Benjamin James Marshall!

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

That proved the theme scripture for our experience bringing Benjamin James Marshall into the world yesterday. Here is our story:

Birthing Time. Ariel woke up with me at 6:20 a.m. on Wednesday morning. I was just about to get ready for work when she said she thought this might be it. She timed the pressure waves while I took a shower. They were five minutes apart. Game time. We made some calls to the birthing center, the pediatrician, Aunt Melissa and Mom Galli. We packed our bags, picked up Melissa, and went on our way to Special Beginnings, the birth center. Mom packed her bags and hopped on the next flight to Maryland.

Ariel performed heroically throughout the day. The waves continued fairly consistently from 10:20 a.m. when we arrived until 5:55 p.m. We used the Hypnobabies relaxation techniques we had learned and practiced over the last months. Ariel was really able to relax through the pressure. Her goal was to really enjoy the birth, and she did. She received a priesthood blessing, with promises that all came to pass.

Delivery. When Mom arrived at 5:30, we decided to break the water. That really helped Abe's birth move forward, and we thought after twelve hours of labor, it was the next step to take. They broke the water at 5:55 and Ariel and I got in the birth pool. She leaned over the edge, passed through a couple of serious waves and the next thing I knew there was Ben's head coming out! I called to the midwife and nurse who were out of the room, saying, "He's coming, he's coming!" But I didn't feel tense or afraid. I think the Hypnobabies stuff had rubbed off on me. :) While trying to put on her gloves our wonderful midwife said, "Wait, wait!" But he was coming out. I helped his little head out, and then his little body slipped easily out into my hands at 6:08. By then the midwife was there to help maneuveur him into Ariel's arms. Ariel perfomed perfectly gracefully, perhaps because so much grace attended her.

Benjamin has some brownish-reddish fuzz on his head, full Galli lips, long fingers, and my nose. Perfect bundle.

Post-partum. Ariel held him close to her for the following hours. No pricks, no pokes, no weighing, no scrubbing. Just time close to Mommy. He learned to nurse before long and they had a wonderful time bonding together. Ariel looked refreshed and perfect. We stayed for a few hours, they then performed a physical on little Ben--making sure his ears and arms flapped the right way (he's 7 lbs. 8 oz. by the way, and 19 inches)--and then we went home.
Special Thanks. We want to thank everyone who prayed for us yesterday. And we want to especially thank Melissa, who stayed with Abraham all day. We also want to thank Abraham, who never cried or complained. Even watching the birth he remained attentive and interested. He already loves his little brother. We thank Mom, who paid extra money to get out here quick. Her assistance there and here at home are invaluable. And we thank Joe, Janel, and Lynn, who all came to celebrate and support. Finally, we thank all of the good people at Special Beginnings. If you happen to live in the D.C. area and want a wonderful experience, this is the place to go. Thanks to Sloane, who stuck with us all day. Thanks to Nikki who helped deliver. Thanks to David who performed the physical. Above all, thanks to God for making this miracle possible. He led us through this. He supported us. He gave us His Son whose sufficient grace blessed us yesterday. The Plan of Happiness is unfolding more and more in our family. We are happy.