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Blizzard Baby

When I prayed about how this labor would go I just heard, "Be flexible". Not very comforting. Also how can you not be flexible when you are having a baby? 

I woke up and realized my water had broken. I called my friend Shalene, a professional doula to confirm that's what had happened. I asked her, "Should I wake up Ted?" she said, "You better get him to shovel you out!"

It had snowed and iced 9 inches overnight. Our 100 ft driveway was covered!

I prayed, "Really God?" This is how the day starts?"  I swear I heard him laughing in response. He said,
"Enjoy it! This is your unique birth story."

I woke up Ted. He jumped up and grabbed a shovel. I called our downstairs neighbor and friend Jessie. He grabbed a shovel too. I sent Dorathea in a snowsuit across the street to alert the neighbors that we needed help getting shoveled out. They called their next door neighbors, who brought over a 4 wheel drive truck and said, "Don't worry about the driveway just take our truck."

Jessie was eyeing my round-self like I might explode so we said, "Great idea!"

Good thing too because we never would have made it on the white and icy highways without 4 wheel drive.

On the way to the hospital, in Radford 25 miles away, I called to tell them I was coming. The hospital said, "You should go to the Blacksburg hospital, the roads are too bad right now to come all the way here."

So we drove to the other side of Blacksburg; i.e.; not the hospital I was registered at with the rolling hills and the free masseuse.  

On the way, we saw a pizza truck (at 10 in the morning?) that ran into a ditch right in front of us.  The only cars not in ditches were ambulances. "Oh well!" we said, "At least we can flag one down if we get into trouble".

Ted breathed a big sigh of relief when we made it to the hospital! My hero!, Also, he made me smile big for every one of these I'm-in-labor photos. I wasn't feeling it.

At the hospital I met a doctor I had never seen before, and was put into a temporary room that had windows that looked out into the lobby (so much for privacy).

"I am being flexible, flexible." I told myself as I looked at my brick wall view. "This will be an adventure."

It took the hospital two hours to figure out that
1. My water had actually broken (their did your water break test didn't work), and
2. To get my records from the Radford hospital who apparently didn't want to release them even though they sent me here.

Finally I could be admitted and get a real room!

My friends Shalene and Laura couldn't make it in all the crazy weather. But the chef at the hospital, a friend of ours Brady, was there and texted offering us a lunch of shrimp and grits. We ate as we moved into our room. 

Also thank God for texting because I was texting my Mom and girlfriends updates so they could pray for me and advise me throughout labor. It was wonderful to get support from afar. For instance; when they were sticking me for an IV for the fifth time. They texted, "Get the anesthetist!" A nice calm anesthetist painlessly got my IV and I felt like a very round pin cushion, but also a very loved one.

We had a fantastic seasoned nurse who really worked with us until, her shift ended, and we had a much younger pushier one, who tried to induce me and get labor moving much faster than I thought necessary.  Ted to the rescue again! He went to the nursing station and had them call the doctor to find out what our options really were. We choose the least invasive option and low and behold, I went from 1 cm dilated to 9 in an hour .

Also I had an epidural that made me throw up a lot, but was still worth it. It started to wear off right before it was time to push. I literally begged the second nurse to get the anesthetist to refill it.  She laughed me off until I told her I was not pushing until the anesthetist came. She got the nice calm anesthetist. I got my refill. 

Man labor is such a crazy ride. Sometimes I was in tears at feeling so loved and cared for, other times in tears because I felt misunderstood and mistreated. Sometimes I felt like their was no way I could push through the pain and have this baby, sometimes I felt more than capable and more than strong enough. Sometimes I felt so vulnerable and exposed, other times I felt beautiful inside and out. 

And then it was over and they placed my Joy baby on my chest. Bliss! I could feel the horrible pregnancy I describe here lose it's painful hold on me as I held him.  

This sweet boy was obviously made for enjoying. So that's what I've been doing.  I am more willing to let time go slower with this third child. I just soak in his fresh from heaven-ness.

Born at 3:59 in the morning, Daddy and I couldn't quite agree on a name so we slept on it.

Ted woke up and went to retrieve the kids.  Still no name decided on, but my talented photographer friend Laura Swift texted, 

"Would you still like me to come? My husband is going into work and can drop me off"

"Are you kidding, Laura? That would be a huge blessing!"

So enter Laura with her joyful giggle, camera, and years of experience as a labor and delivery nurse. She snapped photos of baby, as I chatted with her and then slept as she watched over my newborn son.

Can I tell you how amazing to have 5-hour-old photos of my newborn taken by a professional? 

She stayed to catch photos of the kids meeting baby.

D and J entered the room calling him "Isaiah" and "baby Zay Zay"

Ted had decided to give baby my first choice on the way over.

They gave him his name.

Isaiah 55:12;

 "You will live in joy and peace. 

The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, 

and the trees of the field will clap their hands!"

The kids walked in a little tentative at first.

D held him, sitting with me on the bed.

J told us, "I'm cute. Take pictures of me." We obliged.

Then something magical happened. The baby who kicked whenever his family talked to him in utero, started smiling at them.

He knew these voices.

 This was His family.

 And now they were here in person, talking to him.  Naming him.

 Isaiah James Keys

The story that started with the words, "Be flexible". 

The story of a boy that was given during a blizzard. 

He was worth shoveling the drive for, and driving icy roads, and things not going according to my plans. 

In the midst of it our having to be flexible became the adventure of how we got Isaiah. 

Isaiah's story of being born is an adventure with a happy ending;

Jesus told the disciples- "When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.  

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." John 16:22

Now I am holding joy in my arms.- Allison

Though the Sorrow May Last Through the Night

"He will cover you with his feathers.

He will shelter you with his wings.

His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

- Psalm 91

The night before Isaiah was born I made a receiving blanket/scarf printed with feathers;

That's because Psalm 91 was my pregnancy mantra.

It was the end of a long difficult pregnancy.  My doctor was sure I was having a 10 lb baby, because my stomach was measuring so big.

I had hoped to gain a little weight, be a cute pregnant lady. I hoped for no nausea and enough energy to finish my part time jobs of  teaching art and tutoring a homeschool class.

I ate lots of fruits and veggies, lots of protein. I hiked weekly, I had a prenatal yoga routine I did nearly every day. The last month I was eating very small meals, but still gaining a whopping 15 lbs that month.

I would often be so fatigued I thought I would pass out. I had stomach trouble for nine straight months. Having never had insomnia before, I was sleeping four hours a night or less by eight months pregnant, often waking up every hour.  Worst of all was defiantly gaining 50 lbs in nine months which left me feeling like a walking globe.

All my little jobs, all the kids classes and my personal activities and interests I let go of one by one.

I confided in my friends and husband that I wondered if deciding to have another child was a good choice. I deeply wanted to go through all early child things again, and wanted my family to enjoy another sibling. But this pregnancy left me wondering if I had bitten off more than I could chew. I was having trouble even enjoying the children I had. One of my kids even started comparing me with friends moms, wishing for one of them.

But God cheered me on
When I prayed and meditated I would hear;
"For (your) momentary, light affliction is producing for (you) an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison" 2 Cor 4:17

When I questioned why couldn't I look like the lady on the cover of "Fit and Pregnant"? He said;
"You are an apple, Allison. An apple tree bears heavy fruit, but that fruit is the glory of the tree in that season."

When I was so often in bed, I would picture myself under his feathers, protected and waiting for His faithful promises.

As I meditated on this once I could hear the quiet voice of  God tell me,

 "Your first child was a child of wonder,

your second a child of intimacy or closeness 

"Your third child will be a child of joy and will usher a season of joy into your family"

Can I tell you one look at him and joy had come? The horrible pregnancy was gone! All that was left was this;

"One may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning." Psalm 30

So I encourage you friends. If you are pushing through a hard season. Don't be afraid to complain to God to tell him your deepest desires and fears. Meditate on His word.  He is faithful and His promises are your armor and protection.