Bethany's birth story

So I realize that I don't post on here much anymore but I don't really have another spot to share the unique birth stories of my children so here I am! 

Bethany Hope was born on Sunday, August 26th at 1:25am.  The month of August was easily the longest month of my life!  We had originally thought that she was due July 31st but um, obviously we were wrong...lol!  I had hoped to still make it to VA for my family's annual beach trip but that didn't happen.  Each day that went by without her here yet was discouraging but Jesus had much to teach me about HOPE and waiting for His timing.

Anyway, back to the story.  After such a long wait I was semi convinced I would just be pregnant forever until Friday, August 24th.  I had a midwife appointment that morning but nothing was happening.  Later I went for a two mile walk pushing the stroller with a friend (as I had been doing rather frequently) and I began feeling a little extra crampy afterwards but nothing too out of the ordinary.  I did try to schedule a chiropractor appointment just in case this weekend was go time but they didn't have any openings.  The rest of the day/evening went normally but then around 1am Saturday morning I started having light contractions (I knew they were contractions because they were all in my back...again...).  I had to breath through a few but it wasn't too bad.  Around 3am I went to the bathroom again and inserted some evening primrose oil capsules vaginally to see if it would help speed anything up but it actually slowed them down and I was able to sleep for a few hours.  By the time the rest of the family was up my contractions had stopped and I was discouraged.  But my midwife encouraged me that sometimes the body does that when the baby is settling down in a better position for birth.  So I tried to go about my day as normally as possible.  After we layed the kids down for a nap Dylan and I had some "quality time" together and I napped for a little.  That seemed to jump start things into what I would classify as officially early labor.  It was around 4:30pm and my contraction were about every 10 minutes.  Getting strong enough that I did stop and breath through some but not enough for me to be confident I was in labor.  We did decide to go ahead and drop the kids with his parents just in case.  On the way down there contractions started coming every 4-5 minutes but I just had to use the restroom and then they spaced out again.  By the time we got back home around 6:30pm contractions had stopped again so we ate dinner, went for a fast walk around a nearby park and came home to nothing really going on.  We decided to get in bed about 9:30 and try to sleep...I even let family know that I wasn't sure it was happening tonight.  Well, we started watching some Christian comedy in bed and contractions came and went.  Frequently I would find myself laughing at the video and trying to breath through a contraction.  Finally we decided we should really sleep now so I went to the bathroom one last time around 10:45 and that's when I immediately started shaking and feeling the transition into active labor.  I told Dylan it was time and to call the midwife (she lived in the same town as us but I felt like things were moving quickly)!
Between 11-12:30 I walked up and down the dark quiet hallway in our house, stopping to have Dylan rub my back during contractions.  They were strong but bearable.  I had my midwife check me then and I was excited I was already 7 1/2 cm!!  Baby's head was a little cockeyed so I lunged through three contractions on each side and felt her settle into a better position.  Between 12:30-1:15 I rested against the wall when contracting and Dylan would squeeze my hips while my midwife rubbed my lower back.  That helped a lot but they were definitely getting closer and stronger.  At 1:15 I decided to try to get on my knees and lean against the couch through contractions.  I still didn't think I was close to birth yet but boy was I wrong!  I had one contraction in that position and then I felt my water break.  I started to tell my midwife but immediately my body started pushing.  Within just a few minutes of panicked breathing/pushing she was out and I finally could see that little face!!

 Dylan kept saying she was such a pretty baby and I was in awe of her tininess and adorable pouty lip!  She latched on right away and nursed for well over an hour.  I delivered the placenta in that time frame and transferred to the bed and she still nursed for almost two hours!  She weighed 7lb 11 1/2oz and was 21 inches long.  I didn't tear at all and she was by far my easiest, quickest delivery!  She was my firat baby to actually stay in the optimal position for birth, LOA and I think it made a huge difference in the transition stage of labor!  She has been a great sleeper and eater from the start and I'm once again amazed at this new precious gift from above!  God is so good!!

Praying for my husband

So I've recently been reminded of the extreme importance of praying for my sweet husband every day.  Its so easy for me to just mumble a few words about him to the Lord every now and then but not really take the time to truly pray for him.  As a wife I am called to be there to support, encourage, and help my man and I think by far one of the greatest ways for me to fulfill that calling is by praying for him in his.  The other day I sat down and wrote out specific areas I wanted to pray for him in with Scripture verses for me to pray over him.  I wanted to share those here on my blog for my own memory's sake and perhaps as an inspiration for someone else to do the same sort of thing for their spouse! 

~that he would fear the Lord more (Psalm 25:12, Proverbs 1:7a)
~that he would have discernment, understanding, and wisdom (Proverbs 2:2-6)
~that he would have strength from Jesus (Ephesians 6:10)
~that God's armor would be on him (Ephesians 6:13-18)
~that he would remember to fight the devil (Ephesians 6:12)
~that he would have wisdom in loving me (Ephesians 5:25)
~that God would show him where He wants him and this family for His glory (Ephesians 5:15-17)
~that he would set his mind on Jesus (Colossians 3:2-3)
~that he would put on these virtues (Colossians 3:12-14) and put off these vices (Colossians 3:8-10, Galatians 5:19-21)
~that God's peace would rule his heart (Colossians 3:15)
~that God's Word would dwell in him (Colossians 3:16)
~that he would do all for the glory of God (Colossians 3:17)
~that he would walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16)
~that he would be filled with the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
~that he would have wisdom in parenting (Colossians 3:21)
~that he would remember to pray and be thankful (Colossians 4:2)
~that he would lay aside every weight and sin and run with endurance (Hebrews 12:1-2)
~that he would have peace (John 14:27, Philippians 1:3-7, 1 Corinthians 1:3)
~that he would abide in Christ and bear fruit (John 15:5)
~that he stand perfect and complete in God's will (Colossians 4:12)
~that he would not grow weary (Galatians 6:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:13
~that he would watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:8)
~that he would overcome the wicked one (1 John 2:13b) and temptation (James 1:12, 1 Corinthians 10:12-13)
~that he would know and believe how great God's love is for him (1 John 4:9-10, 19, Romans 5:6,8)
~that he would be secure in his faith, with no doubting (1 John 4:15, Romans 4:20, 5:1, 8:1, John 20:27)
~that he would be transformed (2 Corinthians 3:18, Romans 12:2)
~that sin would not reign in him (Romans 6:12, 14, 22)
~that he would be a conqueror (Romans 8:37)
~that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2-4)
~that he would rejoice always (Philippians 3:1a, 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16)

I hope to be diligent in praying for him in one of these areas daily.  I look forward to seeing how the Lord will strengthen, support, encourage, and lead him in the days ahead!  What a great God we serve!

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah :)

Gideon's birth story

"And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.""

Judges 6:12

Well, my baby is one month old today and I'm finally getting around to typing up his birth story...better late than never, right? :)

We found out we were pregnant with baby number 2 last winter, just days before we left my family who we had been visiting for a month and a half.  We were so excited!!  We had been praying for quite a while that our family would be blessed once again and we were thankful!
The pregnancy was a breeze and I loved it once again !  Loved feeling those tiny kicks and squirms.  Loved feeling my belly grow larger and larger.  Loved guessing whether it would be a girl or a boy (we decided to be surprised this time around).  Loved trying to explain to Adelyn that she would soon have a little play mate.  Pregnancy and birth is such an amazing experience and one I'm so blessed to be a part of!!

My mom was given a special anniversary gift from my dad back in August.; she had received tickets to come see me for almost 2 weeks right around when we thought the baby was due!!  I was so excited to have her here and hoped baby would make his/her appearance during her visit.  The days rolled by with no baby but we stayed busy cooking, preparing meals for when the baby would come, walking, and just enjoying each other's company while praying baby would come soon.  I was so blessed to have that time with my momma...it had been a while.   Unfortunately the day arrived for my momma to go home.... with no baby :(.  Of course the next day I started to have signs of labor (pressure, a little bit of show, and some contractions off and on).  I went to bed Friday night, October 14th, pretty sure a little one would be here soon!  Just like I thought I was awakened around 2am Saturday October 15th with pretty consistent contractions (about 7-10 minutes apart) that were painful enough to keep me awake the rest of the night.  I kept in touch with my midwife and she decided to make her way to our house around 9am.  By the time she arrived I was a little disappointed that I hadn't progressed more as nothing had really changed since during the night.  We took our midwives' advice and tried to go about our day as normally as we could.  Dylan was right by my side assisting in whatever way he could, for which I was very grateful.  He's an awesome husband!
We went for a walk, tried to nap, ate some food, and took a shower.  Things finally started to pick up around 4PM.  Still totally bearable but I could tell we were finally moving!  By 7 I was ready for this baby to be here!!  I was having terrible back labor that was super intense, especially as we approached the end (just like with Adelyn...which I've always thought is weird since both of my babies were not posterior.  I thought anterior babies weren't supposed to cause back labor but later I read that it can also be because I have a short torso...next baby I'm definitely looking into that).
 Anyway, I made sure to move as much as possible during labor and tried sitting on the birth stool, hands and knees, and sitting on the floor in a butterfly position.  At the end though I really needed to stand and have someone pressing on my back and hips during contractions (so thankful for Dylan and my midwife and their help in that area!).  Finally around 9pm the midwife offered to check me and said I was 9cm with a slight cervical lip on one side.  She then inserted some evening primrose oil to help soften that lip and hopefully get me to full dilation.  Sure enough at 9:08 I had the urge to push and seconds later my water broke just before the head was born.  Only one or two more pushes and baby was out!!  Yay- I was done!  There is nothing like the relief of finally being done with labor!  Pushing is the easy part for me and I was blessed with no tears and very little swelling afterwards.

I ended up delivering in the bathroom, standing/squatting, and holding on for dear life onto our bathroom sink (Dylan told me later he was a little concerned it might fall off the wall due to how hard I would hold/lean on it during contractions :d).  Its definitely not where I imagined I would deliver but I found that I really needed something sturdy to hold onto as I wanted to circle my hips during contractions and that was the only thing my height safe enough to cling to :).
My dear sister in law caught our precious baby and laid him on the floor where I looked down to discover it was a boy!!  We were thrilled, although we hadn't totally settled on a name.   It didn't take us long to finalize it though.

Gideon Stephen was born at 9:11pm, October 15th.  He weighed in at 8lb1oz and was 21 inches long!  He's been a good boy so far...a couple of fussy nights but generally due to something I've eaten :).  I've recovered almost 100% and we're finally settling in to being a family of 4!  God is good and I truly feel my cup is overflowing!

The Lord gave me the name Gideon a couple months before he was born and I was impressed by the man in Scripture.  He was humble.  He didn't think he could do much but he was willing to follow the Lord's direction even though he was obviously frightened.  I pray that our Gideon will do the same when the Lord calls him to do something perhaps anti-cultural or frightening!
Dylan really liked the man Stephen in Scripture (I do too but I have a lot of Stephen's that I know so I didn't want it as a first name).  Just like him we pray our little man will be bold and willing to stand for Christ no matter the cost!
We would covet your prayers as we raise these little arrows for God's glory!  Parenting is not easy but I'm thankful that the Lord gives wisdom to those who ask!!

God bless,
Hannah :)

Book Review: A Life That Says Welcome...and an update :)

Well, we spent the month of January and some of February with my family in VA.  We had a wonderful visit and we were even able to bring a little someone special back with us...that's right, I'm expecting baby #2!!!  We're so excited and can't wait to meet this new blessing sometime in early October 2016!  Anyway, I say all that to say that I didn't really have a chance to write out my goals for the year until we got home.  One of my biggest goals for this year is to read a new book every month (or review an old one :d).  This book was the first of many (I hope) in 2016!

A Life That Says Welcome by Karen Ehman is a wonderful reminder on the importance of hospitality, especially as Christians, and includes some practical ways to prepare your home and heart for guests!  Karen starts out by giving you a little bit of background into her own life and journey from clueless cook to welcoming hostess.  Turning to the Scriptures she presents examples of hospitality and the importance of making sure your heart is right first before you open your home to others.  Also she shares "Our families need to come first as the recipients of love, creativity, and handiwork."pg.44.  Its so easy to get into the mode of serving and impressing others that we forget about our own little brood and how to serve and bless them.  What a great reminder!  From there the book proceeds to cover practical ways to stay on top of dirt and clutter, ideas to decorate your home, recipes for big crowds or picky eaters, and how to take hospitality on the road.  All together I was inspired to become more hospitable to the people around me and to be open to however the Lord may want to use me in this way!

I hope you all had a blessed Resurrection Sunday celebrating the victory our Lord had over death, hell and the grave!  All glory to Him!  What a joy to be His child!
Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah :)

Thoughts...on love and marriage :)

"I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases."
Song of Songs 3:5

Well, I'm doing well!  The Lord has blessed our family abundantly and I'm so grateful for my amazing husband and my precious baby girl.  Adelyn is growing up too fast but we're enjoying this new season of life as parents.  God is so good!

I've had some thoughts floating around in my head...mainly regarding the above verse.  For the past 2 months I've been blessed to be able to meet with a godly older woman and be encouraged in my journey as a wife and mother.  Just today we were talking about some of the challenges marriage can bring.  Marriage is not always bright and rosy and that's not necessarily a bad thing :).  In fact, marriage is wonderful at showing me my pride, selfishness, and hardheadedness (is that a word?).  Its one of God's greatest tools in perfecting me into what He desires in my heart and life :)!

Something we talked about today (and I remember my daddy teaching me this) is that I can never change another person.  That's not my responsibility...that's God's!  I can pray for my husband, I can support him and encourage him but I'm not responsible for changing him into what I want in a spouse.  Now granted, if you are both seeking the Lord you will hopefully desire to change in certain areas that are particularly troublesome to your "better half".  The point though is that what your husband does or does not do should not determine how you act or respond.  That's really hard!  It's so easy for Mr. Flesh to step in and begin to make excuses for my ugly attitude or sinful thoughts.  Instead I should respond as Jesus did, humbly.

To get back to the above verse though it says "...do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases."  God is great at arranging marriages...He's been doing it for quite sometime :)!  Don't rush into marriage but do allow the Lord to lead.  Be sensitive to what He's showing you about this person.  Try to see the good and the bad BEFORE you're married.  Have a realistic view of marriage.  Prepare yourself.  Read good books on love and marriage before you're married.  Ask questions of married couples.  Research your role according to Scripture and what a godly man should look like.  If you are blessed with godly parents seek wisdom and counsel from them.  Pray A LOT!  I know its hard but be patient in waiting :).
Marriage is wonderful!  It can be gloriously amazing some days and downright difficult others but SO worth it!  I think marriage is one of God's biggest blessings to human beings.  No other created thing has the closeness, friendship, and oneness that we humans get to have with our spouse...how special!  "Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to wrath." James 1:19...what a great verse for married people!

I don't know if any of this makes sense as I'm just jotting down what's in my head ;)...I do need to go get the baby tucked in now so if you have any questions about what I said please feel free to comment :D!

God bless and I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Learning to be more like Jesus,
Hannah :)

Lessons I've learned in being a wife :)

My apologies for the lack of activity here on the blog...but I can assure you that things have been pretty active elsewhere :)!  Dylan and I are in the processing of buying a lawn business and he's running the whole thing and I'm taking care of all the book work.  So, with this being our first official lawn season we're staying busy!

But that's not what I got on here to post about.  I am so grateful for the past 15 1/2 months as Dylan's wife.  I continue to learn new things every day and hopefully change to look more and more like Jesus in the way I treat and support my husband.  I wanted to share some things that I've learned (and am learning) with you all.

New daddy!!

1. Being submissive on the outside doesn't necessarily mean you're submissive on the inside.
It took me a little while but I've realized that often times I would manipulate our conversations so that I got what I wanted.  Now, this wasn't always in an outward rebellious behavior but it would occur when I put things a certain way or convinced him to think like I was thinking instead of humbling myself and following him (even if I was sure I was right).  This sort of attitude is not honoring to my husband or to Jesus and its something I still need to work on.

4th of July!

2. Its very important that I support my husband in front of others and especially our children, even if I disagree.
I realize now more than ever how important this is.  People will form an opinion of my husband based on what I say and how I act towards him...wow.  That's a lot of responsibility. Not only that but my children will begin to form an opinion about daddy based on how mommy talks to and treats him.

But, boy is this hard to do when I disagree with either how he's doing something or what he would like me to do.  That ugly sin nature begins to rear its head and "self" and "me" begin to fight a battle in your head (or at least they do in mine :d).  You start to think of all the things you could say about why you either agree or disagree and.... that's where we have a choice.  I have a choice to either continue to allow those negative thoughts to overflow my brain and spill out my mouth or I can stop right there...pray for the Lord's strength to support and love my husband and trust that He is in control.  And honestly knowing that your husband is a Christian and desires to please the Lord does make this easier.  I have to trust that Jesus will speak to Dylan and continue to work through him and change him from the inside out (just like I'm sure Dylan has to do for me too!).

Love these two SO much!!

3. Learn to relax and allow him to control his day.
This has been another one of those areas that has been a struggle for me to embrace.  I come from a very scheduled household (which is, I believe necessary when you have so many people in the house :)) and my personality is the type that likes to accomplish everything I know that needs to get done as soon as possible so I can then sit back and relax.  However my husband has a much more laid back personality and prefers to enjoy some quality time with Adelyn and I in the morning before he leaves for work.  This really used to bug me (and sometimes I still let it) but I've learned a couple things.
First, don't look at the clock!  This little trick has really helped me to stay relaxed and enjoy the time I have with him.
Second, don't try to schedule his day.  If I think he should leave by 10AM I become disappointed, frustrated, and moody when he doesn't leave right when I want him to.  Instead of embracing his timing and trusting that he is fully capable of ordering his day without my assistance (which he is) I ruin the minutes I have with him because of my negative thinking and grouchy attitude.

Well, that's a brief look into my wifely walk lately :).  I'm definitely still learning and the Lord is continuing to chisel me into the wife and mother He's called me to be.  So thankful for His guidance and strength in this amazing journey.  I couldn't be more blessed!

God bless you all.  Until next time...
Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah ;)

Confessions...

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us LAY ASIDE every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us RUN WITH ENDURANCE the race that is set before us, LOOKING UNTO JESUS...."
Hebrews 13:1-2a

My husband and I read this chapter for devotions recently and I was reviewing it again today as it really convicted me then.

Lately I've been very busy worrying and being selfish and lets just say that doesn't make a great person to get around with.
The first thing that convicted me was that I was not laying aside EVERY weight and EVERY sin that was ensnaring me.  Instead I was trying to fix things in my own strength and ignoring the sins in my life.   I would give my burdens up to the Lord and almost instantly try to bear them again in my own strength.  I would be upset and know that the battle between the flesh and the spirit was raging but would refuse to humble myself and be corrected by the Lord.  Pride, the biggest weed in the garden of my heart, has made it difficult to see what exactly Jesus has been trying to show me and perfect in me.  I've been so busy with "life" and "me" that I've forgotten to walk in the Spirit (or have been ignoring the gentle corrections of the Spirit).

Why is it so important to lay aside every weight and sin?  Because we have a race to run and it requires endurance.  This race is oftentimes hard, long, and tiring; its the race of life, the life Jesus has for each and ever one of us (and it'll look different for each and every one of us).  This race has its hills and valleys, its dark times and its glory but its impossible to truly run it for the glory of the Lord unless we're unencumbered by the stresses of life and the sins of our hearts.  That's why we must first lay everything aside and THEN look to Jesus!  We cannot run this race alone...and we don't have to!  We, I, must keep my eyes on Him, "the author and finisher of my faith".  Without Him I am nothing...truly!  I am so thankful for His grace and forgiveness, even when I've strayed from the path He has wanted me on!!

So that's the latest thing the Lord's been teaching me...what has He been doing in your life?

Learning to delight in Jesus, every moment of every day!
Hannah :)

The goodness of God

Why do we have the pleasures of life, if God is not good?
Why do we have the joy of watching a newborn baby smile and coo, if God is not good?
Why do we have the honor of watching the frozen wonderland of winter melt into the warm vibrant colors of spring , if God is not good?
Why do we have the beauty of a sunrise every morning and the splendor of a sunset every night, if God is not good?
Why do we get to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the magnificence of a starry night, if God is not good?
Why do we have the privilege of enduring love and God-centered marriage, if God is not good?
Why do we have a warm home, a comfy bed, good food and clothing, if God is not good?
Why do we have the benefit of listening to the happy melody of birds and the noisy songs of crickets, if God is not good?
Why does the sea abound with creatures great and small for us to admire and appreciate, if God is not good?
Why does the land  also hold many animals, each uniquely and wonderfully made, if God is not good?
Why do we get the value of close relationships with people in this lost world, if God is not good?

But even if we did not have these pleasures,
The joy of a newborn child,
The changing of seasons,
The glory of the sunrise and sunset,
The splendor of the skies,
The beauty of love and marriage,
The comforts of life,
The  creativity of each insect and animal,
And the honor of relationships,
God would still be good.

His goodness is not based on what He’s created or blessed us with.; God’s goodness is who He is.  God IS good, its part of His nature; just as much as chocolate is to chocolate cake (yes, I‘m hungry J)!  The key is remembering this when times get tough.  Its so easy for me to base the goodness of God on what I have or don’t have, but in reality that doesn’t change a thing.  God is good ALL the time and ALL the time God is good!  Since we’ve established this fact we should have no fear because we know “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
And it is this very goodness of God that drew us to Himself so that we might be saved (Romans 2:4).  Wow!  What a glimpse into the character and awesomeness of our God!
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is GOOD!  For His mercy endures forever!”
Psalm 118:1

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah  ;)

My sister and her adventure

For years my sister, Alexis, has grown and developed a love for music.  She has been gifted with a beautiful voice and the ability to create amazing songs on the piano!  I too am a pianist but playing by ear is not my thing :).  Lexi, on the other hand prefers to not look at sheet music and just go off of what sounds right...and she does a great job!  This has enabled her to also pick up a little bit of fiddle (I say a little bit but she can play quite well!) and guitar but that's another story.

At the beginning of this year Lexi felt led to try out for something called Actors, Models, and Talent for Christ.  I don't know all the details but she explains more about it on her blog.  Anyway, she tried out in the music division and was accepted!!  She now is undergoing a couple months of training to refine her skills and then at the end of this year she'll be participating in a huge conference down in Florida.  At this conference she will perform the songs she's been working on all year in front of movie producers, recording agents, big time music artists, etc.  They will then have the ability to contact her and possibly use her professionally in the near future.

Her goal in all of this is to be used for the glory of God in whatever way He sees fit.  This training and conference is not free however and so she's looking to raise support.  If you feel so led please look her up on her blog: 2alexisnoel.blogspot.com

Also, please check out her blog, for more information and updates as the year progresses!
I'm so proud of you, Lex and I know the Lord will use You for His purposes if you stay close to Him.  Don't give up.  Don't give in.  I'm praying for you!

I love you bunches!
Hannah :) 

Adelyn Grace

Well, I've always loved reading birth stories and its still very surreal to know I now have one to share :)!  Its been three weeks since the start of it all and the arrival of our precious daughter.  I want to remember her story for my own sake and for hers.  Only an awesome, living God could create such a beautiful perfect gift!

I'll start at the very beginning....we'd only been in our home 3 weeks when I had a suspicion that I was pregnant.  I told Dylan I thought I might be but it was too early to be sure.  He talked to his brother who gave us some pregnancy tests that his wife had on hand.  After a fun-filled evening over at the Wagner's we arrived home around 11:30pm.  I was so anxious to know if my feelings were right that I took a pregnancy test...not really expecting it to come back positive because I was so early.  Well, after waiting the 10 minutes I came back to check the test and was pleasantly surprised to see two pink lines!  I took another test in the morning just to be sure and that too came back positive; we were going to have a baby (an answer to my prayers)!!

The pregnancy was a breeze!  I had barely any morning sickness and once the first trimester was done I felt great!  I was able to help Dylan with the lawn business a little during the summer and fall as well as keep up an exercise routine.  I think staying active really kept me from becoming too uncomfortable...even the last few weeks.  We found a like minded Christian midwife (Sara) in KS, about 3 hours from our home, who had a beautiful birthing suite that we were told we could use (she does not deliver in our state due to the strict laws regarding midwives and home birth).

My family arrived on Friday, January 16th to visit and hopefully have a chance to see their new grandchild/niece!  I was having a good amount of Braxton Hicks that week but nothing painful or really noticeable.  I knew my body was prepping and I was excited!

Wednesday night, January 21st, Dylan arrived home late and was taking a shower while I was relaxing on the bed reading a good book.  I sat up to readjust my position and felt a squirt of fluid.  I thought I had accidentally gone to the bathroom on myself so I hurried to the restroom to change my underwear.  I waited a couple minutes but nothing really happened so I went to stand up when another squirt of fluid convinced me that I wasn't having problems "holding it" but rather was leaking amniotic fluid!  It was around 11PM Wednesday night.  I got myself situated with a towel between my legs and then let my mom know (as she was coming with us) and called the midwife.  She said we could come over right now or wait until contractions started.  Thinking I would be more comfortable at home, we opted to wait a little while.  Well, around midnight I started having some contractions on and off but nothing really consistent.  Around 3 am I decided I wanted to go ahead and go just in case.  After collecting all of our birthing supplies, pillows, and food we climbed into my dad's Chevy truck and headed down the road.  Fortunately we only had to turn around once to get the baby car seat we almost forgot :)!

On the way there my contractions were pretty consistent; every 6-8 minutes.  I breathed through them but they weren't hard.  Once we got there the midwife encouraged us to rest so we laid down for a few hours.  I didn't really sleep though.  I was just too excited and nervous.

The contractions really slowed while we were resting so Sara encouraged us to walk around, take an herbal concoction to help start labor, smell essential oils, etc.  Around 3 PM Dylan, Momma, Mom Wagner (she arrived while we were napping), and I decided to walk around the park in town (about 20 minutes away).  Almost as soon as we arrived back at the midwife's an hour or so later, the contractions really picked up and active labor began.  The toilet was a relaxing spot in early labor but soon I was pacing the rooms, stopping to lean on something during contractions, and moaning softly.  At 7:30PM Sara offered to check me and I was pleasantly surprised that I was already at 5 cm and 95% effaced!  Yay...halfway through!

Well, honestly after that details become really blurred in my memory.  I decided to get in the tub and things really picked up.  Unfortunately Adelyn's heart rate would drop pretty low through contractions but then would go back up to a normal range in between.  However it was low enough that I had to be on oxygen during contractions.  That wasn't fun...especially since I was feeling like I couldn't do it.  Dylan was a great help and support through the entire labor and stayed attentively by my side. What a great husband I have!  Sara checked me again at 10:45 PM and I was 7 1/2 cm with baby's head REALLY low.   I labored a little while longer in the tub but was really uncomfortable and having really bad back pain during contractions.  Because of Adelyn's fluctuating heart I had to stay in certain positions so she could get the most oxygen possible.  That really limited my maneuverability and I wish now that I could've moved around more.
Finally it was time to push but Sara moved me to the bed to deliver.  I laid on my left side and began pushing.  Only about 15 minutes of pushing (which actually didn't hurt as much as I thought) Adelyn Grace joined our little family!  I had one small tear above my perineum but other than that I was good!

Its been an amazing three weeks since I became a mommy!  God is so good and He has blessed me with the fulfillment of this my biggest dream...to be a wife and a mom!  I'm looking forward to the future and what He wants to do with this little life that He's given us for a time.  My prayer is that she would come to know Jesus at a young age and be used for His glory!

Hope to post again soon! :)
Learning more about Jesus every day!
Hannah