Part 2 of three. Preston's Birth Story

To commemorate the 15th birthday of my son, Preston, I wanted to write about the blessing of his birth, and the healing it brought to our family. In part 1, I gave the backstory that led up to our decision to have another baby, which included the traumatic events of the birth, life and death of our 3rd child. Here, in Part 2, I wish for you to enjoy the healing that God graciously gave us, due in large part to the birth of my 4th child.
 After numerous consultations with doctors and geneticists, and many hours praying for wisdom and direction about whether or not to have another child, we decided to go forward,  trusting that the Lord would help us through our fears about whatever lay ahead. We had experienced the presence of God, and the never- ending comfort from the Holy Spirit as we walked through the darkest time of our lives, as well as the gift of friendships from God’s people during those difficult days. It felt good and healthy to walk out of the cloud of sorrow and doom, and consciously toward hope and the possibility of joy.
My pregnancy was blissful, the doctors assured me that the baby was healthy, and not to worry about a thing. I was ecstatic to meet the little guy, yet had crippling flashbacks of the previous birth. Late, as usual, the day came. I don’t know how we ended up in a hospital where epidurals were not only not a standard option, but also not provided, period. Oh well, no problem, I thought.  I had given birth three times, naturally, and was sure I could do it again. After ten hours, though, I began to think that I might not be able to take it much longer. 20 hours went by, and then 30. At 35 hours I was BEGGING the doctor for a C-section, just to end the agony. “Well,” she said, almost amusedly, “maybe we should talk about pain management.”  I’m a pretty nice person, but I suddenly had the urge to strangle that lady. I did quip back, in a rather sarcastic way, “YOU THINK?” Every time a nurse would walk by, she would peer in with doleful eyes, as if to sympathize with my plight for relief. The hospital actually called over to another hospital, asking to borrow their anesthesiologist for a much need epidural. Finally, the epidural was in and the much needed reprieve began. Blissful sleep claimed me, providing rest both physically and mentally. When I awoke 5 hours later, making it a total of 40 hours of labor, it was the moment of delivery. My little Preston Troy was finally born. If I asked once, I asked 10 times, “Is he healthy?” I wouldn’t believe the professionals until I could see him for myself. At 6.5, the little darling was perfectly formed and beautiful from head to toe. For the first time in over 9 months we all breathed our first breath of relief. I thanked the Lord and blessed Him profusely, as I held my precious boy, committing him to the Lord.
Puzzled about why I would have a 40 hour labor, when #1 was five hours, #2 and 3 were three hours. The nurses wept with me when sharing their relief over this healthy child, but shared that they had been very anxious for me, knowing that often past trauma can play havoc over the way the body is able to respond to messages from the brain. It was only when I was asleep that my brain rested enough to allow my body to do what was needed. Now laying there, holding this gorgeous child, I was thankful for every minute it took to have him, and mostly for trusting the Lord with his life and mine.
Now at 15, Preston is a tall, strong, beautiful boy. He is artistic, athletic and intelligent. He has been blessed with a wonderful dad who pours love and wisdom into his life every day, an older brother and sister who hold him accountable to live a godly life, and a little brother who challenges him to be a good leader.
To me, his mother, he is a gift of God’s “Hessed” (Hebrew for lovingkindness) that I neither deserved nor earned, even through sorrow. My desire for Preston is only that he cultivate such a love for the Lord that he is compelled to follow and serve Him all the days of his life. Happy Birthday, Preston, on this very day, July 13. I love you!
Part 3 will be posted next week, and is the conclusion of the “birthing years,” culminating in a final precious gift to round out our family, adding the cherry on the top of our wonderful life.