Rachel Catherine

There really is no way to prepare for the birth of your first child. We took a class, read some books, I talked to my sisters, and I thought I had a good idea of how things would go. Now that just seems so foolish, and so very 'first time mom'-ish.

When I first found out my due date with Rachel, my mom shared with me that it was the same due date she had with me. She was pretty sure I would go early, just like she always did. Again, foolishness.

Ten days after my due date, the doctors took pity on me and induced labor. Okay, it wasn't really pity, it was that my blood pressure was up a little. Possibly from my mom and mother-in-law watching me like hawks. Possibly. (Love you both!)

Rachel's labor was long, and I think maybe the hardest. There was puking. There were 12 hours, followed by several hours of pushing, followed by forceps. Not the most fun I have ever had. But it was exciting.

The thing that sticks out the most to me has nothing to with labor. It was the actual birth. The whole time I was pregnant with Rachel I kept praying that God would set her apart for His kingdom, for His glory. That she would be a child that would know Him early, never waiver, and have a passion for Him that was evident to everyone around her. I prayed again and again, that phrase, "Set her apart for you, Lord."

Sometimes God's answers are not ours, but I think we can all agree she has been set apart from the beginning.

Right before it was time to deliver, the doctor commented on our music choice. We found out that he was a Christian. Which led to everyone in the room professing the same faith. All of them. Every single one. The nurse, the doctor, the anesthesiologist.

It was amazing to know that Rachel would be welcomed into the world by people who all belonged to the same Lord. I remember thinking that God was already answering my prayer to set her life apart. And He was.

I know you can't see me right now, which is good. I'm ugly crying. It's a combination of the hormones, which seem to never leave me at a loss for a good cry, and the road that I have watched Rachel walk from the beginning. Countless surgeries, procedures, appointments. And a heart that longs to glorify Him. She is one of the most amazing people I have ever known. She truly does have a heart for the Lord, and for the things of Him. She astounds me with her faith and reminds me that God's plans, while not ours, will always work for His glory and her good.

I stenciled this verse in Rachel's nursery shortly after she was born. And then at her baby dedication, without talking to us about it first, it was the verse Pastor Brad used for her. God is amazing when, for no reason other than our joy and encouragement, He does stuff like that.

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is in your midst, The Mighty One will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

So grateful for her! Even more grateful to the One who has allowed us to be a part of His plan for her life!