The day of 7s!

On the 7th of March Lilyanah will be 7 weeks old & has passed the 7 lbs mark for weight! We love 7s! Now, if only I could say she was going 7 hours between feedings! I'm not complaining though because she's going between 4 1/2 & 5 hours, oh life's little blessings. A couple of days ago Grandpa measured little Miss Lilyanah & she's a whopping 19 1/2". How quickly they grow! But she just couldn't be better, she's so strong & doing everything she should. She especially has "melting her mommy & daddy's hearts" with just a look, down pat.

Our family has really stepped up to ensure that I get all the sleep I need to keep my energy up. Grandma feeds Lilyanah whevever she can & Uncle Corey takes her 3 a.m. feeding, which is priceless, as any new parent knows. Will takes her 10 p.m. feeding & usually stays up with her into the night. She couldn't ask for a better daddy. It's been such a blessing getting to watch him gently & tenderly discover what it is to be a daddy & see how beautifully he loves on our daughter. God blessed us both with a husband & a daddy who not only knows HOW to love, but knows how to love well. And Great-Grandma Ruth has made herself absolutely indispensable to us all. She watches over Lilyanah & I throughout the day & makes sure I'm fed. If any of you have been lucky enough to eat some of her cooking, you know I'm getting the best home cookin' available!

Chemo treatment #1 is history & chemo #2 is quickly approaching. The past couple weeks have definitely had their ups & downs. The first week was the easiest but the second brought some nausea & a lot of abdominal pain. This week I'm using some new pain medication that works much better than what they previously had me on, so I'm feeling quite a bit better. As of tonight my hair is starting to take a vacation elsewhere. Who knows how long it will take for me to lose it all, but I have to say it's a strange reality to run my fingers through my hair & see so much of it in my hands. I won't be able to get upset at the dogs for shedding for a while! Another really great development has been my shrinking tummy. After having Lilyanah & my surgery, my tummy looked like I was about 3 months pregnant but throughout the month, between surgery & chemo, my stomach starting getting bigger because of the growing tumors, which was pretty scary to watch. However, a little less than a week after chemo it started to shrink & I'm very happy to say that it is noticeable only to me now that it's a little bigger than usual.

Lastly, I just have to say that while this could have been a very difficult time for our family, it has instead been truly blessed. We have been wrapped up & completely surrounded by love, thanks to all of you & the amazing covering your prayer has provided above, below, & all around every member of our family. For that, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Until the next installment,

many blessings to all of you!