"Third Times a Charm"

***WARNING!!!*** This blog contains info about labor and/or delivery. :) Feel free to skip if you think you'll have a TMI reaction.

I really wondered if he'd ever come. All 3 of our boys have been "late," but I was SO huge with this one, it stopped being blissful at about 30 weeks :).

We had set an appointment to induce Monday, November 17th. Due to expense and other factors, though, a troupe of friends and I were praying we'd "go" on our own. Dusty and his team (LOL) were also praying we wouldn't "go" on Saturday, being as every meeting is a milestone for our very young church plant.

Well, he decided to show up in PERFECT timing... trying to make everyone happy, sweet boy.

Contractions started at 5:38 Sunday morning. By contraction #4 we had gone from 7 minutes apart to 2! 

"Dusty, it's time to go."

"Should we call the hospital?"

"You can, but I'm going regardless of what they say."

So, we called them on the way :). It's funny how quickly the tone changes from "assessment" to "business" once they find out this ISN'T your first.

Upstairs, went like this:

"Umm, we need to move her to delivery."

"She's not finished admitting yet."

"Well, she's at an 8-9, we'll have to finish the process there."

I've never wanted to be mean or rude or yell at my husband during this time, so I always pray God will give me an extra measure of grace. It's funny how you can want to put your head through a wall one minute, and feel so completely euphoric, even humorous the second the pain's gone. Given as the contractions were every 2 minutes, I felt a little like Jekyll and Hyde.

Still, God gave me grace. I did really want to break my husband's thumb... not to hurt him, per se, breaking something just seemed like it would help. Dusty disagreed :)

The doctor on call wanted to break the water. But Nancy (SUPER NURSE EXTRAORDINAIRE) literally stepped in front of him and said, "Let's wait for her intrathecal." Gotta love Nancy. If you don't know, an intrathecal is a shot they administer similar to the epidural, but it only lasts for a couple hours. Being as we were so close to delivery and an epidural takes 30 minutes or so to set up, Nancy thought it wise to go this route. AND, I think it's probably less expensive too... did I mention we LOVE Nancy? So, George gave me my shot and the pain went away almost immediately. LOVE George too. 

Just then my real doctor got there - LOVE her too. They broke the water, we pushed for "less than 20 minutes" Dusty says. And our 3rd little man was born!

He was 10 lbs 11 oz. - none of us believed it. The nurse even reset the scale to be sure :)

He was 23 inches long. That's the biggest baby on my side of the family. Dusty still holds the record on his side, having been 11 lbs 25 inches! :) And I gladly leave that trophy in his mother's very worthy hands. I'm pretty sure she did it withOUT pain meds too. CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE!

They also told us, our new baby had a KNOT in his cord. They all seemed surprised and not many had seen one. I guess it means he moved around a lot - enough to swim through his own cord at some point. 

So, in less than 3 hours we went from a family of 4 to a family of 5! What a blessing. Dusty and I marveled at how tired we WEREN'T that first day. So many prayers were answered, so many details worked out. And I wonder why I ever question, why I ever fear. This is definitely one of those "ebenezer" moments in my life. "Look what God did here."

Most of you know this little man was a surprise for us. One that I often questioned God on - not the precious life, but the timing. And his birth alone has already begun the answer... not that we deserve one... but in accordance, we named him Dezdin Nathaniel. Dezdin is our concoction of a masculine form of "destiny" and Nathaniel means "given of God." All our children, to me, have held a purpose and message from God. Dezdin was completely God's idea... so I'm especially excited to see what other surprises God unfolds through him. Thank you for all your prayers. They were answered. We are very blessed.

Waiting!!!

Pics from Halloween.

Yah. We were a ref and a basketball. Gotta get creative with a belly like this!

My friend Lisa borrowed us her little guy's costume from last year. Draes was SO cute. Dax wanted to be an astronaut, but we just couldn't find all the stuff. So we bought a really cool pirate sword, and luckily he's so skinny, he still fit his costume from 2 years ago! Way to be flexible, bud!

Sorry - more Drae - just SO DARN CUTE!

They say we spend a good chunk of our lives doing it...  in line, at the gas pump, in traffic. Some of us plan our entire day based on the desire to AVOID waiting.

Everyone I know is waiting for something right now: the house to get finished, that job to come through, the paycheck to show up, the economy to change.

Me? I'm waiting for this KID to show up! :) Don't get me wrong... I know it won't get easier AFTER the baby arrives. I'm just starting to fear the permanent damage done to my overextended nerves and tissue if we go much longer. (I know, ever the drama queen.) 

It gets frustrating. We tend to "cop" attitudes. "Don't you know I have more important things to do than WAIT here for you?" But the other day I was talking to a friend. We were discussing the fact that we often KNOW God has a plan in things, but it's difficult to WAIT for it to be revealed. And she said this, "[I'm] discovering that it really isn't about me understanding; it's really just about being obedient." "SO GOOD!" I thought, even though I still want my way :).

But it's true. How often do I as a parent make my child wait? Do I give him candy, or that toy or movie, or a Mt. Dew, or a trip to McDonalds, or ice cream just because he WANTS it? (OK, once in awhile when it's been that kind of day) Not usually. Most of the time he needs to wait, indefinitely. Why? Because I can see down the road 15 years (or when I look in the mirror) the thousands of dollars spent on tooth decay, or the unstable financial future based in instant gratification.  

So why do WE have to wait? Once in awhile it's about someone else's negligence, and that can be properly addressed. But, isn't it true we often learn the most in the waiting, if we will press into it? After talking with my friend I started thinking along that line and seeing all the beauty of these precious days... waiting.

1. More time to focus on my baby, Draes (16 months) - who's about to NOT be the baby and will probably have a REALLY tough time in that transition. I'm getting to love on him and tell him what a treasure he is to me. That he will always be my baby - even if not THE baby.

2. Helping out my husband - who's doing the toughest, most rewarding job ever. I can't do it all now, but I can do some, and that will halt when Jr. shows up.

3. Sleeping well... oh alright not really "well" but more than I will be for the next few months! :)

4. Draes managed to incur 2nd degree burns (hands/gas fireplace), nearly crack his head on the tile floor, AND get the "throw up sickies" all within a week's time. Not something so easily handled with a brand new infant on your hands!

There are so many little things that make this a precious time of preparation, in my heart, my mind. Life will NEVER be this way again! So, while I'm uncomfortable (and genuinely afraid I could split at the seams) I'm reveling in this time - taking mental snapshots. Waiting, if we'll let it, can be such a precious time of rest and trusting God - who knows SO much more than we do - including the PERFECT time at which to reveal what He was thinking all along. 

Yesterday Draes crawled up in the chair next to me and just sat. No request, no agenda. He just wanted to be present with me. It was precious and bittersweet (sorry, hormonal mom thing).

The timing of this baby has never seemed logical, and for that reason I believe it will be all the more indicative of God and His power and presence. The anticipation of that, and the beauty of the reality He's already placed me in brings a joy and a peace. It's been a time to just crawl up next to God and be present with Him. No purpose other than to just "be." 

I don't know what you're waiting on. But maybe time is standing still because God wants you to "just be" with Him. Perhaps He knows that once this change comes, things will never be the same again. Maybe he wants to remind you of His love before the world starts running like crazy again. I don't know, but I pray you find joy in your waiting. :)

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope." Psalm 130:5