It's been a while...

It's been over two years since I have posted anything on this blog and to be honest I'm not even sure I know how to use blogger anymore. Everything feels a bit cumbersome. Sometimes I find social media like that anyway. I will be the first to say I love instagram but I am also constantly deleting my app because I am allowing it to take up too much of my precious time. Anyone else do that? Then a few days later I re-download it, take a deep breath, realize again I didn't miss a thing, take a good scroll, comment on lots of beautiful people's pictures, maybe post a photo of my own, and then delete all over again. We have a funny relationship.

Going into this new year God spoke to me about posting here again so even though I'm not sure what to say I have to start somewhere. I am hoping it will be pictures of new art designs and little insights to our gloriously ordinary everyday lives a lot more frequently than every two years. We had a third baby in September (hopefully I'll share his birth story soon) and yikes three kids is a lot! I feel like I haven't gotten to a single thing besides nursing, catching up on sleep, snuggling my big boys, and attempting to not have our house fall apart completely. Which I am totally ok with but there comes a time to add a little more in so here we go!

Shepherd's Home Birth Story (& a little discount code...)

To go along with my new pregnant lady print I wanted to share Shepherd's birth story as it seemed fitting they go together. I had it typed up to post with the print blog but life is busy so I didn't get to finish it until now. I love reading birth stores and I know I am not the only one so I wanted to add mine to the millions that I am sure are all over the internet of life brand new. For this labour we decided on a home birth. We initially planned on having him in hospital but about half way through my pregnancy I had this growing subtle desire for a home birth. I tentatively brought it up with Jason one day while we were walking, unsure of whether he would go for it or not, and we then resolved to ask our midwife a million questions and pray about it. In the end we decided that as long as everything checked out healthy and baby was in a good position we would go for it. At 11:50 pm on October 13th, 2017 he was born, crying and perfect.

Oct 12th- In the late afternoon I started having contractions. They just felt like very strong braxton hicks contractions mixed with a little pain. They were mild though so I could fairly easily ignore them. I had them all through the night and through the next day. Some woke me up in the night but mostly I slept through them and only some of the ones during the day made me stop and breath a little. I knew people had contractions like this off and on for sometimes weeks before actually giving birth so I didn't pay much attention to them.

Oct 13th- It was a Friday which meant we had a Bethesda team meeting at our house. I was still having the contractions through our prayer time off and on and then left to lay down half way through the meeting because I was so tired from not sleeping well the night before. Sometimes they were like clock work 10 minutes apart and other times they were way more spread out. We went about our day fairly normally and I waited until the afternoon to message our midwife saying that I was having pretty consistent contractions but that I still didn't feel like I was in labour. It was more of a heads up that things were moving.

By evening they were beginning to get much stronger and were consistently 10 minutes apart so Jason put Ira to bed at 7 like his usual routine and we made sure everything was tidy and in place like we planned for the home birth. Everything was so normal up to this point that Ira had no idea what was going on which was really nice. He had no idea he'd wake up to his brother in the morning. Neither did we for that matter. All that day if I laid down or rested they tended to ease a bit and get further apart so I wasn't convinced I was really in labour yet.

8pm- I went to lay down because I was so tired and wanted to see what resting would do to the contractions. I was only going to lay until 8:30 but slept until 9 waking with each contraction every 10 minutes. By 9pm I had to start really concentrating through them and couldn't lay down and just breath anymore. I was also starting to shake a little bit during them if I got cold and thats when I knew that it was really starting. It was the first time I felt something similar to going into labour with Ira. I don't know about you but I need to be warm when I am giving birth or I get so tense. Heaters and hot water bottles and my water bottle with a bendy straw are essential.

9:19pm I messaged our midwife Sandy to say that I was definitely in labour and that things were starting to get intense. It was hard to even send messages at this point. Jason realized ok this is happening and got our bath tub clean incase I wanted to use warm water for pain relief and he got our bed/room ready with a big plastic sheet on the mattress. Sandy replied asking if I wanted her to come and I said she could probably wait a little while. I think I was afraid she would come really early and I would only be a few cm's dilated with still a long way to go. I progressed so slowly during Ira's labour after transferring to the hospital and eventually had to have my water broken to really get things going that I wanted to hold off as long as I could before I got her to come. (Sidenote: my midwife lives close by so I wasn't worried about her not making it in time. I knew she would be here quick once I said come.)

10:21pm I messaged Sandy to come.
Up until this point everything was intense but manageable. I was coping really well on my own and as much as it took all of my attention to focus through the pain I was doing really well. I was in my own little world and so focused. Then all of a sudden it shifted and the contractions got really intense and much closer together, I threw up and then realized I was likely a lot further along than I though I was. I could't wait for the midwife to arrive. I remember looking at the clock and praying to God that he would be born before midnight. I don't know why but I think I remember thinking that as hard as this was I felt I could definitely cope until midnight.

10:40pm She was here and had all her things set up. She had done a home visit a few weeks earlier to plan where everything would be and where she would put all her equipment so it was really smooth when she got here. I didn't have to worry about a thing and I just remember finishing a contraction when she arrived and looking over and smiling. She said, "you are doing great" and I was so thankful for her presence. Midwives are amazing. She checked the babies heartbeat and it was perfect. At this point I was on my knees leaning over our couch. On my hands and knees was the only position I could find any relief from the pain in between the contractions. Everything else hurt too much so I just stayed there the whole time breathing deep.

Shortly after she checked me to see how dilated I was. I was already 8cm! Jason and I just looked at each other in disbelief. That was the best thing she could have told me. It took so long to dilate my first time that being so close to the end after what felt like such a short time was an amazing encouragement. I was like I can do this!

At this point Jason had the shower all ready so I could sit with the warm water running on my belly but I ended up not needing it. He also messaged a friend to come over while I laboured incase Ira woke up but he never did. He slept perfectly through the whole thing! I actually sat on the toilet for a few contractions to have gravity help with the last 2cm. After about 3 contractions I threw up again and Sandy got me to move to our bed where she had set up a pile of pillows so I could lean on them and still labour in my hands and knees. She said very few things but when she did it was perfectly timed encouragement or direction and exactly what I needed to hear. She gave me the perfect amount of space while also being present. I felt very safe. She said the pressure would get intense soon and I would feel the need to push. Jason was right there giving me water when I asked for it and Sandy kept putting gentle pressure in my feet and legs that helped so much with the pain. Pretty soon I had to push. I would lean into those pillows and push with all my might. I don't remember how many contractions but it was very few and then I heard her say to Jason that on the next one he would come out. He did!

11:50pm Shepherd was born. He cried so loud and it was beautiful.
She handed him to me between my legs as I was still on my knees and I got myself turned around so I could sit and snuggle my boy on my chest. That moment. It's my favourite. I would have kids over and over just to have that feeling of them seconds fresh resting on my chest. Oh. My. Goodness. It's my favourite. I remember saying, "he's so tiny!" and then looked at Jason in disbelief and said, "I am so glad we decided to do it at home!" I was in shock in every good way and just couldn't believe it. It probably seemed long for you reading this because it was a lot of writing but for me I only felt like I was in labour from 9pm so it was much quicker than I expected.

Something I wanted to say is that I loved both of my births. I don't think one way is better than another. They were clearly different but I loved my hospital birth and I loved my home birth. I loved and needed the extra care and attention I received from my OB and nurses after I had my first baby. I needed it and would have struggled a lot more with the early postpartum days. I also loved having a baby at home. It made everything seem so natural and there was an ease to it that I don't think could be had at a hospital because of transferring and all of that. It was so familiar and smooth and going to sleep with my new baby in my own bed and then waking up to have big brother join us is what dreams are made of. Both were perfect. 

Since you made it all the way to the end here is a coupon code for the pregnant lady print! 20% off valid until March 15th 2018! 

Use LABOURPRINT123 at checkout or click HERE

17 Months Old & Happy Fathers Day

I hope everyone had a good Father's Day! We got Jason a warm housecoat to weather the winter in and made him lots of good food, complete with a black forest cherry cake. It was a really good day and he deserves to be celebrated for how wonderful of a father he is. He and Ira have such a good relationship and I love seeing how it has deepened and developed. This boy loves his dada and no-one can be as silly or get him to laugh quite as hard as dada can. He gives the best bear hugs, thinks of the funnest games, and lets Ira play the piano with him! What more could a boy ask for? He is also faithful and selfless and patient and wise and all of those amazing qualities as well. As a wife and mom I am so thankful for Jason. He has matured and grown so much since becoming a father and takes care of us so well. I love that I can be gone for the day at work and not have to worry a bit about the two of them because they always have such a good time together. I am usually away waiting for Jason to send a picture of whatever silly antic that are up to at the moment. I can't wait to see him hold and love our newest baby boy in October! Happy Father's Day Jason! You are the best! 

Ira will be 17 months old this week which is something we have a hard time wrapping our minds around. He is becoming more and more of a little boy and less and less of a little baby everyday and we are completely enamoured with him. Here are some of the silly highlights from him in the past while: 

- Since he was little (littler? he is still little haha) he has specialized in animal noises. I would consider him a professional at being a dog, cat, elephant, lion, cow, horse, duck, penguin, snake, bumble bee, monkey, owl, sheep, fish, and a few more I can't think of. Our house is basically a zoo. 

- He sneaks hugs and kisses all day long. 

- He is a wild thing in every good and wonderful way and lives for wide open spaces like shopping mall hallways and the aquarium to run around in. 

- Everything is "Woah!" 

- He likes the sound of motorcycles. 

- He loves to snuggle up and read books. 

- He is still afraid of bubbles in the bath tub but also weirdly loves bubbles so you have to make them in a ice cream container and put it by the bath and then he plays and plays with them. 

- He is gentle and kind. 

- He loves babas, especially little tiny ones. We saw a two week old a the mall last week and he was so happy. I can't wait to see him interact with his little brother. 

- One of his favourite games is to push the couch out from the wall, pick one of his stuffed animals out, and then have you chase him with it around and around in circles. He laughs his head off and I think he has done thousands of laps in his short few months of walking. 

- He LOVES to sing. We have a mini whisk that is his special microphone and he walks around the house singing all the time. Lately he has been closing his eyes and raising his hands as if in worship but he usually peeks a little to make sure we are seeing him do it. It is the funniest thing. 

- He likes to watch Paddington Bear and videos of the baba aka himself. 

- He says a lot of words. Some common ones are cracker, flower, mama, dada, ball, water, car, tractor, all gone, tree, teeth, nose, eye, cheese, Gogo (Grandmother), star, whale...etc. 

I could go on and on. He comes up with something new everyday and I try to record and remember them because most of the time they are so silly and he is onto the next thing in no time. He is a dream come true. 

We took these pictures yesterday after Ira had some of the cake we made for Jason and therefore a bit more energy than we could burn running around the living room. Jason always takes Ira to this field called the Vlei to play so it was the perfect way to relax on a special afternoon. 

14 Months Old With Something to Share

14 Months Old With Something to Share... from Jillian Lewis on Vimeo.

Is he not just the cutest human being alive? We love him so and love that we were able to have him share some exciting things coming up in the sweetest way possible. Enjoy!

2017's First Newsletter

Life has been busy and beautiful for us here lately and time has gone by so quickly that I almost forgot to send out a newsletter. I copied the html into this blog post so you could read it here too but if you want to go to the real newsletter and be able to click the links just go here: http://eepurl.com/cEzLxr 

(If you would like to receive these when I send them then just sign up in the link on the blog sidebar.) 

Hello friends,      Can you believe it is March already?! This year is already going by so fast I feel like digging my heels in the ground and trying to slow time down a little. We have been very busy in Cape Town with leadership, structuring a new ministry year, parenting, and having visitors! My parents as well as a close friend whom I (Jillian) have not seen in almost 8 years came to visit with her husband. So on our off times from work we have been tour guides and have grown more enthralled with this beautiful nation every day.      As a family we are doing well and learning to balance ministry and parenting better without getting burnt out. That was one of our struggles last year as we can tend to get really busy but we are learning how to schedule things and still prioritize Ira's walks at the beach and reading books and playing silly games, etc. All the fun things. Ira is doing really well and growing much too quickly. It's hard to believe we have a toddler. He is sweet and friendly and well loved by everyone here.       Overall the year is off to a good start so thank you for praying for us and supporting us! It is summer here which has been a huge blessing to us as we had winter in South Africa then winter in Canada and then winter in South Africa again. We were in need of some warm days for a long period of time. The above picture is from the day after new years on Muizenberg beach. Its is always crazy busy on that holiday weekend but thankfully it is not always like that. Ministry Bethesda House Getting Bethesda running again this year has been a bit of a challenge. We ended last year without a building but were still doing a lot of ministry all over Cape Town. With the start of the new year we felt the need to be very strategic in planning how we were going to run everything and instead of rushing into it we spent a lot of time praying and seeking God for His plan for the year. It has taken a lot of work and wisdom but we have a schedule that looks like it will be very fruitful.  New Outreach! In addition to the normal ministry sessions we always offer we will also be partnering with two small communities in our area. They are called Oceanview and 7de Laan. Both are extremely impoverished and as soon as you get to know the beautiful people in them your heart breaks. We will be partnering with friends of Bethesda who have already been working in these areas and offering support and help. Jason and I will be focusing on 7de Laan doing men's and women's Bible studies as well as visiting people in their homes and ministering to the teachers and staff in the area. On a personal note... The Gray's Visited!   My parents visited for the whole month of January which meant squeezing in as many of the amazing things Cape Town has to offer as possible. The above picture is from Chapman's Peak, one of the world's most beautiful drives. (Thank you again to everyone who donated towards out car last year! We couldn't have driven them there without you!) We took them to all our favourite places and enjoyed each others company. I know Ira loved having his grandparents around! It was a very sad goodbye. Having family visit makes the sacrifice of living so far away very real but getting to show them our home and all it's beauty also makes us realize how deeply we love this place.  Ira turned 1! Even though it has been over a month since his birthday Jason and I still find it hard to believe that we have a one year old. He is absolutely delightful and full of fun. He says a few words, his favourite of which are "bye" and "mama" and "papa". He is almost walking and can take quite a few steps on his own. He loves reading and climbing and eating. He is the friendliest person I know and waves and smiles at everyone. Here is a blog about why we chose his name if you would like to read it.  Prayer Requests - For health. We are all just recovering from a cold and have felt quite tired and sick the past week.  - For wisdom.  We are constantly seeking God for wisdom in leadership as we make decisions and move our ministry forward.  - For rest.  That we would work had and rest hard. Ira has slept through the night but lately it seems like one thing after the other that is disrupting his sleep and naps, whether it is teething or a cold, and that gets us all very tired.  - For our Bethesda Team.  As a team we are still in a weird transition season as we look for another building to move into and although we have dealt well with it there have still been struggles. A lot of people are also dealing with some very heavy personal things and attack from the enemy so prayer for our team as a whole would be amazing.  If you are interested in joining and supporting us financially please email and go to this page on our website:  Get Involved  It's really simple and there is a place for both Canadians and Americans to sign up and receive tax deductible receipts. Or you can donate through PayPal here: https://www.paypal.me/lewisfamily123 Thanks for reading! Don't hesitate to contact us because we would love to hear from you! With love,  Jason, Jillian, and Ira Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*