A Must-Read Article For Anyone With Heart

Our friend in CO has posted a link to an excellent article in NYTimes. Please visit her site. Courtney is a woman with heart, soul and conviction. She is an active advocate against slavery, which is alive and well in our generation.
www.orrange.typepad.com

Emma is 13

For some odd reason Emma likes me to tell the story of her difficult birth. May 17, 1994. I couldn't sleep. Contractions were regular but far apart, yet strong enough to keep me awake most of the night, half-sleeping on the couch. In the morning Dave was convinced we had to get to the hospital, even though my water hadn't broken and the contractions were still 7-10 minutes apart. My first birth - Ian - was only a four-hour labor. We were warned that the second birth is usually quicker. So we headed to St. Joseph's in Denver.
I'm laying in the pre-labor room and guess what - contractions sloooow down. Nothing happening. But the doctors want me to stay since my due date has just past by a couple days.
I get checked into a room and our best family-friend, Julie, comes in for support and coaching. She just had her second girl 6 weeks earlier. I was determined to give birth that day because Julie was leaving for Texas that night and I really wanted her to help with the delivery.

Labor starts up-pretty regular, pretty hard. Julie reminds me to moan low, relax my face, and breathe! The doctor comes in after a few hours, four I think. He checks me. There is a very concerned look on his face. Apparently the baby's face was facing directly out, not down (like a normal delivery). Baby's (have you ever noticed how obstectric nurses/doctors always say Baby and not "the" baby?) head is positioned to take up too much room in the cervix. Baby's head keeps pushing into the cervix with no room to push through. If baby doesn't pull out and re-position itself the doctor will have to perform a c-section. Uhh, I don't think so. We don't want that.

Julie and Dave immediately pray. About 5 minutes later I had an intense contraction. Ohhh, I will never forget that contraction. It was big, it was huge, I felt something move. The doctor came in for one last check and..."It seems baby has moved out of the cervix, put it's head down and moved back in, in the right position." Hmmmm! how did that happen.

Now labor proceeds as normal but Julie has to leave to catch her flight so she could eat a sumptuous meal at Threadgills. In pops Becky to take over. After 45 minutes of pushing, out pops a harry, elvis-looking creature. Is it a boy, is it a girl. (We found out with Ian but we didn't want to know with the second). Well, of course you know - but when they said it's a girl, I will never forget the feeling, the rush of --- YES! I felt such peace, pleasure, contentment. My little girl had come into the world.

My little girl is 13 today. She's taller than me, sometimes more mature than me (especially when my one goal in life is to royally embarrass my kids by doing the "mom dance") but she is still, and always will be my little girl.

The Moody family is currently experiencing the post-Bennett family visit blues

Julie is only 43!

My bad!

Julie is 44, Your turn little missy!

There once was a girl from Texas
Who left there a lot of exes
Now with the groom of her youth
There are three children under their roof.

She sings of the heavens with a voice filled with passion
Conviction and worship are her mark of fashion
Leading others to a higher plain
Of devotion and adoration to our Lord she sustains.

Humor and joy mark her personality true
Sincerity, honesty, earnestness too.
A warrior in Scripture, a warrior in prayer
She seeks to know best how to serve on a dare.

Don't let her play woofle ball
Rounding second to third she is sure to fall
Her knees she will skin
But somehow to home she'll run in.

Happy Birthday dear Julie
We miss you quite truly
You're a woman of wonder whom we are blessed to aquaint
Knowing you for 20 years and loving you still must make me a saint!

Happy Birthday Hannah

These pictures are so old. We haven't seen enough of you. Hopefully we can update in a few months. We miss you and love you very much.