2 Weeks Old Today!!!!!!!!

Dear Friends,
Thank you all so much, once again, for continuing to pray for Reagan, Amy, and myself, as this is a very emotional journey and we are grateful for all the prayers that are being said on our behalf. Starting early this morning, Reagan began having trouble with her Oxygen levels again. I'll keep the medical terminology to a minimum as I don't know it as well as Amy. Basically, God created babies to be able to "breathe" in the mother's womb as you all know. He created a valve in their heart so that while they are growing inside mommy, their blood gets oxygenated through this valve. Normally, this valve closes almost immediately after birth as the baby starts to use it's lungs in a more normal manner. God sure didn't forget any details as to how He wanted to give us each life did He?!. This little problem that Reagan is having further solidifies to me that we were CREATED. Something so intricate could not have just "happened." Reagan's PDA as it is called, has not closed yet (although we have faith that God is helping this problem as we speak) and she is now receiving medicine to help it close. Please be praying that the medicine works immediately. She will be having an echo cardiogram on Wednesday to see if the medicine is working and if the valve is closing. If the medicine does not take effect quickly, then she will have to undergo surgery to close it. Let's all target our faith that God will help to close this valve immediately without surgery! Whatever happens, we will trust Him. As a side note about the heart surgery that she would have to have if the PDA does not close on it's own, the doctor here apparently was the doctor or one of the doctors that pioneered this surgery. I feel that we are in good hands with the Doctors here and even better hands holding us from above.

I do want to be honest and open about this whole process and feel that it will help you to pray if Amy and I open up to you on a personal level to let you know how we are doing. I have started feeling a bit tired and somewhat frazzled (if that is a word) yet I still have peace about the outcome. Amy is doing pretty well but seems to be concerned a lot of the time. Basically, she knows "too much" about what could happen over the next 8+ weeks. Pray that we will be able to remember that God is in control EVERY time a doubt enters one of our minds. We try to refocus together to remember that the same hands that created the world created Reagan and He knows every intricate detail of her being. He knows what will happen with Reagan each day and we are glad that He is in control.

From a faith perspective, my faith has never been tried as it has during this process. I am sure that Amy feels the same way. Thanks to all teachers, pastors, friends, aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family, and especially to our parents for helping to saturate our lives from an early age with Faith in God so that we would be prepared for times like these. God is giving us each enough to get through each day. In general, I am not a very patient person. At times, I have to sit back when I am wondering what God is doing and tell myself that no matter what the circumstances, He is in control. For someone that is used to handling things by myself, it is hard for me to do that, but I am learning. I tell you all that to give you the next couple of things that we could really use help praying about. So, here goes...

1. Pray for Reagan's PDA to close without surgery and for her oxygen levels to stabilize.
2. Pray that no sickness will enter any of our bodies.
3. Pray for continued strength for Amy and I as our lives seem to be in a state of upheaval. God is constant and we hold firmly to that.
4. Pray for Amy, she continues to have bad dreams at night and I know that God can take them away. It is hard to be so emotionally drained at the end of the day and then to wake up the next day after a night of bad dreams. I ask God to take those bad dreams away right now and to give her rest (He promised to "give rest to the weary" and we claim that promise right now!)
5. Pray that souls will be effected for eternity and lives will be changed throughout this process.

We love you all dearly. At some point, I am going to try to set up a web page where people that view this site can type their name in so that Reagan will have a list of all the people that are helping to keep her lifted up!!! (Not to put you on the spot David Winslow). More pics coming soon! She is getting cuter every day!

Thanks to everyone for what you have done for us!

Go Reagan, Go!!!

Love,

Robert and Amy