We haven’t posted for a while because we have been waiting for some new information on our little guy, Noah. Josh and I (Stephanie) would like to say THANK YOU so much to all who have been praying and sending us songs and scripture. You will never know how encouraging your kind words have been.
We had an appointment today to remeasure Noah’s long bones and check other areas that have been hard to get on ultrasounds in the past. It was so good to see our little wiggle worm and it was amazing to see him kick and feel it at the same time. Josh also got a recording his heart beat which is our favorite sound in the world.
He is growing but his chest, arms and legs are still pretty far behind the rest of his body. His legs and arms now appear to be bowed or bent. They were able to get better images of his brain and heart this time and both are growing on track and look perfect. Even though his heart looks great on ultrasound, to be safe, they are sending us to get an echo at Children’s because heart issues are common in babies with dysplasia.
The doctors are trying to narrow down the possibilities as much as they can, but we will not have an exact answer as to what type of dysplasia Noah has until he is born. Due to the bowing or bending in his limbs they feel Osteogenesis Imperfect (brittle-bone disease) is a possibility. So we got a little more info, but again they have no way of knowing anything for sure at this point and there are still a ton of possibilities.
This was our 4th appointment with maternal fetal medicine at St. Ann’s and this was the first time we truly had a peace throughout the entire process. Of course we were sad to not see a significant growth spurt, but God is in charge and He is holding us up.
But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
– Psalm 3:3
We have no idea how things will work out with Noah. We might have a short time with him or he could out live us all, but we are going to make the most of the time we do have with him. Josh got me belly buds for Mother’s Day this year. They are sticky headphones that are a safe volume for babies in the womb and they have a spliter so we can listen with him. Noah has been listening to some of our favorite worship songs as well as songs we recorded. We have also been working hard on his room in anticipation of him coming home with us in December.
We have another appointment in 4 weeks and appreciate all the prayers we can get. Thank you again for all the love and support!
Josh Baker 
I’ve had 2/4 of my babies at Saint Ann’s, they are so kind:) praying for your sweet babe and you two as well.
Praise God for His Peace! The disciples did panic when the boat began to fill a little with water from the waves caused by the storm. “Lord we are perishing”! All the while the Prince of Peace was Fast asleep! Jesus will always save us in times of storms and chaos, because He is Faithful! He rebuked the wind and questioned their Faith as a teachable moment. Even in another moment as Peter walked on the water but took his eyes off the Prince of Peace and began to sink, Jesus reached out and saved him. These moments build our Faith again because Jesus is always Faithful. When I read this account of the storm the Revelation has come that there was a simple example the disciples could have followed. Jesus the Living Word that God spoke the world into existence through was asleep. They should have cuddled up right next to Him and joined Him. If Jesus is at Peace then we can be at Peace! Your example is building our Faith! We will continue to stand on the Word for Noah’s Healing!
I’m praying for His perfect peace and comfort to fall on you when you’re down. My brother Tommy was special needs medically and physically. My parents to this day say they wouldn’t change a thing about him because he brought them closer to God. I believe children always remind us of God and his goodness through their child like faith. I hope and pray Noah will grow according to God’s will that a miracle will come through his birth. Thank you for being brave and sharing your story.
Praying for your continual rest and peace in our Lord who always does what’s best and loves you both (and Noah too) with an everlasting love.
Hi Josh and Stephanie. I’m not on Facebook much but I happened to see a link to your blog and just read about this journey you are on. My wife, Elizabeth, and I lost our first child, Jack, about 10 days before his due date and a determined cause was never found. We have since had two boys, Ethan (17 months old) and Jonah (11 weeks old), and we can resound with the storm of emotions that comes from walking through uncertainty in what should be a joyous experience. I don’t question God’s sovereignty but at the same time it is apparent that the vantage point of humanity is very limited and many circumstances simply aren’t fair and don’t make sense. I lament that fact for you even now.
We will be praying for you and baby Noah. It is encouraging to know that you are leaning hard on God and doing your best to trust him. When we experienced our loss, my wife and I both felt that we needed God too much in our brokenness to be distant and resentful toward him but we all process pain in our own way and it is definitely a journey with many conflicting feelings. For our second and third pregnancies, we were considered high risk due to our loss, and we got to know many of the wonderful doctors and nurses in the Maternal Fetal Medicine office as well as Labor and Delivery at St. Ann’s. We had all three of our babies there and can’t say enough about the care and support that we received from the staff.
I can speak for both my wife and I when I say that if you need to talk with someone who may understand a portion of what you are experiencing, we are glad to help in any way we can. Our stories are not the same but the uncertainty and dependence upon God for our children’s lives are themes that we know well. Be encouraged that you will be held by God and the prayers of those who care when you feel you have little or nothing left of yourself. There is hope, always.
Thank you Shawn for reaching out. We greatly appreciate you reaching taking a moment to share your story. We may take you up on your off to talk at some point. Thank you for your encouragement.