Friday, January 22, 2016

The Best Gift of 2015

Hi friends! I'm enjoying a cool, rainy afternoon while my babies sleep, and I want to tell you a little about our family's greatest gift from this past year: our daughter, Miss A! Born August 31, she has been a delight, and in many ways her birth and first few months have been full of God's redemption and light.



I started 2015 with the news that we would be having another baby, and I was overjoyed but also wary. My first pregnancy coincided with fundraising in the U.S., losing a dear relative to cancer, and my mom being hospitalized with pneumonia a few weeks before she planned to travel to Honduras for our son's birth, which ended up being via C-section, followed by feeding issues. When I reflect on the months before and after Mr. J's birth, the adjectives that comes to mind are "dark" and "drained." I loved my baby, but difficult circumstances clouded the joy of his arrival, and I began to feel anxious about what a second time around would be like.


My Bible study group and some close friends prayed for me to have peace and trust in the Lord, and He answered in His love, mercy, and redemption. Here are a few ways that happened:

  • Pregnancy was healthy, peaceful, and, for the most part, enjoyable. Unlike the first time, I was strong and rested, even in the final weeks.

  • I had a much better C-section experience and opportunity to enjoy Miss A; her first hours of life will be some of my most cherished memories.
  • My mom was able to come for her birth, at the hospital with me that first day, helping in countless ways at our home for five weeks, encouraging me and giving of herself in a way I hope I can do for my daughter someday.
  • I felt buoyed by prayer support during the first few weeks postpartum.
  • Miss A has been a dream when it comes to feeding, and she's in the 80th percentile for weight and height.
  • Mr. J has been happy to have a sister from the very beginning, and their sibling relationship is blossoming (the exception being when Miss A, who is learning to grab objects, steals her brother's blankie, an unpardonable offense).
Of course, the past five months have not been without challenges, but God has reassured us with His presence and answered prayers specifically and powerfully. Thank you to all who have prayed for Miss A and for our family in this time of adjustment. May the Lord be glorified in her life, and may she always know that, as her name means, she is dearly loved. She is now awake and talking to me, so I better get going before her brother wakes up to join the fun!

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