Welcome Amy Noelle

welcome, amy noelle!
tim pezzelle
2011-08
 
some things are written to entertain, some to inform, some to inspire.  this short offering is presented purely for posterity - just because some stories shouldn't be lost, ever.  if this manages to entertain, inform or inspire you, it is accidental.
 
we were living in a house we had bought from sherry's mom and dad.  a modest house in a modest neighborhood - still more than most of the rest of the world enjoys.  we had been married six years and were so completely blessed.  at the time, we had a "guest" living with us.  cassidy wandered into our church one sunday morning, a stranger in a strange land, so to speak.  one thing led to another and ultimately led to her staying with us.  God had blessed us and given us the opportunity to share His great wealth.  we were finding our way as a couple and as a couple of children of the King.
 
and then...
 
POOF!  sherry called me into the bedroom upon arriving home one evening.  she had a gift bag full of goodies that she pulled out one by one.  a theme was beginning to develop.  she pulled out the pregnancy test and said "poof.... blue".  we laughed and cried and panicked and prayed.  joy.  changes.  poof.  that would be amy's pre-birth name for the next several months.... poof.
 
you know how it goes, right?  there's a reason it takes nine months.  you need that much time to get ready.  you need that much to make all the changes needed to welcome a new, little person into your life.  and so, we did all those things - decorated the nursery, child-proofed the house (really could have waited a few more months), got the car seat, stroller, bassinet...  baby showers....  and dr. visits.
 
it was during a visit with our doctor.... his face turned from its normally cheery visage to quite serious.  preeclampsia.  now there's a word i had never heard before.  at 30 weeks, preeclampsia turned our perfect pregnancy into something quite different.  "go home and lay on your side.... come see me in a week".   one week later.  "i think i'd like you to lay on your side in the hospital". 
 
big problems.  bigger God.
 
friends and family began bathing sherry and poof in prayer as she layed as still as possible.  two weeks -  no improvement, but no worse.  at 33 weeks, our very concerned doctor declared "if we're going to get this little one here, we need to do it now".  
 
urgent need.  caring God.
 
we were sent to phoenix children's hospital on the very day that we should have been attending our first lamaze class.  we were living one of sherry's favorite movie quotes... from gone with the wind.... "i don't know nothin about birthin no babies". 
 
i will spare you the details... 
 
at a little after 10:00 the next morning, poof became amy noelle, tipping the scale at a whopping 3 pounds 15 ounces.... 19 inches long.  at 33 weeks, there are so many things to be concerned about.  God, as only He can, delivered.  amy was perfect - just very tiny.  her lungs were fully developed - rare at 33 weeks.  amy's APGAR score at 1 minute was 9 out of 10.  we were assured by the nurses how rare it was for a baby this premature to be this "normal".
 
three days later we brought amy home.... 3 pounds 3 ounces.  cabbage patch doll clothes.  preemie diapers.  she was our itty-bitty reminder of our great big God. 
 
and she grew.  and grew.  in wisdom and beauty.  still a perfect child of our caring God.
 
 thank you prayer-warrior friends... thank you sherry...  thank you God!