A Short, Sweet Season (but a LONG post)

The Sunday that my placenta tore, I was riding in the car with my husband and son to have dinner at Don's parents' home. I was tired. Not sleepy, but exhausted from always running and trying to do one more thing, like most of the moms I know.

"I think I need to get some rest," I told my husband.
"You can rest tonight when we put William down."
"No, I think I need some real rest, like enough time to slow down and not be rushing around all the time."

He shrugged his shoulders.

I have been thinking about that conversation more and more these last few days. Now that I have been on bed rest for 8 and a half weeks. I think of how God knows what we need and how He delivers it in the least expected ways. How He uses bed rest for teaching and hurting for healing.

I am being completely honest when I say that I TRY to glorify God every single day. I am also being completely honest when I say that I FAIL daily, repeatedly, day in and day out. These last two months, He has made it easy for me to think of glorifying Him.

He has kept our littlest child healthy and strong, despite the odds. Despite APS. Despite our doctors' initial expectations.

Yesterday Joshua weighed (via ultrasound measurements) 1 pound and 14 ounces, ahead of the game for his age. His heart beat was strong and perfect at 154 beats a minute; he has no idea that a battle has been waged against him, that God is winning it for him, for me. I am still at home, though initially I was scheduled to move into the hospital at 23 weeks. Joshua now weighs more than they told us he would weigh at birth! It now looks as though I will carry him all the way to 37 weeks, though initially they weren't sure I would make it to 24.

(Littlest son, know this to be true: The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14)

For now, I can say with my whole heart that this time of bed rest has not been a curse, but an absolute hands-down blessing for our family. It has been HARD on everyone, especially for my parents and Don's parents, who have so selflessly given up half of their weeks to come spend the night at our house and take care of William and make sure I am not climbing on top of furniture to hang pictures and sanding and restaining Craigslist purchases in the back yard. It has been hard for me, but it has been so amazingly beautiful, too.

William has developed even closer relationships with all four of his grandparents.

Don and I have developed closer relationships with our parents. Daily I think of how blessed we are to have two sets of parents that offered to help us in this huge way, and how this has been a time for us to overcome any differences and to love each other.

I have learned (though it took at least 4 weeks) that it doesn't matter if my kitchen is perfectly organized or if there are toys on the floor. Or if my mother likes to use seven different dishtowels at the same time.

I am learning to be still, to trust Him above all else, and to be still. Did I mention that I am being still?

In lighter news, I have also learned to embroidery. My mom taught me on Monday and I love it. I ordered the fabric in the pictures above to make a blanket for Joshua, but I've been embroidering it now before I quilt it together.