I just talked to Susan. She is doing quite well, wrestling with normal stuff after a C-Section.” Her sister and her husband, Katie and John, are there and her Mom will arrive from Portland early this evening. She hopes to be released from the hospital on Sunday other than during the Chiefs- Packer which Donn and John want to see together.

Donn is at Children’s Mercy Hospital with “Little Girl Breshears” and out of contact. Susan says he’s feeling the responsibility of being a father deeply. I know that feeling. The connection between us has been very strong. Sherry is also doing the Mom thing, heading back on Sunday after doing Princess on Ice with Nicole and Joy and me.

“Little Girl Breshears” does not have good blood gas numbers, so they are pushing pretty hard. She was on 100% oxygen under a hood and that wasn’t enough. Now she intubated and doing Nitrous Oxide from an oscillating respirator, so she’s breathing very quickly. She’ll be on the resprator for a week or so. If her blood gasses don’t improve, the next step would be a heart lung bypass. That’s a scary thought, needless to say, but I’m really glad it’s available if they need it.

Little girls do majorly good things for me. There’s a protective, providing piece that comes out, but it’s more than that. Children play and pray together. The connection between the little boy and the little girl simply doesn’t end. Never. Sadness can hit in, longing pangs hurt, but they can’t even touch the connection which waits. Praying for “Little Girl Breshears” is happening. Praying and playing with her will happen and that will bring smiles. Waiting for the children to be together seems endless. So I wait on the LORD. and pray hope.

We got a call from Donn. Our tiny little grandgirl (still unnamed) is being transported to Children’s Mercy hospital in Kansas City. They think she may have Meconium aspiration syndrome (see the Wikipedia article). Meconium is normally stored in the infant’s intestines until after birth, but sometimes (often in response to fetal distress) it is expelled into the amniotic fluid prior to birth, or during labor. If the baby then inhales the contaminated fluid, respiratory problems may occur. It brought back memories of the Dodd’s girls who had similar symptoms. We have experience in sharing the stressful experience. Sherry will head back to Kansas City on Sunday. It’s a mother thing!

Yep. After only two weeks notice, Donn and Susan are parents of a little girl. Well, not that little: 7 pounds 9 ounces, 19 1/4 inches long, born at 4:42 pm Kansas City (Central) time. They went in for a routine sonogram. The doctor decided induce time was at hand. But as the contractions began, the baby’s heart rate dropped a bunch. So the made the decision to go C-section. 30 minutes later she was out and off to special care to assist her breathing. She’s doing well but will be in the hospital for a few days. Susan was bummed that she didn’t get to have time with her baby. That will happen soon, of course.

Donn called me just after he got the word that the C-Section was going to happen. They were prepping Susan and asked him to step out for a bit. The phone call was one of the outstanding times for a father and a son. Those sorts of moments are literally once in a lifetime things. Our emotions were intense and then when I prayed in response to his request, they really went over the top. There may be other times as intense and vulnerable, but sharing the moment of a firstborn in real time can only happen once. It’s something to share only with the closest friend, of course.

David (brother) and Cyndee (sister) and Joy (our 5 year old granddaughter) will join Sherry and me going to Kansas City on Friday, Nov. 30, returning Sunday evening. That will be a very special family time as we share time with our as yet unnamed granddaughter. David will join Donn at the football game, a first for them.

I’m pressing really hard, even for me. I just got the penultimate draft of Death by Love, the second the books with Mark Driscoll, for my review. I need to read the 200 pages or so, do any revisions and get it back to Crystal tomorrow. I have 46 theology exams and doctrinal statements plus meditations to do since my grad fellow had to go get a real job. I have three encyclopedia articles to write, the normal daily stuff and then class from 6 to 9. Sherry will head off to the coast, spend the night before she brings Nicole and Joy back Saturday. I’m in class from 8 to 1:30 and then down to the Rose Garden with them for Disney’s Princess on Ice. We’ll spend the evening with the girls. Then I preach twice on Sunday before we take the girls back to the beach.

And there’s picture of a new grandgirl to enjoy and post here!