Pictures

Our wonderful and very talented photographer has some pictures of Kailey on her website if anyone's interested. Go to www.memorablemomentsphotography.com and scroll down until you see the album marked "Kailey." There are some precious ones of her with her sweet daddy! Thank you, Kristin, for more wonderful memories captured!

She's Here!

As most of you know, Kailey Abigail arrived on Monday, November 13th at 3:11pm. The birth went beautifully and we thoroughly enjoyed realizing our dream of having her at home. It was a tremendous experience of realizing the Lord's grace and strength and I absolutely loved being prayed over by my midwife and constantly reminded by her of God's presence there with us. John was incredible and it was so enjoyable having him take over the main role of coaching and supporting me through the birth instead of his playing backup to the doctors. He was strong, steady and there were moments I hung on to him for dear life! : ) Of course, when he caught his baby girl as she made her entrance into the world, he fell madly in love and I think he's pretty much hooked for life. What a tremendous daddy he is. Kailey weighed in at 8lbs. 7oz. and 21 inches. The midwife thinks my dates were a little off and she was a good two weeks early. Think about those stats in another two weeks! Whew! I'll have a better picture soon but for now this is the best I can find. Her brother hasn't paid a whole lot of attention to her yet but that is slowly changing. He gives her the occasional very sweet kiss or pat and it just melts my heart to see the beginning of their sibling relationship. We couldn't be happier and Thanksgiving is very special this year as we especially thank God for the blessing of the new little life in our family. Thanks to all of you for your prayers for all of us! God is so good!

Waiting

That seems to be the word that best describes my life right now. I feel ready, eager, and excited to meet my baby girl! I'm also extremely anxious to be comfortable again! I was praying the other day and asking God to help me to see what He had for me to learn or how I could grow during these last days of my pregnancy. See, my theory on pain, hardship or discomfort is that I never want to endure it without growing - what a waste of something I could be gaining from! So, as I was praying I felt that He gave me this picture of how He feels about me and all of us. He waits patiently, preparing a place and longing for the day when we will join Him in His home. He knows that the birth itself will be a painful process and require our physical bodies dying but the love and joy that await make that "labor" seem as nothing. Obviously His view of time is very different than what my finite mind understands but to me it was precious thinking of His patience as I live my time here until He can call me home. I know that my imperfect love for my daughter in no way compares to His love for me and it makes me eagerly anticipate what He could have waiting that makes my pink nursery seem like a paper box. He is sharing this time with me, understanding my feelings, and we will both wait for the perfect time that He knows. What a sweet and loving Lord!

Romans 8:18-25

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."