What's in a NAME?

I have been looking and thinking and waiting for some revelation as to what to name our precious little girl. Boys names come easy for us...I guess we've had a little more time to think and accumulate them since Trent is now 7! Mike and I had some ideas early on, but I wanted to focus on her name's meaning.

It has been a long 6 months!! She has made it to 24 weeks (yesterday) and she is a testimony to the grace of God. Our family is a testimony to the Grace of God, were it not for His strength and His peace and His faithfulness, I don't know how we'd have made it this far. Her name, (insert drum roll and cymbal crash here) JOANNA will always remind us that "God is gracious." I learned, just today, that this name is found twice in Luke - Joanna was one of three women mentioned who gave to help finance Christ's ministry. Again she is named with the two Marys in Luke 24:10 as one of the women who went to the empty tomb and were met by 2 men/angels and then reported what they had seen and heard to the apostles. Anyways, just an interesting tidbit I thought. Her middle name CLAIRE means "shining light." I can't think of a name more fitting to remind us of the impact our daughter's life has had on others, and specifically our doctor! She has proven to be stubborn and persistent in proving that God is in control of the life and breath of all mankind. Our doctor can try to predict, he can think he knows best -but his heart is softening to the meaning and value of each life. He has processed out loud with me some of his thoughts these last two weeks. My mom and I left amazed last week at some of the things he shared as he must reconcile our daughter's life with what he has medically known and practiced for 20+ years. It renewed my strength, accountability, and reliance on God despite the emotional ups and downs of this journey, and selfishly wanting to "move on" and begin this journey of grief. However, seeing a glimpse into how his thought process and values are not lining up with the lives of his patients is really making him rethink some things, or at least his attitude toward the choices his patients make for their unborn child knowing that the outcome will still be the same if it were "sped up" or allowing nature to take its course.

It is my prayer that Christ's light would continue to shine through Joanna Claire's life that all may see and know that with "You [God] is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light." Psalms 36:9. We are excited to call her by name and are so blessed by those of you who continue to pray for our family, and our precious little light.

Blessings friends...

**UPDATE** on my appointment:

Her heart rate is still slowing. It was 44 bpm. She is not moving as much, not even as a reaction to my pushing, poking, or squishing. :) The doctor said this is probably due to the fact that her abdomen is so bloated with fluid that her belly is actually pushed up against me. Not much room in there. He said her belly is still small enough to deliver normally, but that is a concern down the road. He said the next course of action, if she hangs in there another 2-4 weeks will be to give her steroids to help develop her lungs. [From what I gather, this is just procedural (covering his back) as the possibility to deliver prematurely is high and this will give her a chance outside of mom if she were to miracuously make it through loabor with a heartbeat.] Though he's said more than once that that is pretty much impossible.

Thanks for lifting us up in prayer, friends!