Day 30

Day 30
Pray that your husband will serve God and others with pure motives. Pray that he will obey the
Lord from his heart, and glorify Him in everything. (1 Cor. 10:13; John 7:17-18; Col. 3:23-24)

Up again! (and Day 29)

We went to weigh in again today, and Hope is up to 8lbs 7.5oz! She's doing great! I think it must have been the beer I drank. :) She's doing better each and every day/night with waking up to eat, although she still has 1 really long stretch during the afternoon/evening when it's seriously about impossible to get this girl up & eating. She went 6 hours today. I'm not as concerned about it after today's weigh in, as she's gaining more than that 1/2 - 1 oz/day that the docs look for. Now if we can get that 6 hour stretch to be at night & not during the day, that would be amazing!

Day 29
Pray that your husband will surrender his time and talents to the Lord. Pray that his spiritual gifts
will be manifest in his career, at church, and in your home. (Eph. 5:15-16; 1 Cor. 12:4, 7)

she's gaining!

We went to have Hope weighed in yesterday and she's up to 8lbs 4oz! Yay! We have to weigh her in again on Friday and then next week at her 2 week appointment. She did GREAT last night - she let me get some sleep and she ate well. I have energy again today!

Day 28
Pray that your husband will be a man of prayer. Pray that he will seek and pursue God in
purposeful quiet times. (1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 22:46; James 5:16)

I am looking forward to getting into more of a routine (I know it will be a while yet...) so I can be more regular in my devotional life as well. I got a new devotional book by John Piper which I am excited to start. For the last few years I have been strictly reading Scripture and some Christian books on the side, but not a real devotional book, so this will be a good change for me.

What are some of your favorite devotional books that you've gone through?

Day 27 & Doctor's orders

Day 27

Pray that your husband will understand the importance of taking care of his body—the temple ofthe Holy Spirit—for the glory of God. Pray that he will practice self-control by making wise
food choices, and get sufficient exercise to stay healthy. (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 9:27)

I took Hope to the doc today for a checkup. The large bump on her head is essentially a pocket of blood that was caused by labor/delivery. It will go away on it's own and is no cause for concern. Whew.

She does have a mild case of jaundice, but not bad enough to require anything beyond making her eat more and putting her in the daylight for a few days.

Her feeding/sleeping schedule is the biggest issue right now as she's very lazy and lethargic. She is down to 8lbs 1oz (she started at 8lbs 12oz and left the hospital at 8lbs 5oz). The doc is having me pump after each feeding to increase supply and he actually ordered me to drink 1-2 beers before coming back tomorrow to weigh her in. Apparently there is something in beer that helps increase the supply. They actually use the same ingredient in cow feed to increase their supply. So, I feel like livestock, but hey, I get to enjoy a cold Sam Adams Cherry Wheat when my hubby gets home from his class/meeting. Yippeee!!! :)

Another baby!

We are home and trying to get into a groove as a family of 4 (or more accurately, 5 with Young). Hope slept actually too well on Friday night. She wouldn't wake and wouldn't eat. She hasn't been eating well at all even though she knows how to latch on and nurse. She's just too sleepy to do it. We called the doc last night because she's starting to look a bit jaundice. He wants to see her on Monday so we'll be waking up on time to call and get an appointment.

She also has a 'bubble' on the back of her head. I don't know how else to describe it except that it feels like a very large blister. I'm anxious to find out what that might be as well.

Overall, we're doing well and feeling good. It's worlds different than after having Isaac. God certainly answered my prayers about having a baby who can nurse. I was so anxious we'd have problems again, and while we have a few minor adjustments, we're feeling very blessed.

So, in other family news, my sister in law had a baby on Saturday morning! I was due Sept 3 and she was due Oct 2. We joked about having our kids in the same week as she was early for her last baby and I was late. Lo and behold, same thing happened and our children are less than 3 days apart! What a big week for our family!

Day 26

Day 26
Pray that your husband will discover and live his God-given purpose. Pray that he will offer all
his dreams to the Lord, and pursue only those goals that will bring God glory and count for
eternity. (Jer. 29:11; 1 Cor. 10:31)

Day 24 & 25 - catching up!

Day 24
Pray that your husband will have a balanced life—that he will balance work and play. Pray that
he will fear God, but also gain favor with people he knows at work and church. (Luke 2:52;
Prov. 13:15)

Day 25
Pray that your husband will be courageous in his stand against evil and injustice, and that he will
stand for the truth. Pray that he will protect you and your family from Satan’s attacks. (Ps.
31:24; Eph. 6:13; Ps. 27:14)

Her name

So a few people have asked us how we decided on Hope's name. I have had a list of about 3 or 4 girl names that I've always liked and have since before Isaac was even born. We had a list with those names, a few others Marc added and then a few that I added after going through a name book. Probably a day or two after finding out it was a girl, we started going through the list & crossing off ones that one or both of us no longer liked. We got to 'Hope' (which Marc had originally suggested and I thought was a great middle name, but wasn't convinced) and for some reason it just felt right. Neither of us wanted to take it off, and from that point on, no other name was so perfect for our little girl.

We played around with a few middle names and I decided that I would somehow like Hope to have a part of my name included in her name. My middle name is Anne, but we thought Hope Anne was too short. So began another long list of all the names we could think of that included either 'Anne' or 'Anna'. We came across Anneliese and thus her name was complete!

And, just in case you're wondering, it is pronounced Anne - eliese, not On -a- liese. :)

Hope Anneliese Driesenga

Our daughter was born on Wednesday, September 15 at 10:12pm. She weighed in at 8lbs 12oz and 21 1/2 inches long. She has a head full of dark wavy hair. For some reason I can't upload pics, so those might have to wait until we're home. Or go check out Marc's facebook.

Around 6:00pm on Wednesday (to follow up my last post) the doc came in and said I had progressed and we would maybe start pitocin soon. As we were standing there talking about what was next, my water broke on it's own! Wow - I am so glad that happened in the hospital and not while walking around Meijer or something like that! Anyhow, my contractions got a lot more intense and regular - about every 2 minutes and lasted for 60-70 seconds each. They watched my contractions and decided I didn't need pitocin at all! I was SO relieved at that. I had been dreading pitocin and had actually been praying my entire pregnancy that I wouldn't need it. God answered...a bit late in the game...but he answered!

I finally gave in and got an epidural around 7:30/7:45pm. Marc told me later that he was surprised I gave in at that point because he felt I was doing so well and dealing well with the contractions. As much as I would like to have gone without, I am glad for the availability of pain meds and happy with my decision to get an epidural.

We called our family and many of them came up around 9 or 9:30pm. We thought that maybe we'd have a baby by midnight, so we didn't tell them to rush at all. I was fully dilated before most of them got there, but my doc wanted me to labor down (allow her head to come down more) a bit before pushing. When my family was in the room, one of them asked me how dilated I was and I told them I'm ready to go & feel like this child could almost fall out. So, with that, they all left the room, the nurse came in and about 5 mintues later I was pushing. It took maybe 10 minutes and 4 contractions and Hope Anneliese was here!

I cannot believe what a difference this experience has been than with Isaac. I am in a better place both physically and emotionally this time and feel so blessed with her arrival.

So far, we think she looks a bit like me - round face, dark & wavy hair (which was me when I was born) but she's just over 24 hours old right now.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers & encouragement as we've been waiting.

I'll get lots of pictures up when we get home and I have my own computer!

5:30pm

I'm now at a 4 with contractions about 2 minutes apart & somewhat painful. We're waiting to get official orders from the doc, but the nurse was just in to get set up to start pitocin. Things are starting to move!

Oh, and I lost in Boggle to Marc by 3 points and I'm still very hungry. And we know these halls pretty well after doing laps for quite a while earlier.

Sept 15th - 3:00pm

We're still waiting for something exciting to happen. The overnight cervadil didn't do anything, so we're on to a new med, hoping that it will help me dilate to a point where I can start pitocin. I should be getting checked again in an hour to find out. We're hoping this med does some good. For now, Marc and I are about to either watch a movie or play a riveting game of scrabble. :) Oh, and a little sidenote: I'm REALLY hungry. :(

Day 23 & Hospital update

Day 23
Pray that your husband will be a good father - disciplining his children wisely and loving them unconditionally. If he is not a father, pray that he will find a young man to mentor in the things of the Lord. (Eph 6:4, Col 3:21, 2 Tim 2:1-2)

Again, it's funny how these prayers align with our lives. Today, we will (hopefully) be having our second child and the prayer today is for Marc to be a good father. It has been such a joy to watch Marc over the last almost 3 years as he has been a father to Isaac. Every time I see him interacting with Isaac, wrestling on the floor, reading books, putting him to bed, taking him to the demolition derby :), it makes me just fall in love more.

In about an hour I'll get 'unhooked' from all the monitors and such and get to take a shower before we start the pitocin. With Isaac, we started pitocin at 11am, the doc broke my water at 2pm, labored until 8:30pm and finally gave in for an epidural, started pushing at 1am and Isaac was born at 4am. I'm REALLY hoping this goes a bit quicker!!!

Uneventful Evening

It's almost midnight & Marc and I are both reading here in the hospital. We got here just after 8pm and had to go through loads of questions, medical forms, signing papers, etc. They started a medication to help get my body ready (cervadal for those who are interested). That has to be in my system for about 12 hours, so nothing more will probably happen until maybe 10 or 11am Wednesday. In the morning they will check my progression and most likely start the pitocin.

For now, I'm rocking the sweet hospital gown and nice little socks with the grips on them :), reading my first Jodi Picoult book (Plain Truth) and am craving ice cream which I cannot have.

It was strange to not put Isaac to bed tonight and to not have him around. I already miss him. I know he is in good hands at my parents house, but there is that little bit of guilt I have associated with him having to from here on out "share" me with his new sibling.

I think it's time to call the nurse & get that Ambien... Nighty night!

Day 22 - Praying for your Husband

Day 22
Pray that your husband will practice forgiveness in your relationship and with others. Pray that
he will recognize any roots of bitterness, and yield any resentment and unforgiving attitudes to
the Lord. (Eph. 4:32; Heb. 12:15)

Day 21 & Induction!!

Day 21
Pray that your husband will learn how to relax in the Lord and, in his greatest times of stress,
find joy and peace in his relationship with God. Pray that he will submit his schedule to the Lord.
(Neh. 8:10; Prov. 17:22; Ps. 16:11)

Wow - seriously? As we are about to start FMLA tomorrow for Marc, the prayer is about his schedule. Ahhh. What a reminder. We have been very frustrated with Marc's work. He has submitted the paperwork, submitted a formal letter and a proposed work schedule to his boss weeks ago. He STILL has not heard anything 'official' about his work schedule. He went in today to talk to his boss (after calling and never hearing back) and sounds like his boss is planning on everything that Marc wrote out, but he just never told him so. I'm not sure how people function like that. It drives me crazy. So, I need to also be reminded to pray for both of our schedules as we bring baby home and transition into life with 2 kids.

And speaking of kids - we are headed to the hospital Tuesday evening at 8pm to start being induced. It was a little frustrating today because the doc said I am only 1-2cm dilated when the doc last week said 2-3cm. I brought up my first ultra sound (which I have brought up before but no one has thought it was significant enough to write down) which put my due date at 9/9. My due date of 9/3 was based on my cycle, which was still messed up from my miscarriage, so I didn't quite trust that date all along, but the docs all went with it. Anyhow, she looked at that US and my 19 week one, which gave me a due date of 9/6. So, overall, I'm probably only 4-7 days past due instead of 10, but my doc feels as though we should induce anyhow.

I'm anxious about it as labor and delivery with Isaac was induced and was quite an ordeal. I'm praying it is quicker and smoother and that we don't have the issues afterward that we did with him.

Please pray for all of us in the next few days!!

Day 20 - Praying for your husband

Day 20
Pray that your husband will yield his mind and thoughts to the Lord. Pray that he will not
entertain immoral or impure thoughts, and that he will resist the temptation to indulge in
pornography. (Prov. 27:12; 2 Cor. 10:5)

Again this is one of those topics that is still a bit taboo within Christianity. No-one wants to ever admit this is or has been an issue. It's a real temptation for both men and women, and none of us are immune to Satan using this as a way to tempt and ruin relationships. We must all continually have our guard up against his schemes, and admit when we fail.

I have had students both at Plymouth and when I was at Sunshine confess their addiction and/or viewing of pornography. Both guys and girls and as young as 6th grade. This is an issue that I think we all need a little more insight into - especially parents. Of course we want to assume the best of your children, but we also need to be realistic about natural sexual curiosity and the easy access to porn.

As a parent of a very young boy, it's not something that's on my radar quite yet with him, but I realize it will need to be addressed and discussed at an early but appropriate age.I already pray constantly for Isaac's purity and for him to be free from sexual sin. It's hard to think of my little boy succumbing to those temptations as he grows up, but I also realize that prayer is one tool I have to help prevent that. And so I pray over him often. I also pray for his wife and her purity as well.

Day 19

Day 19
Pray that your husband will be patient and a man of peace. Pray that he will not give in to anger,
but will allow the Holy Spirit to control his responses. (Rom. 14:19; Ps. 34:14)

haha - praying for patience when I'm 8 days overdue...how appropriate.

Day 18 - Praying for your Husband

Day 18
Pray that your husband will have an eternal perspective—living in light of eternity. Pray that he
will reject materialism and temporal values and put God first in his life. (Matt. 6:33; Deut. 6:5;
Eph. 5:16; Ps. 90:12)

Day 17 - Prayers for strength

Day 17
Pray that your husband will enjoy his manliness as he patterns his life after Christ and strong
men in the faith. Pray for his physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual strength. (Eph.
3:16; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Cor. 10:11)

Shoot, I'm certainly praying this for both of us today! I'm needing all the strength I can get after finding out my doc won't induce til next week! I'm 6 days over right now and we are just continuing to wait. I have another non-stress test on Monday at 11am followed by a doc visit. I'll see my doc who delivered Isaac on Monday, and I'm seriously hoping that she says, "follow me - we'll walk across the street to the hospital & get things started right now". :) I've been praying all pregnancy to not be induced, so I'm still truly hoping that this little one will decide to come on his/her own this weekend, but I'm getting mentally prepared for an induction at the same time.

Please pray for us as we wait!

Day 16 - Praying for your husband

Day 16
Pray that your husband will choose healthy, God-honoring activities. Pray that he will not live in
bondage to any questionable habits or hobbies, but that he will experience freedom in holiness as
he yields to the Spirit’s control. (1 Cor. 6:12, 10:31; 2 Tim. 2:4)

Waiting & Day 15

Day 15
Pray that your husband will choose his friends wisely. Pray that God will bring him men who
will encourage his accountability before God, and will not lead him into sin. (Prov. 13:20; Prov.
27:17)

I am really looking forward to when Marc has time for friends. We have such limited time together as a family, which leaves Marc about zero time for any friends. I know this is an area he is missing out on because of work/school, but only 4 more months!

And in baby news: Still waiting. I'm 2-3cm and everything is looking good & ready to go. Just waiting for some strong contractions to move things along. I have a non-stress test on Thursday to make sure baby is still doing fine and then another appointment to figure things out from there. My doc didn't even mention induction today, which was somewhat okay with me. I know we'll talk about it Thursday, but I really am hoping little one decides to come before then.

Happy 30th & Day 14

Day 14
Pray that your husband will speak words that build you and your family, and reflect a heart of
love. Pray that he will not use filthy language. (Prov. 18:21; Eph. 4:29)

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!! He has finally joined me in the land of the 30's! Ha! We hadn't really planned anything to do today, as we were REALLY hoping to either have a newborn or to be in the hospital. Not sure either of those will be true today, so I'm trying to think of something to do that is cheap, not too high-energy, and easy to do with a 2 year old. Hmmm.

We did celebrate a bit with family on Saturday and on Sunday, and I did already make a bittersweet chocolate bunt cake from scratch, so hopefully I'm not a completely slacker wife.

Marc & Isaac just took off to run a few errands and give me some alone time. I think when they return I'm going to try to imitate a Wolfgangs menu item that I love. I don't recall they're crazy name for it, but essentially it's banana bread french toast with banana's and peanut butter on top. We'll see how that turns out!

And in the baby department, I'm overdue, uncomfortable and very ready to meet this little one. I have an appointment tomorrow morning at 8:30 so we'll see what the doc says. My guess is that they'll schedule a US and Non-stress test for tomorrow or Wednesday and maybe induce next weekend. I had a dream last night that they did an US and changed my due date to October 8!!! There was a lot of crying and screaming in my dream. I'll keep you all posted!

Day 13 - Praying for your Husband

Day 13
Pray that your husband use practical skills to build your family and make wise decisions for your
welfare. Pray that he will serve unselfishly. (Gal. 5:13; Phil. 2:3-4)

Day 12 - Praying for your husband

Day 12
Pray that your husband will yield his sexual drive to the Lord and practice self control. Pray that
your sexual intimacy together will be fresh, positive, and a reflection of selfless love. (Prov.
5:15, 18; 1 Cor. 7:3; Song of Solomon 7:10)

Day 11 - Praying for your Husband

Day 11
Pray that your husband will have a humble, teachable spirit and a servant’s heart before the Lord.
Pray that he will listen to God and desire to do His will. (Prov. 15:33; Eph. 6:6)

I'm 1/3 of the way through 30 days of praying for Marc. It has truly been an encouraging habit for me to get into practicing. I have found that I'm praying more not only for Marc, but for others as well. I love having a clear direction of what to pray for my husband each day. And I think putting it it on my blog daily has been a strange, technological accountability.

I hope others are taking on this challenge as well. If so, leave a comment of how this experience has been for you!

Day 10 - Praying for your Husband

Day 10
Pray that your husband will cultivate strong integrity, and not compromise his convictions. Pray
that his testimony will be genuine, that he will be honest in his business dealings, and will never
do anything that he needs to hide from others. (Prov. 20:7; 1 Tim. 1:5, 3:7; Eph. 6:10-12)

Day 9 - Praying for your Husband

Day 9
Pray that your husband handle finances wisely, will have discernment concerning budgeting and
investments, and will be a good steward of his money in regard to giving to the Lord’s work.
Pray that money will not become a source of discord in your family. (Prov. 23:4-5; Rom. 12:13;
Heb. 13:5)

It's getting a little creepy how these prayers are correlating with our lives right now. We are going back to the envelope system today. In fact, I just texted Marc about an hour ago to remind him that we both need to 'turn in' our debit cards and start using the cash in our envelopes. With Marc cutting back with working as soon as baby is born, we're trying to be super strict with our budgeting and finances so we can make ends meet. So yup, praying for our finances and wisdom and God's provision today!

Cloth Diaper Giveaway

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Holland-MI/EcoBuns/133432171386?ref=ts

The cloth diaper store in Holland, Michigan is giving away a $50 gift certificate for reaching 500 facebook fans. Find them on facebookand post what you would use the money for on the original giveaway status to enter. You do not have to live in/near West Michigan to enter. Drawing will be Friday at 4:30pm.

Happy posting!