We're Back {with a few requests}

Spencer and talked a lot after so many of you contacted me asking to continue to follow my blog. First, I just would like to say that I so much appreciate your interest in our family, and all of the kinds words that were shared about how Isaac's life has impacted you and those around you.

So, because we deeply desire for the Lord to continue to use Isaac's story (and perhaps I just can't seem to make up my mind lately!) we decided that I would go ahead and keep my blog public.

However, I would like to request that for those of you who also blog:

Please respected the fact that what is shared her is deeply personal, and do not use any content on your own blog (to include post titles, parts of posts, photos, etc) without my permission. While my blog is not officially copyrighted, I would hope that those of you reading who also blog would be respectful of the fact that these are my words and thoughts, and not use them as your own. As you can imagine, it is disheartening to see others use your own content and pass it off as their own... particularly on a topic that is so sensitive and personal.

So with that.... we're "live" once again. :) I hope you will continue to join us here!

Going Private

After a lot of thought, I have decided to make my blog private for the forseeable future. Please know what we greatly appreciate the love, prayers, encouragement, and support you all have provided for us over the past few years.

If you would like to continue to keep up with this blog, please feel free to email me at stacy.delisle@gmail.com. Additionally, if you are looking to refer a friend who has faced a loss to my blog for encouragement, please email me as well.

This has been a difficult decision, as my greatest desire is for the Lord to continue to use Isaac's story to bring glory to Him. I hope that many of you will choose to continue to follow along with us on our journey, and that this blog will still be a place that can bring encouragement and hope to others.

Many blessings...

Long Overdue

Hello... It seems like it has been forever! I appreciate the comments and emails of concern. Truly, we have just been very busy and it has been hard to find the time to slow down enough to thoughtfully but anything about our day to day into words. But as a start, I would love to simply update you on what is happening! I am loving my time at home and not working. Well, let me rephrase that... Not leaving the house to go to work. :) As I am sure you know, staying at home to raise your children is a LOT of work... And it is the greatest job ever! I have been learning a lot about myself, and having two kids two and under definitely causes me to better prioritize the imperative versus the important...evidenced by the enormous pile of clean laundry beside me that STILL needs to be folded and put away. :) Eliana turned two in March and she is full of life and spunk. She talks all the time, and I am both impressed and amused by the things she often says. I love watching her develop a sense of empathy for others, including her stuffed animals, and to begin to devlop interests. She loves anything that requires movement, so it should come as no surprise that games of catch, running around outside, and dance parties are a typical part of our day. Eliana has learned to count to ten in Spanish and French, knows how to spell her name, and can usually accurately identify her letters and their corresponding sounds. I am amazed and what she picks up and how fast she learns. Her memory is amazing... Recalling details that in my haste, I often overlook. I love to watch her marvel at life's simplicities. Jacob is just ansolutely precious. He is incredible, amd has a smile(completebwith the sweetest dimple) that will meltm your heart. He is such an easy baby... Not a terrific sleeper, but sweet as can be even if he is tired. He just recently got over his first ear infection and is currently about to cut his bottom two teeth. He can roll from his tummy to his back, loves the bumbo seat and exersaucer, and laughs sweetly when you pull him up to a standing position and tell him how strong he is. He is captivated by the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?" and is all around a complete joy. He is in diapers tnat are only one size smaller tha Eliana's, and I am pretty sure he will exceed her weight-wise by the time he turns one. He definitely takes after his Daddy! Spencer is a out to wrap up another school year and will continue to be pursuing an assistant principal position in the school system. We would appreciate your prayers that he would recei e that promotion this year. He has worked so hard to position himself for it, and I pray that God would honor his hard work and integrity. I am not writing this on my laptop where my pictures are, so I will add some updated photos at some point soon. It feels good to be back after a four month hiatus!

Jacob Spencer Delisle

We are so grateful for the safe and healthy arrival of our precious Jacob! Thank you for praying for us. Enjoy seeing his sweet face!!

Meet Jacob...

It is with great joy and excitement to announce the arrival of baby Jacob at 8:22 this morning! He is weighing in at a healthy 7lbs 4oz and 20 inches long. He has a head full of dark hair, just like his big sister, Ellie! Everybody is doing well!

Pictures and more updates to come :)

Auntie Kate

...Because Hope Was Born This Night

During the Christmas season I am always reminded of how incredible the incarnation is. That Jesus... Emmanuel... God WITH us... came in the form of a baby with a mission of redemption. And because of the incarnation, this beginning of God's redemptive plan for humanity... for your heart, and for mine... there is great hope.

I know for many,though, the holiday season can sting. Whether it's the recent loss of someone dearly loved, broken relationships that weigh on your heart, effects of this economy that have hit harder than you could have imagined, or guilt or shame over choices that have been made, the hurts of this life can often feel magnified around the holidays.

Yet even in the hard and hurting places, there is great hope.

I love this song by Sidewalk Prophets... it was part of our church's Christmas Pageant Sunday morning, and I am grateful for the promise of hope that is offered here: that on Christmas night, HOPE was born.

You can listen to the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fok1h3p1sh8 (cut and paste link into your browser). Be sure to pause the music below first.

Tonight I can see a star shine
And its splendor fills up the sky
It's the samethat appeared
And the wisemen revered
When Hope was born this night

Out upon the snowy fields
There's a silent peace that heals
And it echoes the grace
Of our Savior's embrace
Because Hope was born this night

Glory to God in the highest
Peace on earth
Goodwill to men
Let all of the world
Sing the chorus of joy
Because Hope was born this night

I can hear the Christmas bells ringing
As softly a church choir sings
It's the song used to praise
The ancient of days
When Hope was born this night

There are angels in this place
And my heart resounds in the praise
Like a shepherd so scared
I'll rejoice and declare
That Hope was born this night

Glory to God in the highest
Peace on earth
Goodwill to men
Let all of the world
Sing the chorus of joy
Because Hope was born this night

Gloria (x 4) (repeat)

Glory to God in the highest
Peace on earth
Goodwill to men
Let all of the world
Sing the chorus of joy
Because Hope was born this night
(repeat)

I know hope was born this night
Because Christ was born this night

You see, because of Christ... there is great hope. There is no circumstance too desperate or too far gone that He can't bring redemption. There is no person who has fallen beyond the scope of His love and grace.

I pray that you might know the great hope that is in Christ this Christmas season.

Family Update

This past week I had the pleasure of meeting two blog readers... women who I have never met, yet who kindly went out on a limb when they saw me out and about, asked if I wrote a blog, and then shared a little bit with me about what this blog has meant to them. I am so grateful that they chose to say hello, and to say something.

And then I realized, I have not updated here in a LONG time. It's not for a lack of life that has been happening, but more for a lack of both time and energy.

This fall has flown by. Sweet little Eliana was a ladybug for Halloween...

We took a trip to the Baltimore Aquarium...

... and have spent a bunch of time playing outside on playgrounds.

Eliana has been having some sleep issues for the past few months that we have been trying to help her with, but without much success. We are thankful that our appointment scheduled with the director of sleep medicine at Children's National Medical center has been moved up two weeks to December 8. We would appreciate your prayers for this appointment, that our concerns would be heard and understood, and as we try to help get her into a pattern of being better rested, particularly before Jacob is born.

Speaking of Jacob, our little guy has followed in his older brother and sister's footsteps, and is quite an active little guy in the womb... particularly at night! Next week marks my last ultrasound, and second to last checkup prior to his arrival. This pregnancy has been flying by, and I can't believe we get to meet him in twenty-six days.

We are thankful that this pregnancy has progressed without cause for concern, and that Jacob continues to thrive and look healthy. We are grateful that Eliana continues to grow and thrive and flourish, and that she is excited for her little brother's arrival! We appreciate your prayers in the coming weeks as we prepare for Jacob's arrival and this next, exciting transition in our family!

How We Pick our Childrens' Birthdays

A good friend recently asked me if it was a lot of pressure to choose your kids' birthdays.

The answer: YES.

Not in a stressful way, but in the sense that when they're older and they understand that Spencer and I actually got to choose their birthdays, I want there to be something meaningful, or a good story behind it.

When I was pregnant with Isaac, we decided on his birthday, October 7 by looking up all kinds of 10:7 verses in the Bible. None seemed to fit; but we came across Psalm 107 and in particular, loved verses 19-21...

"Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for man."

You see, we knew that apart from God's intervention, we knew the likely scenario. We knew that we'd be faced with the unthinkable task and heartache of burying our son. And in the midst of that, we clung to the hope found in these words... the fact that by His great grace... the grave would not be the end. We are still so grateful for that hope.

When I became pregnant with Eliana and knew that I would need a repeat c-section, we decided to continue the tradition of choosing our kids' birthdays based on verses in scripture. Her birthday, March 4, was picked based on 1 Peter 3:4...

"Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight..."

While I am not sure that I would currently characterize Eliana's spirit as quiet, she does have a gentleness about her that is simply precious. She comforts her baby dolls, is very tuned in to peoples' feelings, and even loves to give her little brother (aka, my stomach) kisses. It is so sweet.

Earlier this week I had a doctor's appointment, and tentatively scheduled my c-section with Jacob. (Did I even share his name with you all yet?!). We are hoping for a delivery date of December 28. There were a lot of 12:28 verses that jumped out to me, but our favorite is Hebrews 12:28...

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe..."

There is so much truth wrapped up in that verse, and it is our desire that Jacob cling to all of the truth and the hope that is found in these words.

So there it is... how we deal with the pressure of selecting our kids' birthdays. I hope that as they grow up, Eliana and Jacob would cherish the intentionality with which their birthdays were chosen and view them as incredibly special!

Infant and Pregnancy Loss Remebrance Day

As I have shared the past few years, October 15th is designated as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Last year I shared some research on some statistics related to this and found the following...

-According to emedicine, the overall miscarriage rate is 15-20%. Some physicians believe this percentage may even be higher, as miscarriage can often occur before a woman even knows she is pregnant.

- Approximately 25,000 babies are stillborn each year in the United States, and according to the March of Dimes, about 19,000 babies die within the first month of life (called neonatal death).

- SIDS claims the lives of over 7000 babies each year nationally.

Many, many people are affected by miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss. And if you are one of those people I want you to know this: your child matters.

So, once again this year, I would like to do a few things tomorrow, on October 15th.

First, I would like to pray for you. If you are comfortable, please feel free to share as much of or as little of your story in a comment below. Also, I would like to invite those of you reading to pray for the people who have courageously shared their stories.

Secondly, as the http://www.october15th.com/ site has announced, you are invited to light a candle on October 15th at 7pm in your time zone to create a wave of light in remembrance of the child/children that you have lost, or in honor of someone else who has lost a child thought miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death.

So, I will start...

My name is Stacy. In the fall of 2007, we lost baby #1 to a miscarriage due to triploidy discovered at 13 weeks. On October 7, 2008, we met our precious son Isaac at 8:33 am. He passed away due to complications from a series of congenital birth defects 16 minutes later. He is deeply, deeply missed and so incredibly loved. In April of this year, we lost baby #4 to a very early miscarriage.

Isaac's 3rd Birthday in Pictures

{Leaving a pumpkin for Isaac}

{Eliana at Isaac's "special place"}

{Sending the picture she drew for Isaac "up in the sky" on balloons}

{Feeding the ducks with Dad at a park that was special to us during my pregnancy with Isaac}

{Eliana and I at the park}