Introducing: Lilly Mae

Our precious girl was born on November 27th at 9:46pm. Lilly was 8.1lbs and 21inches long.

Lilly was wanting to make an appearance at 35 weeks, but thankfully the doctors were able to prevent early labor and delivery. At 37.5 weeks, the doctors wanted to induce labor because Lilly was growing and I (Sarah) was having difficulty with my blood sugar staying level. We went in to the hospital on November 19th, fully prepared to have a baby, but after having an amniocentesis (a test to determine the lung development of the baby) done and the results coming back as borderline, the doctor decided to wait a week and let her lungs develop further. We went in to be induced on November 27th. Lilly was breach, so the first step was to see if it was possible to manually turn her. Yes, its about as pleasant as it sounds. My doctor did a great job though, and Lilly turned within about five minutes of trying to turn her. This meant that I wouldn't have to have a C-section! Woohoo! They started inducing me at 1pm and Lilly was delivered at 9:46pm.

We are so thankful for another beautiful, healthy little girl! She only briefly struggled with her blood sugar, but within 24 hours things had leveled out for her. We were very happy that Lilly didn't have to spend any time in the NICU! We have been so blessed with a wonderful group of doctors as well as an excellent hospital.

Noelle was SUPER excited to meet her new sister!

Kisses for Lilly..

Isaiah and Noelle meet little Lilly

Grandpa and Grandma Morrison

Grandma Johnson and Grandma Morrison with Lilly

We brought Lilly home on the 29th, and she was welcomed wholeheartedly by her older brother and sister. Both Isaiah and Noelle love having a little sister to love on! Isaiah asked me the other day if Lilly was our Christmas present. I told him that she definitely is! He was also extremely excited when I told him that we get to keep her!

Isaiah helping feed Lilly... such a good big brother!

Sweet girl!

Hahaha! We all fit in our car! Yay!

Garrett's Recovery!

It's almost been a month since Garrett's surgery and we just wanted to post an update:

Garrett's time in the hospital was filled with ups and downs as we walked through the first five days of recovery. After his first 48 hours, he was pretty much in the clear for any possible blood clots in his arm, although they left the doppler monitor attached for the remainder of his stay. His arm had minimal pain (mostly due to the fact that he can't feel his arm anyway... which turned out to be a blessing!), but his leg had quite a bit, especially after being given the okay to start walking around. Garrett also struggled with headaches through his stay in the hospital. Overall, things went well and we were encouraged by his quick progress.

Large incision site on Garrett's arm

First time getting to sit in a chair (and walking)

Walking the halls of the hospital

Garrett was released from the hospital on Tuesday morning, 5 days after his surgery. This was sooner than expected and we were so encouraged by his early release! We changed our tickets and flew out that afternoon, so eager to see Isaiah and Noelle.

So happy to snuggle!

We spent the next 8 days in Washington with family. Garrett's first three days were pretty rough. He went off the 'big' medication as the pain was completely controlled with tylenol, but almost immediately experienced 'detox' from the pain meds. Although difficult, it was pretty short lived and he was able to get out and about (in small amounts) within days. Our time was quiet and pretty relaxed in Washington, which was much needed for recovery. 

We returned to MT on the18th. Although its been lots of work being home, we have had lots of support from our church and YWAM family. People bringing food, watching the kids (while we go to multiple doctor appointments) and simply coming over to hang out and encourage us. In the midst of feeling overwhelmed and weary at times, we also feel extremely blessed. Garrett has had really great progress, with a few setbacks. Here are some praises and prayer requests for the upcoming weeks:

• Garrett still has a JP drain in his leg and its still draining quite a bit. Please pray that it will slow down so that he can get it removed. 
• Its almost been a month since the surgery and Garrett gets to remove his immobilizer on Thursday! 
• Garrett's leg is still recovering, and its a bit difficult to walk... so prayer for healing in his leg/muscle.
• As we watch Garrett recovering from a long anticipated surgery, we are also switching our focus to the newest Morrison, due to arrive in about four weeks! Please pray for the pregnancy and for energy to get everything done!

Again, thank you for your prayers and encouragement throughout this month! We feel so loved and supported by you all!

Blessings,

Sarah (for Garrett, Isaiah, Noelle, and Newest Morrison)