I apologize for the delayed posting, but as you can imagine, things have been crazy. We did the C-Section shortly after 4:30 p.m., and Brennan Jacob was born at 4:53.

p{font-size:1.5em;}. http://brennan.jimandlissa.com/

Due to the slow progress, the doctor introduced a very small dose of Pitocin to move labor along. This seemed to work well at first, but as the strength of contractions increased, the baby wasn’t responding well. The heart rate would drop each time, indicating that the cord may be wrapped around an arm, shoulder, or something. So, now a C-Section has been scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CST. So, ready or not, here comes the baby!

The next update should introduce him or her!

It seems that the doctor who said Lissa was at 9cm was wrong. When she was checked again at noon, she was still only 5cm. So, unlike what we thought, things are actually progressing slowly. I guess now we just hang in there…

Well, it’s the real thing! We got to the hospital at around 8:30. When they checked around 9:00, Lissa was already dilated 5cm. Right now she is up to 9cm and is getting her epidural. (They kick me out of the room during the procedure, so I could take a few minutes to send an update.)

I’ll tell you one thing, Lissa sure has been strong. (Thanks for your prayers!) She doesn’t have a high pain tolerance, but she has really been amazing.

Things are moving really quickly. So quickly that they weren’t even sure they had time to do the epidural. Additionally, the baby finally dropped. (Lissa’s doctor wasn’t sure that the baby would fit.) It shouldn’t be long now!!!

Well, unless it’s false labor, it seems that it is time! Lissa had contractions most of the night. They started off at about 15-minute intervals. Then they dropped to 10 minutes. Since about 5:30 CST this morning, they have been pretty consistent around 4, 5, or 6 minutes. So, it’s probably about time to head off to the hospital.

Subject to my access to a phone connection (or the strength of my cellular signal) and Lissa’s needs, I will be trying to post some updates as things progress. Of course I will include any pictures as they become available.

We would both appreciate your prayers:

* That this is real labor.
* That everything will go smoothly and without complications.
* That Lissa at least has a chance at a normal delivery rather than a C-Section.
* That Lissa will have the strength, endurance, and patience she needs throughout labor and/or surgery.
* That I will be able to support Lissa in any way she needs.
* That our little gift from God will be healthy, strong, and active.
* That, regardless of what happens, we both recognize that it is God’s will and that He is control of everything.

And the silence is finally broken.

Yes, I’ve been absent for quite some time. It’s understandable, you see, for as many of you know, it will soon be Jim and Lissa plus one!! I know that is a scary thought, but there is no turning back now. Lissa will be 37 weeks pregnant — full term — tomorrow! So, this could all become a reality any day now.

This must be setting in for me finally. It is well known that pregnant women go through a nesting phase before giving birth. Lissa may be experiencing that, but I think I am too busy nesting to notice.

Every day when my computer brings up this page as my home page, I am filled with guilt that I have gone so long without blogging or updating. But then I get over it. I have enough things in my life to worry about! Besides, my reasons are really good ones. It has been an exceptionally busy, exciting time for us these last five or six months. Once we left for Serbia we did do lots of blogging, but we did it on the Taste of Serbia website. Then, after returning from that amazing experience, I attended lots of staff development for the upcoming school year, we celebrated our five year wedding anniversary, and... we found out I was pregnant! (To answer the ever-popular question, no, we did not get pregnant overseas.) I proceeded to make my way through the first trimester, waiting with anticipation to share our great news, struggling with many complex emotions and adjusting to changes in my body (which included nausea and vomiting, of course). Immediately after the first trimester ended, I suffered from pleurisy, an inflammation of the lining between my rib and lung. It was an incredibly painful, frightening two weeks, but God was gracious and ever-present, granting me more peace than I could have imagined. When that was finally over I was well into my fourth month and I finally started feeling like myself again.

We leave tomorrow, June 16th for Serbia! We will be gone for two weeks: ten days in Serbia and three days in London plus a few travel days. This site may be a bit stagnant for a few weeks, but please check out the Taste of Serbia page where we will be posting updates during our trip.

Erin and I went to see The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants on Monday. It was an excellent chick flick. I am really glad I did not drag Jim to see it with me as he would have hated it, but I very much enjoyed seeing it with a good girlfriend. It is very well cast and the storyline is sweet and touching. I loved seeing the footage of Greece and it inspired Erin and me to rent Under the Tuscan Sun that night. That is another film I really enjoy (that Jim hates). Under the Tuscan Sun is not at all the same on my television as it was in the theater. Those sunflowers and the scenery on the big screen are breathtaking. On my television they were only beautiful.

Well, the countdown has begun! We leave for Serbia three weeks from Thursday (June 16th)! We are so excited about the prayers God has answered to make this happen. God answered many years' worth of prayer for a joint mission opportunity, recent prayer for time off of work for Jim, and prayer for $5,000 to finance the trip. He was faithful in every way.

It has been an whirlwind few months as we have prepared for this journey. We have had a church-wide fund raiser, attempts to learn a bit of Cyrillic and Serbian, and multiple meetings to learn about the culture and history of Serbia. As it stands, we have a team of three joining the Bell family from June 7 - 17, and Jim and I will be the only FBCA representatives with the Bells from June 16 - 26. The first team is doing art classes, and we are going to do construction work on several different sites. (This is great news for Jim! Being a girly girl, I am not so great with mortar or hammers, but I'll do whatever God wants me to do, and I'm very excited for my handyman husband to do what he enjoys for the glory of the Lord.) I am also excited to encourage the members of the church in Serbia. Theirs is a very small, discouraged church, and I pray that our love, enthusiasm, and prayers will bring needed refreshment.