The announcement

The following was a post that I was very excited to share:

We loved naming our children,
a lovely, worthwhile chore.
We thought and wondered, thought and pondered,
and then we thought some more.


Ella wasn't hard to name
(the fifth Elizabeth, see?)
We love it still, and always will
(why not?  She's named after me!)

Jack was harder to name by far!
We thinked and we thunked and we thought.
I'd come up with choice after choice for Bill
And he say, "Oh, I think not."


You see, a boy's name is usually
shortened by all of his buds.
So we wanted to like both the short and the long.
Jack it is!  The rest were all duds.

So the question we have now is this:
Your advice will be welcome, if free.
We might need some help, and suggestions as we
Start to think of a name for kid three.

However, this week we lost the baby.  We are very sad, and mourn the loss of this little life.  He/she was fearfully and wonderfully made, no matter how small, and we will meet him/her in Heaven someday.  This is a time to cry and pray and rely on what we know:  God is good and His mercy and compassion surpass our understanding.  We lean on that truth. 

On Monday, ironically, I talked about finding joy in trials.  Joy is not just an emotion like happiness.  Joy is often a decision, like love.  In those times I am unloveable, my husband chooses to love me anyway.  In the same way, when my circumstances are anything but joyous, I can choose to see Christ's hand and everlasting care.  Remember that the testing of our faith produces endurance.  What we are learning through this trial is adding to our level of endurance, that we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  That doesn't lessen the pain, but it does comfort us through the pain.

A note to my dear friends whom I did not call.  I was planning on calling you during the week, and then posting the good news on the blog today, but when the miscarriage came, as I'm sure you understand, I just wanted to be alone for awhile.