A well. A building. A baby.

  I haven’t posted much about Samaritan Village lately.  I think this is approximately where I left off:

  We are members of the board of directors, and are working with them to get through some kinks in the structure of the organization so that they are in a place where they can send a couple of American’s over to serve. (us?)  Not sure how long this will take – God’s speed.  When we get to that place, we’ll see if it is us he will send, or someone else!  In the meantime, we’re serving in the way that we see God putting in front of us!

 

  We are working on building a second orphanage about two hours away from the current orphanage.  This orphanage came about because a woman came from the area (bringing twins to leave at the orphanage.) and explained that there were lots of children dying in her area because they were being abandoned.  So : orphanage number two.  This orphanage is in Mwanga.  Very exciting.

 

  Anyway…

  Yesterday we got a phone call from the president of the organization to let us know that someone in California made a very large donation to the organization with the intent to dig the well for the second orphanage, and to build the first building there!  Praise God!  So, overnight we went from wondering how God was going to provide for us to build the second orphanage, to having a good portion of it covered!  This came among several other answered prayers regarding the Mwanga orphanage – what a blessing.

Well: Check.

Primary Building: Check.

 

  Other news on the Samaritan Village front:  A new baby was brought to the Arusha orphanage yesterday! 

 

Adorable.

 

  He was found abandoned about 4 kilometers outside of the city.  Amazingly, he was found in generally good health at the hospital before he was taken to the orphanage.  They think he is approximately 11 months old (he’ll be assigned a ‘birthdate’).  He’s not been given a name just yet.

 

  If you could send up a prayer for this little guy, I think he’ll probably have a rough couple of weeks.  Luckily he’s got lots of loving Mamas to take care of him at Samaritan Village!

One Month.

  You fit in wonderfully as a Popp.  We all agree.  Sylvia agrees a little too heartily, which is all of the smothering, slobbery, head-butting, I’m-eighteen-months-old-but-I’m-going-to-try-to-pick-up-my-infant-sister love you’ve been getting lately.  She really loves you.  Which is why she would prefer to give you night-night kisses instead of me.  But I’m not jealous.

 

 

  You’re only one month old, so you don’t really do much yet.

I am really a-ok with that.  Keep that up.  Cause your sister makes up for you.  There’s really not much else better in my world right now than getting to snuggle you against my chest – and the best part is, I’m pretty sure you concur.  You love yourself some Mommy snuggles.

 

 

  You’ve been such an easy baby that I almost feel guilty answering people’s questions when they ask.

  How is she sleeping?   …good.

  How is she napping?   …great!

  Is she fussy?   ….nope

  How is nursing going?  …she’s been a pro since day one!

It’s really unfair how easy you’ve been.  But I’m not complaining.  I’m soaking you up just as much as I can.

 

Favorites so far?

Snuggling.

Co-Sleeping.  Curling up to sleep next to you all night long is my very favorite         part of the day.

Your noises.  You are constantly grunting and squeaking and snorting.  It’s real cute.

How your sister worries about you when you’re not in the room, and you are the first person she asks for in the morning.

Nursing.  Of course.  Knowing I’m providing for you exactly what you need and want is a wonderful feeling.  And you always stare straight into my eyes while you nurse.  I love it.

Naps.  You are an awesome napper.  You let me lay you down while you sleep, and you do it for hours at a time.  A beautiful beginning to our relationship.

 

I was a little nervous when you came along.  You see, I love your sister a lot.  Could I love two people that much?  Oh. Yes.  I love you more than you will ever know.  You are a wonderful gift to our family, Naomi.  Wonderful.

 

Love you, love you, love you,

                                  Mama

 

My Littlest Baby.

I was going to say 'My Little Baby', but really, Sylvia is not so big either - so littlest it is.

Your sister is at a friend's house playing this morning, so it's just you and me in this very quiet house.  We have to soak this up, because your sister's presence does not lend itself to quietness. 
You are laying on my chest, making very sweet newborn noises, and I just can't believe you are my daughter.  As we sit here, and I pick at your newborn skin that is peeling away (I am a natural born picker, so just get used to it.) I am praying for you.

Lord, please let her grow to know you.
Lord, help me to be the Mommy she needs me to be.
Lord, when she's sixteen and some sketch guy tells her he thinks she's hot, please let the first thing through her mind be - "I am so much better than hot, okay?"
Let her meet someone like her Daddy to fall in love with.
Let her be strong hearted (hard headed?) but gentle.
Let her find her beauty in her heart and not in the mirror.
Let her be courageous and fearless..........but careful (is that a cop out?).
Lord, help me to guard her heart.
When she's in high school, and she hates me because I won't let her wear that dress, and we aren't totally in love with that sketch guy who told her she's hot - give me the strength and love enough to be her Mommy, and know that much of what she hates me for now, she will thank me for later.
Lord, help me to soak. it. up.
....And thank you.  I could not have asked for a bigger blessing. 

I look at you and pray.  We'll work through this life together - this Mommy/daughter thing.
I feel like we're starting to get to know each other.  You're becoming mine, and I'm becoming yours.  I guess I just want you to know that I love you more than life.  It's not something you will understand until you have a littlest baby of your own.  My love is fierce, and I will always do my best for you.

You will have lots of brothers and sisters as you grow up.  Such is the life as a foster family.  I hope that you love it as much as your sister does.  Let me know if you don't. 

I'm going to go now - soak up this snuggle time that I have with you until your sister comes home.  I love you.  More than you will ever know.  I am so excited to be your Mommy forever, and I can't wait to watch you grow (but don't get in any hurry.).

  love you, love you, love you,
                                      Mama

P.S.  Your hair cracks me up.

Rahab.

Most people with knowledge of the bible hear the name Rahab and instantly think, "the Prostitute."  It only makes sense.  Every time she is mentioned in the Bible she is referred to as 'Rahab the Prostitute.'

So.

Why did we name our daughter after a woman only referred to as a harlot?

  First, I have to say, that I think Rahab gets a pretty bad rap.  What if we were all always called by our very worst sin, our greatest weakness, our biggest failure?  Maggie the judgmental.  Maggie the doubter.  Maggie the selfish.  I'm not entirely sure why Rahab gets pinned with this, there were plenty of women in the Bible who did some shady stuff.  If David were only known as 'David the adulterous murderer' then there probably wouldn't be as many Davids in our world today, yeah?

Let's look past her label.  God obviously did.

It is likely that Rahab was a prostitute by necessity.  Women in that time were frequently 'called by the king' with no say in the matter.  The king would bring them to his palace to determine if he wanted them to be among his many queens and concubines.  If the woman he called was not to his liking, she was then considered 'used' and did not have other options.  Starve or be a prostitute?  

Rahab lived in Jericho, a city that did not know God.  They worshiped idols made of clay and stone and chose not to acknowledge the God of the Israelites.  But now the Israelites were coming to take the city.  They were on their way, and God had given them victory over every army they had come against on their way.  The king of the Jericho was convinced that if they built walls high enough, thick enough, well manned enough, that they could fend off the Israelites without cause for worry.

But Rahab thought otherwise.  She had grown up hearing stories about their God, how he parted the Red Sea, sent plagues to Egypt, and handed kingdoms over to the Israelites.  This was no clay idol.  Their God had power.  So when two Israelite spies entered the gates of the city she welcomed them in, gave them the information they needed, hid them from the king's soldiers, and sent them away in a direction opposite that she sent the soldiers coming to capture them.  

She knew their God was all powerful.  She wished to know Him.  She would serve Him in the ways she was able.  

In return for saving their lives, the Israelite spies promised Rahab that she and anyone else in her house would be safe when they took the city.  Sure enough, when the walls fell and they took the city, Rahab and her family were spared.  Rahab wanted to join the Israelites in following their God, and because of her faith, God blessed her by grafting her into his people through marriage.

Only later would we find out that he had also grafted her into the lineage of Jesus.

Rahab is one of two women listed in Hebrews 11 - the hall of faith.  She was commended for having 'confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see' along with Abraham, Enoch, and Noah.
Regardless of her past, Rahab recognized God for who he was.  She had faith in the midst of a city and a family that told her she was crazy.  She came to God as she was, and he took her in, made her His, redeemed her, and used her life to glorify Himself.

Naomi will mess up.  She will make mistakes and she will make choices she regrets.  I pray that she has the faith of Rahab.  I pray she will have faith in God in the midst of a world that often turns away.  I pray she will come to God regardless of where life takes her so that he can take her under his wing, make her His, adopt her into His family, redeem her, and use her life to glorify Himself.

And that is why she is Naomi Rahab.

Life is Sweet.

  Our little Naomi Rahab Popp joined our family on Monday, April 18th at 12:22 p.m.  She weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces and was 18 inches long.  I can’t get over her, I can’t stop staring.  She was in my belly just two days ago.  She formed inside of me.  She is perfect.  Thank you Lord for your incredible, unfathomable blessings.

 

  My midwife kept telling me that this was going to be a birth of redemption.  My experience delivering Sylvia did not go smoothly, but here we were, giving it another try.  Redemptive, she said.  It will be different, your body can do this, we are going to listen to your body, and you are going to have a beautiful birth and have a beautiful child.  Amen.

 

  I had random contractions all night Sunday night.  Around 2:30 a.m. they became very consistent and very strong.  I breathed through them and tried not to wake Brian until around 4:00, when I let him know that this was it.  At that point there’s really no going back to sleep – I mean – we’re having a baby!  We labored quietly, Brian coaching me through each contraction, until around 8:00 when Sylvia woke up.  At that point I became pretty distracted between Sylvia and calls to the grandparents, and my contractions began to slow down.  I was feeling frustrated because now, 5 1/2 hours in, I just wanted to get this show on the road.  We decided to go ahead and go to the birth center so that we would be somewhere quiet and peaceful to really focus on the labor. 

  We left the house at around 10:00, my parents got there just as we were leaving, and they followed us to the birth center.  We made a stop at Panera to get some bagels for the midwife and nurses, and while in the car my contractions really started to pick up.  We got to the birth center at 10:30 and went to our birthing room, at which point I was relatively sure I was entering transition.  My midwife checked me and I was dilated to a 6+, so I figured we had quite a bit more laboring to do.

  They filled the birthing tub and I got in – immediately better able to relax between contractions.  My midwife left to let us labor alone, but told us to get her should anything happen.  She let us know that I would have to get out of the tub for a little while in around an hour and a half, but that she thought we’d have a baby by then.  My thought was – there’s no way she’ll be here that soon!  However, it was only several contractions later that my water broke and we got my midwife.  Almost immediately I was having very, very, very strong transition contractions – which of course is when I start thinking, “I can’t do this!”  But I had my wonderful, strong husband there telling me I could, and coaching me through each breath, my mom reassuring me, and my midwife praying over me, reminding me that God would provide my strength.  It was beautiful.

  It wasn’t long before I was pushing.  I was so nervous to push.  With Sylvia, I pushed and nothing happened and I was afraid it would happen again.  My midwife helped me with encouragement and by allowing me to push when my body said to.   Half way through pushing my midwife said, “Look how long that hair is!” which was all the motivation I needed to get my baby girl in my arms. 

  Not 20 minutes later, she was born.  Caught under the water by her Daddy and put directly on my chest, the first words out of my mouth were to my midwife, “It worked!”   I held her and talked to her until her cord stopped pulsing.  There was no rushing and no one taking away my baby.  I held her and loved on her until my heart’s content.

  My dad came in to see his new grandbaby – all of us in awe over that head of hair!  She was beautiful and perfect.  After getting out of the tub and getting to the bed, Brian and I were left alone with our baby girl to treasure the first hours of her life with no one worrying about her weight or length or whether she was perfectly clean.

  After a while Sylvia arrived and came in to meet her baby sister.  She was excited and kept saying, “Mimi, mimi!”  That is what she calls Naomi.  Brian’s mom visited with her grand daughter.  Not five hours after she was born, we were getting into the car to go home, to rest and bond where we are most comfortable.

  It was beautiful.  It was redemptive.  I can’t believe she is here.

  We are so in love.

 

 

 

 

 

The birth center makes each family a birthday cake during their labor to celebrate!

 

 

 

All ready to go home – just 5 hours after birth!

 

Proud Daddy.

 

Project 365 – Week 31

Super cute.  My friend Shea and Sylvie.

 

Sylvie pulling all of the tupperware out of the cabinet.  Classic toddler move.  It kept her busy, so I just ignored it.

 

Then she decided to get into the cabinet.

 

I threw a baby shower for two friends, Kate and Nicole.  (The center two pregnant women.)  I’m just going to count this as my 11 week picture.  Still in normal jeans (not sure how much longer that’s going to last though.).

 

Neither of the girls knows what they are having.  So just for fun I had people vote by eating the cupcake of the appropriate sex.  On girl and one boy according to the votes!

 

Yeah, mostly Sylvia is just loving getting into anything she possible can.  Her favorite?  Unrolling the toilet paper and tearing it into as many little pieces as she can. 

Thump, thump, thump.

  The most beautiful sound in the world.

When you’re at your midwife’s office anyway.

 

Baby Popp #2 will be rearing their head (too graphic?) sometime around April 23, 2011!  One of the many reasons I haven’t been blogging much as of late – I’ve been completely nauseous for the last six weeks.  Luckily it seems to have subsided, and now, just like when I was pregnant with Sylvie, I’m just sure I could be pregnant forever.

This little one snuck up on us.  Apparently already very stealthy – I’ll have to watch that once he/she becomes mobile.  But surprise or not, we are very excited, and feel so very blessed.  Besides, now we will have our own little one to call ‘boo boo’.  (Just joking.  We probably won’t.  But it is true that my parents called me their little boo boo until I was old enough to understand what it meant.  I may or may not have been scarred.  Ha!  Not really – I think it’s hilarious.) 

 

We got to hear the heartbeat today.  Nothing in the world makes me marvel more than the creation of a little baby inside their mama – God’s work is incredible.

 

It may seem very silly, but I am also excited to have a reason to be back at our birth center!  I love my midwife.  I love the experience that I had there with Sylvia.  I love their attitude, the homey atmosphere, the down to earth people.  Anyway – did I mention I love our birth center?

 

Sylvie and the new baby will be just 18 months apart.  At first it made me a little nervous.  But then I remind myself that there isn’t any way it will be harder than it was with Sylvie and X-man.  I want to rejoice in every minute of it!  I refuse to take any of it for granted.  I know there are so many women who struggle with infertility or losing children – and I will not take for granted the blessing that is this little heartbeat inside of me.

 

Little baby, we cannot wait to meet you.  I can’t wait to see what you bring to our family, how you will change us, stretch us, and bring us such incredible joy.  You are already loved.  I will nurture you in my womb, and you will be smothered in love when you arrive.  Are you a boy or a girl?  Will you look like your daddy or me?  Will you be like your sister, or completely different?  Oooohh, I just can’t wait.  See you in 29(ish) weeks love.

    Love you, love you, love you,

                                           Mama

 

Project 365 – Week 19

Sylvie going on a walk with cousin Simon and Nana

 

Makin faces with my brand new nephew, Desmond.  Sooooo sweet.

 

Sylvia is now into everything.  She loves to help me unload the dishwasher – unfortunately she favors doing this when it is full of dirty dishes.

 

These four babies are good friends – we all hang out a lot.  We were trying to get a picture of them, as one of them is moving away.  Of course, Sylvia is not capable of sitting still for more than half a second.  Luke volunteered to hold her down, Zack is just shaking his head - “what’s wrong with this chick?”

 

Jae’s already gotten to the stage where he’s too cool for most things.  Especially if it involves me.  Or Brian.  Or anyone under the age of 10.  But listening to his radio?  Very cool.

 

My bouquet from the boys this week.  Somehow they seem to find unique flowers every week, even in our little yard.  Love the flowers this week. 

The Windy City.

On Thursday we left on quite the expedition.

Ten hours in the car with all three kids – road trippin’ to the grand city of Chicago.  Overall the car trip went really well, and the boys were very excited to get to see a big city.  We got to hang out with Brian’s whole family – celebrating the birth of a beautiful baby boy, and the second birthday of his big sister.

 

             Zee entertaining Sylvia in the car…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                 Sylvia not being very entertained.

 

Boys!  That’s enough!

(Probably the most repeated phrase of the weekend.)

Zee, give me the camera.  Now.

 

Finally there to see a sweet little boy, and a red headed beauty.

 

On the metra on the way into the city.  The boys were very excited, they had never been on a train before.  Sylvia was obviously thrilled.

 

Sylvie in the city with her Aunt Jen.

 

Gettin’ some Chicago style pizza.  mmmmm…

 

 

Sylvie sitting in a tree.

(She has great balance.)

 

Walking to Millennium Park.

 

Sylvie and Uncle Daniel.

 

Weird sculpture in Millennium Park.

 

The boys in front of The Bean.

 

The birthday girl!

 

This is my father in law climbing a tree to get a ball out.  My mother in law has warned me not to let him babysit.  (just joking Grandpa Richard :) )

 

The boys (by boys I mean the little ones and the big ones.) had a lot of fun playing outside.  It was a lot of fun getting to hang out with the family and just enjoy each other’s company.  It was also fun getting to travel with the boys (they had never left the state.) and getting to introduce them to so many new things.  Fun times were had by all in the windy city.