Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Are you kidding me?



Up until Zoe both of my two kiddos were very late and big babies. Well Maddy was big. She was almost 10 lbs. She was a shock and I was induced about a week after my due date. The picture above? That was the night before Zoe was born. It was a few days before my due date but my doctor didn't induce over the weekend and well, I didn't want another 10 lb baby. Another interesting tid-bit about my prior two labors was I had an epidural with both of them, no problem, despite the fact of having Harrington rods in my back.


So our story begins. I was admitted the night before to do a procedure to that would dialate my cervix. It took all night but at 4am i was dialated enough to start on pitocin. Which starts contractions and then labor starts. The anesthesiologist was busy that morning in a c-section. So, the nurse said I would have to just wait a little while for an epidural. My dad and Dave stayed with me and held my hand through contractions that were pretty intense because of the pitocin. A couple of weeks before I had had a conversation with a sister in law, who has given birth at home, about natural childbirth. She said it wasn't a huge deal you just can't be scared of contractions. So with this great advice I knew that I had to be in control and not be scared. However, my husband's favorite phrase of the day was "Are you kidding me?!". I just couldn't believe I was having to go through this. But, I knew I wasn't alone and that God was not surprised by my situation.

I labored along for quite a while. Then the anesthesiologist came in and attempted to give me an epidural. He tried everything and it just would not take. So, we decided that since I was dialated to an 8 at that time (10 being the most you can dialate) that we would just not keep trying.

Zoe was born at noon that day. And I was left with a since of accomplishment that I had never felt before. I was strong. I was able to give birth without drugs and God had prepared me before without me even knowing about it.

This wasn't the end of God working in me. (He still is!) But what I learned from that and what happened next was that we are made for work. We are made for hard work! We can do things that we didn't think we could do before.


Ps. 139: 13-16 (The Message)

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Preface - Pt. 2


Water for Zoe

So we were officially pregnant and things were going great. No problems, no baggage and no out of control emotions (for the most part...but you may want to talk to Dave about that). My OB was a young doctor and very sweet. She was a well meaning person. But, she wasn't the best doctor I ever had. Since I had two children under my belt I thought, what could go wrong? I just have to make it through with her until the baby was born then we were free of a well meaning not so great doctor.

About 8 months the Dr. was doing an in office sonogram to measure the baby (since my last had been 9 lbs!) and to check the fluid. The sonogram she did in office showed that the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby was low. She referred me to a specialist, told me to go home to bed and drink a lot of water. She also told me to pack a bag because if my fluid was as low as she thought it was then the specialist would admit me to the hospital. I can't tell you how scared I felt and how hard that day was. I knew Zoe wasn't ready to be born and I knew I wasn't ready for her just yet. One thing I did know was that the Lord was her keeper not just mine.

The morning of my doctor's appointment one of my very good friends called me saying "this may sound weird but God told me to call you and read you this verse" it was:

Psalm 77:16-19 (New International Version)
16 The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen

She said "God is going to send you water". I cried and she cried and we prayed. I left and went into the doctor and while I was having the sonogram, he just looked at me and said "Well, you have plenty of fluid and there is nothing at all to worry about". I believe God changed that situation and delivered us from having to be hospitalized or Zoe having to be born earlier.

I also know it was nothing we did to cause my fluid to suddenly go back up, it was God He decided, He wanted me to see how He was in control. That He can make things happen or not happen. I also know that had I not had a good report God was still in control and not surprised by our circumstances. He is the God of this world and He is in control.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Preface - Pt.1

Our Family Beginning




Married to Dave at 19; the love of my life we had our first baby, Charlie, July 7, 1997 the first year we were married. The pregnancy was difficult because I was a bundle of nerves and every pain and every emotion was huge. I also carried baggage of guilt from a formerly wild life style and my view of God and who He was was very skewed. I actually thought God would take away something I wanted so much. Boy what a dark time as I reflect on it.

We set the record for the most visits to labor and delivery. I thought that two good things could not happen to me in the same year more or less the same lifetime. But it did and we had a healthy beautiful baby boy. I wish I could say at that time I was turned to God and was able to say my life changed then for the better but it was a much slower process than that. However Charlie was the beginning of seeing myself the way God sees me. (I will save my testimony of coming to the Lord for another post.)

Five years later we had a sweet and lovely baby girl, Maddy (Madeline). Her pregnancy was not as eventful, and she was a precious addition to our family. Full of life and energy, she has been a light in our family.





Five MORE years later...we didn't think we would have anymore children. Not that we didn't want more, we just thought that two was good for us and we had not really considered a third baby. But, you know the old saying "We make plans and God laughs at them". Well, I think God had a good chuckle the day I decided to take a pregnancy test on a whim. I hadn't been feeling quite right, mostly I had been having sciatic nerve pain and I do not get that unless I'm pregnant. To say the least the test was a positive and we couldn't have been more shocked and happier.

Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)
10-11This is God's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.