Good evening.  Today is March 10th, 2010-and Baby Rogers has yet to make his entrance into the world.  I’ve been off work for a week now, and it has been very enjoyable though I’ve had a few dull moments.

I’ve kept busy with…

walking-thats right, the leg is working and I’m able to walk nearly as well as I did before.

cleaning the house-specifically vacuuming with my AMAZING birthday present the Dyson Animal, thanks mom and dad.

painting art for the baby’s room-it’s a bit abstract, with stanzas from psalm 139 (see above).

watching tv-LOST, office, 30 rock, survivor, and I’ve even seen a few episodes of Star Trek TNG.

gardening-My poor yard looked terrible all winter, as I never made it out to prune the bushes due to my leg…so I’ve weeded            and planted some daffodils and pansies.

sleeping

And of course, getting ready for the baby.–washing and prepping my new awesome cloth diapers, folding and re-folding tiny little clothes, hunting down odds and ends off craigslist, talking to my belly inviting him to come on out, and praying that he will be all that God has created him to be.

I have a no-stress-test appointment tomorrow at the OB, and I imagine we’ll make an appointment to have me induced in another week. Hopefully he’ll arrive before then!

I’m writing this in the middle of a truly winter scene.  The sun is low in the sky casting beautiful light into the kitchen, despite the fact that it’s only 1pm.  The dog is curled up as close to the wood stove as he can get, trying to warm his bones after playing outside in the 15 degree weather.  And the cat is purring, having found a warm place to sleep, after first trying out the keyboard and the desk.

Despite the beauty of the winter scene, and the several days of sunshine, it has been a challenging few weeks.  It began when I broke my leg walking in the woods around the house.  This was followed by a 4-night hospital stay, surgery, and many days spent with my leg elevated on the couch.   It has not been easy and my emotions have been fragile as I am forced to alter all aspects of my life for my traitorous bones.   In the midst of my frustration there have been numerous people who have been a great encouragement and practical help.  Josh has risen to the challenge and been the best partner I could imagine, bringing me everything I need, endless pillows, icepacks and cups of water, starting fires to keep me warm, coming home at lunch to care for me each day, and when his last weeks of school were taking all his time in the evening, arranging for friends to stop by and check on me.  He has let me be sad but always focused on any progress I have made, emphasizing that this too will pass.

Friends in Yelm have made multiple visits to the house, brought several meals and even arrived with cleaning products in hand and cleaned our entire house.  Claudia has walked Brando each day and come over most evenings to check on me. Friends farther away have called frequently to check in, and when able made the long trek to see me.  The Rogers helped Josh and I settle in at home when we first left the hospital and loaned us a great deal of medical equipment.  The Sommermans provided great care through the long Thanksgiving weekend, even giving up their downstairs master bedroom for the 5 nights we were there.

The fact that I am most grateful for is that despite all the medication, sedation, and trauma, our son, not yet born, has been unharmed.  As I lay on the couch I pass a lot of time attending to his kicks and wiggles, scarcely comprehending what life will be like when he arrives in 12 short weeks.  I fear for myself- that I won’t yet be healed, that the pain I experienced with my leg will pale in comparison to labor, that my low moods will be difficult to handle, and that with a baby in the house our patients with one another will wane.

Listing the blessing that I have experienced amidst my leg breaking is evidence that despite my frustration we are in the hands of a loving God.  One who does not intend for bad to happen to his children, but promises us that he will work all things together for good, for those that love him and are called according to his purpose.  I don’t know if “work together of good” equals “work together for best” as I have seen too many irreconcilable tragedies happen to loved ones to ever believe that our pain can be mended with doctrine and words.  The mystery of healing remains that…a mystery, but the weaver of this tale is Christ; and despite my confusion and discontent I’ll keep trying to rest in him.

It’s been a week now since Lydia came home from the hospital after a 4 day stay following surgery on her freshly broken leg (while 6 months pregnant). We’ve been reflecting on that time for a number of reasons; it was pretty scary for both of us, it was both of our first major experiences in a hospital, and Lydia’s immobile enough that there are plenty of constant reminders . It is interesting though how the national debate about health care has been so huge lately and while I’m reading all these articles, listening to reports on the radio, and figuring out my educated opinion on a national health care bill, I’m put into a position where I don’t know how we would have survived without decent insurance. If Lydia had accidentally taken a wrong step and broken her leg and we were unemployed I can’t imagine what the outcome would have been. Would they have refused the surgery? Refused the 3 days recovery and care in the hospital? Been unable to be constantly checking on the vital signs and health of our unborn child? Not offered the physical therapy needed to property heal? Would we have to pay an outrageous amount for the painkillers being used while at home?   The craziest part is that we’ll rely on our insurance again when our baby is born in just a few months, they’ll receive the proper medical care needed to ensure a safe welcome into the world.

I’ve also seen communities around us willing to offer so much support at an important time for our family. Friends moving in for 3 days to take care of Lydia while I go to work & school, meals being dropped off at home and the hospital, lending walkers and wheelchairs, and so many encouraging visits, cards, emails, and facebook posts. We needed community to get through the last week and a half just as much as we needed the excellent healthcare at the hospital.

Fixing the healthcare, insurance, and pharmaceutical systems is important to making care like this affordable, and once it’s affordable shouldn’t everyone have access to it? I wouldn’t wish anything less on anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to us, now I just need to make sure that doesn’t happen… and you know what, I’ll probably need your help. It’s a good thing Christ calls us to feed the poor, take care of the sick, and to love others.

Its been quiet here lately on the Rogers Family Blog, we’ve been living the day to day aspects of Lydia’s first pregnancy and aside from a decrease in morning sickness there hasn’t been much deemed “blog worthy” for a while. Last Thursday however, represented a milestone known to any who have gone through this experience before, and thats the big week twenty doctor’s visit.

With this most recent visit comes a new opportunity for ultrasound, and generally this is when they are able to determine the gender of your baby… we were excited to find out! Obviously there are only two outcomes here, but we’ve been waiting for weeks now to find out what this visit might hold… while naming discussions abounded in plenty in the YEARS leading up to pregnancy, once everything started our debate slowed as we knew there would be an opportunity for our ideas and suggestions to become more pointed and fruitful.

So, according to the goofy ultrasound machine’s photographs – we’re having a BOY!

After having several days to digest this, I would say its safe to assume that both of us are very excited, and everything has become so much more real than just a week ago – suddenly we can begin to imagine what this little life that’s forming might look like once it begins. The (very) young Mr. Rogers appears to be doing very well and is in the process of making his big debut early next spring!

Sarah and I sat together this evening at the Mariner’s game (they lost) and we enjoyed finding all the pregnant ladies in the crowd.  Speculation ensued on weather I would be a “cute” pregnant lady or just uncomfortable….Sarah was encouraging, but I have my doubts.  We also took note of the wedding ring on a necklace trick for when fingers swell…good idea.  I also tend to notice random children more these days too, and what the parents are doing with them, protective, yelling, teaching, stressed out?  Having my own baby still feels very far away, but as of this weekend there are only 29 weeks remaining.  I need to get ready!