Lesson learned

Do you ever have those moments where you learn a lesson from God through your kids?

I have had many of those, but had one in particular recently.

On Sunday, we talked about labels that we give to other people and labels we have ourselves. Kind of like a judging the book by the cover. During the service I thought to myself, yeah I tend to do that... Be too scared to talk to someone because they look different than me, or are unsure how they will respond to me. How awful is that? I was reminded that it doesn't matter what they look like, I need to look at them like God looks at all of us, His Children.

Keeli really made it hit home later that day. There was a new family at church that day and they have a girl who is just a few months older than Keeli. After church, we were getting ready to leave. I realized that Keeli wasn't with us and I had no clue where she went. So, I went searching for her. When I found her, she was hugging this little girl whom she just met earlier that day! Wow!

I often times feel like she displays God's love better than I do. It doesn't matter to kids who their parents are, or where they come from. They just become friends so quickly. It touched my little heart to see Keeli showing God's love to another little girl. She probably doesn't even realize what she was doing, but it sure had an impact on me. Thanks Keeli for teaching me these lessons.

Andrea

Reflections on Kellen's birth

Some quite time! Both kids sleeping! We are starting to make it a habit to come to the church for nap time. There is a big swing here that Keeli loves, which means i get some quiet time (that is if Kellen cooperates) So i am finally getting around to posting about the birth of child number two.

The day before Kellen was due we went to our normal prenatal check up. Our OBGYN was talking to us about what to look out for in regards to the risks of VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). He told us a story about his wife, who's uterus almost ruptured with their 3rd child. She was planning on just having a scheduled c-section and had a lot of pain at her old incision site. She ignored the pain and when she got into the OR they found her uterus wall to be only a few cells thick. Yikes! 

Well of course this frightened me a little bit. He just wanted me to know what to look out for. I had previously been having pain at my old incision site that I had brought up to him awhile back, but hadnt had any in a few weeks. He told me to walk a lot and drink plenty of water to try and get labor started. So thats what I did. Doctors orders right? That leaves us to where Kent started off the story a month ago. You can find that story here.

I have no doubt that God had His hand in all of this. If my OBGYN hadnt told me what to look out for and the story of his wife, I would have ignored the pain like his wife had. I am very grateful that we have a healthy baby boy and that this situation was caught and controled like it was. Yes that day was quite exhausting and well that hasnt really stopped, but it was well worth it.

The staff at the hospital were so good to us! Everything went very smoothly!

I often think about what would have happened had we not moved and got a new OBGYN. I never felt as comfortable with any of the doctors back in Cincy as I do with mine here. Would I have even told them about the pain I was feeling, or just discounted it as "normal" after a c-section? What would have happened had my doctor not told me the story about his wife? Things could have turned out much differently. As I look back to all of the details that surrounded the birth of Kellen, I can see God's protective hand throughout it all. I am forever grateful to have this bundle in my arms!

Going into the c-section, I had such a peace. I wasn't nervous at all! I trusted the hands that were going to take care of me and knew God was looking out for us! I was able to have my OBGYN perform the c-section, he was on call that night anyway. If it had been the next week, who knows what would have happened because my doctor would have been out of the office.

I am humbled by the thought of how much God cares about me. I am just one person out of billions on this earth, yet he had his hand in our circumstances. What could have been a disaster, turned out to be beautiful! Praise God!!

-Andrea

Kellen's Birth

     When creating this blog, Andrea and I were definitely planning on blogging more often than we have.  We have a lot to blog about considering all of the life transitions we have gone through in the past couple months.  A huge adjustment is going to be adjusting to 2 kids rather than one.  I decided to take advantage of the all the time I have on my hands here in the hospital.

     Kellen came as a surprise to most people, and our Facebook post mentioned an "emergency C-Section."  Let me briefly tell of yesterday's events.

    Andrea called me while I was at the church working on the sermon and told me that she was having sharp pains along her incision from her previous C-Section.  We thought it best she contact the dr even though we had just seen him the previous day.  He got us in to see him yesterday afternoon.  The big worry was the possibility of the uterus weakening along the incision and possible rupture. So they put Andrea on the monitor for a while to measure her contractions.  She had dilated 2 centimeters the last 24 hours.  At this point we decided that VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-section) was not a risk we were willing to take.  If Andrea was having sharp pains with minor contractions, not being in active labor yet, there was going to be a great amount of pain in real labor, as well as the risk of rupture.  It was recommended that we head over to the hospital to be monitored longer before deciding a course of action.

    They monitored Andrea for about two hours and encouraged us to give up on VBAC (we already had) and have a C-Section.  They wanted to do it soon so as to decrease the risks of rupture as her contractions could progress (she wasn't really in active labor yet, but was definitely contracting, the contractions themselves weren't painful, but the incision pain that came with them was).  Since the doctor and the staff were all there already, and additional staff would have to be called in to do it in the morning, the doctor asked about doing it "right now."  We said "sure!"

    So while it was considered an "emergency C-Section" it wasn't such an emergency as to rush to the OR.  Once they were performing the surgery, we did hear them say "wow, the uterine wall is pretty thin.  We definitely made the right decision."  So no major issues, but had we not had the C-Section there definitely could have been! Mom and baby are doing great!

   Later we will blog about feelings and that kind of stuff... :)

Expectation of Child #2

     As most of you know, we are expecting child #2 (Kellen) any day. Actual due date is June 1st. As the day approaches, we have found ourselves feeling quite a bit different this time around. Kent's comments/feelings will be in blue and Andrea's comments/feelings will be in green.

Awaiting for Keeli

       As the days approached for us to meet Keeli, I had found out at this time that Keeli was breech. I was debating the best way to go about giving birth to her. I was given 2 options at the doctor's office:

• Option 1: have them do an external version. In other words, have two doctors push and pull on my belly to try and get Keeli to flip. 
• Option 2: have a c-section. 

       I really didn't like the option of either one. I remember taking to my friend Sara about this multiple times, as she went through the same thing a couple months before me. Kent and I finally came to the conclusion that having a C-section was going to be the best option. I was not for them pushing and pulling on my belly at all! I had also heard many horror stories, so i really didn't want to go there. 

      So it was decided, we were going to have a C-section. It was really nice to know when we were going to meet our new bundle of joy and that way we could be sure to have family there with us. My biggest fear was that I was going to be sliced open! I had never had any major surgery before, just mouth surgeries. Now I was going to let them slice all the way through me. I was assured when I realized how many times the doctor had done this and that it happens quite frequently. 

      Next was the fear of becoming a parent. I felt completely inadequate to be a mom. I had no idea what I was doing, and they were going to just let me take her home without much prep. Were they crazy?!? Probably. Obviously everything went smoothly and we had a healthy baby girl. 

   The main thing for me was not knowing what to expect.  I knew I was going to be the best dad I could be, but I just didn't know what exactly that meant.  I didn't know how to be a dad.  I didn't know how to take care of a baby.  I really had no idea what to expect.  I knew she would change our lives forever, but I had no idea in what way.  

    Because we had a scheduled C-Section, we knew when it was going to happen.  We didn't know what to expect, but we knew exactly when to expect it.  This made things easy as we prepared our home, scheduled family to come, and worked out church (work) schedules and coverage.  Knowing when it was going to happen made things EASY.

Round 2 (Kellen)

     With Kellen, it is quite the opposite.  We know what to expect but don't know when.  Well, we don't know exactly what to expect, we haven't been through the natural birthing process before, and we have never had 2 kids before, but in general, we have much more confidence that we will be able to handle it.  We don't have the "clueless" and "unprepared" feelings we had with Keeli. We are ready for kid #2, we know how to arrange schedules around a baby, we can make this work. (and are excited to!)

     What is so different is not knowing when it is going to happen.  The anticipation is killing me! Even though there are some things in the home we want to get done before he comes (we aren't completely settled into our new home), I just want him to be here.  I'm tired of waiting.  It is so hard to make ministry plans for the next three or four weeks because I can't commit to anything.  I have already set up people to be "on-call" for everything I am supposed to do the next three weeks.  I'm working ahead in writing lessons for youth group in case someone else has to do it last minute.  There is a retired pastor preparing a sermon for May 25 in-case I am not able to be there to preach.  I can't commit to helping with VBS because I don't know if I'm available... The list goes on.  The point is, we just don't know.  

     I love being able to control my schedule.  I can handle making adjustments and planning around kids.  What I'm not good at is not knowing.  I don't like not being in control of my schedule.  I don't like not knowing when Kellen is going to come, but I am waiting in eager expectation for him to arrive! Can't wait to have a baby boy!!

       As we approach the end of this pregnancy, I am getting way more aches and pains than I had with Keeli. My guess is because he is head down. A lot of different aches and pains. Braxton Hicks contractions feel completely different this time around. When pregnant with Keeli, I had no idea I was having contractions. It felt as though Keeli was stretching really hard into my ribs! This time I am feeling what they are supposed to feel like, cramps and back pain. It also has been quite different in the sense that I can't take a nap whenever I want to. I have an almost 2 year-old that I have to chase around. This pregnancy feels completely different. 

      I am excited that I am going to be able to try to have a natural birth. Before, once you had a C-section, you had to have a C-section. There was no trying to have succeeding births naturally. There is still a lot to consider with a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean), but it looks as though things will work, as long as Kellen doesn't get too big. 

      Since we have moved here to Colorado, having family come out at the last minute isn't really ideal. So things are looking quite different. Since we already have a child, what are we going to do with Keeli if I go into labor at 3 o'clock in the morning? Who should I call? These type of questions always pop into my head and I can't help but think about what to do if something like this happens. I know everything will work out in the end, but its still hard not to worry myself with these thoughts. It would be so much easier if family lived closer, so they could be here in a flash, but that obviously isn't going to happen, when the closest relative lives 9 hrs away, and that's a sibling. 

      Even though there are so many things up in the air: timing, who's going to watch Keeli, how is Keeli going to handle me not being at home with her, etc; I know that God has everything under control. I don't need to worry about these things. I need to look ahead at the miracle that is about to happen, I'm going to have a baby! That in itself is one of the most amazing miracles ever given by God! I am so excited to meet this little boy!

Kent and Andrea

      

A Shared Hobby

      We have always sought things to do together that we both enjoy.  While we have found a few of these in our time together, unfortunately watching tv has become the most prominent.  Tonight, on a whim, we decided to start a blog together.
     We aren't sure what exactly this blog will turn out to be, but we hope to share our life together with whoever is willing to read it.  That will probably include some funny stories about marriage, parenting, and our kids, as well as some serious reflections on life in general.
     We are excited to begin this "blogging" adventure together, as a hobby that we can do together or on our own.  Some blogs to look forward to in the next couple weeks:

• Reflections on our recent move
• Preparing for child #2
• The birth of child #2 (this hasn't happened yet)
• Funny things our daughter does
• and whatever else we might think of...