An award for a dear friend

Many many months ago, I discovered a lovely blog called Graceful Girlhood.  I pop in from time to time and always enjoy reading it.  I have found an award started there, and wish to pass it on to a very very special friend of mine............. my sister (in spirit), Cathy.

It's the Kindred Spirit Award.  If you have seen or read the "Anne" series, you'll understand. :)

Just as Anne and Diana were kindred spirits, like-minded friends who loved one another "for as long as the sun and the moon shall endure....", I am blessed to know and share daily life with Cathy.  She is a beautiful person and has been such a blessing to our entire family through the many ups and downs of our lives!  It is rare to find a friend who knows you so well you can communicate often without words, is intuitive to what you need, will stay up into the late hours of night praying for you, will create delightful hampers when you are sick or move house, will create a home away from home for your children, ....... and the one in my heart forever..... - will keep vigil praying by your side through a labour that goes on and on and on!!!!

This is an appropriate time to be mentioning Cathy, as she shared news of her own on her blog today.  She is expecting baby number 3 this September!  This baby has been prayed for for many many months, and all the family (and ours too) is overjoyed.  Would you join me in praying for my beautiful friend in the coming months?  I am looking into creating a blog button- she doesn't know this yet, but will once she's read this post :)- so we can create a network of prayer over Cathy and the little one(s) she is expecting.

Thankyou my friend, may God richly bless and protect you and your dear family forevermore.

Prayer

I just wanted to ask if you could please pray for me as the birth draws nearer. I am having lots of strings of contractions and it could be anytime (or of course still be 2 or so weeks away!). I am feeling fairly energised when I get enough sleep (maybe every 3rd night or so), and the baby is going well. However, he/she has favoured a posterior position throughout the pregnancy, and still sits mostly in this position. Elijah was posterior and his birth was very very long and very intense as the contractions worked to turn him around. We made it in the end, and he was born naturally and safely. I am praying this time though that the "turn-around" of the baby will happen either pre-birth or more easily during the birth.
I would appreciate your prayers for this, and a safe and gentle birth in general. We are all getting very excited, the children especially! Saraya is hoping I think to get a day off school sometime soon to witness the birth of her sibling. Anticipation is running high!

Bring it on!!! I can't wait to meet this little one.

Baby Blessings

My beautiful midwife Claire recently expressed her desire to organise a Blessing day for me. A little different from a traditional baby shower, it was to be a gathering of women friends showing emotional and practical support for myself and the baby prior to the birth. I felt special, and honoured and excited.

The baby blessing day was on Monday this week. It was everything I imagined it would be, though I never quite predicted the depth of emotion I would feel, surrounded by my female friends, including my Mum - all these women who have been through birth, and who love and care for me. What a morning!




We gathered in the living room and looked on as Karen threaded the beads everyone had brought for me into a bracelet. The reason each bead was chosen was explained to me. The idea is that I can now wear the bracelet while I am in labour, and remember the love and support of the women praying for me as I work. :) Love it!

While sitting in this chair, I had a foot spa, foot massage, hand massage, clay mask and facial moisturize........... and an old Celtic tradition, flowers to adorn my hair. I've never felt so pampered (or smelt so good).

Morning tea was shared out in the garden, and was a relaxing part of the morning. It was awesome to have Saraya there to share in the celebrations. She may after all be a Mother one day too, and it felt right to have her see the love surrounding me at this time......... I pray the same will be given to her when her time comes.

It was also so special to have my Mum there. Because she lives in Brisbane (3 hours from here), it took a little co-ordinating but we did it, and I'm so glad. I miss her so much right now. I always do when I'm about to have a baby! In the bottom photo I am wearing the bracelet the girls made for me. It's an eclectic collection of beads............ I really really love it! The centre bead was actually handmade by my friend Karen, and has the word Faith on it. Faith in God's love and provision, and faith that my body has the strength and know-how to birth well.

After morning tea everyone (including Saraya and her friend Chloe who was keen to join in) circled around me for a prayer time which brought me to tears. I really felt God's presence and love in my home, and I can carry that with me now right through the birth of this baby. My friend Cathy arranged for everyone's wrists to be joined with some brown leather cord while we prayed (literally, a prayer circle!) and I then cut the leather adjoining each person. This left everyone with a little leather bracelet which they are planning to keep on right up until the baby is born. This will remind them to pray for me in the coming days/weeks, and during the birth.

Woohoo!! Claire was able to adapt what was originally a North American Indian tradition and turn it into a personal, Christ-centered, wonderful wonderful morning of blessing for which I am incredibly grateful. We all have to strive to do this for anyone expecting a baby! Then again, who doesn't deserve a morning of being surrounded by loving friends and given personal support and pampering? We're thinking of blessing each other in similar ways on a regular basis, pregnancy or not!

I feel equipped and ready to have this baby.

And considering the amount of pre-labour contractions I'm having (such as an entire night of them last night), it may not be too far away. :) I'm SO tired..........

God's timing, I know. I'll be patient.