lungs but she is doing most of the work there. She is getting all of her nutrition by fortified milk via a tube nose to tummy and doing pretty well with it, though still experiencing reflux regularly.   Highlights: It has been sweet to see her open her eyes more. Especially for momma, when I touch and talk to her, I always get a peep.  She is now 3#13oz, making slow...

 Cora Elise: 12 Days Old            Well, we've lost all sense of time, or at least I have. All routines and norms uprooted, we're navigating a unique chapter even in comparison to our other newborn phases. That said, we remain with our hope in Christ for Cora's continued progression, my recovery and coping during this detached phase of newborn bonding, and the steadfastness to parent our other children well.           We were blessed to get to return to church together as a family last week, worship together the incredible Father who has called us and will equip us for this new challenge, and to see so many faces we knew had been praying for us. Even though so not much feels normal, it feels good for us all to be together as a family. The smallest of things can mean such a great difference in our emotional and spiritual rest- morning sunlight (for me with some scripture audio), movement, nutritious food (& coffee!), q...

Introducing Cora Elise Christ! Cora: "Maiden" "daughter" "dove" . This is one we had in the bag previously for its simplicity, femininity, and likeness to Colin. It seems extra fitting for a delicate little preemie in its sound, and yet when we consider the usage of a dove in Scripture- from the promises to Noah, to the Trinity picture in the pronunciation over Jesus by Father God at Christ's baptism, we see an equally strong and spiritual form too. Elise: "God is my oath/promise; consecrated to God", "God is my abundance". After the way in which God has ushered her in, we had to do a name that gives tribute to the lavishing love of God we get to experience when he brings us through an unexpected trial. We so often mistake ease for comfort, and yet in the midst of one of the hardest things, fraught with fears come true, we've experienced more comfort than in the stillest and most seemingly "blessed" seasons of life.   ...