Gracious Friends, Gorgeous Flowers

We'd be remiss if we didn't include a few photos of Mary Michelle with our friend, Kathleen.

Kathleen graciously agreed to "hang out" with Richelle during labor and delivery. Her presence and expertise (she's a labor and delivery nurse) was a huge encouragement to our family, and her delightful company and conversation helped Richelle pass the time during a long, slow moving day, not to mention the fact that she was a fabulous labor coach once Mary decided to finally join us. We owe her a huge thank you for serving our family in this way!

The other photos are the of the beautiful flower arrangements Richelle and Mary received while in the hospital - the roses from Rebekah and her Grandpa Gene; the other arrangement came to Mary, from her "Baba" in Niger. He (and the rest of the gang there) can't wait to meet her in person.

And we included this photo today, just 'cause it is soooooooo cute! Don't you agree?

Basketball Anyone? Snapshots from Rebekah Joy's Dec. 5th Game.

Welcoming Mary Michelle Elysabeth Wright - the abbreviated birth story -

Lots of people have been asking, wanting to know all about Mary and her "birth"day, so we thought we'd share some details and some photos. This is one of our favorite pictures taken that first day at the hospital - after the craziness of a very long day, she looks so sweet and peaceful as she rests in between visits.

Richelle woke up with regular contractions on Tuesday morning, December 2. Normally, that would not indicate an immediate trip to the hospital, since they weren't spectacular on the contraction scale; however, because of our circumstances (Tim not here, small children, snowy & icy roads, a history of fast deliveries), Richelle's doctors felt it prudent for her to head to the maternity ward ... better safe than sorry was a frequently used expression. We spent the morning waiting - contractions continued, not slowing down, but not progressing either. The decision was made around lunch to go ahead and break her water and see if that caused things to move along any quicker. It didn't - so finally around 6:30 in the evening, they started pitocin. That was probably the one thing that Richelle wanted to avoid - having had less than positive experiences with it in the past. This time, however, it did the trick. After about 45-50 brief minutes of sleep and rest, contractions resumed, and Mary made her appearance at just after 8 p.m.

We aren't so sure that she was too excited about her change of environment.

Richelle's first good look at Mary after her arrival.

Sibling introductions.

Of course, every baby is unique... but Mary's outstanding feature is her head of thick, silvery blonde hair. She has a ton of it, and the color is unusual - so it is usually the first thing people remark on. The nurses had lots of fun playing with her hair before her hospital picture that night - or so we were told.

This photo just cracks us up - look how interested Elsie is in the baby, while Jonathan is totally focused on the computers behind us. What a typical little (or big) boy!

Visitors that first night at the hospital.

Where does her name come from? Tim's sister is named Mary Elizabeth - and it is a name we really like. It is also the name of a wonderful friend, which we found out after we'd started considering the name. We added the Michelle because we wanted her name to be a little bit different, and it is also quite common in Nigerien culture for children to have 2 or 3 middle names. We also love the meaning of each one of her names: Mary is “beloved,” coming from the Egyptian word "mry;" Michelle is of French origin and means “gift from God,” or “who is like God” - she certainly is a gift and there is no one like our God! Elysabeth means "my God is bountiful," or "God of plenty," - which also seemed so appropriate as we welcome her, our eighth beautiful miracle of life, into our family.

Our other favorite part of the "birth" story comes from the other side of the ocean. Brendan was asked to make the announcement of his sister's arrival - during the chapel/assembly at school on Wednesday. Knowing how much our son likes to speak in public, especially in front of his peers - that gave us all a few chuckles.

Thanks to all of you who prayed for us and for her safe arrival. Please continue to remember our family in your prayers. Jonathan and Victoria are having a hard time understanding why Richelle and gang can't come home immediately, and we still have tons of official paperwork that needs to be taken care of before we can return to Niger.

ANNOUNCING -

Mary Michelle Elysabeth Wright

December 2, 2008, 8:04 PM

7 lbs, 2 oz

19 inches

Midland, MI USA

Keeping the Vigil...

Often in Niger, we find it difficult to get in the Christmas spirit... it just doesn't feel like Christmas... not cold enough, no snow, no Christmas carols played over sound systems in the stores, no lights decorating homes around town... even at church, while we may sing some Christmas hymns and carols - they sound different, especially in a different language and to the accompaniment of a drum... so many of the "trappings" that we identify with the Christmas season are not easily a part of our lives in Niger.

However even though back in the US and enjoying all of the above mentioned "trappings", I'm finding that it can be easy to miss out on the Christmas spirit here, too. Only here, it is not because of a lack, but because of too much - too much distraction and too much frivolous busyness to take the time to meditate on why we even have a Christmas.

Thus, I really appreciated the following read from what is probably my favorite blog to follow, Holy Experience, entitled "Finding Christmas." May we all search for Christ's presence this Christmas season, in spite of all the distractions or walking through the desert minues all the typical reminders, for if we seek Him, He promises we will find Him.

SNOW DAY!

They forecasted snow - and it started sometime Sunday afternoon and is still continuing even as I type, well into Monday evening. While we didn't get quite as much as they were saying we would, the kids around town ended up with a snow day and Rebekah and Jonathan got to play in the snow with their cousins.

They had a blast, and afterwards, thawed out with...

...homemade hot chocolate...

...and direct from the oven freshly baked soft pretzels.

SO MUCH FUN!

You KNOW You're a Swimmer When...

Saw this group on Facebook the other day - and had to laugh as I read some of the descriptions, especially after all the years I spent around or in a swimming pool while growing up... I won't include them all here, but here are some of the ones that I found the truest as well as the most amusing...

• If whenever you hear an electronic beep, and you instinctively jump, you might be a swimmer.
• If you have rings around your eyes unrelated to the amount of sleep you got, you might be a swimmer.
• If waking up before dawn to exercise seems normal, you might be a swimmer. (You might also be crazy)
• If bugs die of chlorine poisoning when they land on your skin, you might be a swimmer.
• If you sport long, curling hair with split ends on your legs, you might be a swimmer.
• If the phrase "This set with fins" is better than hearing "You just won $1000," you might be a swimmer.
• If you answer, "I don't need to" when someone asks when you showered last, you might be a swimmer.
• If you love a good lightning storm when you have outdoor practice, you might be a swimmer.
• When you learn how to squirt water 15 different ways, you might be a swimmer.

• If the first place you go when you're stressed out is a swimming pool, you might be a swimmer.
• If among your heroes are Janet, Jenny, or Amanda, or you know who I'm talking about, you might be a swimmer.
• If your daily apparel is held together by knots.
• If being fish-like is a compliment, you might be a swimmer.
• If your friends don't even call you anymore because they know that you have no time to do anything, you might be a swimmer.
• If you sweat chlorine even after showering, you might be a swimmer.
• If you just don't understand the charm of the swim suit edition, you might be a swimmer.
• If someone asks if you have any siblings and you start listing teammates, you might be a swimmer.
• If you cut yourself every time you shave, because you only do it 3 or 4 times a year and are out of practice, you might be a female swimmer.
• If you shamelessly walk around the hallways at school in your bathing suit, you might be a swimmer.

• If the person who sits behind you in you're math class always tells you that you reak of chlorine, you might be a swimmer.
• If land is your second home, you might be a swimmer.
• If you're stronger than many of the guys and all the girls in your grade, you might be a female swimmer.
• If you have to try on 30 shirts just to find one that fits your shoulders, you might be a female swimmer.
• If your hair remains in a wet ponytail throughout the day, you might be a swimmer.
• If when the life guard tryouts say you have to swim a 500 in less than 9 minutes you laugh, you might be a swimmer.
• If you have a permanent suit, goggle, and cap tan, you might be a swimmer.
• If all your saturday and friday nights are spent around water, you might be a swimmer.
• If you are at the school so early in the morning for practice that you beat the janitors there and the lights in the parking lot are off, you might be a swimmer.
• If a practice of only 5000 yards sounds like heaven to you, you might be a swimmer.
• If you practice 3 or more times a day during the summer, you might be a swimmer.
• If your used to taking a 2 minute shower and rushing to get dressed just to make it to class a minute after the tardy bell rings, you might be a female swimmer.
• If there are wet towels over every door in your house, you might be a swimmer.

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While our children aren't growing up on a swim team the way my sister and I did - while in Niger, they are most certainly growing up hanging out around the pool a lot more than your average kid!