An Afternoon of Pink

Why She's Such a "Joy"

Dear Addy,

After reading your mom's posts about Faith, I wondered this morning whether we should start calling you by your middle name--Joy. It all started when I quietly opened your door this morning before I left to work, and you were cribbed out in your bed, hands behind your head, binky in mouth, just SMILING from ear to ear. I cannot remember a morning that you have not woke up in a good mood...that's why I love running to your room in the morning. Other sixdevries.com members may not be morning people (hint....hint......Mom and Ya'ya), but you are always a joy in the morning. Addy Joy, thanks for the smile on my way to work.

Love,
Dad

Have a Little "Faith" (Part 3)

When Faith was a week old, we received a frightening call from the pediatrician. One of her newborn screenings had come back abnormal. They told us that she needed to be retested right away. I would like to say that I was completely calm and rational because of all God had taught me through the pregnancy. That is not how it happened, though. I completely panicked. And what does Courtney do when she panics? What every other normal “accountant mom” does…balance the checkbook.

So, I went into the office and began balancing the checkbook, because it had not been done in a whole day and it needed prompt attention. As I began diligently assessing our financial situation, something caught my attention. It was the birth certificate application from the hospital. Now, I have heard some say that God speaks in a soft whisper. With me, He uses a much different approach. He yells. He uses this form of communication with me because He knows me very well and has trouble getting His point across in any other way.

So, God asked me, “What did you name your child?”

“Faith,” I said.

“Have some,” He said.

Now, I know that God is never at a lack for words, but it was straight, to the point, and I GOT IT! As we waited to get the results back from the second round of testing, I never once questioned Faith’s test results. God had already told me what they would be…NOT that they were going to come back normal, but that God would take care of her regardless of the outcome.

Have a Little "Faith" (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of my "Faithful" walk with this pregnancy. At the twenty week ultrasound, we were informed that our baby had a chorid plexus cyst. It is a cyst on the base of the baby’s brain that can be a marker for Downs Syndrome. It can also be nothing and go away by twenty-eight weeks. We had to wait until that time to find out if it would resolve. The baby had no signs of Downs and my blood work all came back with low probability as well. It was still a waiting game--a two-month one. For those of you who know me, waiting is not one of my strong points. All we could do was cover her in prayer…and that is what we did. At twenty-eight weeks, we got the news that it had indeed resolved and once again God had kept His word. He is “Faithful.”