Happy Birthday Bear-Bear

Jeremiah David, a few days old

Now, a sweet and cuddly one-year old!

One year ago a little guy entered my life. It was a lovely morning and I finally decided it must be time to go to the hospital after laboring for about 8 hours at home and through the night. I was expecting my midwife to say I was still in early labor because the contractions wouldn't get more than 7 minutes apart. When we got there I was at an 8 or 9! She broke my water (probably saving me another 8 hours of labor) and after another hour, I had one really hard, long contraction in which Jeremiah decided to shoot out within 10 seconds! One of the three people who was supposed to be ready to catch him actually did. I took one look at him and thought, "A little clone of my husband!" Even though I had a rough time with hemorraging and nearly passing out afterward and feeling weak, I loved cuddling my sweet boy that first night and getting to know him. Having a baby is like having a million Christmases and birthdays all rolled into one moment! No matter how much incredible pain (and there was plenty with his rapid, natural birth!) it entails, it is so amazing to see the life and the human being God has knit together in your own body out of miniscule cells. If I could go back, I would still puke my guts out for 3 months, deal with all the misery of being enormously pregnant, go through the pain of labor, go through the torturous first year of little sleep, all for the little miracle in my life. I can't imagine life without our Jeremiah David, affectionately known as Jer-Bear, Jeremias (Hare-uh-mee-us), Geronimo, Bear-Bear, Care-bear (by sister), Little Joel (my dad calls him this since he looks like his other grandpa Joel).

Happy Birthday Sweetie! I pray that God guides you and grows you and that you are a man after His own heart!