Introducing Our Newest Little Blessing...

And, it's a ...
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GIRL!!!


Abigail Calista Anne was born at 4:53 in the morning on August 29th, 2008.
She was 20 inches long and weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces.
Abigail's name means, "Her father's joy, beautiful and gracious". Her verse is 1 Samuel 25:3, "Abigail...was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance."
She shares her birthday with one of her great-grandmother's on my mother's side and was named Anne after her.

Sorry for leaving you all hanging, we hadn't even "officially" named her until a few moments ago! She's been "Abigail" since a couple of hours after her birth but we've had quite the time with the rest of her name, particularly something to go between Abigail and Anne. You see, we were almost convinced because of the similarities between this pregnancy and Andrew's that this baby was a boy and we just hadn't stressed over a name, we weren't exactly set on a full boy's name either. I will always remember the look on Lee's face when he saw she was a girl, I think "her father's joy" fits her perfectly. I have always loved the name Abigail and I'm so excited to have one for my "own".

Abbi is such a precious addition to our family, I can't wait to share her birth story with you all! This was our first home birth and let me just say..it was awesome! You would have to drag me kicking and screaming to get me into a hospital maternity ward again, barring a true emergency of course. Here is a huge praise report, after three episiotomies and one repaired tear I made it through this time without a single stitch. While I do have some muscle soreness and the after pains are...whew... But I really can't believe how good I feel over all! Abbi is doing great. We've had some small nursing issues (she doesn't seem to want to...), but she's had two great feedings today so I'm optimistic that we're about over that hump. You should feel her soft skin and smell her little head, love it!

God is good and we're feeling very blessed :).

"He hath done all things well..." ~Mark 7:37

An "Overdue" Family Update (Pun Fully Intended)

I'm going to have to make this pretty short.
We're having a baby tonight!!!
Stay tuned for pictures and updates! And, no, we don't know if it a boy or a girl, yet :)!

When Did That Happen ?!

Yesterday, as we were preparing for our walk, I ended up with one of my shoes and one of Bri's. As Bethi went to find my other shoe Tori mentioned how similar they looked in size and Bri said something along the lines of, "Ya, but they wouldn't fit her.". Just for fun I tried it on. And it went on. I didn't have to curl my toes, or chop any off and it really wasn't all that uncomfortable! I could have done some light shopping in them comfortably enough! When in the world did her feet get just about my size?! 

Times like these remind me of the fact that I'm quickly running out of time. In another ten years she'll be in her twenties and a lot could, and likely will, happen between now and then! There is so much I want to share with her and be sure she knows. From the need to trust in God fully, to grow in her personal relationship with him, to obey His commands, to cooking, sewing and putting her on the path to truly loving her future husband and children.

Whew...

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. ~Titus 2:4&5

He is Such a Boy...

The girls were looking at pictures the other day and Andrew found a picture with Bri and Tori and their Aunt Tessa in it that was taken at a birthday party a few years ago. He came running to me sooo excited!!! "Car!", he said with a huge grin. There was a car parked on the curb in the picture ;).

Because The Pill Kills

Today, June 7th, 2008, is Protest The Pill Day 2008, because the pill kills babies . I was on the pill for several years between our first and second. I didn't "know any better", though I do take responsibility for that. I swallowed my doctor's and society's mantra that it was the "responsible thing to do" with out researching it myself. Even though I had no idea that I could have been killing my own babies I hated taking it, it felt completely unnatural and I now know that a lot of the depression I felt during that time was directly linked to the pill and the Depo Provera shot, which also kills babies.

Bri 1997

I went off of it as often as possible and for as long as it seemed "responsible" just because I hated taking it, but in 2003 I found the website www.achristianhome.com and about halfway down the Motherhood & Parenting page I read that the pill causes abortions. My heart started racing and I immediately started researching and sure enough, even the package inserts themselves admitted that if the first two forms of "control" don't work than the pill is designed to make the womb a hostile environment making it nearly impossible for the tiny person to implant and the baby starves to death. I had run out a few months before and with a move in the mix I hadn't found a doctor yet so I was currently off of the pill and after telling Lee what I had found we decided we couldn't possibly continue using the pill with that information. So, we switched to Natural Family Planning after the birth of Bethani, though we have now come to the point in our lives when we realize, if we can trust the Lord with our souls we can trust Him with our family size. You can read more about that journey here.

Tori 2002

I can have no way of knowing if I lost babies to the pill, but the very possibility makes me grieve deeply. I know that God's grace will cover me in these areas that I was clueless about, but I would love to save someone else the emotional pain of discovering the truth after they have been on it.
Children are such a blessing and it is so sad to see the world shun them now that we are on this side of the fence and can see the fear of babies that consumes society, even Christian society, for the lie of the devil that it is. Just a couple of weeks ago at church a lady asked us how old Bethi and Andrew were and exclaimed on the fact that we're expecting "again?!" She assured me she would pray for me with that look of pity in her eyes. One of Lee's regular customers came into his (Christian) book store several days ago and when she found out we had four and one on the way she wanted to know if I love babies or if I'm a poor repressed wife and they are all Lee's idea! 

 

Bethi 2005

 
We love our children and I am so thankful that the Lord has led us down the paths he has led us down and used people in our lives to speak to us on this issue. Almost certainly this baby I carry would not exist if not for the grace of God. Back when we were trying to be "responsible" we had set our "upper limit" at four little ones. Only time will tell how many we are blessed with, our goal isn't to stack children up to the ceiling just to be able to say we had.....amount of children. I have met dear ladies open to the Lord's will who had no children and would gladly have taken whoever the Lord would send and other ladies who were blessed with a dozen! The point is do we want to open our arms and except whoever the Lord would put there? 

Andrew 2006

Are we going to practice hospitality and physically, spiritually and emotionally nourish anyone God sends our way, or are we going to create a hostile environment designed to starve our children to death? 

Spread the news!!! The Pill Kills*.

*Incidentally the pill doesn't only kill babies, it has also killed women and at the very least lowered the quality of life of many, many women. See more about that here.

And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. ~Matthew 18:5

Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. ~Psalm 127

Sleepy Boy

 

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Nearly a year ago we ordered the Hymns For a Kid's Heart series and have been enjoying learning the hymns out of these excellent books since then. There are three more books aside from the one I linked to. The books are great and the CD's are of wonderful quality, we listen to them for enjoyment often. This Christmas, instead of singing Jingle Bells our girls were singing Once in Royal David's City. The new variety was refreshing. Once you have renounced Santa Claus your choice in children's Christmas music becomes somewhat limited ;). I remember when Bri was three her musical repertoire consisted of I'm a Little Tea Pot and  the Barney song. It brings such a warmth to my heart to hear Andrew belting out "He a-wose! He a-wose!", and Bethi playing with her dolls in the dollhouse singing, "What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus...". It also often brings a smile to my lips, such as hearing Bethi's rendition of At the Cross. The correct version is...

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away (rolled away).
It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day.

Bethi's version is...

"At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light
And the bottom of my heart rolled away.
It  was there by faith I saved my sight, and now I'm a happy holiday!"

Obviously we're still working on that one ;).

Andrew's favorite is Holy, Holy, Holy. Whenever he sees us getting out the books he asks for it. He also enjoys a CD we have that incorporates Hebrew words and imagery into their praise and worship. At home or out shopping he loves to sing at the top of his little lungs, "Ho-wy, ho-wy, ho-wy...SHALOM!" over and over again, haha. I love it :)!

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? ~Matthew 21:15&16