9 years

Last week Mark and I celebrated our nine year anniversary! I can't believe that Mark and I have known each other almost 15 years. Wow! We have grown so much in these past years together. The Lord has changed him and me in so many different ways. I look back on our time together and I am blown away when I think about where the Lord has brought us...

We met at Messiah College. I was a young freshman, just turned 19 years old. He was 22 years old and in his senior year. He was living with my sister's boyfriend at the time, now husband. I saw Mark and immediately was interested in him. He was super attractive...spikey hair, JNCO jeans, polo shirts and a visor. He was deep into his raving stage. :) I would come over to his apartment just to talk to Dana (yeah right) and we ended up meeting. A few days later Mark asked me out and that was the beginning.

We dated a LONG time....about 5 years. We both do not recommend dating this long....just get engaged and get married already. We broke up a few times. I went to England for a semester and pined away for him. Then came home and he broke up with me. I was slightly distraught to the say the least. :)

We got married and the Lord really began working on our lives. I never thought in a million years that I would marry a pastor. I was not one of those girls who always dreamed of that. Mark's transition into ministry has been gradual and I am thankful for that. When Riverside church was going to bring him on full time he came home and told me about this opportunity. I was like "Sure, go for it." Not at all knowing what ministry involves...

Anyway...the Lord led us to seminary and now back to Philly to church plant. What a journey we have been on! I am so thankful that the Lord has called us to this place and this task. It has been a time to depend on the Lord like I have never experienced. We were sharing with a mentor about the stresses in our life right now...ministry and family. We shared that both of us have lost that sense of being carefree. He, who also does ministry full time, resonated with us. He spoke truth into our lives, "Losing that sense of carefree is a price you pay when you do full time ministry. But the blessings that you receive by seeing the Lord work in other people's lives is well worth the exchange." So thankful for Mark and the opportunity to journey through life with him. Can't wait to see what the next year hold for us as we approach our ten year anniversary.

Julian's birth story

It's been such a long time since I have blogged that I had to go on my friend's blog to find my own blog. Ridonkulous. Thanks Maggie Ainsworth!

So...Julian Reid was born on July 3rd. I thought I would recap his birth story. It went NOTHING like I had thought it would. The reality is that labor and delivery never do.

I was hoping that I would have him at like 37 weeks. 37 came and went. Then 38 weeks came and went. I was starting to get really antsy. At 39 weeks on Saturday morning, July 2nd I started having some irregular contractions in the morning. I didn't think much of it. I went to the grocery store with Oliver and to the produce store. I kept having some strong contractions but I just kept thinking they were braxton hicks because they were so irregular.

The afternoon came and went. We invited some friends over for dinner. Thankfully Mark and our friend Brandon cooked dinner for Bethan and me. Bethan and I were sitting outside talking. I kept saying that I was having contractions. We decided we should start timing them. Thanks to the iphone Bethan found an app that times contractions. However they were so irregular that we really couldn't time them.

Everyone left our house around 9 PM. We put the boys to bed and I took a shower and came downstairs to watch some TV. This was at 10 PM. I was still having contractions so I thought I would time them. I too downloaded the app and saw that my contractions were about 3 or 4 minutes apart and lasting about a minute. Uh oh. This is really happening.

I stood up from the couch and my water broke...a slow trickle this time. TMI...maybe....Anyway.
I went into Mark who was doing something at the computer and told him that my contractions are pretty close together and I think my water broke. So I called the doctor and she said to come to the hospital. This was 10:30. I was still unsure if I was in labor.

Mark's first question was: "Do I have time to take a shower and shave?" My response, "Why in the world do you need to do that?" Mark: "Because if we have the baby there will be pictures."
Me: "Oh, should I like to do my hair and put on makeup?" Mark: "No! Why? You are in labor. Who cares?" Lovely.

So Mark takes a shower while we wait for his sister to come and stay with the kids. Meanwhile, my contractions get really strong during this 30 minutes of waiting. Kathy shows up at 11 PM. Poor girl she rushed like a maniac to get here.

We left the house at 11:00. I was in a lot of pain. I was kind of panicking at this point...pretty much yelling at Mark to not get in an accident but to hurry up.

We get to the hospital and I immediately tell the nurses that I want an epidural as soon as possible. They are kind of taking their time and trying to small talk with me. It is now like 11:40 PM and the contractions are strong. WHERE IS MY EPIDURAL?? "It's coming. We need to run fluids."

At one point the nurse looks at me during a contraction and she can see that I am in a lot of pain I tell her I feel like I need to push. Uh oh. We have only been there for like a half hour. I know in my head at this point that we are past the threshold of an epidural. I am panicking in my mind.

They move me to the labor and delivery room. They check me. I am 8 cm. At this point I am a mess. Here are the phrases coming out of my mouth...
"Help me. Someone please help me."
"Give me anything. Please! Can't you give me something?"
"I can't do this. This is not what I had planned!!!"

In walks the OB...."Dr. Zimmerman, help me!!! Please help me!"

Meanwhile during all of this nobody is responding to me. Mark is holding my hand and smirking. The nurses are all staring at me blankly. I know what they are thinking but don't want to admit it. I am going to push this baby out with no medication and there is nothing stopping it. Oh my word!!!

They drop the table. My OB tells me to listen to her and focus. Thankfully this labor I am not screaming the "F" word like I was with Oliver. Still I am frantic and not really listening to them. I kept thinking I cannot do this! There is no way.

Somehow it is time to push. I don't want to but can't help it. Two pushes later sweet little guy Julian is out. I was soooo relieved that I didn't even think about what sex our baby might be. They put him up on my chest and I see his boy parts. It is 12:19 AM. Mark and I smile and laugh...another boy....another little blessing. We are so thankful!