Flint Ridge Gardner - Post 2

We were absolutely amazed and blessed with all the little miracles that have taken place over the past couple of days.  We have been able to feel God's hands around us and see Him working to make things go as He had planned.  The staff at Akron General Hospital was amazing!  Dr. Butler was our neonatal doctor.  Not only did he talk about Flint and his condition but he opened up to us on a personal level.  Dr. Crane and Dr. Pekarek was our Maternal and Fetal Specialist Doctors.  Dr. Haynes Robinson was our Genetics doctor.  Dr. Codd was our Resident Doctor at the Hospital. Dr. Biats and Dr. Polifrone regular OB doctor.  RN Nurses - Nicole, Lisa, Rhonda, Jeanette, Amy and many others in the beginning.  Once the Hospital knew our condition they only assigned nurses to our care that were working 12 hour shifts.  Sue Howson and the Palliative care group.  Andrew Jordan with Now I lay me down to sleep - Photography.  Why are these names so important?  Because they made our birth with baby Flint to special.  Not only did they work to make everything go as smoothly as possible... but they showed compassion and sympathy.  God placed each one of them in our lives and delivery for a reason.  It was like having a wedding planner. God was up in heaven coordinating every little detail and it was PERFECT!  Even small things like giving us Two teddy bears.  One for Flint and One for Kora.  Things that are so small in detail... but yet so perfect and important in our minds.  We Praise God and thank the Staff at Akron General.  They were absolutely amazing for the conditions that we were in and going through.  We are sure that they see all kinds of problems, issues and drama all the time.  We were truly amazed that they still showed sincere compassion and still work very efficiently at there jobs.  God has blessed them all with a special talent and we are very thankful!!!

Flint Ridge Gardner - Post 1

Wednesday, January 26th at 2:10 am my water broke.  We made our way to Akron General Hospital.  I was 31 weeks and 5 days pregnant with Flint.  12 weeks was the first we learned the Flint had some issues.  Nothing was clear till about 14 and 16 weeks when we had follow up appointments where they diagnosed Flint with a serious complex that was not compatible with life.  The Doctors prepared us with news that most of these cases are still born or pass away right after being born.  From that point on.... we tried to prepare our minds for the worse and hope for the best.  Praying that God's will would be done and that the decisions we would have to make would be CRYSTAL clear.  For almost 20 weeks we prayed, cried, laughed, hoped, wondered when we would meet Flint.  When we went to the hospital we quickly learned that little Flint was in no hurry to come out.  He was breached and even though my water broke... I was not going into labor.  They monitored me for the first 24 hours and then allowed some of the items to be disconnected from me so that I could get some sleep.  I was at 0 cm dilation on 12:15pm Thursday when they started to get my body going for labor.  When they started this process they informed us that this process would take about 24 hours.  So we prepared ourselves to meet our little boy sometime on Friday.  When the Dr. came back in around 4:15 pm on Thursday to give me my next dose of meds I was dilated to 4 cm.  They could not believe how quickly it progressed and began to prepare for me for labor.  Even though I was fully dilated at 7:15pm... we waited for Baby Flint to descend until we started to deliver.  At 9:40 pm Baby Flint made it into this world and even though we was already in Jesus arms... we still got to meet him for the First time.  

To help clarify Baby Flint Conditions:  From his head to the bottom of his rib cage he was normal.  At the bottom of his rib cage he had no skin.  All of his organs from his rib cage down were exposed through a clear sack.  (As if you were looking at the inside of your body through a window)  They were all in this sack, but enlarged.  The liver was also in this sack.  The lungs were small and the heart took up over 50% of the rib cage.  He had skin on his back all the way to his bottom.  But he had a large 7 cm meningocele coming out of his back on the lower half of his body by his bottom.  His clear stomach was actually connected to my placenta.  No umbilical cord.  His left leg had a club foot and was down correctly.  His right leg/foot was position up and we never saw it.  When Flint was born the Dr's were able to show us Flint before they cut him from the placenta.  They were not sure what if the clear sack would break open once they cut Him from me.   So they were not able to hand Flint to me right away.  They separated him from me and took him to a little table to wrap him up.  Then they handed Flint to us to hold.  What they had diagnosed our baby to have was all correct.  The Dr's said it was even worse then what they had diagnosed.  It was an amazement to all the Flint had lived inside of me as long as he did.  He was a little Fighter!  We let the specialist take Flint and view him.  (Which we had agreed to ahead of time).  When they brought Flint back to us he was all bandaged up and we felt more comfortable holding him. 

Sam went and got Kora from the waiting room.  She was excited to see the baby.  Even though she could sense that we were not excited.  Then our parents and family came back to see baby Flint and to weep with us.  Even though we were told that he would not make it.... we just wanted Flint to be alive.  He was perfect in every way to us.  We were able to hold and talk to Flint as long as we wanted to.  The hospital brought in this little basket for him to lay in.  Even though Flint never took a breath of life... we are so proud of him.  

Flint Ridge Gardner - Safe in the Arms of Jesus....

Flint Ridge Gardner came into this earth on Thursday, January 27th at 9:40pm.  He went to be with Jesus shortly before that.  Even though little Flint did not take a breath here on this earth... we know he is safe in the arms of JESUS now.  We appreciate the prayers and support at this very difficult time in our lives.  

Baby Bean....

Baby Bean.... yes TWO in one day!

BUT GUESS WHAT

WE

ARE

HAVING....

WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!!!!

We are so excited!!!!  to find out some good news about our little child!!!!!

Baby Bean...

Yes... Lots of updates on Baby Bean lately..
but it seems to be consuming our lives at this time.

Yesterday we meet with the specialist at Akron Children's.
This is our fourth time meeting with them.
We meet two times with them at 14 and 16 weeks when they found all the problems. We meet back up with them at 24 weeks... just in hopes that everything they found before was wrong. Then we meet with them yesterday for a 32' week check in and to have some testing done. We still meet with our regular OB Dr to check for a heart beat... every two weeks.

Yesterday the ultra sound still showed all of the same problems. One of the new things that we did learn yesterday was that the liver was for sure out of the stomach cavity. We learned from the beginning that the liver is what holds the ribs up so the the lungs can grow inside the ribs. If the liver is not there to hold the ribs - they will not grow, which means that the lungs will also not grow. The heart is also taking up more of the ribs then it is supposed to.

We still look at the Ultra sound in amazement... that the baby is still alive with all of the problems and conditions that it has. We know God's timing is perfect... but we appreciate the prayers to help us hold together and grow stronger.

Baby Bean....

As stated before.... Updates about Baby Bean do not come easy....

It is hard to know how to write and what to write.

Sometimes.... just because things or feelings go through our minds....

doesn't necessary mean we need to share it with the whole world........

I do think that there are many of blogs that have been able to very tastefully explain the situation they are in along with all the feelings...

However, I was worried we would not know where to drawl that line.... so we have kept the blog very NON-personal about baby bean.

But at this time... I would like to explain a little on the personal side of what we have been going through.....

I am not a writer... so I hope this will all come out correctly.

I will try to break this down... since that is how my mind works..

1. We have been praying for God's will to be done with Baby Bean...... Do we believe in miracles.... Absolutely .... however...we have prepared for the worse and hoped for the best.... really trusting that God is in control.  We pray that things will be CRYSTAL clear.... in all the decisions making that may need to be done with Baby Bean.

2. People will say or ask.... how we can look so happy or stay so positive......  we have had many of TEARS, doubts and fears.... But God's love is so much stronger.... and really for me....the same reason why I try to smile every day and be happy is because.... we never know when it will be our last.... 

Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,

Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;

Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done,

And the roll is called up yonder, I WANT TO be there.

3. So we are Perfect and this is easy... NO...  we fail every day!  But this pregnancy has helped us to develop a stronger relationship with God and to really yearn for a stronger relationship with Him.  Because we are human.... and we do fail every day.  But THANKFULLY by God's loving mercy and grace... we strive for the peace from above. 

4. I and people have always said... God only give us what we can handle.  But through this experience... I truly believe God gives us more than we can handle.  If He gave us what we can handle.... would we really need Him??  Would we yearn to spend time with Him?  We see hope and light through this trial... but we would never say.... that we were able to do this on our own.  Without God we would never even be close to seeing Hope.  We come back for more of His word and love everyday... because we can not do it on our own.... and it feels like as soon as we feel like we have the situation all under control..... we are right back to pleading for His mercy... because we have failed and we NEED HIM.  

5.  We are hard on ourselves.   As Christians.... we know what peace is.  We know we will be tried and we are to overcome by God's grace.  When we fail... we feel as if we have failed our Father.  This is a good thing and a bad thing.   Good - because it keeps us striving for Him....  Bad - because we have to allow our selves to grieve because it is painful situation. 

TWO things that have really helped us to TRUST GOD...

A. 2 Corinthians 12:9&10 - 
9: He (Jesus) said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong..

B. God choose us.  We make many decisions every day in our lives.  But this is one thing God choose us for.  It is very humbling... but at the same time.... it gives us reason to PRAISE, Hope, Believe, Trust, Understand and Love our Heavenly Father.  

We want to Praise Him in the Storm.... even though it is hard...

We want to Carry Baby Bean... even though it is hard....

We want to See Jesus.... even though the road may not be easy....

What is the overall.... 

People all around us have pain and trials...

It is not easy.... we do fail....

but - we have much HOPE for everlasting PEACE 

from our Father above....

There are still many souls around us... 

who have not given there life to Christ...

and with that.... they really are in more pain and trials..

then we can even imagine......

Thanks to every one who have prayed on our behalf... 

We can feel them and appreciate them...

The Gardner's

Baby Bean - Update...

Updates on Baby Bean... do not come easy.  So that is why we do not update more on the baby.  We are going on 31 weeks with Baby Bean.  At night when Kora and Sam are fast asleep... I just lay and enjoy my time with moving baby bean.  The movements are not strong.  However I can feel the baby moving and it is special.  Also it is a nice daily sign that the baby is still alive.  I still go to the Doctor every two weeks to check for heart beat. 

Whats wrong with my shoes...

They are so cute and so much fun to wear around the house...

Why does my mommy get so mad when I wear these...

 My mommy claims they don't fit right... and something about them being for my build a bear and not me...

But I love them and wear them all the time 

 - Love - Kora Lily

House Update...

Our House is coming along great... for how cold it has been outside!

The back of the house..

 The front of the house - garage

 We had a whole crew of guys that came out to help us roof last Friday (NEW YEARS EVE)

Tom H & Ryan

Tom T, Curt, Doug, Nate, Sandor, Matt, Milan on the roof

JP was working all over and Uncle Dale was on the ground cutting and delivering singles to the guys on top.  They got most of the roof done - they were about 4 bundles shy of finishing in ONE DAY!  FRONT AND BACK of the ROOF!  We were so excited and BLESSED to have wonderful weather and NO got hurt!

 Now they are putting in the windows (back of house)

 Here is JP working on the windows today.



Happy New Year to ALL!!!

I got this great idea from Sarah... to post a picture from every month in the past year.  So here we go...

Baby Kora Lily in January. 

(Can't believe how much she grew in ONE YEAR!!!)

As usual ... she always loves to help mommy!

 Kora Lily - ONE year in February 

 Kora Lily playing outside in March

 Easter Egg Hunt in April

 Daddy's Grill Birthday Party in May

 Zoo Trip in June with Aunt Jill & Scarlett

 Trip to Florida with the Ingold Family in July

 Kora Lily 18 months in August

 Kora Lily with all kinds of tricks in September

  Painting her pumpkin in October

Swimming with Daddy in November

 Daddy and Kora Lily in December for Christmas!!

God has blessed us with so much over the past year!  We are thankful for each one of you that follow along and read our blog!  May God bless you all in the NEW 2011 Year!!!

Happy New Years!!!

We celebrated the New Year with friends!  Kora Lily got to sit at the big kid table to eat.  The kids did great and most stayed up until midnight. 

 Jude, Lily & Aysha wearing my crazy New Years Hats!!!

 Kora Lily wearing flip-flops and a white glove 

(Daddy said she looked like Michael Jackson)

Sa

 Sandor wearing a hat! 

 On New Years day after church we went to Grandma & Grandpa for lunch. 

Kora Lily and Trace coloring.

 Liz & Kora Lily holding baby Grady

Birthday & Tea Party

On Monday night we all went to Pizza Hut to celebrate Maddie's Birthday!

This week Scarlett and Uncle Ryan came over to have a tea party with all of Kora's animals and babies!  Sam said it looked like a bomb went off in our family room... but they had a fun time!

Sunday - Ingold Christmas

Sunday after church we went to Papa and Grandma Bonnie's for the Ingold Christmas.  We had lots of yummy food to eat and enjoyed the night together.  Kora Lily got a kitchen for Christmas.  Kora and Willow enjoyed playing with the kitchen.  

 Muscle Boys... Uncle Curt, Adam & Tagen

 Kids getting ready to open gifts..

Thanks Dad & Mom for such a fun and great Christmas party!