Look Who's Here!!

MOISES DAVID CRUZATE REYES

 
Samy and Marley had their baby on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 7:50 am!  Marley was just starting her 37th week of pregnancy so we weren't expecting him for another 2 to 3 weeks yet and his early arrival caught us all by SURPRISE!!  But it was a wonderful and welcome surprise indeed!!  Marley had a really great birth experience and we could see God's favor shown to us in so many small details!  We are so thankful and feeling very blessed!!

It all started on Tuesday at 2:00 am when Marley was feeling some strong contractions.  Once she realized they were coming steadily she had Samy time them and they were every 5 minutes with each contraction lasting about 1 minute.  This went on for the next 2 hours and at 4:00 am they decided to wake us up.  We heard Samy at our window and when he told us about the contractions our first reaction was that it was probably a false alarm.  But once I heard that this had been going on for 2 hours already I quickly got up and brushed my teeth and got dressed to go upstairs to see how Marley was doing.  We all just giggled with excitement and amazement because we couldn't believe this was happening so soon!!  So we decided to get the first boat that leaves Bocachica each morning around 5:30 am.  The timing of Marley's labor was just so perfect because we didn't have to run around in the middle of the night trying to find a boat and we didn't have to go in the middle of the day when the heat is unbearable.

We woke up Blanca and Alexandra to let them know what was going on and we all 6 huddled in a circle and prayed as a family together before heading out.  Jorge and I left the mission with Samy and Marley and walked to the dock. Bocachica was silent and I could still see the stars in the sky and there was lightening off in the distance lighting up the clouds.  Marley was very calm and she handled the situation like a pro!  We got to the dock at 5:15 am and we had to wait about 20 minutes for the boat to fill up with passengers and then we took off for Cartagena.

Once we arrived to the city there were no taxis around so we had to walk about 4 blocks before we were finally able to find one.  As we got in the taxi the Colombian national anthem was playing on the radio so we new it was 6:00 am on the dot (the national anthem plays every day at 6am and 6pm).  We heard the first verse which says something like, "Oh unfading glory! Oh immortal joy!  In furrows of pain... goodness germinates now!"  We just looked at each other and laughed at how appropriate the lyrics were for that moment! 

So we got to the hospital and were put in a room at 6:30 am where they checked her vital signs and got a brief history.  At this point we were thinking that they might send us home to come back in a few hours or something like that but we at least wanted to get her checked first.  Then they took her to another room where the doctor would examine her.  The first time that they checked her was at around 6:50 am and she was already 7 cm. dilated!  They put in an I.V. and told us they would take her upstairs.  Samy was in the waiting room with Jorge and I was with Marley.  They said that I could be with her until the moment that they took her into the delivery room.  We were thinking that we might be there a couple of hours or so until she fully dilated.  But we were in for another surprise!  The wheeled her up to the 2nd floor and I was tagging behind, trying to keep up and then they went through a set of double doors and the man held up his hand and told me, "this is as far as you can go!" and they zipped into the delivery room and left me outside practically with my mouth open, wondering what had just happened!

I found out later that as soon as she went in they checked her again and she was already 9 cm dilated!  Then a couple of minutes later she was 9+ cm.!  So the doctor got her ready to deliver and after only 5 pushes the baby was born at 7:50 am!!  (The total process lasted less than 6 hours!)  I was out in the waiting room trying to get some things that the nurse had asked me for... clothes for the baby and a diaper and some other things and once I got everything I sat down to wait, thinking I'd be there for a few hours at least.  I heard the baby's first cry but I didn't think it was him.  I assumed that there were other women in the room giving birth and that Marley still had a few hours to go.  I never dreamed that it would happen so fast!  Just a few minutes before 8 am I went to the nurses desk and asked them if they were going to be able to give me some reports every now and then to know how she was progressing.  The nurse said to me, "Oh, are you with the girl who just went in?... well she already had her baby."  I couldn't believe it!!  So, I could go on and on telling about it but I'll stop here and just say that God showed us much grace and favor, Marley did a great job, and Moises was born strong and healthy weighing 6.6 pounds and 19.6 in. long.  He is so adorable and we are all so happy and thankful and are reveling in this joyous occasion!

YOU CAN SEE PHOTOS OF ALL THE FUN HERE!

So precious!

PS:  I just wanted to share, for those of you who don't know this, we were asking God to bring little Moises a little early so that we could have time to enjoy him before we have to leave on sabbatical on Oct. 12.  We were hoping for a week or maybe 2 weeks if we were really fortunate.  But God in his generous mercy and grace has given us a whole month to enjoy this precious little gift!  We are so thankful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!