Reflections on Zeeki's First Year of Life

Gotta say, I've been working on this post for the past week and a half! Maybe today I'll get it published ;)

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Our gorgeous Zeeki boy,

Your first year of life has been wonderful but it has also had incredible challenges.

Nothing Yah couldn't help us overcome and certainly nothing like a life-threatening illness but I would be lying if I said it had all been smooth sailing.

Knowing how quickly memories fade, I wanted to take a quick second to document in words and pictures, reflections on the first year of your life.

We love you so much little man and are so thankful that Yah sent you to us!

Here goes!

{At your ultrasound....we had prayed already that you would grow well in my womb, that you would be born into a room full of joy and that you would live a life that was pleasing to Yah in relationship with Him in Yeshua!}

{Other than terrible sciatica, the pregnancy went smoothly...}

{...and you were, in fact, born into a room full of love, joy and great peace. I love this shot Mell captured of you holding onto Daddy's finger! You were born at 41+ weeks.}

{Hazel's (our midwife) best advice to me immediately post-birth was to let you feed in your own time. After 4 bouts of nipple vasospasm, I had been hopeful about a positive breastfeeding experience this time round...and we got it! Yay! Praise to YHVH! I really believe that not forcing you on gave us both the best start. There were also natural remedies that I tried leading up to the birth and I think these helped too. Thanks again Hazel for your stellar advice!}

{In the first two weeks, you slept alot and we loved having you close. I carried you in the Close/Caboo Carrier from Day 2. And you fell asleep as soon as I put you in.}

{We soaked up the gorgeousness of your tiny fingers and toes and that cute little button nose. By two weeks, we had started EC (elimination communication) with you and you were learning the aural cues and going over the toilet.}

{I had every intention to keep you in cloth. This yellow MCN was one I made for you during pregnancy. You stayed in cloth for about a month.}

{From about 3 weeks, we saw this face. You seemed to be distressed most of the time for most of the day. It was awful and I was beside myself. I had 4 other kids at home who's needs needed to be taken care of, I was sleep deprived and you just continued to scream and not sleep. I remember one day when Dad had gone to work. You screamed from 5.30am until 7.30pm with only one forty minute sleep in there. Despite my best efforts to rock, feed or cuddle you to sleep, nothing seemed to work. This was the first time that this had happened. I mean, we'd had other babies who had needed help falling off to sleep but they still at least slept. You on the other hand were so distressed that it was like you couldn't sleep! I bumped into our beautiful friend Elissa L in the plaza one day who gave me some (glycerite) tinctures to help; camomille and catnip. They did seem to take the edge off for a bit but it was still a really hard time. Your screaming seemed to send Liji, Zippi and Brett (all who have sensory processing issues) over the edge. As a mother, my heart ached because I couldn't take away this constant state of pain you were in. I tried though mate, really I did! It seemed like it was colic and silent reflux together. I tried you on Infacol and that seemed to help the colic while we tried Zantac for the reflux for about a month before deciding that wasn't for you. }

{You hated travelling in the car - even short trips to town (less than 5 minutes away) were completely stressful for everyone! With our other kids, I popped them in the car to settle them but with you, it seemed the only 'thing' that would settle you was me carrying you!!! This made travelling anywhere almost impossible. A twenty minute trip of you screaming hysterically was almost all that we could bear. It wasn't your fault of course, but it was so challenging because we still had to go places and yet when we did and you would scream, Liji and Zippi would also meltdown. When you were 7 weeks old, I took you to Terrigal with me for my annual mother's group girls week away. It is a 2.5 hour trip each way. It took me (and Jo) 6 hours each way to get there because you screamed almost the whole way there and back. I cried many times because no matter what I tried, you hated the car. You hated being held by anyone other than me. It was only me you wanted.}

{There were of course many happy moments...like when we saw your first gorgeous smile at 4 weeks.}

  

{For some of the family photo session we had with our Mell Mallin, you were quite calm...}

{...so Mell was able to get some lovely relaxed shots...}

{...but then, it got too much for you. Even from that early on it was like you were trying to tell me that you didn't like a lot of stimulation. It was kind of all or nothing with you for quite some time.}

{We attended our first baby-wearing picnic as a family which was lovely...}

{...afterall, we'd carried you on and off since you were just over 24 hours old. Dad enjoyed carrying you in the Caboo.}

{...and when you reached around 4 months, you really seemed to be most comfortable in the Ergo.}

{And man was I glad of it on this particular day. At 7 weeks, I took you away with me for my annual mother's group weekend break. I took my friend Jo with me. It normally takes me 2.5 hours to drive there. This time it took me 6 hours each way. You hated it. You screamed almost the whole way up and the whole way back. It was really hard hearing you scream like that because it was so intense and sounded like you were going to have a heart-attack. I'm not exaggerating! Jo couldn't believe it either. When we got there, however, you were as content as anything! Loved being in the Ergo walking along the beach, slept beautifully and was content. Sigh. Looking back, those times of you screaming for hours on end was not a once off. Many of our days would be like this and the only thing I could do was hold you and let you cry in my arms, feeding you and loving you through all the tears and screams.}

{The big kids all loved adoring you and helping me as much as they could with you. Liji and Zippi both struggled with your screaming (because of their own sensory challenges) but they all loved on you every day}.

{Celebrating with you in the tent for Feast of Tabernacles- 2011.}

{You loved looking at Daddy but would very rarely go to him. This was hard for dad who has always been SO hands on with our kids. He knew you loved him and that it wasn't your fault, but you wouldn't settle with him until about 11 months of age}.

{Such a GORGEOUS little boy with bright eyes taking in all that the world around you comprised of!}

{You enjoyed seeing Zephie Melon! There's only 8 weeks (i think!) between you little men.}

{Sleeping in your cot. You had to be wrapped and rocked to sleep in exactly the same way for each sleep and only I could do it...even when my back went and I was in agnoy, you still knew if it wasn't me and would just not settle at all - and we tried! As soon as I just did our little wrap, feed and rock, you'd go off. In the mornings you slept for a big 3 hour chunk. This meant I could take Zippi to playgroup while Dad stayed with the big kids or I could homeschool them then. You were (still are!) incredibly noise sensitive. So schooling was tricky because often you would hear the kids having fun and would wake again. You just seem to be a very sensitive little soul in so many different ways. That's not a bad thing but it definitely was a challenge when it came to noise and trying to not wake you! At 12 months you are better at sleeping through noise now but every now and then....}

{Your first beach trip -to Bonnyvale beach- when you were 4 months old. You didn't cry too much. You seemed to like the water for a while and then you had had enough! lol}

{I love this photo of you. We'd stopped at the lake at Wang and you looked straight up at the lens with those gorgeous eyes and that little smile. You're 3.5 months old here.}

{This photo was taken on the day that we went to the new house to get the keys! 3.5 months here too. You travelled out there and back (3 hours each way) silently which was one of the ONLY car trips we had where you seemed settled and quiet.}

{First attempt at solids. You had been taking food literally out of my hand since you were 4 months old. I thought we could hold you off a little for your tummy's sake (since it already seemed quite sensitive) and one day, I put some avocado in a mesh pouch Mans and Pam had given you and you put the thing straight to you mouth and went to town on it gumming it to death! You loved it! You were the only baby I've had who didn't pull a first on their first solids try! It was definitely the right time for you! Bananas followed not long after and they are still your favoruite! You didn't try egg until just after 12 months. Wheat doesn't seem to agree with you at all so we're steering clear of that.}

{I bought this stationary bouncer from a local garage sale site. You really liked twisting and turning and bouncing in this! It lasted you from about 4-10 months of age.}

{You began to look like you wanted to crawl around 7 months. You had great head control from such an early age but in the end you didn't crawl until we came back from Fiji when you were 10 months old. Once you began to crawl, well there was no stopping you! And man, it was almost overnight that your predominant temperament changed. I say predominant because I there are still some days where you have a lot of anxiety, get incredibly frustrated and go to pieces if i even go to the loo but that's definitely not happening all the time now like it was before}.

{At 9 months of age, you took your first plane trip over to Fiji! We had the best two weeks of our lives there and for the most part, you screamed or seemed very upset. It was really hard but wonderful. You went to my mum for some of the trip but other than that, I nursed you, carried you and rocked you. To get you to sleep when we were on the farm, I had to put you in the car and try and let you drop off in your car seat. Even when I wore you in the carriers you struggled to settle. Up until this age whether in Australia or in Fiji, even if I was sitting next to you on the floor, you would scream and scream until you were in my lap. It was like you felt unsafe!

It was probably more clear then, when Dad got Dengue Fever in Fiji and I thought might die (seriously he was THAT sick) that I realised that if I also got sick, we'd be stuffed since you just could not settle with anyone else. If I needed to go into hospital or had been sick like dad had, you would have been beside yourself and I'm not just talking from a breastfeeding point of view!

When we got back one of the workers who works with Zip enquired about our trip and how you had coped. When I expressed my concerns that you would scream in crowds, seemed incredibly overwhelmed often, would be upset and unsettled unless wrapped and rocked in a certain way, etc...she said it might be worth working on helping you form healthy attachments with someone else. We had a beautiful woman, Jane, come each weeks for about 2 months. She would stay for about 2 hours and play with you. You formed a great rapport with her and once we got back from Fiji and you started crawling, you did seem happier. We began noticing though how rigid your body was when you were stressed out and how much you would scream when I started to talk to someone else.

These things concern us because

1. you seem so upset and nobody wants to see their child that upset day after day 

2. We've seen this before. Twice.

3. Your anxiety levels and forming healthy attachments are something we want to help you with before they become a huge issue.

4.We love you and want you to be as relaxed and content as possible!}

{You started sitting up on the 3rd April at 7 months.}

{You still loved the Ergo and would go on my back but you seemed to be frustrated that you couldn't see as much after a very short time so we found that sometimes you enjoyed being in the pram more.}

{Breastfeeding you (without the pain associated Nipple Vasospasm that I'd experienced 4 other times!!!!) has been WONDERFUL!  I've loved it and so have you. You started biting me as you got teeth but that was short lived. I found attaching you in the quiet and sometimes having to rock you while I fed helped you focus on feeding. At night, you just wake up, and I attach you and you drift off back to sleep as you feed. No getting up and 'pacing the floorboards' with you! Well, not often anyway ;) Every now and then I have but that's usually when you are in pain from something; cutting a tooth, tummy pain, earache. Other than that, each night you go to sleep and feed when you need to. At 12 months you would be in bed at the same time as the other kids usually (7.30pm), then you would feed to sleep. I transfer you into the cot (since you could roll or crawl off a bed now!) and you stayed asleep until about 11pm. Then I go in with you for the rest of the night and you wake and feed on and off as I said until we wake between 6.30 and 7.30am.}

{At 12 months...

You speak A LOT and communicate with us by signing for breastmilk and for eating. You wave goodbye, say 'ta ta' when someone is leaving the house, you narrow your eyes and hit the floor (or your hands on your head) when you are angry with someone, you mimic all the time - you make a triangle with your fingers, you watched me unplug a laminator cord then dragged the whole device back to the wall and tried to plug it back in yourself, you look at the door when we ask where Alayne is and when we say, "where's my boy?" in the same voice and tone that she uses, your eyes light up and you look at the door (where she always comes and goes from because you know we are talking about her!) you point A LOT, you seem very coordinated with your eye-hand movements, you say mum and dad and try to say all the kids' names at different times. You are amazing, incredibly alert and are most content when outside. You love your food and join us for meals from your highchair. You hold hands and mimic the 'grace' we say together. }

I wanted this to be a fairly accurate account of my memories of your first year.

As I said at the top of this post, it was an incredibly hard and intense year and I think I am seeing that you are definitely an incredibly beautiful and intense little man.

I wonder what the years ahead hold for you mate.

No matter what, we will be there to support you, to encourage and edify you, to help and guide you, to nurture and believe in you, to pray for and with you and above all to love you.

Thank you for being you.

Yah si teaching me so much through you.

Love you always our beautiful cheeky Zeeki x



So Feast of Trumpets is right around the corner (yay!!!) and we are gearing up for a great celebration!
The kids have made the trumpet centrepieces and I've been working on a couple of things myself; one is a little booklet which we'll give to those who come here to celebrate and the other is a song set to the words of Micah 7:18-19 (which we read each year at this appointed time). I want to share them both with you. The song I'll try my best to record (dodgy video mind you!) tomorrow but I'll share the links to the booklet tonight. I had to do two separate links but they all go in the one booklet. You fold them so they just fit into each other (landscape a4 fold). There are Scriptures to read together, a find-a-word I made and a couple of little colouring in pics for the kiddos while the verses are being read out.

 

Ok so the first part can be found: HERE

Second part can be found: HERE  

 

Hope that someone can find these useful :)

 

You can also check back through past posts about how we celebrated this feast in 2010 and 2011 and HERE ALSO.

 

Are you celebrating? Have you got something special planned?

Are you new to the feasts?

Yah will lead you! Leviticus 23 is a great place to start.

Our favourite thing about the feasts is that it is a time to remember, a time to read through the Word together and a time to look ahead to the promises we have in Yah through Yeshua.

 

Love and blessings to one and all,

Lus x

VIDEO: Delivering Ezekiel - Calm, Loving, Joyous and Worshipful Homebirth

So, Zeeki was one yesterday. I was watching his birth video and realised that I could cut and share a small portion of it. This was the most intense part of my labour with him.

The following is the description I've added to go with it on Youtube:

Our 5th child (first homebirth) was born in home in the water after only 34 minutes of labour from the very first contraction until when he was in my arms. (If you search for Ezekiel's 34 minute labour you'll find a slideshow that my photographer Mell Mallin put together).
This video records the last couple of minutes of labour and our family welcoming him into our lives earthside. We had candles lit and so the recording is very blurry as the camera couldn't focus in the dark conditions.
Present in the room at this point are me, my hubby, our kids, my midwife Hazel, my photographer Mell Mallin and my parents. Later my SIL arrives but I've cut this video short 'till just after Zeeki is born.
The room was so calm and peaceful with worship music playing as he entered the world. We really felt Yah (God) was with us the entire time.
You can hear me say, "He's here, he's here, I think he's almost here" just before he arrives and then calmly say, "Thank you Yah" as I reach down to bring him out of the water. I am sharing this to encourage others that birth can be calm, joyous, peaceful and loving.
That's not to say I didn't have a birth-song...I did but it was still gentle. Zeeki was born into a room filled with love and encouragement while the Word of God was being read aloud by my mum.
We praise YHVH for His goodness!

It was such a peaceful experience even though it was painful.
More another time,
Lus x

Ezekiel's Birth Story

{All photos in this post were taken by the incredible Mell Mallin}

I've gone to write out Ezekiel's birth story SO many times but have continued to put it off. I just wanted to have a big chunk of time to do it justice I think. It seriously was the most incredible birth experience. I mean all our childrens' births have been beautiful and very special because they have yeilded us each of our gorgeous blessings.

But this was different in that it was a leap of faith to have Zeeki at home with our children present; our first homebirth. It was kind of like having a child for the first time again because so many things were different and yet in the moment, when the time arrived, it was just like I'd remembered; there was joy and there was pain and yet this time I was experiencing it all at home!

But wait I'm skipping ahead a little.

Let me start at the beginning...

I've blogged a little about this before but basically I'd been in pre-labour (no regular contractions but I was dialated 5cm) for a couple of days. I'd been having strong but irregular contractions for weeks and so had prayed that I would really know when it was 'IT'!

Leading up to labour, an incident had occured with Brett and basically he had to work with really no way out of it on the Monday of that week. I was concerned I'd go into labour without him or anyone else being close by and so I asked my parents if they would come and stay. They had already offered to come anytime (which was so appreciated!) and so I took them up on that offer and they arrived on the Sunday afternoon which was Father's Day.

That was a lovely thing too because we got to see my dad!

That night after the kids went to bed and we'd chatted and caught up, we ran through what to do in case I went into labour the next day when Brett was at work. We showed mum and and dad the birth carts I'd assembled, ran through how to fill up the pool and where the phone numbers for Hazel and Mell and Dannii were. In hindsight, I should have updated that list to include Lori's phone number (who was also going to be there at the birth) but just thought I'd be able to say her phone number to someone when I went into labour. On the night, I wasn't able to do that since the labour was so intense and so I didn't have Lori there at the birth. She totally understood though and I know that Yah knew already that that would happen. Maybe next birth Loz will be there with me?!?!

Anyway, after running through the what-to-do stuff, I called Nat who had given birth to her precious Sebby the day before. We'd been playing phone tag and I really needed to speak with her. Most of my blog followers were aware that Seb was born into Nat and Greg's arms having already passed away in utero. He had been diagnosed with Trisomy 18 during the pregnancy and Nat continued to love him, pray for him and birth him whenever the right time was. Who would know that it would be one day away from our own little man's birth-day? It was hard that night; we talked and I listened and we cried together. I went to bed feeling at peace that Nat was ok, although completely heartbroken, and I had spoken with her and heard all about Seb's birth.

Brett and I went to bed about 9.30pm. The birth pool had been set up for a couple of days and was ready to go whenever we needed. All we had to do was fill it with water!

At 11.05pm, I went to the toilet. No show. No contractions. Nothing.

I went back to bed.

I was almost back asleep when BAM! A HUUUUUUGE wave of pain swept over me and I knew that was my first contraction. I glanced at the clock. 11.10pm. I woke Brett before the first contraction had completely finished and told him I was in labour right now! I knew this was it!

I asked him to fill the pool.

He was up and out of bed in no time at all!!!!

He went down to the back room, then a second later was back.

"Are you sure this is it?"

We both knew that if we filled the pool and it wasn't 'it', we'd have to dry the pool properly so that no mould or anything formed in it. He wanted to make sure.

I was having a second contraction and managed to utter, "yes mate".

Off we went.

I went to the ensuite in our room.

I could hear movement down in the backroom.

Dad had heard Brett beginning to fill the pool using the hoses we had set up from the bathroom and that was it. Dad was up too! And then mum as well.

She came down to me and asked me if I needed anything. I asked her to call our team; Hazel (my midwife), Mell (my photographer and friend) and Dannii (my SIL).

She went and did that. I was still in the ensuite by myself and having contraction after contraction.

I had this thought, "What would happen if I just have the baby in here? They are all down in the backroom getting ready and I'm almost having the baby in here by myself!" lol.

I heard the front door open about 3 minutes later and it was Mell. She was the first to arrive.

I knew I needed to get up off the toilet and move to the backroom where the pool was. Where Brett was!!! lol

So I started to make my way there by myself. 

Now, from my ensuite to my bedroom door it takes me normally about 6 steps.

That's all I got to take before BAM another huge contraction hit.

Once it finished, I walked as far as I could (about the same amount of steps) before the next one arrived.

This happened until I got near the kitchen.

By this time, Brett had the pool starting to fill up.

My dad asked me what he could do and I asked him to light the candles on the table.

{Stass had woken the boys - who had requested to be woken - and they were all buzzing with excitement!}

{Mell snapped this one before I got to the backroom. I love the looks on their faces!}

 

So once I got to the kitchen, Liji came to my aid and helped me take the last 8 or so steps to the side of the pool. What a beautiful little man! I was still in my pj pants although had managed to change into my birthing (swimmer) top in the bedroom where I'd been keeping it.

{So special to me that Liji would come and spontaneously offer to help me walk to the pool}

 

Brett tells me later that we ran out of hot water! We had urns though so he didn't panic.

The room was full of love and peace.

I felt so calm as I entered the water.

The warmth soothed my pains straight away.

 

{As soon as I enter the water, another contraction hits. Brett holds my hand and stays with me 'till it passes}.

 

Hazel arrives very soon after I get in the pool.

 

 

Stassi gets the music started (one of her 'jobs' that she'd asked to do).

The song 'Amazing' comes on and that's her cue to do her beautiful shawl dance that she has practiced the whole pregnancy through.

 

 

 

{Stass moves around the pool with grace, love and tenderness as she offers up this dance as part of the welcoming and celebrating we are doing for little Zeeki!}

 

 In the video I am looking at her smiling and then every now and then, I drop my head, squeeze the life out of the internal handles on the pool while a contraction surges strongly throughout my body and then I look up again smiling as she dances.

 

 

Ethi announces loudly, "Praise Yah! We're going to have a baby....at last!!!!"

Liji askes, "Mum, can Stassi video the birth?" I point him towards the camera we have mounted on the tripod capturing all this just before another really strong contraction hits me. I'm starting to voice a little and breathe through them all. Hazel, mum, Brett and the kids are gathered around saying how close he is and how well I am doing.

At the end of this contraction I say, "Thank you Yah, thank you Yah" and continue to breathe through them as the surge subsides once more.

{Liji excitedly says, "I can't believe this is happening!"}

 

 

Hazel waits patiently until I'm finished with that contraction and has already asked if she can listen to bubby using the doppler which I say is fine as I'd also like to hear his heartbeat!

It's all happening so fast!

 

{Hazel first asks me if I can feel anything and I check but can't feel his head just yet. This is the first time that I've even tried to feel for a head during labour!}

{There it is Brett! There's his heartbeat going beautifully strong!}

{I begin singing 'Thy Word' along with the music playing on my playlist as Brett starts up the underwater camera for Stass to hold; again another one of the jobs she's asked to be in charge of.}

{Mum takes time to chat with Liji as he works on his special birthing activities! Every now and then he says, "He's almost here - praise Yah!" really loudly! I lOVE that! I am aware that they are there excited and full of the same hope and joy that I am too!}

{Another mega surge hits me and I welcome it knowing that it is bringing me closer and closer to meeting Zeeki!} 

{Song number 4 has started....'Yahweh, show me the Kingdom' and I ask mum to read from my Scriptures book which she does. Quiet voices, the Word of Yah and loving hands surround and support me. I say "Yes Yah" audibly in agreement with what Mum is reading. It is SO edifying even though it is SO painful!}

 

{Dad has joined the pool after texting my sisters and receives a text on his phone which he will read to me in a minute.}

 

{At the end of the 4th song, I asked Hazel if I could hang over the side of the pool. She lovingly reminds me I can do whatever I feel like doing!}

 

So I move...I go to one end of the pool and realise that I might try the other end so that Mell can still take 'face' photos! lol. We all have a giggle and Liji calls me 'Change your mind Charlie!" Mum continues on reading out scriptures.

Immediately, I can feel gravity helping much more in this position.

Brett rubs the small of my back as another HUGE wave hits.

Within less that 1 minute (literally) my voice changes and I say "he's starting to crown!" and i begin my birth song!

 

Dad and Brett are at the head of the pool and dad says, "Praise Yah" so calmly. He reads me the text message sent from my sister Dee.

{I say aloud with joy, "He's nearly here! He's nearly here!"}

 

Mum reads from the book of Ezekiel as Liji calls out "He's coming!!!!!" to Ethi who has gone back at this point into the lounge room. I almost immediately say, "I think he's here, I think he's here, I think he's almost here!" Mum says, "praise Yah" again and again and I calmly say, "Thank you Yah! HalleuYah!" as Hazel encourages me and says, "Reach down and get your baby" which I do!

 

34 minutes after that very first contraction, Ezekiel has arrived!!!!

{Hazel helps me to bring Zeeki up from the water and onto my chest as I almost sing 'hello!!!!!' and to the sounds of praise and 'wooohooooo's' from the kids! Mum and dad embrace, Brett says, "Hello little man!!!!" and the boys jump up and down by the pool. Stass is still recording and takes it all in as I say, "You're here darling, you're here!"}

{Here he is! Despite having a short cord, I'm still able to pull him onto my chest}

{Brett and I share a special kiss just seconds after Zeeki arrives}

{Thank you Hazel!}

{The kids keep saying 'Hallelujah! He's here!' as Brett leans in for a beautiful kiss for his boy}

 

Zippi joins us all! Brett went and got her from bed so she'd feel included in the moment and the photos later on too.

 

Dad calls my sisters to tell them Ezekiel has arrived!

 

 

Cuddles all round! The room is full of love!

 

After a couple of minutes, Dannii arrives! It was her best friend's birthday and she had spent the night down there to celebrate after having stayed at our house for the past 4 nights in a row!!! She can't believe she missed the actual birth but she was there not long after and still got to experience the specialness of the after-glow of birth in the room and Yah's presence. It was such a blessing to have her here!

{I ADORE this photo of Stass and Sull! Soooo special!}

{Zippi gets busy creating!}

{Liji says, "Yah answered our prayers!!!" And we all respond by saying. "Yep he did! How faithful is he?!" Ethi meanwhile is marvelling at how close to midnight it is and the boys ask for a midnight snack!}

{After the birth, I relax and enjoy some birth tea, coconut water and birth cubes}

{Far out! The after-birth pains are SO intense!!!}

{Yay! 27 minutes after giving birth to Zeeki, his placenta arrives!}

{And for the first time I feel it pulsating! Amazing! We wait until there is no pulse before in the cord before we cut and clamp it}.

 

{Picasa won't let me upload any more pics now}.

The room remains calm and joyful, the kids move about freely kissing Zeeki, learning from Hazel about the placenta and doing the craft.

Mum holds Zeeki while Brett cuts the cord and Dad ties it off.

This is very special for me.

 

I move to the recliner we have set up, pop on my dresing gown to get warm again and rest in that with Zeeki nuzzling in.

It is the most amazing experience!

 

My family surrounds me.

Yah has been with us.

And I have a new baby in my arms.

 

An incredible and wonderful experience.

I am once again in awe of Yah.

 

After I've eaten some soup, I go and have a shower, get into my special post-birth pj's and climb into bed with Zeeki while Brett and Dad clean up the pool.

The kids go to bed too and Dannii crashes out on the lounge.

Brett climbs into bed and looks at us both as we lie on the pillows staring at each other.

He tells me how much he loves me and thanks Yah for giving us Zeeki to love and hold.

We drift off to sleep in the most blissful state.

 

Well, it has only taken me a year to write it but there you go!

My home-birthing experience giving birth to Ezekiel.

 

Thank you of course to Brett, my rock who is so supportive and always knows the right things to say and do. You are always amazing mate and I am SO glad I have you as my hubby and best mate.

Thank you to our beautiful kiddos who were so involved and loved their little brother from the second they saw him and way before that too! Having you guys present is something i will NEVER forget.

Thank you to my parents for being there supporting us spiritually and physically. Yah's timing was perfect and I'm so thankful you could be there with us! 

Thank you Hazel for your guidance, encouragement and love during the pregnancy and birth! It was wonderful to have you there!

Thank you Dannii for being there to help us out and support the kids. You are such a blessing to us mate. Thank you for your presence there that night!

And to Mell for capturing the most precious photos ever of such a special time - thank you! You were so gracious and patient and giving! Love your mate.

We love ALL of you guys!

 

The verse on the front cover of my Scriptures album to be read was from 2 Thessalonians and said, "May the Master of Peace Himself grant you peace in every situation and in every way".

Thank you Yahshua.

The Master of Peace did just that and I am truly thankful.