Lisa Reverence 8-15-2026

 

As I’m writing this, I’m sitting out in the sun (for the first time in a couple days) and my precious baby girl is just inside sleeping on her daddy’s chest. I am filled with gratitude and reverence towards the Lord who has guided us every step of this journey. Thank you Jesus that both Lisa and I are healthy and that He protected us during labor and delivery. Thank you Jesus for my husband, who is a true gift and who never left my side during the whole experience of bringing Lisa into this world. He is a true example of the love of Christ, being held, supported and deeply loved through every contraction and every moment of pain and hardship. 

 

On August 14th, I was feeling very ready to have my baby, feeling uncomfortable and having a hard time fathoming continuing being pregnant. But overall, I felt good and had the energy to install some hardware on our cabinet doors. Funny enough, I also went to work with Dakota for an hour or so to do some final touchups on a big job. I joked with the homeowner that I would officially be going on maternity leave the next day because it was my due date. Dakota and I watched a movie and I fell asleep with a very sore back, not knowing it was a sign of early labor. I woke up at 1am and almost immediately knew that labor was upon me and I was surprised at the level of pain I was already in. I waited until 2:30 to wake Dakota and he practically leaped out of bed and looked ready to sprint across the room. I remember laughing and telling him such urgency wasn’t necessary yet. By that point, I figured out that back labor was no joke and that I was in for a long, painful journey to have this baby. By 4am my sister, mom, doulas and midwife had arrived. The pain from the back labor was almost blinding and from early on it felt like my pain level was an 11/10. The only thing I could think about was just getting through the next minute of labor. I paced the kitchen and found a small amount of relief in the shower. Everyone was scurrying around getting the birth pool ready, drying me off whenever I got out of the shower, giving me sips of water and doing their best to help me in any way they could. Amidst the pain, the main thing that stood out to me during labor was kindness I was shown by everyone around me. My husband, my mom and sister and my birth team were the hands and feet of Jesus, taking care of me, holding me and comforting me through it all. I remember looking at the clock at 1pm and thinking “I can’t believe it’s been 12 hours since this started, I must be getting close”. I pretty much just cycled through the shower, birth pool, and bed and was encouraged by my midwife to switch positions often. I was getting to the point of thinking maybe I couldn’t do it. I was desperate for some relief from the pain but it didn’t come. I started pushing at around 2pm and made very slow progress. I didn’t know I was capable of the strength it took to keep pushing for so long. At around 5pm my midwife calmly told me that I needed to get up, get dressed and get in the car to go to the hospital. Baby’s heart rate dropped and I was bleeding too much. I did as I was told because in my mind I knew there were pain meds at the hospital. The 20 minute car ride there may have been the most difficult part of the entire labor because I couldn’t push and just had to breathe through each contraction. I was only able to focus on worry for a second before the pain forced me to focus all my energy on not passing out in the car. They got me into a wheelchair right when we arrived and started the long journey to the OB wing. I got into the hospital bed, pushed three times and my baby girl was born. She was born within 10 minutes of pulling up to the hospital, 5:53pm. No time for the pain meds. I heard the soft cries of my little Lisa and knew everything was going to be ok. She was on my chest shortly but needed a little help with some suction. The doctor who delivered her was wonderful and I was grateful he took care of my stitches so quickly. I had a second degree tear. I remember feeling so exhausted and traumatized from the whole experience and I felt worried I wouldn’t be able to bond with my baby girl. But I had no trouble with that. After she got taken care of under the heat lamp under her daddy’s watchful eye, she was put on my chest again and I told her I loved her and I was just in awe of her. I am so thankful for my precious Lisa. She is the greatest gift God has ever given me, along with my wonderful Dakota. 

Postpartum has been very painful and very humbling, as I’ve had to accept that my body is weak and on the mend. But the fact that my baby girl is here and healthy makes it all worth it and I am grateful and honored to be her mama.