Tomorrow, Ethan will be two months old and it has been an adventure! I couldn't really begin to describe the last eight weeks without first thanking all of the people that have supported us through prayer, giving and service. The sheer consideration that has been given to us by co-workers, friends, family and even strangers goes to show how God uses children to pull people together toward a common goal; even if that goal is simply the expression of selfless love.
Thanks so much to both sets of our parents who have helped us with everything from household maintenance, preparing the nursery, making cloth diapers, food, laundry, cleaning, advice, and companionship. Thanks so much to our church and my co-workers for the gifts of food, diaper bags, other nursery supplies and even a plaque for us to keep his footprint and handprint for the years to come. We are truly, truly blessed to have such good family and friends. I also want to thank everyone for the prayers. Of all the help we have received, I have to say that the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, has been the greatest gift of all. Even if tough, scary or exhausting situations, Jesus has been there to remind us that His Father, is also Ethan's heavenly Father. As much as we love Ethan, God's love dwarfs that exponentially.
For example, last night we took Ethan to the Children's Hospital ER for the first time. We had grown concerned about a reduction in wet diapers and a decreased appetite over the last couple of days. While talking to the on-call pediatrician we came to realize that he's just settling into normalcy for an infant his age, but then we asked about the diaper rash. We had noticed some differences that made this rash a little odd, and when we told the pediatrician, she immediately suggested we take him to the ER. She revealed that she was concerned it could be a Staff infection.
I guess any parent can understand the immediate concern that came over us when we heard that statement. I've never heard of a mild case of Staff and the concerns began to assault us. Saharh began to wonder if it was something she had done, something in her blood stream. I began to wonder if I hadn't been washing my hands thoroughly enough before changing his diapers...the list went on and on. The enemy was relishing this moment to say the least. We got in the car and drove to what we thought was the Children's Hospital, only to find out the right place was much further downtown. Frustration and anxiety kept trying to build up in both of us.
However, the Holy Spirit wouldn't let any of that stuff settle in our hearts. Before we had left, we prayed over Ethan and trusted the Lord with the outcome. Just like the night before the morning Ethan was born, I could hear the Spirit of God telling me, "I've got him, son. He's going to be fine." For every barrage of fear, the Spirit parried with peace. We didn't even call anyone because we just began to believe that this wasn't as bad as it sounded.
Eventually we got to the hospital and the look on the nurse's face when we described the situation was kind of funny. The disbelief was evident on her face and it was clear that this didn't look like any Staff case they'd seen. They admitted him anyway and gave us top priority because of Ethan's age. Several doctors and nurses looked at the rash, and while mentioning that it looked odd, didn't believe it was Staff. Ethan had no fevers, and was in a perfectly compliant mood. He ate around four ounces while we were in the hospital and we had to change his diaper three times! So much for our concern about his appetite and diapers. :)
After a couple of hours, they discharged Ethan and just told us to keep doing what we were already doing. To show even more, how God is mighty to save, the rash was gone this morning. Some may say that the pediatrician overreacted. I however am grateful for a doctor that errs on the side of caution, especially when they can't see Ethan in person. Everyone was very helpful and took the matter very seriously, no matter how unusual it seemed. God provided all that was needed. We're thankful for the experience because we got to find out where the hospital is located, learned the process for getting admitted and got to see how God provides. All in all, it was a great night and praise the Lord.
Not every parent gets to hear the results we did. We would be naive to believe that good news is the result of every prayer. We're thankful that last night's good news was good, but if not, even still, we praise the Lord! He's redeemed us from the cursed heart.
