tugging my heart strings

Wanna get a pregnant lady R-E-A-L-L-Y emotional? Let her good friends have a struggle with their own pregnancy....

When Greg and I went on our first date, his friend, Jason double-dated with my sister. And, although that didn't work out, Jason and Greg have been close friends ever since. They're two peas in a pod. Jason got the tall part of the pod, but nevertheless, they are so alike. They both think bodily humor is funny, will not hesitate to smear food across their face and ask for a kiss from their wife, love games, working out, sports, and have a deep commitment to their faith. And, even though the miles have separated the pair, we've stayed in touch.

Jason married an acquaintance of mine, Jessica, who is so much like me, it's just fitting. I helped Jessica get hired at the pharma company I worked for and everyone called her "blond April." So, now I can't say anything bad about her, right? :) She's a hard-worker, smart, and beautiful inside and out. I only ever referred one person for a job, and she was it because I believed in her 100%.

We've shared lots of fun times with them: camping, white-water rafting, a baby shower for their daughter Riley, Wii, you-name-it.

It's been 18 months since we've seen Jason and Jessica. Too long.

In February, I got a call from Jessica while she was on her way back from visiting family in Atlanta. It was in the midst of our second round of IVF and even though we were in a struggle of our own, I couldn't help but feel blessed after talking with her. She was 12 weeks in to her second pregnancy and they had just found out the baby had a condition where her skull would not develop: acrania. It's rare and most babies with this condition are aborted, which is exactly what their doctors encouraged them to do....even some of her family members. There is a 100% mortality rate once the baby is born and at the time, the doctors thought she would miscarry early on.

Jason and Jessica made the tough decision not to abort. They weren't expecting a miracle. They weren't expecting to carry to term. They weren't expecting so much pressure from doctors and some family. But, they decided it wasn't in their power to decide when to end a life. They knew the decision would be a difficult one to carry out.

Now, Jessica is at 37 weeks and likely their baby girl will be born soon. You can read more about their story here. But, most especially, they need prayers that they'll get at least a few minutes to hold their baby before she passes.

From this pregnant lady, I can't imagine the struggle of carrying a baby for that length of time knowing the final result that they do. They are strong, courageous, and definitely two people to be admired. And, despite all their heartache, they are genuinely happy for Greg and I with our little girl on the way. I'm glad to call them our friends.

Gotta go otherwise the tears will ruin my keyboard for sure.