Welcome Baby Michael- Our birth story.

What a whirlwind the past 3 weeks has been. Early Sunday morning (December 30th) I got out of bed and all of a sudden my water broke! We called the doctor and our amazing friend Josh picked us up and took us to the hospital. We got there about an hour after my water broke & my contractions still hadn't started, so they put me on a pitocin drip and monitored the baby's heart rate.

As the contractions got stronger Michael's heart beat kept getting lower. They knew the cord was wrapped at least once around the neck (from a previous ultra sound) and the doctor said we needed to do an emergency c-section. I was quite literally thrown into a wheelchair and pulled backwards down the hall.  Ernie was chasing after us and my parents waited in the waiting room.  So after only being at the hospital about 2 hours they were prepping me for surgery. I was hoisted onto a "trolley" (gurney)  and the began to push me toward surgery.  Ernie was directed toward the changing room to get into scrubs.  He told the nurses, "You will wait for me!" They replied, "No, you will meet us in the theater" (operating room).  I don't think he's ever changed so fast in his life!!!  Fortunately he joined us soon and Ernie got to be with me the whole way!  While lying there waiting to hear our baby's first cry, we prayed together and because I was totally numb from the waist down I looked at my nervous husband and told him... "You can give me that Rocky speech now if it'd make you feel better.  But ONLY because I am totally numb".  He said "No, that's okay...Well...really, are you sure?" So I got a whole Rocky speech about "No PAIN!" And it was okay because I really didn't feel any pain (well until the pain meds wore off!).  By 12:20pm they pulled our little man from my womb. The Anesthesiologist pulled Ernie to his feet to see over the curtain.  When Ernie looked over the curtain  the cord was tightly wrapped twice around his neck and they had to unloop it.  Fortunately we then heard the first cry from Michael. We are praising the Lord that we didn't go into labor at home and possibly cause even more distress or anything else. God is so good and he had his hand in it the whole way.  I briefly saw Michael before they whisked him away for all the newborn stuff they do and then Ernie was able to take Michael to meet my parents while I had to wait for what seemed like forever for them to sew me up and go through recovery. Mom, Dad and Ernie all held Michael before I did.

Michael Asante Reynolds 8.2 lbs. 19 inches

Now I'm just trying to recover from the c-section (yuck) but it's going very well! The doctors and nurses were awesome, professional and kind.  We are so grateful for our Michael Asante Reynolds!

A Christmas Reflection

At our Christmas chapel  on the last day of school our chaplain showed an awesome video to the Christmas hymn "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" and through an artist's canvas showed the long wait of God's people for the promised messiah, Jesus. (You can watch the awesome video at this link)
As I sit here on December 27th, still pregnant, and waiting for what seems like my long expected gift from above, I'm reminded of the centuries of waiting and longing that were fulfilled by the birth of Christ.  I was struck by the song particularly because God's people were active in their waiting.  I find myself folding and refolding baby clothes, moving the bottles of lotion and shampoo from one shelf only to move it back again to the other.  I sit in the rocking chair thinking about rocking a baby and wondering what it will be like to hold him.  I am actively waiting!  All this makes me reflect on how expectant I am for the return of Jesus Christ.  Am I waiting with as much anticipation for my Savior to return to take me home? 

Everyone I meet knows that I'm expecting.  If the belly is not a tip off I'm sure my speech and actions reflect the imminent birth of our son.  Do my actions daily demonstrate to others my belief that Jesus became fully human while remaining fully God while here on earth, that he died and rose again to save me from my sins?  I cannot imagine my son dying for anyone else.  It's not fair and quite frankly a bit insane.  And at the same time I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the work Christ did not only for me but for my son.  I can't wait to share the best news that Jesus Christ loved HIM enough to die for him.

As a Church (the Bride) we often stop here.  We are grateful for the work Christ has done but we forget the work he is DOING!  The word tells us that Christ is interceding on our behalf and awaiting the moment when he will return to be reunited with us like a grandiose wedding celebration.

Recently a friend told me that she was singing the song at church "Because He Lives" and she was awed by the line "How sweet it is to hold a newborn baby...and know he can face uncertain days because HE lives." It is so true!  Because Christ LIVES we can have hope in uncertain times we can live expectant because his promises are true.  Christmas is a time of joy not because of a wiggly baby but because of a greater plan that is still in motion.  Let us each live with the hope of the promise that Christ's work is enough and always will be enough.  Let's share with everyone we meet the joyous news that Christ was born, lived, died, still lives and is returning! 

Praise the Lord that he is coming back! 

Amen.

The Final Countdown

Hello blog-readers (I'm sure there are not too many left since I've been so neglectful),
We are in the final countdown.  The final countdown of the semester (we started exams today), Christmas, AND the final countdown till baby time. Here are a few things that I'm keeping in mind...

• Forward motion, no matter how slight, is still progress.  (This includes waddling)
• If my husband keeps predicting I'll have the baby tomorrow...one of these days he'll be right!
• A co-workers said that if I don't hurry up and go into labor, Ernie will go into labor first. :)
• Though funny, I don't know that I enjoy people saying "You're still pregnant!?!?!"
• I am quite the side show walking around town.  Apparently people have not seen too many pregnant white women.
• At the fruit and vegetable market the other day I had to ask the woman 3 times for a kilo of carrots because she was so engrossed with staring at my belly.
• One day very soon I will not be visiting the restroom (what feels like) every 30 minutes.
• I believe that I will once again be able to pick things up off the ground.
• Watching a live natural birth on the internet does NOT count as dinner & a movie with my hubby.  (I had the presence of mind to NOT suggest this the other day- Few!).
• Mary was quite the trooper to ride a donkey for days to Bethlehem just before giving birth to Jesus.  I would NOT get on a donkey at this point.  Just sayin'.
• I'm glad I'm giving birth in a hospital not a stable.
• If Ernie was the ONLY one to assist me with birth (like Mary & Joseph) I think we'd be in a world of hurt.
• AND LASTLY...Soon we will have a precious little gift in our arms and it will be worth all the funny quirks along the way!

Anamazing and Loving on little children

This past few weeks are like a tornado.  Ernie helped with the Middle School spiritual retreat, I stayed, held down the fort and this past week we've been preparing more and more for when baby arrives.  (Pictures to come when we get the nursery set up.)  Last weekend we went to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center and hung out with some amazing animals...I like to say it was anamazing! Here's a link to some more fun pictures.

We also spent an afternoon at a babies home for orphan children as young as 5 days old up to 6 years old.  We had a blast playing and loving on the little ones.  Ernie spent time helping one little girl walk (she'd only been walking for a few days).  It was such a sweet time and yet sad too.  We wish there was more we could do.  It was such a blessing to us though.  Here are some pictures from our time there.

October Break and on Safari!

We had the most wonderful time with friends at Murchison Falls National Park in Northern Uganda.  What a beautiful country!  Here's a link to our pictures.  (Well at least a sampling I took over 1,500!!!)  Hope these pictures can say more than I ever could about God's amazing creativity & beauty!  The earth is filled with HIS glory!
Safari Pictures

The flowers of the fields at Heritage International School

"And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"  -Matthew 6:28-30

This passage is so challenging for me.  Today I strive to not worry about tomorrow, to trust the Lord with all the plans that lay in store.

 So why do I worry?  Because I'm human.  But with faith all things are possible!

"Lord, today grant me the faith to trust in you, the only trustworthy one!  Give my heart peace when I start to worry or try to take control.  Amen."

Praying for you today and that the Lord may give you comfort and peace in a trying world!

-Abbey

 

Happy 50th Anniversary Uganda!

Life as we know it is summed up in the word.... FULL!

Praise the Lord that life is so full!!!  From my full belly (which resembles more of a beach ball) to the fullness of school life and time with friends, life is good. 

Over the past two weeks some of my students have been working on a garden.  With the hopes they will learn more about subsistence farming and the value of arable land and of food in general.  The past two 30 min. outings have consisted of hoeing the ground and weeding.  When a hoe wasn't available one of my students went a little “stone age” and used a stick.  I have to say it is quite humorous to watch the whole charade!  They are doing amazing and even making some progress.  We've even found old shoes, a buoy, and ceramic tiles buried.  It’s sort of an archaeology experiment all at the same time.

We've also had some wonderful sports competitions lately.  They've kept the whole school going at a rapid pace!  Here’s a few pictures from the Men’s and Women’s soccer matches and the Swim Meet (or Swim Gala as they say here).  I’m helping coach the swim team and we are having a great time.  And at 6 ½ months prego I can still do a flip turn I’m happy to say! J

Last week was the Secondary School’s Spiritual Emphasis week.  Here are a few pictures from chapel.  Students responded mightily when asked to nail struggles to the cross.  Praise the Lord the Holy Spirit is moving in our student body even among the non-believers!

We finished out the week with a really fun photo scavenger hunt, pizza & movie night!

A few prayer requests:

• ·         Uganda celebrates 50 years of independence on Tuesday!  WOW!! Prayers for many more years of peace and growth for this country!
• ·         October 17-19^th is the High School Spiritual retreat.  Ernie & I will be going and helping and we are praying for the Lord to continue working in the hearts of students.  I can tell Satan is trying to work over time to pull many of our students down.  Please pray that these students will come to know the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ!!!!  And for those who do know Him, that He will continue to transform lives.
• ·         That our pregnancy would continue to go well.  Our little buddy is breach so if he could turn in the next two months or so that would be wonderful!  But I’m feeling great & my last doctor appointment was fantastic.
• ·         Prayers for health & safety for our sports teams.  We've had 4 injuries in the last 3 soccer games, including a broken arm & a serious concussion. (Everything is fine but they were quite a scare!)

Thanks for praying with us!

Abbey,  Ernie and baby Reynolds!