What's in a name?

Our plan from the beginning of this pregnancy has been to find out the gender of our baby and to keep the name a secret until birth. When we discovered the challenges we were going to have with our son's health, we decided to let his name be known so we and others can pray specifically. Here is some insight into the significance of the names we have chosen:

Braden
Language/Cultural origin: English
Inherent Meaning: From the broad clearing
Spiritual Connotation: Redeemed
Scripture: Romans 5:9, "And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgement."

Robert
Language/Cultural origin: Old English
Inherent Meaning: Bright in counsel
Spiritual Connotation: Abiding in God
Scripture: 1 John 4:13, "And He has put His own Holy Spirit into our hearts as a proof to us that we are living with Him and He with us."
(Robert is also Darth's father's first name)

Please feel free to share our son's name with others. It's wonderful to know that people will be praying for Braden by name.

Thank you to those who have left comments, sent cards and taken time to pray for us. We appreciate your love and support. God bless!

Darth & Jenni

Medical information

While doing some research online I found these sites that give more detail to Braden's heart conditions, Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) and Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). In visiting these resources you will find written descriptions, pictures and diagrams (some even animated) that will help in understanding these defects and the sugerical procedures offered to correct them.

While we thank God for medicine and all those who work in the medical field, we know that God is the ultimate physcian and are trusting Him for a miracle. As God's will is unfolded in our lives we must journey this road one day at a time. Thank you for your continued prayers and for standing in faith with us for our son Braden.

God bless you all!

Darth

http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/heart-encyclopedia/anomalies/transposition.htm

http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/heart-encyclopedia/anomalies/graphicsummaries/transwf.htm

http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site511/mainpageS511P0.html

It's a Boy!

On Tuesday, July 1 we learned that we are having a boy! Darth and I are very excited and the girls are too. We have always felt that a family of four kids was the Lord's plan for us. We are thrilled He has blessed us with a son. Braden Robert Creek is expected to arrive near Thanksgiving, a great way to celebrate the holidays! There are many reasons to give thanks.

The ultrasound not only showed our baby's gender, but some other news as well. Although our son looks great overall, the images showed some abnormalities with the baby's heart.

On Tuesday, July 8, we went to Children's Hospital in Seattle to have a fetal echo cardiogram and on Wednesday, July 9, went to the University of Washington for another ultrasound. Both tests confirmed that our son has two congenital heart defects: Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) and Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), both serious conditions, requiring surgery within days after birth.

Darth and I have learned more about the heart in the past week than we ever thought possible. There have been a lot of prayers and tears and we are so grateful that Jesus has promised to never leave us. This is not the pregnancy we anticipated. Life has changed drastically in a week's time.

Here's the good news: we have hope! This is an operable condition. We have great doctors and support in Seattle and here at home in Wenatchee. Our family and friends have already been incredibly encouraging. We have the Lord, who is completely able to heal Braden and to give us the strength and grace to walk the path He has placed before us.

The ultrasound showed a very healthy baby boy with an unhealthy heart. We are still processing this huge life curve and it is still a shock to us. It is difficult for us to discuss and as you can imagine, there are a lot of concerned people with a lot of questions. Please continue to check this site for updates and feel free to leave messages of encouragement. At this point your prayers would be the most helpful.

Here are some specific requests:

• Healing! We serve a BIG God! We are still believing Him for this! We will be having follow-up visits in Seattle and would love nothing more than to have the conditions miraculously healed!
• That Braden will be a healthy weight, the bigger the heart, the easier for doctor's to operate
• That the pregnancy will continue to be without further complication, healthy mom and baby
• No other health problems or syndromes (looks unlikely at this point)
• Wisdom with decisions regarding life with children during a possible month hospital stay

If you are interested in learning more about either of these defects, you can check them out at the American Heart Association website, http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1682

Thank you for your support and prayers. As we gain information, we will add to this site so you can be aware of what is happening. Our next Seattle appointments are in mid-August.

Darth and Jenni