Birth Day Diaries

Birthday Diaries: Entry Eleven

She's getting ready to push. Please pray.

Birthday Diaries: Entry Ten

She's hit transition. Feeling nauseated; got the shakes- all good signs. Still needs to dilate a bit more before pushing. We are getting excited!

Birthday Diaries: Entry Nine

She is making slow but steady progress. The doc just checked and she is at 7 cm. We will keep you updated.

Birthday Diaries: Entry Eight

Still waiting...no new news. I did find a great candy store on my last exploritory trip. So we are all sugared up (except poor Nicole who is stuck with ice chips) for the next few hours.

Birthday Diaries: Entry Seven

Baby Tori was not moving fast enough for the doctor so he just stopped by to break Nicole's water. Epidural is doing its job so no pain. Nicole has made it to 4 cm.

Birthday Diaries: Entry Six

The waiting game continues. They just upped her Pitocin so things may start to pick up soon.

Birthday Diaries: Entry Five

I just scoped out the cafeteria and things look promising. There is a Blimpie Subs (lunch today) and a Starbucks in the lobby. Great start. I went for a Cherry Coke and Sun Chips for my mid morining snack. Oh, Nicole just got the epidural and is now enjoying some ice chips. Nicole wants you to know that the doctor said that she was stellar!

Birthday Diaries: Entry Four

We had a contraction! Well, I should say that Nicole had a contraction. It was rather dramatic. Nicole stood up when it first came on and she almost passed out. The nurse had to use smelling salts and call all available personnel to the room stat! They stopped the Pitocin until the epidural arrives so we are back to laughing and having fun. I got a picture of her right after the contraction along with Kristin fixing her back up before the next one hits.

Birthday Diaries: Entry Three

A quick pic of our girl...

Birthday Diaries: Entry Two

Okay, we are all checked in to the hospital and Nicole is doing great! IV is in and she is getting filled with fluid. She is 2 centimeters dilated. She isn't in any pain yet, but she has been asking anyone that pokes their head into her room (doctors, nurses, cafeteria workers) if they can give her an epidural. The nurse just came in to start Pitocin, so things should start to pick up here soon. I haven't checked out the cafeteria here yet, but I will keep you updated on all fronts as things progress.

Birth Day Diaries: Entry One

This “first thing in the morning picture” was Janelle’s idea, so you can blame her if it’s a bit too much to take in before your coffee. At least she was brave enough to do it first. As you can tell, I’m not quite awake in this shot—only able to get one eye fully open. But I’ve had my shower now (although not my usual cup of coffee with three scoops of sugar!) so I’m semi-awake and we’re ready to take off. Actually, I’m late (as usual), but in this case they can’t start without me.

Before I leave (and Janelle takes over posting) I want to thank you for your prayers. So many of you have told me you are praying for me today and as we’ve quoted Mr. Spurgeon before on this blog, there is no truer kindness you can do me.

I look forward to introducing you to my new daughter Tori later today!

Sweet Caly and a Mother’s Heart

I want to personally thank all of you for the love and encouragement that you have showered upon Mike and Janelle--not only this past week, but throughout Janelle's pregnancy. Mike and Janelle are staying with us for several days, and both catching up on much-needed sleep in between Caly's feedings. Caly is eating very well, and sleeping a lot, as newborns do. My little granddaughter is truly a gift from God!

A reader, Desiree, sent us the following quote by Elisabeth Prentiss on the birth of one of her children. It beautifully expresses the heart of a mother, and thus, I think it is a fitting way to close out this special week. (But don't worry, Friday Funnies will be along before the day is through!)

Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God; and the body in which it dwells is worthy all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in God's name, I will make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother's heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, her life-long prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!

May God continue to bless all of you mothers who "make a willing sacrifice" of your leisure time to train your children's souls for God!

Caly Comes Home and Mom’s Advice

To Janelle’s great relief, she and Caly were discharged from the hospital this afternoon. They were delayed an extra hour and a half to test Caly for jaundice (she was looking a tad yellow) but thankfully, it wasn’t serious enough to keep her. So Mike and Janelle brought their little girl home.

As Janelle begins to care for Caly, she will no doubt receive much wise counsel from Mom. She’ll learn how to swaddle Caly (a trick I never got the hang of), what to do when she won’t stop crying, and invaluable tips for putting the little girlie on a schedule. There’s no underestimating the difference practical help from an older woman can make when it comes to caring for a new baby.

But I already know the most helpful piece of mothering advice that Mom will give her. It’s the same advice she gave to Kristin and me. It’s simple enough for even a new mom’s sleep-deprived brain to comprehend. But oddly enough, it’s something I often forget. It’s two words: TRUST GOD.

In an article currently running on Crosswalk.com, Mom elaborates on this bit of mothering wisdom she has sought to teach her daughters:

Faith toward God is the foundation of effective mothering. Did you catch that? Here it is again: Faith toward God is the foundation of effective mothering. Success as a mother doesn’t begin with hard work or sound principles or consistent discipline (as necessary as these are). It begins with God: His character, His faithfulness, His promises, His sovereignty. And as our understanding of these truths increases, so will our faith for mothering. You see, it is relatively easy to implement new practices in parenting. But if our practices (no matter how useful) aren’t motivated by faith, they will be fruitless.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God as a mother. We can diligently apply every tip from every book and still not be effective mothers. More than likely we’ll be frazzled and anxious! Instead, must begin by looking to God—meditating on His character and relying on His promises. Only then will we find all the strength, wisdom, and peace we need to glorify God in our mothering.

Baby Caly and Thoughts for Mothers

Little Caly is two days old today, and eating and sleeping well. Tomorrow, Janelle gets to come home from the hospital. She’s doing everything possible to be outside those doors by 11:00 am—including filling out all the discharge papers today. Thanks to all of you for your prayers on her behalf. Janelle is feeling much better. She got a shower this morning, and she is actually able to hold Caly for extended periods of time, which “makes her feel like a real mom.”

Last night Brian and I, along with Andrew and Liam were able to visit Mike and Janelle at the hospital, and let the boys meet their new cousin. I have a feeling we are going to be saying, “gentle, boys, gentle” a lot in the coming days. Our entire family is enchanted with this new little girlie. The last time a girl was added to our family, it was Janelle!

All our excitement over Caly has us thinking about motherhood of course. So, we thought you wouldn’t mind if we camp out here for a few days. Besides being one of the greatest blessings from God, motherhood is also a tremendous responsibility. Not only is there the immediate adjustment to caring for a little life—twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week—but the charge to (along with our husbands) train our children in the way they should go (Prov. 22:6) is a weighty task.

To help encourage young moms such as myself, our church hosted a series of meetings last year entitled “Moms2Moms.” In addition to free babysitting and small group time with other moms of toddlers, we got to hear teaching aimed right where we are at.

So, if your baby is only two days old or two years old, take some time to listen to these short, practical, and refreshing thoughts for your soul. We’ll be back tomorrow with more on motherhood!

Baby Caly Update

Baby Caly is doing great! Janelle didn't get much sleep last night, and she's in some pain today; but overall, a very happy mommy! Mike and Janelle and our entire family want to thank all of you for your prayers, encouragement, and for sharing in our joy. We printed all the emails you sent and brought them to the hospital today for Janelle to read. It has been such a blessing for Mike and Janelle to share this exciting event with all of you!