All the Wrong Noises

Rhys,
Mommy was thinking the other night about what your life has been like so far.  You have seen dozens of nurses, mostly in 12 hour spans.  You have seen Mommy and Daddy every day, but we wish it was for more than a few hours at a time.  You have been moved from one section of the NICU to another, but your view is pretty boring.  And you certainly have some noisy neighbors!

There are machines constantly beeping.  There are lights on no matter what time of day it is.  You have had tubes and needles put in and removed, only to have them brought back a few days later.  You have never been held in a sling, a car seat, or even snuggled close for more than a little while.  We don't even know if you like to swing or sit in a bouncer.  You have never taken a nap with Daddy on the couch.  You have never nursed with Mommy in our big bed.

We visit you in the hospital every day and sometimes late at night, but when we come home, there are no noises.  There are no hungry cries waking me up, just my alarm angrily beeping when I have to pump your milk again.  The door to your room is shut since it is clean and waiting for you, and we are trying to keep the dogs out of there.  Your books and toys are probably going to collect dust before you ever come home to see them.

But we are still dreaming big dreams for you.  I smile when people tell me that you will grow up to be so handsome.  Your birth weight was 6 lbs 2 oz, but I dream that you will be even taller than Daddy and eventually be 6 foot 2 inches!  I picture you on the golf course with those same skinny legs that Daddy has, enjoying his patient teaching.  I picture us on family vacations where we fit perfectly into a booth for four.  We will keep on dreaming big dreams, and ignore all the unwanted noises.

Here are the scriptures that Daddy has read or prayed over you every day, my little angel:

Psalm 139: 13-18 "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.  How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered!  I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!  And when I wake up, you are still with me!"

James 5:13-16  "Are any of you suffering hardships?  You should pray.  Are any of you happy?  You should sing praises.  Are any of you sick?  You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.  Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.  And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.  Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."