A Year Ago Today...

 

          Jeremiah Michael Lyons

    February 7, 2011,  8:00p.m.,  7lb. 10 oz.  20 ¾ inches

Jeremiah… “Yahweh exalts or lifts up”

God has been molding and shaping your form,

And brought forth this day when you would be born.

We choose the name Jeremiah for you,

That God may sustain and lift you up in all that you do.

Jeremiah was a man of God-sent to speak boldly God’s Word,

To a people that did not heed the word of the Lord.

We pray for courage like Jeremiah to stand against the foe,

Not fearing prison, persecution, the sword or arrow. 

We pray your life will glorify Him in all that He sovereignly brings,

Bringing glory to Yahweh even amidst pain and suffering.

Michael…  “Who is like God?  No one!”

Your middle name Michael lifts up the uniqueness of our Lord,

There is no one in heaven or on earth like Him- no one in all the world.

This name also has a special family meaning,

As we named you, our firstborn son, after your daddy.

We pray you would follow your daddy’s footsteps in this life,

By looking to him as he follows the Lord Jesus Christ.

We pray you would love and serve the Lord with all your soul and being,

And we pray Christ and His Word may be sweeter to you than honey.

Lyons…

Though we decorate your nursery with lions and jungle themes,

May they remind you of the Lion of Judah- the King above all Kings!

Your heritage is not in riches nor gold,

Not in money or possessions in this life to behold.

Your heritage is a life that brings honor to the King,

To praise glory and honor Him with all your heart, soul and being.

We pray for you, our son, as we bring you into our family,

And pray that your life would honor Jesus- the King of all Kings!

       Jeremiah 17:7-8

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.

He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream,

     and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green,

                 and is not anxious in the year of drought,

                       for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Memories From A Year Ago:

Jeremiah Michael Lyons was born into our home on Monday, February 7, 2011 at 8pm.  He weighed in at 7lb. 10 oz. and was 20 3/4 inches long.  I was thrilled and overjoyed that he had little dark hairs- I just love little hair.  We are so thankful to the Lord for this special gift and for the Lord's grace throughout the process and for our amazing doctor who goes to our church Dr. Grim who was a huge encouragement!

It was quite the labor and the Lord sustained me even though I admit at times I was quite discouraged.  I began having some contractions in the middle of the night Saturday night (3am).  Well I have to admit that I think my mother-in-law helped the labor process as she went for a walk with me on Friday at Northgate and she was a “fast” walker!  Saturday night I didn’t know if I was having contractions, I just felt sick and felt like I had to go to the bathroom.  By the morning, I saw the first signs of labor (I’ll spare you the details- but passed the plug).  It was Sunday morning and the contractions seemed to come every 5 minutes pretty quickly.  Michael began timing them while I got a shower.  They seemed to come pretty quickly and so we did what every first time laborer did, follow the rules and call the doc when they were 5 minutes apart.  He told me to go on down to the hospital so we went down around 11am.  They sent me to triage and checked me and I was only 1cm.  At least I was dilating, the week before I had not even dilated on my own.  They let me stay and walk the halls hoping that would progress things and then sent me home.  I was a little discouraged as we left the hospital.  We called our parents and went to meet Michael’s parents at O’Charleys for lunch, of course I was still having contractions through it all.  We went back to Michael’s parents’ house and I told Michael I wanted to go home- I was in tears as they prayed for me and we left. 

Well, even though I feel like I am a wimp with pain, they kept coming harder and I felt like I needed to go back that evening.  They sent me to triage again and as I laid in bed and had not dilated any more, a sweet nurse talked to us more about what to expect and how we will know when to come.  They agreed that the contractions were 3-4 minutes apart.  The sweet nurse talked to Michael about when he should bring me back and talked to me about breathing and relaxing through the contractions, which was so hard to do.  They sent me home with some “Ambien” to help me sleep.  I slept a few hours that night and woke up again with contractions.  Finally Monday morning I told Michael that I needed to go back- so we called the doctor and he saw us early at his office and said I had dilated to 3cm and sent me to be admitted- I was crying tears of joy- finally!!  I do remember getting to the hospital and feeling a little funny as a lady in front of me was being wheeled in as her water had broke and she was having severe contractions.  They took me to a room and admitted me and checked me in at 11am and I got an IV of antibiotics to help prevent Jeremiah from getting sick.  After they checked me in, they had me walk the halls which was getting hard to do with increased contractions.  After a little while, Dr. Grim came in and checked me and broke my water which he had trouble doing because it was so tough.  I thought that was humorous as my whole pregnancy I had worried about my water breaking and then Dr. Grim could barely break it! 

I liked the hospital but struggled with how to breathe and handle the contractions and wish I had had more preparation of what to expect.  Michael was a wonderful coach and we both were very tired.  I remember talking to Sara Fillmann on the phone and she helped coach me some. I am very thankful though that the Lord allowed me to go into labor on my own- even on my due date though it seemed so long.  They gave me the epidural and I could still feel pressure in my bottom and asked if that was normal so she had me lay on my side some.  She then decided to redo my epidural.  I felt such relief afterward and was able to rest some.  I was a little nervous I remember because I felt it going up into my chest.  After the epidural, I dilated quickly and around 7pm was basically at a 10cm.  Dr. Grim said in a half hour he would come back and I could push.  I loved the epidural in that it numbed the pain but I could still feel the pressure telling me to push.  I had been worried that I would know how to push but thankfully I really did know how to push.  I remember trying to push with all my might to get this thing done!  I was surprised after his head was out, that I still had to push out the shoulders.  So after 30 minutes of pushing which did not seem that long, Jeremiah came out.  I could hardly believe as tears filled my eyes that he was finally here and what a cute little one with dark tufts of hair.  As Dr. Grim stitched me back up- I held the little guy.  I did feel him stitching me up and it was a bit uncomfortable, but so thankful Jeremiah was born! 

We are thrilled with this little gift from God.  We are both very tired and exhausted but overjoyed with the Lord's goodness. Some pictures and a bit about his name.  Thanks all for your encouragement and prayers!!! Afterward, we called my dad and mom and Michael’s mom.  She had come in to see me after the epidural and waited in the waiting room.  Jordan Jones also was waiting in the waiting room to see us. 

Funniest Moment:  One of my funniest memories of the time was after Jeremiah was born, Michael’s mom and him went to get our things from the car and Michael was so tired he told the security guard that his wife was in labor.  Mom Lyons was with him and gently reminded Michael that she had already had the baby!