Before I tell you the birth story...

I must tell you something that God did for us while we waited for sweet Addison to arrive!

I mentioned before that we were waiting for our visas to come back to us. We were getting very nervous about it but had decided we would wait until Addison was born, then we would have even more of a "reason" to ask about our case. We knew God would work it out in His timing, even though we we were unsure. Well, on Friday I went grocery shopping and I got a text from Marc (who was at home with the girls) saying that our passports had come in the post and we had a visa! Now we can go to London and get her American birth certificate and passport. Just in time! What relief! (Texas, here we come- in April!)

Also, as you know I was very anxious about being induced and being on the ward, etc. When I didn't hear from the hospital on Saturday I had to ring them to find out what time I was suppose to come in. There were no beds available so they said they would get back to me. I talked to my friend who knows a midwife on the consultant's floor- in fact the midwife who I first had when I went into labor with Cerys. This midwife, we will call "B" is a strong Christian and was so wonderful to us when I had Cerys. Anyway, I was wondering if my friend would get in touch with her and see if she had any insight into how this whole induction process was going to go down. She said she would try and get in touch with her and get back to me. I never heard back from her, so I just forgot about it.

Just as we were sitting down to eat dinner at 6:30pm the hospital rang and told me to come in at 8:30pm. Marc had taken the girls over to some team members' house for the night- at this point we were not even sure we would get in on Saturday night but our team members' were so nice and willing to take the girls overnight anyway. So, it was just us sitting down for dinner when the phone call came. Of course I was so nervous then I couldn't finish my food- which was just as well, it was Chinese that Marc had gotten for us and I would not recommend eating that just before induced. And that is all I will say about that.

We prayed together, then I went upstairs to panic, repack my bags and obsess over whether I had everything I needed. We walked, yes walked to the hospital and got to the ward where a nice midwife took us to the room. It was a room with four beds, all of us being induced together. Oh the joy! :) At least there are curtains you can pull around your bed so people can't stare at you, but boy you can sure hear everything! I was told the midwife assigned to my room would be in soon and get things started. While Marc and I waited we just sort of stared at each other and wondered what was going on behind all the other curtains. Just then, the midwife assigned to our room walked in and y'all, it was "B"- the midwife I had with Cerys, the one my friend could not get in touch with earlier that day! I just about cried. She recognized us and asked how Cerys was and we talked about our mutual friend for a second and then she told me- "It's great to see you, you know I only work one night shift a week now and it just so happens that tonight is the night!" We both just smiled so big and I wanted to squeeze her neck so hard but I didn't want to freak her out. I felt an immediate calmness come over me just then, as if God was saying "See, I'm here! I have it all planned just for you!"

That was exactly what I needed that night. Although Marc had to leave (hospital rules) and I was alone all night, I was so comforted to know she was going to be with me all night. At one point during some really strong contractions, she placed her hand on my stomach and I saw her whispering. I'm not sure what she was doing, but I have a feeling she was praying for me. She was so wonderful to us, not only did she speak encouraging words to me during the toughest part of labor but she even stayed past her shift (once again for us!) and was the one who delivered Addison.

This whole experience was not what I had wanted or hoped for, but I do have to say that God was in it and all turned out according to His plan. And I'm cool with that.

Posterous theme by Cory Watilo