Success!

Thank you all for praying for Lyla's cardiologist appointment on Thursday!  She had the best appointment ever.  They always start with blood pressure which she hates and then she is scared and crying the rest of the appointment.  But on Thursday she did awesome with the blood pressure!  She wasn't a fan of the pulse ox (basically a bandaid with a red light on her finger), but she quickly recovered and got through the EKG too!

So we started to give Lyla lunch and then we were called back for the dreaded echo...  We popped in the movie Frozen and I fed Lyla the rest of her lunch (including cookies :-) during the beginning of the echo.  The last part is always the hardest and also the most important because that's when they get pictures of her pulmonary branch.  They have to prop her shoulders on a pillow with her head hanging back so they can use the probe under her chin.  And this always occurs about 30 minutes after they've started the echo, so she's already reaching her limit of laying still anyway.  But this time, we bribed her with cookies for afterward and the binky and she did awesome!!!  They got all the pictures they needed!

We met Lyla's new doctor and really liked him.  He is the cath Dr who has been following Lyla's case anyway, but it was nice to finally meet him in person.  We got the good news that is seems like Lyla is growing into her arteries.  Basically, the arteries were narrowed because of how small she and they were.  But as she's growing, her arteries are growing as well, which in turn is alleviating some of the tension which was making them narrow.  The Dr was really encouraged to see this on the echo and only needs to see us back in 6 months.  He didn't have an explanation for our concern that she's been getting out of breath easily and tires quickly when playing and running around.  For now, we'll keep an eye on it pending other tests if he still can't see a reason for these symptoms.

We are praising God for such great appointment and the good news we got as well!  WE've been praying so hard since she was born that her arteries would grow and be less narrow, so we're thankful that we're beginning to see how God is answering that prayer.  And a huge extra bonus...Lyla got to meet Elsa from Frozen on the way out of the hospital!!  She was so excited and got her picture taken with her too:-)  Again, thank you all for praying!!  I hope you're encouraged as well as we see God answering our prayers.  God is good friends ;-)

live!

Mortality has been on my mind a lot recently.  Perhaps because we just celebrated the 2 year anniversary of Lyla's surgery and reliving all those memories is a heavy thing.  Maybe it's different reminders through other's stories of how quickly life can be taken away.  Or finding out the little boy Lyla shared a pod with at CHOP lost his battle with CHD in October at 22 months old.  All these things make me cherish every single moment I have with my kiddos.  It's not easy, especially when they're both crying and Lyla is hitting Miles repeatedly and pushing him over...  But I've been reminded how precious every single moment is.  All the bad moments are fleeting and they'll grow up into different challenges.  These days, I've been holding my little ones a little tighter and longer to savor each and every second I have them in my arms...because they're not really mine.  They've never been mine; they belong to God and He has their entire life mapped out.  Take some extra time today and love your kiddos no matter how difficult the day might be :-)

In other lighter news, we have a 2 year old!!  Lyla is growing and exploding with knowledge making me relive the small wonders of the world.  The smallest things are SO fascinating to her, things that I would naturally pass by.  We were able to celebrate her 2nd birthday with family and friends.  She had so much fun running around with the other kids and enjoying her cake ;-)

Lyla's next cardiologist appointment is July 17, and we'll be meeting with a new doctor because the one who's been following her since birth left to go to a different hospital.  We're praying hard that they are able to get a good echo done this time so we don't have to go back for a sedated echo.  From there, the doctor will decide when to do an MRI and cath.

Miles is 9 months old and is everywhere these days!  He's so close to walking...but I'm not in a rush for that :-)  He loves his big sister and usually doesn't even mind when she pushes him over or out of her way.  He likes chasing the kitties and being outside.  He likes the pool...but
does not like cold water :-)












Peter and I celebrated 5 years of being married in March.  It really is crazy how fast time goes!  We are so thankful for all that God has given us and we pray that we are good stewards of them.

WOW!

So, I realized it's been quite awhile since I last posted! But We've been quite busy so I hope you all can understand :-)  Since Miles was born, we bought a house and moved again!  The Lord provided so faithfully for us and we are so grateful!  By now, most of the boxes are unpacked and we're getting settled in more and more.

The holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) were awesome times spent with family and friends.  Lyla was able to enjoy her 1st Thanksgiving feast since the year before she wasn't eating solid food yet :-) She loved the turkey and everything that was put on her plate!  For Christmas, we were able to have our 1st family only present opening time as well.  It was nice to sit as a family of 4, read the Christmas story
from Lyla's Jesus storybook Bible and open her presents.  We then joined my family for the rest of the morning and lunch.  Lyla dug into opening the presents and cleaned up after herself as well :-)  Miles just enjoyed the ride along the way.

The 1st few months were really tough (and still are in some ways) for Miles.  He seems to have some belly upsets and in turn is extremely fussy and cries a lot.  Thankfully in the past month it is getting less due to him being able to sit up and interact more.  He loves to watch Lyla run around and get her kisses and hugs.  It is so precious to see them interact!  What joys we have ahead!

In December, Lyla went through a sedated echo at CHOP because during the regular one, they were unable to get all the pictures they needed since she was acting like a typical 18 month old :-)  As always, it was difficult to watch her get put under and come out of the anesthetic.  Since she's a bit older now, she can start to see what they're going to do and she freaks out, making it harder on us as we then have to hold her down :-(  However, the results of that echo were encouraging in that nothing has changed.  The arteries are still narrowed, the right side of the heart is thickened because it's pumping harder to get blood through the small arteries, and the valve is leaking.  These are all things we've known and been keeping an eye on.  The good thing is that they are no worse than they had been all along.  After consulting with the cardiac team, they decided they are scheduling another MRI this summer directly followed at the same time with a cardiac catheterization.  That is the only way to accurately measure the pressure in her narrowed pulmonary arteries.  At the point, they will do a balloon or stint if they feel it's necessary.  It literally makes me sick to think about her having to go through this.  We will need a lot of prayers as the time approaches for this procedure.

Overall, the past few months have been pretty good!  I'm starting to get a bit more sleep at night on the occasions when Miles decides he can sleep through the night.  My blood levels are back to normal which is an added blessing!  We have just been enjoying these kids and loving being able to watch them grow!  We will keep you posted as Lyla's procedure approaches and will be seeking your prayers!

Introducing....

Miles Pierson Rauch has finally joined our family!  He made his debut on September 22 at 3:40 pm weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs and 22 inches!  His arrival was anything but easy, but we are so thankful that he is safe and healthy!  So far, he is calm and content just like his big sister.  Lyla is liking her new little play toy :-)  She is very curious about him in a good way, thankfully.  For those who haven't heard our story about how Miles arrived, I'll give you a non-graphic overview :-)  Sorry, it may be a bit long...

Peter and I went to the hospital on Saturday at 1 pm to be induced, since I was already a week overdue.  I was already 4 cm dilated and the staff seemed to think that I would be a good candidate for induction. Seeing as I was extremely uncomfortable with every passing day, we decided to go ahead with it.  They started me on pitocin around 3 and then the waiting began.  The contractions started pretty quickly and regulated within a few hours, but they weren't crazy painful and when they checked they weren't being too productive either.  By 2 am, I was still only 5-6 cm dilated and was still able to talk and laugh through contractions.  They increased the pitocin and it finally felt like real labor was coming.  However, after hours and hours of extremely painful contractions, I still hadn't progressed any farther.  Around 10 am we made the decision to get an epidural to see if it would help relax me and help labor along.  At that point, I hadn't slept in over 24 hours and had very little to eat.  I never in a million years thought I would go along with getting a needle stuck in my spine, so that should tell you how bad the pain was :-)  Around 10am I got the epidural and my water broke soon after.  I was able to  rest during this time and felt a lot better.  So, I was hoping that the rest of labor would be easy and mostly painless.  I was wrong...  After several more hours, I had only progressed another cm.  The midwife broke another bag of water by his head at that point, and then it was like the epidural was doing nothing.  But the good news was, that within an hour he was ready to come out!

This is where the problems started...  Miles' shoulders got stuck in my pelvis.  I had 2 nurses pushing on my stomach as I was pushing to help him get unstuck, as he wasn't breathing throughout this time.  He was finally born, but wasn't responsive or breathing.  I sobbed as I cried out to God to give our son breath.  Thankfully, they were able to revive him quickly and we soon heard his little cry fill the room.  As they continued to check on me periodically, they realized I was still bleeding excessively but wanted to see if it would stop at some point.  We had to ask my mom, mother-in-law and sister to leave at that point when the Dr realized there was something more urgent than just blood loss.  There was a huge clot still in my uterus that she was unable to remove.  Within minutes the decision was made that I needed emergency surgery to prevent me from bleeding to death.  They warned of the possibility of a hysterectomy if they were unable to stop the bleeding.  Once again, I was being separated from my newborn baby, something I had not prepared myself for.  I left Peter with our hours old son and prayed fervently as they took me away.

Hours later I was in the ICU hearing that they were able to stop the bleeding and received 2 bags of blood and would be monitored to see if I would need more in the future.  Miles was put in the NICU so Peter could come be with me.   I spent the next 24 hours in the ICU, thankfully improving and showing signs that the bleeding was stopping and wasn't going to start.  Monday night I was finally able to get moved back to the maternity ward and be reunited with baby Miles!  He suffered a lot of facial bruising and a hematoma on his head from the trauma of his birth, but was otherwise healthy and well!  I am on a long road to recovery due to the loss of blood.  I was discharged from the hospital with levels that are less than half of what they should be.  It will take almost 6 months for my body to replenish what it lost and fully recover the levels it should be.  Aside from fatigue, headaches, shakiness and pain from his delivery I am on the mend.  We are just so thankful that God once again showed us His faithfulness in this situation as it could have turned out so differently in so many ways.  We appreciate all the prayers that were sent up on our behalf once again and are once again able to praise the God who saves and preserves life!

Settling in!

We have been enjoying our time in our temporary home!  Lyla loves playing outside...she prefers the dead leaves to the green ones, perhaps because they crumble :-)  She's also been enjoying looking out the window and door that we are able to keep open!  It has truly been a refreshing time being surrounded by corn fields and farms.

Peter started his new job last week, I think...I've kind of lost track of time :-)  The schedule is turning out to be better than we both expected.  He's taken up coffee to help stay awake during his 3 am to 11 am shift.  I knew he would cave some day :-)

I feel like we're finally ready for baby boy to come as well!  Most of the boxes are either unpacked or in the basement so it looks like home around here!  I've been able to do his wash and put his tiny clothes in the dresser so I feel like he can come anytime!  Little by little we're able to prepare for his impending birth...in 3 weeks!

Tonight we're meeting with a realtor to begin the process of looking for a home that will hopefully be where our kids grow up.  It's exciting yet terrifying all at the same time.  We know it can be a long and frustrating process, but we are trusting that God will lead us to the house we are meant to have.  He has provided so faithfully in every aspect so far in our life, so we can wait expectantly for what He will do now!  Please continue with us in prayer as we take this final step in restarting our life in the country :-)

Oh, and Lyla's next cardiologist appointment is November 26, along with a developmental study we signed up for when she was born.  We are trusting that everything looks the same with her heart and that God continues to heal her :-)

Moving on!

So...tomorrow we are moving!  God has answered a ton of prayers for us and provided in every way!  We finally heard 2 weeks ago that Peter was offered a job in Lebanon, doing IT work, the same thing he does now.  However, there was some negotiating needing to be done about benefits, seeing as though baby boy will be here soon!  Thankfully, the Lord continued to answer prayers and Peter was given some vacation days for the remainder of this year.

We will be renting a house in Wernersville until we're able to buy a house.  Things were too rushed to even think about getting that settled before we move!  Tonight we have settlement for our house which is a HUGE blessing because we won't have to worry about the house just sitting here, paying mortgage for it.

The past 2 weeks have been kinda crazy :-)  Last week we were in Tennessee with Peter's family for vacation, which was awesome!  I was limited in what I could do, especially since I was having a ton of timeable contractions for awhile.  I had to take it easy most of the week.  But, it was great to spend time with family that we only get to see a couple times a year!  However, being on vacation took a week out of our time to pack, so this week has been super crazy trying to get everything packed up.

At this point, we are mostly done packing, with only a few things left to do.  But again, it's frustrating not being able to do as much being 35 weeks pregnant.  We were also so thankful to my mom and sister who thought to have meals sent to us all this week to make our stress a bit less :-)  It has been awesome to not have to cook while being exhausted, pregnant and in the middle of packing!  Such a blessing that they thought of that!

We appreciate everyone's prayers...they have certainly been answered!  We are continuing to trust that God will lead us to a house within our budget that we will be able to buy in the near future.  Please pray for the move tomorrow, that we get the truck and everything goes smoothly!  Also pray for Peter as his new shift is from 3 am to 11 am.  It will be an adjustment for us all, but the Lord will sustain where He provides :-)  Thank you!

Waiting....and more waiting....

The last month or so has felt like we're in some sort of limbo.  We signed the agreement of sale for our house, with a settlement date no later than September 5.  This kicked Peter's job search into high gear.  Baby boy is due on September 14, so we're kinda cutting it down to the wire!  I've been busy researching OB doctors and hospitals for me, pediatricians and cardiologists for Lyla, looking for houses, looking for rentals, storage, moving trucks, etc.  I've also been trying to pack as much non essential stuff in our house as possible so that if Peter finds a job, we won't have quite so much to do.

Well...I'm not so good at waiting!  I never have been.  It's not that I don't trust God to work out the details...I just want to know them ahead of time!  It's extremely hard for me to not know what date we're moving, what job Peter will have, or where we'll be living...much less where our baby boy will be born!  My whole life there have been so many times when I'm in a season of waiting for something, or an answer of some sort.  Maybe it's the aspect of not being in control that bothers me, but I definitely like to plan ahead!

But, God is always faithful and we've gotten some answers this week!  Peter had an interview this morning in Lebanon and will hear back next week whether he is going to be offered the position or not.  God also closed the door to him working from home for his current company.  It's encouraging to know that there are a few answers trickling in, and that we can fully trust that God will work out all the other details as well!   (By the way...you all may be recruited to help us move and unpack since I can't do anything to help!)

Please continue to pray with us as we continue waiting on God's timing for all of these things, knowing that He is in control and already knows all the details I'm worried about!  Pray for wisdom and patience as Lyla has found her temper.  We want to teach her to live for God and honor Him, so we're learning along the way how best to deal with these sinful nature outbursts.  It's crazy how young you can see the sin in a child's life and how they don't even have to learn how to do it!  It comes naturally!  Friends, your prayers mean more than we could ever express.  Thank you so much!!

This is how we're trying to keep Lyla cool in the summer :-)  She loves the water and playing in her froggy pool!