Monday, August 6, 2012

How to Pray

Many of you have asked how you can pray for us specifically.  Today two prayer requests are on my heart.  First, there is currently one remaining test pending on Katherine Pierce.  The results are supposed to come in today (Monday, August 6th) or within the first half of this week.  Please pray the test comes back negative or normal.  Secondly, pray that mine and Darrell's thoughts would all be held captive to Christ.  In other words, that we would not be overcome with anxious thoughts about what the future holds but thoughts that recognize and acknowledge that God Himself has Katherine Pierce in His hands.  To Him, night is as day.  This thought is the ultimate comfort and what has made it possible to seek peace amidst all the unknowns.

Praise God with us as well!  Katherine Pierce has been taking down her full bottles the past couple of feedings.  Pray for continued improvement in this area.  The sooner she can eat on her own, the sooner she can come home from the NICU.   Further testing/movement toward a diagnosis would then continue through outpatient care.  

I can't thank each of you enough for being in this with us.  Many of you have emailed, texted and even sent snail mail assuring us we are not alone.  More than once, I have thought how I just can't do this.  I can't leave my baby at the hospital and drive away.  It's too much.  Too hard.  And yet, the next moment I know and can feel myself being carried through the support of others: through peoples prayers, our fridge being stocked with homemade meals, KP's nurse going to the hospital chapel to pray and interceding specifically for the health and life of my little girl, another nurse assuring me that KP would not be alone and that she would accompany her to the MRI testing that took place at 3 am in the morning, Starbucks coffee being dropped at my door by a friend wanting to brighten my morning, grandparents and friends providing Duke and Braddock with loads of love and attention and a sense of normalcy, the crazy generous gift of a bright pink IPad (in honor of KP) from a group of friends who thought it'd prove helpful to have a portable computer in this season, my mom letting me sob in her lap and being given permission to be weak when I feel the situation calls me to be strong, both the nurses and doctors who take care of KP especially when we are not there in the NICU with her, the friend who drove to the hospital to pray just so she could be close to KP, friends meeting me early in the morning to pray over KP as we hold and feed her, KP's Aunts flying in from out of town just to hold her....  

It is true that I have never felt more broken and helpless.  But I have also never experienced more firsthand the love of Jesus through the hands and feet of others.  Thank you for assuring us in different ways that we are not facing any of this alone. 

We will update more soon! 


How Sweet it is to be Loved by You

With Gita
 with Pops and Bear
 and with Yia Yia.
Life is good. :)

Friday, August 3, 2012

One Week Old

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Happy Birthday Katherine Pierce. You are so loved!
And so lucky to have Aunt Katyrose to spend it with!

Prayer Request

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Please pray for strength for Katherine Pierce that she be able to bottle feed on her own. Today she finished an entire bottle all by herself and we could not be more proud! Go girl!

 Getting ready to feed...
and taking it down all by herself!!!

NICU

Sunday, July 29, 2012


I want to give you all an update on Katherine Pierce. Thanks for praying and thinking of us. We checked into the NICU last night and Meredith and I have been in and out of there since then. There will be several specialists coming through today and tomorrow to examine her and run more tests. She'll have an ultrasound, a spinal tap, blood work and a MRI over today and tomorrow. It is fairly speculative right now, but they are leaning toward it being metabolic or neuro-muscular related. I don't have an idea right now how long or short term of an issue this is, but we get the impression it's fairly serious. The reality is they don't know a whole lot until more tests results come back, which will be happening over the next two days.

I'll keep you posted as we find out more. Feel free to check-in whenever. Thanks for your prayers and support.   Darrell

Lift Her Up...

Saturday, July 28,  2012

We are moving Katherine Pierce to the NICU of Florida Hospital South tonight. She has been unusually lethargic and isn't feeding on her own yet so they want to run further tests on her at this hospital. Many of her symptoms are normal so they've ruled out a lot of different things that could be inhibiting her development. They seem to think right now that there's nothing that serious going on but they are also a bit confused. We should find results back throughout the night and morning. I would appreciate you all lifting her to Jesus.



I'll keep you updated.


Thanks.


Darrell

Introducing Katherine Pierce

Katherine Pierce 

Carpenter

07.26.12            8:03 pm

6 lbs 14 oz           21 inches



 Beautiful baby girl all cleaned up and ready to meet everyone.

Daddy attempting his first diaper change with help from Marvin and the nurse.

 Katherine Pierce meeting and snuggling with big brother Duke for the first time. Braddock had interest for minute but wanted to figure out what all the machines and buttons were first.
We are so in love and feel very blessed! Welcome Katherine Pierce!