happy birthday- a mother's perspective

5 lbs. 13 oz. 18 1/2 inches long

healthy and perfect.

welcome to the world Jane Melissa Andersen.

you are so loved.

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this is a guest post from my mother....a sneak peak into my labor from her perspective.

A Mother’s Perspective

It’s interesting to watch the circle of life roll round and round.  This is really only my first round, though. Up until this moment, I’ve just been completing my one small circle.  Time for round two.  I’m sitting here in Kerri’s hospital room, watching my baby suffer the pains of childbirth.  It brings back those miserable and desperate feelings that I experienced when I was bringing her into this world.  I look at her now, and it’s hard to watch. I realize that God was kind when he decided to give us grandchildren...all the joy, but this time without the pain. I remember the pain, make no mistake. But more than the pain....I remember the exquisite joy of meeting Kerri for the first time.  She was perfect, beautiful, and yes, a bit traumatized when I first met her.  And here she is again.  Perfect, beautiful, and more than a bit traumatized.  But oh, so beautiful, even with agony etched in her face. 

Kerri:  “Oh my gosh, I am SO getting an epidural right now!  Jeff, don’t judge me just because I’m a wuss.”

Jeff: “I’m not judging you, Honey.  I looked at you, you looked at me, and I smiled. Would it make you feel better if I got an ACL repair with no anesthesia?”

Kerri:  “Owwww this one HURTS!”

Rachel (little sister), watching the contraction monitor: “Ooooh, this is a BIG one.”

Kerri: “SHUT UP!!”

And so it continues.  It’s hard to watch, but I know what awaits.  It gives me an idea of how Heavenly Father sees us suffer and hurt, but doesn’t make it stop.  He can see the end result.  Kerri knows how much she wants a baby.  She knows how much she loves children.  She knew this would be tough.  But she didn’t know HOW tough.  She also has NO IDEA of the joy she will feel when her daughter is placed on her chest for the first time.  She thinks she knows, but she doesn’t. Nobody can experience that kind of joy until they experience it first-hand. Which is why we are here to start with.  To experience it all... first-hand. I sure hope that’s how things end up for us all...that the joy of eternal life is WAY better than anything we can imagine. Actually, I don’t hope it will be better, I KNOW it will be better.  It had BETTER be better  :)

Although... as I meet my baby’s baby, it’s very difficult to imagine how anything could be better. 

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birth story and lots more pictures to come! follow me on instagram for updates as well if you so desire