Baby Drake is Nearly Here!

With a May 23rd due date quickly approaching, we've already been on a roller coaster of emotions as we prepare for the birth of: Alisha Zoé Drake Ballesteros. Yes, since Alisha will be Mexican-born, she will have both paternal and maternal last names. Zoé is the Greek word for 'life,' as found in John 10:10 and elsewhere, and Alisha is a variant of Alicia or Alice, meaning 'noble' or 'protected by God.'

Baby Shower

Back in April, we held a lovely baby shower here at the house, comfortably seating over 30 people in our house. A simple-but-elegant pasta salad was served along with sweet and savory snacks and a delicious cake.

Although we registered on Amazon Mexico for some basic items, we opted mainly for cash gifts among our guests. We have been able to purchase most of the essential items already, but there are still a number of expenses that we are preparing to face, both in the short and long term. If you're interested in giving, CTEN offers tax-deductible receipts for donations, while PayPal is a faster method for those who don't need tax receipts.

Medical Updates

Alisha has already caused us some stress, but we continue to pray and believe for a natural childbirth. About a month ago, the main issue was that she had three loops of the umbilical cord around her neck, which wasn't great but still resolvable. Subsequent doctor visits revealed that she was able to successfully untangle herself, which brought us quite a bit of relief.

But last Monday, we went in to check up on some other issues, and the doctor found that Alisha had again tangled herself with two loops! In Mexico, C-sections are compulsory with two or more loops around the neck at these later stages of pregnancy, so our doctor was prepping to schedule a surgery for later that day or early Tuesday. By sheer grace, the doctor did another ultrasound prior to concluding our visit, and Alisha had again untangled herself, only 20 minutes after surgery was being discussed. Fortunately, that meant that we were able to continue waiting as planned for a natural birth.

Another appointment on Thursday showed that Alisha remained untangled, but as we approach week 39, she still has not descended into the pelvis, which may be an issue moving forward. Please pray with us that she stays untangled, and that she 'drops' into position prior to our next appointment on Monday. Thank you!!