Afterbirth...and I don't mean placenta

After Clayton was born, we started reflecting on a variety of what I consider miracles. We started to see the many ways that God's hand was on this child, the pregnancy, and the birth.

At 28 weeks, people began commenting to me about how there was no way that I would make it to my due date. These were comments I recieved multiple times a day from well meaning friends and strangers. God had other plans for Clayton. He had no plans to come early. Even at a full week late, I showed no active signs of labor. I am certain that Clay would have waited at least a few more days before making his arrival. Not only did he make it to his due date...he made it a full week past it. People's comments were not in control, God was.
At 36 weeks, our doctor was concerned that I had to much amniotic fluid, which had some small but serious risks, he began doing weekly ultrasounds to monitor it. The first time he measured it, it was 26 cm. He said that if it reached 30 cm, he would induce us at 38 weeks. At 37 weeks, he measured it again and it had remained 26 cm. At 38 weeks, it had gone down to 23...the top egde of normal. At that point, he decided to leave us alone. When the fluid monitoring began, he told us most likely my water would break early because my uterus and amniotic sac wouldn't be able to handle my large baby in combination with the excessive fluid. Boy was he wrong. If the cord had not looked suspicious to Dr. Kaldas and required cutting, I think that it would not have broken at all and that Clay would have been one of the rare babies born in their amniotic sacs. Dr. Kaldas was not in control. God was to keep Clayton safe from all the scary risks and then gave him to us with no complications at all.

There were many things in addition to these seemed against us....but none of them won.

There was a song that our church started playing this summer and it always spoke to me, "Never Once" by Matt Redman. This song was never on the radio until the last few weeks of my pregnancy, and I only ever heard it at very interesting times.....before or after doctors appointments when I was nervous. The first time I heard it in the car was just before an appointment. I was a little early so I drove around the neighborhood to kill some time. I drove past Smith Park where Brian and I got married. The song came on as I approached the park. The song has a line, "standing on this mountain top, looking just how far we come," the chorus is about never walking alone. It was as if God was saying, I've been with you since the beginning of the marriage, why would I leave you now?

Then a few weeks later, after the appointment when I found out that Dr. Kaldas would be on vacation and I was scared to death about the possibility of not having him for Clay's birth. The song came on again, but this time it was like God saying, "it doesn't matter that Dr. Kaldas could miss the birth. I'm the one who created that child, and I'm the one who created you to birth him."

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we've come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You've done
Knowing every victory
Is Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we'll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful