Pictures of Europe

I hope you enjoy our pictures.

Dawn

Garnet Grace

I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support as we lost our baby. We unexpectedly found out we were pregnant May 19th. We repeated a pregnancy test May 21st and then announced our good news. I was especially excited because we were due January 11th and I really wanted the baby (via C/section) on January 7th - my Mom's birthday. We only got to enjoy the baby for 1 week. Monday May 25th after dinner I began to bleed, I was seven weeks. We made some calls and had someone from our church here within 20 minutes - our driver arrived shortly thereafter and we headed to the hospital. One frustration was that it was so late in the evening - nothing could be done. We got a bed and had to wait until 8AM to have the ultrasound. They found nothing - no baby or sac. We were trying to get all the information to decide what our next course of treatment would be. We were scheduled to leave for a Medetteranean cruise on Thursday. During this time of trying to accept that our baby was gone Garnet seemed an appropriate name (January birthstone). After confirming with bloodwork that she was really gone - we decided to have a D&C to avoid any complications on our trip - even if it was just me feeling rotten.

I was crying in the surgery prep room and everyone seemed really surprised. The only thing I could compare it to was a funeral. I knew that the baby was gone - but this was the final goodbye. I remember waking up - still groggy and just sobbing.

My heart hurts that I can't ever see or raise this precious gem, but I know that my baby is in heaven. I live in a world cursed by sin, pain and death and my God does not glory in the pain that this curse brings. He is beside me grieving with me and I have chosen that I will glorify Him by my actions.

Sam and his evening naps

Sam quite frequently needs an evening nap - here is a compilation so far.

Growing Up 1 month vs 9 months

Sam's latest

He may not be able to crawl "normally" but he's on track every other way.

Updates

I posted about 3 months worth of pictures in 3 new slideshows. Joanna managed to get 2 birthday parties - one in America and one in India.

Our kids are the center of attention wherever we go. Blonde headed kids are very rare. On our way home from Christmas dinner some beggars in the street were trying to sell Santa hats. When one of them saw Sam - he forgot to sell and started goo gooing the baby. The people at church call our girls barbie dolls because they think they look like Barbie. At the zoo I think more people wanted pictures of Sam than the animals.

Our trip to the zoo:
Monday 1/26 was Republic day - the day India adopted its constitution. Scott had the day off so we took an outing around the city. We started out in the morning going to a park - that we were told had animals. No such luck - but we did manage a "train" ride. The train was obviously meant for kids and they started it on a curve of an oval - they had to unhook the cars and push them to the straight away. It was smooth riding from then on. We had some boys befriend us at the park and they gave flowers to the girls. One lady approached us to give a "blessing from the gods" for Sam. We politely refused but it was hard because she was so insistent.

Things are going well and we have a church camp coming up 2/28-3/1 as well as a European cruse 5/31.

Dawn

Joanna's Big News

Guess what it is.