Preparing my heart

Last night, was the last of our “Birthing Wisdom” classes. Andy and I both felt a little sad that the class was over because we’ve been so incredibly blessed by it. To prepare for our final class we both had homework assignments to prepare. My homework was to create a “labor bundle,” the assignment was to find items that represent motherhood, fatherhood, and the new baby, the idea is that the birth process is a journey that the three of us will embark on together. To represent motherhood I brought my sling, to me the sling represents the closeness, protection and unconditional love that mommas provide to their children. To represent fatherhood, I brought a maple leaf, to me the leaf represents a father’s role in encouraging and building confidence in a child, so much that a child embraces new challenges like climbing a tree for the first time. In my life, I’ve been so fortunate to experience a father and husband who are both great encouragers. The last item I chose was to represent the baby; a candle or the new light that the world will experience as a result of this child. Part of me has been a little concerned about the cliché-ish things everyone worries about with a second child, “Will we be able to love this child as much as we love Fisher?” and “Will we be able to provide Fisher all the love and attention he deserves with a new baby too?” The Holy Spirit reminded me that before Fisher was born I didn’t know that I could love a child as much as I do. The same will be true with this baby, there’s a part of me that I am unaware exists until this new child arrives, and God brings light to the part of my heart that was already created to love him or her. Although, the assignment didn’t help us with things like Lamaze breathing it was one that brought me peace and comfort and has made my heart more prepared to bring this new life into the world. I am thankful to both Lee (who is the course instructor, OB nurse, and now friend) and to my Heavenly Father for the wisdom and insight I’ve gained through the course of this class! (I’ll tell you more about Andy’s homework in my next blog entry)