Well, Christmas 2008 has come and gone. We have had a VERY eventful and memorable December. I directed our church's Christmas Festival early in the month for two nights. I worked on finishing exams for my semester here in seminary. We moved closer to the church the weekend following the Christmas Festival. Then, the next day Beth went into labor and we had our first child on Monday, 12/15. Beth's family arrived for Christmas and we celebrated our 6th Christmas together. Whew! What a month!
As I sit here, Emma is in her swing, Mommy and Granny are out, and all of the family have gone home to California, Tennessee, and Virginia. We await the arrival of the Davis family tomorrow. It will be a great time to get to see them yet again. While Angie was unable to be here in time for the birth of Emma, I know this visit will be very special. Of course, we also await the arrival of 2009. We pray that God would continue to strengthen us for this upcoming year. We look forward in anticipation as to how God will work in and through us as a larger family. We are so blessed by everyone's prayers and support of us. This has been an incredible year as we look back. God has blessed us so much that we are overwhelmed with His love through His Body. Pray that we might be able to rest and trust His love for us and that we might be able to be extensions of the love to others as well. Thank you for walking with us as we live by faith.
Blessings....
The Zarlenga family
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Beth, Emma Grace and I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Thank you all for praying and supporting us through this time with Emma Grace. We do have wonderful news for you. As of Monday, she saw the pediatrician and has been taken off of the apnia monitor. YEAH! He said that since she had no significant episodes since she was born and the fact that the monitor has never proven to save a child's life, he thought it was best to take her off of it. This has given Beth and I a sigh of relief. Since then she has been doing very well. She has been sleeping, eating and pooping very well. He has kept her on the Mylanta and Zantac, which it seems will be for another month. We have another checkup this coming Monday.
Beth and I will be the first to admit that she is the most precious baby ever. I believe that is proud, thankful parents talking. I will put up some pictures from her coming home from the hospital and of course her in her Christmas outfit. We will be in touch soon!
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Dale, Beth, and Emma Grace
Beth and I will be the first to admit that she is the most precious baby ever. I believe that is proud, thankful parents talking. I will put up some pictures from her coming home from the hospital and of course her in her Christmas outfit. We will be in touch soon!
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Dale, Beth, and Emma Grace
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Emma Grace update
Hello Family and Friends...
Wow! What a week this has been! We are so thankful for how God has given us Emma to care for and raise. What a blessing she is! Thank you all for all of your prayers and support of us through this time. It has been a very busy week here caring for Emma. Thank you for your patience with an absence of pictures and information. I still need to learn how to put pictures and videos on the blog. I know it can be done, but I need a little help in doing that. So here is an update for you...
This week since Emma has been born, she has been battling a low temperature, dips in her heart rate and oxygen, and battling a moderate case of reflux. On Monday afternoon after she was born, she had a barium swallow. I couldn't believe that they could do that so soon, but they did it! They checked her for an infection from having a bowl movement on her way out. Those tests were negative, thankfully. All week long she has been in a special care nursery on the 7th floor. This is a step down from the typical NICU. These nurses and doctors have been very wonderful and helpful as we have sought to care for her and get to know her. She has progressed everyday this week as she has gotten a little older each day. They requested us take the infant CPR class to help know the signs and symptoms of a blocked airway and how to treat her. They also gave us yesterday an apnia monitor that she will wear for the next couple of weeks. Last night, they provided us a hospitality room for us to stay with her in the room on the same floor of the nursery. She has been stable and was expected to go home today (Thursday). We did have an episode last night of a low temperature again and they said to us this morning that they will want to keep her again for another day. So, we are expected to stay in this room and care for her while being near the nursery.
Please continue to pray for us as we battle these things with Emma. Pray for healing and her maturity through these issues. Give thanks that her feeding has gone very well this week when she isn't sleepy. Last night, sleepy wasn't the issue. She was hungry! Pray for our strength and focus during this time as we are new parents caring for her. We are so sad that she has to go through this, but know that God has her in His care.
Again, thank you for your prayers and your support during this time. Please feel free to leave messages here, Facebook, and emails. That is the best way to send your messages at this point. Thank you for understanding that we are unable to reply to all messages, including the phone. May God's peace be with you.
Dale
Wow! What a week this has been! We are so thankful for how God has given us Emma to care for and raise. What a blessing she is! Thank you all for all of your prayers and support of us through this time. It has been a very busy week here caring for Emma. Thank you for your patience with an absence of pictures and information. I still need to learn how to put pictures and videos on the blog. I know it can be done, but I need a little help in doing that. So here is an update for you...
This week since Emma has been born, she has been battling a low temperature, dips in her heart rate and oxygen, and battling a moderate case of reflux. On Monday afternoon after she was born, she had a barium swallow. I couldn't believe that they could do that so soon, but they did it! They checked her for an infection from having a bowl movement on her way out. Those tests were negative, thankfully. All week long she has been in a special care nursery on the 7th floor. This is a step down from the typical NICU. These nurses and doctors have been very wonderful and helpful as we have sought to care for her and get to know her. She has progressed everyday this week as she has gotten a little older each day. They requested us take the infant CPR class to help know the signs and symptoms of a blocked airway and how to treat her. They also gave us yesterday an apnia monitor that she will wear for the next couple of weeks. Last night, they provided us a hospitality room for us to stay with her in the room on the same floor of the nursery. She has been stable and was expected to go home today (Thursday). We did have an episode last night of a low temperature again and they said to us this morning that they will want to keep her again for another day. So, we are expected to stay in this room and care for her while being near the nursery.
Please continue to pray for us as we battle these things with Emma. Pray for healing and her maturity through these issues. Give thanks that her feeding has gone very well this week when she isn't sleepy. Last night, sleepy wasn't the issue. She was hungry! Pray for our strength and focus during this time as we are new parents caring for her. We are so sad that she has to go through this, but know that God has her in His care.
Again, thank you for your prayers and your support during this time. Please feel free to leave messages here, Facebook, and emails. That is the best way to send your messages at this point. Thank you for understanding that we are unable to reply to all messages, including the phone. May God's peace be with you.
Dale
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Announcing.....Emma Grace Zarlenga!
Hello Family and Friends....
We would like to introduce to you our daughter, Emma Grace Zarlenga. She was born on December 15, 2008 at 1:20am. She weighed 7 lbs. and measured 19.5 in. She certainly is a gift from the Lord and a physical display of His grace and mercy to us. She has quite a story already before she was born and now that she is here, we look forward to walking in faith with her and how God will work in her life.
Thank you for rejoicing with us and welcoming baby Emma into your lives. We look forward to you meeting her soon.
We would like to introduce to you our daughter, Emma Grace Zarlenga. She was born on December 15, 2008 at 1:20am. She weighed 7 lbs. and measured 19.5 in. She certainly is a gift from the Lord and a physical display of His grace and mercy to us. She has quite a story already before she was born and now that she is here, we look forward to walking in faith with her and how God will work in her life.
Thank you for rejoicing with us and welcoming baby Emma into your lives. We look forward to you meeting her soon.
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