Grace... a February (Non) Valentines baby!

I thought it would be fun during the months of my kids Birthday's that I wrote some little things about them! Grace was due LONG before her Birthday which is February 19th. She was due the 11th. haha and when February rolled around in 2001 I was ready to go.....I was huge (I hope to find a photo to copy because it's so funny how big I got when I was expecting!) and uncomfortable and I had a 7 yr. old boy and a 3 yr. old little girl that were busy little people to take care of! And as you can imagine when Valentine's day rolled around I was NOT a happy camper! I was overdue and fat and swollen and......Not happy! ha I did not want to be induced but after being a week late I was willing......and it took most of the day until she was born!

Grace was my 5th. pregnancy.......After I had Jordan our baby girl Olivia died at birth....actually I went to my 25 week appointment and there was no heartbeat and I remember having to drive home about 20 minutes to tell Mike....and he wasn't home he was at a meeting I forgot about.....and I didn't want to call my mom because I knew she was hosting a ladies Bible Study Christmas dinner......and there were no cell phones then either. So...I waited it out, not for long as I remember......it was a horrible night and the little snippets I remember are my dad making calls to family and friends from the phone at our house......I hardly slept that night knowing I had to go to the hospital the next day to deliver her.

I didn't want anyone but Mike to be at the hospital so it was just he and I through that horrible day.....I had to finally be induced and NEVER thinking it would be a regular kind of labor I didn't ask for an epidural or anything (I had a C Section with Jordan so I didn't know what labor pain was yet) and was I in for some pain......She was delivered and we named her Olivia and I had a soft pink blanket for her and little pink booties .....I didn't choose to see her or hold her, and I would never fault anyone who did do that....all women handle their grief differently and I can't say that I'm sorry I didn't see her....Mike saw her and that was enough for me. I remember well the cries of the othe babies that were born and I remember being wheeled down the hall the next day to go home with my head down and empty arms and a broken heart.

We had a sweet little burial for her at the foot of Mike's mom's grave. This was in December and Mike's mom had been killed in a car accident on her way home from our house in September just a few months before. So you can imagine it was a treacherous time for us. If you know me well you know how much I love Christmas and wouldn't you know this would happen.....at Christmastime practically. I remember being at my parents one day shortly before Christmas for a family party and went into the laundry room and came accross a double stroller meant for Mike and I for Christmas.

Months passed and I was expecting again......and I knew it was too soon most likely, my body hadn't had a rest but I just wanted to fill that void. I miscarried at 12 weeks with that baby too. So a year later I was expecting MACY! and it was hard for my family to be excited.....but after a year of heartache and growing I was ready and excited and I knew what the worst case was by now!

During that year I just broke down and gave my whole life over to Christ....I knew he had reached down and held something precious and took them to heaven and I was ready to surrender to Him, not having to know why and knowing I wanted to be fully committed to serving Him. I would say that was the time I became fully committed......I had been a Christian practically all my life really but this was so much more precious!

Anyhow.....Macy came along and became the balm that soothed every one's wounds especially my own! She was a precious angel and I was secretly so grateful for a girl! Well I wanted one more and I wasn't sure Mike would go for it......but he likes his bride to be happy (haha) so he said sure let's go for it, I selfishly and secretly (ha) prayed for another girl so she would be close in age to Macy since Jordan was already 7 by now and......and along came Grace! I was so grateful for one more baby and I thanked God over and over for being so "GRACIOUS" to us......and I sang Amazing Grace most days during that pregnancy and we named her Grace.....and it fits her so well! God's Grace was amazing to me and my family and she was a delight to us all and still is!

Her name is easy to find in scripture and I pray that she will always be grateful for God's grace and also show grace to others!! She is such a joyful and spunky little gal. A bit stubborn (I'm sure that's from Mike) She ADORES animals of all kind but has a special connection to horses and Husky dogs.....So you can imagine when she got to ride a sled dog this Winter she was thrilled to pieces!

Grace cracks us up all the time and I've tried to write down so many funny things she would do and say...For instance for her entire year she was 2 she wore her Winter boots EVERYWHERE....even in summer.....Bathing suit and boots, nightgown and boots.....Diaper and boots.......NAP and boots! we were able to con her into no boots after bath time but they were right by her bed! ha and a funny thing she said about 2 years ago: "Mom I'm going to marry a crumb of cheese when I grow up so if he makes me mad I'll eat him on a cracker!" I'll be delighted to share that story with her spouse one day.......haha She's a delight and she is God's Grace to us!!! <3