Life is like a box of chocolates....you never know what you're gonna get

Ok, so I'll admit....sadly that's not us in the picture BUT it is what we FELT like doing yesterday after we left the pediatric cardiologists office at Children's Hospital in Orange County yesterday! Our little Canon is not going to wait until she is born to make an impact on this world, just like her dad she likes to be unique! I think she has decided that she will begin her testimony of God's power and love at the earliest opportunity....the womb!
Yesterday we went in for our second fetal echocardiogram to check on the status of Canon's heart. It's really amazing that these doctors can see a heart inside of a body that's inside of a body and is currently the size of a grape! Anyway, the last time we went to the doctor he said he saw a large hole between her right and left ventricle, her atrial valve was small and her aorta was too narrow to pump blood outside of the womb. Inside, she can use my blood. All of this was scary but he said outcomes were very positive, she would just need surgery when she is born and several throughout childhood to work on these heart problems. We have been prepping ourselves for a major NICU stay at birth. 
The doctor didn't say much during our fetal echo yesterday except, wow this baby is active...he said that about 10 times. I think she was playing tag with the sonogram wand, either that or I swear she can hear it because she was really getting wild in there! At any rate, we weren't sure if we should take his silence as a bad sign or a good sign. As soon as we were done he took us into another room and and sat us down.........ominous..........then he said. "Well, here's what I see. I see your other cardiologists report and I see there was narrowing of that aorta but from what I can tell that is no longer there. I also see that there was a large VSD (hole) between the right and left ventricle and now it is moderate and....." he hesitates a bit here....."well there's some tissue hanging out near the hole, so it's possible it may grow over it." 
WHAT?? So, doctor, are you saying that her heart problems are not quite as problematic as before?? She may NOT need surgery when she's born? And he said the sweetest words "At this point, she has a lot of growing to do, no guarantee but I think she's going to be fine."
Kevin and I were just grinning the whole time he was talking. My faith was really not big enough to accept that God would heal OUR baby. I've been praying and praying that He would but I've also had to be practical and prepare in case He has another plan. I know there's still no guarantee that she won't need surgery, this is just a vast improvement from her fetal echo a month ago but I can see God answering the prayers of the MANY that have gathered in His name to pray for the healing of Canon and that is just AWESOME. 
A couple of years ago I used to do hot yoga for 90 minutes everyday. Those clases were never easy but they taught me a lot about perseverance; when it got tough and I felt like I wasn't going to make it I learned to just breathe focus on the end and breathe. Training for a half marathon is the same way, it doesn't matter how fast you go or if you run the whole way but you must finish each workout (let's not get crazy, I still have no desire to run a FULL marathon!!). Each time I've finished something challenging I've known that the next time I encounter a challenge I will be able to do something even harder because I got stretched. I can admit that I have been stretched pretty thin these last 6 months and I continue to be unsure of what's going to happen with Canon. I pray all the time that God gives me more faith and carries me through this pregnancy and helps me be the best mom I can be when she's born. I've been amazed at the strong will of this little one to keep going against all the odds! I've been amazed that God is answering our prayers, I guess I'm always amazed when God answers my prayers because I know that I've done nothing to deserve it, it's all by grace. 
I guess Forest Gump's mom had it right after all......Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get! Even though it may not be the chocolate you were hoping for, it's still sweet and it still tastes good!