Dear friends & family,
We are so happy to introduce you to our daughter...
Hannah Ellen was born at 4:58am this morning, April 24th (8:58pm Wed eve central time), here at our hotel in Kampala after 5 hours of labor. She weighed in at 7 lb. 6 oz. & is 20 1/4 inches tall. She's got a head full of dark hair (see attached photo) & looks just like her mama's baby pictures. We were so thankful to be able to have a natural delivery here in the comfort of the hotel we are staying at. I was assisted by 2 midwives (one American & one Ugandan), as well as my mom, sister & Nate. What a gift it was to be surrounded with such wonderful & encouraging support! I ended up having to be transferred to the hospital after Hannah was born because of a retained placenta. My midwife, Siouxanne, was concerned that I may have to have a D & C, but the Dr. was able to retrieve the placenta within a few minutes without my having to go into surgery. Thank you, Lord!
Let me back up & tell you a bit about our week of waiting & the day preceding labor. My mom & sister, Naomi, made it in safely last Friday after a day of smooth travel. My mom's sinus infection had completely cleared up by the time they flew out of Minneapolis - thanks for praying! Thank you too for praying for their transition through customs once they arrived here in Uganda. They ended up sailing through without being checked at all! We had a happy reunion & have been enjoying each other's presence all week as we've relaxed by the pool here at our hotel in Kampala. Each day we also took a few power walks around the hilly neighborhood to try to get labor going, as well as swimming as many laps as we had energy for in the pool. We also had fun cooking each meal together in the kitchen in our hotel / apartment & entertaining the boys with a new supply of books & toys from the States. My contractions increased each day, but by Wednesday I was starting to get a bit discouraged, knowing God was in control but wondering if we'd have to go back to Jinja to wait for another week or two. We decided to walk to the hospital nearby (where I was planning to deliver if there were complications) that day to check my progress so we could make a decision about whether to go back or stay. We were happy to find out that I was already 3 cm dilated & that the baby's head was engaged. The nurse announced, "You'll have this baby today or tomorrow!" We walked back to the hotel elated, thrilling at every contraction & every cramp, knowing we'd meet this little one soon. I called my midwife, Siouxanne, right away back in Jinja to let her know to be on call since things would soon be starting. She decided that it'd be the wisest to come right away so that she wouldn't have to travel at night, which can be dangerous here. We were praising the Lord for her decision later when things did indeed pick up around midnight! Also that afternoon, we asked housekeeping if we could have extra sheets & towels (for labor) & a mattress (for my midwife) be brought to our room. The worker we spoke with was a bit grumpy with us & said they didn't have extras. I asked to speak with the manager, so she gave me her number & I called her immediately. She informed us that we couldn't have the extra mattress, but she offered us a 2-bedroom apartment that had just opened up that afternoon (& which is difficult to rent in advance) for the same price as the 2 studios we had been renting. We went to look at it & immediately started thanking God for His provision. The new apartment is quite spacious with plenty of room for all of us to stay together with several added perks, including a jacuzzi for me to labor in & a backyard where the boys could burn their energy. We even thanked the Lord for the crabby housekeeper who caused us to talk to the manager & to find out about the new apartment! If we hadn't had this apartment, my sister would not have been able to be present at the labor as she was going to stay with the boys & we wouldn't have had the space & comfort (or the jacuzzi!) which really added to the "fun" of the whole birthing experience. We just kept marveling at the way God had paved the way for us to have a "home" birth with everyone we wanted to have present during the experience. His presence during labor was felt so strongly by all of us, especially as everyone laid hands on my stomach, praying for this little girl as she entered the world. The Lord had led me to write out several Bible verses a few weeks ago that I could repeat during labor, & I'd asked Him to bring them to mind when I needed them. It was wonderful to have "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" running through my mind during labor, as well as "So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God", especially as I was being transferred to the hospital. And what a wonderful gift that God has given us! Hannah has been amazing us all day with her alertness & peacefulness & extreme sweetness. :) The boys welcomed her as we came back from the hospital (they were asleep when we had left earlier) with squeals of delight. They've adjusted to her presence so quickly, welcoming her warmly but then going about their normal little routine & play as if she's always been with us.
Thank you for all of your prayers & encouraging emails during this time of waiting for & welcoming Hannah! We feel incredibly blessed to have such a large "family" to welcome Hannah into this world. Thank you for celebrating her life with us!
We will post more pictures on our blog within the next few days, so please keep checking back! (jorenews.blogspot.com)
Love,
Rhoda, Nate, Elijah, Judah & Hannah
