I've thought about all the ways I could start this post I ended up here: GOD IS GOOD. Not just when something good happens to us but ALL the time.
My friendship with Madison started on Instagram (lol) after seeing a picture of her husband Zach holding her placenta after the birth of her son. Immediately I thought we needed to be friends. Well it turns out that God new exactly what kind of friend I needed through my journey with Christ and motherhood. Not only that but she literally lived a few miles away from my parents and grandparents house. So when I would travel to Florida to visit family we would hang out wild kids and all. A divine friendship I thank God for all the time.
Fast forward a few years and a few more babies born for both of us she was pregnant with her third baby and posted about wanting to hire a birth photographer. I jokingly, sort of, said I would just come down and do it. Realistically I had clients due before and after her due date and getting down to Florida was going to be seemingly impossible. I told her I would pray about it and I asked her to pray about it as well. I ended up giving her some dates I could come down and it was a small 8 day window. Even "worse" I would be there around 38-39 weeks or so of her pregnancy. Which we all know babies love to come later and whenever they want so it seemed like a shot in the dark. But GOD IS GOOD.
I was almost a week into my visit and my large puppy (she's a year old now haha) decided to go into heat which would add this level of stress which had me considering leaving a day early. Madison and I, families in tow, met for lunch on Thursday and up until this point I never got a feeling she would have that baby while I was down there. My plan at lunch was to hangout with my friend, love and pray over her and her birth, and leave the next day to head back home to Florida. After lunch I said to Zach, "The weirdest thing happens with me and my clients: I will hangout with someone a few hours or earlier in the day and they will go into labor, so who knows!" and we went our separate ways. I was also convinced the Blue Angles practicing for the weekend air show was literally going to break her water in the parking lot, thankfully that didn't happen haha.
Later that day I got home to this very calm sense of peace in my parents home. My mom didn't care my bleeding dog was laying on one of her couches (!!!) and my dad knowing I was stressed my mom might be stressed was saying not to worry about it and to stay until Saturday. Before bed my kids and I prayed for Madison and our trip and I just asked him, if it would be his will for her baby to be born while I was there that would be awesome but it would totally fine if it didn't happen. I texted Madison after saying I think I was going to stay until Saturday. She agreed and we both "had a feeling".
I woke up around 1:40am with a sense of maybe Madison was in labor but decided to go back to bed and not say anything. Then I get a text at 3:39am, "My water broke". I literally got out of bed and high fived the air praising God for just being so awesome. Knowing how quickly her other two births went I took a shower and headed over to their house.
You can read about Madison's birth story below. I won't go into detail because she does a beautiful job herself. I will say I witnessed and experienced God's full love, compassion, commitment, promise, and strength given to Madison and her family that morning. Not only did she just experience one of the physically and mentally hardest births but I WAS THERE. Something so basic and simple as us wanting to be with each other during this birth. God cares about the little things. I was at peace knowing she would crush this birth with or without me but God cared about something we cared about and that my friends is super super cool.
After Aspen was born I feel like we said to each other "I can't believe you're/I'm here" 50 times. I was in shock and I was in utter thanks and praise the whole drive back to NC. So friends, GOD IS GOOD and you can read how below:
The birth of Aspen by Madison Dagher
"We had a false sign of labor two weeks prior to her birth, we had the pool set up, childcare planned, a plan of action in case it was a quick birth like my last two births. Everything seemed to be planned out, and we were just playing the waiting game.
We met with the midwives the day prior ironically we asked Hudson when his sister would come, he replied, “Tomorrow.” We all laughed, in hopes. I was tired and ready to meet her. I met with a close friend for lunch at the beach, watching our children play and dance underneath the passing of the Blue Angels. We joked that the Blue Angels would scare her out. I came home weeded the yard in hopes of labor, nothing. We had a long fun night with the kids soaking in every moment with them until we became a family of 6.
3:30 AM, I woke up to a trickle, thinking I peed myself. Cleaned myself up, and went back to bed to be woken up again, ran to the bathroom and an explosion of my waters, everywhere. We informed our midwives, birth photographer/doula/best friend, mom, my sister and anyone that was apart of our ‘birth team.’ No contractions. No progression.
4:00 AM, We got our birthing space ready, lights prepared, read scripture from the Bible, and prayed the strongest prayer I felt I’ve ever prayed. We prayed over my body to be a strong vessel, a healthy baby, a safe, quick, easy birth. Hudson woke up and joined us in preparation. We started our birth worship playlist, and started singing, praising this Lord for what was to come.
After the arrival of Maya our midwife, and Erika our amazing friend of many trades, everything got blurry and hard to time stamp. The contractions picked up a bit. I was uncomfortable and ready for relief, I got into the pool and contractions slowed down tremendously. Enough for me to get discouraged, and anxious. We changed birthing positions quite a bit, after we realized my body didn’t prefer to be in the water, things picked up quickly, yet again. My sister took the older two out, as we didn’t know how labor looked for now.
Something changed in between those positions, as manageable as contractions seemed these were far different. They were in my back and far more excruciating than I can explain. I hit the heaviest brick wall, I remember screaming, “My back!” “I can’t do this.” “I need an epidural.” I believe I even asked to be transferred for pain management. As someone who is terrified of hospitals, that was a big one for me.
I got back into the warm pool in hopes of relief, from here was a blur, I actually don’t remember most of this part of my labor. I felt so out of it, defeated, exhausted, and desperate. Her heart rate dropped and I remember Maya’s sweet voice asking to get into a better position to hear her better or we may have to discuss transfer. I felt this tension and panic in the room, I started praying in tongues, knowing this was a language that God and I knew together. I could barely speak but I knew the power of prayer. Knowing that I needed to find the strength for our little girl. As much as I didn’t know what was happening around me and I felt like I wasn’t here on earth, I heard our worship music in the background, Rescue by Lauren Daigle was playing, and all I heard was “I will send out an army, to find you in the middle of the darkness.” “I will rescue you.” In the middle of a contraction I picked my heavy body up and was determined to hear my baby’s heartbeat, and that our vitals were okay to continue. I felt like I truly needed to be rescued in this time, I cried and cried in unbearable pain.
I made my way to our bed and we heard a healthy girl! I was so desperate to have her safe on my chest, I’ve felt the need to push for a while but I was motivated and found the God given energy and drive because I was done. I pushed, and pushed, and pushed. Allowing each contraction to move her down. She felt stuck. I felt her near my pelvis, not descending anymore. After allowing contractions and other positional techniques to do their job. I felt her crown, I pushed again, hearing my mom yell out, “she has dark hair!!” After a few more pushes her head was with us and she was sunny side up, of course, I would deliver an OP baby. Her body soon followed, and praise filled the room. At 11:19 our promise was born. We all cried, and I kept thanking Jesus. She let out the smallest whimper, I started to panick begging to hear her cry. Asking anyone to make her cry, but she was already pink, wide eyed, and looking around. Perfectly healthy.
I sat in disbelief of how this birth panned out, but how good and faithful God is. In the midst of chaos, he was still the center in control. Though, my doubts and agony, he had my baby safe. I tell those close to me that it truly felt like I traveled to heaven to get my baby. The feeling was unimaginable, I stopped hearing, and seeing for a bit and that was in my most desperate hour. I truly felt like she was delivered to me, spiritually.
We all gathered as a family to meet Aspen, the kids were in aw, Harper was unsure. We spent the rest of the afternoon doing our newborn exam, doctoring mama up, laughing, cuddled in bed praising the Lord for his mercy.
Then it was, Aspen Selah Michelle Dagher joined our family in the most promising way.
Eternally grateful for Maya of Modern Midwives and Erika of Birth Besties and my husband, Zach and mom, for the love and support through this all. Thank you Erika for the beautiful photos that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
I wish I had more words to describe this surreal birth. I’m so proud and so thankful.
This is home birth."
Here is a little sneak peak into Aspens beautiful birth: