Silas' Birth Story

Oh, my sweet, sweet Silas boy.  I should’ve known that when my water broke in public AGAIN, that we would have a great story of how you joined us.  Your story has A LOT more sit and wait than your sisters and it also has a lot more SCREAMING and pain than your sister’s birth story. But when you arrived you were quiet and calm and full of peace. And have been ever since.  Here’s the story of your arrival.

Gas was at it’s highest price in recent history so TJ and I switched vehicles.  I don’t drive very far to work so I took the 4x4 and TJ took my 4 Runner to the station.  As I was climbing in and out of it that week I told myself, “this stupid truck is going to throw me into labor.”  If that’s the case or not, I guess I’ll never know. But what I do know is this- I was two weeks early and my Dr. told me that she thought I would go into labor on Weds.  Well, it came and went and there I sat mocking her for telling me such silliness.  Thursday was a great day and my class had a surprise shower for me.  Friday was just like any Friday.  I worked, came home and got Faith ready for gymnastics.  I should’ve known something was up because as we were walking out the door I almost grabbed my hospital bags.  I thought that was a silly notion so I just scurried out the door. 

As we got out of the car at gymnastics, it happened.  My water broke. In public. Again.  I don’t know why I react so oddly in these situations, but I always do something ridiculous.  I told TJ that I had forgotten something in the car and that I needed the keys while he took Faith in so she wouldn’t be late.  I got in the car, turned on the air full blast and fanned myself with the cold air while I made a plan and freaked out simultaneously. 

I then went into the gym and asked TJ for his phone.  I had to call my sister and have her get our stuff.  Then after I did that I went back in and asked TJ to come out of the gym so we could talk.  I told him and he started laughing saying he knew it because I was acting weird and had my cardigan wrapped around my waist again.  Thankfully his parents were there watching Faith so they kept her while we went to the hospital. 

This is where the story deviates greatly from Faith’s story. 

When we go to the hospital, our doctor was not the doctor on call so we got another doctor in the same practice.  She operates things in a completely different way and had given the word that if I didn’t go into labor by 4AM to start Pitocin.  That was about 10 hours away.  And I hadn’t eaten since 11AM.  It was not a good thing.  I was praying my body would start some good contractions, but it just wasn’t happening.  I walked, I bounced, I lunged, but nothing to speak of.  (I knew this was going to happen because the same thing happened with Faith. Basically nothing until the Pitocin then fast from there. )  Finally at 4 the green light came up and they started Pitocin.  The nurse tried to warn me, but apparently this particular doctor gives larger, stronger amounts quicker than my doctor. The contractions were bad. REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BAD.  I was standing up through them and my legs would literally give out Thank God TJ was there, keeping me up each time. We kept telling the nurse that once I get Pitocin things go FAST and she kept calling the doctor relaying the message.  

When it was time to push, the doctor was no where in sight.  Not surprising since she hadn’t even come in to see me the entire 12 hours I’d been there.  (Yep, still angry about this.)  They kept trying to get me wait for the doctor, but really?!?!?!?!  After some intense moment of them literally holding Silas in, the nurse finally delivered him at 6:32 AM.  Almost exactly 12 hours after we had admitted to the hospital.   The doctor came in about 10 minutes later and joked with TJ that he should’ve delivered him.  (Not funny, woman who did literally NOTHING and is going to get all the money for it.) God knows what is going on though because our nurse had actually just finished up everything to be a midwife.  I told TJ next time we will just call her out to our house and do the dang thang.

It’s really amazing how suddenly the pain is gone and your perfect little one is there.  How so much noise and chaos and yelling and lighting just fades away and it’s just you and the newest addition to your family. 

Although all that surrounded Si, he came into the world quiet and calm and sucking his little bottom lip.  He is still quiet and calm and peace and all smiles and sweetness.  Silas is God’s perfect fit for our family.  Faith is strong and sassy, full of life and big words and emotions and kind of a little Amanda while Silas is quiet and calm, you listen when he “speaks,” smiles and kindness and cuddles and a lot of his daddy. 

We are blissfully in love with him and so thankful for his little life.  God is good. 

Naming Silas Ray

We put a lot of stock in names.  They don’t just have to be “good” names or a name we like.  I feel like names are the first form of identity given to a person so they are of the utmost importance to me.  Of course, they need to be “good,” we do need to like them, and we try to keep the middle school years in mind.

Silas is not named after Si Robertson on Duck Dynasty.  That, my friends, is an unfortunate coincidence.  We also did NOT pick it because its one of the up and coming names.  On the contrary, that fact actually annoys me.  And no, we don’t just open a Bible, close our eyes and point. 

So without further adieu, Silas’ namesake.

Silas is named after Silas in the Bible.  Silas was a man chosen by his church to go with Paul on some of his journeys.  He was a leader among the people.  That in itself is important.  But what was more important to me was the following.

On one particular journey Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten and thrown in jail.  I can imagine they were in bad shape that night, bloody and bruised, half clothed and chained.  In the middle of the night he and Paul were singing and praising God and the other prisoners sat quietly, listening and clinging to every word.  God took notice of this. Major notice of this.  Right then an earthquake shook the jail and all the prisoners, including Silas, were loosed from their chains and could’ve headed for the hills, for the doors were shaken open. But they stayed and the jailer met God that night.

That is who I want my son to be.  A man of God, a leader among his people, chosen by them to share God with others.  But more- when Silas praised God, God chose to come and make Himself known.  THAT is who I want my son to be.  A man who worships, praises, lives for God in such a way that God displays himself in ways that no one can deny.  Not because of my son, but through my son.

Silas also means  “in the forest” or “in the woods.”  That part needs no explanation if you know my husband.  He is totally himself in the woods.  I absolutely adore that about my husband.  

Silas’ middle name is TJ’s maternal grandpa’s middle name.  He is one of TJ’s biggest mentors, only second to his own dad.  It is not unlike TJ’s papa to see a need and put together a benefit raising thousands of dollars within the month.  He will make you mend fence on Thanksgiving morning and then tell you to “put that on your resume.”  He has helped put people through college just because he saw the need.  He tells it like it.  He is a better shot that me and he’s blind in one eye.  He worked his hands bloody every day of his life in the oil fields.  He had a MASSIVE stroke and has come back stronger than any stroke victim I’ve ever seen.  He’s a brawler and he cries when he holds my babies. He’s almost a legend to me, but he’s actually real. We love that man.  TJ is that man.  Silas Ray will be that man.

We love our Silas Ray.  

Resoluters Unite!

I'm having trouble narrowing my ideas and thoughts for the new year in my little 2013 resolution prompt.  I feel like it needs to be the year 4014 so I can fit them all in.  I think I'm just going to go with what I have now and work through them as a I can.

2- 2 goals for the year
1. Be thankful.  Show I'm thankful.  Write down 5 things I'm thankful for every day.
2. Be as healthy as I used to be and love it as much as I used to.  That translates to lose the baby weight and then some, but mostly to just get back to the healthier lifestyle I thrived on for so long.
3. Be organized in most facets of my life.  I feel like my brain is manifested in my house, my car, and my classroom.  And let me tell ya, they ain't lookin' so hot right now.  I'm already working on this one and it feels so good to have LESS CLUTTER.
4. Be more adventurous.  Be more fun.  How?  I have no idea!!! TJ calls me a stick in the mud and I totally, TOTALLY am.  I just can't seem to dislodge the stick from the mud.

0- 1 think I want to stop doing
1. Stop spending unwisely.  Dave Ramsey is amazing and couponing saves SO MUCH MONEY,  they just take dedication I wasn't willing to spend last year.  We paid dearly for it, monetarily and in other ways.    I hate money- earning money, spending money, saving money, etc.

1- 1 place to visit
1. Beaver's Bend- This isn't a big one, I just think it would be a perfect summer getaway for our family of 4.  No 12 hour drives, no tents, all fun.

3- 3 things I want to learn
1. Learn how to REALLY study the Bible.  Enter: Jen Hatmaker.  If you don't know of and love this woman, please google her.  I really identify with her writing style, teaching style, life style and I dig her book about studying the Bible.
2. Learn to knit or crochet.  I think this resolution might have carried over since 2010.  I just need to be patient and learn.  So hard for me.
3. Learn to drive a standard.
4. Learn to play the guitar better.

Now, if you make resolutions, please tell me what they are in the comments.  I love hearing other people's resolutions!!!!

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