Every Good and Perfect Thing....

Dear Charli,

Months before you were born, your mommy gave me free reign to decorate your nursery. Her only preference was that she likes dark wood and for the walls she wants photos of babies in sepia prints. We haven't added any photos to the walls yet (I've decided I want those photos to be of YOU!)

We are still contemplating printed canvases vs. framed prints. We've chosen some of your newborn shots we'd like to use but that's all that has been decided.

Poppy and I purchased your crib for a Christmas gift for your mommy. Soon after, your mommy purchased some dressers at a really great price. The furniture didn't match but I assured her we'd make it work.

Your mommy and I had been searching for quotes and scriptures for me to paint on your walls. We narrowed it down to your Mommy's favorite choices. How perfect that the scripture your Mommy chose was James 1:17 "Every Good and Perfect Thing Comes from Above." God certainly sent us a very good and perfect thing when He sent you to our family!

The far wall above your crib says:

Charli

Sometimes the smallest things

take up the most room in your heart--Pooh

The words on your bookcase say:

Every

Child is a

Story Waiting to be Told

Your room is finished except for a few minor finishing touches and pictures and decorations to hang on the wall. It's all waiting for you to come home, and then it will be complete.

I imagine one day that your mommy might come into your room and find you coloring on your walls. I wonder if your response will be "I'm painting like Grammy does!"

Every day brings us closer to bringing you home and we so look forward to that day.
We love you bunches and bunches!
Love,
Grammy

Leap Year Baby?

Dear Charli,

Your mommy saw Dr. Kirchner the morning of February 29. When Dr. Kirchner checked, your mommy appeared to be ready to go into labor. Because of your condition she took no chances and sent your Mommy straight to the local hospital so you could be transported to the San Antonio hospital.  (The local hospital is wonderful, but doesn't have the level of nursery needed to take the best care of you because you require surgery)

Doctors weren't surprised that Mommy might be going into labor. Everyone expected you to come early. Duodenal Atresia causes Mommy's womb to have a lot of excess fluid, which often causes mommies to go into labor early.

Grammy, Poppy, and Granny all drove to the hospital to meet Mommy just before they put her in the ambulance. We were all so excited that we might meet you soon AND that you might be born on leap year. Your Great Great Grandpa Gunter had a leap year birthday so that would have been pretty cool.





Grammy and Poppy followed the ambulance to San Antonio, and Granny followed us. We didn't want to miss a thing! :)

The ambulance crew took good care of Mommy and got her to the hospital in San Antonio where she was hooked up to monitors that showed you were doing well and Mommy was having contractions, but she couldn't feel them. They kept her there a couple of days to make sure you weren't coming and finally let her go home. They told her she could go home but that she had to take it easy and she couldn't go back to work.
I took your Mommy home where we all waited, anxious to meet you and wondering when you would arrive. We speculated on dates and compared whose birthday you might share.

You were already so loved by so many people! I am still overwhelmed sometimes by how many people love you so much, even before you were here. People have been praying for you, praying about your surgery and health and praying for your mommy.

I knew you were being taken care of by God and that He had a plan for you. Your mommy and I have had some long talks and I'm so thankful that she also loves God and trusted Him with whatever happened with you.

I was very anxious to meet you, see you, and smother you with Grammy hugs and kisses!
Love,
Grammy

Ultrasound - January 12, 2012

Dear Charli,

I attended your 29th week ultrasound with your Mommy on January 12, 2012. Your ultrasound tech at the time was so patient it seemed, taking many many measurements and printing lots of photos to share. The sweetest and my favorite of all was printed that day:




Looking at you that day we never imagined anything could be wrong. You appeared chubby and healthy and so perfect. After viewing many images we were sent into another room to wait for the doctor. Dr. Kirchner wanted to see us before we left. We were later glad we didn't know ahead of time that Thursdays are not a day she is in the office or we might have been concerned. We didn't realize it was unusual for her to be called in after an ultrasound. So your mom and I waited, not worried or concerned, just at the time wishing we could leave and get back to work. Little did we know Dr. Kirchner was arriving with the news that something was not right according to the ultrasound images.

Dr. Kirchner arrived carrying some photos from the ultrasound. She shared with your Mommy that she would need a level 2 ultrasound to look more closely at your stomach and intestines. A "double bubble" seemed to be evident from the ultrasound. She said the words "duodenal atresia" as well as another term but it wouldn't be until much later and after hearing those words a few more times that we remembered what the words were or what they meant. I remember trying hard not to cry, and failing, and trying to understand all she said.

Your mommy and I began to google "double bubble" because those were the only words Dr. Kirchner said that day we could remember. The results of those internet searches raised  many questions that your Mommy wrote  down and asked Dr. Kirchner, who so patiently answered all of them.

We spent the next week googling, praying, writing down questions and waiting for the next ultrasound that we hoped would reveal all was well.

Love,
Grammy

Looking Back

Dear Charli,

In August, 2011, our little family's world turned in a completely different direction. While a pregnancy at that time was not what we had hoped or planned for your Mommy, that was the news she shared was to be. We thought we had years before thinking about preparing for grandchildren. Since that day, your mommy has grown so much and touched my heart in so many ways.

When it sunk in that I was going to be a grandmother, I began to grow very excited about you. I began to  consider possible "grandma" names you could call me. I began to imagine whether you'd be a boy or a girl. I dreamed of reading stories together, teaching you about Jesus, and secretly hoped you would be a girl.

In October I went with your mommy to her ultrasound hoping it would reveal a girl. After that appointment I began to dream of future tea parties, shopping, PINK, painting nails, frilly dresses, bows, and oh so many girly things we'd one day do together.

Still dreaming of all things girly and pink,
Love,
Grammy