I'm thinking back to exactly one year ago, the night before Isaac was born. How waiting to give birth is such an intense wanting and not wanting all at the same time. That mix of dread and excitement, all because you know exactly what's coming.
The full birth story is here, but tonight I was remembering one detail that I didn't include in the story. It's difficult to keep a birth story short, as labor and birth are really all about the details, but still you can't really tell everything. But it's something I know I'll never forget. Just after Isaac was born, I was still holding him in my arms while Tom and Millie and Silas were all gathered around. We were looking at him and talking to each other when we realized he was suddenly awfully still. And looking back at the pictures I see that he was awfully gray. It was such a brief moment, and we looked to our midwife and asked, "Is he okay?" She told us to rub him and talk to him while she grabbed her doplar and checked his heart. And in the next moment he was fine and moving. Still sleepy, but breathing. Our midwife's only explanation was that he'd just forgotten to breathe for a bit.
I was watching Isaac tonight toddling around the house getting into mischief and thinking how so very, incredibly thankful we are to have him. That brief moment with Isaac reminds me of life's fragility, of not taking things for granted. That things could be different, and that I should really embrace all that God has given me for each day.
We don't have any big plans for celebrating Isaac's birthday tomorrow. We've actually had some sickness in our household. Tom and Millie both came down with fevers late Monday afternoon, and are on the mend today. Silas just came down with a fever tonight, and I am wondering if and when it will hit me. So we'll plan to keep things low-key tomorrow. I am hoping to have Millie help me bake a cake for Isaac, but otherwise we will just be home for our normal routine, which I imagine will involve a lot of cuddling of Silas and chasing of Isaac. We are blessed indeed.
