3rd & 5th

Yesterday afternoon, Tobin was having quiet time in the living room while the rest of the boys were off in various other rooms.  That gave him a wonderful opportunity to hold Moriah leisurely without having any other brothers clamoring to be the next to hold her.  Knowing that his attention span might be short (especially when he realized that she was just going to lay there and not really do anything)  ;-), I asked him, after a few minutes, if he wanted me to take her.  This was his response:

 "I want to keep holding her...because I really like her!"

He paused for a moment, then sweetly added, "I sure do!"

Shoddy & Bobin

We named our fourth son "Shav."

Tobin, not yet able to accurately pronounce his little brother's name, called him "Odd."  When he tried to imitate the nickname we used--"Shavi"--it came out "Oddy."  As his linguistic skills developed, he was able to add the "sh" sound to the beginning of the name; and now he calls him "Shoddy"!  Tobin has no idea of the real meaning of the word "shoddy," so it's not an insult when he calls Shav by that name.  But one thing we know: Shav is NOT shoddy.  Psalm 139 makes that clear.  ;-)

Shav, for his part, returns the mispronunciation favor by replacing the "t" at the beginning of Tobin's name with a "b."

Shoddy and Bobin - how we love them!!  :)

Moriah's Story, Part Three

Part One is here.
Part Two is here.

Once we knew that we were definitely staying at the hospital, two questions arose:  how to get labor going a little more intensely and how to fill the time until the action really stepped up.  Ann, the midwife, had a few suggestions for how to answer the first question--for example, "I'm going to irritate your cervix," she said.  And that was about as pleasant as it sounds!  ;-)  I'm glad I don't have to do that every day.  Oh, the things we go through to bring forth these precious offspring!!  :)

Before we had even left our house to go to the hospital, I had the thought in the back of my head that, if there was enough time at the hospital before Moriah was born, I really wanted to spend some time in water--either a shower or a bath in the jacuzzi tub.  When Arlene suggested that she fill the tub for me, it didn't take me long to agree; and I gratefully sank into the warm, soothing, bubbling water.  Hospital protocol demands that someone stay in the room with the patient in the tub, so Jeff sat in the bathroom with me.  We talked for a little bit, but then he grew quiet.  He had put his head down on the counter and fallen asleep.  ;-)  I didn't wake him, nor did I alert Arlene to the fact that the person who was supposed to be watching me to make sure I was OK had fallen asleep on the job.  ;-)  The only thing I would have changed about that time was making the water a little deeper in the tub.  I couldn't get all of my body under the water at the same time, and the parts of me that stuck out above the water got chilly!  :)

When the timer went off and the bubbling action stopped, I got out; and I think Arlene hooked me up again to the monitors to see how Moriah was doing and if my contractions had gotten more intense...but I can't remember for sure.  I do know that every hour, she had to monitor me for about 20 minutes; I didn't mind being hooked up to the monitors, as long as I could be sitting up in a rocking chair during that time.  I think after that, Jeff and I walked the halls again; and during that walk, there were a couple of times when a contraction would grip me and I would have to pause to focus on them and get through them.  But goodness, they were still not bad at all!  By God's grace, my mental and spiritual preparation was so good going into this labor that I really wasn't surprised that my contractions were quite easy.  I just hoped they were doing some good and bringing me closer to meeting my beloved daughter!  :)

I suppose it was about 7:00 AM when we found ourselves at the end of one segment of activity and ready for another one.  That's when Arlene spoke up and suggested that she tuck us all into bed.  ;-)  She knew we were tired--all three of us: Jeff, my mom, and me--and she thought getting some rest would do me good. That sounded like a great idea at that point--not only because I was indeed tired, but also because I was so concerned that I had made everybody wake up much earlier than I should have and I wished that I could give them more rest.  Arlene initially suggested that my mom sleep in a bed in another room, since there were plenty of empty rooms that night.  But then she brought a recliner into my room, and my mom slept in that so we could all stay together.  Jeff was on the fold-out couch, and I was in the bed, of course.  I don't think it took long for any of us to fall asleep, but some of us slept longer than others.  ;-)  But before I continue with that...

This labor was the first labor I've ever had in which the bed was my friend.  In none of my other labors was I helped by being in the bed; instead, I've always preferred to be standing, rocking, sitting on a birthing chair, or somehow being upright.  I won't go into details about the bad bed experiences I've had while giving birth to my sons, but I'll just say that it was enough to make me dread the bed.  All of that changed, however, when Arlene suggested I get some sleep, I crawled into bed, she spread a pre-warmed blanket on me (now that was nice!), and I fell asleep.  It was exactly what I needed.

I only slept for maybe 10 or 15 minutes before being awakened by a stronger contraction; and for the rest of my time in the bed, I drifted in and out of sleep and kept waking up because of contractions; but I didn't tell anybody at that point.  Because I was laying on my left side, my back was towards Jeff and my mom so I couldn't see them...but I could hear them.  Or at least, one of them.  I could tell that Jeff was sleeping soundly because of the familiar snores I heard coming from him.  ;-)  And you know, I was so glad he was getting rest, even when I wasn't.

My contractions during this time were definitely more intense than they had been previously, but I was able to deal with them calmly and peacefully.  For one thing, the room was quiet; the others were sleeping; I didn't have to think about anyone else but could turn my focus inward and do what I needed to do to ride the waves.

As I had been preparing for labor, I had written out Scripture verses on index cards; and I was planning to read and meditate on them while I was in labor.  But at the same time, I knew from previous experience that you really can't predict what is going to help, when you get in that moment.  So in the days leading up to Moriah's birth, I often wondered what would be the thing--the verse, the image, etc.--that would help me the most.  As it turned out, it wasn't the verses on cards; as a matter of fact, I didn't even pull them out of my bag!  (That's not to say that they were useless; I am certain that the truths of those verses worked their way deeply into my heart and mind and soul and spirit during those early mornings with God in the days and weeks before labor began.)  Here's what really helped me (and I get a little giddy when I think about this, because I love it so much!)...

It was the remembrance of Shav in the front part of the big yellow raft at Massanutten Waterpark, his hands reaching out to hold the handles, his head resting on the front of the intertube, his body speaking peace and trust.  That was what I saw in my mind, over and over that morning, as I worked to maintain my own peace and trust.  In addition, phrases from two songs played repeatedly in my head; and I was surprised by what songs they were because I hadn't chosen either of them to be included in my list of songs for labor.  Yet, they were what came to my mind, planted there by God who knew what I needed more accurately than I did!  The songs were "I Will Carry You" by Selah and "He Will Carry Me" by Mark Schultz; and in neither of these cases did I hear the whole song run through my head--just the phrases "I will carry you" and "He will carry me."  As I lay there in that bed and felt my body tighten with contractions that were growing in intensity, I breathed deeply as I felt the sensations; and with those breaths came a phrase that was my perpetual prayer.  It was simply, "Carry me."  Seeing Shav in the raft, hearing those song phrases, and thinking the prayer that was as steady as breathing--"carry me, carry me, carry me"--those three things are what helped me the most in the fight to gain victory over pain in childbirth.  I didn't plan it, I didn't know what it would be, but that's how it turned out and I'm so grateful.  It's a sweet, sweet memory that I treasure because I felt so close to my Savior during that time.

A little after 8:00 AM, Ann came into the room with Barbara, another midwife.  It was time for Ann to go home and for Barbara to take over.  As sorry as I was to not be able to have Ann present when I delivered, I was joyful to have Barbara!  After all, she's the one who delivered Tobin; and I've always enjoyed very much my appointments with Barbara.  I was familiar enough with her easy-going, conversational, friendly style to know that she would help make labor a great experience.

My dilation had not been checked for quite a while so Barbara did that and, with a big smile on her face, announced that I was at a 9!  To tell you the truth, I was delighted, but not surprised.  I knew that during that hour or so of rest, my body--and mind, of course--had been doing some serious work and had gotten me a lot closer to the finish line.  Closer, but not across it yet.  But at that point, I had no idea it would take several more hours to reach it!

Wordless Wednesday {Safe}

Seven

Wasn't I saying something just the other day about life being full and rich?  Why, yes, I was!  Yes, indeed!  :)

The fullness and richness continued today with a wonderful day of celebration in honor of David who reached the ripe old age of seven.  My mind plays tricks on me and hurries back through the halls of time to the night he was born.  And then I open my eyes and see this great big boy in front of me, and I can scarcely believe it.

I have so much more I want to say--about this birthday and about this boy--but my energy has been drained from me so thoroughly that I don't think I can attempt the task at this point in time.

So for tonight, just one picture: the delicious chocolate cake that our friend Becky kindly made for David.  Making a homemade cake for each of my sons is a birthday tradition that I love!   But this time, I was SO relieved when Becky offered to do it.  David chose and put the candles on the cake himself: seven twirly candles and one #7 candle.  I realize that makes 8 candles in all, but we're not legalists about such things.  ;-)

Happy birthday, David the Beloved!  Tonight I'm thanking God for the richness and fullness you've brought to our family during the past seven years.  I love you with all my heart!

One Week on the Outside

Life is so full right now--in a very rich, meaningful way.  Let's see...  Today Josiah had his first rehearsal of the Shenandoah Valley Boychoir.  My much-loved Aunt Joyce and Uncle Jay are visiting from Canada; they're staying with my parents.  Tomorrow is David's 7th birthday.  And Jeff's mom arrives on Wednesday from California to stay four weeks with us!

And besides all of that, there just happens to be a very special someone in our family who celebrated her one-week birthday (is there such a thing?) today.  ;-)  In honor of the occasion, here's a quick (maybe) recap of her first week of life.  Life on the outside, that is.  ;-)

Monday - 4/9 - She was born!  Birth story in progress.  ;-)

Tuesday - 4/10 - Moriah and I came home from the hospital in the early afternoon.  Our amazingly generous and unfailingly kind friends Becky and and her daughter Kathryn were here at our house with the boys, and they had decorated the house in beautiful pink while they awaited our return; Becky also had dinner waiting for us.  This is Kathryn holding Moriah shortly after we got home.  :)

Our friends Dale and Diana and their daughter Tess came by that evening to visit.  This is Tess...

 ...and David, who never wants to miss out on a chance to be around people and be part of the action.  :)

 This is Diana...

Also that evening, my sister Donna came over to meet her new niece (see what I mean about David always wanting to be in on the action? this picture just makes me laugh!)...

 ...and she stayed to eat dinner with us.

 I didn't take any pictures of this, but our next-door neighbors, the Shanks, came over that evening, too.  Everybody wanted to meet Moriah and take a turn holding her.  :)  I was glad to be home and to have my family together again.

Wednesday - 4/11 - Jeff is normally off on Wednesday, so of course that made life easier.  In the morning, he took all four boys out for breakfast, leaving Moriah and I in peace and quiet here at home.  In the afternoon, while Tobin and Shav had quiet time, Jeff took Josiah and David to their violin lessons.  This day had some challenging moments, especially in terms of the boys' behavior.  It helped to remember that each of them was making a huge adjustment as we all got used to having a new baby in the house.

Thursday - 4/12 - This is when the dam broke, and my tears flowed most freely.  Jeff had taken this day off work, for which I was very thankful.  He took care of the boys, and I took Moriah and headed for my bedroom to hide out and cry in peace.  After letting the tears fall, then napping with Moriah on my chest, the world seemed a little brighter; and I was able to emerge from my self-imposed exile around midday, feeling a greater sense of self-control and optimism.

In reality, the flood of tears didn't surprise me one bit.  I always have at least one day like that, and it was actually a pretty convenient time for it.  I knew my blue mood wouldn't last forever.  :)

Later that day, Jeff took David to his group violin lesson; and in the approximately hour and a half that he was gone, three challenging incidents took place that left me feeling like maybe I wasn't up for the task of mothering five children!  First and worst was the Shav and the Big Water incident, AKA How to Mop Your Kitchen Floor without Even Trying (or Wanting to!).  ;-)  I had been in the living room nursing Moriah and patting myself on the back because Tobin and Shav were standing on chairs at the kitchen sink, happily playing with spoons and cups, etc. in the water and, for the most part, getting along really well.  I was pleased because I hadn't gone the easy route and automatically turned on a movie for them while Jeff was gone.  Here they were, engaged in creative play; and all was well.  I went upstairs with Moriah, to change her diaper, I suppose; and then I came downstairs.  And then I discovered that there was water rolling off the kitchen counter and onto the floor.  It wasn't Tobin--by that point in time, he had lost interest and wandered off.  No, it was all Shav.  Rather than pouring the water back into the sink or into a cup in the dish drainer or something like that, he was pouring water into a colander-type thing that we use to hold kitchen scraps before taking them out to the compost pile.  Lo and behold, it has holes in the bottom; and since it was sitting on the counter, the water Shav was so faithfully pouring into it kept rolling right out the bottom of the container....rolling down the counter...rolling onto the floor...making a huge mess.  In my emotional frame of mind, I couldn't help it: the tears just came and I couldn't make them stop as I grabbed towels and started mopping up the mess.  Earlier that day, while I was hiding out in my bedroom, my friend Julie S. had come by (I didn't know it until later because I was asleep when she came) and had given me a copy of the CD, Hidden in My Heart (which is a wonderful CD of lullabies using the words of Scripture).  It happened to be playing there in the kitchen while the What Are You Doing with That Water, Shav? incident was happening; and as I, in my three-days-postpartum state, was on my hands and knees sopping up the water on the floor, a song with the words, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," came on.  I'll admit to doubting the word of God at that moment.  Through my tears, I thought, "Maybe that promise doesn't apply to me.  Maybe it only applies to people whose names are NOT Davene and who don't have five children!!" Josiah was very tender and sympathetic, which was very sweet; but still, all I could do was cry as I wiped up the floor.

After that, I got Tobin and Shav set up with Starfall on the computer, and I settled down to finish nursing Moriah.  And then I heard...uh oh...more water.  Shav was peeing.  He was sitting in a rocking chair, and the pee was running right down through the slats.  And the thing is, he was wearing a diaper!  I knew that with having my hands full, it wasn't an ideal time for me to be jumping up and taking him to the bathroom, so I hadn't put him in underwear, trying to make life a little easier.  But even still, he was wetting his pants...and the chair...and the floor underneath where a big puddle gathered.  Oh good grief!

I cleaned up that...got Moriah latched on to nurse...then heard a big crash.  Even though he really wasn't rocking vigorously, Shav had somehow managed to get the rocking chair to tip over backwards, and he and the chair had hit the floor.  Wails!  Loud lamentations!  Tears--from Shav, this time!  As it turned out, he wasn't badly hurt, although at first I was worried that he had hit the floor hard with his head.  I think he was more shocked than hurt, but he still needed an extra dose of consolation and TLC.  I thought Moriah would loudly protest the interruption of her dinner, but she actually lay on the couch quite peacefully and waited for all the commotion to cease.  You might guess that, at this point, I was crying right along with Shav; but on the contrary, I had gotten past the tears stage and moved into the laughter one.  It was all just so ridiculous, and I wondered, if I couldn't prevent three bad things happening in the short amount of time Jeff was gone that evening, how I would ever manage the next day when he was back to work!  But I decided that, if I was going to laugh in a year's time about all the little trials and tribulations of that evening, I might as well start laughing now.  ;-)

I was so grateful that, on top of everything else, I didn't have to think about making supper.  Sally brought it, and it was delicious!  :)

At some point during this day, I took a picture of Josiah holding Moriah in her favorite way: snuggled chest to chest.  But such a serene picture doesn't come close to accurately representing the chaos and upheaval of that day!  :)

Friday - 4/13 - After all my anxiety about Jeff's first day back to work, it turned out to be an incredibly wonderful day, made possible by Becky and Kathryn taking the boys to their house for the majority of the day and Emily Sacra (along with her able assistant!) coming here to take pictures of Moriah.

 I'll eventually post some pictures from that photo shoot here on the blog; but for now, you can take a look on Emily's blog to see the cuteness she captured.  ;-)

That evening was a violin recital for both Josiah and David, and I was so happy to get to accompany them - so proud of my boys!  Meanwhile, Becky and Kathryn brought Tobin and Shav back here to our house and got them ready for bed.  But first, a little storytime...

 ...and Kathryn got to hold Moriah again.  :)

 Saturday - 4/14 - A good day.  Even though this was more of a test of "how are we going to make it when Daddy is at work?" than the day before (because on this day, the boys were with me, not gone), it turned out fine.  One thing that has been helping immensely is that, even on the days when Jeff works, he schedules himself a lunch break to come home and give me a hand in the middle of the day.  It might seem like a small thing, but it makes a huge difference!

On this day, I snapped these pictures of David who was eager to go with me to get Moriah from her crib...or rather, to climb into her crib and be with her there!

 He sure loves his little sister.  :)

On Saturday evening, after a scrumptious meal that our next-door neighbor brought over, I gave Moriah her first bath--first bath after coming home, that is.  

 It wasn't a real bath, since she still has her stump of an umbilical cord; but it was enough to make sure she was clean and fresh-smelling.  :)

Sunday - 4/15 - A pleasant day, for the most part.  Church service in the morning where it was a lot of fun to introduce some friends to Moriah.  :)  A bite to eat at home.  Long, wonderful nap in the afternoon.  Visit with Michele who brought us dinner.  Relaxing time outside in the beautiful late afternoon/early evening air, watching Jeff water the garden and simultaneously squirt Josiah, David, and Tobin who tried to sneak up on him and "get" him but who almost always got soaked with the hose before they could reach him--much to their delight!  :)  There was one squally period during this evening: after we had come in but before we sat down to eat dinner, I had put Moriah in the swing, then held Shav on my lap in the rocking chair.  He was so tired that he actually went to sleep, and let me tell ya, it's been a long time since he fell asleep in my arms!  It was fun to rock there with him.  However, when I couldn't hold him anymore because I needed to get Moriah, he woke up and was NOT happy.  After plenty of tears from him, we somehow ended up on my bed: me nursing Moriah and trying to cuddle with Shav at the same time.  It sort of worked to soothe him.  When we finally sat down to eat supper, Shav ate and ate and ate and ate.  Part of his emotional outburst was probably due to the fact that he was so hungry!

This night was a great one for Moriah's sleep.  She only woke once to eat; and the rest of the time she was sleeping peacefully in her crib.  I'm grateful for this!

Monday - 4/16 - Finally, today!  It's been a great day.  Busy?  Full? Almost overflowing?  Yes.  But happy and thankful regardless.  After I dropped off Shav at my parents' house, Josiah at choir rehearsal, and David at the barber shop, Moriah, Tobin, and I went shopping for some last-minute things for David's birthday.  Moriah was perfect--sleeping peacefully through all of our stops, not uttering a peep of protest as I hauled her around.  She's a little angel.  :)

My dad weighed her tonight on his antique baby scales, and we discovered that she's 8 pounds.  Essentially, she's regained her birth weight, which means she's doing great in the eating department.  I could tell that from her full diapers.  ;-)

I don't know if all fifth children are this way, but Moriah is wonderfully peaceful, easy-going, content.  She rarely fusses; and if she does, she's relatively easily consoled.  She's learning to be happy in the baby swing and the bouncy seat and her crib, as well as in someone's arms.  

 I am completely head over heels in love with her, and I cherish each aspect of caring for her.  I love to nurse her, I love to dress her, I love to hold her and feel her curl up like a little ball against me.

 She's a jewel, and I am in awe of the gift God has given us in her.

Happy one-week birthday, darling Moriah.  You are so, SO loved!

All Dressed Up...

...and someplace to go!

Today wasn't Moriah's first official outing.  No, that honor goes to an event that occurred on Friday evening: a violin recital that both Josiah and David participated in.  Hopefully, I'll get pictures from that posted another time.

But today was Moriah's first time going to a church service; and for this special occasion, I couldn't choose anything else for her to wear but the outfit that Jeff's sister Kim sent us so soon after we found out we were having a girl!

Sweet Moriah wasn't incredibly cooperative when I was trying to take her picture, but I did quickly snap a few photos, just to remember this day by.

Now, although my fingers are dying to keep working on Moriah's birth story, I'm going to be a good girl and go to bed (relatively) soon.  A wonderful nap this afternoon makes me feel especially energetic now, but I know I'll regret it if I don't snatch this opportunity for sleep.  But I am longing to continue the story...