the day she surprised us all

My body continued to show many signs that I was in labor, and then contractions would stop. There is a name for this kind of labor but I can't remember (prodromal labor). On Friday, May 8th I went to my midwife appointment feeling like things might be nearing the end (in pregnancy that is). I chose not to be checked since I had a long drive home with four kids and I didn't want to chance going into full blown labor while trying to manage traffic.

Saturday morning arrived. Caleb advised that I call the midwife team. So I did. They came at 4pm in the afternoon while I was having irregular contractions but those contractions were good ones because I was 8cm when they got here! After a couple hours of walking around, eating dinner and roasted marshmallows, climbing stairs, I was checked and fully dilated.  But still no desire to push and no regular contractions.

On the toilet I went. When the first tricky contraction came I knew it would be REALLY fast. I had no desire to have the baby in our nasty looking bright green bathroom so I walked over the my bed where the team was waiting there. I stood at the side of my bed and crouched down with each pushing contraction. As I felt a head come, everything in me wanted it to stop but I made a choice to use all power to push our baby out. My mind was so focused that I had no idea where anyone was. Caleb later told me that he was right there next to me but I have no remembrance of that. So I pushed my baby out standing near the bed and my midwife immediately gave her to me. I was so surprised that she was a girl!

I am so blessed to be given another wonderful birth experience. God clearly told me to just TRUST as I had doubts when contractions were not regular. He was in my home and planned every moment from start to finish.

Ariane Nasia Lange is her name. And we love her.

Our New Life

How does one begin a birth story? At conception? At 20 week gestation? At the first knowings of the beginning of labor? After all, God himself had this life planned since the very beginning of time. And I stood on that while some wondered why on earth would I welcome another baby after having four prior in a short time. I don't have to defend myself and point out scripture and go deep down into why I believe my sweet butterball squishy girl was meant to be because I know without a shadow of a doubt that she always was.

God planted this peanut into my womb before we even moved and we kept it between husband and wife for sometime. We wanted to keep our news to ourselves for a bit and share when led (and obviously when people saw some growth happening!).

The pregnancy went so well with some struggles towards the end. At 30ish weeks the itching started and grew very strong. It was determined that I had PUPPS and was only going to go away after the baby was delivered. There were long nights of physical discomfort and frustration when I didn't even know how to pray. I had to make a decision to thank God for this baby when the itching was unbearable.  This season was the start of an amazing lesson of what God really means when he says that joy comes after thanksgiving.

I decided not to really look to my due date as fact. Especially since all my children have been 10 days or more past that set date. But as that "date" approached, my body began to give signs that baby would come maybe before the 10-days-late day. We suspected that this one was a boy for a few reasons. Midwives, siblings, and parents all called baby "he" while I thought of potential boy names.

(To be completed when baby snoozes and others are occupied...)

And it goes on

And then one July day, an offer was made on the house. One that would ensure a break even walk away (not counting all the repairs and upgrades!). Our Realtor was skeptical that the appraisal would back the offer up. "It doesn't mean anything if the appraisal doesn't match...". Glorious. Just glorious. I was told to get the kids out of the house when the lady came to see how much our house was worth. But I stayed. I'm glad that I did. When she said "If you had an air conditioner in that top bedroom, then I could count it..." I was there to tell her where it was. The appraisal went through!

It was July 4th weekend and we needed to find a place to live in Fredericksburg. We searched that weekend and put in an offer on a dumpy foreclosure (and won!). Oh it needed lots of work and smelled of cigarettes but we are young and love to see potential.

The sale on the Richmond house was smooth and went through the first week of August. The backlog on our new house was weeks away.

We would be homeless for a month (so we thought!) but some great friends stepped up, laid down their lives, and welcomed us in. We each have four kids to our name, 8 combined. We chipped in with meals and made it work wonderfully and can still say that we're friends today! Our friends really showed us what it means to sacrifice to help others. To go outside of their comfort zone to help (love) a neighbor.

So one month turned into three. The government is not known for being quick with paperwork that's for sure! On Oct. 3rd, we closed and had the open door to start working on our new "smoke house".

 The kids helped us rip up nasty carpet and pull thousands of staples.

                                                
Wall paper coming down in the dining room and kitchen.

 We all worked HARD to make the new place "livable"

 This is how we lived for a few weeks. But looking back, it really was a short season.

 So glad this guy is the handiest thing ever!