Joy

In light of my newest family member, my nephew Ethan born today, it got me thinking about when my kids were born. As such events do for mothers. I remember holding Kara for the first time. I remember her smiles, her scent, the sound of her cry. I remember my labor, the doctors, nurses. The panic when one nurse ripped an in-progress IV from my left hand to bolt from the room for an emergency c-section on a baby who's heart had stopped.

I remember my doctor yelling at the nurses for paging him wrong, missing the delivery, but being extremely thankful that I had such an awesome nurse to "catch" Kara as she entered the world strong and vibrant. She was my firstborn. The whole experience is vivid. She changed everything about me. She was such a blessing.

A first child is exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. You really don't know what to expect until you are in the thick of it. It's so much different than you ever expect. If there's anything I can tell my sister it's that this time, the next few weeks of adjustment, are only temporary. Looking past those few tiring weeks is an amazing experience as a mom. The child that has been given to her and Thomas was chosen for them. They were perfectly designed to parent him. He will be their son and will show them the love that God has for them. Unconditional.

Being a mom for the first time is exciting.