Pictures from the first week. Jesse has decided he would like us to call the baby Brand. Something about the fact that he has always wanted to go by Brand himself so now he has a way to do that...i think. He seems to be doing well, but as the doctor keeps reminding us that medicine is not an exact science so lets just keep praying with our fingers crossed. He has been doing well though and seems to be getting stronger and stronger every day. He spent today without the Bili light and I actually got to hold him for a while today. The antibiotics seems to be doing their jobs too. Hopefully we will be heading home Monday but we are just waiting to see. I did get out of the hospital today and ate a great Thanksgiving/Birthday lunch with Jesse's family at Aunt Mindy's house today. I am going home tomorrow to spend the night with the girls and get a real night's sleep in my own bed, but we will be back Saturday afternoon. Also, momma has been great! She has been right by my side most of the time and thankful God blessed me with a wonderful mommy!!! I also have a wonderful Mother-in-law and Garner family who have pitched in and taken the girls. I have not had one moment of worry about them b/c Jesse's family is so wonderful. It is so nice to not only have a great family but to also have a great family that I married into also. They have definitely picked up where Jesse would be right now. I just want to say right now thank everyone for their prayers and phone calls and emails. Please keep them coming b/c we are no where near the end of this. We love you all!!!

And now the Rest of the Story

Well, it is Monday, November 19th, and I never thought I would make it here. I have been a resident at Gilmore Memorial Hospital since our early morning trip last Wednesday. Of course last week the doctors are telling me I have about 2 more weeks to go and then we will have a baby. Little did they know my time table was nothing like theirs. Thursday and Friday were not so bad so I was able to believe them when they said, "We will have this baby some time after the Thanksgiving Holiday, so you are stuck here on bed rest for the rest of the time." However, Saturday brought on a different set of circumstances. I woke up having contractions and they never stopped until early Sunday morning. After finally getting my hall nurse to understand how bad I hurt at 1 AM Sunday I was transferred back to labor and delivery. All day I had been given different drugs to try to ease everything up but at this point none of that worked. Finally my water broke at 2something AM and I had convinced labor and delivery that I was not playing about this baby coming. The doctor was not at the hospital yet, but she was on her way to give me an epidural. Then Dr. Hill received yet another call telling her if she did not get here soon she was going to miss everything. Needless to say, Dr. Hill did not have the chance to stick yet another needle in me b/c she arrived at the hospital in time to basically "catch" David Brand Garner at 2:42 AM on Sunday, November 18, 2007. He was 6 lbs 7 ozs, 19 inches long and perfectly healthy for a 6 week early baby.

I have talked to Jesse several times and he is excited and counting the days down to when he comes home for a visit. I know he is excited about having a boy but I think he is more excited that we are all ok and he can come home for a fun and relaxing visit instead of pacing the dirt of Iraq wondering how his family is doing. Here are David's first pictures:

Update from Miriam

Ok well it is 10:00 PM Thursday night and I can hardly believe I've made it this far. I swear nothing is ever easy. I am currently in good condition but that could change whenever the baby decides to change it. Our little episode for the week started Wednesday at 3AM. Those of you that know me know that something must be very wrong to wake me at 3AM. Basically I was in labor and mother rushed me to Amory while Daddy paced at my house while 2 sweet girls slept so they could go to school the next day. Poor Sandy has really had to step up this go round. She can take care of Emma Lee about as well as anyone else. Anyway, I was dialated 3 cm and efaced 90 to 95% so I was immediately doped up with magnesium to stop the contractions. At this point I was 33 weeks and 3 days and they need me to be at least 34 weeks. So now I also get steriod shots for the baby to build up its lungs. I am needlephobic so all this was truly killing me but I guess you just do what you have to do make your child strong. I finally slowed down enough that they put me to sleep and Wednesday was long and hard full of spuradic contractions and magnesuim flowing through my viens that made me so hot that I was even freezing mom out. Poor Jesse and Bennett are so far away that they have called constantly and tried to come home but I won't let them. Bennett I truly have no control over but Jesse I have a little and we decided it would be better for him to wait till december to come home. so now he is pacing in Iraq and calling every chance he gets. We even had a wonderful nurse Wednesday, Connie, that jogged my cell phone over to Dr. Otey across the street so that Jesse could talk to him and reassure him that everything is going to be ok and that he would take care of me. That was probably the biggest blessing that day. The nurses knocked me out again and I finally got a decent night's sleep. Today, Thursday has been pretty calm...lots of rest and not getting up and down except to potty so i am willing to drink everything that comes my way so that I get those chances every now and then to stretch my legs. Those of you that know me well know this staying in the bed thing is hard. Thankfully it is easier than I thought it would be cause I have great friends who are picking up the slack and doing all the things I need to be doing and thought I could get done before little david or maggie gets here. I have gotten beautiful flowers from the Family Support Group and a great food basket from Katangello Weeders (i think it was suppose to say leaders but Allison can't talk so it ended up weeders...heheheheh). Right now I am just going to sleep and enjoy being able to boss people around without them giving me those looks. Keep my mom in your prayers cause she is truly getting the brunt of all of this. She has been great and is good at being bossed around..hahaha! Hope the next update is giving a name to this baby! God Bless you all and keep us in your prayers!!!!
Miriam

update from Jesse

Hello Friends and Family,
Let me start off by saying that I am taking a big risk sending a letter out before I let Mir check my grammer and my spelling. So please laugh at my typing mistakes and understand I am writing this email about 3 30 am local time. I kinda tossed and turned last night before i caught a couple of hours sleep. I think I have paced around our toc (office) about as much as if I were in Amory hospital. I talked to Mir today a couple of times and she seems to be in good spirits, and I talked to Dr Otey personally. I appreciate the nurse that took the phone to him. I listened as she took off at a very brisk pace to find him and it must have been across the road because I heard the traffic go by. He made me feel better by giving me some good reports. It always seems that when Mir and I add on to the family the unexpected is normal. I know yall have all at one time heard about Sandy and the miriacle she is. I still feel so blessed that God made Sandy into a perfectly healthy child and taught me a lesson on depending on Him rather than myself. I appreciate all the support and prayers that have been sent up for my family. I had the choice of going out on a mission or staying in this morning, but I decided to go ahead and make the trip. When we went out we saw the usual kids standing on the side of the road jesturing for water or food or anything else they could get out of us. I feel so fortunate that Emma Lee and Sandy and any body else I know has never had to do that. We are so fortunate that so far in our lifetime that our country has never seen the problems that other countries have faced as a daily occurence. Both times I have been here just reaffirms how much I love home and how lucky we are to be living in a great place. I just want a moment to brag on the guys representing Houston and serving our great country. I have made many new friends and have seen some of the great things they have done over here. As of now my leave should be around the end of the year if every thing goes as planned. Im so ready to get back home for a little while to see everyone, spend some time with Miriam and the kids and enjoy some of that good old country cooking. Im ready to get back to Church so I can hear some Sunday school lessons from John Lee and I hear a sermon or two from or new preacher. For all the crew at GP please try to keep Mr Fred straight ! I love all of yall and I will try to do a little better on my emailing.
God's speed,
Jesse

Most Recent Pictures of the New Baby