Let Your Hearts Be Light

So, how about something a little more light-hearted?  I know I have caused several tears with my last blogs, and tonight, I don't want you to cry. :)  I must confess, I'm not very good with comedic writing, so I will just share.  Hopefully, it will - at the least- make you smile. 

Randy can make me laugh so hard.  If you know him, this might surprise you.  He's very quiet, normally, but when he is on a roll - watch out!  The things that make me laugh the most are the little, unexpected things he may do that are timed just perfectly.  There is one story, however, that has made my girlfriends roll with laughter.  I thought it would be fun to share - you'll have to use your imagination, because I'm not going to spell it all out.

Sydney was a week late, and I had to be induced with pitocin.  Yikes!  No matter how much I practiced my breathing, nothing prepared me for the pain of contractions.  When I'm in pain, I'm mean.  I remember focusing on the clock on the wall.  I don't know what I thought that clock was going to do for me, but I would not take my gaze away from it during a contraction.  Randy was watching the monitor, so he could see when I had a contraction.  He was talking to me during them.  I said, "Shhh."  I don't think he heard that.  After the next contraction, I looked at him and said, "Don't talk."  I apologized in between contractions.  He said he was just trying to help.  I knew this, but again I had never known this kind of pain.  Later as the contractions got even worse, he was still watching the monitor and would squeeze my hand as I had them.  I yelled, "You don't squeeze my hand, I squeeze YOUR hand!" 

I had demerol before I got my epidural, so Randy was literally having to wake me up so I could push.  I remember just wanting to close my eyes, and telling him that.  He coached me through this and finally I realized that it was time.  So, the pain of contractions was nothing like what I thought, and well, I was in for another surprise.  The nurse told me to push.  I had had my epidural and really couldn't feel anything.  At this moment, the moment mothers look forward to, the process that will allow that precious baby to come into the world, I quickly came to the realization that  I didn't know how or what to push.

The nurse looked at me again, and said, "Okay, let me see you push."  It was confession time.  I looked at her and said, "Okay, I know this is crazy, but I just don't know how to push."  She then gave me a very good example of a similar kind of push that would mortify Randy in, oh, about 2 more pushes.  I tell you what, as long as I have an epidural, I could push all day long.  It came easy to me.  I was good at it.  It didn't hurt anymore, and I wasn't even feeling contractions at this point.  I was home free!  The nurses were bragging on me, and I was getting very excited to find out if our baby was a boy or a girl.  My pushing was going to get that baby here in no time!

I was in Happy Land...and then I looked at Randy's face.  He was worried about something.  I said, "What?"  He walked closer to my face, and looked at the other end of the table.  He had seen something that he didn't think should be happening.  He leaned closer, and told me what it was.  I laughed.  That's all I could do.  I was a good pusher - the nurse said so.  Whatever was going on must be normal, because she wasn't saying anything.  I pushed some more.  Randy appeared at my face AGAIN.  This time, he leaned very close, and said, "You did it again, stop."  Although I was about to deliver this baby, time froze.  I remember thinking, Lord, did he REALLY just tell me to stop?  Do I have control over this, and in the big scheme of everything I've been through today, is he getting embarrassed NOW?

I hope you have figured out what was going on, but I will not say it.  Later I did ask the nurse about it, and she told me it happens to almost everyone.  I just had the husband who felt the need to point it out - and thought it would help if he told me to stop.  I think he eventually got over it, and to hear him tell it is priceless.

So, here we go gearing up for baby #4.  Randy has come a long way in his delivery room game face.  We both want to "see" everything, and we've learned a lot.  The only person I allow in the delivery room is Randy.  I have lots of friends who have several family members in there together, and it's a happy occasion.  Randy knows the mean side of me that can come out, and he can handle it.  I don't know what might come out of my mouth with others in the room, and I would feel terrible if I hurt someone's feelings.  We're a good team, and I am so thankful that he will be there once again to be my coach. 

Gracen came all on her own, ten days early.  That was fun.  No demerol this time, and I was awake for everything.  When Asa came, I only had to push 3 times.  Randy was running around the delivery room turning off monitors and doing anything the nurse said.  She was holding Asa's little head until the doctor could get there.  Randy is ready for anything in the delivery room, and I am so blessed to have him.

I'll leave you with one of my all time favorite delivery room quotes.  My sweet friend Alice was feeling the pain, when she looked at Pat and said, "Oh, Jesus of Lazareth, please help me!"  After he and the doctor had a good laugh, Alice looked at them confused, and Pat said something like, "I think that's Nazareth."  Alice knew Jesus knew exactly what she meant!

I shared with my doctor that I would like to try to let this baby come on its own.  If we have to schedule it, that's fine, but if we could wait, I'd really like to.  My body will not react like this is a fourth consecutive pregnancy, since there are six years in between my last one and this one.  There is something exciting about being ready, and knowing the day is approaching, but not knowing exactly when. 

The coming of a baby reminds me tonight of the coming of the Son of Man.  " But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, but my Father only." Matt. 24:36 A seed is planted through love, and it begins to grow.  Our faith in Jesus happens this same way.  The baby grows inside the mama's tummy and we are careful to take the most excellent care of our bodies.  As a Christian we start as a babe and grow in God's word so that we can stand on our own and lead others to Christ.  We are expectant for Christ's return to this world, but no one knows when the day will be.  Are you looking forward to that day?  Are you ready for that day?  ..."they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and He will send His angels with a great sound of the trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another." Matt. 24: 30-31  

I want all of my friends to be ready for this day!  My friends have been so great in helping me to get ready for the day I will deliver this baby.  By now, you know that there was an excitement missing when I found out about this pregnancy.  Maybe you are feeling that way about giving your life to Christ.  I want to encourage you that there is nothing more fulfilling than doing just that.  Satan filled my mind with lies about having this baby, and I know he does the same thing when people are getting close to surrendering their lives to Christ.  Please know that if you give your life to Jesus, He gives you 100 times the life back!  There is nothing that you could have done that He can't forgive.  We need Him!  His forgiveness is free, and His blood covers all sin.  All you have to do is receive.  I'm praying for you tonight.  If you want to ask any questions about this, or would like for me to pray specifically for you, message me.

Expectant,

Ashley