New Life

Its a new life . . . in a myriad of ways. Lots of new beginnings are starting to unfold.



As of right now I'm 38 1/2 weeks pregnant! In less then two weeks (hopefully) we will meet baby Powers! It's still so surreal. It seems like yesterday when Brent and I made the announcement that we were expecting.

The feeling of a new being growing inside me is a constant reminder of God's faithfulness to bring us life. We are so excited to meet Baby Powers, as is the rest of the family!

I have also started my new life as a "stay-at-home-mom" (SAHM). This is something I am looking forward to but with honest angst. My last day of work, as a nurse, was last Friday. I've been working full time as a nurse for the past ten years so I'm a little clumsy at establishing a new routine. However, I think the timing is perfect. I could feel myself losing interest/faith in my job and needing a break. I suppose this could be attributed to my evolving view of what health and healthcare are. I have been passionate about alternative health care for a few years now, which is the primary reason we chose to use a midwife for all of our pregnancy and birthing needs. Using a midwife has been so wonderful and I am so thankful that we are able to do so.

Using a midwife is not something that is to common these days but is gaining in popularity. However, my path to midwifery was unintentional. When I imagined being pregnant I never imagined using a midwife. I had a friend of mine introduce me to a book a couple years ago written by a midwife from Tennessee, Ina May Gaskin. I read this book with my jaw on the ground; it painted a completely different picture of pregnancy and labor. It was a picture of strength, joy, womanhood, connection, and spirituality. Of course I was excited about this find and thought that if I was to ever get pregnant I would love to have my pregnancy handled by these midwives, especially since they were so close to our home in TN. Well, you know the rest of the story. And I don't think it was a coincidence that I happened to be working in TN when we got pregnant!

So here we are, less then two weeks from meeting our miracle. This weekend I will check into the midwifery center and start my final decent into labor. The midwives prefer that you check in about one week before your due date so as to prepare, and that means preparing mentally, emotionally, and physically. I was a little apprehensive about this at first but now I am looking forward to it. It will give me time to really focus on what is about to take place and to become familiar with my temporary home. When your in a place that's peaceful and surrounded by the atmosphere that birthing is natural it's amazing what physically happens to your body. Every time I've been to the The Farm Midwifery Center I feel a sense of peace and strength. I really feel so blessed to be having this experience. I'm looking forward to it more and more each day.

And when Baby Powers arrives I will finally get to start my new life in North Carolina and be with my husband again. I can imagine that sounds a little strange but to those that know our situation you know that these past nine months have been a long time comin! It was not ideal to be away from Brent during this pregnancy but, in the words of my husband, "it is what it is". We are simply doing what we feel led to do and its all working out perfectly. Which is the sure sign of God's hand on our lives, and thus the reassurance we needed to get through these past nine months.

Brent has been so great during this time. He's so excited about the baby and it's so fun to see him fully embracing this experience. He is willing to do whatever necessary to make this the best experience he can. He's actually reading books I've given him and watched some videos. He loves talking with the midwife and she loves talking to him! I can't wait to see him holding his new baby child in his arms , I know it'll be one of those life moments that we'll never forget.

I really feel so blessed, I know I keep saying that but I really do. I am so thankful to be having this experience, and to be having it in a way that's so much better then I ever thought possible with a man I couldn't love more. I don't know how to put into words all that I feel but I just know that I'm thankful and really excited about this new life!