Jubilee

All three kids are in their proper beds.
And it's the middle of the day.
Please note that I didn't say "sleeping."  That would be too magical.

Here is Jubilee.

She has been a joy to our family.

I decided that this time around, I'd save writing my "birth story" for my journal...but I can share some of the things that I am grateful for about the whole experience.

• I am grateful that I got the chance to hold her right after delivery.
• I am grateful for people watching the boys at our house.
• I am grateful that the hospital staff obeyed my instructions and limited the number of people that were in and out of both the delivery room and my postpartum room.
• I am grateful that the minor health issues she was born with were quickly resolved. 
• I am grateful that she is, so far, a very contented and happy baby. 
• I am grateful for an amazingly quick recovery and entrance back into the "real world" that has gone so smoothly.

The one thing that stuck out to me after this experience is how each of my children's entries into our family were perfect in their own way.  Each was completely different, but I wouldn't change anything about them.  Meeting Million for the first time was no less miraculous than my unmedicated childbirth with Creedence which was no less miraculous than Jubilee's birth which required some medical assistance.  Even our miscarriage was perfect in its own way, as I was at a mothering conference being poured into and pampered.  This concept of each child's entry into our family being perfect is enough to make me pause and smile at how opinionated we can be about life and how it "should be".  Because I have had a different experience each time, I have no soapbox to stand on about how a particular way to build a family or to go through childbirth is better than another.  

To sum up all of our gratitude, I'm going to post the lyrics to Jubilee's hymn.  Each of our children has their "own" hymn that we sing to them to comfort them or before naptime, really whenever.  Jubilee's hymn is "I Love to Tell the Story."

I Love to Tell the Story 

(words by A. Katherine Hankey, music by William G. Fischer)

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

Refrain

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.

Refrain

I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.

Refrain

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

Refrain