Review

It has been a busy couple of months in the Bird house, as we are accustomed to. Here's a brief rundown of recent events:
*Noah has not had more seizures and is continuing to grow and develop into a happy little guy. At his recent 6 month appointment, he weighed in at 18 lbs 1 oz and measured 28". He is *finally* starting to sleep through the night on a consistent basis!
*Jonah's favorite things right now are talking on the phone, learning how to jump, and playing with matchbox cars and 'The Guy' (a toy Gladiator action figure).
*We spent Thanksgiving with Amy's parents in Lancaster this year. We had a good time visiting with her brother's family while we were there.
*Amy submitted her resignation from apartment managing to devote more attention to Scott and the boys.
*The townhome we were looking to rent fell through, so now with a deadline quickly approaching to move out, we are back at square one and waiting for the Lord to show us where our next home will be.
*We spent Christmas at home, just the four of us. It was the first time we had not been with extended family for the holiday, and though we missed their company, we had a great time blending traditions from both sides of our families to make it uniquely 'ours'.
*Scott took Jonah up to the mountains near Yosemite for a couple of days; they left yesterday and will return tomorrow. They met Scott's Dad and family up there. Amy stayed behind with Noah to look after the apartment building and to pack up our things for our impending move.

If you think of it over the next few weeks, please pray for us during our transition. Specifically, please pray that the Lord would make it evident where we ought to live next. We are trying to find somewhere where we can be responsible stewards of our finances while at the same time having a safe neighborhood for the boys to be outside playing. So far we have found this to be nearly mutually exclusive but we know there is something out there. Please pray during our time of wrapping up this season of our lives and setting up home in the next. Scott starts his winterim class on the 7th and his final (!) semester shortly afterwards. We look forward to seeing how the Lord will provide and answer our prayers. He is faithful...

ER

Noah had a 'first' this week but I can't seem to find a "first trip to the ER sticker" in any baby book I've seen. I was nursing him on Thursday afternoon when he started having an apparent seizure that lasted for approximately 10 very long seconds. My attempts to alert him were unsuccessful and at one point when he opened his eyes, I saw them rolling back in his head. He seemed fine afterwards and went right back to nursing, but at his pediatrician's recommendation, we took him in to the emergency room. Dr. Friend was in charge of his care and he ordered some blood work and a CT scan which both came back within normal results. Having to hold him still for the insertion of the IV was not fun as the nurses struggled to find a vein under all his arm chubs. Other than that, he was acting really happy in the room and I found myself having to convince Scott that no, Noah was not shaking "just because he was cold." We were discharged late Thursday night with a follow-up visit with his pediatrician the following day. He ordered another test, an EEG, which we will hopefully have done in about a week or two.

waiting in the waiting room, acting really happy and not giving much cause for concern.
they wrapped him in a blanket after his CT scan. Note the feet.
excited to be coming home!
showing off his new boo-boo, where they put in the IV

Reflections on Sem Wives 10/17

Lisa Hughes spoke this week in sem wives. She is the wife of Jack Hughes, who pastors Calvary Bible Church in Burbank. He is a TMS graduate, so it was nice to hear from a wife who was once in my shoes. She addressed the discipline of studing Scriptures. This sounds simple and basic, right? But if having a devotional time is so important for every Christian to maintain, then why do so many struggle with consistency? I know I have my ups and downs.
So here are some practical things to consider. Nothing new, nothing hard...just helpful, hopefully.

To help with consistency:
*Seek an accountability partner. Maybe it's a spouse or a friend.
*Commit to studying and learning something new before talking to someone you talk to on a daily or regular basis (best friend, mom).
*Above all, pray that God would give you the grace to develop the discipline of consistency in your devotions!

How/what to study:
*Read through a specific book of the Bible every day for a month. Get familiar with the text. Maybe at the end of the month you'll want to study a particular theology further.
*Read through a Proverb each day of the month. As you read, keep a journal and write down the things that you learn about a few topics of your choice (such as the tongue, the slothful person vs. the industrious person, money, etc.)
*Study a particular theme or theology. Search the Scriptures to see what God says about Himself, prayer, covenants, marriage, etc.
*Choose a passage/chapter/book to memorize.
*Go from big to small. Get the context of the writing by reading the entire book first. Then break it up into smaller sections or by chapter. Then go verse by verse.
*Make your observations before you make your applications. Don't read into the text what you want it to say, but consider what the original writer intended to convey to the original recipients.

Redeeming the time:
*If you are a mom like I am, take advantage of the kiddos' nap time by making study a priority. Housework will still be there when you're done.
*Do you commute? What are you listening to in the car? Consider using the time to pray, or stick a hymn or sermon in the CD player. Download podcasts from good preachers.

Scripture study is a discipline that must be developed, and there are no shortcuts. But for the faithful, the rewards are plentiful and eternal. So if we are to be consistent, we must remember this: we will never be what we are not already now becoming. What are you doing today to ensure that your walk with the Lord is vibrant?

When did that happen?

One of my pet peeeeeves is telemarketing calls (I inherited that gene from my mom). I don't need people interrupting my day to tell me about a product that I've spent 27 years not knowing about and have somehow survived without (and using my monthly cell phone minutes to do it). But do you know what I don't need even more than that? Telemarketers interrupting my day and then being rude. Ummm....I really don't want your product now. And...I think it's supposed to be my job to hang up on you--not the other way around!!

Noah-4 Months

This post will probably be most interesting to the grandparents. We just returned home from Noah's 4 month appointment where he weighed in at 15 lbs 10 oz (75th percentile) and measured 27" (off the charts). He seemed to enjoy Dr. Chan listening to his heart/lungs and looking at his eyes/ears, but the real treat was the second dosage of his oral rotavirus vaccination! The shots were painful but quick and he seems to be doing fine now.
At four months, Noah enjoys laughing, cooing, reaching for toys, playing with his hands and feet, and sticking out his tongue to blow raspberries (just discovered that yesterday). Jonah likes watching him do this, and gleefully announces "Bubbles!!" every time Noah spits. My favorite relatively new skill of Noah's is that he is finally sleeping through the night on a regular basis! He can generally go 10 hours, which now gives Scott and I some time awake and alone without the kids, as well as a good night's sleep. Wahoo!
Look for Noah's 4 month pictures in a post to come.

Reflections on Sem Wives 10/10

As most of you who read this blog may know, Scott is in his 5th (and Lord-willing final) year of seminary. One of the aspects of The Master's Seminary that distinguished itself from the other seminaries we were considering 5 years ago was the emphasis that it placed on the family. With the heavy load that the students are required to undertake, it is not hard to see why some seminarians shamefully neglect their priorities of loving and leading their wives and families. We decided that this scenario was least likely to happen at TMS, where wives are not forgotten by the school. In addition to classes like the Pastor's Home where wives attend class with their husbands, and the annual Fall Picnic and Spring Banquet, there is a special program dedicated just for seminary wives that meets for 10 weeks during each semester.
In Seminary Wives, each semester focuses on a theme (this semester's happens to be "disciplined for godliness" taken from I Timothy 4:7,8). I like the fact that wives are encouraged to grow alongside their husbands in the Word, as we are training for our own unique ministry that we will have as a pastor's wife. We are also forming friendships with other women who understand what it is like to have a husband in seminary, and we are being led by table leaders who are who are professors' or elders' wives.
Last night, my table (led by Dawn Iverson, who is the wife of an elder at Grace Community) talked about last week's message (which I missed due to illness), prayer requests, praises, and creative and/or money-saving tips. We talked about how a pastor's wife, who is often on a limited budget, should gracefully deal with all the wedding and baby shower invitations she will receive. What is she to do if she cannot afford to buy gifts for every one of them and still be responsible with her household budget? So we brainstormed...and here are some of the ideas we came up with:

for weddings:
a scrapbook of favorite recipes on decorative 3x5 cards
a prayer for the couple or a Bible verse calligraphied or neatly printed and framed
a group gift of a scrapbook including advice from older women on how to have a loving, lasting, God-honoring marriage
a frame with the couple's name and wedding date burned into it
handmade cards (thank you's, blank, or multiple occassion)

for baby showers:
some of the ideas above, modified for babies
sewing burp cloths or blankets
a list of money-saving tips for moms (Grocery game, anyone? or www.mommysavers.com)

Do you have any ideas? Please share them in the comments and I'll pass them on!

The night was topped off with a convicting message from Donna Shannon about disciplining our thoughts. How easy it is to let them wander if we are not being purposeful about taking every thought captive! One of the 'take home points' for me was this: if my mind is a glass to be filled, am I choosing what goes in (by spending my time reading Scripture, meditating, singing hymns, praying, etc) or am I passively letting the world fill it with its own philosophies (by wasting time, daydreaming, watching TV, listening to radio, reading silly books or magazines, etc*). Because, as she pointed out, we do what we do and we feel what we feel because we think what we think. We cannot expect godly behavior if we haven't been disciplined to think godly thoughts.
*Disclaimer: I am not trying to come across as a cultural fundamentalist. I think it is fine to enjoy the things of the world that were created for our pleasure (and I gladly partake!), and I shy away from the type of Christianity that shuns the world and keeps all secular activities at an arm's length, but we must exercise wisdom in setting our priorities.

So that's just a small glimpse of sem wives. I really enjoy talking with the ladies at my table, as it is one of the times in my week that I get to enjoy conversations with adults without being interrupted to wipe spit-up off my sleeve.

Just a few reasons why I Love Jonah

1. He so graciously volunteered, even without our asking, to be "Quality Fruit Inspector #1" of the Bird household. See how each and every piece of fruit has at least one Jonah-sized bite out of it, and how he neatly arranged them back in the fruit bowl?
2. When he spills things on the carpet, he is thoughtful enough to spill them in the shape of a heart, so that when I am on my hands and knees scrubbing and trying to lift the stain, I am reminded of his love for me. Can you believe how perfect this heart is, considering it is the result of an accidental spill? I don't think I'd have done better had I tried!
3. He demonstrates love for his brother, as evidenced by the remnants of the kiss on Noah's head (those red and yellow dots on Noah are chewed up Trix--Jonah's cereal of choice this morning).

So beyond all the messes he makes are little reminders to me of why I love Jonah so much. In fact, I think you could say that I am thankful for the messes because those handprints on the sliding door (or on the TV, or the mirrors, or the...) wouldn't be there unless I had the cute, happy, carefree Jonah running around our home and having a good time. And these are just a few reasons why I love him so much.

Checkups

Recently we took the boys in for their checkups-Jonah's 18 month and Noah's 2 month. We are so grateful for healthy, growing boys and we never want to take this for granted. Here are some recent pics and their stats:
Noah, at 2 months, weighs 13 lbs and is 25" long. He has added 3 inches since birth and has no signs of slowing down anytime soon. At 2 months, Jonah was 12 lbs 13 oz and 24". Noah got 4 shots at his appointment, along with an oral vaccination for rotavirus, which he thoroughly enjoyed, and I think is looking forward to his 4 month appointment when the second dose will be administered. He is a firm believer of the common phrase, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Mmmmm....more rotavirus, please!
Jonah, at 18 months, weighs 27 lbs and is 35" tall, and has 12 teeth. He is very tall for his age and the Dr. thought he must have been wearing his shoes when the nurse measured him, so the Dr. did it again only to find out that he is, in fact, 35". A disadvantage to having a young child so tall is that he can reach just about anything on the desk or kitchen countertops, so a new rule at our house is that he is not allowed to grab knives from the kitchen and hold them at his head (or brother's, for that matter). This joins the growing list of rules I never thought I'd have to voice, such as, "Son, please don't lick the T.V." Needless to say, although he is quite busy, he is never out of our sights for long.

5 Years

August 10 marked 5 years of marriage for Scott and me. Woo-hoo! We had the chance to get away for a few days, sans babies (thanks, Mom and Dad) and enjoy 3 nights at this gorgeous beach house in Laguna Beach (thanks, Bucks). We went out for dinner a couple of times--and we were reminded of what restaurants are like without crayons on paper menus and booster seats. We enjoyed uninterrupted conversations with each other and went for walks at sunset.

On our anniversary we took a short drive up to Newport Beach and rented a double kayak for the afternoon. Note for next time: have an extra bottle of sunscreen in the car for such adventures. Nothing sets the amorous mood on your anniversary like having a fresh sunburn.
This picture was taken in the front yard of the house we stayed at. You can't really tell from the picture, but just beyond the tree is a beautiful ocean view!
On the beach at sunset the evening of our anniversary. Scott took me to a really nice restaurant for dinner and then to Splashes, a restaurant within a hotel right on the beach, for dessert. Good times!
5 reasons I love my hubby:
1) He loves the Lord
2) He cherishes his wife
3) He is a wonderful Daddy
4) He faithfully provides for his family
5) He is compassionate and generous to friends and strangers alike

You too Can be a Hero

You read stories everyday in the newspaper about people going through trying circumstances and think "Wow, sorry for them." Implied is "Geeze, great that's not happening to me..." It's easy to think this way because how often have you actually met the person featured in the article? This morning we woke to the Dailynews bearing the news of a family in Sherman Oaks who have twins that are in need of a bone marrow transplant. Click here for a link to the web article.

Amy and I were out on a walk tonight and we passed a couple that Amy though she recognized. The light went on and she said, "I bet those two babies are the ones in todays news paper!" I thought she was mistaken but she insisted that it was. A moment of decision had arrived, how could we help this couple who is going through such a difficult circumstance with two precious babies? We could offer meals, but who takes a meal from a complete stranger? We could offer to babysit, but who leaves babies with special needs with complete stangers? How about buying them a gift card so they could get out on a date? But who wants to go on a date when your babies are hurting? Strike three, we couldn't think of anything but now this very family was walk right back toward us! Do we play dumb and pretend we don't know anything? No way, the news paper article was a plea for help, how could we turn a deaf ear to them?

As they got nearer I stopped them and with a bit of the gamblers luck asked them if they were the parents of the children that had been on the front page of the news paper. The gamble paid off and they said they were. We talked to them (Xander and Carrie Denke) for a minute, offered our help in anyway we could. They suggested we contact the bone marrow registry to obtain a free sampling kit that could potentially be used to identify someone as a bone marrow donor for their babies. I thought, what the heck, that would be a great addition to my senior testimony, if I turned out to be a match! More than that though, our brief meeting had left Amy and I moved- so we did what they suggested. At 9:35pm we order bone marrow testing kits and prayed that God the Father would find it pleasing in His sight to grant us the privilage of being donors. Here is the best part- you too can participate by clicking here and following the links on the website for a free testing kit.

I'll tell you it is a no brainer for us to get tested to see if we are a match. God the Father gave his only son to us so that we might reap the benefits of having a relationship with Him. Um, God gave his son so I could become a citizen of heaven, have eternal life, peace with God and the judicial forgiveness of sins...and this family needs help... is it really too difficult a thing for me to offer to give something to this family when I have myself been a recipient of so much? If this doesn't answer the question in your mind about whether or not you should help, consider the profoundly theological song, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, be they yellow, black or white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world..." Let me break this down for you,"Jesus loves the little children", don't make me go chapter and verse on this, it's simple. Take a moment and go to the website to request a free testing kit, in fact I'll help you...click here now.

Action step 2: The family keeps a pretty well updated web page running, check in from time to time to read the news and then pray for them. We don't serve a dumb blind God but an active, compassionate Father who delights in the prayers of His children, so for all you 'frozen chosen' ones out there, pray like it!

Action step 3: The odds of finding a donor are 1 in 20,000. I attend a church of 10,000 people- that's half the candidate pool right there. Lets see if we cannot organize a donor drive. It's a great thing to send teams all over the world for short terms mission. For the rest of us who can't go, here is a way to have meaningful ministry right at home.

Lastly, I will treat anyone (within limits of course) who completes a testing kit, turns it in and is able to produce proof positive of this- to a a Venti whateveryouwanta at Starbucks. All you poor seminary students this is a great way to get yourself a drink. If you actually turn out to be a donor we will emblazen your image on a plaque, hang in it our boys room and point them to it everyday to show them an example of a courage, self-sacrificing hero. Coffee and potential hero status! Go the the donor website now.

Disclaimer**** Both photographs in this posting are from the family Denke website. We will include a permanent link to their website as long as their situation remains unresolved.

Half A Day A Way

Like Father, Like Son
Mr. Innocent is my name

Can I play with that boat in my bath?


We had been planning a short notice trip to San Diego but the bookstore had some last minute urgent needs and Scott was unable to get away. This was disappointing but at Amy's suggestion we all went down to Long beach for the afternoon following Church. It's a funny thing about us Birds, we really like seeing big things. Pretty childish I suppose but sometimes it's just plain cool to see big jets land at LAX and feel the rush of wind produced by the passing plane. Other times it's cool to head downtown through out big freeway system to gawke at big buildings. This time we went down to Long Beach and the L.A. Harbor to watch big ships. OOOoooowheeee, is the sound Jonah makes when he sees something big and cool. The above images are some pictures from our day trip down there.

random pics

It's a lot cooler at the beach than it is in our 3rd floor apartment...hence the recent visits.
We took Scott's family to the beach when they came to visit

Jonah got his first haircut. This is before. Obviously.

And after!

Noah's first 4th of July. I know I'm a little behind.

One of Noah's 1st "Social Smiles." We think he's pretty cute!
This is for Scott's Mom and Dad...it has become a Bird family tradition to take a picture of the baby in the bottom drawer of a dresser because that is where Scott spent the first few nights at home. I think Noah would rather sleep in his cradle.

New Zealand Posts

It's been a little time since I've done an updated post on NZ. For future reference all NZ posts will not we hosted on "The Bird Perch". There is a link to it on the right hand column of this page. Thanks!

Twas' Nuttin Luck 'bout it

“Good Luck”, “That was Fortunate”, “You sure were lucky” These are common phrase to us, even those of us who are Christians. I trust that in most cases the use of these phrases is based more on social convention rather than paying homage to some mysterious secretive force that pulls the strings behind the scenes in the affairs of our lives. As Christians we believe that God has and exercises a limitless dominion over all that He has created. One aspect of which is the foreordaining of the events of our lives. This is different than luck or fortune because it is the activity of a living, thinking and feeling God. God’s providence is the effect of his sovereign arrangement of all the affairs of our lives. Stated plainly for the Christian, or any person for that matter nothing ever happens by chance, luck or fortune. Our lives are the experience of providence.
God’s providence is one of the most comforting works of God. We are reminded that for believers he works all things together for God to those who love Him. This is a Christian specific promise that we can rely upon as we travel the road of life. Good, as well as bad, is assumed in the statement of “all things for good”. Therefore in all circumstance we can trust that the events in our lives transpire with the expressed intent and goal of our good. Therefore, we are to remain steadfast, joyful and worshipful.
Our little Noah was born at 7:30pm on June 14, 2007. He was the second blessing added to our growing family in two years and we are glad to welcome him into our family. His story is already full of the fingerprints of Gods providence. A little more than three hours earlier Amy and I were at home playing with Jonah and his grandparents. I had just come home from work and was expecting to spend an evening at home with family. As I built little stacks of wooden blocks for Jonah to knock over Amy gasped and announced that her water had broken. It was a little past 5:15pm, which is about the earliest I get home if I leave work ‘on time’. Within 15 minutes the car was loaded and we shuttled off ta Glendale Adventist. You can put two and two together- The 101 freeway is the heavenliest traveled corridor in the San Fernando Valley and we got on it for a 25 mile drive during L.A. rush hour traffic. We raced to the freeway where we screeched to a halt and took our place in a line of cars that stretched endlessly before us.
Amy was in hard labor as soon as her water broke and the only thing moving quickly on that baking asphalt was her delivery. As we crept mile by mile I had visions of honking my horn and yelling out the window, “Outta the way morons! Pregnant woman coming through! If you don’t want to help me deliver this baby then get out of the way!” All fingers were kept on the steering wheel and the only words I spoke were spoken to comfort my wife as we crept along making it to the hospital nearly an hour after we left home.
Amy was quickly triaged. Everything was looking good. It was just a before 6:30pm and with another round of check ups it was discovered that she was very far progresased in her delivery. There was not enough time to receive an Epidural and our doctor was paged to immediately come to labor and delivery. Contractions intensified, the baby was coming. At about 7:25 our doctor arrived and with just a couple pushes Noah made his entrance into this world. By 7:40pm we were holding our little boy.
From the time her water broke to the time we were holding Noah was less than three hours. Providence is realized in the following events and circumstances.

1) Had I not left work early and were I to have arrived home at my normal time, in all likelihood I would have been delivering my second born at the confluence of the 101 and 134 freeway during rush hour traffic. ‘A breaking news event sure to make the evening news as we snarled traffic on two of busiest freeways in the Southland’, is all I could imagine.
2) We made it to the hospital on time, without breaking any traffic laws on the way and while navigating over 20 miles of rush hour gridlock. We had no control over the speed of the traffic, we only had control over how we would perceive the situation and we committed to seeing the situation as in the hands of God who loves and cares for us.
3) Amy arrived at the hospital too far progressed for an epidural but I was there to help Amy instead of in New Zealand were I had been just a week before. God provided for Amy a help mate and encourager that help her through labor pains not eased by any medication.
4) Our doctor arrive mere minutes before the birth of Noah in part because he had been caught in traffic as he rushed from his office to our room. We know him and know that if he could have done anything to get here sooner he would have but as it was he arrived at just the right time to perform all the tasks required of him. Again the providence of God displayed, as our doctor arrived not one minute too late, nor a moment to soon.
5) Because we knew the time was near for Amy and contractions made chasing our 16 month old around the house difficult, Amy asked her parents to come down to our home to help out for a few days. Everyone anticipated a couple of days working around the house before Amy would be in the hospital. But again the providence of God is demonstrated in that God knew that that very evening our parents help would be necessary even though at the beginning of the day we had no notion that Noah would be born that evening.
6) The hospital we stayed out has been extremely busy for a couple of weeks, sometime to the point of not having any rooms available for labor and delivery which means some moms have been giving birth in surgical suites or other venues. We arrived just as one of these tides ebbed so we got right into a labor and delivery room and a recovery room without waiting one minute.
7) When we arrived at the hospital there was only one parking spot left open near the entrance to labor and delivery. Additionally as we were pulling up a nurse was helping another new mother out of a wheel chair and into a car. We were able to get the attention of the nurse who allowed us to use the wheel chair to move Amy into the hospital. Without this we would have had to walk 400 feet between the contractions that were so strong now she could hardly stand.

I’m sure there are more items that could be listed here but I hope the picture has been painted and image indelibly imprinted on your mind- we do not serve a god of hope and change, of fortune of luck- we serve a God of providence, foreordination and predestination. We worship a God who is in control and who works all things for good to those who love Him. If you are part of a religious system that at the end of the day does not leave you with the trusting hope that your god is in control or with the confidence that your god cares enough about the details of your life to offer the promise of working all things together for good- please stop and consider from these few examples that the God of the Bible has not simply told us that He is love- other deities have done this, but our God has told us He is love but His actions. From these lesser examples from our little Noah, to the greatest expression of love and provision – Jesus Christ. The God of the Bible is alive, does care and gives the exclusive promise to his Children alone of working all things together for our good. You can partake of this hope is you will confess your sin and trust in Jesus as the Savior and Lord of your soul.

24.....Hours that is

It's just a few minutes to a quarter past 8pm right now which means we are into little Noah's second day of life. The first 24 hours were quite busy with eating, pooping, sleeping, pooping, eating, sleeping, eating, pooping, heal pricks, weight measurements, pooping, eating and sleeping . He's developed the ability to create excrement in greater volume than his intake of food, he weighed in at 8lbs and 14 ounces today down from yesterdays 9 lbs 5 ounces. But he's also developed the ability to reduce us to blubbering mounds of parental admiration as we gwake and awe at out little guy. Pretty pathetic eh?
Noah also met Grandpa and Grandma Staley today. He also met his roommate for the next 18 years also. Their meeting began cordially enough with Jonah initially showing limited interest in this 'baby Noah.' But as time wore on Jonah developed quite a strong affection for the little guy, even going as far as tickling Noah's feet and patting him on the back.
Amy is doing well and is tired but excited about everything that has been going on. Visits from friends and family have been a real encouragement. We finished the day off with a pizza dinner and like our little guys we find that after eating and pooping... it's time for sleep.
Below are some highlight picture from today please enjoy.

We've Been Babied.....Again!

Sorry about not getting this up soon, the hospital internet was down for a few hours last night. But here they are, hot off the digital camera, pictures of Noah James Bird, our 9 lbs 5oz baby boy. This fine specimen of juvenile masculinity measures in at 22 inches long with a head circumference of 13 inches. Everybody is doing well physically. Scott is still recovering from frazzled nerves since he nearly got to deliver the baby on the side of the road. Amy's water broke at 5:15pm we were in the car at 5:30pm inching agonizingly slowly down the 101 fwy in rush hour traffic. It took us a little over an hour to travel the 25 miles to Glendale Adventist where we arrived just past 6:30pm. We were holding our new little (well- LONG) guy at 7:40pm. For all you ladies, this meant no epidural! According to the somewhat obscure scripture passage about women being saved through childbirth, I think this means Amy is now verifiably one of the elect.
Please enjoy the pictures and feel free to contact us at anytime. We would enjoy sharing our blessing and joy to all who care to join with us.There will be more pictures to follow so all of you wanting to see Amy, just wait a bit an check back later.