Our little family rang in the new year with a small celebration of Norah's 1st Birthday in our new home!
This past week as we've been reflecting on not just this past year, but also on Norah's birth already a year ago! We've been amazed to think about all the big changes that have happened in our family and how full our year has been!
Our 2011 ended with the birth of Norah on Dec 30th, just after midnight...
We always say that nothing about Norah and her life has been the way we have expected!
Granted, its not all been bad! Some things have been better than we've expected!
But she just does things in her own way and her own time!
Of course we know that it is ultimately God's will and timing...
We had tried for 8 months to get pregnant and were starting to get worried... Then all of a sudden, I was pregnant- in the month I wanted to avoid pregnancy so I didn't have a Christmas baby! Ha! Well, God has a sense of humor and wanted to teach me to trust in His timing!
I developed extreme back, hip and pelvic pain that affected my everyday life, and required me to have chiropractic care for half my pregnancy. Some days I could hardly walk, and I could NOT carry my toddler :( It was a very discouraging time! THEN our family got the stomach flu , and at 31 weeks I ended up being hospitalized over night because I was having close, consistent contractions. It was a brief scare, but Baby and I ended up being fine! After being poked and prodded in hundred ways, getting rehydrated and stopping my contractions the slow way (I couldn't take the drugs for it!), I was back on track!
Then I expected her to arrive before Christmas because Titus had been SO early! My family was going to be here from out of town and it would be the only chance for them all to meet her as a newborn. Well, she gave me plenty of false labor, but she was not coming out!
The Lord comforted my miserable self with this verse:
All [her] days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.
Psalm 139:16
I had tried everything to that point to induce REAL labor, and I was miserable and in pain! I finally caved and took some castor oil, the only thing I hadn't tried and was avoiding! My aunt, who had taken it with 9 of her 10 births, gave me instructions. She said I'd be in labor within 6 hours! I took it at 2pm, and let's just say that within 6 hours, we were on our WAY to the hospital! Shortly after getting into a room (of course they have to determine you're really in labor first HA!), I said, "I'm starting to feel kindof pushy!" My midwife was called and made it in time to help me through transition. All the tables and lights and newborn stuff were quickly wheeled in, and the hustle and bustle of preparing for this hurried baby girl were underway!
After a 5 hour labor, Norah Elizabeth was born just after midnight!
It was a beautiful birth, and was better than I ever could have imagined! Everything went so fast and smoothly! She was healthy and perfect, and I couldn't believe she was already here! I had hardly any recovery time and was back on my feet that day! About an hour after she was born, everything was cleaned up and moved out, and all the nurses had left us alone... It was one in the morning, and we were sitting there with our little bundle! We were in awe! It didn't feel real that she could already be here after all our efforts to get her here earlier! We always laugh about the strangeness of that moment! But it was a perfect, peaceful moment! And whenever we sing "Silent night, Holy night," I think about that moment, and I have a small understanding of what that might've meant for that first Christmas night! And I feel like Mary, treasuring those first moments and memories in her heart!
Last new years eve, we sat nestled in our old house watching the ball drop on TV and snuggling our day-old baby girl. We were hopeful in the new year and anxious to see what the Lord had in store for our family, and unaware that He'd lead us on our biggest adventure yet!
Last night, we had a small party in our new house, making new memories, reflecting on all the Lord had done in our lives this past year, and celebrating the life of this precious girl who has captured all our hearts!
To be continued...
Precious is our Family!!!
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