Welcome to the world, Leo!

Leo Francis born Nov. 3rd @ 1:17pm.
5lbs, 14oz and 18 in. long!

On Wednesday, November 3rd, Leo made his transition from womb to world in a wonderfully blessed way. Before I go into any further details, I want to say, thank you, again, to all who have been praying and caring for our family in the past three months. It is a miracle to us that we have a healthy baby boy now, and it clearly took a community of family and friends to join us in bringing forth this new life. To God be the glory!

On Wednesday morning, I was greeted at 7am with an "unusual" feeling contraction. I took note that this was going to be a "take-it-easy" day. By 9am, I was feeling just all around strange and began to reminisce about my early labor with John Paul, which then immediately alarmed me to call my mother-in-law to come over and head to the hospital. We got to the hospital at 10:15am, where Paul joined us and we checked into Labor and Delivery. My contractions were demanding all of my concentration by that time and were about 5 minutes apart. The L&D staff needed to take stock of our situation, which was unique in a few ways: My cervix was still stitched closed, Leo was breech, I was in active labor. They ordered an ultrasound to confirm the baby's presentation and then informed me that the doctor wanted to do a C-Section at 1:30pm. Since I had eaten breakfast at 7:30am, it is protocol to delay surgery at least six hours after eating to minimize the risk of aspiration (food in the lungs).  At this point, it became a reality that this was going to be Leo's birthday, but instead of excitement, I was momentarily overcome with sadness. I had so looked forward to giving birth to this baby, and didn't imagine that it would happen by walking into an operating room. Also adding to my emotion was the fact that I was laboring to pass the time until surgery, and with the fear that each contraction would cause damage to my sewn-shut cervix. I know it was at this particular moment that I was carried by the grace of your prayers, because I was quickly able to snap out of my sadness and concentrate on the matters at hand. Paul was awesome and actively helped me weather each contraction for the next half hour or so. By that time, contractions were getting really intense and close together, and the doc determined it was too dangerous to wait any longer and called for an immediate trip to the O.R. About 30 min. later, the anesthesiologist was giving us the play-by-play of what was happening beyond the blue surgical drape and I was overcome with joy as I knew the doctor was bringing my Leo into the world. He cried his squeaky newborn cry, and I cried my mother's tears of triumph.

Great is Your faithfulness, O Lord! 

A nurse brought Leo over to Paul and I, and we shared together that glorious moment of first meeting your own child. A few minutes later, Paul went with Leo to the nursery while I was being stitched up. I must admit, a c-section is much more uncomfortable than I had imagined! There were strange, painful burning sensations that were radiating through my shoulders and neck while they were pushing, pulling and tugging on my insides. I was also a bit concerned when I overheard the doctor ask, "Did you find it?" to his surgical staff accompanied with more pushing, pulling and tugging on my insides... We came to find out later that they had lost a surgical sponge and had to make sure it wasn't still inside of me...!

Once I was brought to the immediate recovery area, Paul joined me with our new baby. He was 5 lbs, 14 ounces and 18 inches long (choosing to come two weeks early). He looks like such a tiny little guy! We think he is the best baby in the world! Honestly, we are so amazed at how easy a full-term newborn is: no wires, no tubes, no monitors, no alarms... He sleeps well and eats well and we have just been loving him with all of our hearts!

Upon discharge from the hospital, my very Christian doctor shared with us a few verses from a hymn to remind us of how faithful God was to us through this entire pregnancy. The Lord promised to never leave our side, and looking back now to the way all things unfolded, we know He never did.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

Morning by morning new mercies I see,

All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided,

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Adventures of Vertical Living!

I just realized today that it was time for an update here. We've had some excitement in the past week that is due to be shared...

Last Thursday, I was hit with a stomach bug that totally wiped me out and sent me into the hospital for re-hydration (3 bags of IV fluids). We stayed overnight and went home in the morning, once I could keep food down. Poor Paul got hit with the same bug the next day, as well as my sister and mother-in-law. It was a family affair. Upon discharge, our Perinatologist remarked that, since I had hit the 36 week mark, I no longer needed to be on bedrest. So, for the past week I have been taking advantage of getting back to "vertical living" (with caution). My legs and feet aren't really sure about all of this up-rightness, because they have been the source of much discomfort. I get very tired quickly, once I've been walking around, and I have lost pretty much ALL flexibility. I remarked to Paul the other day that I don't know how I am actually going to labor, when the time comes, because my body is so outta whack!

Our next bit of excitement happened today. We had an appointment to remove the cerclage, but since the baby is still breech, they would not remove the cerclage, and attempted to do an external version (ECV) instead. The ECV is where the doctor tries to manipulate the baby into the head-down position. We gave it a shot and he would not budge! The protocol after the procedure is to monitor the baby for a bit to make sure that he tolerated being pushed around and there were no adverse effects. His heart rate following the ECV was great, but we quickly realized that I was having regular contractions that weren't really slowing down. We ended up staying for a few hours so that I could receive IV fluids, which did the trick.

So, we returned home this evening with the friendly advice to, "call your OB and schedule your c-section." I am still swallowing this directive, as many of you know, I am "slow to react" and it usually takes me some time to collect my thoughts about anything. I will not feel like I "failed" if I end up needing to have a surgical birth, but it is a disappointing reality that I had hoped (and still hope) to avoid. Right now, I will just continue to be thankful that Leo is still healthy and growing. Maybe tomorrow I will start seeking peace in the pending probability of a c-section.

Thanks, everyone, for all of your prayers!

His Love Is Strong (in Paul's words @ 36 weeks)

Janell is a tough act to follow. I have never been known for, nor complimented on my writing skills. In fact, my teachers have always said quite the opposite. My excuse for getting a "D" in French class was, "How can you expect me to learn a second language when I still can't figure out the first one?" Though, I thought it was a great excuse in high school, my teacher did not. So, here I am, the boy that didn't start talking until he was four years old, trying to be articulate on his wife's blog.

Push my lack of qualification aside; I do have something to say. Praise God! Not in a cliché sort of way, but really, "Praise God." The same God that led Israel out of Egypt has led us out of this time of trial. The same God that healed the blind man has healed our little boy, Leo. And for this, I praise God.

My good friend, Pete Burds, has continually been reminding me the last few months that God's love is strong. I have heard this phrase a million times in my life, but for some reason, that verse has been my theme the last three months. His love is not a weak or delicate love. His love is strong, and, as it says in Job: "it does not relent." His love is stronger than our fear of the present and the future. His love is stronger than our plans, and stronger than our unfaithfulness. And quite literally, his love is stronger than the grave.

Today is a big day. This is the day we marked three months ago as the beginning of 36 weeks. While still pre-term, Leo would not be considered a pre-mature baby. His lungs are most likely strong enough to breathe on his own, and to be able to come home with us, that is, if he were born after today. 

It is quite hard to express my gratitude towards God and all those who have been there for us. Yet, today marks a pretty big day for Leo and all of his friends and serves as a reminder that "strong is His love for us." (Psalm 117)

He Knows Best

Yesterday's Gospel was Luke 10:1-12, Jesus instructing his disciples on their mission to go out and be laborers for the harvest. One particular instruction just echoed within my heart this morning as I read over the Scripture:

"...Eat and drink what is set before you." (Luke 10:7)

Immediately, I thought of my dear toddler who is currently in a stage where he is exercising his will when it comes to meals. Most of what I set before him, these days, he refuses. Sometimes, I have the creativity to make his food seem more appealing, or the patience to offer an alternative meal. Mostly, I get frustrated with him. I feel this way for two reasons: The first, because I have prepared food for him that is balanced and nutritious, and the second, because I want to teach him to be grateful for what is set before him. These thoughts led me to realize ways that I may be acting like my toddler in response to what God has set before me. Is it possible that God, like most parents, asks us to "eat and drink what is offered to us" because he has prepared what is best for us and he wants to teach us how to be grateful?

Family picture in our backyard

Throughout this pregnancy, I have gotten myself all mixed up in trying to make careful decisions about everything from what hospital to deliver at, what care-provider to use, what childbirth method we should look into, what type of pre-term prevention we should consider, and so on. In fact, I have made many decisions, only to go back and change my mind once or twice more. Even before my official "complications" came about, this was a complicated pregnancy. I have, many times, refused the simplicity of what is set before me only to find that it was, all along, what was best. As the end draws nearer, and I begin to plan for the cervical stitch removal and post-bedrest activities, things continue to seem complicated.
Our conversations regarding these last weeks are saturated with "what-ifs." What if I go into labor post-bedrest, but pre-cerclage removal? What if  we take the stitch out too soon? What if the baby is still breech when I go into labor? Every other minute I seem to have a new plan to handle all of my complicated "what-ifs." But none of my plans seem to work out...

I think that God was speaking to me through the Scripture this morning. His Words, "to eat and drink what is set before me," really are a reminder that He knows best, and He wants to teach me how to be grateful. My daily bread will be set before me, and it is up to me to respond to God. I hope that I can respond with a grateful heart, no matter what happens in the next few weeks.

There is an Italian young woman, Blessed Chiara Badano, who is well on her way to sainthood. I just came across her story a few weeks ago, and realized how real holiness is. She lived from 1971-1990, and died at age 19 after a few years battling cancer. When she was loosing all strength, and enduring much pain, she would often say, "If you want it, Jesus, so do I." I love these words because they are so straightforward. It doesn't sound overly theological, antiquated or ethereal... they are real words, said by a real girl to a very real God.
"If you want it, Jesus, so do I."

37 is the new 36

Well... there's good news and bad news. The good news is that I will be off of bed rest some day. The bad news is that it will not be until after I've reached 37 weeks. Now, for some reason or another, Paul and I had in our heads that 36 weeks was our goal. But this week, both the perinatologist and OB doc said that 37 was the goal, and we should not discontinue any preventative means before then. So, my new Independence Day is Oct. 28th.

Our growth ultrasound this week showed that Leo has caught up to himself, and now all parts are growing within a sufficient percentile. In total, he weighs about five pounds now. This is wonderful news, as there had been some concern about his size, but now we are in the clear.

Don't make fun of our "vintage" TV!

The other night, Paul promised me a "date" after we put John Paul to bed. He made his famous lasagna, a salad and got triple-chocolate ice cream for dessert. Mmmm, my top three indulgences are:
1. Italian food
2. Chocolate
3. Ice Cream

So, needless to say, he covered all of the bases and we had a delicious meal together. I wanted to show off how he thoughtfully covered a plastic Fisher-Price table that was the perfect height for the couch, and decorated so nicely with cloth and candles!
I love my husband!

Time

We have a food-themed calendar in our bedroom, that serves as an auxiliary to our main kitchen calendar where all family events and reminders are posted. For each month, it displays a photographed collection of different genres of food. A few months ago (July, I think), my pregnancy-induced hypersensitive stomach could not handle looking at raw fish, meat and cheeses first thing in the morning, so, I flipped the calendar to the first month that didn't make me queasy: October. October has a beautiful array of different types of honey. Simple, and sweet! In July, when I set the calendar to October, I thought it would serve as a good daily reminder of my "goal" to make it to 36 weeks.

In my mind, the calendar has since been out-of-order until it dawned on me, this week, that it really is October now! Where did the time go? Of course, there were days where the time seemed to drag on and I just didn't know how I was going to ever make it through bedrest... but somehow, time moved forward, and obviously, much quicker than I anticipated.

C.S. Lewis has a perfect explanation for this: Human beings are constantly restless within the confines of time. Even though we have been living in time since we were created, we are still not used to it. Throughout the day, we find ourselves saying, "Oh my, look at the time! It's gone by so quickly!" or "Will this day ever end? It has dragged on and on!" We loose track of time, try to make up for lost time, think of ways to waste time, and wonder where the time went.

Enjoying fresh air in the backyard

He sure loves being outdoors!

The obvious conclusion is that we were not created to live within time. We were created for timelessness... Eternity. We will never be comfortable in time, because we are not home yet. Only in God is our soul at rest. Only in Eternity.









Now that we are in October, we are on the comforting edge of the safe zone with Leo. If he is born now, he will likely be a healthy boy with a brief or no hospital stay after birth. Each day is bringing us closer to a full-term, take-home baby! I must keep in mind, though, that Leo is made for Eternity. I am doing my best to bring him safely into this world, but our job as parents is much more important than that... We must do our best to bring our children safely into Eternity, where we are all meant to be. And that job makes bedrest seem easy!

Days Go By...

I've passed the 33 week mark! Paul and I have started to form a game plan for new baby preparations. With the great help of my dad and my mother-in-law, I've gotten all of our baby stuff out of the garage and into appropriate drawers and closet space. All of the baby furniture and bedding is poised and ready to be set up in the next couple of weeks. We are getting close!

At 36 weeks the doctor will have me off of bedrest, off of my anti-contraction medication, and remove the cerclage (cervical stitch). Now we are all placing bets on when labor will begin after that point. My husband is convinced that labor will start immediately, and we will be bringing home a baby in less than 4 weeks from today. He might be right.
The doctors have assured us that most women do not go into labor right away, and some hang on until 40+ weeks. I haven't decided what I think will happen, but I do know what I would prefer. Ideally, Leo can come around 38-39 weeks, which would give me a little grace period to start moving around, get my energy up, and do a few fun things before bringing home baby. November 10th is the Feast of St. Leo The Great, which would put me at 38 weeks, 6 days.
For all of you that are praying for Leo and I, do me a favor and pray that Nov. 10th becomes his birthday!

Martha

I was recently given a stack of Martha Stewart Living magazines by a very thoughtful woman, and have truly enjoyed the diversion. An array of emotions is stirred up within me as I've flipped through the pages of each issue: I'm astonished at the intricate detail and skill required for her do-it-yourself projects, (I'm convinced I would need to hire a professional to produce anything "homemade" from her magazines), utterly impressed by her knowledge of all things Home Ec., excited to think up low-budget alternatives for her perfectly tasteful, gourmet ideas, sometimes skeptical that she is human, but in the end, I am simply tired. Not tired of reading, but just exhausted for her.

What a chore to carry the weight of her fame. She is considered the expert in entertaining and home living. I would totally crumble under that kind of pressure. Martha Stewart must be a very graceful woman to succeed at being a professional hostess and home-maker.

When we host parties or entertain guests, I enjoy it, but I definitely lack grace. I let myself get wrapped up in whether or not the chips and dip are properly displayed in serving bowls rather than original packaging, and forget to relax and enjoy our company. If I didn't have my "better half" husband to balance out some of my up-tightness, I would be so exhausted from worrying about all of the details. I've found myself feeling jealous of women that can happily set out a bag of chips for her guests or easily interchange a salad fork and a dinner fork without it phasing her. These women, though they won't be publishing their own magazines anytime soon, are the women that know how to be a truly graceful hostess.

This totally reminds me of the infamous Martha, from the Bible. She was the one who was busying herself with the housework, while her sister, Mary, was sitting at the feet of Jesus. She complained to our Lord that her sister was leaving all of the work to her, but I wonder if she was more jealous of Mary than she was upset with her. Jealous that Mary had the grace to receive their Guest in the best way, rather than being burdened with an eye for the details...
I think that Martha gets a bad wrap, and that this story from Luke is packed with meaning from all different angles, but tonight I just pray that I will come to understand and practice the true virtue of hospitality. Of course, for now I am not doing much entertaining of guests, but I need to pack away these little lessons to remember when I am back on my feet and back in the game of house-keeping.
Until then, I will continue to flip through my magazines, and be thankful that I am free of pressure (always self-inflicted) to perform as a perfect hostess.

Congratulations Leo!

Congratulations, Leo! You are officially the longest cooking baby in the Vogrinc family!

Today I am at 32 weeks, 0 days, which is the exact gestational age that I went into labor with John Paul. Since it is now past the hour of 3:22pm (when JP came into the world), we are breathing a little sigh of relief that Leo is still happily gestating within me.

Of course, there's no real scientific/biological reason for this particular day to be any more of a risk for something to go wrong, but I have been on edge all day, trying not to stir anything up. Today was also a mental milestone for me, as I can now start focusing on preparing our home for the new baby, who can safely be born in a month! I am making lists of small household projects and have purchased a few "new baby" items at Target.com. Also, I had a good phone conversation with a friend that was able to counsel me through my sewing pattern anxiety, and I am really excited to get started on this Baptismal gown.
Praise God for today being another uneventful day!

John Paul and Grand Dad playing ball together.
(We're so glad that you came to visit, Dad! Thanks for all of your help!)

Simplicity? I think not.

In all of the resources that I have come across for women on bedrest, there is always a list of "suggested activities" to occupy your time. Knitting, cross-stitching, scrap-booking, paint-by-number, crochet... While these may sound like very practical activities, I just wonder who these women are that actually do these things while on bedrest. For one thing, it requires a good amount of upper-torso strength to hold ones head up and arms free while lying on ones side. After about 15 minutes of this, my neck, shoulders and back are aching. The other important requirement to begin a new hobby while on bedrest is a husband willing to shop for you. I love my husband very much, which is why I've yet to torture him with the task of fabric-shopping. Paul is more comfortable in a war-torn foreign country than in a craft store searching for a linen/cotton blend fabric.

The other day, I realized that I've been on bedrest for 7 weeks now, and have nothing to show for my time away. No knitted socks, or embroidered pillowcases. I don't necessarily feel pressure to produce evidence of my leisure, but I have decided that, while it's not as convenient as one may think, it would be nice to have a certain craft to mark this time. One thing that I've wanted to have, even before I was on bedrest, was a simple Baptismal gown for our family. I've never sewn a garment, so I searched online for a simple pattern that I could attempt. "www.Simplicity.com" seemed like the perfect place for a simple pattern (hence the name.) My pattern arrived in the mail today. It's not simple. In fact, I don't even think it's comprehensible.

I'm going to add my new Simplicity pattern to a collection of things in my life that are unexpectedly complicated. Another unexpectedly complicated thing is pregnancy and childbirth. We've all been born, right? In fact, pregnancy and childbirth is so common that one would assume it is simple. Simple to conceive, simple to gestate, simple to birth. Well, no, it's not simple at all. In fact, it is nothing less than a miracle. Sometimes I forget to be in awe of this miracle, and I feel entitled to simplicity. This is dangerous, because once I feel entitled to simplicity, I feel incompetent as a mother, because this "simple" part of motherhood is unexpectedly complicated for me. Actually, I know a lot of good women right now that are tempted to feel the same way due to complications in their pregnancies...

Ultrasound profile of Baby Leo

Have you ever heard of the saying, "God never gives you anything you can't handle"? I disagree. God does give you things you can't handle... things that are unexpectedly complicated... so that you will rely on Him.

"So humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you." -1 Peter 5:6-7

Here comes Fall!

We snuck out to the state park by our house for some fresh air last weekend... Daddy and John Paul had lots of fun exploring while I relaxed on a picnic blanket. It's no secret now that Fall is near! 

Doing dishes like Eve

We made it to 30 weeks, today! And no sign of baby coming any time soon! So, I have been on bedrest for 6 weeks, and I have 6 more weeks to go, which puts me halfway there.

I'll be honest and admit that this past week was a tough week. On Monday, I told Paul that I couldn't do this lying around thing anymore. I feel like I am missing out on precious time with my son and I am sick of asking Paul to bring me a napkin, or a pen, or my book or my water bottle. I just long for the days when he could come home from work and relax while I got dinner together. So, I started to rebel while passing by the kitchen...I couldn't help but stop and wash a few dishes... and put the peanut butter and cereal boxes back in the cupboard...and re-organize our junk drawer... I also started to fret about how my hair looked, and spend more time standing in front of the mirror and standing and staring at the clothes in my closet. Yesterday I was sick of John Paul's puzzle pieces lying on the floor so I started to pick up his toys and books as well as anything else out of place in the living room.

O, how selfish of me to do those things. Is cleaning a few dishes really worth jeopardizing my condition and posing risks to my little one? Of course not, but I let the feelings of uselessness and lack of control get the best of me. What is it about women and needing to be in control? Eve, in Genesis, sure gave in to the temptation to control when she disobeyed God. She ate fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, because she needed to know for herself. She couldn't stand to just obey anymore, she wanted to take matters into her own hands, and decide for herself what was good and evil. Maybe she couldn't stand things being out of her control. Most women I know can't stand being out of control (including me, obviously). This is why I am in awe of Mary, the Blessed Mother. She was so good at letting go of control. Her faith was firm and unchanging, even though she was homeless in Bethlehem the night she gave birth. Her entire life, and everything recorded in the Scriptures about her, is a reminder to me of what a real woman should be in the face of great challenges. She simply trusted in God. And that takes more faith, strength and endurance than selfishly trying to grasp control of situations that we were never meant to control in the first place.

So, after my little fit of selfishness over the past few days, I have come to my senses. Paul checked out a new book for me at the library and I have a renewed determination to make it another 6 weeks on the couch. I still have temptation to be like Eve, and I'm sure it will haunt me for the next month and a half, but I am praying that Mary will open her arms to me at this time and show me how to obey and trust like she did.

For those of you that have asked for prayers, I also have a renewed commitment to continue to offer your intentions to Our Merciful Lord.

Immaculate Mary, Pray for us.

Leo Update

On Thursday, Leo turned 29 weeks old! He's still little in size, and I am measuring two weeks behind, but our doctor says we're sticking with the due date of Nov. 18th. So, there ya have it... we're officially 29 weeks and counting. There isn't much to report from my latest appointment, just a strong heartbeat from the little one. Reality hit me today that I will be bed-resting right through Fall and have this baby at the start of Winter. My goodness, what am I going to do with a toddler that can't play outside because it's too cold? I'm not ready for winter...

Blessed

Every good and perfect gift comes from You, Lord.

Isn't God glorious? (Taken in '05 in Costa Blanca, Spain)

A few weeks ago, when I was spared an extremely pre-term birth, and thereafter doomed to bed-rest, I really thought that this was my time to suffer for the Lord. Of all the joy and happiness of the previous year, I had just figured that God was now bringing me to a place of trial to lead my heart closer to His through suffering. So, I have been preparing myself to spend some time in this "vale of tears" as is the Lord's will for me right now.

Surprisingly enough, instead of darkness, this week has brought nothing but the light and love of Christ to me. On Monday, a dear friend of mine abandoned her plans for the day (including her baby's nap schedule!) to come over and help me with John Paul all morning. On Tuesday, we had a friend of the family bring over a delicious and healthy home-cooked meal, which was the start of a whole weekly schedule of friends and family that have volunteered to cook for us over the next three months. I've had thoughtful packages from out-of-state friends that have sent coloring books and activities for JP, word-search books, compilation CD's, magazines and even chocolate. I've received emails from people that I've only just met a handful of times that are assuring me of their thoughts and prayers for us. Just today, I received a hand-made card and intriguing book on The Apostolate of Holy Motherhood from a woman from our church. Between my mother-in-law and my sister, John Paul has been going to the park, the YMCA, and swimming in his pool... they have also been taking on our dishes, laundry and other household chores. Thanks to my mom in California, John Paul has a collection of new books and DVD's to watch, and Paul and I are thoroughly enjoying our NetFlicks subscription.
At a time when I thought I should be suffering and enduring the hardship of temporary disability, I been so unbelievably blessed! I had no idea that the Lord wanted to bless me in this way, as I know all of these gifts come from Him.

The one challenge that I've found in all of this is that I can't do much for the people that have done so much for me already. The one thing that I can do, and probably truly the greatest thing that I can do, is direct my prayers for the intentions of others. I have started a collection of prayer intentions from those who are serving our family at this time and I am looking forward to adding to my list. Please let me know (janellmvogrinc@gmail.com) if there are any specific things that I can pray for at this time.

For every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise You.


Thank you, everyone, and thank you, Lord, for surprising me with Your Love.

Back To School

Well, today is the day that I hoped would never come. No, nothing bad happened, and yes, I am still pregnant. But, Paul went back to work today. It is a quiet day here at home.
I will admit it: I am truly a spoiled wife. Some wives may be spoiled by the amount of money they have at their disposal, or the number of diamonds they add to their wedding rings on each anniversary, but I am spoiled by the amount of time my husband can spend with me. This is, by far, the best thing about Paul being a teacher. We just had a wonderful summer together, traveling to California, vacationing up north, spending our days at the state park and doing so many other things together as a family.
John Paul was not a happy camper this morning when Daddy said goodbye and went to work. We will all need some time to adjust! On the other hand, it will be nice to get settled into a weekly routine...

We had a growth ultrasound last week to measure Leo's growth and "check status" on me. I am doing well meaning there is no more progress toward labor and the baby had adequate amniotic fluid and a very healthy heartbeat. He is measuring about 7-10 days behind my due date, which isn't a big concern at the moment, but it may result in our doctor pushing my due date back a week or two. This, in my mind, is a bad and good thing. It is bad, because it means, we have a longer road ahead of us than we thought, but good because we want Leo to be as healthy and "ready" as possible before he is born. Honestly, I've always had a hunch that our due date was off. Originally, our Creighton NFP instructor estimated a Nov. 27th due date based on our charting, which is proving to be very accurate based on the baby's size. Funny, those Catholics really do know what they're talking about!

I will try to post an ultrasound picture of Leo, soon. Thanks for reading and thanks for praying!

Wasting Away

Luke 5:1-11 -"The Call of Simon the Fisherman" This is the Gospel that Paul and I chose to be read at our wedding, and one that I periodically revisit in prayer from time to time. I came back to this Scripture recently, and was surprised to find the Holy Spirit illuminating a particular moment in a way that I had never thought of before: 

After casting into deep water and being astonished at the catch of fish so numerous that it was in danger of sinking the boat...they left everything to follow Him. Perhaps it is because I have been so scrupulous with our budget lately, trying to stretch every dollar and dry good in our cupboards, that my first reaction to this event was, "what a waste!" 

Why would Jesus, along with Simon and the other fishermen, just turn around and leave all of those fish? Think of all of the money that those fish were worth. Think of all of the people that could have been fed. 

It also led me to think of the woman who anointed Jesus with the costly alabaster oil and caused scandal because of such waste (Matt 26:6-13). Then came another thought: Maybe sometimes God gives us certain gifts just to be wasted on Him. 

I had great plans for this summer. Plans to organize the house, exercise, cook more vegetables, teach my son to walk and experience the Midwest in all of its summertime glory... but my plans weren't great enough. God had a greater plan. He is giving me the gift of time. Time is the one thing that all mothers dream of having more of. Time is to mothers what fish was to Simon. Now that I am on bedrest, I am astonished at the amount of time I have. And all of those plans that I had dreamt of accomplishing once I had time, well, now I have time... But God is calling me to waste it on him. 

So, for the next 63 days, I am leaving everything behind to follow Him. 

26 weeks...10 more to go!

John Paul meets a goat at the Boone County Fair

Today marks 26 weeks for Leo and I! That means we have 10 more weeks to go until our goal of 36 weeks. Wow, that still sounds like a long time.

Yesterday was our weekly doctor visit. It is my only approved "public" outing so Paul and I usually make a detour on our way home... last week it was Starbucks, this week it was Beef-A-Roo, a favorite Rockford burger joint. Of course, we must use the drive-through, and I consume my treat fully reclined in the passenger seat. But nonetheless, it is an exciting event. Our appointment went well, as we gave a status update to the doctor (no news=good news) and listened to Leo's heartbeat. Ah, such a beautiful sound.

Paul and John Paul have been having fun together this week while our family from North Carolina is in town. Some of the fun includes: constructing a giant slip-n-slide in my in-law's backyard, going to the Boone County Fair, having a hearty water balloon fight, and going bowling. It's no secret that the slip-n-slide and water balloons are great reminders that having little children around give you reason to do things that are awesome, but otherwise unacceptable for adults. This is something that my husband loves about fatherhood!

The Vogrinc Family, on Bedrest

My cool outdoor reclining chair

Our unassuming family recently received the news that we would be on bedrest for the remainder of this pregnancy. This news came to us in the form of an unexpected hospital admittance after some pesky contractions, a few days of major concern, and then discharge papers with instructions to "do nothing but grow this baby."

JP celebrating "Shark Week" in his pool

I say "we" figuratively, because I am the only one lying on the couch all day, but Paul and John Paul are equally effected by my horizontal living. Since I can't be up for longer than a few minutes at a time, Paul is now in charge of winning the bread, and baking it. And cleaning up afterward. I can't lift our toddler, so Paul does naptime, bedtime, and most meals for the kiddo unless he pushes the high chair over to the couch where I can feed him. Even the dog is making sacrifices, as she spends much more time in her den now (the laundry room). So needless to say, we are all still settling in to our new lifestyle/ role changes.

Now to get technical about the pregnancy status: I was admitted to the hospital at 24 weeks gestation. I was dilated to 1.5cm and dangerously effaced. None of that is supposed to happen until full-term. They had me on heavy meds to stop the contractions, and performed a procedure called "cerclage," where they stitch the cervix closed to keep from dilating. It went well, but there is a risk now that my water will break prematurely. Also, there's a possibility that my body will persist in pre-term labor regardless of intervention. I am on a friendly medication for anti-contractions, and at this point things seem to be under control. I was discharged after 4 days, and have been at home on the couch ever since. In the midst an ultrasound during our hospital stay, Paul discovered (and it was confirmed by the ultrasound tech) that our little baby is a BOY! We are very excited to have Leo Francis as our baby-in-waiting, and love thinking about this little brother for John Paul.

We are so thankful for all of your prayers and thoughtfulness. I know there is an abundance of grace and insight that God intends to give through all of this and I hope to be able to share that with you!