It's a boy!

This is the view from our patio, and the photo was taken by my husband when we got back from the birthing center

It is with great joy that I announce the arrival our our precious little boy Benjamin Paul O'Donovan. After 9 months of expectation and anticipation I now hold the heritage of the Lord in my arms and gaze at this little life that has been fearfully and wonderfully made to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Once again I am reminded of the weighty responsibility my husband and I have as stewards in raising and training this eternal soul to love, fear and honor God. I know that this little boy will, God-willing, lead his own family one day and I want him to prize the wisdom and ways of God and to grow into a loyal, covenant man. Just like his daddy I might add!

After weeks of wondering what day Benjamin would arrive, it turned out to be the day we got a record amount of snowfall here in Texas. 12.5 inches of snow fell in 24 hours. My husband and I joked that it would not be a good night for our baby to arrive because the temperatures were below freezing and driving conditions were hazardous. No way we could race to the birthing center in the event of a quick labor!! Well, God and Benjamin had other plans and I went into labor that night at after 12:30 AM, February 12th. My husband woke our 2 sweet girls and strapped them in the car and we left for Inanna Birthing Center, traveling very carefully as the roads were pretty slick.

The snow fell steadily and my treasured husband Mike, encouraged me the entire seventy minutes it took to get to the birthing center in Denton (it normally takes 40 minutes to get there). Mike sang songs of worship to the Lord as we made our way and there was a peaceful calm that surrounded us. I know that angels accompanied us giving travelling mercies, thanks to all the prayers of precious friends and family. My contractions were 2 minutes apart and very painful but I could feel the hand of the Lord on me, giving me strength and keeping me focused.  We arrived at the birthing center at 2:15 AM and Benjamin Paul was born at 2:30 AM. Even though everything happened so quickly I still managed to have the water birth I wanted. What a wonderful surprise it was to discover that our baby was a boy (I had no ultrasound scans and so we could keep the gender of our baby a surprise). Tears of joy filled our eyes as we held him for the first time.  My daughters were delighted to meet their new little brother as he entered the world.

We left the birthing center at 5:15 AM and made our way carefully home. The lights from street lamps and cars reflected off the white snowy blanket that covered everything, the trees were laden with the beautiful snow. The scene before me was breathtaking as I sat in the back of the car next to our new little miracle. He held my finger as he slept and my heart was just bursting with joy.

My husband and I want to raise a warrior for God, one that will champion the crown rights of King Jesus. A man that will live to establish Christ's Kingdom in all areas of life. We know our job has just begun and we pray the grace of God will ever so strongly rest on our lives and the lives of our children as we raise the future of many generations.

Thank you for celebrating with us!

Benjamin ten days old