Well, I'm obviously not as diligent about keeping this up as I used to be, but I did want to share the news from my last appointment and what's been going on since.
David and I went to the doctor on the 30th of last month and they had discovered that the cyst had grown a little bit. Because she had grown as well, it still is not causing any harm. She appears to be doing well physically. The doctor did want us to set up a consult with the pediatric surgeon there in Columbia so if he did have to do surgery, we'd be familiar with him. That appointment is next Thursday.
Since that appointment, I had started having some contractions, pretty regularly and since I was in the hospital while pregnant with Ryan due to pre-term contractions, I thought I should go ahead and call the doctor. We made a trip to Columbia that day (Feb 4) and thankfully my body showed no signs of progressing into labor, though Allison's head was very low. The doctor did want to start seeing me weekly though. The next day I felt great but then the contractions picked up again. On Sunday, one of our elders gave a message titled "All things are possible with God". It was such an encouragement!! (if you'd like to hear it, you can click on our favorite links on the left titled "Lake Road Sermons") That night, while having contractions 3 minutes apart, I remembered the message "Is anything too difficult for Me?"; God, who made the heavens and the earth by His great power and by His outstretched arm... God who is over all flesh... (Jeremiah 32:17,27) NO! So, I asked God to take the contractions away. God, my Father, in His great kindness answered and since that night, I have had no regular contractions, only occassional ones that is normal at this point in the pregnancy, even after being on my feet for over 5 hours straight one day and then being up most of that night with a sick child (all things that would easily set me off before). Oh what a privilege to be His child!!
I had to cancel my weekly appointment for last week due to a sick child again and David was gone to a Bible conference in Bentley LA (another thing that wouldn't have worked out if I had continued to have contractions). Then, this week, the doctor is out, so I won't be seeing him again until next Thursday, the 26th. It's been wonderful just resting in His arms knowing that it's not the doctor, ultimately, that's taking care of me and baby Allison, but it's my heavenly Father.
Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon thee,
As thy beauty fills my soul,
For by thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.
Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of thy loving heart.
O how great thy lovingkindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
O how marvelous thy goodness
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in thee, Beloved,
Know what wealth of grace is thine,
Know thy certainty of promise
And have made it mine.
Simply trusting thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold thee as thou art,
And thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
Thine is love indeed.
Ever lift thy face upon me
As I work and wait for thee;
Resting 'neath thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory,
Sunshine of my Father's face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with thy grace.
