Life along The Way with the V's

It's been a while...welcome with us our newest blessing!

Well I have a good reason for being absent for so long.  We had a beautiful baby boy on December 6th at 9:23pm after about 7 hrs of labour.  His name is Derek Simon.  We are calling him Simon however.  We named him after a man we hold very dear to us and view as a spiritual father, Derek Prince.  Someone who has helped mold our christian life so profoundly needed to be honoured this way.  :)  He weighed 10lbs 10oz and was 21 inches long.  I didn't know I could bake em' that big!!  I have a whole new appreciation for women who say they had a 10lb baby, wow!  It's not easy birthing something that big!  He is beautiful.  He is so sweet natured and such a joy!  We are thrilled.  He was born at home in our bedroom in a beautiful water birth.   Things became a little frightening at the end because he was so big.  He did get stuck and my midwife had to literally pull him out.  That aside it was my best birth yet.  I was able to handle the contractions well.  R was fantastic and reassured me throughout the labour that I could do this and that he was praying.  I reminded myself of scripture when I was starting to feel that panicky feeling.  My midwife was fantastic.  She helped me to stay calm and focused.  She assured me that things were okay.  It was a very beautiful experience in every way.  I felt connected to R and to God through the whole thing.  I will post my birth story officially later.

For now we are trying to stay caught up in school and house and all the rest.  Some days the house is falling apart and some days I am but considering having just had our 8th baby we are doing remarkably well.  :)  Thank God for His mercies!

Blessings all!

J