Count Your Blessings

So previously I wrote a blog and talked about Maddy's birth and then I said that later I would post some neat blessings that I have seen and with the first few weeks of being a new mom this is the first time I have gotten around to it. So, here we go: Many of you may know that with Maddy's due date being May 28th we were very excited but we were also a little stressed because of some complications that this may pose. However, know that she came early here are some many things our Father was able to bless us with without us even knowing it.

1. We were able to bring our little girl back to Shenyang so that our friends here could meet her (originally we would have flown out of Beijing so they wouldn't get to see her till August)

2. Being able to do the closing events for this school year seeing as a very close friend of mine will be moving to Australia in a few months (originally my last time seeing her would be May and she'd see baby at the wedding for Kiera and William this summer).

3. Passport & Visa - now we don't have to delay our flight to wait for the 15 working days to get her paper work finished

4. Nathan's presence - originally Nathan wouldn't be in Beijing with me until week 37 1/2 so we were worried Maddy may come early and how would he get to Beijing in time but there was no need and he can take all paternity leave and spend with her rather than pregnant me

5. Family - family is now coming with a newborn baby rather than in the process of us becoming mom and dad, which would be rough

6. Finances- now we are saving money for the guest house we would have needed to rent for 1 month for us and family if she came later - we were also gonna have to move into a hotel near the end because the guest house isn't available so we are saving tons of money!

7. Schedule - we can now establish a schedule with her before returning to America (granted with jet lag it may need to change)

8. Students - my students were able to meet Maddy this past Friday and if she came on her due date they would not get to see her since the school year ends that next week.

9. Early labor with the brothers - I don't have to worry about trying to prep our brothers with what to do if I go into labor and see their frantic faces

10. Jesse and Bruce get to see her. If she came a little late she would not get to meet her Uncle Jess and Uncle Bruce until later (Bruce until way later because he will not be at home while we are this summer) but she got to snuggle with them early.

11. Canada trip - We are supposed to be driving to Canada to see a friend get married and this will be much easier with a 3 month old rather than a 2 month old. :-)

So I am grateful that she came early! Granted I would not want her to come too much earlier and I never wished for her to come before the pre-term mark but she has healthy lungs, a hard head, and came out in the perfect time and didn't need to be in the NICU. I am grateful to my Father for all his blessings and for knowing my little stresses and meeting those. Thanks!