Give a little bit...

Tonight I am here to ask a very simple thing of you. If you read this and you can help, please do. My friend, Clare, just had twin baby girls a week and a half ago. They were born at exactly 33 weeks, which isn't bad for someone who was EXTREMELY high risk. The babies, Macy and Mary, are doing okay. Macy is very strong already and was moved to a "big girl bed" (a.k.a. normal bassinet) today. She is no longer on an IV and eats like a champ. Her older (by one minute) sister, Mary, is not as good right now. She is smaller and isn't taking to feeding so well. Yesterday was a bit rough because she actually threw up the food. The doctors can't really find anything wrong- all her x-rays show things working fine. Mary still is having a very hard time keeping the food in and pooping anything. All this is very hard, as you can imagine, on Clare and her husband. These are two people in the world who have been sent through the wringer and back again with trying to have these babies. At one point this past May Clare didn't even think she was pregnant any more and thought she lost the babies. Every BAD side effect one could experience with the fertility drugs, she did. This included being hospitalized near the end of the school year (we team taught fifth grade last year). It has been an incredibly hard time, but when she was assured she was still pregnant and with twins- well we all figured this was God's reward for being as strong as she could be with all that was thrown at her. Now that the girls are in this world, my request is simple:

Please say a prayer tonight for this family. Say a prayer for Clare and David so that they may find more strength than they know they have. Say a prayer that Macy continues to make such wonderful progress and can go home in another week. And say the biggest prayer for Mary; that she can keep her food down and she starts to make even the smallest improvements.

If you can do this, I know that it would mean the world to them. I know that Clare has told me during this whole pregnancy that she knew so many people were thinking of her and praying for her and this made all the difference. She felt stronger and more grace when it came to all that she had been through. My friends, these people were born to be parents. I know the doctors are saying there is nothing to be worried about just yet, but put yourself in their shoes: wouldn't you still be a little terrified? Ultimately, I know (as do Clare and David) that God's plan, whatever it may be, is far bigger than our own- but these people deserve two beautiful babies. And they deserve those prayers. Please, take a few minutes for them before you go to bed tonight. As you tuck in your own children, say goodnight to your husband or wife, or just as you are turning over to fall asleep...one little prayer.