Happy 13th Birthday Nathaniel Thomas!

(Side note: Nate picked this song on the player to go along with his b-day message...a little heavy metal:) but I like it.  Nate, I pray that you always see your need for Christ as this song speaks)

As mothers we can't help but relive every moment possible of the birth of our children.  As Nate's birthday approaches, I take a walk down memory lane.

My thoughts quickly trace back to the birth of my precious little boy.  I was 36 weeks and 6 days when I started with contractions.  I had a fever, some sort of virus in my body which brought on contractions that were coming hard and strong.  Off to the hospital we went.  I was feeling quite miserable.  The nurses started to hook me up to all sorts of I.V.'s  getting me situated in Labor and Delivery with hopes of hydrating me and a little Tylenol and I would be on my way home to wait another three plus weeks to deliver.  As standard, they hooked me up to the baby monitor and this is where things got a little scary.

After several tries, they were having a hard time getting my babies heart rate.  Eventually, the heart rate would show up every once and again but it was extremely high.  It would pop up and then disappear, which was indicative of a unsafe, very high heart rate.  With that, the doctors and nurses began scurrying around.  It very much seemed like a fog, but I remember them questioning me and asking when I started with the fever and how long had I been sick.  I began to slowly take in that we were in a serious situation and our baby was at risk.

I remember seeing my sister come in the room and with a sweet but concerned look on her face say that everything was going to be okay and that I was receiving the best care.  My sister was working in Labor and Delivery at the time.  As the urgency continued, my aunt Barb who was with us for every birth came in and with her reassuring way calmed us down.  Aunt Barb told me that Nana had everyone praying for us and the baby and that people had gathered at her house(which was the family hang-out) to pray for us.  That gave us great comfort.

We did not know the sex of our baby and did not want to find out.  The doctor came in and did an ultrasound which showed, from everything that they could see, that the baby looked okay.  He teased me in saying he knew what we were having and did I want to know.  We passed up the opportunity.  I was then put on a ice bed....yeah, full body ice bed because they wanted to get my fever down and the tylenol wasn't doing the trick.  I laid on the ice bed and my fever did start to come down.  After many hours of the baby's heart rate bouncing around in the very, very, very highs they grew quite concerned and decided to induce me with Pitocin aka fire water which I have a love/hate relationship with.  

Apparently when babies get virus' in the womb it is a very dangerous situation that can take their life or cause numerous complications in their lives.  This I knew.  Right then, in the middle of all this hoopla going on and the scurrying of the doctor and nurses, Bob and I prayed.  Let me just say that I am a worrier.  I can worry about anything and everything.  It's a sin in my life.  But at that moment, I will NEVER forget how the presence of the Lord came over us like nothing I can ever explain or do justice in explaining.  It was almost tangible.  We prayed to Him and begged Him to keep our precious baby safe and alive.  I remember praying no matter what complications this child has Lord let your will be done, I trust you.

It's amazing 13 years later and I sit with streams of tears falling down my cheeks.  Not because of the pain of remembering the struggle but because God drew near to us in that very moment, His presence was upon us and His peace came in to our hearts.  I never want to forget that moment....because our faith, my faith deepened in a whole new way.  A "memorial stone"moment for our family.

Joshua 4:5-7
And Joshua said to them, "Cross again to the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel.  
Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, "What do these stones mean to you?" then you shall say to them, "Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crosse the Jordan, the water of the Jordan were cut off, So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever."

Our Sovereign, Majestic, All-Powerful, God allowed us the privilege of birthing a beautiful little baby boy, who was born healthy.  For the first 24 hours he was kept in the nursery for observation and under the lights because his temperature was very low.  This was the way God wanted Nathaniel's story to begin and we are so thankful and will NEVER forget His grace, His love, His mercy for us and for Nate.

Nate, we love you so very much and are blessed by you. God has a purpose for your life.  Your love and deep conviction in honoring and glorifying God is evident in your walk.  Your love for Him radiates all around you.  I love your beautiful heart.  I love how loyal you are to your friends and family.  I love how sensitive your are to the things that matter in this life.  We pray that you will always seek after what is right and pure and what God calls you to.   You my son, were born for an almighty purpose, to glorify your Lord and Savior.  We love you so very much!  Happy 13th birthday Natey boy!!!

Your favorite verse(and mine too!)

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who love me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

cousins:)

cute boy

Nate and Danny on our Joni and Friends Mission trip

goofy

you love the beach and ocean

buddies for life!

the sibs

me and my boy

visiting the pre school in Africa

Africa-the orphanage

best buds and brothers too

Nate, Eliud, Robbie, and Dad in Africa

We love you and can't wait to see what God has in store for your life!!!