My dad is a hero

My dad isn't an emotional guy.  He has a very dry sense of humor and never laughs at his own jokes (even though he's got the most hilarious one-liners you'll ever hear)!  I've seen him cry...3, maybe 4 times in his life.  And it's always stifled.

I've always been proud of my dad.  He's the one who taught me never to compromise my values and beliefs.  He taught me that it does no good to be popular if you're not right.  And humility is his greatest virtue.

My dad is a state representative in Indiana.  He spends Monday through Thursday in Indianapolis, busy with legislative session, committee meetings, and other political functions.  I was keeping my mom very informed on the baby issue, but because I don't like to bother him when he's in Indy, I didn't know how much he knew.  I hadn't realized how invested he was in this story.  Until today.

My mom called to tell me that a very important pro-life bill that I had talked to my dad about previously, passed the State House yesterday.  I was thrilled!  It was big news!  There are 60 House Republicans, and they expected to get close to 60, if that much.  She then proceeded to tell me that it passed with an overwhelming majority - far more votes than expected.  Then she told me why.

My mom had called him in tears earlier in the day to tell him that the baby was lost.  My dad, not being very emotional, consoled her the best he could, before running into the chambers for session.

Testimony on HB 1210 began.  As he was listening to all of the bill's opponents call pro-lifers "crazies," accusing them of not caring about the women in crisis situations, etc...all the usual nonsense, he was forming his testimony.  He had planned to go through the typical run-of-the mill facts about how basically everything they were saying was completely not true, it dawned on him that he had a very recent personal story to tell on this very topic.

He approached the podium, said he wouldn't be there long, and began to talk.  Except...he couldn't speak.  He got so choked up he had to step away from the podium.  Typically the chambers are noisy - people aren't listening to testimonies, they're having their own side conversations, papers are shuffling, and it's actually hard to hear the speaker.  But as soon as they noticed my dad's emotion, he told me you could have heard a pin drop - an anomaly in that room.

He continued by telling everyone that no...pro-lifers are not "crazies" and that he has a pro-life daughter in Maryland who offered to adopt an unwanted baby.  Then he proceeded, in tears, to tell the Indiana House of Representatives, that he lost a potential grandchild to abortion today.

The bill passed with 72 votes.  My dad is a hero.

**You can see my dad's speech here.  To avoid watching 2 hrs of the Indiana House of Representatives legislative session (though thrilling), fast-forward to 2:23:00.

It's over...

Dear God, have mercy on us.

Update on the baby - abortion scheduled for tomorrow!

Unfortunately I have some bad news on the baby.  Last I had heard (last week), she was bleeding and they all assumed she was miscarrying.  But I knew she had kept the appointment for this week at the PRC, just in case.  Apparently she went back for her second ultrasound today, saw the baby and the heartbeat, and immediately scheduled an abortion for tomorrow. 

My heart is breaking.  I just can't fathom why someone would do such a thing, after seeing her baby inside her womb, knowing someone the baby's grandmother trusts would take care of her child.  I can't help but think the girl's single mother is pressuring her into aborting.  I know I've asked a lot from all of you, but it seems like this is the last straw.  It's desperation at this point.

God bless you all.  I'll keep you posted.

Jack's Prayer: An Original

I got several comments back in this post asking me to post one of Jack's original bedtime prayers.  I wasn't fortunate enough to be home for this one, but my husband told me all about it.  I was really sorry to have missed it in person.

Here's the context: Hubby was doing the bedtime routine and found some change on his dresser.  He gave it to Jack to put in his piggy bank.  Jack took the money, looked at hubby & said, "Actually, dad, I wanna put it in the poor boy box" (the Lenten rice bowl).

Impressed, hubby replied, "OK, sure, we can do that!"  So they went downstairs to the kitchen and put the money in the "poor boy box."

Afterwards, they were saying prayers and it came time for "Jack's prayer."  (He says his own original every night after the usual Catholic prayers.)  He told hubby he wanted to pray for the poor boys. Hubby told him that was a great idea, since they had just put money in the box for them.

Jack proceeded to pray something like this, "Dear God. Please give the poor boys money so we don't have to keep wasting ours." 

Hmmm... I guess we have to work on the meaning of the rice bowl.

More baby updates

First of all, it's humanly impossible for me to thank you all sufficiently for all of your prayers through this ordeal!! So the best I can do is: thanks! And more thanks for checking back to ask about the progress. You are some amazing people!!

The most recent update is that they didn't see anything on the ultrasound but she did cancel her abortion appt for tomorrow. Praise God!!! Now that just means that since they didn't see anything on the U/S (it's very early), she's going back to the PRC in a week for another one. However, when she got home she started cramping and bleeding so they're pretty sure she's miscarrying (another reason they probably didn't see anything on the U/S). Which is good and bad. No...a m/c is never "good" but it's always better than abortion. I'm certainly disappointed because there was a very outside chance that could have been my child. But I'm trying not to think of it that way because we don't even know of the girl would have been open to adoption. So...it's still sort of a waiting game until next week's visit but we have bougt ourselves a week!! Thank the Lord!!!

UPDATE on the baby - abortion scheduled for Wednesday! PRAYERS!!

***Update: Ultrasound at the pregnancy resource center is scheduled for 10am TOMORROW!  

Two posts in one day??  Well, this just came up...

If prayers were ever urgent, it's NOW!  The baby I asked you for prayers for here, is in even greater danger.  I just received a call from my friend letting me know the abortion is scheduled for Wednesday.  The girl says her "decision is final."

BUT - there's a glimmer of hope.  She did say she's willing to view an ultrasound (my friend persuaded her by saying she may not even need an abortion b/c she could have miscarried already, etc etc - hey, whatever works) if she can get a free on by tomorrow.

By God's grace, we called the pregnancy care center closest to her and they are able to get her an ultrasound first thing tomorrow morning!!!  PLEASE please pray that viewing her baby changes her mind!!  And that she doesn't change her mind about the ultrasound.  Please, God!!

I owe you all big time on this one.  THANK YOU!!!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, intercede for us!!!

That book I told you about...

So remember that book I told you about a couple of posts ago?  The one hubby got for me via the Love Dare?  Well...it's awesome.  I'm not quite done yet so I hesitate to tell you to rush out and buy it.  But so far I'm blowing through it (and I do not blow through books)!

It's a memoir.  I was shocked when I began reading about the author's battle with infertility!  I suspected my husband had read that that was a big part of it.  So I asked him if that's why he bought it for me.  He swears he didn't know what it was about besides "issues in her past."  Hmmm.  The more I keep reading it, the more I'm not so sure.  But he insists he didn't know!  Maybe it was just Providential!

I wanted to share an excerpt with you.  She's explaining why, despite the pressure and crazy looks from her doctors to do IVF, she will not succumb:

"I think that I did it, in the end, because when I die, and it comes my turn to be judged, whatever faults and failings, whatever sins large or small are laid to my account, at least I'll be able to say this:

'The hardest thing I ever did in my life I did for You.  The world promised me what I wanted most and I turned it down, because I believed in You and Your Church, and your Church told me 'no.'  Even when everyone was telling me I was a fool to submit to You; even when I played with the babies, even a few blessed babies who had come into the world by the way You had forbidden me, babies You loved, babies You made Your children by the loving obedience of Your Son, babies I played with and loved and bought Christmas presents for - even when I didn't understand, even when I couldn't feel You anywhere, even when I hated it, I did what You asked.  Despite all the sins and screw-ups and failures to be what You wanted me to be, however often I have buried my talents in the ground, however I have failed to be fruitful for You in other ways, at least in this one thing, this one unbearable thing, I can honestly say I was obedient at great cost.

'And if that isn't enough for You, well, it's all I've got.  If that's not enough, then I never had a chance with You from the beginning.  You are Truth itself.  And the truth about me is that this pathetic submission is the closest I could come to being like You.'"

Wow.  I read this part with my jaw hanging on the floor.  Honest, yes, but completely selfless and obedient.  I was almost ashamed to read it!  Because even though I have never considered IVF (it's easier not to consider when you already have one), I have never handled my IF quite so obediently!  I especially appreciated the "well, it's all I've got" line.  Yep.  I've said that more than once along my journey!  I was amazed at her raw openness - something you get a lot of in this book!

Like I said, I hesitate to recommend it quite yet, just because I'm not totally done.  But it has really resonated with me so far.  I'll keep you posted!   If you'd like to check it out, you can go to her website where she also blogs.