My Best Friend's Baby

Joanna, who has been my friend since our infancy, had her baby this afternoon. Hannah Lynn is their first baby, and everything went perfectly.

Not only am I completely ecstatic for them, so thankful that everything went so well and that she's perfect and here, I'm encouraged. After spending so much time worrying about my changed due date and what that could mean, and then hearing all the stories of people who had C-sections, and how that was preferable to dying (which I totally agree), and after what I went through with Jasmine, I was honestly starting to wonder if 30% was actually a low estimate of C-sections, and if there were any women who went in hoping to go natural, who succeeded. (I know, it's my pregnancy emotions talking here...I'm really not that insane, but it was starting to feel like that was the case).
Joanna has given me hope again. She didn't take anything for the contractions. She sounded fantastic. Sounded happy and strong.

That's what I want. Yes, it's true, more than anything else I want a healthy baby and a healthy mom. But I can hope for higher, can't I? I mean, I could spend my life hoping for the bare minimum, or I can actually pray and hope for higher things than that. I could hope that Jasmine and "Placido" don't ever experiment with drugs or get pregnant as teenagers, and think that's as much as I can hope for. Or I can actually hope that they will choose to walk with the Lord from a young age, and that they will learn how to hear His voice and follow Him. (this is taken right from Josh's mom's lips, it's not my own brilliance). Sure, at the very least I hope for survival for all, but I'm encouraged that it's okay to strive for more than that.

If God has it planned that I should need a C-section or other interventions of some kind (even as little as getting induced) I will trust that He'll get my heart ready for that. But I am praying and believing that I don't have to give up my dream for a drug- and intervention-free birth, just because this baby's born in the hospital.

I should probably re-read this in the morning...so if it sounds like I'm repeating everything I said a couple weeks ago, don't get angry at me. I hope it came out the way I intended, that I'm relaxing about the future but at the same time not giving up on hope. Hope is a beautiful thing, and it's exciting to feel it again.

So thank you, Joanna and Hannah. You have given me hope again.