3 little words that hold such incredible significance and have forever changed me. Its so overwhelmingly surreal.
Little man was due to arrive August 1st, but didn't show up until August 11th. So at 41 weeks 3 days, he finally made his appearance. Labor was harder than I had ever imagined. It was discovered during my labor that Jackson was in the posterior position. He was head down, but face up. Making labor a hard and slow process since he was hitting my pelvic bone instead of slipping down under it. Thankfully, I had an amazing support team with me. My doctor worked hard with us to help get him born safely (with NO c-section, thank God!) Josh was quite literally my pillar of strength when I just didn't think I could go on. Betty, my mother in law, brought such love and security to me when all I could do was cry from exhaustion. And Michelle, our doula, brought support and techniques to help me through the contractions and back labor that I would have been lost without. She empowered both Josh and Betty to help me in ways I hadn't anticipated needing. It was this team that helped keep me going as I worked hard to meet my son.
Sunday, August 11th at 1:54pm, after 43 hours of labor and 4 hours of pushing, Jackson Steven Grace was born. Weighing 10 lbs even, and 22 1/2 inches long and completely capturing my heart. With one last push, he was suddenly here and time stood still. I was crying, Josh was crying, and Betty was crying. It was the most magical moment of my entire life. I've never before felt so strong, so feminine, so close to my husband, or so in awe of God's design. It was the most intense experience I've ever had and equally the most amazing. I'm so incredibly thankful to have had the chance to experience it and to hold a happy, healthy baby boy in my arms. I look down at him and see parts of both Josh and I and I fall in love with my husband all over again. We created a little life together and now we get the opportunity to watch him grow. Words don't do justice how amazing that is.
I saw the quote "she decided to start living the life she had imagined" some time ago and it stuck with me. I believe that God puts desires on your heart for a reason and equips you with the ability to chase after those dreams. That is how Josh and I strive to live our life. To be always enjoying today as we move towards our goals. To not wait for things to simply happen, but to live each day finding the joy in it. Its hard work and keeps our days full, but the reward is rich. We are content. We are happy. We are living the life we had imagined.
