The day / night Caleb came.

We had a really fun visit with Victoria and Val  who had lots of great stories from the Steiner farm! :)

A very happy big sister!  :)

Gracie and Caleb! Grace has promised to change all diapers!  :)

Rachel is very happy about this!

Misty and little Indigo came to see us too.

Halo taking a turn.

A beautiful little face.  :)

Very early in the morning on July 8, 2011, Caleb finally came!  Praise God!  :)

 

     Our adventure started Thursday, July 7.  We had a doctor's apt at 10:00 that morning.  We knew our time was up, and they would be strongly suggesting inducing labor.  He was now 2 weeks overdue.  So before our apt Doug got up early that morning (about 4:30) to accomplish some things in that day that needed to be done because he knew we were definitely going to be busy in the days to come.  So his day started much earlier than mine.  After he got home we went to our apt.  We had a stress test for the baby to see how it was coping, and he was strong and healthy.  There were no signs of contractions at all, and no more real progress as far as labor.  We were absolutely and definitely doing nothing in the way of delivering a baby.  :(

A great picture of our family drawn by one of the very talented Sauder children. :)

And so we were set to come into the hospital the next night at 7:00 pm and be induced.  (breaking the water and waiting for labor to start.)  We left our apt, rejoicing this Little baby was healthy, but sad that this was not what we wanted.  We got something to eat, and then decided to take a walk around the lagoon at the Pekin Park.  It was nice just to take a little while to talk.  Something you should know, my husband is a rock in times of uncertainty. :) Nothing seems to shake him.  He is always encouraging and looking for the good. So when I am reduced to a puddle, he is right there pointing to God, and telling me the good in every situation.  I am so blessed.  So after our walk we went home. I took a nap, and he set off to work on all the farm wotk he had laid out for the day.  Which included moving a towable irrigation, putting more nitrogen on the fields and a few other labor intensive things that couldn't wait.  Thinking we were going to rest up that night and be ready for labor the next day!

Doug and Caleb doing some farm work yesterday on the computer

All this time we were both still praying that God would step in at any time and take control of the situation. That he truly would be the great physician that he is called in the Bible and make all the decisions for us so it wouldn't be up to us! :)  The previous day Doug had heard a sermon on the radio talking about how God will sometimes  wait until the very last minute to step in. So that we would know without a doubt that it was He that was in control, doing the work, performing the miracle.  We have always prayed for us and for our kids that God would "show himself strong to us", like it talks about in 2chronicles 16:9: the eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the land showing Himself strong to those who love Him."   And as were about to find out in a very Big way that God is definitely real, true to His word, listens and answers prayers, and lets us know the whole time that he is right here.  :)

Olivia getting to meet her little brother for the first time.

 Next it began to storm.  Doug was able to finish up his irrigation moving  just in time and head home.  Emily came home from work about  5:00and we were all together in the house. So he decided we should all go to Havana for milkshakes.  Which we did and was alot of fun for everybody. :)  By the time we got home it was time for baths and bed for all the little ones.  The big girls and I decided to watch a movie and Doug went back out to check on injector pumps for the irrigations and take one last look at things before he came in for the night. It was 8:45 at this point.

At about 8:50 I was sitting on the couch with the girls and had a contraction. A REAL one, at least I thought it was.  I hadn't had a real one yet. in 42 weeks! ( Only the annoying Bracks and Hicks. That hurt some but don't really help much at all.) So I decided to read for awhile and during that time had 2 MORE!  Wahooo!!! Could it actually be????  So I decided I better call Doug and find out where he was in the county.  :)   Turned out he was on our farm checking our irrigation visiting with a dear friend of ours whom God had out on there heart to call Doug and tell him he and his family was prying for us.  Talk about timing!  Thank you God. So he shut off the irrigation and was in the house in about 3 seconds!  :)

After that we had about three more contractions and then..they stopped.  By this time it was about 10:30.Doug had already drank some coffee trying to get himself awake (which really didn't) so we decided to go to bed.  Then at 11:00...they started again!  :)  I waited...another one, but they were still only 15 minutes apart.  Doug was sawing logs...Then another one. 11:30. I woke up Doug.  He thought we should rest and wait since they were so far apart....OK....12:00 I was in the living room, another one...it was time to wake up the man!  I woke up Doug and he felt like it was still early, but when another hit and other symptoms were starting he thought it would be better to go than have something happen neither of us were ready for.   So at 12:30 we were off to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at 1:00.  The emergency room staff was happy to get us up to the floor as fast as they could once they realized we were having our ninth child and 42 weeks overdue.  (Last week a baby was delivered in the elevator and they did not want to do that again.) Note: neither did I!  :)    We got up to the floor and the nurses called Dr. Brinkman.  After she arrived and a few more contractions she broke the water and it was time to push.  Ok, now remember the part in an earlier post about a posterior baby facing my right hip...Here's where that comes in.  This means , for me and a few other lucky women I know, that you will push a little longer, that no matter how many children you have this will take a while.  Most of our time at the hospital was spent on this part. 

I was truly beginning to feel like I wasn't going to be able to do it. That this would end up with a c-section.  And then Philippians 4:4 came to mind.  "Rejoice in the Lord always! Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christi Jesus."  So even though I felt like it wasn't going to turn out well, I needed to stop listening to doubt, and instead Rejoice!  Everything Doug and I prayed about was happening!  Don't be anxious. God had obviously shown himself strong to us. To be able to bring about anything!  And what I needed to be doing was praying and asking for help!  And thanking Him for what he had done already!  At  2:16, he was here. No c-section.  It was done!  Thank you Lord!  :)  By 5:00 we were in a room by ourselves holding a beautiful little baby.  Did I mention that Doug's day had started about that time? :)  He didn't try to drive home.  Caleb went to sleep and so did we.  The nurses on the floor had a busy day that day so we really didn't see anyone, except friends that day. Which was really nice!  :) About noon the next morning we took him home.  How wonderful it is to be done and be home!  Its like a dream.  Ever had those days when you sit back and look at your life and it seems like something out of a picture or a story you once read?  That is what it feels like. Being blessed beyond measure.  We are so thankful.  Every good and perfect thing comes from above.  We are so thankful.   We have never felt so encouraged, so loved, so prayed for.  Thank you to all our friends who called, emailed, commented on the blog, gave advice, sent emails right when they felt God prompting them too, (one came right as our true labor began!) God is so good. For everyone who came and visited . You all will never know the strength it gave us. 

"Christian Friendship"  from the Hymns of Zion

There are friendships that we cherish in our daily walk of life  Friends with whom we meet and labor  In our earthly toil and strife.  Friends among the aged and youthful, Friends that live from us apart  Friends of higher rank and station  Find a place within my heart.     But I prize the friendship highest Of the one whose heart is true.  Friends who live by truth and goodness  And who live in Him anew, Friends whose hearts are up in heaven Though their feet traverse this sod,  Find a place of highest merit In our fellowship with God.    There's a tie of noble kinship In a soul who loves the Lord, There's a friendship warm and lasting If he heeds the Master's Word. There is mutual understanding and a sympathy so kind In the tie of Christian friendship, As on earth we oft-times find.   When at last these ties are riven, When we're called to go on high, Oh, how sweet to meet in heaven, Friends forever, you and I, When at last these ties are riven, Where we're called to go on high, Oh how sweet to meet in heaven, Friends forever you and I.