Monday, February 9, 2009

Silver and Gold

Even if you weren't a Brownie, you know the song :) Sing it with me... "Make new friends, but keep the old... one is silver and the other's gold!" Yes, I might be losing it... in fact, I wouldn't be surprised :) But even if that's true... this is so entirely from the heart it makes me tear up...

What an incredible... trying... awesome... tough... emotional... joyous... two weeks! Olivia, Samuel, and George are conquering more battles every day... and every day there are more battles for them to conquer. The simple things that we take for granted, like keeping our heart beating, remembering to breathe, and learning to digest food, are things they not only have to remember to do... but many times be reminded to do. It's funny, we spend lots of time talking, reading, and even singing to them, which I hope they hear... and at the same time I hope they never remember having to be in the hospital :) It is certainly something DB and I will never forget.

Which brings me back to the title... and friendship. Something else we will never forget is the incredible support we are receiving... from our family and our friends - "old" friends, new friends, and even friends we have never met. Every email, voicemail, text message, prayer, well wish, visit, kind word, gift, etc.... that is sent our way is so powerful. I think half the time I do tear up it's simply because I am so overwhelmed by how much our family and friends love our children. I'm not going to lie, there are moments when we feel very alone... but it is not due to lack of support. This entire experience is new for us in so many ways - and I'm not sure we could ever adequately express our gratitude for genuine friendship and care!

I'm having a hard time putting into words what I am feeling... I'll try to break it down. I pray for joy every day. There are moments when I don't feel joy... sometimes I feel overwhelmed, sometimes sad, and sometimes fearful. But when my babies hear my voice, I want them to hear joy and happiness! Even if we can't nuzzle them, I want them to know that their parents love them, and can't wait to bring them home! I want them to hear love in a place where most of the sounds are that of machines going off... besides the wonderful nurses and doctors who treat them like the sweet babies that they are :) I know that part of the answer to my prayer for joy is friendship... every time I start to slip a little there is a friendly message, or face, or text, or letter that reminds me how much we are blessed. We have three wonderful babies!!

Family and friends - high school friends, college friends, "hot-lanta" friends, school friends, church friends, friends of friends, BC friends, friends... make us laugh - remind us that everything is going to be okay - show a tremendous amount of care for our new family - and most of all, love the babies :) Thank you! (Hmmm... those words don't seem to cut it... maybe if I bold them they will mean more?) THANK YOU!

Don't worry, I wouldn't post without photos of the babies :) Yesterday was their two week birthday... and today they are officially 31 weeks! Some funny photos...

Mom and Dad... I'm practicing my pacifier! (Samuel)

I'm less than two weeks old, and I've got the "smirk" down pat! (George)

Hello! Welcome to my incubator! (Olivia)

This is just a cool shot... the babies had to be under the billilights (sp?) for jaundice the first couple days. LOVE their shades! (Olivia)

6 comments:

Mo and Do said...

Hello BigB's and our sweet BBB's,
This is Gmo B and I love your sweet little faces. GMo B's heart just swelled up again when she heard about and saw you today. I am proud of you all for keeping up the fight. Beware of the bilirubin light - it permanently made Bethany tan easily!
My love is three times bigger!

Unknown said...

We continue to pray for you all! They just as precious as can be!
Brian & Shannon Nagel

Erin said...

It seems crazy to me that last year sitting in home group you guys were a young couple with no kiddos and now you have three!! A lot can happen in a year. :) We continue to pray for you guys and are happy to hear that you all are doing well. The babies are adorable and look great!

Meredith, Victoria and Vaughn said...

Hey from a "new friend" -- i wanted to share with you -- as amanda was carring the twins i thought to myself will they know me ... at birth ... or ever -- you will be happy to know your babies have known you for a long time! that DNA runs deep:-) it is the mothers (and fathers) touch, voice and love that our children need, want and remember! my twins love aunt amanda but NOBODY can replace Mommy and Daddy NOBODY! It's awesome what God does for us and as I look at your three little pefect angels i know God is helping you make every right decision! They look happy at 2 weeks:-) Yes eveything your doing is perfect, they may not remember, but it leaves a lasting impression and after all as Mothers all we can ask for is our children to know how much we LOVE them! Love you and the Fab 3 - hang in there and i say we do dinner soon:-) YEAH!

Vicki said...

Olivia, Samuel and George have to know how very much you love them Bethany and Dave - Madison and I saw it with our very own eyes and felt it with our very own hearts - and we heard that joy in your voice you want them to hear, they are all THREE hearing it too! We love you five and are so thankful for the pictures and reports you share here - even though mom and dad want to forget these hospital days I bet 3 babies will love to hear the stories...and we already have a couple from our first visit!?!

Lindsey said...

hey guys. still thinking and praying for you. hoping things are progressing well and the babies are reaching milestone after milestone. update when you can. we love pictures and hearing from you!