Faith versus Fear

I always wish that I could sit right down at the computer to give you the update right after our appointments, but it never seems to work out that way. So thanks for your patience and continued prayers for our family!

I’m about 18 weeks along (almost halfway!), and I’m feeling good. I’m starting to show and had to give up my regular wardrobe a couple of weeks ago. I went to see our midwife last Thursday (October 22). Typical appointments include a weight check, blood pressure check, measuring my “belly” and listening to the baby’s heart beat. It took her a few minutes to find the baby’s heart beat. I think I held my breath most of that time! But…our little one has a great heart beat at about 140 beats per minute. I’m still measuring large for weeks but that may have to do with the position of the baby right now. We'll get a little peek inside in a few weeks on Friday, November 13th when we return to the maternal and fetal medicine specialist for another sonogram to check the baby’s development. I’ll update you after that appointment as soon as I’m able but until then please continue to pray:

Please pray for our little one—for that strong heart beat, for continued growth and fearful and wonderful development.

God has given me numerous occasions to choose to respond in faith during this pregnancy. Most times I have to will myself not to freak out and to trust the One who is knitting this little one together. His eyes see what ours can’t, and I’m learning to trust Him more. My stepmom has a little plaque on her bedroom wall that reads, “Worry slanders every promise in the Word of God.” Those words have often driven me to my knees and to His Word when fear tries to eclipse my faith in Him…when I first heard that something might be amiss, when I can’t sleep at night and worry about losing this little one, when I should have been feeling little kicks but wasn’t, when the midwife can’t find a heart beat, or when she says I’m measuring larger than I should. Our pastor reminded us this week that Christ left an example that we might follow in His steps and when He was faced with stress He prayed. I’m praying that whatever God is asking you to trust Him with that you will pray and find peace in the One who is ultimately trustworthy!

Journey of Faith

First, I want to again express our profound gratitude for your friendship and prayers! Knowing so many of you are praying for us is a true blessing!

Many of you are waiting for this post so that you know how to continue to pray for us and our little one because we were supposed to get the blood test results today. Unfortunately, the results were not available yet. Having to wait impresses upon me that this will be nothing if not a journey of faith. We pray that He will strengthen our faith (Luke 17:5) and help us in our unbelief (Mark 9:24). Will you pray with us as we wait that our little one would be healthy and that we would continue rest in His extravagant love for us?

With gratitude in my heart,
Amy Joy

Where the Journey Started

Excerpt from an email we sent on Thursday, September 10, 2009:

...We feel so blessed to be in a place to call home since we are expecting another little one in March 2010. We covet your prayers right now for this little one. We went to the birth center yesterday for my first prenatal visit. The midwife told us that my uterus was larger than she expected for 12 weeks (3 months) so she sent us to have a sonogram. The sonogram revealed that our baby might possibly have a cyst in the forehead region so we have been referred to a maternal and fetal medicine specialist for a high-powered, high-tech sonogram. We have an appointment for that sonogram tomorrow (Friday, September 11). I really have no technical terms to share with you or any other information or possible diagnosis other than this. So we would appreciate your prayers. I will send out an update as soon as we have more information. Thanks for standing in the gap for us!

Love,
The Olivos
Layne, Amy Joy, Katy Jayne, Connor, Jordan and Baby Olivo