Hey! Guess what!!!!!!!! Since the last time we chatted I had a baby! Wooohoo! The much anticipated arrival of Ezekiel came about 2 weeks ago.
I personally love hearing war birth stories because let’s be real labor and pushing out a baby may be about as close to fighting a war as I get, so I thought I would share mine here.
Ezekiel was induced. My body does this interesting thing where it dialates without being in active labor. I had already been at a 4, without active labor for 2 weeks and my OB was very surprised (as was I) that I had made it to my due date.
This whole situation sort of left me a little on edge, because Finn came a week early and when I went into labor it was incredibly intense and a little stressful waking up in the middle of the night and realizing wow- ouch – I have to get to the hospital – then frantically calling our friends to see who could come stay with Caden and by the time I got to the hospital I was already at an 8… and begging every passing person for an epidural…. but that is a different birth story for a different time… poor 3 rd child Zeke- can’t even get his own air time here… already sharing his birth story with his bro’s. All that to say the whole, I’m just walking around dialated caring for 2 toddlers and seriously could be at an 8 within an hour, left me a little frantic with this ever revolving list in my head of who was available when to come be with the kids.
I went through transition without an epidural (and have long transitions) with both Caden and Finn. I was praying that somehow I would have time to get an epidural before transition with Ezekiel. So honestly, although I had an induction with Caden and it wasn’t very peaceful or a great experience (except ya know the whole meeting Caden part). So I was apprehensive about doing an induction again. Fortunately God gave us a lot of peace and clarity that we were to do the induction. Our hospital will only let you go 1 week past your due date, and our OB was going to be going on vacation at the one week mark. (I mean how could she leave at a time like that!). We really wanted her to do the induction so we opted to induce before she left.
Several friends had felt like the Lord was promising a very peaceful labor and delivery and a redemption from some of the drama and stress of my last 2 deliveries. But I still felt NERVOUS walking in there – at 5 AM!!! We grabbed some whataburger tacos before getting there and drove in the rain to the hospital… it was a long and dangerous journey…. j/k we live 2 minutes from the hospital- after arriving I was checked and was barely at a 5. I kept feeling like it was God answering my special request for an epidural before I went into transition.
They hooked me up to that pitocin and I was at a 6 in like a blink of an eye. So after getting my epidural, I did my make up and declared that this would be my most glamorous child birth experience – I had even gotten my nails done the day before -I mean Princess Kate and her team of stylists had nothing on me.
Less than 4 hours after starting the pitocin he was here after 4 pushes! I pushed for 2 hours with Caden so that was such a relief! It honestly could not have gone anymore peacefully or smoothly. The whole experience was such a gift.
I requested that Come Alive by Lauren Daigle be played as I was pushing him out.
Here is the significance of Ezekiel’s name
Ezekiel: Meaning is God strengthens. He was named after the prophet Ezekiel in the Bible, specifically because we feel there is an anointing on his life to speak the life of Jesus Christ to dead places. In this incedible moment in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 37, God tells Ezekiel to prophecy to a valley of dry bones and this is what happens:
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.“
Rains: His middle name is Rains. We named him Rains because in the Bible, rain is often a sign of God bringing revival and refreshment, and those are things we believe Ezekiel’s life will bring.
So this is awesome… it POURED RAIN during all of Ezekiel’s labor and delivery. Later that day there was a DOUBLE RAINBOW all over the city!
We felt like the double rainbow was a sweet confirmation from God that the words promised over Ezekiel’s life will come to pass! Also, I just recently realized that in the first chapter of Ezekiel, Ezekiel has a vision of God and uses the analogy of a rainbow to help describe His encounter with God, “Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.” Ezekiel 1:28
Ezekiel’s stats:
Day: Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Time: 10:09 am
Weight: 8lbs, 15 oz (our biggest baby)
Length: 20 & 3/4 in.
Thank you to everyone who was praying and has showered us with love! We are so thankful for this mighty little man of God!!!!!!
Melting over that baby squish