Thanks for Praying - Another Stepping Stone has Been Laid

Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for your prayers throughout this process and especially over the last weekend. Going back to work was difficult for Amy but was a necessity. Thank God for helping her to be able to work under these circumstances. We were not sure how she would feel taking care of other babies while hers was in another hospital being cared for by another nurse, but Amy was quite a trooper and dealt with it as was needed. She is a wonderful wife and mother and I am proud of how she has dealt with this situation. What a blessing!

Reagan is doing well on her CPAP breathing apparatus. She does not like how it fits over her face, but doesn't have much choice as to whether she will wear it or not. There are days that we have wondered if she was getting too tired to continue breathing without the ventilator, but each day so far, she has proved that she could continue. Recently, she has had quite a few apnic spells where she forgets to breathe while she is sleeping. She is closely monitored by the nurses so that when she does have one of these spells, they stimulate her to wake her up so that she will remember to breathe. This, according to Amy, is very common in premature babies. Today, Reagan weighed in at 2 lbs and 4 oz. I can't wait for her to hit 2lbs and 6 oz as that will be her first pound of weight gained. I see all of these little victories as signs of God's faithfulness and am thankful for each one. She also had her PIC line removed today. I'm not exactly sure how to explain what that is, but my understanding is that it serves the same function as an IV without having to put in new IV's every few hours or each day as Reagan was needing them regularly. She had this line in for close to two weeks. It is good to have it out as it can sometimes be a catalyst for infection which can be a major setback for a baby her size. We are just grateful that it is out now and that so far there are no signs of infection from it being in. We are also thankful for the purpose that this line served during the time it was in. It is awesome to see her progress as she has improved over the last (almost) 7 weeks. No matter what the circumstances, good or bad, we are grateful for God's goodness to us throughout this entire process thus far. "For I know the plans I have for your declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for a hope and a future." I continue to claim this Bible verse for Reagan, Amy, and myself, and hope that you will claim it for yourself as well.

I have had many interesting thoughts about God throughout this process, and although I don't always understand all of His ways, He has always been faithful to help me get through whatever I needed help with. I think that I mentioned the following quote in an earlier blog, but wanted to remind you through each of the "storms" in your life that God will be with you. The quote says "Sometimes God calms the storm, and sometimes God calms His child." I have great hope for life, no matter difficult circumstances, because I know that God will always be with me to either calm my circumstances or calm my heart. Either will be enough as I trust in Him! He has been more than faithful to Amy and I during this blessing (yes, it is a blessing) that He has allowed in our life and I love Him today for his help in our time of need. My prayer for you is that you know and love Him today and that you will lean on Him always. If you don't know Him, please call me on my phone (336-215-5510) today and tell me that you want to know Him and I will introduce you to Jesus! He loves you more than you could ever imagine. We were created with a need for God in our lives. I don't understand everything there is to understand about God, but I do know that He is in love with you today and wants to help you with whatever you are facing! May God richly bless your life today!

Prayer Requests:
1. Pray that Reagan does not get any more infections
2. Pray that Reagan is able to stay on CPAP or, preferably, a Nasal Canula (sorry if misspelled)
3. Pray for continued, healthy, growth and development for Reagan's lungs and other organs.
4. Prayer of Thanks to God for His help thus far in Reagan's life as well as ours (and your own lives).
5. Amy and I have some unspoken requests that we ask you to pray for us about.
6. I would like to ask that you all be in prayer for a family that is going through a very hard time right now. Larry, Terri, Josh, and Justin Payne need your prayers at this time in their lives and I ask that you pray especially for each of them by name today and daily as their names are brought to your minds. God knows the need!

We love you all dearly and are thankful for such great support!

Robert, Amy, and Reagan