Part Six
Note: This is Part Six. To start from the beginning CLICK HERE. I have pondered and prayed over how much of our story to share. God has done so many wonderful things for us in just a few short months, but part of me wanted to hide some of those things away in my heart — to treasure them a little longer before letting anyone else see or hear them. But another part of me knows God has instructed me to tell of the good things He has done and not be silent, so I’ll carefully share a little more of our story. God showed up in some amazing ways in our lives. He is our Protector, our Deliverer, our Great Physician. He is also a loving Father that knows just what we need, when we need it. You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30: 11-12) November 5, 2012 I was holding Sylvia-Kate as the midwife was getting ready for Steven to cut the umbilical cord. She was wrapped in a plush blue towel. Then the assistant pulled back the bottom of the towel, and we realized everything wasn’t perfect. Her cord was already severed. It had broken during the pushes apparently. My midwife quickly did an assessment. She was breathing ok; her heart rate was up but coming back down. She was pale though, and had lost quite a bit of blood. There was no way of knowing exactly how much; she needed to be transferred to the hospital. As the EMT’s arrived, everyone in my living room was eerily quiet. I could see the worry written all over Steven’s face. I wanted to run to him and comfort him. I wanted to tell them all that my baby girl was going to be just fine. I didn’t say anything though. I just sat and watched as everything moved in slow motion. Steven went with her in the ambulance, and then I got up to get ready (with the help of my midwife and photographer) to meet them at the hospital. As I put on my shoes, I held the hands of my midwife and we prayed over my little girl. I could tell everyone else was very worried. I had Peace though, that only the Holy Spirit can give. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) The above two verses played over and over in my head that evening. God was reminding me of His promise to me. You see, that night I knew something everyone else didn’t. I had known something was going to happen. God had shared that with me through a dream when I was pregnant. I was scared for weeks, but God kept whispering, “Keep going. Trust me. She will be ok.” (Yes, I’d also been told in the dream I was having a baby girl. J I kept it to myself though, afraid that there was a small chance I was just plain crazy.) As I sat in the birthing tub, holding Sylvie while the midwife checked her breathing and heart rate, that dream had come rushing back to me, accompanied by that calming peace God wrapped me in. It stayed with me that night, and over the next week as I stayed by her side in the hospital.
After a week of antibiotics for Sylvia, not nearly enough sleep for me, too much time spent away from my little boys, and way more cable tv than I ever care to watch again, I finally got to carry Sylvie-Kate back into our home. 
Over the next few days I kept thinking about the verses in Psalm that I had read over and over during my pregnancy… Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30: 11-12) Sometimes not-good things happen to good people. Everyone has trials. I’ve learned though, that our trials aren’t always about us. Yes, it was a very hard week for me. I definitely learned some things. That was not the birth experience I had hoped for, and I still sometimes wish things could have happened differently. However, I know God had a bigger plan and used our experience to show at least one person how great his love for us is. That changes everything. Oh how He loves us… 
This last picture is so precious to me. It was taken the day Sylvia-Kate came home from the hospital. That is my great-grandmother Sylvia, holding her great-great-granddaughter and namesake for the first time. 🙂
