Tuesday, June 7, 8:44 p.m.

All,

Sorry to leave you without info.  Josh and Bekah's apartment is temporarily without internet service, and Rebekah has been in parts of the hospital where we couldn't visit but one at a time for a few minutes, let alone use Josh's computer for emailing, etc. 

Baby Eden was born at 2 pounds 13 oz. and 15 1/2 inches long.  She was born with a true knot in her umbilical cord - they suspect it must have happened immediately before delivery, since there were no indications of a problem in heart rate, etc. up to the time of delivery.  She is breathing with assistance (CPAP[sp?]), but the doctors and nurses were pleased with her lung strength when born - crying out loud.  She has had a couple of episodes of what they are calling "forgetting" to breathe (that must be a description meant for us laypeople), but has started up again easily with mild stimulation.  She is in the NICU unit with restricted visiting opportunities, but Josh escorted Robin, Ruth, and I back to see her for a few minutes yesterday.  I was impressed that in the NICU one nurse was assigned to Eden and only one other baby - she just went from room to room, and each baby was viewable on a monitor in the other room!  Eden looks like a perfect and perfectly beautiful little baby, with the emphasis on the little.  She is on an antibiotic because of suspicion of a blood infection, but talking with Josh it sounds like it is uncertain whether she does or did. 

Rebekah is still having hypertension issues, and they have had trouble getting it down (although as I write I hear over my shoulder in her room that her last reading was improved).  She is very happy to have her magnesium treatments over, and the nausea and other unpleasant side-effects that went with it.  Otherwise, she is tender from the C-section, anxious to see more of her baby (and hold her), and ready to get out of the hospital. 

After long hours at the hospital the last few days, Robin, Ruth, and I are working on getting the nursery ready at Josh & Rebekah's apartment.  They were caught quite by surprise by all of this, and Rebekah isn't supposed to be lifting for several weeks after she gets home (so there will be an upside for having to visit Eden at the hospital for an undetermined number of weeks).  So we are trying to make things a little easier for her when she gets home, which may be Saturday or Sunday. 

Thank you so much for your care and prayers.  What a support in prayer we have seen - from you all in Tennessee, from Josh's family and friends back in Wisconsin, from their church here in Boston, and from family and friends across the country.  We've heard about people asking for updates that we had no idea could even have known.  And we're so thankful for all of the prayers - things are in a really good condition right now, especially considering all of the scenarios that might have happened.  Scary to even think about it.  Thank the Lord for praying friends. 

It was quite a scare leading up to the birth, and the clock ticked along very, very slowly for Grandpa and Grandma Bunn waiting in the hospital waiting room for a couple of hours while we were waiting for word on the outcome for both mother and daughter.  As it stands now, Rebekah is well into a recovery that is almost normal (excepting her hypertension problems), and every day that passes for Eden without event is a good one.  Please keep praying, particularly for Josh and Bekah's little one. 

Yours in the Savior,
Chris