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).

38 and 39 Week Appointments

38 Weeks

There really wasn't much to report from this visit, so I spared us all an update. Everything still measured on track and I promised the doctor I would call with any questions.

39 Weeks

The visit this morning had the potential to be really exciting. For the first time they did a little more thorough exam. It was exciting in that everything still seems to be progressing nicely. It was a little anticlimactic in that I am not dilated at all- the doctor said he might give it 1 cm. The baby is also "floating" in the pelvis, so, while head down, has not yet descended.

I like this doctor's take on this part of pregnancy. He is thorough and thoughtful without just following "the book" for "the book's" sake. He reminded us that while at that very moment there wasn't any progress toward labor, it is still very realistic that labor could begin any moment. At this point he wasn't worried about size and doesn't put too much stock in estimating or worrying over the little guy's size, since, as he noted, you also don't know how my body would handle a certain size without giving labor a chance. Looks like they will only check on baby and his environment if we have a concern or make it to our 41 week appointment....which would be 2 weeks from today. Yikes!

Dave's parents arrived yesterday just as church was ending, so Dave got to go to this appointment with me and meet the doctor. He also got to ask if he could "quarterback" this time around. The doctor readily said yes without any qualifications. We'll have to pack Dave's winning jersey!

Emily's Big Surprise

My heart was racing as I drove down some undisclosed road somewhere on Cape Cod. Would she figure it out? Would we really pull this off? My blindfolded wife sat next to me, somehow content to cooperate in this charade I was exercising.

Two and a half hours earlier, we were saying goodbye to our little girl and our neighbor Lee. It was date night. Emily knew it was a surprise, and was willing to even be blindfolded on the way. A few rounds through the airport rotary later, and we were arriving at what she thought was our only destination. I then explained to her that we were not having dinner at one restaurant, but several. The first course was an appetizer course at the one place that truly demonstrates my sacrificial love for her: Taco Bell.

One Nachos Bel Grande later, and we were making more loops around the airport rotary. It's easy to get a blindfolded person lost in a rotary, I found. But our second stop was 50 feet outside of it, so all the riding around was really more of a show. We pulled into Wendy's. Once she took the blindfold off, the pattern became a little more clear. We were going to have a majority of the things she had been craving during her pregnancy (except for fried shrimp and tartar sauce, which she'd satisfied a week or two ago.)

The first two courses were things Emily missed from the days when we lived in Fast Food Nation (or, the rest of America,) but the dessert course was something she was introduced to here on the Cape. The blindfold went back on, and the Volvo went back in the rotary. When it came out, it headed for Sam Diego's, a Tex-Mex restaurant where we ordered a delicious fried ice cream to-go. We didn't bother with the blindfold as we drove across the street to the Starbucks in the Barnes & Noble to eat it.

As the evening wound down, I let her know there was one last stop. One last trip around the rotary, and the longer drove began.

I don't remember Emily ever being so relaxed when I was behind the wheel. She tilted her seat back and talked away about everything. Everything except the crazy drivers and perilous intersections. I, on the other hand, had a heart-rate high enough for the both of us. It reminded me of the moments before we got engaged, when I thought, "I just might be able to pull this off." I had a shot- it really looked possible.

We pulled into the Lakefield Farms Clubhouse and I parked right in the entryway. But this time she had to keep the blindfold on. The whole purpose of the blindfold, you see, was that she wouldn't see all the cars in the parking lot. And it would feel weird if I'd just asked her to put a blindfold on for this one thing, so I had to make her do it all throughout the night. It had to feel like just another weird, quirky thing I was doing.

I helped her out of the car and up the entrance steps, while everyone inside tried to keep quiet. (You can't just keep 60 gathered ladies quiet.) We walked through the door and I asked if she was ready. She was, so we pulled the blindfold off to the sight of a room full of her friends and the sound of "Surprise!" The pile of gifts was sky-high, and Emily finally realized that the whole plan revolved around this surprise baby shower. Just in time for Sarah, who Lee had taken there, to walk up to greet us. Surprise!

We had done it- she really had no idea. She cried, gave me a hug, and tried her best to take it all in. She confessed to me later that the only thing she could think of that we could possibly be doing was going to see "The Hunger Games" in a theater the opposite direction. A baby shower wasn't even on her radar. 

After a little greeting time, I promptly left for a BBQ at Nick's house. We grilled meat until we dropped, and I eventually went back to pick up Emily and the mass of gifts. It really was a shower, one we could have swam in if we'd wanted to.

She'll tell the rest of the story soon enough, but that's the lead-up. It was a great night, and I still can't believe we pulled it off.

37 Week Appointment

Sarah and I made the weekly trek to see the doctor Tuesday morning. She was still unsure about being in a doctor's office, but only cried as they were taking my blood pressure. Whew! With her fear of doctors, it had the potential to be a really challenging morning! They did their normal routine and said everything continues to look normal. I saw the nurse practitioner this time. As she felt Baby Brother she asked how big Sarah was, just like the doctor did last week. I guess the consensus is that this little guy doesn't feel too small! She also asked how long my labor was (around 14 hours) and said that we could expect things to move a little faster this time around. Can't wait to see what happens!

I went to a class at the hospital Saturday morning that was very encouraging. The combination of having the house painted (that is worthy of its own blog post!) and becoming familiar with the hospital was enough to settle my heart...I think we are pretty much prepared for this little guy's arrival! The class started with the local procedures. This included who to call when labor begins, where to go at different times of the day, and what to expect in terms of personnel and equipment on the maternity floor. It is a much smaller operation than our experience in Louisville. One couple at the class lives on Nantucket- it was really neat to hear their plan! We then went upstairs for a tour and got to see a prepped room. Two big things I took away from this part of the morning: Dave should bring something to sleep on and we need to take food with us or have some menus from nearby restaurants. The cafeteria is only opened 7am-7pm! In the last section we watched videos on car seat safety, birth (the guys all squirmed), and pain relief options, medical and non-medical, that the hospital and nurses can offer. It was a great refresher and is really nice to be thinking through these things. My mind has been so full of paint colors, Sarah, Dave's birthday, and church things that I had not given birth much thought until this point. Getting excited and prepared to meet our little man!