Something to think about...

Warning: SAD post, especially for mommies and expectant mommies. Don't read if you get easily discouraged by sad stories....

For the past two weeks I have been bombarded by sad baby stories that come to me in one way or another. Because all of these stories have come at the the same time, I have been very emotional and extremely analytical... here are some of the things I have heard lately:

1. My friend Yda (who I mentioned in this post), lost the twins this week...she was already 17 weeks or so. This is her 4th pregnancy ending in miscarriage in the 2nd trimester and she is very sad. Her faith remains very strong, which is admirable, but it is a very sad story...

2. A girl I know from WTE, who was scheduled to be induced in late August, had a rare placental abruption the day before her induction and her baby girl died.. It was so sad, especially since it took her over two years to get pregnant and this pregnancy had been uneventful for the most part... Needless to say her and her husband are devastated.

3. A friend of my sister, who was due in early September, recently delivered a baby boy after having a great pregnancy. Well, to her surprise, the baby is extremely sick and has had numerous problems including a tumor in his back, testicles that didn't descend, ears that didn't develop and even epilepsy... very shocking for the new parents...

4. Another girl from WTE, who is due late in November, recently started having signs of pre-term labor and went to the hospital. It turns out she was losing amniotic fluid and had a minor placental abruption. After doing an amnio she was told that her baby girl has Down's Syndrome and her water has broken. She now has to stay in the hospital until she delivers. The doctors are trying to delay the labor until she is at least 34 weeks, which is October 15th. She is very sad... it also took her a long time to get pregnant and her pregnancy had been great so far...

5. A friend of mine recently pointed me to this blog about a baby that was born with a condition called "anencephaly", which talks about her mother's struggles with her health and such.. very sad....

So.. after reading and hearing all these sad stories I can't help but be so thankful to God for blessing me with two healthy daughters, who make me so happy and proud. I regret all those times where I have complained about my baby not sleeping, or her crying or Olivia not listening to me.... I feel even worse about complaining because I can't go to Paris or buy something I really want. All those stories really have put things into perspective for me and have helped me understand that there are bigger problems in people's lives and we should be really thankful for all the good things in our lives. I have taken for granted my pregnancies and the health of my babies so many times and I can only try to ask God to forgive me for my ungrateful attitude and those moments when I have failed to understand His will and His blessings!

Thank God for my healthy daughters and all the healthy babies around the world! and Thank You God for allowing me to see my daughters' smile every day in this happy world!