Isaac's Birth as told by Mommy Part Two

(Continued from part 1)

I slept great that night. I was at peace knowing my baby was in the arms of our Savior. I woke up missing him so badly. The pain almost unbearable, but the memories of the day before made me do nothing but smile. This little life had united people with a love that was indescribable. It was a love that could only come from one place, God. While I have always known that there was a reason that Isaac was sick and that we wouldn’t get to keep him, I never understood that reason and often asked “why?” While I still don’t have a full understanding and don’t think I ever will until I, myself get to heaven, I do believe I understand a little better. One of my best friends wrote in the guest book at the memorial service that Isaac was a missionary. I think he was just that. We have already heard several instances where Isaac’s story has opened the door for the gospel to be shared with people that don’t know Christ. Each time I hear something like this it just takes my breath away. I feel so honored that God chose my family to be a part of something so big.

This past week seems like a blur. The days seem to fly by, but yet it seems like it was forever ago that I was holding my sweet baby. I miss him so much. I miss his 10 sweet fingers and 10 sweet toes (we were told he would have at least 1 extra finger and problems with his feet, he did not). I miss his soft skin and beautiful golden hair. I miss holding his precious little body in my arms. I’m not sure where to go from here. What is my new normal going to be like? My mom is still here and I am so thankful for that because she is letting me rest both physically and mentally. It’s nice to know I won’t be alone when Jonathan goes back to work this week. My mommy is one of my best friends. It’s giving me a few more days before having to find my new normal. I am honestly a little scared of what that new normal is going to be like. I just had a baby, but I don’t have that baby to take care of now. I feel like things should just keep going like they were, but I have been forever changed by the events of this past week. It is all so very confusing, but I know the Lord will help me through one day at a time.

Thank you all so much for continuing to read my blog and for loving us so well. We love you all so much!

Isaac's Birth as told by Mommy Part One

Reading back over my blog post entitled "Expectations" gives me chills. It is just incredible to see how God was preparing me in all ways possible for what was to come over the next few days. I remember telling a friend Thursday night how physically uncomfortable I was and then waking up before my doctor’s appointment Friday morning with a feeling that something was about to happen. When I told the doctor that I had been having some contractions she told me that she thought Isaac may come at any time. Because of his condition we weren’t surprised that I was possibly going into labor early. For some reason this isn’t uncommon with Trisomy 13 babies. We also knew that we weren’t going to take any measures to stop labor and we were just going to let him come when he was ready. I called my friend, Heather shortly after leaving the doctor to let her know what they said and she said she could hear the excitement in my voice. I was so very excited to know that the time that I was going to hold my sweet Isaac was getting closer. Yes, I was nervous, scared, and sad knowing that meeting him probably also meant telling him goodbye. I knew nothing could fully prepare me for that, but I was ready. I was so ready to see the face that so many of you had been praying for for months. I was ready to not worry about him being in pain or suffering. I was physically and emotionally so tired and I was so ready for this day.

After running some last minute errands then going home and finishing Isaac and Kadynce’s outfits for the hospital I noticed my contractions getting closer and nothing was stopping them. We headed to the hospital where they decided that I was in labor and admitted me. Our little Isaac was on his way. We called family and friends and within minutes were not alone in our hospital room. We were already feeling more love than we could imagine. Things progressed slowly, which we were thankful for. We had family coming in from out of town that we wanted to meet Isaac and we just weren’t sure how long we would have with him. After getting a few hours of sleep morning came and so did many, many visitors. Our room was constantly buzzing with people and for that we will forever be thankful. They did a few things to help my labor progress and by noon we were ready to have our sweet baby. Right before I began pushing I remember trying to recall the last time I had felt him move wondering if he was going to be born alive. I so wanted him to live, if only for a few minutes. The Lord answered my prayers when Isaac Preston Hunt was born ALIVE and crying at 12:20 pm. I really think I heard him make noises before he was even all the way out. I didn’t even have to ask anyone if he was breathing because I knew before I even saw him that he was and I will always be so thankful for that. When they put him on my chest all I could do was tell him how pretty he was and how much I love him. He was perfect! His cleft lip didn’t matter. He was perfect! He was making little noises and moving his little mouth. It was just so sweet. The next few minutes Jonathan and I spent singing to him and just telling him how much we loved him. Oh we love him so much. We invited everyone back in as soon as we could because we wanted others to meet him before he went to heaven. Seeing everyone see him for the first time was beyond amazing. For hours family and friends held, rocked, and kissed our sweet Isaac. Sometime about 2 hours later (we’re not exactly sure when) he peacefully slipped from our arms into the arms of our Jesus. He was never in distress and didn’t seem to suffer one bit. What an answered prayer that was for this mommy. I had been so, so worried about that for months and I didn’t have to worry anymore. He was at peace. We were blessed to keep him in our room until about 9:00 that evening when the funeral home came and got his body. It was time. His body was getting cold and stiff and it was getting hard for me to see him that way. I knew that he wasn’t cold because he was in heaven, but it was still hard. Swaddling him for the last time and placing him in the basket to be taken away was the hardest moment of mine and Jonathan’s life, but oh how blessed we were to hold him and love on him, even if for only 9 hours. As I was kissing him for the last time all I could do was say “thank you” to God for our sweet Isaac. (to be continued)







Pictures taken by NILMDTS

Isaac's Story by Steve Adler

I am planning on telling Isaac's birth story from my point of view in the next few days. I have just been taking a little bit of time to rest both physically and emotionally. This is his story as written by our good friend, Steve Adler. He read it at the memorial service and it just meant so much to us that we wanted to share it with you all.

To reiterate what Jonathan said last night, we cannot thank all of you enough for your prayers, love, and support over the last months and especially the last few days. You have all been the perfect example of the body of Christ and we are eternally grateful.




Isaac’s story begins two days before Christmas last year. God had given Jonathan and Kacie a gift, and God would use the next several months to give them more gifts and blessings, and teach them more than they could have ever expected. They were so excited to learn that they were expecting another baby. Then the next month, January, was busy and included a move from Dallas to Round Rock, and though there were some difficulties, they were assured of the baby’s health when they heard his heart beat.

At twelve weeks the doctors noticed some irregularities during an ultrasound. Jonathan and Kacie were made aware that there could be possible complications, and while anxious, they still didn’t think it was life-threatening. Three weeks later, they learned that the baby had multiple anomalies - and all of them serious. After more tests, it was concluded that the baby would not live long, if at all. An amniocentesis allowed the doctors to diagnose Trisomy 13, and medically declare the baby “incompatible with life.”

Devastated, Jonathan and Kacie were put in a position they never imagined themselves in. Jonathan recalls, “I’ve always believed I would never even consider an abortion, but when put in that situation and all the doctors selling termination as the best thing to do, it seemed like a real option. It made sense.” But God had not given this baby (or this opportunity) to them in order for them to quit or take the easy way out. Terminating was never a real option. This was not their child - it was God’s. God had given them a gift - for their joy and for His glory. And they were determined to protect this life and glorify God with it.

Shortly after, Kacie wrote on her blog: “Just as the Lord called Abraham to offer his son to him as a sacrifice, we believe that as parents we should always remember that our children are not ours. They are the Lord’s, and it is not about the plan that we have for them but it is about His plan. That is why we have chosen the name Isaac for our precious son. It is a reminder that his life (no matter how long or short it is here on earth) is for the glory of the Lord.”

The next few months were extremely hard knowing that he wouldn’t live, and that in reality, his heart could stop at any time. But the Lord gave strength, and while it was hard, Jonathan and Kacie made every effort not to mourn a life still being lived. They celebrated the small moments: his sonograms, his kicks, and hearing his heartbeat. God gave unexplainable peace during this terrible storm, and comforted them through overwhelming support and prayers offered by family, friends, and the body of Christ.

About three weeks ago, Jonathan and Kacie took a much needed family trip to Colorado. They relaxed and spent some time in the mountains, all the while God gently reminding them of His majesty and preparing them to see Isaac only two days after arriving back home. Friday night Kacie went into labor at 33 weeks and the flood of emotions was in full effect. Fear of the unknown. Excitement. Nervousness. Chaos. Peace. Grief. Joy. All being experienced at the same time. And Saturday was no different. So many mixed emotions, but one thing remained constant and unchanged - God is good.

At 12:20 pm, Isaac was born at just over 4 pounds and (taking after his dad), almost 18 inches long! He was born alive, whimpering, and breathing calmly - all things that were not normal for Trisomy 13 babies, but all things that were prayed for and answered according to God’s mercy, and saying “yes” to the prayers of His people. Sometime during the next two hours (and no one can even say exactly when), Isaac slipped away very peacefully - again, not normal for babies in his condition. Isaac’s life was short, but it was not wasted. There are few words that can describe those two short hours.

Meaningful.
And Powerful come to mind.

In that room there was a tremendous amount of grief and pain mixed with an indescribable joy and happiness. They had heard another couple describe the loss of their child as “a sacred dance of grief and joy, with joy taking the lead in the dance.” This perfectly described Jonathan and Kacie’s experience. Almost all of their memories of that day are happy memories. And they have never felt so loved, so much a part of the body of Christ, as they have these last few days.

Eighteen weeks ago, they had the choice to terminate and miss all this. But they knew that Isaac’s life would unite people in love. They knew it would bring more joy than sadness. They knew it would (and already has) opened the door for the gospel to be shared. And they knew they had been trusted with a tremendous opportunity to proclaim the faithfulness, the goodness, and the sovereignty of a holy God. They had been set aside to glorify God in a unique way, and I am so grateful for their God-centered response. Like Job, their lives have answered every question simply and powerfully, “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Either way, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

A SPECIAL THANK YOU!

This blog is being posted by Jonathan (Kacie's Husband)

We just wanted to send out a special "thanks" to all who came out to Isaac's memorial service today. The amount of people who showed up to support us blew our minds. It was a wonderful time together as we celebrated Isaac's life, but more importantly we celebrated God's faithfulness and sovereignty.  Kacie and I hope that Isaac's life would continue to bless you, to draw you closer to Christ, and to display His glory and His faithfulness. Many of you have asked how we are doing, and I know many of you expect us to be extremely sad and grieving. Just so you know we are sad and we are grieving the loss of our precious son. However, the joy and excitement that we have experienced over the last 4 days, and truly over the last 33 weeks, has by far outweighed the sadness and grief.

We are honored to share Isaac's life with you - so please take a few minutes to watch the following video of Isaac's story. We hope that God touches you through him like he has us.

Expectations

I am a people pleaser. When I think someone is unhappy with me my stomach is in knots and I just feel sick. The past 18 weeks have been no different because although my world has been turned upside down,I am still me. That desire to please everyone, especially those closest to me is still very present. It has been the biggest balancing act ever! I haven't wanted people to be worried about me or to be sad when I might not have even been sad myself, but I have wanted to be genuine with my feelings. I feel like some people have expected me to be sad all the time, while other's expect me to be constantly "strong" and begin to worry if I have a bad day. I feel like some people think the only emotion associated with Isaac is sadness. This is not true for me. He has and will bring me much joy, although I know much sadness will be involved as well. He is just as much my baby as Kadynce is and I love him so very much. I love it when people talk about him like a "normal" baby and don't focus on everything he has wrong.

I know some of you are probably thinking "my goodness, why does she worry so much about what other's think or say?". The truth is I know I shouldn't as much as I do, but that is just me. I think part of it is that I have wanted to handle this in the way that God will get the most glory. I have had so many people tell me how good of a witness I have been or how they have been impressed at my strength. That means so much to me, but it makes me wonder if I had handled things any differently or had not been "strong" would that have made me any less of a witness for the Lord?

A sweet friend told me not too long ago that if I wanted to run in the street naked I could and that she would not judge me because she has never been where I am and has no idea how she would react. Don't worry I have another dear friend that said under no circumstances would she let me do that :). This meant a lot to me though because she was acknowledging that since she has never been where I am, there is no way she will know how I feel. There have been days when people have told me they have no idea what to say to me, but they just wanted to let me know that they love me. That has meant the world to me.

I am scared and I am tired, but I am also very much looking forward to meeting our sweet Isaac. I really have no idea what the next couple of months (I am currently 33 weeks) are going to look like. I do know that God is good. While I will continue to try to handle each day as gracefully as I know how it is ok for me to be weak. I know that ultimately I will get through this because of the strength the Lord gives me, but that does not mean that I can't have bad or "weak" days. It is also ok for me to be happy and to "forget" about trisomy 13 from time to time and just enjoy my baby. I have family and friends that have helped me come to the realization that the Lord gives us others to lean on and to help us through the hard times. Trying to meet everyone's expectations is beginning to drain me. In the coming weeks I am going to have to focus on our immediate family and what is best for us. I know that everyone is not going to agree with every decision we make and it will be hard, but we're doing the best we know how.

Thank you so much to our faithful prayer warriors. We appreciate each one of you so much! Also thank you for the calls, text messages, and sweet cards full of encouragement. We feel very loved and blessed.

Colorado day 6!

Today was our last day before heading back to Greenville to stay with my parents and pick up Bella. We loaded up this morning said goodbye to the beautiful Rockies. This was the view from the front of the campground as we were leaving.


We made it back to my Grandparent's just in time for lunch. Grandmamma had made roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, Mac n cheese, rolls, and dump cake! It was soooooo yummy! Kadynce skipped her afternoon nap since she slept in the car this morning. She rode in the golf cart with Granddaddy for what seemed like hours. She did not want to get out as you can tell in this picture.


They stopped by the river to say hi to the rafters.



We had a good last dinner all together.


We are so thankful to Grandmamma and Granddaddy for allowing us to use their car, truck, and RV this week. Not to mention feeding us and loving on us and Kadynce. Such sweet memories were made and we will cherish them forever!

Colorado day 5!

This morning we ate at "Fruit Shake" again. It was just so good and fresh and I really wanted to try one of their smoothies. After breakfast we walked around downtown going in and out of little shops. I had to take frequent breaks to sit because walking in this altitude is a little hard right now, but it was a lot of fun.



We had lunch at a place that Uncle Perry and Aunt Karen recommend called "Poppy's". It was yummy and had a great view of the river.


Kadynce being a Moose by the river.


After naptime we decided to stay at the campground for the evening. We roasted hot dogs for dinner, then had root beer floats provided by the camp. They were a HUGE hit with Kadynce. I looked away for a few seconds and when I looked back she was pouring it into her mouth and all over her shirt! We couldn't stop laughing!






The theme of the campground is Yogi bear so we just had to take this picture for Uncle Boo Boo before we went in for the night.