Holly has started Kangaroo Care with Emilie. From what we’re told this is the best level of care parents can provide their newborn babies. Also known as skin-to-skin, its the closest thing to recreating a womb like experience for Emilie. Holly has found this bonding time with Emilie to be very meaningful and important. Every day she looks forward to spending hours with Emilie sleeping peacefully on her chest. While she has encouraged me to participate, I’m less than comfortable moving Emilie out of her isolette while she is still on direct oxygen support. However I do long to hold my child and will give it a chance… as soon as she’s off the ventilator 😉
Emilie has now reached 31 weeks. Minus the daily ups and downs associated with all preemies, her overall health is improving everyday. She has become increasingly feisty (which came from her mother’s side) and now attempts to position herself however she chooses. If she’s not satisfied with the position the nurse places her in she will attempt to turn, rollover, or even lift herself up to find the position that best suits her. If it wasn’t for the ET tube restricting her movement I’m sure by now she’d be doing cartwheels.
The doctors are still drawing off roughly 10ml every other day from the reservoir in her head due to the hydrocephalous. She’s being fed 24ml of breast milk every 3 hours and they have supplemented this with additional calories to assist her development. For the past week her little tummy has been quite distended. While it looks like a beer belly, the x-rays reveal that its just filled with gas possibly due to the extra calories. With periodic assistance from glycerin suppositories, her stools (which now smell like an adults :-/) are fairly regular. The doctors will possibly make an attempt to extubate her (i.e. take her off the ventilator) this week.
With all this said, our faith in God’s promise of her healing grows stronger each day. In spite of the ups and downs, we are holding to His Word and we will not be moved. We are thanking God in advance for the hydrocephalous being eliminated without the need of a shunt. We are believing God, that He has addressed her distended belly and that it will not result in any further complications. We praise Him for her successful removal from the ventilator without the need for re-intubation. And we rejoice that her brain function will far surpass that of her peers.
So with every challenge we encounter we praise Him in advance, because we know that this battle has already been won.
The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. Psalms 27:1-3
Emilie Grace 
God is awesome! Through your journey, I am being taught to be obedient, to trust and most of all to have a conversation daily with God. God wants us to pray to communicate He enjoys to hear from us. Thank you for sharing your journey with us weekly:-) I will continue to pray.
Amen Amen Amen, Praise His Holy Name!!!
I check my email every day…. Looking forward too a praise report on emilie …another reason too bless The Lord for he is the Great I Am!!!!!
Seth and Holly–I’ve been praying for you guys and Emilie regularly. I’ve been so moved and touched by your faith and you guys have been more than a testimony. Continuing to believe and prove God with you both!
What an inspirational story. Sending you all love and light and envisioning your beautiful baby coming home in July!
CAN’T read this right now…seeing emilie grace doing kangaroo care with mama is too much. bless the LORD!
I love it!! This is my first time commenting however have been following your blog since Emilie Grace made her entrance. I found the blog link on Facebook through a friend of a friend. My own faith is being restored as I follow your journey so I thank you for sharing this time in your lives. You have a very beautiful wife and daughter and I can’t wait to see more pictures as she grows.
We serve an awesome God and he will never leave his children. Keep faith alive. G to G
That skin-to-skin contact is vital both for baby and mom! I’m sooooo thrilled that Holly is able to bond with Emilie! This will contribute more to her development. Praise the Lord for the smelly, adult-like bm’s!!! So happy to hear how God is healing this child! 😀
Holly looks radiant holding Emilie! Joining you both in praising God in advance. He has done great things!
Thank you so much Pastor Seth for allowing God The Holy Spirit to inspire your “pen” 😊. So much that we read today is depressing but little Emilie Grace’s journey brings life. Praise God.
Stay encouraged… God’s working. He has been and continues to do so through you all, weaving a wonderful testimony that affirms HE IS!!! He smiles in delight knowing the outcome of your family’s journey, in anticipation of your impending joy… In knowing the blessings you two have already received in your Emilie Grace… Prayers continue… Take care…
Hi, Seth and Holly 🙂 I just want to thank you for making your faith walk so public. It’s so encouraging to know that we still believe God to be a healer. Emilie’s life will be a testimony to the goodness of God. With my mom’s recent cancer diagnosis, your story gave me the courage to believe in healing. Know that we love you guys and are always praying!
Holly and family, you are in my prayers for sure. You are an inspiration! God Bless you!
Your words of faith in our Lord and Saviour are so encouraging! So glad that your are keeping your eyes on Him, and He is keeping Emilie healthy & growing!
Such a positive update. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this journey. God is so good and we are beholding his wonder through Emilie Grace. Still praying for ya’ll
Hi Holly! This picture makes me smile 🙂 As a fellow NICU nurse, I know how challenging this time may be for you.However, we serve a great God and Emilie Grace is His very own daughter. I pray that the Lord continues to accomplish great miracles in her life and may she strive to tell His mercies.Our prayers are with the whole family.Keep strong for the victory is the Lord’s!!! Lots of love.
Luce
Dear Seth and Holly, it warms my heart to see this beautiful picture of Holly and Emilie Grace. It reminds me of Chapter 7 “Tiny Babies, Giant Faith” in Sun Stand Still. I like the way it ends: “But we knew our God was bigger than that. He had spoken to our hearts and given us the faith to pray our Sun Stand Still prayer. We held on to that prayer no matter what setbacks we received, and God answered in a way that gave him all the glory. You will never know what it is like to experience God’s power in this way until you have the audacity to believe and pray and act in the confidence that our God is a God of the impossible.”
Hold fast to your Sun Stand Still prayer. God is indeed a God of the impossible. Trust Him for His outcome. Much love to you and your precious Emilie Grace and have a happy and blessed Sabbath Day.
Thank you for sharing this wondrous blessing. My heart if filled with joy just looking at Holly holding little Emilie. God’s manifested love is beyond my understanding, but I am grateful. Still praying for you all. Love to all three of you.
I praise the Living God for His faithfulness. Seeing baby Emilie Grace, gives me such joy and peace, because she is developing the attitude for life through her praise and activity of movement. She is expressing herself very well. Get ready for the ride of parenting, especially a girl.The joy of it all is awesome. Thank you for all of the powerful scriptures you have shared, they have all ministered to me. I love you, beautiful family of the Living God.
How is baby Emilie doing? I been keeping in touch with the log of her progress. God is awesome!