My Baby Girl

I have been meaning to highlight HANNAH since her birthday, but life has been a little crazy. I have gotten several questions as to what I alluded to in the Psalm 136 post, and I knew that might be an emotional post for me, so I might also have been avoiding it.

Hannah was born two days late, an 8-plus pounder, very healthy. When she was 13 days old, I was returning to bed early in the morning just after feeding her. I heard funny coughing noises over the monitor and decided to check on her (prompted by something I had remembered from a conversation with our doctor, to the glory of God). She was arched and red-faced. I called for Daniel and started using the aspirator on her. (Something I had seen the nurse hurriedly do at the hospital when she had coughed, another seed the Lord had planted.)

My mother-in-law was spending her last night with us. Daniel woke her and had her call 9-1-1. She knew our address off the top of her head due to repeating it to friends and family that wanted to send a gift to Hannah, another working of the Lord. You get that every step of this crisis in our lives was guided by the hand of God. He knew every detail before it happened! So, if I don't mention that a detail was of the Lord, know that I am mentioning it because it was!

The paramedics arrived almost instantly, waiting for such a call in a nearby church parking lot. Hannah and I went by ambulance to one of the highest rated children's hospitals in the country (in small town Midwest, of which we were just four miles from...need I mention our Father's amazing handiwork, again!). She was rushed into a room and we were coaxed into a waiting room. The reality of the seriousness of the situation hit when we were greeted by the staff chaplain, who was sent to see us.

Hannah spent 30 hours on a vent and was tested for everything under the sun. When she was removed from the vent she moved to intermediate pediatric ICU, where we spent many days being told that she needed surgery to prevent her from refluxing. It was an agonizing decision. This was the place and state I spent my first mother's day. My mother-in-law stayed with us, of course, and took the night shift while we went home to sleep. We held her upright for at least an hour after each feeding, so it was important to have fresh caregivers with her at all times. We decided to go ahead with the surgery, as the event was so serious we wanted to avoid it ever happening again.

I spent the hours of her surgery nearly delirious with fever, half-asleep, from only the Lord knows what. I think He was forcing anesthetic on me as well. The surgery was fine, but came with a G-tube to insure that she would be able to burp (a huge headache- which thankfully was rarely used and came out after four months.) Hannah came home after two weeks in the hospital.

Once that tube was gone, we have really not seen any side affects, except that she has always been very petite, which could very well be genetic. We were told by doctors that the aspirator seemed to open her up enough to provide a small amount of oxygen during the time she was chocking, possibly saving her life.

Looking back, two weeks spent in a hospital, a short (under 5 hours) surgery and four months of a medical accessory seem small compared to what we have watched friends go through. He prepared us for an aspect of ministry in that we are able to sympathized more greatly with families of sick children. We had to question our hearts. Would we have been able to say "Blessed be Your Name!" if God had chosen to take Hannah? As parents, we have so little control on the well-being of our children, physically and spiritually, but all praise to God, He does, and we learned this lesson deeply.

Now onto lighter things...

Hannah means grace, and Gabrielle is the feminine form of Gabriel, alluding to messenger. So together, her name means "messenger of God's grace". God's grace is just that, His. His to choose who to bestow it on and His alone to give. What a vivid picture of His grace we learn as we become parents!

Hannah is an amazing child. I could go on about her reading level (7th grade plus), the fact that she is pushing though her first piano book much quicker than I, or her many AWANA Bible memory awards, but I would really like to focus on her character. :) She trusted Jesus as her Savior, upon her confession, on the way home from church, as she and Daniel discussed a lesson that had been taught. She loves the Lord and hungers for the Word. She recently read through Revelation (again, her request, despite our attempts to steer her toward an "easier" book). The Lord allowed her to draw out themes and see connections to other parts of Scripture. An amazing thing to see in an adult, much less a young child!
I wrote in my pray journal on her page a prayer that she would be helpful, and God did answer! I almost feel guilty at times at her quick-to-help spirit. She is a great side-kick in cleaning the kitchen, taking "Ellie duty", and most anything else.

Hannah loves to be active. It is a highlight for her (and me) to get to ride her bike with me while I run. I am often asked to time her swimming or running a lap. She was a daring goalie for soccer.

I can't say that I have met a more generous kid. Any holiday or reason for making someone feel special is exciting to her. She is the kind to save her snack for her siblings or give all of the money she has away. Hannah can spend hours making some trinket, such as a dog house for Austin's puppy, out of whatever I will let her have.

Hannah has her Daddy's sense of humor. She is the first to laugh at herself when she makes a mistake and appreciates a well-timed joke or trick.

Hannah can be very passionate. We have to guard her passion and not let it lead her to frustration if something isn't perfect the first time. We are praying for the Lord to use her passion in mighty ways for Him!