The birth.

Heading up to the labor ward around midnight.

For several days before Jubilee was born, I had been wondering if I would make it to my pre-scheduled March 12th due date.  My body felt like it was gearing up for birth and although I hoped that it was the sensation some women have for weeks before their babies come, I had a hard time believing I was going to continue on like that for weeks.  As Scotty and I laid down for bed Monday night, he asked if I had the phone numbers I would need for doctors if something happened in the night.  I told him I did, but that I thought things would be fine at least until the morning, at which point I had an appointment already scheduled to see my doctor.  Well, a little before midnight when I got up to use the bathroom, the explosion of my water breaking signaled that we were on our way to meeting our little girl!  I sat in the bathroom, a little shaky, a little nervous, a little excited.  The same thing had happened with Zion- a totally unforeseen, surprising gush of water that left little room for other explanations.  I took a deep breath and called the number where I knew I could ask for a doctor on call and awaited further directions.  We didn't even know exactly how to get to the hospital!  I waited for a bit and finally a female voice picked up and said, "Lisa."  It wasn't a question, it was more of a statement.  "Lisa, this is actually Mags."  Mags!!  Maggie and Joel are friends that we have gotten to know and really enjoy in the small group we started attending at Vineyard.  She's been working for a short time at the hospital where I had planned to deliver and it's been nice to ask all my questions and express my niggling feelings to a friend that happens to also be an OB.  What a happy surprise to hear her voice on the line!  She told me to come in and assured me that my doctor would be notified and he would decide when to come in and do the C-section.  I couldn't help but think of how a friend from church had also been the doctor on call the night Zion was born.  What was God up to here?  We were excited and nervous as we threw our stuff in the car in the middle of the night- the exact scenario I had been praying would not happen.  But, I felt confident that things would turn out well this time.  The hospital was surprisingly busy and we were put in a temporary room, I was checked (only 1 cm dilated) and left to wait until Dr. Duff notified them of his plan.  Mags came back to share the news that he was not available and that she would do the surgery!  Although we were disappointed at first that he would not see the rest of the pregnancy out with us, I could not have wanted anyone other than a friend there and thought it was a fun and sweet little twist that God put on the story.  So, I was prepped and we tried to rest for a few hours while we waited to get into the OR.  My last experience in an OR was not a pleasant one- are they ever, really?  I prayed and prayed to control my nervousness and shaking (I'm sure there's a good reason they keep those places so cold) and felt much better once Scotty came in.  I also felt much better once my legs felt like bricks, as opposed to being able to wiggle my feet around when Zion was born.  That surgery was more painful than it should have been!  I happily distracted myself with Scotty while they cut away, trying not to think about what was happening in front of the green sheet but dying to hear the cry of my baby.  Oh, what a glorious noise!  Scotty told me he heard a faint cry from Zion when he was born, but I was already unconscious and never heard him make a sound.  To hear Jubilee's normal baby cry brought a huge smile to my face and a few sobs as well.  I will never forget that amazing sound.  I couldn't help but laughing and crying at the same time and saw her as soon as she was removed from my womb.  She was a lovely pink, not real big, and perfect.

Fresh out of the womb.

 As always, they whisked her away and all thoughts about anything else dissolved as I thanked God and enjoyed listening to her crying as they checked her out.  Scotty finally came back after a few minutes and I asked if she was doing well and if she had all her fingers and toes (what makes people ask that question, anyway?).  He said, "yeah, she has more than enough!  She has some extras."  What??  No, really- does she have them all?  He says, "she has an extra pinky on each hand!"  What??  Seriously, Scotty!  He assured me that she did in fact have a little extra digit that was not fully formed and didn't include any bone and would be quickly and easily removed a little later.  Weird!  Did she eat her twin?  How does this happen??  We found out later that it is normally a genetic trait that runs in families but there is none of that in either of our families (unless our parents are hiding something from us).  She later had them snipped off and now there is no sign of any sixth digit other than a tiny scab on each finger that is almost healed now.  Craziness.  So, things get wrapped up in the OR and I'm wheeled back to my temporary room and wait impatiently for Scotty to come back.  He comes without the baby, as the nurses had already assured me that in another hour or so I'd be able to see her.  Here, it helps having a friend as the doctor on call.  She pops in and I ask her if I can see Jubilee, at which point she talks to the nurses and escorts Scotty down to the nursery.  He is back shortly wheeling in our little girl!  Oh, she is so incredibly sweet and cuddly and little!  She latches immediately and we have a little nurse before they take us up a few floors to our permanent room upstairs.  The rest is a blur of sweet nurses and staff, interruptions by all manner of hospital people doing their job (including the cheeriest bunch of east European kitchen staff I've ever encountered), less sleep, and getting to know our new baby.  Natty was immediately drawn to her and did lots of happy dancing and singing around the hospital room.  Since then, she hasn't quite known what to do with her, but seems to respond well when I "talk" for Jubilee in a high pitched voice...I suppose she just wants to communicate with her and it's good enough when I do it.  We only had to stay 2 nights and were thrilled to leave with our incredibly healthy little peanut- driving away from the hospital in a fashion so different from that which we experienced with our beloved Zion.  To have it all done, to have reached the end and received the hoped for prize and to have completed this journey of pregnancy is a little surreal.  I can't believe it's over and I'm so glad in many ways that it is.  I've thought back many times over the whole experience- pin-pointing in my mind the details of God's constant faithfulness.  It's overwhelming, really.  It almost seems too good to be true.  I think we would find this a whole lot more with God if we would stop and really think about it.