One week prior to her due date "Baby Watch" was officially declared. Relatives were put on notice and the bags were packed. However, the watch waned when our baby never showed up.
After consulting with our doctor, we decided to induce and April 22 became Dorothy's official birth date.
We woke up at 5:45am. I showered and fixed my hair. I was determined to look nice in my post baby pictures. This was a goal that was not met. Nathaniel grabbed the bags and armed with cell phones, pillows, and a Flannery O'Connor anthology, we departed for Baptist Downtown.
Since I wasn't in labor, there was no rush. I calmly walked into the maternity ward and got situated into my room. I was warned that we would be there a while because the combination of this being my first child and being induced meant that the process would be long and slow. We settled in and Nathaniel began reading "A Good Man is Hard to Find" out loud to pass the time.
Contrary to the nurse's statement, my labor was not long and slow. It actually went rather quickly and by 2:00pm we were well on our way to having a baby. The nurses and the doctors all assured me that this was going extremely well and that we were going to have ourselves a baby in no time. A matter of minutes really.
And that's the moment when the wheels fell off of the bus.
I'll spare you the details, and for the sake of ending the suspense, at 4:49pm, on Tuesday, April 22, 2014, Dorothy Louise Simmons was born. She was beautiful, she had all 10 fingers and 10 toes, and my very first thought upon seeing her was, "She looks just like Nathaniel."
In the weeks since Dorothy was born, I have been on a pretty wild roller coaster. On one hand, I have a beautiful baby who is just beginning to baby talk (and it's just precious.) However, I have also experienced pain, exhaustion, and frustration like never before. The first two weeks of Dorothy's life are a blur due to pain medication and the unfortunate reality that the rap classic "Hard Out Here For Pimp" played on a loop in my head the entire time. At times it was hard to keep focused and remember that this suffering is not permanent. In order to keep my mind and my heart in check, I began to regularly remind myself of the many blessings that I have been given over the past months and I thought that I would use this post to share them with you.
1. Dorothy Louise
I mean, seriously? This baby is cute. This baby is also sweet and that is a true gift. She immediately fell into a routine, which meant that we could schedule all of my medicinal rituals around her. Her temperament has made this whole process so much more bearable and I couldn't be more thankful for that.
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| Photo by Beth Simmons Photography |
2. Nathaniel
When you stand at the alter on your wedding day, and promise to love someone "for better or for worse," you typically don't consider everything that statement entails. Over the past two months, Nathaniel has routinely demonstrated to me what Christ-like love is and has certainly loved me during the "worse." He has served me, kept our house running, and made our little baby fall in love with him all at the same time. (For a long time Dorothy would only respond to his voice. It was cute and infuriating at the same time. Didn't she love her own mama?) If marriage is designed to demonstrate the way that Christ loves the church, my understanding of that love has increased dramatically over the past two months because I have been the recipient of true sacrificial love. I am truly blessed.
3. The Davis Sisters
My Mom and her sisters, Kathy and Dayle, have gone above and beyond in their efforts to care for our family and to keep our spirits up. Mom practically moved in and made it her goal to care for Dorothy, which allowed Nathaniel the ability to continue to work. She woke up in the night to help me when Dorothy needed to eat, she came over in the afternoon to help with dinner and laundry, and all the while she was planning my sister's wedding.
My aunts Kathy and Dayle have also been an enormous blessing. While Nathaniel and Mom were at work, they rotated shifts to stay with me and Dorothy in the mornings. I so enjoyed this time with them because while they were serving me with their help, they were also encouraging me with their Godly conversation and wisdom. This has truly been an example of joy in suffering.
4. Beth and Naomi
My mother-in-law, Beth, and my sister-in-law, Naomi, visited us during this time and it was such a treat. Their travel plans went haywire in the process and what began as a simple day trip turned into a 4-day marathon of travel. While for them the trip may have been a bit exhausting, it was refreshing and encouraging for me and Nathaniel. It was so much fun to introduce Dorothy to her aunt Naomi and cousin Eloise. In addition to this visit, Beth came back and stayed with us for a number of days. She cooked, cleaned, and taught Dorothy to enjoy her bath times, which was a huge gift indeed!
5. Raiford Road Church
Finally, I have to mention my church family. When Dorothy was born, Nathaniel and I had been members at Raiford Road for one-month. In the months prior to our move, we liked to talk about all of the ways that we were going to be able to serve this church, but instead, from the moment we've arrived, it's been the church that has served us. The old hymn, "They'll Know We Are Christians" comes to mind when I think about the love shown by our church family over the past two months. They have absolutely showered us with kindness, generosity, encouragement, and prayers. They have demonstrated to me what it means to serve others selflessly and their actions have challenged my heart and have stirred within me a desire to love well. I cannot overstate the blessing that this church has been to us, nor can I overstate how thankful I am that the Lord has brought our family here.
To everyone who has prayed for us, brought us dinner, snacks, and other treats, written us notes, and visited, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. To God be the glory for the great things he has done.
