We were scheduled to be induced on Wednesday morning of last week, but went to the hospital on Tuesday night to prepare for the induction. After a long, sleepless night, they started the induction first thing Wednesday morning.
After 16 hours of labor, Keira was born - on Thursday morning at 12:35am - and she was perfect!
Thinking through our labor, I am overwhelmed at the grace of God through this whole process. Truly, everything about delivering a child is disgusting. But somehow, in the midst of the humiliation and general grossness - it is the most beautiful and miraculous thing in the world to see your baby for the first time. To see this precious little person who is so helpless and small...but despite her bobbly head, you can see her thinking as she looks around and intently looks at the people and things around her. She has a distinct personality and pet peeves, and gets more beautiful every day.
Even the labor process we counted a gift from the Lord. Every step of childbirth was a reminder that I am not in control and things don't always work out how I want or plan. What a perfect transition into parenthood. It's painful, humiliating, humbling, and out of your control. But the end product is the most remarkable gift - your child. Love different than any other for this delightful little girl.
After 12 hours of labor, it looked like we might have had to have a c-section because the labor was not progressing hardly at all. We asked for an hour to see if we would progress before making a decision about whether or not a c-section was in our best interest. We were both tired and anxious, but wanted to make the wise decision for what was safest for me and the baby...but we really wanting to avoid a c-section.
By His grace, the Lord led Rob to spend that hour with me praying and reading Scripture. Rob was reminded of Psalm 139.
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
By the end of that hour - we had made such significant progress that we were ready to deliver just another hour later! Once she was ready...she was ready.
We had a very smooth labor and delivery, a few nice days in the hospital where Keira met some of our dear friends and family...we even had Hope's graduation dinner in our room.
Saturday afternoon, we got home and took Keira on a tour of her house. She had a great check-up with our pediatrician and though we're tired - we are doing very well. We have the cutest kid in the world and are starting to understand the love of God in a greater way through this beautiful baby girl.
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