Reflections After One Week!

Olivia was one week old on Monday! She is just precious and such a gift to our family! Lizzie and Lainie adore her and are adjusting really well. With two big sisters, I rarely pick out clothes for her, get a clean diaper or throw out a dirty one; my big girls are rock star helpers! We have also had to establish a few rules... You may not pick Olivia up. You may not put anything on top of her (toys, blankets, or any number of things). You may not get into her bed with her.

Liv weighed 8lbs 3oz at birth and was already back up to her birth weight at 3 days old, so she clearly has the eating thing down! She has gone for 3-4 hour stretches sleeping in her pack and play, but she prefers to be snuggled on mommy's chest for optimal sleep! Olivia has been to WalMart, celebrated Justin's birthday at Rockfish, enjoyed playgroup, made her debut at Lizzie and Lainie's preschool for their Thanksgiving feast, and been to Bible study. Not bad for 10 days of life!

I adore this precious girl, and I would be lying if I said there is not a difference in my response to Olivia Rae because of our experiences with Charlotte Jane. To hear Olivia cry as soon as she was born was overwhelming. The opportunity hold her and nurse her for the first time was beyond incredible, considering as soon as Charlie was born, it required an extensive team just to get her breathing, after which she was whisked away to Cook's. Having Olivia snuggle with Justin and me with very little interruption at the hospital was a gift, as our time with Charlotte was never so private or personal with the plethora of machines and staff she required to sustain her little life. The celebration of bringing home a healthy Olivia to her ecstatic sisters stood in stark contrast to our conversation to tell the girls that Charlotte would never come home to our house. As I feed Liv in the wee hours of the night, I remember the late nights Justin and I spent hovered over Charlie's bed and holding her delicate little fingers. I drove past Cook's and remembered my precious sick little girl on the way to Olivia's well check where she was proclaimed to be in perfect health. It has been such a time of rejoicing and grieving rolled into one. We look forward to the return of Christ where all will be made right, and until then we will walk in the power of the Spirit seeking His glory as He writes our story.

We sing the same songs over Olivia that we sang over Charlotte, believing their truth more deeply than ever before. Our God is Greater! Jesus does intercede on our behalf before the throne of God! Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Guess Who?!

Well, all of our girls look like "Bassetts," so see if you can decipher who is who in the baby pics below:)

LIV

LIZZIE

LAINIE

Waiting for a Promise

It's November 5th, five days after Olivia Rae's due date and despite every attempt to get her to come out, she is still comfortably nestled in my belly. At the encouragement of my lifelong friend Tressa, a Starbucks gift card from my precious friend Brooke, and my rockstar husband taking my big girls on their Saturday morning date, I decided to share a little of what I am learning about the Character of God and about myself in the waiting.
I'll begin with Olivia's name... On the surface, it means Olive Branch which seems pretty lame if you know our desire for our girls' names' meanings to be rich. However, historically, the Olive Branch has long represented an offering of peace. This is powerful for us. After the past 21months of great tribulation for our family, the idea of peace being granted through our baby girl is a beautiful thing! We know full well that Biblical peace is not the absence of hurt, heartache, or trials, but instead it is the presence of God despite circumstances. We know this intimately, yet we are also hopeful for a season of peaceful rest. Also, looking at the story of Noah, it is the Olive Branch that the dove returns with in its beak signifying God's promise being kept and a fresh start for God's people. We too believe that God is scripting a new chapter for our family with Olivia, one we are anxious to jump into!

Rae, like all of our girls' middle names, means Grace. We are fully aware that each of our children are a precious gift of God's Grace toward us. We have done nothing to deserve our girls, but as a part of God's perfect plan, He has seen fit to allow us the privilege of being their Mommy and Daddy! It is our prayer that Lizzie and Lainie's lives would reflect the grace that is extended toward us through Jesus, and our prayer is the same for Miss Olivia! Use her for your glory Jesus!

As we wait for the arrival of Olivia, our hearts have been stirred toward seeing God's love for our family and my tendency to waver in my faith.

I want Olivia OUT! I want to hold her. I want to snuggle with her. I want to SEE her. For the past 40+ weeks I have had no choice but to walk in faith, trusting our Creator God to knit our sweet girl together. Yesterday I reached my breaking point. Tears flowed, and I confessed that I am not strong enough for any more waiting! As my dear friend Joy has been telling me all along in this pregnancy, "God is after my heart here," and yesterday, He got through. He ALONE is my Rock. Without Him, I am helpless. His desire for His glory in Olivia's birth story far outweighs my pathetic attempts to hold it together and make things happen on my terms. Oh, I am so thankful that our sweet girl hasn't come yet. I needed this meltdown to point me to His promises. His way is BEST. He LOVES our family. He has GOOD plans for Olivia. HE IS IN CHARGE!

Not only do I want Olivia out, but I want to have her naturally without drugs. My doctor, whom I love and trust, has me scheduled to induce on Monday. Do you see my fears rising? We are talking less that 48 hours (thankful for a bonus hour tonight:), before Liv's eviction notice arrives! I tried to call and cancel yesterday, but my doc had already left the office, so unless Justin and I feel extremely convicted between now and then or she comes on her own, a Monday induction it is! This too is an area where I have had to LET GO! God has Olivia's birth story written, and it is beautiful! It is perfect!

Thank you precious friends for fighting so well for JOY for our family in this pregnancy. Thank you for continuing to approach the throne of grace on our behalf and for loving us so well. You are a gift!

Finally, I love Justin Bassett so much more today than I did before! He has been amazing through this whole pregnancy. He has taken such good care of me and pointed me to Jesus in the midst of my inability to see clearly. God has given me just what I need in my husband!

We love you Olivia Rae and look forward to seeing God's story for your life unfold. It's going to be GOOD!

Just as Noah waited confidently for the dove to return with the olive branch, we wait confidently for the perfect arrival of Olivia Rae, because we trust in the name of the LORD our God who is faithful to keep His promises!