Welcome to the World!

Little Isileidy came into this world on Saturday, January 14th, weighing in at 7 lbs 8 ounces. Although she was healthy, her Mama wasn't. I hadn't realized how serious it was until after the fact, but apparently we almost lost Yuleidy. Due to severe anemia and not being able to stop her bleeding, lots of fluid and four pints of blood later they were able to bring her around.

When I went to the hospital to see her, they wouldn't let us in. She wasn't out of the woods yet and she was in intensive care. Intensive care, not in the sense that you and I think of. It didn't look sterile at all and there wasn't very much care involved. I kept praying, "Lord, just let me see her even if for a minute." And just after I finished praying, a nurse saw me standing at the door and waved to me to enter. She said all I could do was peek my head in and I told her that's all I needed.

When I rounded the corner to her room, i had to fight back tears as not to scare her. It looked like she was in a storage room that they just threw a hospital bed into. There were literally randomly placed filing cabinets surrounding her bed with just a small passage-way to reach her. This small child, laying all alone in a storage room with blood and fluids filling her veins. She looked like she was on death's door but as she turned to see me, a little smile. I smiled back and started to step in the room. The nurse stopped me and said, "You told me you just wanted to look." "But can't I just go hug her really quickly?" I asked. "No." The head doctor noticed me standing there and began shouting. By this time three of her friends had huddled behind me without my knowledge and the doctor pointed her crazy finger at them. I quickly told her that I loved her and that I was praying for her, and that was it.

She apparently improved through the night and I called her sister-in-law, Carolina, to see what the news was. She was back home in The Hole. I hopped in the jeep and drove there, to enter into a house completely filled with people. If it were me, I would have been completely overwhelmed.

Yuleidy looked exhausted but a hundred times better than the day before. Isileidy was already a pro at breastfeeding and it was so rewarding to see her Mama relishing in her new role.

Keep praying for this one. When the newness wears off and she's overwhelmed with exhaustion and the baby wakes up for the fourth time to feed; pray for perseverance and joy. Pray for her relationship with her "husband" who is only 21 himself. Pray for God to reign over them and raise up a new generation of parents. Pray that God touch their hearts in a big way, through this little blessing.

Photo of the Week-1/3-1/10

grismeily is shy, reserved and pierces your heart with a single stare. she is the youngest of four and the only girl. when i found out her mom was pregnant and that she was a girl, i don't know why, but i was so excited. maybe, if nothing else, just for her mom who was surrounded by boys. maybe because i knew she would be one loved little girl. and maybe because i thought, just maybe, her mom may warm up to me a little bit given that i had a little girl too.

you see, up until grismeily was about one month old, her shy, reserved mother was very weary of me. i had loved her boys for almost four years and said hello to her and hugged her whenever i could, but still she was very stand-offish. never rude or blatant, just weary.

when grismeily was one month old, i had been making headbands as a fundraiser for our ministry. i saw one that i had made and thought of her immediately. the next week i brought it to her mom. elisabeth's eyes lit up. she was so excited. something as small as a headband with a flower became my window of opportunity to love her as much as i loved her children.

even at age 22, elisabeth is one of the most caring, loving mothers i have ever known. even me, at 30, i don't know how she does it; caring for three boys and a baby girl. and although our friendship isn't where i would love it to be, i know for some, trusting doesn't come quickly.

grismeily and her headband, about 6 months old when she could finally wear it!