Kruis Connection: October 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

More pictures

At the hospital

Aunt Ysa with Hannah

Hannah Joy the day she was born

Me and Aunt Ysa

Hannah with her grandma (Oma)

Hannah with her other grandma (BB)

Hannah with her great-grandma Zepeda and her grandpa (papi)

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Our little Hannah Joy was born Friday October 26, 2012 at 7:37am. My labor began on Thursday but really didn't kick into gear until 4am Friday morning. It was at this point I knew I was in labor but still only having uncomfortable contractions that were 8 minutes apart. I kept thinking I couldn't possibly be in active labor because I wasn't in pain. I started having the contractions that take your breath away at 5am so at that point J and I got ready to head to the hospital. My mom was already at our home and was ready to watch the girls. We got to the hospital and were checking in at 6:30am when my contractions were getting a little more intense but I was still having 5-8 minute breaks between them when I felt fine. Once I was in the triage room the nurse checked me and I was 7 cm already. I couldn't believe I was that far along. By the time they got me to the delivery room I was 8 cm. My dad had just finished his shift at 7am at Baylor and walked into the room as the nurse was announcing I was at 9cm. At this point I was still holding out hope for an epidural because I have never delivered naturally before and wasn't interested in trying to. I guess you could say that was one of my worst fears, pushing out a baby without any pain medication. Well, I guess God wanted me to face my worst fear because when the nurse happily announced I was complete and ready to push, I started to cry knowing there was no hope of an epidural.

Jason saw the look of fear on my face when they told me it was time to push and immediately he started to pray for me. He reminded me that Christ perfects us through our sufferings and that our sufferings only last for a while and not for eternity. The bible tells us we are not to fear the things of this world including our sufferings. Instead we are to put our hope and trust in Christ and know that he will give us the grace and mercy we need to endure all of the sufferings we encounter in this life. By being fearful I am not trusting in Christ and resting in the peace he offers. With some good biblical truth spoken in my ear I was able to calm down and know that God was going to bring me through the suffering and pain of child birth. So began the pushing and yes, the pain but I was no longer fearful. Feeling Hannah come out was unlike anything I had ever experienced but the moment she was pulled out all I could feel was joy and excitement. Once she was out I yelled, 'I did it naturally' just in case the nursing staff didn't know I had done this without an epidural. It wasn't until later I realized I had pushed out a 9 lb baby!!! It took 1 hour from the time we arrived at the hospital until the moment Hannah was born and what an hour that was :)

My dad was so excited to be there for Hannah's birth. He delivered Claire and was heart broken to be in California while Grace was being delivered in Texas. He was a very calming and excited coach to have next to my side. What a blessing to have such calming men by my side as I faced my fear.

Thinking back on my labor and delivery a friend was reminding me that the pain of childbirth is a direct result of sin. The bible tells us that after Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden that Eve's punishment (and women forever after) was to have painful childbirth. There is so much imagery of birth pains, labor pains, and childbirth in the bible. Jason was reading to me from 1 Thessalonians 5:3 and it mentions the labor pains of a woman and how there is no escape from them. When the nurse told me I was 9 cm my flesh response to Jason was 'I don't want to do this' but of course I knew there was no escape. I had to go through labor and be in bondage without an escape route for as long as it would take. This imagery of sin was very powerful for me to think through after the birth of Hannah. We are in bondage to our sin without an escape and it is not until we have Christ that we can truly be freed from our bondage. The moment Hannah was pulled out I felt freedom and joy. In the same way I can say that as a believer I have freedom and joy knowing Christ has taken me from the bondage of sin.

Overall, I had many wonderful lessons to learn and to meditate on after this birth experience. We are overjoyed to have our little Hannah and know she is our reward, our heritage, and our blessing because the bible tells us that is what all children are (Psalm 127:3-5).

Hannah at 4 days old

With a full head of black hair, compliments of mommy

Her daddy thinks she looks just like big sister Claire did at this age

Big sister Claire

New big sister Grace

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

More Fall Fun

The girls went to yet another pumpkin patch and loved playing with the pumpkins, going on a hayride, feeding cows and donkeys, and spending time with friends. They were invited to a costume party so I dressed them up in their Christmas gift from Uncle Brandon and Aunt Amy. They were nice and warm in their Michigan Cheerleading outfits.

sisters having fun with the pumpkins

Getting ready for the hayride

Gracie and Daddy

Our family with a not so happy Claire

Posing with BB

They ate tons of Pirate Booty from the party

Encouragement

During my quiet time this morning I read a verse in Exodus 4:11 where God is talking to Moses and says, " Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? These type of verses always strike me because they remind me that God is in control of all things, not just the happy positive moments but in control of all of the moments of suffering. For me, there is comfort in knowing that God is sovereign over all of his creation and over all the suffering we go through in this life. Every time I am tempted to question why God has allowed something to happen in my life I remind myself that he is sovereign and good, and I have no right to question his decisions for my life. In line with this thinking I read this morning in Isaiah verses that talk about God's choices in our lives and how we have no right to criticize him.

Isaiah 45:5-7
I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.

Isaiah 45:9
"Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles'?

Isaiah 45:11-12
Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: "Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands? I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.

What a mighty God we serve! I know God is good and I want to love and serve him joyfully when my life is going great and when my life seems to be falling apart at the seams. "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Auntie Katie

We were so blessed to have Aunt Katie come and visit us. Claire had been anticipating this visit for weeks and could barely contain herself on the way to the airport. Claire couldn't get enough of her aunt and wanted to do everything Katie did. Aunt Katie does her hair with a bump and as soon as Claire saw it she wanted Katie to do her hair the same way. Gracie warmed up to Katie right away and both girls had so much fun soaking in all the attention. It was a wonderful time of love and sweet fellowship with my sister :) Here are some pictures of our week together.