UPDATE FINALE: on our Precious Baby Nine!

There’s no reason to waste words when pictures contain one thousand each, according to folklore. ๐Ÿ˜€

 

That’s right, friends, our Baby Nine is another sweet Baby Boy! What a blessing it will be for Gabriel to have a little brother, and for the little brother to have such a wonderful big brother to look up to & emulate. We’re positively overjoyed.

Genesis 48:9

“They are my sons , whom God has given me here.”

My 20-week ultrasound was this morning at 8, and I can’t tell you how amazing the ultrasound experience was. I couldn’t really see the screen very well, but everyone else could and they adored it. I loved watching their faces (to give my craned neck a break, lol). The sonographer was just incredible, talking us through the whole thing and pointing out all kinds of things to us. (He kept remarking on how easy Baby and I were to scan, and how he wished he had students to teach on us! lol) Everything is healthy! Not a single thing wrong with this baby! Such a relief and comfort to my heart. :happytears: Baby is still measuring a week ahead too, so I guess that trend is just going to continue! I don’t know if that means I’ll need to mentally prepare to deliver on the earlier side or not. (?)
And obviously as Gabriel displayed for you, we’re having a Baby Boy!! So “Baby Nine” can now be called “Baby Boy” I guess! :D
So we were able to get some “Big Brother”/”Little Brother” outfits, and Mama spoiled me with a couple more maternity things! :wub: It was surreal to be walking through baby stores without bawling. It was still bittersweet (I don’t think that will ever go away until I’m dead and in heaven!), but it was better. I was even able to buy my niece an outfit and one of my best friends an outfit for the baby girl she delivered this morning. So I bought boy stuff for myself and girl stuff for others, and hardly cried (I did tear up…) when walking through the baby stores. What a red-letter day!! And now I get to tell the world about our healthy, beautiful, medical-miracle Baby Boy! :)

I’m continuing to be so humbled and thankful. It’s just beyond words. The Lord’s faithfulness astounds me. His mercies leave me breathless.

As far as other things with Baby Nine go (and nope, we’re not sharing his name! He’s definitely named… his name has been waiting for him for at least three years!, but I think y’all can endure the suspense for a couple more months…), things have been going swimmingly. He has been healthy and super active the whole pregnancy. He gets hiccups a lot too, which is fun; just like his big brother. Grandpapa, Grandmama, Gabriel, and especially Daddy have all enjoyed feeling our tiny boy’s strong kicks. He’s already even bounced a book and the laptop off my lap! He’s a strong one, that’s for sure.

Medically speaking, things have gotten progressively easier as the weeks have gone on. For the first trimester, I was “a walking pharmacy” as they say. With three injections every day and nearly a dozen pills, it was difficult to keep track of everything, but God gave me the coherence I needed at the time to stay on top of it. Weekly ultrasounds and twice-or-thrice weekly bloodwork kept me on my toes as well. I enjoyed good morning sickness for the first 16+ weeks, too, which was kind of a first for me. It was refreshing, although of course it is always miserable to feel miserable, no matter how thankful I was for feeling miserable. ๐Ÿ™‚

Emotionally speaking, this journey is far from normal. I have learned to embrace the woman/mother God has made me, and not regret the fact that I can not be “a normal pregnant woman,” either medically or emotionally. I don’t want to resent the person God made me just from how He spoke me into being and also from the journey He has had me on. So I am learning to be thankful that I am different. Thankful for my somewhat-unique perspective on pregnancy. Thankful for my struggles. Thankful for my worries. Thankful that He has molded me into someone who simply can not take life (or babies or pregnancy or medicine or whatever) for granted. Thankful that He has given me a history that I can continue using for His glory, as my children proclaim God’s faithfulness (through lives and through deaths), and as Steven and I are able to come alongside so many other [hundreds of] couples who grieve over deaths of their children.

So pregnancy continues to be humbling. It even continues to be scary. But because I know the weightier sides of it, I also know how much more glorious the lighter sides are. Because I know the deep darkness, I see the light even more brightly. I know deeper griefs but I truly believe I am also able -therefore-to know deeper joys. I consider that a privilege, even though it has been a hard-earned badge.

While I do not post as frequently as many women do about pregnancy/baby things, I am going to endeavor to do it a little more often now that we are in the second half of Baby Nine’s journey in the womb. We have been astounded by the amount of prayers and encouragement we have received over the last twenty weeks, and praise the Lord for each of you that have upheld us before the Father’s Throne of Grace. Thank you for bending your knees alongside us. Thank you for bearing our burdens with us to lighten our load. Thank you for continuing to do this!

I don’t have any great pictures of our youngest son to share with you, but here’s the best I can offer. It’s a front-on view, with the top of his head to the left and his chin to the right. The Lord be praised, for this boy is frightfully and wonderfully made!!

Psalm 139:13-14

“For You formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my motherโ€™s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works;
my soul knows it very well.”

19 Replies to “UPDATE FINALE: on our Precious Baby Nine!”

  1. I am so incredibly happy for you. I read this with tears of joy running down my face. Words cannot truly express how much this sweet boy blesses my heart. I am thrilled for you my friend! Praise God for this incredible blessing!!! (Megs83)

  2. Oh praise the Lord, for all his mercies and kindnesses to us!! I am bowled over backwards with joy and thankfulness for your baby boy!! Gabriel gets to be a big brother to a baby he can hold, touch and smooch!! What a delight, what comfort, what a glorious gift!!

  3. So so SO very excited for your family! Many blessings on you all! (And thanks for the long awaited update!!)

  4. Praise God for the little man He is creating, knit together in your womb! Oh what joy! This post definitely took the cake ๐Ÿ˜‰
    These pictures are precious, sooo precious because of the wonderful life they represent along with the pure joy on Gabriel’s face…awhhh.

  5. Oh Melissa, I am so excited and full of joy for you! Praise God for his blessings! I will continue to pray for Baby Nine’s development, and cannot wait to see how God directs his life in your family. I love the matching outfits – he will be (already is!) so blessed to have such a wonderful big brother to guard and guide him along with you!

  6. Melissa..
    I have known you from IAP(way back when) I am just ECSTATIC for you..I have been praying for you and this updates is just so sweet!!God Bless

  7. LOVE LOVE LOVE the pictures! Adorable and precious! thank you for sharing your journey with us Melissa! will continue to pray all is well with baby boy!!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. My heart is so full of happiness for you! God is so good and is showing He perfect mercy to you and your family. We will continue to keep you and Baby Nine in our prayers in the coming weeks. Thank you so much for updating and God Bless!

  9. So exciting, Melissa! I’m very happy for you guys and for Gabriel getting a little brother. What a gift!
    I’m praying the rest of your pregnancy goes well and that you will soon be holding your healthy baby boy, in arms ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. I am still tearing up reading this post…and love seeing the beautiful pictures of you and Gabriel! He seems so over-the-moon joyful!

  11. Praise the Lord for a beautiful, precious, baby boy!! I am so excited for all of you and how fun that Gabriel will not only be a big brother again but he will have a little brother to love on and play with and grow up together. That is priceless!

    I’m so thankful that things are going well and baby is Very Healthy!! I tear up just thinking of what a gift this is to you and Steven (and the rest of the family!)
    But how hard to go through the injections and pills and well, everything!!
    Praising God for the daily strength He has given you!

    The day that Baby Nine is born will be a glorious day! ๐Ÿ™‚ Praying for you, as always!

    That first picture of Gabriel is adorable. I love his expression. ๐Ÿ™‚

  12. Melissa, I’m so happy for you and your family I am crying!!!! Praise the Lord for this wonderful little blessing!! One you will finally get to hold and raise into a strong godly man. We will definitely be praying for you and the baby. I am so glad that the Lord has granted you the desire of your heart! Love you! ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. Love the pictures! Excited for you and praying for freedom from fear and pure enjoyment of the next 20 weeks. You look stunning!

  14. Melissa this is such good news! I have been waiting for a pregnancy update (plus more pictures!!), and this was just great to read. I am so glad to hear everything is going so well for you and Baby!

  15. Two words came to mind instantaneously when I saw these pictures….Yay and Halelujah! =) Praise the Lord for His Marvelous Works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My dear I am sooooooooo happy for you all! I had a feeling you were having another beautiful baby boy ๐Ÿ˜‰ Can’t wait to see more updates! Letter on the way……..lol
    And by the way you look beautiful!!!!!!!! Love n prayers!

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