Asher Harris Arrives!

I'm here and surviving!  Sigh...these past few weeks have been like living in a dream.  Not like trip to Hawaii dream, but dream like, 'is this my life?' kinda dream.  I'm learning new norms.  

I've created a new blog called Ashers World so I can blog just about him there and keep this one for other subjects as well.  If you would like to read and keep up on Asher here's the blog address for him:  

http://asherharrissmith.blogspot.com/

The New Norm

It's 10:30 and if I was at work I would be drinking water, working and waiting 30 more minutes for my apple break.  I would be reminding myself that I need to get up and walk around because my feet are swollen and circulation is good for the baby and for my body.  I would be laughing and listening with co-workers about what's going on in our lives.  We would be living it out together in a way.  Our lunch hour was 1pm.  We would be done working most days by 4pm.  Drew and I would either grab dinner or go home for dinner and then rest and enjoy the evening together.  This was the old norm.  It's strange how your life literally can change in just a few days or less.  I know this well from other events in my life, but Asher's birth has once again reminded me that we are now entering a new norm. 

My life now consists of praying that I'm doing the right things so I don't mess up this LIFE that has been given to us.  I'm on an every 2 hour norm.  Feed, Wake, Sleep.  That's the goal.  I'm entering the world of late night parties with wide eyed baby, wet everything (my clothes, his clothes, burp cloths, furniture, pants etc) one priority, fast showers, dr. appts, messiness and the most amazing little boy I could imagine.  Yes, I know things will get better with time and as I figure out this new norm it will become..well...normal.  It's just so strange to be a part of this world and know that so many have gone before me and understand this transition so well.  The strange thing is even though I'm wet and tired and wish I could be sleeping instead of feeding in the middle of the night, it's in the middle of the night that he is so cute to me.  I look down and little Asher is staring at me with those cute little eyes and it makes everything else fade away.  In that one moment I would do it all over again.  I've complained about how horrible childbirth is (you can read that in Ashers blog) but when it's 3am and all you want to do is crawl back in bed with your husband where it's warm and sleepy, and then you look down and see that you are giving food/life to your most precious gift as he looks right at you...oh man...all of it was worth it.  He is the most amazing thing that I could ever imagine.  

So now we move forward.  Drew tells me I can't stay in my jammies all day anymore so I will be showering after the next feeding and heading to the grocery store to get a few groceries. Although we haven't needed much food as our friends have been supplying us with food for weeks now. We are so blessed!  

My new norm is starting to cry so that means its time for feeding, burping, changing, showering, shopping...and...repeat.

Until my next free moment.................

This is a special week!

Hello September!

I hope everyone is doing well with school starting.  In Michigan public schools start tomorrow.  I remember being a kid the night before school started.  I hated going to bed at 8 and it still being light outside.  I was always so nervous about the next day and if I would have friends in my classes.  I didn't feel like I had that many friends so I was always scared about it. So blessings to all the kiddos out there and I hope they have an amazing nights sleep, and many friends in class.  :)

Its been a great weekend.  I really haven't done much but hang at home...and wait.  This part of the pregnancy is a bit strange as we don't know when this little guy is gonna come out!  A lot of people guessed that he would be here by now, but nope.  Sorry Laura (31st) and Joni (1st) I really thought one of you would "win"  but Happy Birthday anyway!!!

We had an interesting appointment last Thursday.  We got to have our last ultrasound!  I can't believe we are in our 39th week.  And they told me this would never happen.  Less than 3% chance of conceiving.  Watch out for pre-term labor.  Because of my age we could have complications.  But here we are, perfect baby, great pregnancy and BLESSED!  THANK GOD!  He has been so faithful to us! We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we are excited!!  The ultrasound went well.  Everything looks great!  He's doing well and is EIGHT POUNDS!!!!  I cried, not because he's big (haha) but it was just so wonderful to see his face again and his strong heart beat.  His hand was in front of his mouth this time and I think he was sucking his fingers.  :)  I believe my doctor felt bad for me as my feet were huge and I looked (and was) very tired.  She checked me and said I was 60% effaced and 0% dilated.  But she said that could all change by the end of the day, which it didn't.  She said she would probably think about inducing the following friday or monday.  So Sept 6th (day before due date) or Sept 9th (2 days after).  I said ok but I really believed I was going to have the baby in August.  I went to work and before I left for the day I made sure everything was in order thinking this could be it for me!  But here we are on Labor Day and I'm not laboring.  (Which I'm actually thankful for because that was a bit cliche for me)

I have been praying and asking God to lead our doctor to the right decisions etc.  I trust God and so I will trust His leading and the doctors that are helping and guiding us.  Drew was excited about us being induced close to our due date.  He told me about a week ago that he thought we would have him on our due date.  ( I was NOT happy as I wanted him in August and Drew is usually right about these things) He then told me the Jewish New Year was that day and it would be awesome if our baby was born that day.  I had to agree.  After our appointment he was excited knowing we could have him at that time if we were induced. We went to work and he realized as he looked it up again that this year the Jewish New Year started Wednesday at sundown and went until Friday at dawn.  He said we would just pray and know that God would bring our son at the perfect Kingdom time.  His birthday will be the perfect day.

Literally 5 minutes later I got a call from my nurse who told me we were scheduled to arrive at the hospital Wednesday evening for a Thursday morning induction!  I was so confused because my doctor hadn't mentioned that it would possibly be earlier. That was less than a week away! And of course it fell right on the Jewish New Year.  Again, I want things to happen naturally and I'm still praying for that.  God is awesome and can do anything.  I believe He can make my body start labor that same day. But the timing of things seemed so crazy!  For anyone interested, here is a link about the New Year.

Click here for Jewish New Year Info

A few things about that day:

Rosh haShanah, in Jewish legend, is the anniversary of the day on which God created humans and animals—the beginning of the world.3 God creates humanity out of the dust of the earth, and out of God’s own spirit.4 Of humans, it says that “God created the human in God’s own image, in the image of God God created the human, male and female God created them.” Adam and Eve are born on Rosh Hashanah, as is the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. The first of the year falls on a day that reminds us that the Divine is within us and all beings. We blow the shofar, the ram’s horn, to signal the thunderous impact of this Presence on our lives, and we engage in memory—considering all that we have done during the year, seeking to make right where we have erred, seeking to become whole where we have been in turmoil, seeking to make ourselves new. It is a time of conception in all its forms. 

Rosh haShanah is the day, according to midrash (Jewish creative interpretation), that God intervened in the wombs of the matriarchs Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah and made them pregnant.6 On Rosh haShanah, we read the stories of Sarah, Hannah, and Rachel7 to remind us of the hope for new life. There is a legend that Sarah, the mother of the Jewish people, herself was born on this day. We also read the story of the Akedah, the binding of Isaac, when Isaac is nearly sacrificed by his father Abraham, to let us know that this time of year also signals radical change—a part of us must die in order to be reborn.

Regardless of when our baby arrives, the Jewish New Year is pretty awesome.  I love the idea that this week they/we are commissioned to make a "radical change" in our lives and that a part of us must die in order to be reborn.  I pray more of God and less of me.  That I can and will lay down myself so God can do a great work. I'm thankful for the changes God is bringing to our lives. With Him all things come into agreement, and God's kingdom comes to life.  It's exciting and scary but so so good.

So, all of that to say we don't know what's going to happen this week!  We know our little man is going to arrive and we are praying for God to be present.  I remember one of the first women that I knew that had a baby told me she sang her baby into the world.   Her delivery was peaceful and joyful. I'm praying for that.  :)

So we ask you to join us in prayer this week for a safe and quick delivery no matter what day he arrives.  We will be updating our blog and maybe facebook but we are still trying to be respectful to our friends that are still in the waiting place for their family too.  Waiting sucks.  It just does.  But knowing God is with us, knowing He has a plan, and our story isn't over makes it bearable. And sometimes even enjoyable.

Born in September, baby Smith.  We are also still waiting for a name.  God will provide in His time!

Exciting things just a few days away!!!!!