The Story of Josiah's Birth

If we could have picked any day for our baby boy to be born, it was Friday, May 4th. Emily could still attend OBC's Women's Connection event Thursday night, I would have time to lead the singing Sunday and then take a whole week off- it would be perfect. Though I didn't want our child to forever hear chants of "May the 4th be with you!" on his birthday, it sure seemed convenient in the immediate. People asked what day to pray for, so we told them Friday the 4th.

So there was some sense of expectation as we went to bed on Thursday. Would it happen. It was a restless night of sleep. Did that mean anything? Sarah came a day early, on a Friday. Would it happen again?

Just before 4 a.m., the questions appeared to be answered. Her contractions were regular, although still only 7 minutes apart. So we got up, showered, packed our bags, and told ourselves we would decide later what to do about breakfast. We tip-toed up to see Sarah and say goodbye to my parents, and then headed to the Daily Paper for a classic breakfast.

Breakfast was great, of course. Plenty of workmen and older gentlemen creating a perfect atmosphere, and great food. We timed the contractions while we ate, called the doctor, ordered an extra muffin, sipped some tea, and had a great time. We could have spent all day there. But don't worry, eventually we left.

Just not for the hospital. It didn't matter that it was cold and a little wet, or that we didn't bring our coats, or that we told the Doctor we were going to the hospital- Emily wanted to go for a walk. It was a beautiful day, after all. (I didn't question her.) So we walked up and down Hyannis Main Street, until I broke the bad news to her that it was indeed 50 degrees and misty, and that we had a baby to meet.

We arrived at the hospital around 8 a.m. But things had slowed down. Still, even though the contractions had waned off, they admitted us because second pregnancies can be unpredictable and they wanted her to have 4 hours of antibiotics before she delivered. Apparently I should have extended our Main Street walk, because the prescription was to walk up and down the maternity hallway.

When we tired of walking, we went back into the room and Emily tried the birthing ball. But still no progress.

Maybe sitting in bed would make it happen. Nope.

Soon enough, it was mid-afternoon and the contractions were anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes apart. But the midwife was confident that labor was underway, so we put the epidural in and broke the water. It actually didn't break on the first try, and when it finally did it was quite minimal. Some babies, they say, just don't have much fluid around them.

We had gotten used to the pattern by now, so we pulled up an episode of Psych on Hulu. About halfway through it Emily remembers feeling some crazy things happening inside of her, but she was so used to the pattern of nothing happening that she thought it was just that, nothing.

It was getting to be about 6:00, so the nurse came and checked on her again, hoping that she had moved from 4.5 cm to something more like 5 or 6. That craziness Emily felt turned out to be her body dilating from 4.5 to 10 cm in a little over an hour. Suddenly, she was ready to rumble.

One thing that was different for Emily this pregnancy was the effect of the epidural. Last time she couldn't feel her toes, much less any pain from the birth. But this time it only muted the pain of the contractions. This left her free to feel everything that was going on elsewhere.

Emily did one practice push (which I still think is a farce), while the midwife showed me what to do. I had asked if I could, as it were, "Tom Brady" this birth, much like I had with Sarah. She did let me, and she made a great Bill Belichick. Rather than let me get in the way while she delivered the baby (which I expected because the Louisville doctor did just that) she put her hands on the outside of mine and just told me what to do. It was awesome. At 6:23 p.m., he came out clean as a whistle. We put him on Emily's chest and let her hold him while I threw off the gloves and picked up the camera.

It was great. He was here!

Within a half an hour, we pronounced his name as Josiah Michael Cook. We thank God for him and for a safe delivery. We hope you will join us in prayer for his life, that God would give him great wisdom and much faith. As his name proclaims, The Lord Saves. We pray He will save our little Josiah.

Our Letter to Josiah

Our Dear Josiah Michael,

This is a story about a little boy who was a very good king. 

The people rejoiced when he was born, for it meant the line of kings would continue. God had promised Israel that they would always have a king to sit on the throne for them, and Josiah’s birth was a reminder to them that God always keeps his promises. King Manasseh had a grandson! The Lord saves! Who is like the Lord?!

But eight years later, things looked very different. King Manasseh had died and Josiah’s father, King Amon, was murdered by his own servants. Suddenly there was no king left to rule for them except this little boy. It must have been scary for everyone, but God was keeping his promise. Even if he was just a little boy, Israel still had a son of David sitting on the throne. But could a little boy really rule well for them?

Well, anybody can be a good ruler with God’s help. Josiah just followed the Lord, and it turned out that’s all a good king needed to do. The Lord does save. There is no one like Him. 

When the word of the Lord was brought to King Josiah, telling him Israel’s sin and imminent destruction, he wept. He was so sad he even tore his clothes! Because he wept over his sin, God saved him from that destruction. And once God saved him, Josiah turned into a new man. He destroyed idols. He got rid of the priests who allowed the idols in the Temple in the first place. He ruined the high places. He put away the mediums and necromancers. He brought back the Passover. He walked in the way of God, without turning astray at all. And he is one of the few kings in the books of the Kings whose epitaph says nothing bad about him.

King Josiah’s life made clear the meaning of his name: the Lord saves. 

We hope that happens in your life, too. You may not tear your clothes (at least not if we teach you well), but there is a coming day when we even hope you mourn like King Josiah did. One day you may realize that because of our disobedience and the disobedience of our fathers, we too deserve destruction. We hope the Lord brings you his word like He brought it to King Josiah. And, as much as we never want to see you cry, we hope you are sad on that day. That’s because, as your name says, we hope and pray the Lord saves you. He can. There is none like Him. 

We also hope His mercy molds you into a new man: a man who walks in God’s ways without turning astray at all, even a messenger whose life and lips declare the meaning of his own name. 

That’s why there is another messenger you are also named after, one who stands before the Lord Himself. He, of all creatures, knows that there is no one like the Lord. He is a very good angel- one who fights for God’s people and faithfully delivers messages.  Your pappy and daddy are proud to bear his name and to pass it down to you. That name, Michael, means, “Who is Like the Lord?”

So we hope that, like King Josiah, your life displays a simple and unfathomably deep truth: that the Lord saves. And we hope that you become, like Michael, a messenger of God’s truths who makes people ask, “Who is like the Lord?” May there one day be multitudes in heaven shouting, “The Lord saves! Who is like the Lord?!,” because God chose to work through you. 

You were also given a royal name, like your daddy (David- after King David), your pappy (Stephen- crown), and your sister (Sarah-princess), even though we all will probably go through this life without actually wearing a crown. We feel like royalty sometimes, with the good lives God has given us, but Pappy and Daddy know that the real crown is coming later. 

That’s because those who follow in the Lord’s ways are learning today how to be rulers tomorrow. And one day, when the only truly good king Israel ever had comes back, He promises to make us rulers in His new creation. Suddenly, a lifetime of training doesn’t seem like long enough! We pray that, like the Josiah and the two Michaels who walk before you, you will one day wear an eternal, unfading crown.  

So your grandfather is Stephen Michael. Whose crown is like the Lord’s? And your father is David Michael. Who is beloved like the Lord? Now you are Josiah Michael. 

The Lord saves. Who is like the Lord?

Your loving parents,

David Michael and Emily Elizabeth Cook

Josiah Michael Cook

We are proud, humbled, and thankful to present to you our newborn son, Josiah Michael.

He was born last night, weighing 8 pounds, 12 ounces, measuring 22 inches long. He is healthy, happy, and delightful.

Look for posts soon with a letter to Josiah explaining the meaning of his name, the story of Sarah meeting her new brother, and the story of his birth.

Howells Come To Visit

My parents had the opportunity to visit in March while my Mom had her spring break. We thought we would share some of our photo documentation of the good time that was had by all.

(You might note that no one was on a diet this vacation- we ate very well all week long!)

We went for a beach walk one chilly day. Very quiet this time of year.

Dad had a birthday, so, naturally, we ate angel food cake and custard.

With the warm spring we had it was great weather for Sarah to take anyone willing to offer a finger on laps (and laps and laps) around the house.

We had a Bloomin' Onion, among other things, at Outback on Dad's actual birthday.

Sarah was getting ready to take off...almost!

Before birthday dinner.

All of us. Plus a few paint samples (none of which made the cut). And Sarah pointing to make sure that we didn't miss the blinking light. It's the little things that are most exciting in life :)

Pre-birthday dinner. Lobster and shrimp.

These guys had names :)

While the lobster and shrimp were the stars, we also had fish and sausage, all cooked on the grill (AKA the Black Lemon).