Peace: Jonah Alan's Birth Story

*This is the birth story of our second born Jonah Alan. It wanted to write my chiildrens' birth stories not only so that I could share our experience with family and friends, but also so that I would have a detailed account of these amazing days! It is my hope that myself and others will look back on this day and know that we serve a powerful, gracious, and loving Father.

Jonah Alan arrived on May 20, 2011 at 7:15pm. He weighed 7.15 and was 20.5 inches long.

It's funny how you think you have some idea of when your child will enter the world. For weeks I felt certain that Jonah would come any night. I was convinced that I would go to sleep one night (after about 36 weeks) and wake up in labor. I made sure that all of our bags were packed before going to bed. I would usually wake up around 1am with Braxton Hicks contractions and wonder if this could be the night. This birth taught be that only God knows the number of our days! I was exactly 4 days past my estimated due date when Jonah was born.

May 20th was a special day for us because that morning we attended our niece's kindergarten graduation. I was so thankful to be able to attend this special occasion with the rest of the family. Nathan's sister and I were certain that I wouldn't see Tess graduate because I would be at home with Jonah. God had other plans. We all watched proudly as Tess walked across the stage and then we enjoyed a meal together. After lunch, I went to see my OB. He checked me and determined that I was 5cm dilated and 85% effaced. (I had been progressively dilating since 36 weeks and was 4cm on Monday). Progressively dilating prior to birth was an answered prayer.

That afternoon, I played outside with Judah, Nate, and MarMar. It seemed like I might be having some contractions, but they were very mild so I figured they would go away like they had many times before. At about 4:00 pm Nate and MarMar went for a run and Judah and I walked behind them. As I walked, it seemed like the contractions were continuing, but they were painless so I kept walking. About 15 minutes into the walk, I stopped to chat with a neighbor and realized the contractions may be coming consistently. I told my neighbor this could be the day and decided to walk home. Nate and MarMar met me at the house and I told Nate that I might be going into labor. We all stood outside and timed MarMar while he did sprints in front of the house. As he sprinted, I noticed once again that it seemed like the contractions were coming consistently. I told Nate that I was pretty sure I was in labor, but I was probably in the early stages of labor because the contractions were not strong. At about 4:30 pm, I called a friend to ask her if she could come watch Judah if I went into labor. After I talked to her, I decided that we should go inside and try to time my contractions. Timing my contractions was rather difficult because Judah was wanting attention. We timed a total of 2 contractions and realized they were only about 4 minutes apart. I knew I was definitely in labor now and told Nathan we should start to get our things ready. I called my friend back at 4:45 pm and told her that I was for sure in labor and asked her to come as soon as she could to help care for Judah while I labored at home. She said she couldn't be there for about 45 minutes. At that time, I knew my contractions were close together, but I was certain that I wasn't that far into my labor because my contractions felt strong but they were not painful.

I called my doula and she told me that I seemed very calm, but she felt that Jonah could come fast. I told her I wanted to get in the tub. She advised that I get in the tub but not stay at home longer than an hour because my contractions seemed pretty close together and I was 5 cm dilated earlier that day. We had only timed a couple more contractions because we were busy making necessary phone calls and caring for Judah. Thankfully Nate's mother came over to help us with Judah around 5:00 pm. I laid on the birthing ball and prayed for wisdom and peace while Nathan prepared the bathtub and helped me time contractions. The contractions were coming about 3 to 4 minutes apart, but I was so calm and wasn't in pain so I went ahead and got in the bathtub. I was so excited to get in the tub because I enjoyed intimate time with the Lord while I was laboring in the tub with Judah. After only 5 minutes in the tub, Nathan started feeling like we really needed to go to the hospital. I wasn't sure, but I finally felt a very strong contraction that told me we needed to go to the hospital. I prayed that we would know when to go to the hospital and He answered. When I got out of the tub, I realized that I may be farther into the labor process than I thought because I needed Nate to help me get dressed. I started to have a great sense of urgency for getting to the hospital, but God continued to give me peace. As we were driving, we tried to time the contractions and realized they were coming 1-2 minutes apart. I was clearly in transition, but I continued to thank God for progressing my labor and prayed that He would keep us at peace. Nathan continued to reassure me of God's peace and told me over and over again that this is all for a purpose and we would meet Jonah soon. His peace wafted over me when I would feel a strong contraction. I told myself with each contraction that it was simply my body tightening in order for us to meet Jonah. As we approached the off ramp for the interstate, we found ourselves in a major traffic jam. Without hesitation, Nathan jumped the curb and drove our van straight up the raised median and into the emergency lane. We both laughed when he jumped the curb, but inside I think we knew this move was made out of necessity.

We arrived at the hospital at around 6:15pm. A nurse started to ask me the usual admittance questions, but she quickly realized that the baby was going to come quick because I had to pause her at least three times within the first two questions. The nurses seemed a little nervous as they quickly showed us to our room (it was the same room I delivered Judah in!). My contractions were coming one after the other and they were strong, but I was still not in any pain and I felt very calm. I was tempted to start to fear because all the labor preparations were happening so fast, but God's peace prevailed. A tenderhearted nurse came in the room and introduced herself. She explained that she had laryngitis and couldn't talk loudly, but she was not contagious. I laughed and later told her that I had prayed for a peaceful nurse, but I didn't know that would mean she would be so sick that her voice had to stay calm. Her calm presence and supportive spirit was an answer to prayer! She checked me and told me I was 9cm dilated and my bag of water was bulging. I was elated! I thanked God over and over again for such a quick labor (another answer to prayer). I knew he was in total control of my labor! My doula arrived about twenty minutes later. She came at the perfect time because my contractions were getting stronger and the busyness in the room was making it difficult to focus. Jeanne immediately took my hand and started encouraging and praying for me. There was total peace in the room. We talked and even laughed in between contractions. My labor was progressing so quickly that there wasn't any time for using "labor tools". I sat up in bed and when a contraction came, I cried out to Jesus as I leaned into Jeanne. I breathed and moaned through each contraction. At one point, I even flapped my lips (I have a video of this and it is pretty funny). I remember looking at Nathan as I labored and noticing how excited and joyful he was to see me enjoying labor. He prayed for me and reassured me that we were going to meet Jonah very soon. About five minutes before I felt the urge to push, my sister-in-law, Natalie, walked in the door. I was thrilled that she made it in time! She joined right in and encouraged me. I knew that I was getting close to pushing and I was getting concerned that my water hadn't broke. I was just certain that my water needed to break in order for me to push. At one point, I looked at Jeanne on the verge of fear and asked her if something was wrong because my water hadn't broken. She smiled and told me that it was wonderful that my water hadn't broken. She said that it probably wasn't going to break until I started to push and then Jonah would slide right out. Natalie heard us and reminded me that there was no room for fear because God had overcome all of my fears. That was exactly what I needed to hear. I cried out to God for total peace and begged Him to bring Jonah quickly. He answered.

The nurse checked me one last time and I was 10cm. I started to feel the urge to push which excited me because I knew Jonah was going to come quick. I asked the nurses to get the doctor and calmly told Jeanne I was ready to push. Looking back on the calmness of my voice at this time gives me chills. The Lord was clearly in control! Pushing was the most exhausting part of my labor, but I would not describe it as painful. After pushing through a couple of contractions, I started to feel very tired and discouraged, but everyone encouraged and prayed for me and with the next push I felt my strength return. This strong push broke my water (another answered prayer). I asked God over and over again to bring Jonah quickly. I kept saying I can't wait to meet him and bring him quick. After just 15 minutes of pushing, Jonah Alan entered the world. They immediately laid him on my chest. I thanked and praised God for such an amazing gift. I cried and laughed as I looked at his full head of hair. The excitement, joy, and peace in the room was overwhelming. God was with us.

Jonah's birth was a complete reminder that God hears and answers prayers. I asked for Him to deliver me from fear and he answered! He is a merciful, faithful, and loving God. My healer and deliverer. I give him glory and honor for such an amazing birth and for this precious blessing.

" your name and your renown are the desire of our hearts." Isaiah 26:8

Our Perfect Christmas Gift

*This is the birth story of Judah Benjamin. I decided to write this story not only so that I could share it with family and friends, but also so that I would have a detailed account of this amazing day! It is long, but if you are interested, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Judah Benjamin arrived at 12:24pm on Christmas Day after over 9 hours of labor. He weighed 6.9 lbs and was 18 inches long. He was the PERFECT Christmas gift from God. This is a Christmas we will never forget. Here is how it all happened...

Christmas Eve looked like a normal night for us. We joined my in-laws for some soup and then came home to play a quick game of Payday. I had a short period of braxton-hicks contractions (I had them nightly for almost two weeks prior to his arrival), but we went to bed as usual assuming that this was not the night (we joked about him being a Christmas baby but we didn't really think he would come on Christmas).

I woke up at 2:00am with obvious contractions. Again, this didn't alarm me right away because I'd woken up with braxton-hicks many nights. I got up and tried to sway from side to side to make them go away. Then, I tried to lay back down like I had done many nights before. As soon as I laid down, the contractions seemed to intensify. It was at this moment that I knew I could be in labor. I let Nathan know that I was having some intense contractions, but I told him to stay in bed because I knew that if I was in labor, he was going to need the rest. I went into our living room and tried several different positions to ease the contractions, but nothing seemed to work. I decided I should try to time the contractions. Funny thing was that despite all of our birth preparations, I couldn't seem to find a watch with a second hand, so I had to wake Nathan to help me search for a watch with a second hand. Thankfully, we found an old watch tucked away in a drawer. I told Nathan to lay back down and I went in the living room to try to distract myself by watching some tv as I timed contractions. After about 30 minutes of timing the contractions, I realized that they were 6-7 minutes apart and lasted about a minute. At this point, I was pretty sure that I was in labor, so I woke Nathan to let him know. He got up and took over timing the contractions. After timing the contractions for another 30 minutes, we confirmed that I was indeed in labor. My contractions were consistently 6-7 minutes apart and were intensifying despite my walking, swaying, and changing positions.

It was around 3:30am when we decided to call our doula to seek her advice. After talking with us and listening to my breathing through a contraction, she suggested I get in the bath. I had planned on using the tub during early labor so I was excited to get in the warm water. My tub time was the absolute sweetest time. I listened to worship music, prayed, meditated on the word, laughed with Nathan, and shed many tears of joy. Nathan and I even exchanged Christmas gifts in between contractions. We laughed as we ripped through the wrapping paper, knowing that we only had 5 minutes until another painful contraction. After over two hours in the tub (and lots of hot water refills) and over an hour of consistent 1 minute contractions 4-5 minutes apart, Nathan told me that I had to get out of the tub. Needless to say, I did not want to get out of the tub. The contractions were of course painful, but I was enjoying the tub time so much that I didn't want it to end. I wept as Nathan helped me out of the tub. My tears were a mixture of excitement and a grieving of my time at home ending.

As soon as I got out of the tub the contractions seemed to intensify and I felt very lightheaded. After a few minutes and some motivational speaking from my dear husband, I finally got dressed and we were on our way to the hospital. When we arrived at the hospital around 6:30am, a nurse showed us to our room. I tried to make a little joke with the nurse about working on Christmas, but she was not in the mood. I prayed that she would have a more tender heart towards me even though it was indeed Christmas. My friends and I had been praying that I would have a nurse that was not only tolerant but supportive of natural birth. After my short interaction with this nurse, I was a little concerned that this was not going to be the case. That was until the nurse entered the room and let us know that another nurse would be taking over for the day shift. The other nurse walked in with the biggest smile on her face. She looked at Nathan and I and said, "Isn't it so special to be having a Christmas baby". She then said that she had both of her children naturally, so it was definitely possible to give birth naturally. I looked at Nathan with a smile on my face and thanked God for his faithfulness. He gave us the absolute BEST nursing staff, which made all the difference.

My awesome doula arrived shortly after our arrival. Despite it being Christmas morning, she came ready to joyfully and humbly serve me (she is truly heaven sent). She put both Nathan and I at ease as she discussed the progression of my labor and comfort positions. The nurse checked me and discovered I was 4.5 cm's and 90% effaced (I was almost 4 cm's and 80% effaced on Monday). My contractions were coming quicker and intensifying, so I knew my labor was progressing. At this point, I was still in the mood for small talk and seemed to be managing my contractions with rhythmic breathing. My doula had me try a couple different positions to keep my labor progressing. Eventually, I got on the birthing ball, which seemed to really get things going.

At around 9:00 am, I got up to use the restroom and my water broke. This was another answer to prayer! I had prayed that my water would break naturally so that I wouldn't have to decide whether to have the nurse break my water. Once my water broke, the nurse checked me and discovered I was at 6 cm's. Almost immediately, my contractions became VERY INTENSE. The intensity really caught me off guard. My rhythmic breathing techniques were no longer working. The contractions were coming quick and lasting longer. I was in the heat of labor and it was TOUGH (this is not a strong enough word). My doula informed me that this was probably the last opportunity to get an epidural. She let me know that it was completely my choice and supported me either way. I looked at Nathan and my sister-in-law with tears in my eyes and said, "It is really hard." They both looked at me and reassured me that it was my choice and they supported me in my decision. Some of me really wanted to the epidural, but I just wasn't ready to let go of my natural birth experience. My doula could sense this and told me that we would try another position and then I could make a decision. Thankfully, my labor progressed so quickly that I couldn't even think of asking for an epidural. I was in the heat of labor and all of my energy was focused on survival (that's right, I said survival).

One hour after my water broke, the nurse checked me and discovered I was at 9 cm's. I had went from a 6 to a 9 in an hour! AMAZING! At this point, I was in complete surrender and desperation mode. I could do NOTHING except call on the name of Jesus! I can honestly say that anger was not an emotion I experienced, only desperation. I was desperate for comfort from the Father! I was desperate for my baby to come out so that I could look at his precious face! The next two hours were the most painful hours of my life (I am not exaggerating), but as I look back on this time, it was also such a special time for those of us in the room. My husband held me tightly and prayed that God would give me strength. My doula called on the name of Jesus and assured me that God was in the room. My sister-in-law humbly served and encouraged me. I begged God in a way that I have never begged him before! We were all SO desperate for God's power! We all knew he was the only one who could comfort me.

After finding out I was at a 9, the nurses started insisting that Judah was face down (OP). We are not sure if he was truly OP, but one thing was for sure, he was stuck. I was already feeling like I wanted to push at this point, but the nurses told me that I couldn't push until I was at a 10. This was NOT what I wanted to hear. Finally after a few short minutes, a nurse technician with a lot of experience in natural birth walked in the room determined to help me get Judah out! Her country voice demanded that I must get on my hands and knees and rock back and forth in order to get this baby out. My first response was, "I can't", but I could tell she meant business and before I knew it, I was on my hands and knees trying to push Judah out. It was completely exhausting and while God didn't take away my pain, he certainly gave me the strength to continue because I know that at this point, my flesh had nothing left. After pushing for 2 hours, our sweet Judah Benjamin came into this world. They placed his small body on my chest and I felt IMMEDIATE RELIEF! As if in an automatic response, my hands fell to my sides in an upward position as I praised God for this precious gift! All I could say was "thank you God, thank you God!"

On Christmas Day of 2009, I found out what sacrifice truly means! I discovered what it means to be truly desperate for God. I experienced a sweetness with my husband that I have never felt before. I now look at him with a deeper level of respect and love. I also experienced what I've heard so many talk about, the immediate love of a mother for her child.

Now at home, I am learning that I am truly weak! Apart from God, I can't do this motherhood thing, but thankfully God is faithful! Our love for His precious gift is unmeasurable! Please continue to pray!