The discernment for baby names continues. We would really like to take inspiration from the saints in naming our children. How cool would it be to read a story about a superhero and think "hey, that's my name?" How much cooler to know that the superhero was a real life person that did amazing things as a child of God? We hope that these amazing role models will inspire our children, through a variety of ways. In the meantime, we are actively searching through saint stories and feast days, hunting for just the right ones. We are cutting it pretty close to the end! It is a much more difficult challenge than we anticipated - who knew we had so many opinions?
This week, the reality of our timeline is becoming increasingly apparent. We are just 6-10 weeks away from meeting our little one. This is extremely exciting but also very scary. In the midst of a pandemic, we don't have the option of attending a child-birth class or touring the hospital where we will labor and deliver. At the beginning of this pregnancy, Kiersten shared some initial worries about labor and delivery and was encouraged to consider a doula. We did our research and discovered that these "birth coaches" are phenomenal aids for parents to have during labor. These incredible women bring knowledge and expertise on labor and delivery into a personal relationship with clients - ensuring that even if the medical staff on hand is shared with other patients, we would have a dedicated partner in the process. We would get the chance to meet with her in advance, truly get to know her and share our vision for birth. Now, we know that extra safety pre-cautions have been put in place at the hospital, to protect patients and staff alike, but they definitely introduce extra worries and concerns. Laboring mothers are only allowed one support person, and unfortunately, doulas are considered support people, not medical professionals. So, its either doula....or Ben. Neither of us can imagine Ben not being there for the labor and delivery. So, unfortunately this opportunity is not truly available to us. We are both working hard this week to learn as much as we can, to be as prepared as we can. We know from working through other mental health challenges that all we need is a well packed toolbox and a willingness to work together through anything. The book "Made for This," by Mary Haseltine has been a tremendously empowering resource in these efforts; she truly inspires us to remember that God designed women, from the beginning of time, to bring children into this world. So, when we can surrender to Him, we are able to become profoundly connected to His plan for creation.
As the week came to a close, we celebrated Ben's first fathers' day. It was a wonderful occasion surrounded by family, including several touching moments where his fatherhood was warmly recognized. It was truly meaningful to see others recognize this gift and to receive their love.
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