*Elijah turned 5 a few weeks ago and in that time I was in the process of moving all of the website over so here is the birth story from August 2013 in all it’s glory. I have writings on my FIRST blog website that goes into greater detail about our faith journey with Elijah and journal entries leading up to his birth. This post starts with my journal entry on 8/25/13 and goes into the full birth story. If you’d like to read more on the old site, you can see those entries here 

8.25.13 – I will NOT doubt… James 1:2

41 weeks and 3 days but I will NOT doubt. Lord, I know You are working all things for our good because we love You! (Romans 8:28) Father, we may not understand now why Elijah wasn’t born before Jeff started fire school but I ask You for wisdom and understanding in this so that we can be sure ALL decisions we are making concerning our finances and choices of work are in Your will. Is Jeff not supposed to go to fire school? The thought of him staying home with us makes my heart leap and pressure is removed from my mind instantly. It’s amazing how this trial in our lives has taken such a turn of perspective for me this morning. I’ve felt so much pressure to have Elijah before Jeff’s school starts/insurance runs out and placed full responsiblity in MY own faith, trust, belief and seeking the Lord concerning this labor & delivery that I never stopped to think if Jeff was possibly being called by the Lord as much (or more) than me! He’s already facing the reality that although income won’t be there and insurance for our family won’t be there, still neither will he. Lord, what am I noticing here? Regardless of what *I* notice, if he can’ see it…..I sure don’t know how to tell him! Father work in his heart! I don’t want to have to travel down this path if it isn’t necessary. I want to stay in YOUR will for our lives! Are we meant to be in Advocare both full time? The way I see it, Fire school will always be an option if Jeff chooses…but this TIME with one another we can never get back.  [[[Then I was given a perfect chart comparing Jeff’s job at that time with his Fire School in comparison with our Advocare business.]]] Lord, let us not just be hearers of the word, but doers also. James 1:22-25.”

***This journal entry went on in more detail and I felt led to have Jeff read it thoroughly and pray about it. He read it, went out to mow the lawn and when he came back he let me know that he wouldn’t be starting Fire School the next morning. That dream would be postponed…….***

Shortly after Jeff informed me that he wouldn’t be starting Fire School the next day, something shifted. (Read the days leading up to this in my previous post) I prayed and declared that THIS would be the day just as I had been declaring for over a week. But I began having more noticeable contractions although they weren’t painful, I hadn’t expected them to be because of what we were specifically believing for. I began texting with my Doula, Hannah. She was sent straight from heaven for sure! I remember going to Braum’s to get a few grocery items and coming home to bake Blueberry muffins and clean up a bit. We were timing the contractions and they continued to stay consistent but they had done this for weeks so I wasn’t about to get my hopes up. Things continued to pick up over the next few hours. Hannah had me doing some neat tricks to let gravity help progress me along.

Once we knew that the time was coming, we went ahead and called my father in law to come grab our sweet Ellie. It was around 8:30 when he arrived and by that point Hannah was with us so we decided to go for a nice walk. We had some great talks and I lunged up and down my street just smiling and having fun in the first stages of labor. I bounced on my exercise ball and things kept progressing. When my body began really intensifying the work we turned on the worship play list I had made. Mostly Kim Walker-Smith’s new album “Still Believe” but some other really amazing, atmosphere changing songs were played as well.

Jeff made me the worst tasting smoothie ever to fuel me before going to the hospital since we knew they wouldn’t let me eat there but I needed fuel for what was to come. Hannah probably knew it was too early but when my teeth began chattering she knew I was transitioning and it was probably a good time to head that way. It was around midnight when we arrived at the hospital and I was feeling confident with my Birth Plan, my Husband, Mom, Hannah and the Lord by my side. Of course when they went to check me in and I was only 4 cm dilated my jaw dropped. They called my Dr but he thought it would be best for me to go ahead and be admitted. The nurse was hesitant when I said “No thank you” to epidural which was to be expected. But we had been praying for our nurses for weeks and months at this point so we knew that God had the exact people present that needed to be there for my labor & delivery.

Per my birth plan instructions, the room was kept dimly lit and nurses were not permitted to go back and forth unless asked to come in. We made sure to be exceptionally respectful to them and they were the same to us. I swayed back and forth holding onto Jeff’s shoulders… found a double size exercise ball in the shower that I would rock and roll on…. but mostly, I found comfort in the printed faith verses that I had on the front and back of a sheet of paper. Hannah rocked me in the rocking chair for hours and played with my hair as we worshipped the Lord, prayed through each contraction and I read God’s word over my body and the situation. ALL things are possible with God! HE was my strength in every single moment of this journey! I went into this labor and delivery knowing that I wasn’t doing it in MY strength but I was relying and believing in HIS strength to see me through. I know my God would never leave or forsake me.

Dr Brown had come in around 1 am and told me I was going to have Elijah before his shift ended at 8. I grabbed that and believed it! I remember feeling exhaused around 4 am. I specifically prayed and asked for renewed strength. I needed SOMETHING. At about 4:50 I apparently fell fast asleep for a good 2-3 minutes before there was a POP! Water broke! We called the nurse in and I prayed again before getting onto the bed. THAT was a huge mistake! We were NOT meant to birth on our backs, thats for sure. Everything had been so beautiful and peaceful but when I laid down on my back things didn’t feel right. Things picked up quickly due to my water breaking. I remember looking at my nurse next to me and telling her that I had specifically been praying for her ahead of time and she told me she had never seen anything like this birth. I was 8cm. About 5 minutes later, I felt the urge to push. Everyone was trying to get me to wait for Dr. Brown to get in the room but this boy was coming fast! The sounds that came from me were just so loud for the first time in all of my labor. I even said, “I’m sorry for yellllling!” Haha! By 5:18am on August 26, 2013 – Elijah Paul Ramos entered the world as perfect and beautiful as I knew he would be! He was immediately placed on my chest and Jeff cut the cord once it stopped pulsing. MY SON! My 7lb 6oz PERFECT boy was FINALLY HERE!!!! And every single waiting moment was WORTH IT!!! God made us so much stronger than the world would have us believe. Birth without fear is life changing. I pray more women would be encouraged in this to toss fear aside. Seek knowledge and wisdom while leaning on God first and foremost for the strength to have a healthy pregnancy, labor and delivery!