Silas' Birth

The Lord has really blessed me this past week! On Saturday, July 4th, Silas was born! I had a great labor and delivery. Really, things couldn't have gone better and I am so thankful for all the ways the Lord granted us such an experience. I had been battling a bit of anxiety in the weeks and months prior to his birth as I wasn't looking forward to going through the unpleasantness of labor again. A few days prior to his birth though I finally became willing to go through anything that was necessary to birth this child, and as I let go of all those anxious thoughts, trusting simply in the Lord instead, His Peace quickly filled me. Interestingly, I felt like this new Peace and Joy affected every part of my life. It lifted my spirit and moods and atittudes so that they were more alive and fulfilling and focused less on mySELF. I felt more energy and excitement, and was ready and WILLING to have that baby any time! Well, first thing on Saturday morning after a good nights sleep I started experiencing those suspicous feelings and light contractions that make you wonder if "this is it". I decided within a couple hours that it WAS it and we headed off for the hospital. (I had actually commented to someone prior to this that it would be nice to just wake up some morning and then begin labor and have the baby:o) I had also been hoping the baby would be early, and noted that if this baby was nine days early, as Chara was, that he would be born the 4th. Interesting things!) Getting back to the events of the morning... upon arriving at the hospital they took me up to the OB floor and then hooked me up to a machine to monitor contractions and see if I was actually in labor. The contractions weren't unbearable or super close together, but definately getting stronger. After 3o minutes or so on the machine the midwife showed up, announced that I was already 8-9 cm, and said that they had better get me to a room! This was SO nice to hear but not too surprising because that baby had been feeling really low for weeks and I have a suspicion that I am one of those people who is probably in some type of early labor even weeks ahead of time. Well, they brought me to a room and then we sort of had to wait for about 20 minutes while they got some antibiotics into me. By that time I was at 10 cm. The next couple of contractions were even stronger, so I went for it, and pretty soon after that, at 11:25 a.m., Silas was born! What a morning! I am so thankful to the Lord for how everything went, and to my husband and friends who were there with me through all of it, and whose support and encouragement was so valuable.