Monday, April 28, 2008

Babies and Motherhood

Our friend Shauna's beautiful decorating...
Anna and I in our tea attire...
Shauna, Anna, Myself, & Monique... The party planners...
Me and Mystery baby at 29 weeks...

Last weekend we had a garden tea shower for my friend Anna... she is due six weeks before me (and I must admit i am a little jealous that she gets to go first cuz it's been crazy HOT here, and being big and hot is not my favorite thing :) But I can hardly wait to meet this baby so I will endure with great joy :)

Anyways it was a real treat to celebrate with her and all our friends... As we are in the time in our lives when friends have been married for a few years and are having kids left and right, I feel so grateful for each baby that he brings... thankful for quick, easy labor... thankful for precious new life... thankful for kind, loving friends who overwhelm with love and support and good food and laughter...

Yesterday i went to visit my friend Miranda who nearly lost her life in childbirth a few weeks ago... and My God performed a HUGE miracle and literally brought her back to life. She had something called an amniotic ambulism (you can look it up online for all the details)... Anyways, every time I look at the girl, I am in awe of God's amazing power and hand in our lives... He clearly has a plan for my friend... The love between her and her husband is such a treat to watch.. When I was there yesterday my friend Beth was playing worship and Bryce (Miranda's husband) got up and walked across the room to his wife and squeezed himself in between her and another friend that was sitting next to her, then as we continued to sing, he just gazed at her like there was nothing else in the world that he would rather be doing than looking at her beautiful face!!!! It blessed my little heart so much!!!

When worship and prayer were over, Miranda started telling us about some of the things that had happened to her in the hospital, one being a visit from those lovely lactation consultants... I know that although they are often very helpful you have to admit that some of the things that they do are flat out hilarious... And of course when she started talking about (and demonstrating:) some of the things that they were doing to "help" her I totally got the giggles again... I was laughing so hard that I was crying... Thank you Lord that there is humor in the "new" things of motherhood... I feel like when we become mothers we have two choices of how to respond to all the newness... we can cry (which happens inevitably, no matter how strong of a person you are) or we can laugh until we cry :)... The latter is a lot more fun... So thank you Miranda for letting me laugh until I cried... And thank you Anna for letting me be a part of this amazing time in your life when you welcome your "fearfully and wonderfully made" daughter into your family!!! I love you both...