Wordless Wednesday

1 week old

Our little Brooke is 1 week old today. This 1st week has been full of ups and downs, but I'm happy to say each day gets a little easier than the last.

It was difficult being in the hospital for 5 days. I was never able to get comfortable and sleep as I would have liked. Plus, Brooke was fussy and restless at times. Since we've been home, she has been the perfect baby. She rarely ever cries or fusses.

I'm so thankful to God for our sweet baby girl.

Brooke LaRue

We are proud to announce the arrival of our daughter, Brooke LaRue.



Brooke arrived on November 16th at 2:52pm. She weighed 6lb 7oz and was 18 in long. Both her mommy and daddy are smitten with her. She has especially already won the heart of her daddy. If Brooke had waited just another day to arrive, her daddy may have had to break his attendance streak to the home UGA games.



Thanks to all of you that have prayed for us throughout this pregnancy. It's been a difficult journey to get to this point, but we are so very thankful to God for giving us this precious little girl.

Happy Anniversary

Two years ago today, I married my best friend. I cannot say married life has always been easy. We have had some stressful events that have pulled us apart. But we also had a tragedy that brought us closer together. Not only have we grown closer, but we have both grown closer to God and I am glad that I can say He is the center of our marriage.

I know I still have a lot to work on as a wife. I do not tell Trey often enough how much he means to me or how much I appreciate him. He has been a wonderful husband especially the last few months as I am able to do less and less as I get further along in this pregnancy.

Thank you, Trey, for being a supportive husband. Not many men would be willing to do all that you do. Thank you for the changes you have made in your life since we first met that have allowed you to become the spiritual leader of our family. I love you so very much and look forward to spending the rest of my life with you.

CLB

…and down the stretch they come!

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Well, the time is getting close.   Cheri went to the doctor today and everything still looks great.   Brooke weighs out at 5 lbs, 7 oz, and Dr. Goggin projects her to be about 7 and a half pounds if we make it to our due date.  We also found out that she is gonna be born with a pretty healthy head of hair.  The ultrasounds are absolutely amazing.

We are at 34/4 weeks today, so Brooke is only a week and a half away from not being considered a preemie.   Of course, we take nothing for granted, but all is looking well to have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

31 weeks

Here is the latest belly picture.




This picture was actually taken last week at 30 weeks and 4 days. I'm feeling good other than being tired and exhausted all the time. The nursery is almost finished and I will try to post pictures of the nursery on here soon.

CLB

30 weeks

We have officially made it to 30 weeks in this pregnancy. Little Brooke now weighs 3pounds which puts her in the 52nd percentile. This means the gestational diabetes has not had any affect on her weight at this point. I have also done a good job with adjusting my diet and controlling my blood sugar levels, so I just need to continue what I am doing for the rest of the pregnancy. Here is the latest picture of our girl. I think she is going to look a lot like her brother.



I am so thankful to God for this pregnancy and our little girl. I struggled with my faith after the birth and death of our son. I look back now and I am amazed at how God has worked in our lives over the past year. Trey and I are both closer to the Lord and each other as a result of all we have been through. I feel so very blessed to be married to someone who is continually growing spiritually and is the spiritual leader of our family.

CLB

Well, it's official....

Audrey (not pictured) has swine flu.

It's a little scary since they put pregnant women in the high risk category, but hopefully the precautions we took will prevent spread, and Cheri will not get it. Please keep us in your prayers.

Baby Name

It is hard to believe it has been almost 4 weeks since Trey blogged that we reached 24 weeks. I'll be 28 weeks on Monday. Thankfully, the time has flown by. But I'm also starting to get a little nervous about getting everything ready just in case this baby girl decides to come early. The nursery has been painted, the crib is ready and some clothes have been cleaned and put away. But I still feel an urgency to get everything in order in the next few weeks.

Well, I guess it is time to reveal the name since many people have already been told in person. We have decided to name our little girl Brooke. No family significance to this name. It's just a name we both liked and agreed upon kinda like Luke. We have narrowed down the middle name to just a few choices, but have not settled on one yet. It will be a family name, though.

CLB

24 weeks

24 weeks.

Well, we made it.  24 weeks.   When we lost Luke, one of the hardest things was talking to the Neonatal ICU counselor who told us that their protocol is to not even take action at any gestational age of less than 24 weeks. 

So, since we found out we were pregnant, goal number one has been 24 weeks.  

As it is, everything looks great.   Dr. Goggin has filled us with the utmost in confidence, and every day we know we come closer to bringing our new daughter home.

The support we have received, going back to last December, and thru the spring and summer has been unbelievable.   We can not begin to express how thankful we are.

As the time grows nearer, we both thank God for all that He has given us. 

Trey.

Baby Weight

I had another check-up and ultrasound yesterday. Baby Bliss weighs 15 ounces which is right on target according to our doctor. Everything looks great, but I will continue to see the doctor every two weeks for at least the next few weeks.

My belly is continuing to grow and I put on a few pounds last week. No belly pictures at this time, though, since we somehow managed to misplace our camera. Hopefully, we will be purchasing a new one in the next few weeks. Feel free to share your digital camera recommendations with us.

We have a first name picked out for Baby Bliss, but I'm not sure if we are ready to share it on here just yet. Still trying to decide on the middle name, but we have it narrowed down to a few choices. Stay tuned as I'm sure we will be sharing the name on here soon.

CLB

Back From the Beach

Well, the beach trip has come and gone again, and it is time to settle back into the routine of life and get ready for Audrey to go back to school.

Adding to the excitement on Tybee this year was the filming of a movie starring Miley Cyrus. Audrey was excited to hopefully get to see her, but at the same time, she did a good job of not getting her hopes up too high. Well, as fate would have it...we didn't see her. But we did get to see a few things related to the movie, including the church pictured on this blog. It is not a real church, simply a set built for the film, but it fooled my dad, and if you didn't know it, would fool many others. This picture was after it had been "burned" for a scene, but it has since been redone, and looks like an old church being restored.

So now, as we get back to real life, we have to get thru a few weeks of trepidation. Cheri is at 21 weeks right now, and it was at 23 weeks that things went wrong with Luke. We are feeling very positive, and Dr. Goggin tells us that all things are looking great, but it is ALWAYS in the back of our minds. I can say for myself, and I am sure Cheri will agree, we will be very happy when we can turn the calendar to September...with all things still looking great for the baby. We just have to continue to have trust in God, that He will take care of all things.

Trey

Baby Bliss is a....

GIRL! We found out last week, but have been too busy to update the blog. Even more important than the sex of the baby, our doctor says all her organs look great. We were even able to count her fingers and toes.

It looks like I'll be seeing the doctor a little more frequently now and have more ultrasounds which will ease my mind a bit. Ultimately, I have to trust God. I continually remind myself that He is in control.

As for the sex of our baby, I was pretty certain we were having a girl a few weeks into the pregnancy. With Luke, I had morning sickness all the time. With this baby, I feel great most of the time other than being exhausted. The first pregnancy I really wanted a boy. After losing Luke, I said I'd never hope or pray for a certain sex again. We just pray for a healthy baby.

I am so thankful for this little girl. God is so good. Romans 8:28

CLB

16.5 weeks

Here's my belly at 16.5 weeks!

Mary Kay and more

As Trey mentioned, I am now a Mary Kay lady. My former consultant decided to quit selling MK and encouraged me to try it. It has only been a few weeks, and I'm doing okay with it so far. I have not really even done much yet to get my business started, so I'm glad I already have a few customers. I don't really have an agressive, salesperson personality, so I know I may be facing some challenges.

If you are interested in having a complimentary facial or hosting a skin care class, please let me know. Even if you are not interested in buying MK products, I'd love to be given the opportunity to share the products with your friends and family. I also have a MK website: www.marykay.com/cheribliss if you'd like to place an order online. I will ship the products to you at no additional cost if you are out of town.

Now for the baby Bliss update. We had another check-up this week. Everything is looking good. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat. We definitely have an active baby. Every time the nurse would find the heartbeat, baby Bliss would move and she'd have to find it again. In only 2 weeks, we will have an ultrasound and hopefully find out if it is a boy or girl. I'm thinking it is a girl this time because this pregnancy has been different from Luke's. We have no preference this time. We just want a healthy baby.

I still have fears and worry about what may happen in the weeks to come. When those times come, I take my fears and worry to God. He has given me so much peace throughout this pregnancy. I just pray that peace continues as we get further along in this pregnancy.

CLB

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream......

I feel bad not blogging more. Thankfully, there just really isn't a lot to write about right now. Nothing major is happening with the baby, it's not time to go to the beach yet, nothing major.

Well, Cheri is selling Mary Kay now....but she's gonna have to blog about that.

So, this post is dedicated to ice cream, specifically HOMEMADE ice cream.

After what seemed like a 10 year absence, my family has suddenly decided to start making ice cream again. It started last year when Cheri and I picked up some peaches on the way to Americus, then I made some Oreo for a church function, then some vanilla, and another batch of peach this past weekend.

So we got to talking, and decided that we would keep on the homemade ice cream kick, and tried to come up with some different recipes and flavors we could try....and that's where all of our faithful readers come in. I need some recipes, and I know that some of you have some great ones...so post your recipes here, or send them to icecream4theblisses@gmail.com

Mmmm...mmmmm...good.

Operation Day

Well, today was operation day for Cheri. Our adventure really started yesterday when she called to get her time and was told she was not being done until 11:30. So that meant no food or drink for a lot longer than expected. The food is easy, the drink is tough. Add the time for the surgery, and it ended up being about 15 hours without anything taken in.

Well, you do what you have to do, and we left about 11 to go to the outpatient center. I did my best to reassure her, even telling her she could ride in the wagon like Audrey has with all of her surgeries. I try my best to use laughter as a distraction. Well, when the time came, Cheri passed on the wagon, and went on her own to the operating area while I went to the lobby to wait.

Waiting is tough. I don't know why they try to reassure you by telling you it will only be a few minutes, or by giving you a time. That just makes it worse to wait...when the 30 minutes they say becomes a little over an hour, you tend to have a little worry creep into your head.

But just as soon as I began to worry, Dr. Goggin came out and told me it was over, the surgery had gone well, and the baby was doing great. He did say that the condition he fixed was indeed the cause of the problem with Luke, and that Cheri would need to have the procedure done with each child as we continued having children.

As we were preparing to leave, our nurse (Joni) reminded us more than once that they would call tomorrow to check and make sure everything was OK. Well, Dr. Goggin went beyond that and called us just a minute ago. He's the best, and continues to make us believe that we have made the right choice, both in trying to have children again, and in having him as our doctor.

In closing, we both want to thank everyone for all the prayers they have given us for so long, and especially in the past few days. We know that God is good and that He listens to us, and we are so thankful for His grace and love.

Trey

One of Those Moments

Well, today was checkup day, and it turned into one of those moments.

Cheri and I went to Dr. Goggin's office today for a routine 12-week visit...you know, check the vital signs and listen to the baby's heartbeat. Well, that's when the moment came, the nurse practioner could not find the baby's heartbeat.

Let me tell you, no matter how many times she said "This is normal" or "A lot of times at 12 weeks it's tough to find the heartbeat", after everything that has happened, the worst fears entered our hearts and minds.

So, we head to the ultrasound room for an unscheduled ultrasound, where we get ANOTHER one of those moments.

Luke was a very passive baby inside of Cheri, usually lying still, maybe sleeping, occasionally the slightest movement of a hand, or a leg....nothing major. Today, the baby (we really need to come up with a code name for this one), was dancing, or exercising, or something; but whatever, enjoying every second of it.

And the heart was beating strong, and all is well!

Trey

Just Another Update?

I was thinking to myself today that we had not blogged this month, but that we really did not have anything to say....things are just going normal.

But then I realized, that while we have told people personally, and had a few facebook posts referencing it, we had not yet posted on here that we are once again pregnant!

The official due date is December 7th, but based on a few variables, Dr. Goggin (our new obstetrician) is expecting us to have a less than normal Thanksgiving.

It is both exciting and scary based upon what happened with Luke. But our Faith in God, and our belief that Dr. Goggin has identified the areas that need extra attention, instill us with the utmost confidence that this time will bring a happier ending. Still, bad thoughts have a way of lingering, and every time a blood pressure reading is a little high, or the morning sickness gets a little worse bring about some level of trepidation.

We are still so appreciative of everyone who helped us out in our time of sorrow....we can not wait until they are all able to share in our moment of joy!

Trey

Missing Luke

Today has been rough. I've really been missing my baby boy today. Luke's due date was just a few days ago. It is still so hard for me to comprehend why he is not here with us. I am trying my best to be thankful for the blessings God has given us and will give us, but sometimes all I really want is to have Luke back in my arms.

Trey wrote a poem for me shortly after Luke passed away. I did not know if I would ever post it on here or not, but I have decided to post it on here. Hopefully, he will not mind that I am sharing this with all of you. CLB

What tears did you cry today?
The tears I saw that night,
Filled with hopelessness, anger, and betrayal?
Those tears are like acid,
Eating at the soul and the heart.

What tears did you cry today?
The mournful tears of loneliness
That soak the depths of your being?
Those tears are like a flood,
Rotting the roots of growth.

What tears did you cry today?
The tears I cry when you push me away?
The tears I keep inside pretending to be brave,
Letting build up like a dam holds a river.

What tears did you cry today?
Tears of joy, and of hope, and of love?
Cry those tears.
Let those Tears Flow.
Let those tears enrich you,
And bring bloom within you.


What tears did you cry today?

The Passing of a Great Man.

My Great-Uncle Bubba Bateman passed away yesterday, after a battle with Alzheimer's. He was 92 and lived a full life.

Everyone should have an Uncle Bubba. I was asked one time who I looked up to, who had an influence on me. I gave credit to my dad, but also mentioned what an influence Uncle Bubba had been.

Uncle Bubba never had kids, and that is a shame. So many of us saw him as a second father, an additional grandfather, and whatever we needed him to be. I can only imagine what a great father he would have been. While none of us know exactly what heaven holds for us, I can imagine Uncle Bubba finding my little boy up there and the two of them sharing time together the way he and I did here.

Bubba served in World War II, and will receive the honors that go with that at his burial on Friday.

And I will receive maybe the highest honor of my life, as he chose me to receive the flag draped over his coffin. Words can not describe my pride, and my humbleness at the same time. It will be forever displayed prominently, next to Cheri's Dad's flag.

God Bless You, Uncle Bubba.

Trusting God

Do I truly, completely trust God? This is something I struggle with constantly. I feel like I've made progress in this area, but those doubts and worries always come back up. Is it good enough that I am constantly striving to trust Him completely?

When the doubts enter back in, I try to remind myself of times when I have trusted God completely. In 2005, I turned 30. I was single and I was content being single, but I still had a desire for a family. Sure, I had prayed to God before to bring me a mate. But in the summer of 2005, I changed my prayer. I asked God to take my desire for a family away if it was His Will for me to remain single. I continued to pray for God to take away my desire for a family or bring me and my future husband together over the next few months.

I ended up meeting my future husband at a church event in November of 2005. When I look back on those months now, I am so amazed by how God worked in my life. I know if I completely trust Him, He will lead me down the right path. He never promised life would be easy or pain free, but there is hope in the future.

I've changed our top song on our playlist again. This song is Whatever You're Doing by Sanctus Real and it has really been speaking to me in the last few days. Thank you, Lord, for bringing songs to me that truly speak to my heart and help me to continue the healing process.

Life Goes On

Life has slowly begun returning back to normal. Part of me does not want to move on. I know I cannot grieve and mourn the loss of my son forever, but I don't want to move on without him either. For my family's sake, though, I am doing as much as I can to move on while still remembering Luke.

We have been receiving good news concerning the medical aspect of all this. My former doctor told us he really didn't know what caused Luke's premature birth. Even when I gave him specific causes, he'd rule them all out. So we sought a second opinion. My new doctor thinks he knows exactly what caused Luke's premature birth and can prevent it (or at least try to) in any future pregnancies if we decide to try to have another baby.

I still have fears about this happening again and worry so much about the future. I am trying so hard to give my worries and fears to God. I know I have to allow Him control of all aspects of my life.

Anniversary Celebration

We attended the 50th anniversary celebration of our church this past Sunday. The service was great with all the former pastors speaking and wonderful music. There was a reception following the service in the gym. The church had one room filled with pictures and displays with all the church history. Then we walked down the hallway that connected this room and the gym and noticed the names and pictures of deceased church members. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised as we came to the next to the last one and Trey said, "There's one for Luke."



I am so grateful for my church family. Luke's life was important and it did matter.

Wish you were here

Listen to the first song playing on our music player or read the lyrics below.

This is a Contemporary Christian song by Mark Harris that I've heard countless number of times. It's never really touched me until I heard it yesterday morning. I actually listened to the lyrics and felt so close to Luke. I have no doubt that he is in heaven and he'd be saying these things to me if he could.

Over the past few weeks, one of the things I have said over and over to myself and to Trey is that I just want my baby back. I want him here with me. This song reminds me that he wants to be with me as well. But he is in a much better place waiting on me to get there.

The pain is still here. And I still miss Luke more than anything else. But I am starting to feel a small bit of peace and comfort that only God can provide.

Wish You Were Here lyrics:

Verse 1
I wanted to tell you how closely I've kept
The memories of you in my heart
And all of the lifetimes that we've had to share
Live even though we're apart

But don't cry for me
'Cause I'm finally free

Chorus:
To run with the angels
On streets made of gold
To listen to stories of saints new and old
To worship our Maker
That's where I'll be
When you finally find me

Verse 2
Now don't you be weary cause waiting for you
Are wonders that you've never known
Just hold on to Jesus, reach out for His hands
And one day they'll welcome you home

And that's when you'll be
Finally Free
Finally Free

Chorus

I wish you were here 2x

Bridge
And all of the dreams that you treasure
Will soon come together
And that's when your sorrow will find tomorrow
And you will rise again

Chorus 2x

I wish you were here 3x

More Answers.....or More Confusion?

Visited with the doctor today to find out just what happened medically to cause all of this. I think my explosion buzzwords for today are "It may have been...."

Maybe that is all that he can give us, but we want so much more. We want something to be able to say....here is what happened, we can make sure it doesn't happen again.

So we keep going...one day at a time.

Reactions

First, let me say that we both miss Luke as much, if not more, than we did 2 weeks ago, but somehow, someway we find a way to work, and keep the house, and try to sleep...but it is not easy, and we both wonder if it ever will be.

As for the title of this entry, it covers a lot.

First, the reaction of friends and family. Humbling would be the best word I can use to describe it. First of all, I have to give special thanks to my sister. When everything was breaking down that Sunday morning, I simply had to ask her, Please come to Athens. No other words or explanation were necessary. I will never be able to repay what she meant to me that day. The rest of our families have been just as wonderful, crying with us when that was what we needed, and giving us strength at other times.

The reaction of friends has been more than we ever would have believed. I really don't want to leave anyone out, but I do have to give thanks to our Sunday School class. Even those who we have not been as close to as others have done more than we would have ever asked. We finally had to just insist that we did know how to cook, and that it WAS possible for us to prepare a meal on our own. The Hubertys have done whatever we asked, and Ron and Tanya (especially Tanya those first days) will forever have special places in our hearts.

But one reaction is beginning to wear on us. We have had too many people tell us that they know what we are feeling. And, while some do....others think they do because they had a pregnancy end at 8 weeks. They, however, did not have to have a child, who kicks and punches and wiggles; and you just have to sit there and hold, knowing there is nothing that can be done. For those who tell us, or anyone in our situation, that they don't know what to say, or don't have the right words....you have said EXACTLY what needs to be said.

Thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers during these difficult times.

Trey

Questions with no answers

I hope that writing about Luke will bring me some comfort. I think about him constantly and just do not know how to move on. I need answers, but I know we may never have answers.

Was Luke's pre-mature labor caused by my high blood pressure. So far that is the only answer the doctor has for us. I had my last regular check-up with the doctor on December 24th. My blood pressure was a little high, but the doctor was not very concerned and planned to see me the following Monday. Now I am questioning my doctor and wondering if he should have done more on the 24th.

I know I have to stay strong in my faith, but right now God is the last person I want to talk to about this. How do I go to God right now when the only thing I want is to have my baby back in my arms?