Sylvia Traveling Home And Extended Family Time

Well it has been a whirlwind since Sylvia’s birth—in fact on the day of her birth, we had some heavy winds and rain and a bout of cold, blustery weather to welcome her to this world (but it has warmed up a bit since then)! In fact, when I went out to grab the car seat so we could be trained on proper use, it was a warm fall day. 

But that took a turn as we were bringing her out, and the winds picked back up again. We had spent the entirety of our time in the hospital in Jamie’s delivery room, and I felt more sensitive than ever to the fragility of this life we were entrusted with, and as I watched leaves blow across the parking lot, I thought about just how scary and wonderful this world is all at the same time.

And after we arrived at home, we began to return to our routine of daily three mile walks through our neighborhood. But again, a whole new world emerged to us as we traveled. Sylvia was taking it all in, but I was thinking about how loud the construction vehicles were near Mountaineer Field, and how much louder still the giant Helicopter was as it landed near Ruby Memorial Hospital. And then the smells—exhaust, garbage, construction—we were becoming attuned to the minor details that have been the background of our routine. Our daughter, gave us heightened senses and deeper of awareness of everything going on around us.

And then we were able to have a few visitors up. Jamie’s parents (Monday) and my dad and sister (Tuesday and Wednesday) made the trip up to greet Miss Sylvia and welcome her into the world. Of course we have had our share of joyful tears with each new day, but there was something really special for me to see Sylvia’s grandparents and her aunt holding her. All of these visitors were special, but my heart melted when my dad held his grand-daughter. He’s such a hard-working and compassionate man, and it made me so encouraged and excited to see him holding her and speaking so softly to her as he welcomed her into the family. 

In addition, it was absolutely wonderful to see Jamie and her mom work together to give Sylvia her first bath. They did an amazing job, and there’s something really endearing about seeing three generations of women together, and watching as the older teaches the younger and gives encouragement along the way. I feel like Jamie’s folks did a really good job with her, so any lessons to be learned, we definitely want to pick up. 

Our world is full of awe as we witness Sylvia’s growth, and we are tremendously thankful for all of the kind notes, encouragement, and gifts we have received from friends and family both near and far. We are filled with gratitude for this new life, and we are additionally grateful for the way so many people we care so much about have rallied around us during this season as well! 

Celebrating The Arrival of #TeamWilliams Newest Member: Sylvia Ann

On October 21^st at 2055 EDT, (8:55PM) our lovely daughter, Sylvia Ann, entered into this world, wide-eyed and alert. She weighed seven pounds two ounces and was nineteen and three-quarters inches long. She is beautiful, and we are so very grateful to finally meet her. Jamie and I are incredibly excited to have her in our lives, and I feel like we have been sharing tears and joyful smiles with this little miracle from the moment we first laid eyes on her.

We are so impressed and grateful for all of the staff at MonGeneral—they have gone above and beyond in every way!l! One of our dear friends, Abby Hills, who is also a nurse on the floor, stopped in to visit us yesterday morning before traveling out of town to celebrate her dad’s birthday, and our midwives (Rhonda Conley and Stephanie Lowe) were incredibly supportive and offered sage wisdom and counsel throughout Jamie’s pregnancy, and they were both patient and encouraging as Jamie moved through the stages of labor.

Our first nurse, Jennifer Bender, stayed with us over two hours extra to make sure we were all set and this little bundle of joy made it out with no problems!!! It meant so much to us to have such strong professional support and encouragement all the way through Jamie’s labor. It was an added bonus to have Jennifer present because she also taught Jamie’s lactation class this summer. Providentially, we had previously met and spent time with the entire team who were walking Jamie and Sylvia through the home stretch. Throughout the time they all brought a superior level of care and encouragement, and they were as excited as we were to find out whether Sylvia was a boy or a girl upon her arrival!!!

And the team who have taken us through our stay have been incredible as well. Kylie, our nurse through the night, has just recently come back to work, and she really did an awesome job coaching Jamie through breast-feeding fundamentals. Sylvia was able to enjoy her first meal from Mom just a few hours into her arrival. And this morning, Nurse Stephanie Smith, took the baton from Kylie and has carried our training to another level. She’s teaching us the ropes around swaddling, using a Boppy pillow, and (for me) how to change a poopy diaper.

This whole journey has been absolutely incredible, and as of my writing of this post, Sylvia has only been outsider her mom’s womb for a few hours. She has been so curious and taking in this whole new world with fresh eyes. She is already teaching me so much!

And Jamie, she is such a warrior! She went through the whole process of labor completely focused and calm. I know a lot of people compare running a marathon to giving birth, but as an outside observer who has done one and will never do the other, the consistent thread between each of them that I have witnessed in Jamie’s life is this. Each of us are capable of far more than we realize, and when I think about Jamie’s labor and delivery (and her first marathon), I feel like I am witnessing a deeper awareness and awakening of all that she is capable of.

And as I pray for my daughter and her journey on this earth, I pray that God will awaken that same deep understanding of what is possible for her, and that He will guide me and Jamie with the wisdom and the discipline to nurture the development those gifts and possibilities.

Jamie and I are overcome by a rich sense of gratitude for this entire journey together, and we are excited for this next chapter of our lives with Sylvia. We are grateful for the prayers and support of so many friends—they have truly sustained us, and we know those prayers are a gift. My first words, before the traditional announcement of, “It’s a girl!” were “She’s beautiful!” I pray that she will always have a deep abiding since of how beautiful and loved she is.

Sylvia is beginning a life that, God willing, will see her grow to be a compassionate servant leader, a faithful steward of resources, and caring and considerate follower of the way of Jesus. We have found ourselves praying often for her to know God and to bring glory to His name, that she would go so much farther than we have in our own faith journeys, and that others would be blessed through the life this she leads. As we continue this journey forward we pray that just as we have prayed over the course of our marriage and relationship, that God would give us the discipline and wisdom we need to steward the gifts He has given. May we all faithfully and graciously walk together in the path that Love has set before us.

Review: I’m Pregnant! By Lesley Regan M.D.

Shortly after we first discovered that Jamie was pregnant, we were having a discussion with another new mom, and she told us about this really great book by Lesley Regan that she felt was one of the best books out there to understand pregnancy, and track along with all of the changes happening in a mother’s body.

As a person who is utterly amazed at this mystery of life, I personally found it helpful to begin understanding all that was happening inside Jamie, and how this little miracle was beginning to develop week-by-week. Jamie also found the book incredibly helpful, and each week as we would read along together, we would discuss all of the amazing changes that were happening in her body and all of the progress our child was making in development.

The book gave us perspectives on Jamie’s changes, the baby’s changes and growth, and even what to expect from each of our ante-natal visits and checkups. The book is filled with colorful photos and diagrams that describe just about everything that a mother carrying a child would want to know. And as the book progresses along the 40 week timeline, it has helped us prepare as parents for these checkups. We have learned good questions to ask, and we have been able to think about what a birth-plan and a “go bag” might look like for us. Every family is different, and we love that the book offered suggestions but did not direct us toward what “must” happen.

If your family is expecting, or even if you are just curious about what is happening in a woman’s body as a child develops inside her, thisbook provides insights in easy to understand terminology. It has been an incredible tool for us as we have walked through each of these last few weeks in awe of what is happening inside of Jamie.

Introducing A New Member To #TeamWilliams And West Virginia’s Newest Citizen!

 For Jamie and I, West Virginia’s birthday has always been a very special day. As passionate natives of this state, and as alumni of West Virginia University, one could argue that it is only natural that we have such a rich love for our home state and for these wild and wonderful West Virginia hills. It was a Father’s Day six years ago and West Virginia’s 147^th birthday, that I asked Jamie to marry me, and in the spirit of that rich tradition, we have another announcement to make on West Virginia’s 153^rd birthday. This fall, Baby Williams, will emerge to greet the world!

We are incredibly excited to meet this miraculous child! We have been hopeful throughout our marriage that God would provide Jamie with a child, but we also held the attitude that if He didn’t, we could potentially adopt, and we were already blessed to be surrogate aunts and uncles to many of our friends’ children. Jamie has a health condition, poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), that led to an irregularity with her menstrual cycle, and also contributed to an inability to have a menstrual cycle without taking estrogen. Jamie knew that taking the medicine would also prevent her from having a child, even if she did have a menstrual cycle, and so she began studying ways that she might be able to improve her likelihood of having a cycle naturally (healthy food choices, exercise, rest), and of course we both (and many of our friends and family) have been fervent in prayer.

Earlier this year, Jamie noticed a gap in her cycle, and she ordered some pregnancy tests, just in case. She has been taking similar tests for the last couple of years, and while we have always been hopeful, we have never centered our focus on having a child. We have placed our hope in God using our lives to bring Him the most honor, and to best serve our global neighbors. When Jamie took the test, she was shocked, surprised, and questioning the validity of the tests, so she took a second one. It came out the same, we even considered having me take a test as a control just to be sure they actually worked (must have been the chemist and exercise physiologist in us!). These tests are incredibly accurate, and we are going to be parents!

This child, even before touching down on the earth has been all over the world. This child has been to four national capitals (Washington D.C., London, Paris, and Addis Ababa). This child has star jumped with its mother in London, Paris, and Acadia National Park. And soon, this child will arrive in Morgantown, West Virginia to greet this world.

Jamie and I are overwhelmed with joy when we think about the fact that God has given us this privilege. We have found ourselves more keenly observant of the world around us, and the little treasures that surround each of our days. And we are filled with trepidation in the same way every parent from Adam and Eve to this day has been—we are responsible for a fully vulnerable life. Every parent, no matter how many books they read or how many classes they take on the subject, questions how they will steward this gift, and prays daily for wisdom and grace from above. 

This child will rely on us for every one of its needs, and then over time a mysterious metamorphosis will take place. One day, by the grace of God, this child will be engaging us and others in conversation, and will also grow to be someone who is able to serve, to bless, to protect, and raise up another generation.

This fragile human being is beginning a life that, God willing, will see him or her grow to be a compassionate servant leader, a faithful steward of resources, and caring and considerate follower of the way of Jesus. We have found ourselves praying often for this child to know God and to bring glory to His name, that he or she would go so much farther than we have in our own faith journeys, and that others, would be blessed through the life this child leads.

We are so grateful to be able to share this wonderful news of a new West Virginian emerging this fall, and we are in awe of the fact that Jamie has this amazing privilege of carrying a new life in her body. We also know that the gift of giving birth is not a guarantee to every person, and we were both at peace if it was not a grace bestowed upon us. As we continue this journey forward we pray that just as we have prayed over the course of our marriage and relationship, that God would give us the discipline and wisdom we need to steward the gifts He has given. May we all faithfully and graciously walk together in the path that Love has set before us.

Blind Baby Bunny

Blind Baby Bunny, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Last week, I spotted this little guy in my yard. I also spotted two of his relatives. They were wandering blindly into my wide open yard. I believe they came out of my garden. Needless to say, seeing something like this reminds us of the fragility of all of life, and our need to care for those who are unable to care for themselves.

This little bunny didn't have his sight yet. And he was in a very large open space with lots of birds and other predators. He couldn't even make a sound. Picking him up, I had to be careful because even his little spine was incredibly fragile. If I wasn't careful, he could jump out of my hand and break his spine.

Life is precious. Unless we come in direct contact with a fragile life, we can become inured to the fragility of living things. Sometimes, we can become so accustomed to being surrounded by life that we fail to respond to the lives that we come in contact with as sacred.

Don't be blind to the fragility of life that has been entrusted to your care. The lives of those who are around you are a part of a sacred trust.

And be on the lookout for blind baby bunnies running through your yard . . .

Abigail Ryan Cogar

Abigail Ryan Cogar, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Wow!

I just met the most beautiful little girl the other day. I was able to see my old roommate's little 2 month old daughter for the first time. In the picture, you can see her posing on a blanket that my mother crocheted specifically for her.

As a single guy, I've tended to avoid a lot of interaction with wee children (as most single guys do). Partly because of the awkward way people look at you. Partly out of a reverent fear and awe of something so miraculous and beautiful.

Now, as a result of some work God has been doing in me, I don't want to miss out on fully appreciating little miracles like Abigail. When I visited, I held her. I danced with her. I sang to her. I talked to her. Children are so beautiful, and so delicate. I am so glad I am able to enjoy this wonderful gift from God.

If you are a person who avoids children, you are definitely missing out. It's cool to think that we as the people of God all share in the care for one another--including the infants and children of our communities.

Take some time and care for the infants and young people in your community. They represent the future of God's world.