A lot has changed since October!

I can’t believe I haven’t touched this blog since October.

But I did have a good reason. 

Asa Locke, born December 17, 2011

Shortly after the last post, my blood pressure started going up. Because I had a history of Pre-eclampsia in my last pregnancy, my ob-gyn kept a close eye on me and consequently I was back-and-forth to her office for frequent blood pressure checks, blood tests, ultrasounds, and nonstress tests for the baby.  In November I had my first trip to the hospital with really high blood pressure. Then a few weeks later it happened again. And then again. Then on December 17, 2011, I experienced the all-too-familiar liver pain - a telltale sign of Pre-eclampsia - and went back to the hospital one last time. (Having had Pre-eclampsia with Asher was a blessing in a way because I recognized what the pain was immediately; you don’t forget that kind of pain!) We were admitted and only a few hours later Asa was taken by C-Section when blood tests revealed I was too sick to endure a traditional labor. My platelets had dropped, my liver enzymes were tripling, my blood pressure was high, and my fluid was very, very low.

So, at 11:44pm on December 17, 2011, Asa Locke was born into this world 7 weeks premature. He weighed 4 lbs, 4 oz. and was 16 long.

Asa remained in the NICU for a month before coming home.

1 day old

On the CPAP machine for Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS)

Finally coming home from the hospital! (1 month old)

Today he’s doing better than we could’ve hoped, gaining weight like a champion and sleeping well. He even started smiling last week, which is such a thrill! 

We chose the name Asa after the Old Testament king of Judah. King Asa started off great, destroying pagan idols that hindered the people’s worship of the true God, but toward the end of his life he messed up, not seeking God the way he had when he was younger. Still, the king had been genuine in his faith, and despite his folly the Bible sums up his life with this verse in 2 Chronicles 14:2: “And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” King Asa’s story is a picture of God’s grace on a person’s life. God is good.

We pray that we’ll be able to say the same thing – “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God” – about our own little Asa. 

We are so incredibly blessed to have two sweet boys. Asher has adjusted phenomenally, without even a hint of jealousy. He’s a gentle big brother and a huge help to me. 

“From the fullness of grace we have received one blessing after another” - John 1:16