Baby Teer is here!

Well after what seemed like a month of sickness and contractions (only about 10 days of sickness with 5 1/2 weeks of false labor), I went into labor this morning at 4am.  This baby decided to come in a mad rush.  Bryleigh was born at 5:33am after arriving at the hospital at 5:25am.  Yes, that is only 8 minutes after arriving at the valet area at the hospital!  On the way, we were about 5 minutes out and I told Dave he needed to get there now and it was a good thing!!  Dave sped up, turned on the car's flashers and cars in front of us actually moved out of our way!  We arrived at the front door only to find no one...literally.  Dave couldn't even find a wheelchair to get me inside.  He came back to the car and started to make me walk.  THANKFULLY, the valet showed up and got a much needed wheelchair.  When we rolled off the elevator, a nurse came out from behind her station and said "follow me" as if she already knew who we were.  We got to the L&D room and everything was already set up!  The doctor was already there too (which is a miracle since I had to wait on her to deliver Caillyn). 

I got settled into the L&D room and the rest is history...probably the fastest history ever!  There was no time to even insert my IV's.  This was nerve-wracking as I had tested positive for the Group B Strep earlier in the pregnancy and Bryleigh needed anitbiotics from my IV to better protect her frail immune system.  So now we are trusting God even more to protect her!  She's had a few more tests than normal but she appears to have no signs of an infection! 

Bryleigh has been a trooper through all the poking and prodding.  She's now with me in the room and we are enjoying getting to know her better! 

She's our biggest girl!  She came out a whopping 8 lbs, 8oz and 20 3/4 in long.  Her sisters are already fighting over turns to hold and love on her!  She is definitely loved greatly by all!  Here are a few pics of our precious blessing. 

Thank you, Lord, for such a smooth delivery of your perfect gift!  Please give us the strength and wisdom to be the parents she needs to help her develop into your faithful, committed servant.

Don't sweat the small stuff...

As much as I would LOVE to say that all the small stuff is easy to ignore, dismiss, or overlook, that would not be true.  Over the last few weeks, our family has been bombarded by the small stuff and all the details that come with each thing.  It's amazing how the little stuff can whittle away at your faith so quickly and effectively!  I find it so bizarre that I'm at perfect peace not knowing in what way God is going to provide financially for our family each month, but not knowing how to handle childcare when I go into labor or sick children who can't go to school and now need a sitter while we're at my doctor's appointment just sends me into a tailspin.

Of course, I know part of it is because of hormones raging with only 2 days until my due date.  Meliya coming down with strep last week and a sinus cold that she shared with me (the cold) only complicates matters.  I'm tired, my body hurts, and I can't seem to breath with my mouth closed because of snot...I know this all contributes to my mindset but should it? 

So today, with several little stresses behind us: Dad had 3 stints put in on Wednesday but is home and doing well, baby's room is finished, baby's stuff is clean, dog is clean with a fresh hair cut, house is clean, sickness is subsiding, details are starting to fall into place for everything else, Dave is at an interview, little projects are complete, the wash is going, etc...I'm going to choose to put a smile on my face and believe this baby girl is coming SOON!  My body is ready to evict her and I'm ready to hold her sweet self in my arms!  Of course, Meliya is over-the-moon excited to see her too and can hardly wait for her arrival! 

One thing I am learning...slowly...is that life is never planned, only theorized or estimated.  Plans are not for living, they are only a meek guideline of possibilities.  The more I step out in faith believing God will take care of this or that, the more I realize He does take care of it only it's usually not the way I anticipate.  For someone who likes to know how things are all going to fall into place, God is really leaving me in the dark on a lot.  It's not a matter of planning for contingencies like I once believed.  It's more a matter of letting go and giving God reign over everything out of my reach and most that is in my reach!  If only these lessons would sink into this stubborn brain a little easier!!

Well, here is a recap of the wonderful things that have been happening in the Teer house.  The baby's room is done!!  Here are a few pictures:

With craziness all around, our bills and provisions for them have been up in the air.  However, God has proven Himself faithful again...and again...and again!  We had received a hospital bill for a lab visit from 2 months ago that was not in line with what we expected.  After many communications back and forth between us, the insurance company, the hospital and my doctor, it looks like the mix up is cleared up leaving us without owing anything extra.  YIPPY!  We had also been preparing for the impending hospital bill with the delivery.  Knowing what money we had saved up prior to Dave's layoff was barely enough to cover the rough estimate of what we expected, we were trying to figure out how God was going to work it all out.  Well, He came through once again!  The hospital called yesterday with the estimated charges which seem to be in line with what we expected.  We also had an unexpected visitor on Wednesday bless us with a momentous cash gift to help us any way we needed.  Other blessings have come in the mail that were not only unexpected but very substantial.  God is good!  I've always been taught that everything is God's and that He chooses how to allocate everything according to His perfect will.  I guess I never fully understood how amazingly He can rearrange His finances to provide for His children, allowing money to ebb and flow according to His will without any regard to our earthly rules or expectations.  What an incredible privelege it has been to be a part of this beautiful picture unfolding!

Now for the funny pics!  Here I am with only 3 days to go until her due date.  Hopefully, she'll be making her grand debut sometime in the next 2 days before the Thanksgiving rush hits the hospital!

Thank you God...especially for the little things

Around here it is getting pretty hormonal.  With less than 3 weeks until the due date for baby #3, my emotions are not as controlled as I'd like them to be.  False labor started almost 2 weeks ago which makes things more complicated.  I've also had some of the worst swelling ever that has turned my slow walking into barely waddling.  It has been difficult to maintain a thankful heart with so much to do and being so much slower at everything than I want to be.  However, I am going to choose to give thanks with a grateful heart for the wonderful blessings God has given us even if they seem to be insignificant to the world.

I am choosing to be thankful that there are only a couple of small things on the calendar left before baby's impending birthday!  All the major stuff has either been completed or cancelled!  YEAH!  I have finished almost all of the sewing for the baby's room!  Praise Him for allowing it to happen with efficiency and precision!  I only have a pair of lovey's left to make which should only take an hour or so!!!  YIPPY!

(Here is a picture of the curtain I sewed and the finial tieback that Dave lovingly hung.)

Thank you God for giving me the ability to work on painting a mural in the baby's room!  Thank you for inspiring me with the ideas and guiding my hands so the process is peaceful, quick and an act of love for this sweet blessing!  I'm not done yet, but have come a long way in just a few short days!!!

(Here is the work in progress...and yes I am that big!)

Thank you, Father, for allowing Dave to be available to be my chauffeur and helper since the false labor has been stronger this time!  Thank you that he has gracefully picked up the slack I've had to leave because my body refuses to cooperate in even the silliest things...like washing dishes (I can no longer reach the faucett without a bit of an acrobatic move!).

I praise you, Father, for not allowing us to feel forgotten in this waiting period before Dave's next job assignment.  Thank you for sending him some opportunities to pursue, even if they are not the ones you will choose to use as a way of providing for our family.  Please continue to show us your will through this time of patiently trusting You!

Thank you for an exhausting weekend with our friends and families at the Lodge in Danbury this past weekend!  I may have stumbled away tired beyond belief with A LOT of contractions, but we had a wonderful time with everyone!  The girls had a delightful time and came home so tired that they've slept well 2 nights in a row!!!  Praise you, Father, for even the smallest of blessings!

In the bible study I'm working on right now, the subject matter has been about our authenticity in our prayer requests and heart attitudes.  James speaks very strongly about praying with the right motives as well as loving God more than the world.  After such a rough week last week and dealing with discomforts that have disrupted my routine life, I have had to put some thought into these areas.  Even though I don't believe I was radically selfish in my prayer life or loving the world in a sincere manner, I have to wonder if I've been distracted with selfish desires in these areas.

I've begun to think about the prayers I've offered lately.  Are they prayers that reflect a heart in tune with God's will, or are they laced with the selfish desire to have ease grace my path?  I can honestly say that ease has probably been more of a motive than not.  Lord, please help the girls obey so that I don't have to fight them into time out...etc...  It is very easy to get caught up in the aches and pains at this part of the pregnancy which ultimately makes me wish for ease and comfort.  However, what does this teach the girls?

As much as I would love to be able to say that I can keep it all together and parent these precious children with grace and gentility all the time, it would be a lie.  The truth is I can only try to do my best and beg God for grace, strength, and wisdom to do it in a way that this self-centered human physically, emotionally, and spiritually can't.  So as I think about my motives, I ask God's forgiveness for my focus being shifted to my temporary discomforts.  I also ask He give me the grace to be living proof to my watching girls of His love and salvation in this lost and dying world.  Thank you, Lord, for reminding me where my focus should be!!