So, I finally did it!

Well, everyone has been bugging me to get this blog up and running...so here we go! At first I thought that now that Dane is home from the hospital, no one would be too interested in anything going on in our humble home. I have realized that if this blog is for no one other than some other Mom of micro preemie looking for hope, then that is the best reason I could have!

So, some of you may be wondering why my page is titled "Life in Holland"?!? Well, if you don't already know...you will have to wait until another day for me to explain that one! I promise it will be worth the wait!

This is the story of how blessed our family is that God chose us to raise Dane. Dane was an unexpected pregnancy...you see my hubby and I have a 16 year old and a 10 year...we thought that our family was complete! I had been praying for God to show me direction in my life, as my kiddos were getting bigger, I thought that it may be time for me to get a "real job"! I can tell you that when we found out I was pregnant, we were in total shock! We immediately recognized it as the answer to my prayer...though not the answer expected! We laughed so hard at the thought of us having another child! The instant we stopped laughing we said if it's a boy we will name him Isaac, because of the story of Abraham and Sarah. Not because this was the child that we had been waiting for, but because one of the meanings for Isaac is laughter. After about 5 months of pregnancy I started feeling pretty lousy, achy, tired...all of these things I attributed to the fact that I was now "an older Mom". Unfortunately I was experiencing some preterm labor signs that I did not recognize. I went to the doctor because I just felt like something wasn't right, I was 26 weeks pregnant...that was the day my life changed. I was dilated to three and was possibly leaking fluid. I was air evacted (against my judgement, I kept seeing dollar signs!) to Good Samaritan where they have one of the best NICU's in the southwest U.S. I lasted 3 days before I went into labor, and on 2-10-07 Dane Isaac was born weighing 2lbs 5oz. We had an unbelievable peace even though he was born so early, Chad and I new that God was in control. My world was ROCKED when on Dane's fourth day of life the doctor sat down and told me that Dane's brain was bleeding. She explained that there were levels of brain bleeds, grades I-IV...grade IV's being the worst. She told us that Dane had a grade IV on the left and II on the right, then went on to tell us that IF he survived he would have severe life long disabilities. He is now 6 months old (3 months adjusted) and this blog is about the wonderful way this miracle child has so richly blessed our lives!