"D" Day - August 4, 2008

D Day is near...the battlefield commanders have planned, planned and planned various strategies, ultimately settling on a "C Section" - a very difficult military manuever with an objective of rescuing Dustin from his 9 month imprisonment inside the fortress Lisa. Ironically, Lisa can't wait to release Dustin (can you believe that!).

Lisa is still retaining amniotic fluid (this one of the common complications for DS babies - read about it here). The heretofore mentioned back brace is helping somewhat but sleep is still an issue. Lisa is looking at procedure to drain this fluid before we go to Myrtle Beach for a long weekend 10JUL.

We seek prayers for:
- Preparation for birth; both logistically and emotionally
- Sleep for Lisa and relief from pain/discomfort regarding retention of fluid
- Peace about everything

Thanks for your prayers and we love you all!

Rob and Lisa

Zach - "Born Ready"!

Zach (6 on Sep. 7) is ready - for so many things, including Dustin. All he says is "I'm gonna do this for baby Dustin", and "I'm gonna do that for baby Dustin"; or "I'm gonna be 11 when Dustin is 5".

Zach is of course a huge blessing, and he is blessed with a huge heart for others. He's playing t-ball, and enjoying his "senior" year in pre-K, as he will start Kindergarten this Fall.

We certainly pray that we can not only be who Dustin needs us to be, but also who Zach needs us to be. In Gods hands...

Lisa is sleeping somewhat better - still not great. She has purchased a back brace and we are hoping this is a comfort.

It's Lisa's Birthday

Today is Lisa's birthday and Zach and I have started a new tradition of making a home-made birthday song video. I've never been able to pull off the Cary Grant, smooth romantic style. I have, however, no problem being really cheesy - watch the video and you be the judge (although I know where you'll land on this one).

Lisa really loves 80s music....



More than anything Lisa would like restful sleep for her birthday. Please continue to pray for her rest.

Thanks, Rob

Light For My Path

Since we have told people that Dustin is expected to have DS, a common question we get is "how are you doing?" Of course, this covers not only the "day-to-day" friendly version, but also a query into how we are really doing, if you know what we mean.

This is a tough question because it's really hard to place ourselves in a position where we have a complete understanding of what it will be like. For starters, we won't know severity of Dustin's case until after his birth (expected around mid August). Of course we know this will be life changing - beyond just having another child - as well difficult, stressful (for all involved, including us, Dustin, Zach, friends, family), etc. Looking at it from this perspective, it is easy to understand how one can answer a simple query into how we are doing with either "kind of freaked out" or "all over the map".

Right now, however, we are at peace - and we are thankful for the peace we have and for all you who are praying for us, because for sure we can feel your prayers.

Of course, we're learning as much as we can about DS. This includes talking to as many people as possible who have experience with it, mostly parents of kids with DS - friends of friends, friends of family, and the local support group (TDSN). The stories and experiences we hear are truly amazing and very encouraging.

We're reading as well. Rob has read Uncommon Fathers, a collection of essays written by fathers of kids with disabilities. Lisa has read tons of material provided by TDSN, and is currently reading Babies with Down Syndrome. A recent read of Lisa's (and gift from our very supportive neighbor Sarah) has been Expecting Adam, "an autobiographical tale of an academically oriented Harvard couple who conceive a baby with Down Syndrome and decide to carry him to term".

While we must not delude ourselves that this saga won't be very difficult, we nonetheless remain encouraged. We continue to hear over and over again how Dustin will be "more like us than different". And once again, we trust in Him. Psalm 119:105 says,

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

We do have an additional prayer request. Please pray for Lisa to get sleep. She is retaining amniotic fluid and this is causing back pain and other discomfort, making it particularly hard to sleep for long stretches of time.

Thanks again for your prayers and talk to you soon.