{Straight From the Heart} *Miracle Pregnancy* 2/16/00
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Welcome to "Straight From the Heart!"
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We wanted to congratulate our niece, Jennifer Pozzani on scoring her
1000th career point this past weekend. Jennifer has reached a
milestone that most high school players don't ever reach, and if
they do it is in their senior year. Jennifer is only a junior and
has been averaging over 20 points a game at Beloit Memorial.
Congratulations Jennifer! We love you!!
Michael and Kristi
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And now we conclude Debra Adler's series on infertility!
Dear Michael,
Here is my final writing on my infertility story ending with the ending
of my difficult pregnancy and Caleb's scary entrance into this world.
This story will conclude my journey. I hope I have helped some people
to understand the pains of infertility.
The Miracle Pregnancy
Thinking I was "out of the woods" after they found the baby on the
ultrasound screen, I was yet to learn another lesson in trusting the
Lord. I struggle with that a lot and yet He continues to be faithful to
answer.
At around 15 weeks into the pregnancy I slipped and fell quite hard. I
had reason to be concerned due to some bleeding but in less than 12
hours all was okay once again!
A couple of other minor circumstances came up, one of being the doctor
thought I might have gestational diabetes and the other being the severe
edema I had in my feet and ankles. By the time I was 20 weeks I no
longer could tie my shoes (even shoes that I bought that were already 2
sizes bigger than normal). So as the pregnancy continued I began to
feel a lot more settled in my emotions. I was finally going to have a
baby after all. 27 weeks..........28 weeks.............I was counting
down until I could cuddle with my newborn as most mothers dwell
on the further along you get in your pregnancy. 29
weeks...................I started having concerns once again as I hadn't
felt the baby move most of the day. Usually if I pressed on him a
certain way, he would move around. I was so concerned I went into the
hospital to be monitored to see if they could hear his heart beat. They
hooked me all up with the belt monitor and they found his heartbeat
immediately, "But what's this, exclaimed one of the nurses, your having
contractions and they're consistent". "What?" I thought. I'm not even
feeling anything. How in the world am I having contractions. And plus
that I'm only 29 weeks, we hadn't even finished our birthing classes and
by now the trust that took me so long to buildup that everything was
going to be okay, was now back to zilch again.
The hospital kept me through the night to monitor me as they gave me a
drug to stop the contractions. As I lay awake at night I prayed, “God,
please, this is way too early for our baby to be born”. By morning the
hospital released me and put me on partial bed rest for the rest of my
pregnancy and said not to go out of town. “Ha!” I thought, its
Thanksgiving in a couple of days, fat chance of that. My mother in law
just spent big money for me to have a nice maternity
Thankgiving/Christmas outfit. I had to go.
On Thanksgiving toward the end of the evening, I started having
contractions again, this time I was feeling them. Uh Oh! I guess I did
not listen to the doctor. I laid down at my relatives home and
contractions dwindled down on their own.
After a couple days went by, I began to do all of my normal functions, I
was even scheduled to host a dinner for our marriage group that day
(Dec. 2, 1997). I was moving over in bed at 4:30 AM as that is when my
husband would leave for work. SPLASH!!!!! Now I know that was my bag
of waters! This is not good, I'm thinking and my husband is heading out
the door for work. I barely caught him as I waddled down the hall of
the house, gushing water like a waterfall. This cannot be happening!!
I donut even have my bags packed and besides, I'm
not due until January 25th. This is not happening.........I kept
repeating. You are not coming this early and this my dear child is a
direct order from your mom.
I went to my hospital where they confirmed my waters broke and they
proceeded to say my contractions were mild and I was not dilated at all
so they sent me to a more specialized hospital to handle preemies. By
the time I actually got there my contractions stopped, but they were not
going to release me. I was now on total bed rest in the hospital until
the baby was born (Thank God for insurance). Besides some major
migraines I was having, my stay was uneventful and this baby was stuck
in limbo without its water to help his lungs mature. I was given
steroid shots to help the baby's lungs develop faster and told that they
would induce me Dec. 26th for the fear of risk of infection if he did
not come on his own before then.
Well, on Dec. 18th our little one said lets get this show on the road.
And after 26 hours of intense labor, our long awaited miracle was born.
They laid him on my stomach as I had requested for a brief moment as
they cut the cord but had to get him breathing as it was not happening
while he was being suctioned out. When they finally brought him in to
me for me to see, I couldn't hold him because they said he was having
trouble breathing on his own and needed oxygen and proceeded to take him
to ICU. At that particular moment, I was so
exhausted I barely remember and was not too concerned. There were many
prayers going up for him, even people that did not know me personally at
my mom's work were praying because the doctors kept saying they were
worried about him. They also said he probably would not be released
until his due date. God does answer prayer because in 4 days from his
birth, Dec. 23rd, just in time for a beautiful Christmas celebration, he
was home with us. I will never forget that Christmas that we finally
held our baby in our arms and he was home. Our baby was home!
This is a song from the C.D. Shout To The Lord with Hillsongs from
Australia. The song is called "The Power of Your Love". It played in
my room in the hospital as I waited on the Lord as I was on bedrest
wondering what the outcome of the pregnancy would be. I end my
infertility series on a positive note with this song that the Lord gave
to me and still gives to me as I continue to wait on Him for answers to
prayer. I am constantly being renewed with His love and continue to
rely on Him as I learn more and more about Him every day.
The Power Of Your Love
Lord, I come to You, let my life be changed, renewed
flowiing from the grace that I've found in You
And Lord, I've come to know the weaknesses I see in me
will be swept away by the power of your love
(chorus)
Hold me close, let Your love surround me
Bring me near, draw me to your Your side
And as I wait, I'll rise up like the eagle
And I soar with You; Your spirit leads me on
By the power of Your love.
Debra Adler
Hunsun@ticon.net
Send Debra an email and let her know what you thought of her story!
About Debra:
Debra Adler is 31 years old and resides in the country just outside of
Afton, Wisconsin with her supportive husband Stephen (37 years old) of
eight years and her son Caleb, who is not 22 months old. Stephen has
been in trucking for the last 10 years but his deepest passion would be
to get back into flying some time in the future. Caleb is our adorable
son that is a blessing and a miracle that God has given to us after
several years of trying to conceive. His favorite hobbies are playing
ball ("baw" as he says), vacuuming the carpet, playing on his slide
outside, and playing in Mommy's spices. Debby is a busy housewife,
Mommy and Church Secretary with a full schedule. She enjoys singing,
baking, writing from her heart, doing Bible Study and scrap booking her
son's pictures. She is passionate about everything she does, especially
being a mother. One day she would like to write a book about their
infertility story and the dream that Steve and Deb would never give up
on...having a child of their own.
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REQUEST AND UPDATE about baby Zachary
From Donna Beals Beals7ofus@aol.com
Unfortunately now the news is not so hot today on my little buddy. Not horrid
but not so hot either..........I started back to work today. Jessica
went up with Brooke this morning to be with Zachary. She called me at
1:30 to give me an update.........He is still the same for the most
part. They were hoping to see some improvement over the weekend. He
was not getting worse or better just staying the same. Zachary is not
digesting his food hardly at all and his oxygen had to be increased
last night as he had an episode of a very low heartrate....not sure
how low.......I wish I had been there to talk to the Dr. Jessica
talked to the nurses but I am not sure if she was there for rounds or
not. She is very well versed on what is going on!!! Since Zachary is
not digesting the Dr.s have decided to do a barium study again and
since his episode of low heart rate I think she said another EKG was
ordered that or an echocardiogram not sure which. This time they are
doing the barium study through the tube that goes in his nostril to
his tummy. They are trying to see what is the reason for his body not
kicking in to digest the food. He is on a diuretic for fluid retention.
I am not sure what is up at this point.........I sure pray that they
are able to find out how to help Zachary!!!! Keep your prayers strong
for this little fighter!!!!! thanks! ~donna
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Thought For The Day:
"Love sees through a telescope, not a microscope."
Verse for the Day:
"Love endures long and is patient and kind...it takes no account of
the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong)."
1 Corinthians 13:4,5 (AMP)
Kid's Thought For The day:
"If it tastes good it probably isn't good for you."
Parent's Thought For The Day
"It's not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it."
-Dorothy on The Golden Girls
Coach's Thought For The Day
"When you help someone up a hill, you'll find yourself close to the
top, too."
Deep Thought For The Day:
"My next house will have no kitchen --- just vending machines."
_
/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com http://members.aol.com/Thunder27/index.html
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Video Imagery (Michael's Video Production Business.)
"I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video
we gave them. They loved it, to say the least! Within thirty
seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too. They said it was
the best Christmas gift we could have given them!! You did such
a beautiful job! They were so suprised and so touched---they
really, really, really loved it. Thanks for helping to make it so
special to us all. My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for
the video too! Thanks again!"
Kelli (RKaGe@aol.com) College Station, TX
Let me make you a video from your pictures or home movies!
Check out the web page for Michael's video production business!
Video Imagery
http://members.aol.com/Videoimg/index.html