Sorry it has been so long!

We apologize for not updating for quite some time. A LOT has taken place since we last posted. As of now Malachi is doing well. To recap the last several weeks...

Malachi was sent up to the floor the day after Thanksgiving and was doing okay. He was still breathing fast, but we thought it was normal for him. He started on feeds and the staff attempted to try larger feeds at one time. This was too much for Malachi's tummy and he began to spit up and reflux. (He was showing major heaving when spitting up, and he cried after he spit up.) They did an Upper G.I. test (having him swallow barium and seeing if it comes back up.) That test showed that he did have acid reflux. They put in an NJ tube (goes from the nose to the beginning of his small intestine) to help with his reflux. The goal is to get him to gain weight so that he is bigger for his next surgery in two or three months. Everything was going well until his saturations began to drop into the 60's. He eventually was placed back on oxygen to help raise his saturations. Malachi had also become fussy and not consolable for about three days. We were impatiently waiting to go home, wondering why God had kept us here for so long.

He answered our prayers Monday morning, December 10th. I had got out of bed after Malachi had a long night of fussiness. I stood there by his bed trying to comfort him, and prayed that he would feel better. I asked the Lord, "I know you love him, but why are you allowing him to continue to hurt?" (Thinking that he had developed Colic.) I started to cry as he calmed down for about a minute and then he began to cry again. I picked him up and held him in my arms to try once again to console him. I suddenly realized that he felt very warm, his heart rate was very high, and he was breathing very fast. I called for Philip to come over and see what he thought. He took Malachi's temperature and it was 102! We called for the nurse and she came in and took his temp and found it to be the same. We were unwrapping him and getting him undressed to cool him down. I commented about his grunting, thinking he was trying to have a bowel movement. The nurse said that it was a sign of respiratory distress. Just then the surgeon, Dr. Morrell was doing rounds and came in the room. He looked right at Malachi's breathing and said to get him down the CICU. They quickly gathered his things and rushed him down. We thought they would just help his fever and all would be better. When we arrived down stairs the doctor told us that they had decided to intubate him. He said that Malachi was showing signs of what could potentially become a very bad respiratory problem. We were a little shocked, but relieved they had caught things before they got worse. It was determined that his hole between his Atria was beginning to close and was causing blood to back up in his lungs. The solution to try was to take him down to the Cath Lab and punch a hold through the wall.

Tuesday, December 11th, Malachi went in to the Cath Lab for his procedure. Dr. Kritchure (spell?) prayed with us before the procedure. It took about two hours. She came out and told us that Malachi did very well. She said that they used the balloon procedure and it worked very successfully. The hole made a huge difference in the pressures. We also found out that they were concerned about the Pulmonary Band and whether or not it was tight enough. Dr. Wearden (another surgeon) told us that he didn't think that there were any problems with the band. He wanted to avoid taking him back in for surgery.

Now we have graduated back up to the Seventh Floor. Malachi is doing well, except for a few adjustments to his medications. Dr. Wearden told us today that all he is waiting on is for Malachi to gain weight and it looks like we could be going home the end of this week. Please pray that it happens! We would LOVE to be home in time for Christmas.

This part of the journey has taught us a lot. It is so hard to stand back and watch your beautiful baby boy go through so much. To be on so many meds, to be intubated more than once, to have his feet poked to get a reading for his sugar, and to see his reach out to you while all this is taking place. I know that we have asked the Lord why quite a bit. We have read Gene Cunningham's Psalm 119 study and been humbled by the praise that young captive gave to God in the midst of horrible, unthinkable circumstances. We have listened to parts of Gene's study on James and cried through most of it knowing that the Lord was talking right to us. The phrase that always sticks in my mind is: "not asking why, but what." What can we learn from all of this. What is it that the Lord is wanting to teach us. How can we glorify and enjoy (crazy thought!) what He is doing in our lives through this trial. What can we see Him doing through it all. How can we honor and praise our Great God for having a plan for us and being in control. I will not pretend that I sailed through this easily and didn't get extremely mad and very close to just giving up, but one day it just hit me. I can get angry and doubt what God is doing, or I can hold on for the ride and wait it out to see the blessings He has in store. It almost always gets harder before it gets easier, but in the end God shows Himself in amazing ways. I feel honored that He would allow us to go through all of this. That He would give us this opportunity to "pass the test" and be able to present Him with our rewards, and anoint His feet with the tears we have shed. We are not through anything yet, and I think this will be a lifelong journey, but God has never left and always been faithful. May we live our lives proclaiming, as Malachi's name means as: "Messengers of the Lord."

Thank you all for your encouragement and prayers for us. WE SO NEED THEM! We love you all.

Safe in His Arms,
April (for all three!)

James 1

Progress!!!

So it's been a few days since our last update and so many things have happened!

Tuesday the 13th at 0750, Malachi went in for surgery on his heart. Doctor Wearden and Doctor Merrel closed off the PDA and placed the band on his pulmonary artery and the surgery was over by 0940. It went beautifully and Malachi was doing very well. He had a chest tube in for draining of blood and fluid from the area around the heart and he had a new IV that was in his chest called a Broviac line. He looked so good when we got to see him around 1100. So praise the Lord the surgery went great and he was on the road to recovery.
Wednesday the 14th... Malachi was doing well, his oxygen saturation's were in the low 80's where they wanted them and so he was moved toward extubation (getting off of the ventilator). Early afternoon on Wednesday they took him off of the ventilator and just had him on a nasal cannula high flow 30 percent oxygen. As the day progressed Malachi struggled more and more with breathing and keeping his saturation's up. By evening his saturation's were dropping into the 60's so they kept turning up the oxygen he was getting through the nasal cannula until he was up to 70 percent and bearly keep saturations in the low 70's. At this time they got a chest x-ray and discovered that his left lung was partially collapsed which is common in little ones coming off of a ventilator. April and I came back to the house a little discouraged and frustrated that he was having such a hard time. Around 3am the doctor called us to tell us that his entire left lunch was collapsed and so they had to place him back on the ventilator. We immediately took it as a major set back and struggled to keep focus and remember that God was in control. Which of course he was, we just were blinded by our own hopes and longing for a fast recovery.
Thursday morning came around and by 1000 Malachi's lung was back to normal and he was doing much better. Thursday evening they started to wean him off again, but he wasn't doing well at it so they decided to wait another day to give him a rest.
Friday afternoon Malachi was able to come off of the ventilator and he has done very well since. His saturations have been high, in the low 90's but he is on a medication that helps his heart balance blood flow to his lungs and body, so it will just take some time to find the right amount to give him to bring his saturations down. This was good news again since we kept thinking that they would have to go back in to adjust the band around his Pulmonary Artery. They said that readjusting the band would be the last step they take to bring his saturations down.
So... this morning... the 17th. we made our usual phone call after waking up to find out how our precious little man is doing. One of our favorite nurses, Melissa, is caring for him and she told us that Malachi is doing wonderfully! He is breathing great and his saturations are now in the high 80's, which they are continuing to make adjustments to the medications to bring them a little lower. Melissa said she was getting ready to FEED Malachi with a BOTTLE and she said that when we get there we can feed him too!!!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!! He will now be getting real food and maybe put on some weight!!!! This is the best news we've had in the last two weeks!!! We are so thankful that the Lord is healing Malachi and allowing him to be doing so well and now able to eat. WE can't wait to get there today to see him... and... HOLD HIM!!!!! this will be the first time we've held our baby since the moment he was born! God is so good!

Please continue to pray for a good and full recovery. Sometimes I want a fast recovery, but I know that it is better for him to have a good recovery than a fast one. Please pray that his saturations come down some more and they don't have to take him in for surgery to adjust the band. Please pray that he takes the bottle well and is able to catch on to eating, because this is a huge step toward bring him home!!!

Thank you for your prayers. The Lord continues to reveal Himself in new ways everyday and we continue to learn more and more how to trust Him more! Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Joyfully His,
Philip, April and Malachi

Malachi Update

Hello...
It's a cold Sunday morning in November, and life here in Pittsburgh is going well considering. Malachi is is hanging out at Children's Hospital flirting with all the women and look sweet as ever with his awesome hair!

Seriously... He is doing fairly well. This past week has been a roller-coaster of emotions for April and I and it's not over yet. Last Tuesday was suppose to be his heart surgery day, but because they found a small bleed in a ventricle of his brain and a small clot in one of the vessels coming off of the ventricle, the surgery was postponed due to the possibility of complications during surgery resulting from movement of the clot or increased bleeding. We were told that the bleed and clot were so small that they would clear up on their own, and it's a fairly common thing for babies to be born with, none the less it was still a little disheartening to hear about. We had to wait until Thursday for a follow up CT Scan to find out if those spots were cleared up, and then we had to wait until Friday afternoon to hear the results of the Scan, but thankfully the Lord chose to reveal Himself to us again, by allowing the clot and bleed to go away! Praise the Lord.

A couple times during the week, Malachi had difficulty breathing and even stopped breathing on three occasions. Thankfully the doctors were right there to get him breathing again, but those times were also very scary for us. Because of his difficulty breathing throughout the week and those times he stopped breathing, the Ear Nose and Throat doctors came in to take a look at this Trachea to see if there were any obstructions that could be causing the problems. Friday evening they discovered a piece of scar tissue that had grown next to Malachi's vocal cords, obstructing half of the windpipe! So, Friday night around 10:15 they took Malachi in for an operation to remove the tissue. The surgery lasted about 35 minutes and went beautifully! Praise the Lord! Malachi is now back on the ventilator while his throat is healing.

As of right now, the surgeons are talking about heart surgery on either Monday or Tuesday of this week. They are making their plans this weekend for exactly what needs to be done, and hopefully we will know today, Sunday, what those plans are. We would like the surgery to be tomorrow just so that it can be done and Malachi can start healing and then get some good food in him sooner. The surgery that needs to be done could include three parts, but may not include all three. The PDA needs to be closed off... it should close on it's own but because it's taking so long to close they may need to just tie it off themselves. The next possible part is the Band being placed on the Pulmonary Artery to restrict blood flow to the lungs even more. The third part is creating a larger opening between the upper two chambers of the heart, the atrium. This last part they haven't really talked about too much, but it is still a possibility. Once the surgery is completed Malachi will be able to breath room air and that is what he needs to do before he can come home!

Thank you for your prayers... Please continue to pray for our little Malachi. He is so adorable and precious, but looks very week and frail right now because of all he has been through this week already. Please pray that the surgeons will be able to make a decision today about the heart surgery and that it will be done tomorrow! Please pray for strength for Malachi, and for us. The Lord has been faithful and we continue to see His plan unfold... but we still have moments of frustration and doubt. Thankfully we realize again that God is in control and His plan for Malachi is beyond anything we can imagine. I am so thankful that I have a relationship with the Lord that allows me to come before Him at any moment and poor out my heart to Him and feel the relief of his peace that surpasses all understanding guard my heart. What amazing Hope we have in Christ! Thank you for your prayers and love!

We will try to update again soon... but the next couple of days may be a little crazy! Enjoy the latest pictures of our Malachi.

Thankfully in His Hands,
Philip, April and Malachi

5 Days Old...

So Malachi turned 5 days old today! He is doing alright. We are awaiting a CT scan for tomorrow to see if the small bleed and small clot have worked themselves out. Also we are awaiting to see what the surgeons are deciding about if and when Malachi needs surgery. He had a little bump in the road yesterday when they took the breathing tube out and Malachi stopped breathing, which we heard later can be common after having a tube in just because their trachea is so small. Either way it terrified me, and I began the spiral downward of asking God why this all is happening. Why Malachi? Why does this beautiful, wonderful, perfect little man have to hurt? Why does he have to go through all of this? I was reminded of the passage when Christ and the disciples meet the blind man in John 9:1-3. (I actually watched a Pastor teach on it the morning Malachi was born.) The question the disciples asked Christ was why this man was born blind. Was it because his parents had sinned? Or because he has sinned? Christ answered with: "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him." I realized that God wanted to use Malachi's life to display God's work in him. And if Philip and I let Him, He would display His work in us too. So I picked myself up off the floor, sang the song, "If you want me to" by Ginny Owens. (Crying the whole time.) And was reminded that the Lord never left and He NEVER will. He will do what is best for our family. As hard as it is to say, WHATEVER that is. Trust me, I let the Lord know my ultimate desire, and I must say that this is the most hardest, worst thing to EVER have to go through in my entire life, but for some reason, the Lord saw that Philip and I could handle it. Either I can fight what the Lord is doing, or I can accept that this is where He has us, and be teachable to what He wants to show us. (Already a lot! Trust for one!) So all this to say, we are under serious attack. Pray that we maintain focus on the Lord, and trust what He is doing. We love you all, and appreciate EVERYTHING you have done for us.

May our lives bring Him glory,
April,(wrote the post), Philip, and Malachi

Malachi's Hair-do

Here are the latest pictures of Malachi. His hair is sweet! Cousin Matthew would be proud!

Malachi Philip Preston has Arrived!!!

Malachi Philip was born Friday November 2nd at 3:04pm and he weighed 5 lbs 2 oz. and was 19 3/4 inches long. April did an incredible job delivering him and we got to hold him for about 10 minutes before the NICU team had to take him.

He is at the Pittsburgh Children's Hospital right now and he is doing well. Monday he has a MRI to look at a questionable spot on the back of his brain that could possibly be blood, and if it is nothing then surgery is planned for Tuesday to place a restricting band around the Pulmonary Artery to help balance blood flow to the lungs and body.

Please pray that the spot on his brain is nothing! and that the surgery is performed to perfection. If all goes well... April will be able to start Thursday or Friday, working at getting him to feed well enough for him to come home with us until his next surgery in 4 to 6 months.

Please please continue to lift Malachi up before our Lord ( and us as well). We KNOW that HE is our strength and the only way that Malachi is going to get through all of this (and us too!). Thank you for your prayers so far and for your continued love and support through all of this.

To God be all Glory forever and ever!

Thankfully in His Hands,
Philip, April and Malachi

Malachi soon to arrive!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Malachi is due to arrive any day now. We are heading to Pittsburgh tomorrow, October 31st for an ultrasound. (Malachi is still measuring small.) After the ultrasound they will decide if they are going to keep me for an induction. (They more than likely will.) Then depending on how everything goes, he will be born (I'm guessing) Thursday, November 1st.

I go back and forth on how I feel on any given day. I have days where my faith is strong, and am completely trusting the Lord, and then I have days where I cry and worry and doubt what God has instore. Thankfully I am so blessed with such a godly husband that reminds me of truth. One thing that amazes me is the fact that there will and have been so many people lifting Malachi up in prayer. I can't wait to tell him someday just how many people were praying for him.

I feel anxious about what the next couple of days will hold. Labor for one! Then waiting to see what the surgeons decide. Seeing him for the first time, and learning how to feed him. It is all so overwhelming, but I am glad that the Lord will be our strength and guide us through the next couple of weeks.

Thank you all so much for your continued encouragement and prayers!

We love you!
Philip, April,(who wrote the post), and Malachi

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in[3] view of the surpassing value of knowing[4] Christ Jesus my Lord, for[5] whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the[6] fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in[7] order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so[8] that I may lay hold of that for[9] which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:7-12

35 Weeks and counting!

So here are the latest pictures of our beautiful baby boy! I compared his picture to one of Philip's baby pictures and they look identical! We got to see him move his arms,(he likes to hide during the ultrasound!)Then he pulled his hand up to his mouth and started sucking on it! It was so cute. Then he let out a big yawn. The Sonographer got the picture just when he did it. It was so cute. He is such a beautiful baby. I can't wait to kiss his handsome little face! Here are the pictures:

32 Weeks...

So this picture of Malachi is actually at 30 weeks. It was taken when we visited Pittsburgh. The detail of events were:

We started off at 7:30 am at Magee Women's Center with an ultrasound. Everything (except his heart) looked good. He is measuring in the 29th percentile. (Which means he is smaller than average, but not abnormally small.)

We then headed over to see the Cardiologist Dr. Sherman. He told us he was going to look at Malachi's heart with fresh eyes. He determined the same results as our cardiologist with Malachi having a regular sized Aorta and a narrowed Pulmonary artery. He determined that the narrowed Pulmonary artery might be a good thing. The narrowing might help equalize the blood flow to the lungs and the body. After Malachi is born they may even have to narrow the artery even more, just to make sure the blood flow is controlled. He did tell us that when Malachi is in his 20s or 30s it is pretty likely that he would need to have a heart transplant, as the work of one ventricle can strain the heart after so many years, but that is down the road and not a concern as of now.

We then met with the surgeon over at Pittsburgh Children's Hospital. We met Dr. Wearden, (Dr. Morrel also works along with.) We liked him the best. When he walked in the room he asked for Malachi's name, and referred to Malachi the whole time he was speaking. He showed us a drawing of what Malachi's heart looks like, and showed us the repairs they would do on it. He referred to how God designs our hearts, and how Malachi's was different. How encouraging is that! The very man who will be holding our son's heart in his hands referred to God! We don't know if he is a Christian, but we are certainly encouraged by his reference to God! He reexplained what the Cardiologist stated. He said that Malachi might not need any surgery when first born, if he does it would be minor. They would (if needed after first born) to put in a shunt connecting his Aorta and Pulmonary artery. They would also put a constrictor on his Pulmonary artery to equalize the blood flow. In either case, we will take him home with a monitor to check his blood oxygen levels. Then when he is two months old they would look into doing the Glen Procedure which we referred to in the past post: connecting the Superior Vena Cava to the lungs. Then when he is two or three years old, he would have the Fontan Procedure, routing the blood flow through the lungs by the Inferior Vena Cava. He said that Malachi is fortunate enough that they don't have to rebuild his Aorta, as is the case with most Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Thankfully the Lord has made his heart to function and be a little better off when first born.

After the surgeon we headed back over to Magee and we met with the high risk Obstetrician: Dr. Emery. He said that the plan is to induce me at 39 weeks (the week of November 5th). They want to make sure that we are both in Pittsburgh. He said the only need for a Cesarean would be if I wasn't progressing enough.

Then we finished our day with Dr. Vats. She is the neonatologist at Magee. She went through the plan of events after Malachi is born. She said that they will be in the room when Malachi is delivered, and will take him aside (in the room) and evaluate him. They will check his breathing and heart sounds. Then they will give him back to us to hold and get some pictures and let the family see. Then they will take him down to the Neonatal unit to have him on monitors until the surgeons are ready for him. (This will all take place within a few hours.) He will only be on an iv drip, incase he may need to go into surgery. Then he will be taken over to Children's to have the surgeons evaluate him. If he does not need surgery, then they will make sure he is feeding and monitor him for about a week. If he does need surgery he could be in the hospital for two weeks, or a month depending on how quickly he heals. Regardless, they will make sure Philip and I know what we're doing before we take him home.

It was a very long day, but very informative. I told Philip that as far as Malachi needing surgery, I feel confident and at peace. The thought of me being a new Mom, scares me to death! I know that it will all come together, but wow what a responsibility. I am honored that the Lord would choose Philip and I to be parents of such an incredible young boy. He truly is a miracle and made especially by our Lord. I can't wait to meet him in 7 WEEKS!

Here is another story about a little girl named Makenna living with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. She differs from Malachi, as she needed the first surgery, the Norwood, as Malachi does not. Here is the link: Makenna

Love,
April (for all three)

"In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:6-9

My Hero...

While reading Philip's last post I reminded myself just how thankful I am for my husband. He is my hero. Before we were together he left behind family and friends to serve his country with pride. He protected my freedom without knowing I would be apart of his life. It is neat that I was able to pray for him while he was gone, not knowing we would end up together! I am honored to know him, let alone be married to him. As Philip wrote in the last post, we do have so much to be thankful for. (Malachi just kicked in agreement.)

One thing I look forward to one day is telling Malachi, (when he is old enough to understand)all about his Daddy and all that he did to protect us. Philip will already be Malachi's hero because he will adore and love him so much, just because he is his Daddy. I can't wait for Malachi to know just how amazing a man his father is, and how blessed we are to have Philip leading our family. I know that there is NO ONE ELSE that I would want to walk through all of this with. Philip has been such a vessel of strength and used as a voice of Truth for me. I am so blessed! Although Christ will always be my first love and hero, I am so glad that He blessed me with a tangible hero! :o)

Love,
April

"Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12

I love you Malachi...

I was realizing today that I have not written in quite some time, so I am going to attempt to share with you my thoughts today.

I cannot even begin to fathom the immense love that my Lord has for me, for my wife, and for my son. I find that each day that goes by, drawing us closer to when Malachi is born, brings me to a greater understanding of how great my God is and how small I truly am. I wish that I could say I don't understand what the Lord is doing, allowing my little son, my little Malachi, to have this defect, this imperfection... that he has to come into this world with a broken heart and go through surgery when he won't even know what's going on or why he has to be in pain. I wish that I could be oblivious to why innocent little babies have to develop abnormally and face a difficult life due to physical imperfections. I wish I could forget why we exist... why we are born into an imperfect world with all of it's sin and imperfections. I wish that I could live without feeling, without tears, without fear... But I can't! I cannot forget, be oblivious, lack understanding, feeling, tears, or fear... because I wake up each morning... lying in the most comfortable bed... with the sun shining on my face... my beautiful wife lying next to me... and my son kicking inside of her. I am blessed beyond anything I could ever possibly imagine. I know that my life is His... I know that I am here to Glorify my Lord... I know that whatever He allows in my life, it is for good... it is to draw me to Him... to refine me and shape me into a reflection of Him. I know that my little Malachi is "...Fearfully and Wonderfully made..." Because He made him and formed him in April's womb... The Lord formed Malachi's inward parts... and He formed him and has given him to April and I so that we together as a family may have the honor of glorifying our Lord and Savior through anything! I understand this... I am not oblivious to this... I cannot forget it... I cannot live without feeling the weight of becoming a father, and the responsibility that comes with it... I cannot go without shedding tears for the ones I love... and I do fear... I fear that everyday I am given to live, is another day to Praise the Lord. What an incredible honor and responsiblity. I am learning daily that I cannot be a nebbishy man... for if I am going to fulfill my purpose here on this earth... I must take whatever comes my way and turn it into an opportunity to Trust the Lord giving Him all the Glory and Praise. Granted, I fail daily at this, but because I do understand... I continue to take one step at a time.

I cannot possibly express just how much I am looking forward to holding Malachi in my arms, looking into his eyes and telling him over and over and over how immensly I love him... and how much greater the Lord loves him. I am so thankful that he is my son and I am his father and April is his mother and we are a family! God is so good.


"For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them." Psalm 139:13-16

27 Weeks!

"For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. "So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD." 1 Samuel 1:27-28

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:13-14a

I have been doing some research on "hypoplastic left heart syndrome." Malachi is labeled as: "hypoplastic left ventricle." He is pretty similar to the cases I have read, but he has a larger aorta(body artery). He won't have to have the first surgery that most children have called, "the Norwood." There are two other surgeries: "the Glenn" and "the Fontan."

I found a very encouraging story about a little boy named, Luke. His mother made a website for him, it is: lukesheart.com

It is amazing to read how the Lord has brought him through all the surgeries and illness he has gone through.

We love you all and thank you for your continued prayer for our little Malachi Philip! :o) According to what I have read online Malachi weighs about two pounds! He is kicking a lot and filling my womb pretty nicely! :o)

Love,
April (for all three)

"He heals the brokenhearted, And binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3

26 Weeks...

"When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?"
"Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?" -Psalm 56:3-4,8b

The past few months have gone by in a blur. The next three are going to as well, I am sure. I was thinking about the road ahead and realized that what we are about to experience is humanly impossible. It makes me afraid and I cry A LOT. Then all of the doctrine and lessons we have learned come to mind: It is not our strength to get us through, only His that will be the strength we need: PERFECT STRENGTH. Philippians 4:13 takes on a whole new meaning when you realize that promise... We can do this, but only through HIS STRENGTH. So I need not be afraid, because He hold us in His hands. (John 10:28)

I was also reminded of another part of scripture I came across when I was going through something several years ago. (Thanks to Lori Cunningham.) It is the second part of Psalm 56:8. The Lord holds our tears in a bottle, and He records them. I asked myself why? Why would He hold onto them? Times of heartache and saddness, but also joy and happiness... why hold them? My opinion is that one day when we get Home to Heaven, He is going to give us the bottle and show us the record, and we will get to annoint our Savior's feet with our tears, just like Mary did. (Luke 7:36-50) I know I will be first in line. I pray that every tear cried would be tears that honored my Savior in this life. When it was hard and the burden was so heavy,I pray, that the tears I cried were in a cry out to Him. For all that He has brought us through so far, and will continue to bring us through, I DESIRE to annoint His feet with my tears to thank Him for being a faithful God who loves and cares for us... Philip, myself, and Malachi.

May our lives bring Him all glory and praise.

Love you all, and thank you again and again for the prayers and support!

Love,
April (for all three)

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." -Matthew 11:28

25 Weeks!

So I can't believe that I am already into my 25th Week of pregnancy. It is so crazy to think that in just about thirteen weeks we will be holding Malachi in our arms. Part of me is so excited, yet part of me gets anxious. I am glad to know that the Lord is holding us all in His hands.

Last week was camp, and I barely made it. By Friday night I had to go home and sleep in my own bed. It was a great week of seeing family and friends though! Plus Monday, July 23rd, morning I awoke to feeling Malachi poke me in the belly! I woke Philip up and was so excited! It was an apparent "poke" and not just a tingle or ping. I am so excited. Now he is moving and I LOVE it! It lets me know he is doing alright in there!

We met with the midwife on Friday, July 20th for just another check up. Monday July 23rd we met again with Dr. Freeman. He said that there was no change, good or bad. He said that Malachi's blood flow through his heart looked good. Just the same old, same old. We really like seeing Dr. Freeman. He always makes us feel hopeful and at ease. I am glad we are seeing him through this. We are seeing the "high risk" doctor, Dr. Giles at Lake Erie Women's Ctr on Thursday, August 2nd. We'll get more of an idea into the plan for delivery, and other details. We will be meeting with the Cardiologist we'll see in Pittsburgh sometime in the next few weeks. Dr. Freeman said he is very good.

A lot ahead, but trusting every step of the way. Love you all and keep up the prayers!

Love,
April
Romans 8:28

22 Weeks...

I am amazed at how the time has flown by. Before we know it our little Malachi will be born. I actually had a dream that he was born last night. He had Philip's eyes. The labor went really easy, only he was born in August! YIKES! I have about four months to go. Then we will begin our new lives with our beautiful baby boy! It is going to be a rough jouney, but we are confident that the Lord will be our strength. The thought of placing Malachi in the Lord's hands, seems easier said than done, but when I finally did, I had an amazing amount of peace wash over me. There is NOTHING Philip or I can do to help him, other than pray. We can ONLY trust that the Lord will take care of him.

I think I felt Malachi move for the first time on Thursday, July 5th. It felt like his little hand was brushing against my tummy on the inside. It was a pretty incredible feeling, but quickly went away once I touched the spot. I sing to Malachi every chance I can, and rub my tummy to let him know that I love him. I long to hold him in my arms and kiss his precious face. I have so many questions and concerns after Malachi is born: How am I going to feed him while he is in the hospital? Will I be healed enough to be by his side? Will my labor go easy on him, not to hurt his heart? How long will we be in Pittsburgh? Questions that will be answered in time, but for now I just pray about them.

We have our next appointment with the midwife next Friday, July 20th. It is our last appointment with them, since now we will have to see the doctors due to Malachi's condition. I will miss them, they are so personable and very kind. We will meet the doctor who will deliver Malachi in Pittsburgh on August 2nd. I am glad to get to see him, I have MANY questions to ask him!

Please keep praying for our beautiful baby. The road ahead of us is going to be bumpy, but the Lord will be our shock absorbers! :o) Thanks to you all for your prayer and support. We look forward to introducing our son to you in about four - five months!

Love,
April

"I can do ALL things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Malachi Philip Preston...

We're having a boy! It is such exciting news! And we are thrilled! His name is Malachi Philip Preston. It was incredible finally knowing what to call him, but we were shaken with some unexpected news. When we left the doctor's office on Tuesday night, all we knew was that he only has two chambers in his heart. They couldn't say if he was going to live or die. We went to see a Pediatric Cardiologist on Friday named, Dr. Freeman. Thankfully he could offer us some much better news. This is a letter I wrote detailing Malachi's condition after seeing Dr. Freeman:

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." Psalm 103:1, 14

Dear Friends and Family,

We, first of all, would like to thank each and every one of you for your prayers and encouragement these past few days. We appreciate it far more than you will ever know!

This morning we were unsure of what we were going to hear from the doctor. After a VERY LONG hour and a half ultrasound, the doctor finally told us what he was seeing. Malachi has a single functioning ventricle. He has both arteries coming off of the one ventricle: one going to the lungs, and one going to the body. Dr. Freeman stated that the Aorta is a very large artery, and looks good, the Pulmonary Artery is obstructed, causing it to narrow. He stated that while Malachi is in the womb, the artery would not be a threat if it were to close up. When he is first born he may need to have a tube placed between the Aorta and the Pulmonary Artery to help with sufficient blood flow. His first surgery, or second, depending on if he needs the tube put in, will happen when he is a few months old. They will be diverting the Jugular Vein straight to the lungs, relying on gravity to make it function. The final surgery (we pray) will be around 2 – 3 years of age. It will be to link the veins returning from the rest of the body to the lungs.

Dr. Freeman stated that Malachi could go on to live a fully healthy life. He said that once Malachi is born the surgeon will be able to fully asses his condition and determine the best route. He recommended that we deliver in Pittsburgh, so that Malachi could receive immediate care.

We are completely overwhelmed by the news! It does sadden us to think that our little baby boy will have surgery at such young ages, but we are so thankful that he will live! God has completely spared our son's life. Without HIS strength and love there is NO WAY we could have made it through this. And His same love and strength will be there through the long road ahead.

I was reminded by a very dear friend of mine that the Lord loves Malachi far beyond what we ever could, and He knew in Eternity past what would be best for him. We are still putting Malachi in His hands, and know that the Lord will work all things to His glory. Please continue to pray for Malachi, that he will not face any more complications. We look forward to the day when we can hold him in our arms, the miracle that the Lord has given us!

Please continue to pray for our little baby boy. We'll update with anything new. Thanks again! We love you all!

In His arms,
Philip, April, and Malachi

19 Weeks!!!

So this is a picture of a 19 week old baby. We will see our baby a week from tomorrow: June 26th, 2007, and find out if we can call the baby a "him" or "her." I look forward to being able to call either by name.

Philip celebrated his 27th birthday, and worked hard on his big day. We put together the Kitchen, and got some more boxes cleared out of our bedroom. He also got to celebrate his first Father's Day.

I read that I should be feeling the baby move now, but have a hard time distinguishing between cramping and baby moving. It will be nice when the movement is more apparent. I can't wait until next Tuesday! We'll get to see him or her!

That is all for now.

Love,
April (for both)

17 Weeks!

According to what I read online our baby weighs about 4.97 oz and is about 5.12 inches long! We had another appointment yesterday. The midwife was able to hear our baby's heartbeat with a Doppler now. The heartbeat was very fast, and the baby kept trying to hide behind the placenta. It is such an incredible sound to hear. I get excited every time because it is just that reminder that our baby is healthy and growing. I am still amazed that I am carrying our child. It feels so unreal, and at times I still think I am going to wake up from a dream.

I can't really deny the fact that I am. I am showing, and having to purchase maternity clothes. (I wore my first maternity dress to the wedding this past weekend.) I was encouraged to hear that I and our baby our healthy. Except for a few "big macs" now and then, I think I am doing alright at eating good for our baby.

I am still working, and Philip has been attending Paramedic school. I am so proud of him in so many ways. He is my hero! I love him beyond words! How exciting it is to think that in about four months we will be looking into the eyes of our child that the Lord has allowed us to make together. It is so incredible.

Well, I think that is all I have for now. Our next appointment is on June 26th, and we will find out if we are having a boy or girl!!!! We are so excited and can hardly stand it! :o)

14 Weeks!!

Yes, I am officially 14 WEEKS! Our baby has a fully functional thyroid gland, and could possibly begin sucking his/her thumb! I am amazed at how quickly our baby has grown... already 3.42 inches! We had our first sonogram on Monday, May 7th, and got to hear and see our baby's heartbeat. (We only saw one.) It was incredible. How amazing it is to know that I am carrying apart of both Philip and I. To have someone that truly makes us bound as one. It is so incredible. A couple of my friends have told me that I am about to enter into the next few most wonderful months. (3 - 7 months.) I am already starting to get more energy and the nausea is slowing fading. I am looking forward to it being gone completely. I am excited to see what the next few months hold. It is also great to know that I will be getting more energy when we have so many weddings and things going on. The Lord certainly has the very best timing! :o)

Philip has been accepted into Paramedic School at Tri-State Business Institute. He starts May 16th!!! He will have a year and a half of school. (Graduation due September of 2008.) We are thrilled, and are amazed at how the Lord has provided Philip with the opportunity to do what he really wanted to do to begin with! Everything has fallen into place, and we are so blessed beyond words! (That means we won't have to live in Mike and Jan's too much longer after the baby is born!) We are very thankful for them opening up their home, but we will be ready to have our own space once the baby comes. God is so good!

Love,
April (for both)

Balloons and Boots

To whom it may concern,

Yes... Our children will wear cowboy boots and they will be allowed to play with balloons.

Sincerely,
DAD

P.S. For example:

11 Weeks!

So this picture is not actually our baby, but it is about what our baby's feet look like. It amazes me at how much growth and change is taking place. Already the baby has all his/her parts, and has begun kicking and stretching. The baby is now 1.5 inches long. (Sorry Adam, much bigger than a peanut!) We have our next appointment on May 7th. We expect to have our first ultrasound, and FINALLY get to hear our baby's heartbeat! We are so excited to see the new life that has been growing for the last 11 weeks. (By the time of the appointment I'll be 13 weeks.) I am overwhelmed by the thought of being a parent, but as Philip always says, "the Lord will be our Guide." I am also so excited for my parents to become first time Grandparents and my siblings to become first time Aunts and Uncles. Amy wants us to have a boy, and Cara thinks we will have a girl. I am just excited to have a baby. We'll see which the Lord blesses us with. We have picked out a few names, but aren't going to "officially" decide until we know what we are having. We'll keep you posted! Love you all!

Love,
April (for both)
1 Timothy 1:12

I can hardly belive it...

I am so thankful that God blessed me with such an incredible wife, who is truly an amazing woman of God and my best friend and love of my life. I cannot even begin to express how fiercely in love I am with her... and now she is carrying our child. Another incredible gift from God, for which I am beyond thankful. Today we are having our second appointment to meet with a Midwife and hopefully we will get to hear our baby's heart beat. I think once we hear his heart beat, then he will be more real. (I always refer to our baby as a "he" because I want a boy, but April says that I shouldn't do that, because if it's a girl I might be disappointed. Of course that's just silly... I will be ecstatic whether it's a boy or a girl!)
I know that being a dad will be a huge responsibility and a challenge at times, but I still can't wait to hold my adorable child in my arms and tell him over and over how much I love him. I know that I will make mistakes as a father, but I desire so strongly to make as few as possible and to be willing to learn how to be an even greater dad. I am so thankful for a wife who shares that same desire and determination that I do to be the best parents we can be and to always make our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the head of our home.
Well... it's late and I should sleep.

Our First Appointment...

So we had our first appointment on my sister's birthday, March 27th. We discussed our medical history and the "dos" and "don'ts" of pregnancy. It was very educating. I was disappointed to find that I cannot wear any type of "fake tan." Amy's wedding is in less than two months and I am soooooo pale! You won't be able to miss me, I'll be the one glowing, because I am so white! It is worth it though. I would much rather us have a health baby, than risk it just for a weekend of "looking tan." We are telling everyone else this weekend! We are very excited to share the news. I have been feeling alright. We got moved in this past weekend to the basement of Jan and Mike's. We are settling in and hoping that we can get the rest of our place set up. I guess that is the update for now. Soon everyone will be reading this!! Fun fun!!
Love,
April

I Had a Weird Dream...

So I have read that pregnant women can have very strange dreams. This morning I had one. I dreamed that every time you did something for someone else they would be attached to you. Kinda like they had "static cling." My sister was changing my nephew Judah's diaper and then got up to walk around, and Judah started floating after her. Then I did something for my sister and she started floating around and following me everywhere. It was really strange. I figured out in the dream that the "static cling" only happened when you did something for someone. It was weird. I am sure I will have even more weird dreams to come. I'll keep you posted.

I am feeling pretty good today. I think it is the ample supply of vitamins I am getting. (Thanks for the list Andrea!) I am most assuredly "feeling" pregnant. It still hasn't fully set in, but I am starting to believe it. What an amazing thing to be carrying our child!! God is so good!

Love, April.
John 13:1

Here is the First of Many Posts About...

We just found out on March 4, 2007, that we are PREGNANT!!! It still feels so surreal.

The recount of events:

Sunday morning I got up to test, and Philip and I prayed together. We prayed for whatever the Lord willed to be done in our lives. I went in to test and just quietly prayed, "Lord, if this shows negative I am not going to test again. I am just going to let it go and not obsess again whether or not we are pregnant." I "did the test" and started waiting on the the three minute mark. The little hour glass was blinking in the window, as I stood there waiting to see the result. Just within less than a minute it showed up. "Pregnant." My mouth dropped and my eyes widened! I yelled, "Oh my gosh!!! I don't even believe it!" I ran into the bedroom and tackled Philip, he was already sitting up in bed. He grabbed the test from my hand and said, "no way!" I said, "Oh yeah!" We started hugging and kissing and the shock set in.

We then placed the phone calls to the family. (Mine anyway.) We called my parents and told them, "You're gonna be Grandparents." They started saying, "Oh my gosh! Wow!" Then we called my sister, and she told us to "shut up!" Then we called Adam and Cara and they were still asleep. Adam said, "Congratulations!" (And apparently went about the rest of that day smiling really big!)

Then we went to church and got Philip's family into a side room to "show them a picture." Everyone was there except Joseph and Christy. Philip said, "we don't have a picture to show you, we want to tell you..." I said, "we're crazy." And Philip said, "we're pregnant!" The family started yelling and Jan and Elizabeth started crying. I was shaking so bad! Reality was starting to settle in a little bit! We let Joseph and Christy know on Monday night when Philip was working at the ranch. We actually showed them the picture!

Sunday evening we went over to Mike and Jan's to get their advice on what we should do. The plan we came up with is to move into their basement and save money. (As soon as possible.) Me keep working, and Philip get a part time job and have him finish college. We are both kind of excited about the idea of change. It is like a new adventure.

We will face many challenges over the next several months, but the Lord is faithful and allowed this timing for a reason. I still cannot believe we are going to be parents! What an honor and HUGE responsibility.

I have been feeling okay. I little nauseated at times, VERY TIRED, and having little "flutters" in my abdomen. Our first doctor's appointment is on March 27th . (Amy's Birthday!!!!) I will be 7 weeks by then. Hopefully we will get to hear a heartbeat. After that date this site will be widely spread to friends and family... that don't know right now!

More posts to come... this one is the "First of Many!"

Love you all, April (for both.)
Romans 8:28