Ivy's birth

OK, this has nothing to do with Ivy's birth,

but is the coolest baby shower cake EVER! It was a lamb.

What a belly looks like that has an ELEVEN POUND, EIGHT OZ. baby!

August 23rd I woke up about 2 am with my water breaking. Just a few minutes later, my contractions went about 5 minutes apart, signalling this would be my quickest birth. It wasn't long until they turned into 3 minutes apart, which is active labor. My good friend Christy came about 5am & we waited on Ron to get up. He wanted all the rest he could get for what he thought would be a day or two of the hard work of being labor support.

The children got up early & did a few chores in anticipation of a day playing with friends.

This is Hallel with Autumn Mink.

Brinley is along for the ride with Macrae on the swing.

Abby Moeller is barely making the picture.

Neo & Qiao

My handsome husband, ObRon. ;-)

What a labor of love to be pampered with massage in labor!

Christy keeping up with the times of my contractions & Melissa was 'busy as a bee' helping.

Stopping for a contraction on the way to the bathroom.

Always imperative to have prayer warriors present! I don't see

how New Agers do home birth without beseeching our Heavenly

Father to be there/work on their behalf. I try to have an atmosphere

to have Him honored. A dear friend from church recorded her singing

some of our hymns I picked from our hymnal to worship our Father & remind me of His loving care to me during my labor. Mrs. Penny brought some of her favorite music, & I had some instrumental worship.

I know we were all praying at some point!

The hot water felt SO WONDERFUL during contractions. It was the best relief I had

during transition. I thought I would water birth, but the great thing about home birth is

that you can constantly move & I eventually moved out of the tub, but not

far. I had her where Ronnie is sitting there.

This was the only picture that turned out this way. I couldn't swear it was an angel, but it definitely reminds me of that. They were all around us that day, "ministering to those who inherit His salvation."Hebrews 1:14
We were very grateful too, because of the

next photo, which those of you with a queasy stomach may want to skip.

Ron is delee suctioning out her lungs.

Ivy was not a great color when she was born, but in a few minutes she pinked up. This picture definitely puts Ezekiel 16:^{6 into living color "Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, "Live!" And my Deliverer, my Dearest Daddy Abba, let Ivy live that day, as He has all my full term children.}

Love to see the eyes of my son! Proud big brother. They were all listening through the wall, waiting for Ivy to get here. Ruth was 'buzzing' & missed Ivy being born, but Hannah was present.

This is the crew that starts first thing in the morning,

"I want to hold her," "I've only held her twice,"

"It's my turn!" She is LOVED by all &

gets a million kisses a day.

"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble,
and He knows those who take refuge in Him."
Nahum 1: 7


Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
Psalm 17:8