From: Kraig Warnemuende [mailto:ad6075@wayne.edu] Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 18:43 Subject: Moving forward (8/27/02)

Dear all,

Looks like we're going to be hanging around home for a few more days. We went in to the doctor's this morning for my second gel treatment and non-stress test (NST). Looks like last Thursday's treatment did start the process--I'm 50% effaced, though I haven't begun to dilate. According to Dr. F, I'm at 4 out of 10 on a scale they call the "Bishop scale"--no idea what that rates!--and his goal is to get me to 7. So that sounds like I'm well on my way!

We'll go in again this Thursday for a third treatment, and at that point probably plan one more treatment the following Tuesday with inducement Wednesday or Thursday of next week. So, the schedule is pushed back a little. It seems that Dr. F wants to get my body as prepared as possible, and since Baggins is continually showing great signs of activity and heartrate on the monitor, Dr. F feels we can take the little extra time. If for some reason I don't respond to more treatments, we'll have to consider "more aggressive measures"--I didn't ask to have those defined; I know one would be c-section. We don't know how much she's grown since last week and forgot to ask today if that needs to be checked again. We'll ask Thursday. It may be that activity and heart are more important criteria than growth.

Thanks so much for your continual prayer! It's really helped. Please pray particularly that all this scheduling and inducement will not throw any monkey-wrenches in Kraig's way. He's supposed to give his oral proposal report to his five-prof committee next Thursday (Sept. 5), and if we're inducing that day.... Well, it gets a little complicated! Rescheduling can be difficult when you're coordinating five professors' schedules. We know God's timing is perfect, but it sure causes some head-scratchers at times! :)

We'll keep you posted, of course. I think both of us are feeling more mentally prepared for all of this, and little things that need to get done before the baby arrives are working themselves out.

We're continually encouraged too, by all the prayer and support from everyone. It was great to be able to go to church yesterday and meet with so many who are as involved with this baby as we are. Also neat was how the message related right to where we're at. Pastor Beckett (our new pastor) spoke on Joshua 1:6-9 with the big idea that when we face change, we must plan to succeed. He then went on to define what success is in God's eyes and outlined how we can plan to succeed by being courageous (v.6), being obedient to God's word (vs. 7&8), and being confident (v. 9)--knowing we have nothing to fear and no need to be discouraged because God is always with us. That last point was just the reminder words we needed to hear.

Guess that's the scoop for now!

Love you all, Loren (for Kraig and Baggins, too :) )