Um Anjo Caiu do Céu

Well, I think these pictures need no commentary, right? I am so in love! My dear friend Michelle was kind enough to do these newborn pics for me, even being 9+ months pregnant herself, and then she edited them while in labor!- and she is still in labor now! =) Can't wait to hear her news.....

Just thought I'd journal/blog a little bit about a couple of things....

First, about timing. If you are thinking that I actually had an early baby this time, I'll tell you a little secret: my original due date was 9/11, but early in the pregnancy, there seemed to be some indication that I might not be quite as far along as typical calculations might indicate, so we moved the due date back to 9/23, "just in case". All through the pregnancy I went by this later date, because I figured it was better to count on more time than less, right? But as Sept neared, it became more and more likely, from the signals my body was giving me, that the original due date of 9/11 was probably the more accurate one after all. So, with him being born on 9/18, it seems I did my typical 41 weeks, just like all the other times, but the wait was slightly less agonizing this way! We give God the glory for the timing as well, because Fabio had a gap between jobs, and was going to be off work from 9/17 for about a week, so we had really prayed that baby would come then, so Daddy could be home for a little bit, and the Lord came through for us! The timing was perfect!

Now, about his size... did I do anything different to make a smaller baby?? Well, my diet and lifestyle are quite a bit better than when I was pregnant with 11 pound Joshua, BUT barely different than when I was pregnant with 10lb,12oz Israel! So, no, I don't think it was a result of what I did or did not do. I have gained about the same amount of weight with each pregnancy, but the babies just have had a little bit different genetic make-up. Even if I had carried Johann another week or two, he still would never have gotten to the size of my other babies. His head circumference (13.5 inches) was a full inch smaller than my next smallest baby, and that certainly would not have changed much with another week or two either. So, it will be interesting as he grows to see if he stays "smaller" or catches up with his siblings later down the road. =)

And lastly about his name.... where did we get it from? Well, Johann is a name we have always liked, and have discussed it with each child. The only time we had decided on it for sure was when I was pregnant with Dominique, but she turned out to be a girl! This time, though, was perfect. Fabio likes to choose a name that is significant of something we are going through at the time of the child's birth. Johann means God's favor, or God is gracious. This year has been a difficult one for us in several different ways, but we have really felt God's favor upon our lives, in spite of the challenges. He is faithful!

His middle name, Luiz, we chose for Fabio's brother. His name is Luiz Fernando, although he has always gone by Fernando. Anyway, after 9+ years of praying for him, he was saved this year! So, to celebrate his new life in Christ, the same year as Johann's new life on earth, we named him after his uncle. Also, the name Luiz means Warrior, and our fervent prayer for them both is that they would grow to be warriors in God's Kingdom!