Adding another Mitchell to the Family

Yes, we are pregnant...but let me back up for a minute and tell you what's been going on and how my heart and mind are processing everything.


The last time I really wrote out what was going on in our lives, our friends had just gotten the diagnosis of their baby, Samuel, had Trisomy 18. This is a fatal genetic complication that ultimately took Samuel, 3 weeks after he was born. My heart, mind and prayers were with my friends constantly. We were stuck between wanting to badly to fix anything for them that we just waited for them to give us something to do to help. When Samuel passed away I spent the day, along with Stephanie Poage, organizing and taking the family a long list of needs. It was healing for me, as a friend, to get to "do" for them. This was last Monday, a week ago today. On Wednesday was Samuel's service.

For some reason on this Wednesday, before the funeral service, I decided to take a pregnancy test. I can honestly say there wasn't a good reason for taking the test. Sometimes, as women, you just need some nerves dealt with, so I took it and as I was getting ready I glanced over...the words "pregnant" showed up. I just happened to have that one test, so taking another one wasn't really an option at the time. I left our house with a massive weight of emotions shifting back and forth. Such a huge pain and burden for our friends and the baby they were burying in just a few hours; and the amazing surprise of being pregnant with a 3rd child that we weren't planning on...yet. (Side note: we leave on a cruise in 6 days and were waiting till AFTER then to get pregnant...or even "try"). So, I headed downtown to pick up my husband for an infants funeral and to tell him the news of our expectant child. I'm not very good at keeping my own secrets and I'm pretty much an open book...so I blurted out the words "I'm pregnant" before he could even fasten his seat belt. Yep, I was pretty sure God had taken care of something that we tried to plan and decided it was time for us to add another person to the mix. As we drove 30 minutes south of town to the beautiful church and service I was a jitter of feelings. How do I grieve so heavily and feel so joy filled at the same time? How do I keep from smiling, when our dear friends are hurting? How do I not feel guilty? The service was beautiful. I cried, I bawled and I felt uncontrollable at moments. These people had done life with us for 5 years. They cried with us when Ella was born, we laughed as their oldest daughter peed in our backyard (still a funny story to tell), we rejoiced when they got pregnant with their son 3 years ago and then loved to watch Jake and Will grow up together and play, we traveled out of state to the mountains and just lived as families together...we were real friends, true friends...and here I felt like our friendship was being challenged. How do I get excited about a 3rd child, when they just buried theirs? What words do you say? How do you hug them enough or tell them how much you love them...so that they know that you really do?

As we left the service I realized that God would show me how this friendship would look. I am still confused. Not on HOW it happened...now that we are on our 3rd, I think we have that figured out, but on WHY God felt that this was the right time. I'm excited to see what HE has in store for our family, our children, and this child.

You may ask us if we are hoping for a boy or a girl...this might be a whole other post of emotions, but I'll give you the short version. I would love a girl and would rather never have another one...for the same reasons: I'm afraid to replace all the things I'll never do with Ella, but I also want to do the things I'll never do with Ella. God will grant me wisdom here. I'd love to have a boy...I want Will to have a friend and a buddy. I don't know if I can handle another child with as much energy as Will has, but I'll be up for the challenge, if God feels it's needed. I'm a huge mixture of thoughts here, so for now...we want the baby to be healthy.

We are SUPER early in the pregnancy...4 weeks. So we could really use your prayers. I'm confident that God has plans for this child. I have to remember every day to tell God..."I trust you...no matter what"

School Field Trip to Collin Creek Mall

Thanks to our wonderful Kristie, I got to take both of the kids to Ella's field trip to Collin Creek Mall. Ella sat on Santa's lap (Will freaked and wanted nothing to do with the fuzzy man). Both kids played on the great indoor playground. Ella fed herself ice cream with all of her friends and then Will got to take Ella's turn on the train in the mall...benefit to being the little brother (the same size as the 3 and 4 year olds).

Girls Night at Rise

These girls are very special to me. They have all been there since BEFORE Joe and I started dating and have been shoulder's for me to cry on and laugh with...we all needed this dinner to catch up and laugh some more.

FC Christmas Party 2008...end of memory lane.

You can tell I had a lot of fun with friends this year. Two kids at home will do that to you.

Fellowship Class Christmas Party 2007...memories...

Stephanie is 6 months pregnant with Julia and I'm 8 months pregnant with William. Stay tuned for 2008 and Ashley will be pregnant...it's contagious in the class.

Fellowship Class Christmas Party 2006...just for fun

Sunday School Christmas Party

Soft...like a scarf.

Joe and his brother, Josh, had a cat when they were younger...named Scarf. When asked WHY they named him that the answer is..."because he was soft, like a scarf". Weird.

Here is our little man in a scarf because he wanted one like mommy's.

I can communicate!

This is a device that speaks words or phrases when you press the large blue buttons. Our AMAZING Speech Therapist, Jennifer, put sticker on each button. One says "juice" with a picture and one says "pudding" with a picture. Ella is pressing the "juice" button and then getting her juice!! It's fun to watch her figure out that she can actually ask for something and we understand her. We are working on this at home as well. This is very exciting. One small step at a time.

Mitchell Christmas Tree 2009

Step 1: Play at the Christmas Tree farm while it's freezing outside:

Step 2a: Wait till the kids are asleep and bring in the tree:

Step 2b: Set up the tree:

Step 3: Wait till the tree has relaxed a day to decorate...make sure there is egg nogg:

and cookies:

Step 4: Decorate:

Step 5: Fall Asleep while sitting up, from all the fun:

Angel and Lights

Here is our precious angel looking at Christmas Lights as we drive around Dallas. They were beautiful, but she is a gift from God.

When it gets cold...we head to the mall

Happy 2nd Birthday Hank

Thanksgiving Day Parade

Nope, we didn't go to one, but here is Ella watching the big one on TV.

Riding Along in my Automobile

They both LOVE to hold hands in the car...he reaches out and then she'll reach out and he'll grab her hand. They will sit like that for a long time. So absolutely sweet.

Bowen's 2nd Birthday Party

Prayer

I don't think I've ever been able to express how Ella has changed and challenges my prayer life. I wanted you to be able to read my friend Chrystie's blog post about prayer and our little girls. I know I've posted on here about Chrystie before. Her little girl, Ellie, is almost exactly a year ahead of Ella. Please pray for us as we learn how to pray for our children.

Tonight

It's 1am and I'm up because Joe is at the hospital. He's sitting and praying with friends who are sitting in the same spot we were 3.5 years ago. They are waiting for doctors to come in and explain what's wrong with their baby, why they can't hold him and why there are no answers. Tonight's prayers and thoughts of our friends have taken me back. Taken me to that room where the doctors and nurses tried to explain what was happening to Ella. Where they assumed the worst and told us out loud what that would look like...if it was what happened. I've remembered the smells of the N.I.C.U., the sounds of machines, the weight in my chest for all that was happening to Ella, and I was helpless to physically do anything for her. We prayed. A lot. We asked for healing...answered. We asked for her to live...answered. We asked for peace...answered...daily. I have faith in our Creator, our Maker and the One who oversees us all. I believe with all of my being that Ella was fearfully and wonderfully made and that she was knit together in my womb to be exactly as she is today. Tonight she sleeps in her bed. Joe and I went in to stare at our children before he left. How grateful am I that my children are in their beds, sleeping, and healthy. Very. I pray for my friend who is getting no sleep and yet it's something she dearly needs. Processing words that she should never have to hear. Imagining a life she should never have to see. It's a cruel world. God told us that it would be difficult. I have to say, as a believer in Christ, it's a lot easier than if you have no faith, nothing to trust in, no hope. What do you do without a God to pray to...whom you believe can heal your child? I remember the sounds of my husband faithfully praying. I don't even remember the words, just the sound as we both lie in my hospital bed, weeping; and the feeling that everything would be alright. Not because Ella would surely live, for that took a few days to be sure of, but because we have a God who is bigger than that situation. A God who could heal my heart, just like He healed my child. A God that gives me pure strength from Him to proceed on the days when I literally just want to give up. It's hard being a parent. It's hard to punish your children when you just want to ignore the tantrum. It's hard to decide on which wheelchair to buy your 3-year-old. It's hard to tell them they can't go outside because it's raining and cold and they are still sick. It's hard to give a bath to a strong child who could drown if I look away for a second. It's hard to love someone so much, and let them belong completely to the God who gave them to me.

That's what my friends are learning now. Complete faith. Faith that God is in control when it doesn't feel like it. That there is nothing they can do but pray. And to trust that God is still sovereign. That he's the same God who bore Sarah and Abraham a son when they were over 100 years old. The same God who protected Joseph, time and time again. The same God who created my child to have differences and difficulty...and allow her life to glorify Him. The same God who allowed His own child to die, because it was the only perfect sacrifice and He knew it.

These are hard lessons. However, I am constantly running over something in my head that the pastor said on Sunday "God can not use us greatly, until He has hurt us deeply". To be molded and refined is painful and agonizing, but we have the choice to come out of the fire looking more like a reflection of Him, and I do pray that my friends will cling to Him so that after this fire they will feel stronger and more purified for having survived it with faith. And I pray for that baby boy...that all of the current problems will be gone and all tests will come back, miraculously, clear.

The Big Party

On Friday, November 20th, our church held an event for the Young Married couples...Celebrate the Season: A Downtown Dinner Party. I've been helping plan the event, with my co-chair Stephanie Poage, for about four months. Watching it come together was so much fun and getting to share it with a great group of people who love to fellowship as the body of Christ, was amazing.

Owen's Farm

Ella had her first school field trip, and Kristie, Will and I got to tag along.

Happy Birthday Avery Brannon!

Party for Drew Gonzales

At the park with friends

Great picture

Joe took this picture and I love it:

Family Day

Yellow and Gold

Daddy and Ella in their Iowa colors, playing and laughing.

S.W.A.S.H.

Sitting Walking And Standing Hip orthotics

So Cool

Pictures on 10/25

Pumpkin Patch

Halloween

We really love our jammies around here.

Just like Tigger

The first picture is from August...just 2 months ago!

The girl can bounce back. Here she is a week after her seizure. Oh, and if you notice that the old round bolsters are gone...it's because she figured out how to use them as a ladder and climbed over the white gate and landed on the other side. Stay tuned for pictures of the new wall we are building!

3rd time in 5 months.

Ella had another seizure. Most of you reading this blog may know, since it was about 10 days ago (sorry, catching up has not been high on my priority list).This time was a little different, and probably less scary. Both of the kids went to bed on a Tuesday night with a bad cough. Joe got up and checked on Ella a few times during the night, the last time was at 4am. At 5:30am he heard her through the monitor seizing....and our morning began. We call the paramedics and while waiting, gave her the meds that we carry with us for this occasion. When the medics arrived her episode was under control...for about 1-2 minutes, then she started seizing again. They went ahead and put her in the ambulance. I rode with them, and Joe followed in his car. Our neighbor, Kathy, happened to see what was going on and she came and stayed with Will until Bill, Linda and Kristie all arrived.

Here is the email I sent to my SS class:

Hey class,
I thought I would go ahead and send out an email, since I have a moment.

We knew that neither of the kids felt well yesterday and had been running temps on and off, but yesterday both got chest coughs. Last night, after I got home from bible study, I went in and checked on both kids and Ella had a rough cough and looked a little off (no real description of what I mean) so we held her for a while. Eventually we put her back to bed and propped her up so that if she coughed, she wouldn't be laying flat. I, Andrea, was up with Will and his cough till about 2:30am. Joe go up at 4am to check on Ella, because he's a good daddy and wanted to keep tabs on her, and she was sleeping soundly. At 5:30am Joe heard her through the baby monitor and went to her room to find her seizing. He shouted to me over the monitor to call 911 and the word "seizure"...and then it was off to the races. Getting dressed, giving emergency seizure meds, brushing teeth, packing bags, giving info to paramedics, calling parents and Kristie. They got one of her seizures under control and then about a minute or two later she started up again...so they gave her more meds and we headed off to the hospital. Our neighbor, Kathy, came over and watched Will until Kristie or the Mitchell's showed up. We really are so blessed by having people available to help. We got to the hospital and they put us in a room and got us all set up...again, God was faithful. Some of you may remember Ryan and Carrie Schirato who used to be in our class...Ryan's mom is Reed's assistant, they are both nurses in the ER here (Ryan has a cool job over the whole hospital at night) and we got to have Carrie as our nurse...what a blessing!! So, now we know she doesn't have a UTI (urinary tract infection, which is what she had in April and August), flu test was negative, chest x-ray was clear...so, now we wait, and we wait, and work on the computer and our verses, and wait some more. I'd love to say that there is something that any of you can do, but for now, there really isn't. We don't even know how long we'll be here, and we don't want anyone coming up to the hospital where the flu seems to be the worst...they had over 50 cases in the ER last night. So, just pray. We'd love to know you are praying, it just makes you feel covered under a warm blanket.

We love you all so much.

Joe and Andrea (although you know Andrea wrote the email while Joe walked around the room messing with all the medical equipment, trying to figure out how everything works)

So, we found out that both kids had parainfluenza...a type of flu. It's not H1N1, or anything of the A or B strain...something different. It was very contagious...so we all had to wear the masks. The paraflu can cause croup, which is what Will had...for almost a full week. Ella bounced back VERY quickly. We were only in the hospital a total of about 27 hours and were very happy to go home so soon this time. She has bounced back better each time this is happen, so we can only credit that to the Lord.