Lil'er Euphrony is here!

It wasn't easy. It never is, really. But our son is here! Mrs. Euphrony started having serious pre-labor Friday night, with contractions at night every 5-8 minutes (harder when she was laying down) and during the day every 15-30 minutes. With such nightly fun, and having a three year old jumping with energy during the day, Mrs. E got very little sleep over the weekend. Saturday night and Sunday night were identical, so by Monday we were both exhausted. I stayed home from work to help with Lil' E and we took Mrs. E in to see her midwife for a check-up. Apparently, all that pre-labor was doing something, because she was dilated to a 4. Since she still was not in consistent labor, we went on and saw a chiropractor for a "labor" adjustment (stretching the back and pelvic muscles, relaxing to prepare for labor), after which we went home. By this time, Mrs. E was in steady labor with contractions every 4 minutes, and we called our doula to come and help until we were ready to go in to the hospital.

We checked into the hospital at about 9:00 p.m., with Mrs. E doing just fine and dilated to around 6-centimeters. Once the nurses there got used to the idea that we did not want and IV, and that she would actually (gasp!) eat a little food during labor to keep up hydration and strength, they were very supportive. Since Mrs. E had a previous c-section, they required her to have constant monitoring of the baby's stats (she was in almost no risk, but the legal system is all over medicine - that's why we were in the hospital instead of at the birthing center in the first place). Their constant fiddling to adjust the monitors to keep track of the baby was the most annoying thing. Not once, though, did anyone ask Mrs. E if she wanted an epidural; and she didn't need one, either.

Our midwife was great, and the doula was a terrific help throughout the whole birth. By the time it was time for Mrs. E to be pushing, she was pretty well worn out (between several sleepless days and around 11 hours in active labor). We had me, Mrs. E's mom, the midwife, the doula, the nurse, and our old midwife and personal friend there to help encourage Mrs. E on. She did great! After about an hour of pushing, he was here! All exhaustion was gone; we have a new boy and we were (and still are) thrilled!

Lil'E is thrilled to be a big sister. She's feeling a little loss of mom and dad being distracted right now, but we'll all be home together today. We're happy as larks right now; still in euphoria from the birth but not strained from the sleepless nights yet. We had taken Lil'E to Build-a-Bear to make herself a bear and she made little brother a puppy dog (in the picture above) as her present to him. We're doing well, and we appreciate all the prayers that everyone has given for us through this pregnancy and birth.

Tags: Pregnancy, Natural Childbirth, Midwife, Doula, Hospital

He's on his way!

More news to come, but Lil'er E is on his way!

Split Blogging

Baby Lotto We went in for another baby checkup yesterday. The official due date is March 6th, 11 days from now. Mrs. E is already dilated 2 centimeters, 50% effaced, and Lil'er Euphrony is dropping like a rock. Will she make it, folks? What do you think; take your best guess. Tags: Pregnancy, Poll, Lotto

Downhere in Houston Thanks to the amicability of the lovely Mrs. Euphrony, and some kind friends who thought it would be nice to watch Lil'E for a few hours to let us relax before D-Day (Delivery Day), Mrs. E and I got to go to the KSBJ Brownbag concert last night - featuring downhere. For those not from the Houston area, KSBJ (the monolithic local CCM radio station) hosts a monthly mini-concert, sponsored by and located at a Chick-fil-A®. And since downhere is a Canadian band, they don't get, well, down here very often. I've liked their music since their first self-titled album came out in 2001.

Let me set the mood for this concert. First, this was at a Chick-fil-A inside a mall, so they were rocking the food court. Mrs. E and I get their, stand in line at Chick-fil-A for a quick bite to eat (they give me free music, I'll give them my dinner money) and I see the guys from the band munching on their (likely free) Chick-fil-A sandwiches and nuggets before they go up to belch out a few numbers. (Sorry, guys, but I couldn't eat like that before getting up to do a show.) As we sat for the show, we were simultaneously brought some good Canadian rock with the message of Christ and washed over by the aromas of fresh-baked cookies from Great American Cookie Company. Sweet!

The guys put on a good set. The way the brownbags work is the band does a approximately 40-minute set, breaks to sign autographs, then repeats (rock, rest, repeat). They open the set with "The More", the lead song on their newest album Wide-Eyed and Mystified - a good rock'n opener - then segue into "Larger than Life" from their first album Downhere. After a few words to the crowd, they go into their audience participation song "Rockstars Need Money" (we can't live on bologna sandwiches), a hidden track also on their debut album. After introductions of the band and a short message describing the inspiration for their next song, the play two songs from Wide-Eyed - "Little is Much" and "A Better Way", both of which have been getting airplay, and the second has been sitting on the top-twenty charts for a little while. They then closed the set with "What It's Like" from their sophomore album So Much for Substitutes.

It was a fun set; lots of energy from the band and from the crowd. I've got no idea when I'll next get a chance to see downhere (or any other band, with the new baby getting here soon) so I was relishing every minute of the show. I like their music, and they have a good message that they present in a good way. If you haven't heard their music before, you can check out a couple of their songs on their Purevolume page.

Tags: Downhere, KSBJ, Music, Concert, Chick-fil-A, CCM, Christian Music, Canadian Rock

Love is . . .

It's time for a multiple choice test. Love is:

1. Telling your wife you're moving out three days after your anniversary.
2. Using your child as a tool to dig at your wife during your separation.
3. Blackmailing your wife with threats of fighting for full custody of your child if she does not agree, carte blanche, to your demands in the divorce settlement (including getting the savings account and a mandate on her living in the same area as you).
4. Pressuring your wife to sign and finalize the divorce papers on Valentine's Day.
5. Taking your young child to your new girlfriend's place three days after the papers are signed, while claiming you still have no interest in dating again.

(Hint: This is a trick question. There is no right answer; merely the timeline of a close friend's tragic recent history. A friend who needs a great deal of prayer, that she be able to grow past her husband's choices.)

Tags: Divorce, Love, Life, Marriage, Prayer

Today, I turn 100

In honor of my 100^th posting, I thought I would offer a lighter bit of fluff. And so . . .

You Know You Are Living In 2007 when:

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12 You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

Tags: Miscellanea, Humor

Birth Plan

Below is the birth plan we have put together, to be given to those attending the birth. It is all aimed at allowing for a natural child birth, allowing the child to come when the time is right without induction or cesarean section.^1,2

The Euphrony’s Birth Plan

Mrs. and Mr. Euphrony, with their daughter Lil'E, would like to thank you for the rolls you are playing in the birth of our new son and brother, Lil'er E. Our doula, Debbie, will be assisting Mrs. E and our midwife³, Karen, during the birth process. We have a few requests that we hope you will recognize to make this the best possible birth experience for our family.

• We recognize the need for care for the infant during the birthing process, and ask that such monitoring be minimal.
• We request that no IV be administered to Mrs. E. (We recognize the importance that the mother be well hydrated and plan on using clear fluids for this.)⁴
• Please do not offer medication for pain relief. We would like to use the tub and shower for pain relief, and will request medications if needed.
• We also request that no aggressive coaching for pushing ("purple pushing") be offered.⁵
• We would rather allow for natural tearing, rather than have an episiotomy⁶, and that forceps not be used.
• Please wait for the placenta.
• We ask that no routine post-partum pitocin be used. If necessary, please use an injection of pitocin in the thigh.

Thank you for becoming familiar with our wishes for a smooth and natural birth process.

Fact Sheet:

1. Induced labor tends to be more intense and painful for the woman, often leading to the increased use of analgesics and other pain-relieving pharmaceuticals. This cascade of intervention has been shown to lead to an increased likelihood of caesarean section. Currently, in the United States, 41% of mothers get induced.
2. The World Health Organisation estimates that the rate of caesarean sections at between 10% and 15% of all births in developed countries. In 2004, the caesarean rate was about 20% in the United Kingdom. In 2005 the cesarean rate was 30.2% in the United States. During 2001–2002, the Canadian caesarean section rate was 22.5%. In the United States the cesarean rate has risen 46% since 1996.
3. In the United Kingdom, midwives are the lead healthcare professional attending the majority of births, mostly in a hospital setting although home birth is a perfectly safe option for many births. In the United States, Nurse Midwives are advanced practice nurses who have specialized in the practice of obstetrical and gynecological care of relatively healthy women. In addition to a registered nursing license, many nurse-midwives have a master's degree in nursing. Nurse-midwives practice in hospitals and medical clinics, and may also deliver in birth centers and at home. They are able to prescribe medications in 48 out of the 50 states.
4. In the United States, 85% of mothers are connected to an IV line during labor and only 15% of mothers were permitted to eat during labor.
5. Purple pushing, during which the patient holds her breath for 10 seconds while pushing, is safe in the approximately 80% of women with low-risk pregnancies. But that doesn't mean it works best. Furthermore, in physiologically high-risk cases, the baby can't tolerate that kind of pushing. In the United States, 57% of mothers who give birth vaginally are on their backs while giving birth. A squatting position will provide the most intrauterine pressure and is safe in low-risk patients. Higher-risk patients, such as those with fetal heart rate changes should avoid this position; in those cases, a side-lying position will improve heart rate patterns and Apgar scores. Other positions to consider include semirecumbency, standing or leaning, and hands-and-knees positioning. Some patients may prefer use of a birthing chair or stool.
6. Routine episiotomy is a major cause of infections, some of them fatal. Recent studies indicate that routine episiotomies should not be performed, as they may increase morbidity. Having an episiotomy may increase perineal pain in the postpartum period, resulting in trouble defecating. In addition it may complicate sexual intercourse by making it painful and replacing erectile tissues in the vulva with fibrotic tissue.

Tags: Birth, Natural Childbirth, Doula, Midwife, Purple Pushing, Episiotomy, Pitocin, Cesarean Section, Induction

BIRTH Story

No, the baby's not here yet. We have a mere 2 1/2 weeks until the official due date. The actual timing could be anywhere from today to St. Patrick's Day (but we're hoping it doesn't go quite that long). However, I am going to start talking a little bit here about some of the choices we are making in the birth process (and by we, I mean "we" and not "me" - I am not imposing anything on Mrs. Euphrony, but we agree on these things and I support her 100% whatever she wants to do). For a resident of the United States, this will be a non-traditional birth, though it is the way most of the world (even the industrialized world) goes about it. No drugs. No doctor; we have a midwife (yes, they still exist as a profession). We want this birth to be viewed as a natural process and not as a medical condition that requires treatment, or as one that needs to be scheduled to avoid the inconvenience of waiting for ourselves or the doctors. Not that we are granola-crunchy; not at all. We do firmly believe that the medical wonders we live with are great things, but not nearly as necessary as we have been lead to believe.

To start the conversation, I give you an excerpt from the play BIRTH, by Karen Brody, with which Mrs. E has been involved. It is a collection of the true birth stories of seven women, some good and some bad, and gives a fair representation of the different ways some women birth: planned Cesarean sections, induced labors, emergency C-sections when complications arise during labor, births in the hospital with drugs, births at home without drugs. This is the introduction of the play, and will give you something to think about.

We always had animals growing up. I remember seeing puppies and kittens being born just about every year in our house. I believe that human beings are, you know, we're animals.

When I was growing up you never took a puppy away from its mother. You left the mother alone in a dark, safe place away from noise. It seemed to me the best way to bring life into the world. The worst thing you could do to a dog is stick them under lights, start poking them and taking the babies away.

Sometimes I'd watch a dog in labor all day until she moaned and groaned so loud it sounded like a whale giving birth . . . a howling chant. Her hips swayed back an forth with smooth rhythm. I loved that moment, when the dog knew she was ready and we knew it and the babies started coming out.

Nobody was scared. The dog was in pain, but everyone knew it was going to be alright. One by one the wet puppies appeared and snuggled up to their mother. Some fell asleep. Other sucked on her nipples. I wanted to touch those puppies so bad, grab one for my own, but then I'd remember my mother's words: You never take healthy puppies from their mother.

Never. A mother needs to feel her babies next to her after they are born. A mother giving birth needs some space. Give her some space . . . love . . . touch . . . words of encouragement. This is her moment.

I wanted that same thing preserved when I gave birth.

I wanted what my dog got.

Tags: Birth, Karen Brody, Pregnancy, Euphrony, Cesarean section, Midwife, Induced Labor, Childbirth

Contrast : Clarity

This past Sunday morning I experienced a moment of utter contrast that lead to total clarity of what attitude I should strive to attain as a Christian. The contrast came in two parts, the first in our bible class, and the second in the sermon during worship.

The first moment, in our class, came in response to what one person was expressing. We have been studying worship (the forms, the whys, what scripture and history say and don't say) and on Sunday we were discussing music in the worship. We drifted to a discussion of the importance of words in the songs we sing, and one older man in the class commented on the words in a song that we often sing. The first verse of this song says "Father, we love you, we worship and adore you," the second verve repeats with Jesus replacing Father, and the third with Spirit. He commented that he does not sing the third verse, because he does not find a scriptural command or example of giving worship to the Spirit, only to the Father and the Son. As he said this, I heard a lady behind me mutter in a very disparaging tone (and not quite under her breath) "Oh, come on, you've got to be kidding me" and her husband reply (in the same manner) "I can't believe it".

The second moment was at the start of the sermon. It was said to honor a very sick man who has been a pillar of faith in this congregation for decades. It was told how, when the eldership was discussing the possibility of building a new worship center around 15 years ago, this man had vocally lead the group that felt a new building project unnecessary. When the elders finally decided that they were going ahead with the project, they came to him and said that if the church were to remain unified he would have to now lead in the going forward of the project. His response was simple: "Of course."

Humility. Selflessness in the name of unity. Loving a brother strongly, despite total disagreement.

Condescension. Arrogance in the confidence that you are right and your brother wrong. Marginalizing a brother because you disagree with him.

It all was so clear. I'm glad for the reminder of which I should be.

Tags: Christian Living, Clarity, Humility, Division, Contrast

Get To Know Me: Geek Edition®

Okay, if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you will likely have discovered that I am a certifiable nerd. I've played the get to know me game a few times, here and here. I've been asked to refrain from quizzing people based on my particular brand of nerdlyness, and I fear I have not contributed enough to people's understanding of anything ending in "ology". But I press on!

I am a rheologist, by profession. I study fluid flow, how it behaves under different conditions, for materials that can alternately seem like water or solid rock - what is called viscoelasticity. Here, for your reading pleasure, is a small excerpt from a paper I have been writing for an upcoming conference. This has kept me fairly busy at work, between trying to write and working on getting the little things done that kept popping up.

It has been noted that, despite the flexibility of some of these models, no single model does a sufficiently good job of predicting the behavior of all types of drilling fluids. Modeling of fluid behavior is of extreme importance to predicting downhole performance, and the lack of a single model that can be consistently applied detracts from the ability to do so accurately. Recently, several models have been developed which attempt to better model the yield stress behavior of fluids and even incorporate structural terms to account for thixotropic behavior. Good use of these models, as with other models, requires more data points than are available from a 6-speed viscometer. However, the increasing use of field-usable viscometers with an extended range of strain rates makes the use of such models more viable. One model, proposed by Mendes and Dutra , provides more accurate modeling of experimental data and relative ease of calculating parameters. Their viscosity function (Equation 1) predicts an upper shear-thinning region, a yield stress plateau, and a Newtonian behavior at low shear rates. The type of shear stress and viscosity response to strain rate is shown in Figure 1. From these curves it is easy to estimate the yield stress, s_y, the zero-shear viscosity, h₀, and the shear-thinning index, n. Using the estimated value for n, K can be quickly calculated as the stress at g'=1 s^-1.

(1)

Figure 1 Shear stress and viscosity as a function of strain rate as predicted by Equation 1, the Mendes-Dutra viscosity function.

Another recent model, proposed by Møller, Mewis, and Bonn, provides a more interesting method for predicting fluid behavior. In their model, they take into account both traditional shear-thinning and yield behavior and add a component that models structural connectivity in the fluid. They begin with three basic assumptions:

1. There exists a structural parameter, l, that describes the local degree of interconnection of the microstructure.


2. Viscosity increases with increasing l.


3. For an aging (thixotropic) system at low or zero shear rate, l increases while the flow breaks down the structure, l decreases and reaches a steady state value at sufficiently high shear rates.

Based on these assumptions, they developed the following structural evolution equation and viscosity equations.

(2)
(Model I) (3a)
(Model II) (3b)

Here t is the characteristic time of microstructural build-up at rest, h_¥ the limiting viscosity at high shear rates, and a, b and n are material-specific parameters. Under steady state conditions, using Equation 3b, the stress behavior of a fluid may be modeled as

(4)

which, at high shear rates, yields Newtonian behavior. When 0 < n < 1, a yield stress appears in the model; additionally, a critical stress is predicted below which no steady state shear rate can be achieved and flow is unstable (see Figure 2). It is therefore possible to have a sample of the same thixotropic fluid exhibiting the same viscosity at a given strain rate, but with very different structures.

Figure 2 Shear stress and viscosity as a function of strain rate as predicted by Equation 4, for n=2. Illustrated is the critical stress below which flow is unstable.

Tags: Rheology, Euphrony, Nerd, Geek, Thixotropy, Yield Stress

A man alone

What leads a person to where they are?

Why do two people in apparently the exact same situations in life react in such different ways?

Why do I react so differently to two people in apparently the exact same situation in life?

Why do I not seem to have any idea as to how I should react to the above people??

Boy, I've been pondering these questions a great deal lately. What precipitated these thoughts is the presence of a man alone. I say that he is alone because I know nothing more than what I see. He is of average height, thin but not emaciated, with long hair and beard. He has taken to wearing some of those funny new shoes that look like plastic slip-ons with holes in them, in a bright red color. He carries his rolled-up sleep mat, bound with a rope and hanging down in front of his belly. The pack slung on his back is large and full. I see him almost every single day as I drive in to work, walking along the side of the road. I often see him as I come home, headed the other way to places unknown. I see him others times, occasionally.

One recent Saturday, my family ate breakfast at the McDonald's near where I see him walking; he was there, having his own breakfast. I suspect this is where he is headed most mornings, in the pre-dawn light and chill that hangs even in Houston at this time of year. I saw him as he prayed over that meal, and it seemed that he spent more time in that prayer than I frequently spend in a day talk to my God. I also saw the way some eyed him askance, unspoken thoughts running through their minds about this man alone in a restaurant full of people. Perhaps some worried about what he might do with all the little children eating and playing there, a sentiment I can honestly understand. Perhaps some felt uncomfortable with his near presence, or a prejudice of who he is and what his life is. I don't know their thoughts, I can only guess; but I do know my own thoughts about this man. I see him, and I see one who is in hard times - the outward appearance - and I see one whose heart is good and trustworthy - the inward appearance.

I will admit that this is not my impression of every person I see on the roadside around town. I'm often skeptical, though Mrs. E reminds me not to judge and to be generous; skeptical of their true need, of their intentions and if they could be relied upon to wisely use what I might give. But there in lies the distinction between this man alone and the others: I have never, not once in the many months since first observing him, seen him ask for anything. Nothing. Never begging on the roadside, though his need is at least as obvious as many of those to which I've given a handout. He walks, eats at McDonald's, spends his day doing who knows what, and then he walks back to whence he came.

The difference may not be in him. Perhaps it is my perception of him that separates him from the many others I see on the streets. He strikes me as one in need but not as one who is needy, if you see my distinction. And this distinction, be it in him or me, makes me ask myself these question. Is he so different as I suppose, despite living in the same situation as others? What brought him to be there, walking every morning and afternoon along my normal commute? Why do I perceive him as being so different than the others? I have scant little information about him or any other person living on the street to form any kind of judgment. And finally, why am I so confused as to what I should do? Should I approach him - say with a McDonald's card to give him meals for a little while? Should I instead give him the space he may want, since he has asked for nothing?

The more I consider this man, the more I pray for answers, the more I feel I should do something to help. I am more than open to suggestions on this one.

Tags: Homeless, Christian Living, Uncertainty, Seeking, Questioning, Introspection

Reality Check (or "I am pampered beyond my own ability to understand")

My brother has spent the last few days in Nicaragua, with a group from church on a medical mission trip. He's no doctor, but he can sort medicine and help guide patients, and so that is what he has been doing. His last e-mail update (on Superbowl Sunday) contained the following reality checks:

There are many casinos here. There are a few that advertise Texas Hold'em.

Some of the women here cary things on their head. We saw a women this morning carrying a 5 gallon bucket of tamales on her head buffeted by a small rolled up towell.

The pet dogs here roam the street. They are so, so skinny. Its hard for me to believe they are alive. You can count every bone from 20 yards away.

It is common to be driving through Managua, the capital over over 1 million people, and see a horse pulling a cart. On the way to Masatepe, I saw oxen pulling carts on the road. These are the skinniest horses I`ve ever seen.

Remember the kids playing with the live flare in the street I mentioned yesterday? We drove past the same intersection and I saw a kid lying down in the buffer between two lanes. I guess they live there.

There is a Gallaria we drive past to go to the clinics. The Gallaria I went to in Monterrey, Mexico was exactly like the one we have in Dallas. Upscale.

The reality of life I've seen is bleak. The vast majority of people here live in poverty. 80% of the people here live in conditions we'd consider to be the bottom 1% in the U.S. I don`t know of any areas like this in Dallas.

Houses are made of cinder blocks. Many are made of tin. All buildings have bars over windows. I don't remember seeing glass windows, though I'm sure they exist.

Many people cook over an open fire. They don`t have stoves or ovens. Everywhere I`ve been I can smell an fire. It's actually been pleasant.

There appears to be some wealthy people about 10 minutes from church at Rene Polanco. Their houses are set back from the road. They have 10 ft fences with big spiral barbed wire on top. It literally looks like a military compound.

We saw a Coke truck dropping off supplies at a store. The driver was assisted by a guy with a shotgun. I never knew Coke was so valuable.

I don't pass this on to relieve a sense of guilt for having things these people would never imagine. I am content that God has put me here, given me what He has and blessed me in so many ways while He has chosen to give these people a vastly different life. I just need the reminder that it is not about what I have, but who I have (God, Jesus my savior, my family and friends). I need the reminder that what I have is not mine, but a gift - a loan, really - from Jehovah, who has a plan for me to use it to His glory.

It is a reminder that while people like those my brother is working with this week may live in content and happiness, I still have the obligation as one who loves Christ to touch their lives and give of what I have (money, love, time) to help them in their trials; and their simplicity is a reciprocating gift to me, a reminder that I need much less in my life than those things to which I cling. God, to whom I should cling, is so much more than what I know and see with my eyes.

Tags: Christianity, Faith, Christian Living, Blessings, Jehovah, Giving, Compassion, Reality Check, Simplicity, Medical Missions

Groves-o-rama on Groundhog Day!

Wake up, wood-chuck chuckers! It's Groundhog Day! So, besides my annual ritual of watching a superb Bill Murray movie I will be taking advantage of a great deal.

Over at My FREE Music Friday - today and today only - they are offering free songs from some great artists. Shaun Groves' "Miss Texas", from his newly available live album One Night in Knoxville and Sara Groves' "Kingdom Comes", from her album Add to the Beauty are both available for download, no string attached. (FYI, they are not related in any way that I know of.) If you have not heard these two superb singer/songwriters before, this is a great chance to check them out and see why I'm willing to talk so highly of them and their music. Also available is a song from Jake Smith, "This is Certain" from Real (available in stores in July). I've heard his name around, but not his music, so I'm enjoying an introduction myself.

Don't pass up a chance from some very good free music. If you don't go download these songs right now I've arranged for Punxsutawney Phil to see his shadow and bring six more weeks of winter just for you.

(Just kidding about the groundhog thing; we're getting six more weeks anyway).

Tags: Shaun Groves, Sara Groves, Free Music, MP3, Download, Jake Smith, Groundhog Day, Bill Murray

For James and Kate

This post is for James and Kate. James and Kate, twins, were born yesterday morning. They left this world soon after. They were born after their mother went into premature labor at 22-weeks. Eagerly expected, after a struggle to conceive, James and Kate's parents had only recently found out they were going to have a boy and a girl and began selecting names for their children. And now, their parents are devastated. We, their friends, mourn with them and pray for them.

I ask that you pray as well.

This is not the first bad news we have received this week. In fact, we had learned and been praying for two others, friends of friends, whose babies had died shortly after birth in the last week. For Mrs. E, and I'm sure for Kat as well, this is not the kind of news that sits well as their due dates approach. Why do we have healthy children, when our friends have lost theirs? We do not know, but we are thankful. What security do we really have that our hopes and dreams for the babies we expect will not end in sorrow, as with James and Kate? We have naught but a hope and trust in God - not that He will give us everything we ask for, but the He will always hold and care for us and our children, no matter the life He gives us to live.

I read Shaun Groves' lament from yesterday, and I find that I am tired of seeing this. Too much loss, too much pain, too much grief from this and from the all the previous tragedies and losses that we have seen and shared. I only know to pray for comfort and peace - understanding, I think, will not really help - and rest in His hand.

Tags: Prayer, Faith, Loss, Death of a child, Pregnancy, Children