Welcome Baby Levi!

There are many things that stand out in the memory banks of special life events.  The phone call from Abi last summer with Nick on the line as well.  Immediately, by the sound of joy in their voices, I knew they had a very special announcement to make!  WOW . . . I'm really going to move into a new season ~ that of being a grandmother!  Just twelve years ago I was having my own children.

For the birth of Adrian (Abi's firstborn son), I will never forget leaving early in the morning from Atlanta for a long eight hour drive to North Carolina in hopes of arriving in time to see the birth.  When we were just 45 minutes away, Nick called to announce that Abi was pushing!  Ahhhhhhhh - will we make it in time?  We (Kayla and I) finally screeched into the parking lot of the hospital and ran to the delivery room only to learn that Adrian was already ten minutes old.  Our first moments together, however, were exciting, emotional, and forever etched in my heart.  What a beautiful baby boy, her firstborn, my grandson.

Christmas Eve - all of the gifts had been exchanged between Kayla, Ben and our family so we thought.  Kayla had patiently sat through all of the excitement of surprises and family conversation without giving a hint that she was saving the best gift for last.  Just when we thought the night was over, Ben and Kayla pulled out one last little gift ~ just for me!  I didn't think much about it as I untied the bow and unwrapped the box.  At first, peering in at the Georgia bulldog BABY bib nothing registered in my mind as to what they were communicating through this special gift.  In fact, no one quite understood the meaning of their gift.  Perhaps because it had already been baby night as we anticipated the birth of Abi's baby together as a family showering them with newborn clothing, this bib was for Gramsie to use when Adrian came to visit?  Only a few moments passed before the message of the bib was clear in my mind . . . "Are you?"  Wanting to believe, but not sure if it could be true, "Are you PREGNANT?"  Sheepishly, they shook their heads and smiled, "Yes, WE are having a baby!"  We all cried and cheered ~ God has been good to us!

*****

Having the JOY of experiencing the birth of another grandson just six months after the first was as exciting as having the weddings of my two beautiful daughters just six months apart! 

The waiting time was fun as two large families (Whittinghills and Apons) joined together praying for the safe arrival of a little boy that would be shared by all.  As Kayla labored, we were offered an intermission.  The familes left the hospital to go home for some rest before the actual delivery of this precious baby.   Groggily waking up to a very early alarm (4:45 a.m.), I grabbed for my cell phone laying by my pillow when I realized what could be happening on this very day! 

There was a text from my son-in-law, "Kayla is at 7 and will be pushing soon."  Oh my - what did that mean by the standard of time?  Why didn't he call instead of text?  Did I have time for a shower, would I miss his birth?  I jumped out of bed, prepared for the day, and ran through the house as if it were Christmas morning, "We are ALL going to the hospital ~ today is Levi's BIRTH-day!"  We loaded up and headed out taking time for a quick run through Starbucks and dropping off school documentation folders.  Two families gathered together again to share in the joy of this special time.  We waited, and waited, and waited again.  Before long, we heard Kayla's doctor paged, "She must be ready to deliver the baby!"

As I peeked around the corner of the waiting room, I heard the sound of a baby lullaby playing over the loud speaker, "That is for baby Levi ~ he's here!"  At that moment the doctor exited the delivery room smiling from ear to ear.  I gave him a thumbs up as if to ask, "Is the baby here?"  The doc responded back with a thumbs up and replied, "Yes, and he is one of the most beautiful babies I've seen in a long time." 

Texts began to fly through cyberspace as we began to share the news with family and friends.  God has shed His grace on us one more time by giving our families the joy, honor, and blessing of raising a child for His glory!

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Your BIRTH-day Kayla Joy
March 22, 1990

LABOR AND DELIVERY

Well, one week to the day I began real labor.  This past week has been hard for us because I have had so many contractions and false labor.  Again, the day I actually had the first real contraction, I felt nothing.  At 11:15 p.m. I was awakened with the first hard contraction.  After so many that were false, I didn’t get excited.  I got up and went in to take a warm bath to see if they would go away.  Daddy woke up and came into the bathroom to time the contractions.  They were coming every two-five minutes, not really regular.  By the time I got out of the tub, I was really hurting.  I decided to go ahead and wash my hair and plan to go to the hospital.  Daddy got ready too and we called Gloria, our secretary for NewSong, to come and care for Abigail.

When we got to the hospital, the gate to the parking lot was locked so Daddy had to pull in the grass to get in.  He was really nervous because I was in lots of pain.  When they checked me I was dilated to six!  I guess this is the real thing. 

They couldn’t give me an epidural fast enough.  They couldn’t find a vein for the IV either.  After being poked so many times, I was beginning to lose control.  Finally, the doctor came in to give the epidural.  I kept flinching which made the doctor mad. He told me if I didn’t stop moving, I would have a spinal block.  Daddy thought that meant I would be paralyzed and he fainted on top of me! 

Finally, everything calmed down and you were ready to be born.  I pushed about 45 minutes and you were born at 3:59 a.m.  You had meconium so right away a respiratory team came in to check you out.  Everything was fine and I was thrilled to have a second little girl. 

You are our beautiful blessing.