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Rachael Alexa Bouffard

April 15, 2011 | 5 Comments

Rachael Alexa

Meet Rachael Alexa Bouffard! Born April 13th, 2011 at 8:45pm (1:45pm EST) at 7 lbs, 1 oz. She is now the second of our 4 children to be born on her due date (Emileigh was too), which only happens in about 3% of births I am told?! She was born at Kiwoko Hospital in the village next to New Hope’s Kasana Children’s Center. The birth went well and Rachael is simply beautiful. Mom had some stitches, but is doing fine. Daddy was disappointed that he didn’t get to “catch” her, but it was quite a different experience having our first hospital birth…in Uganda! Definitely a different experience than home births in America! We are amazed at how strong and alert Rachael is. She has a very strong neck and when awake has very inquisitive eyes. The kids, are of course, loving the baby, though I’m not sure Micah really even notices her yet, unless she’s in his lap and he’s kissing her!

Four times I’ve been blessed to father a child. Each time is is an oxymoron: unique yet the same. The pregnancy, birth, and child itself are always somehow different and unique, yet I also experience very similar emotions and thoughts each time as well. Each time, I am awestruck by raw creation laying in my arms and the entire process of conception, pregnancy, and birth. Truly it is hard for me to fathom anything more beautiful and stirring to the soul. There’s a mysterious blend of divinity and humanness that creates a deep sense of connection to life, reality, and God. As the newborn baby in all her glory is placed on her mother’s breast for the first time, the entire experience, it is as if, for a fleeting moment, you are transplanted back to the beginning of time…to the very garden of Eden…and witnessing something so sacred and holy that if you blink your eyes, you can be quite sure you can see Jesus sitting there on the bed with his arms wrapped around mother and baby with the deepest most sincere smile and light of joy in his eyes. As he lifts his head and looks up at me, the father and husband, standing there helplessly in awe, he springs to his feet and engulfs me in the most satisfying embrace that could ever be imagined. There is no doubt in my mind that the glory of God is being reflected and revealed as tangibly and with as much permeable reality in those moments as you could ever expect to experience this side of heaven. It is as it should be. Life, joy, relief, beauty, peace, connection, hope, satisfaction, and love. And yes, all of that comes in the midst of the anxiety, pain, fear, and helplessness that is part of the experience in this fallen world. Even some of those who have experienced death of mother, baby, or even both in pregnancy and childbirth can still experience the glory of God when faith and trust rest in the person of God rather than the hands of doctors and midwives, or desire for good health and pain free living. It is easier said than done, but I am reminded that when we embrace God and his purpose, plan, and glory in life, no matter the circumstances, the same life, joy, relief, beauty, peace, connection, hope, satisfaction, and love will characterize our experiences, even in the face of profound pain, suffering, and disappointment.

Daddy and his baby girl

I have many friends who have been unable to conceive. Some of them have children now, through the beautiful opportunity of adoption, and even through other high tech, state-of-the-art medical fertility procedures. My heart goes out to them, not out of pity or sympathy, but for the disappointment they have experienced in not being able to have biological children of their own. I thought about this several times during the birth of Rachael. I’ve come to believe that one can only truly deal with such disappointments and pain and find peace and comfort when there is a surrender to the plans and purposes of God, which are by nature, perfect. Our desires and plans and dreams often intertwine with God’s, and we are grateful for those times. But that is not always the case. May each one of my friends who may be reading this and have felt the deep pain and disappointment of not being able to conceive, which I will never understand, find peace in the truth that it is not being able to have children that brings the greatest joy in life. It is knowing The Father as one of His children that does.

Mama and her baby

So we give praise to God for this beautiful gift, made in his image to reflect and reveal his glory! Through the sleepless nights, anxiety when a spit up causes a few scary moments of choking, leaking diapers, and gas motivated “smiles,” May her name; Rachael (meaning “ewe”, a symbol of gentleness and innocence, and beautiful and well-favoured as was described of Rachel in Genesis) and Alexa (meaning “helper” or “defender”) be indicative of her life so that she may reflect and reveal the character of God and his beauty, gentleness, and innocence as she helps defend his truth as a woman of God!

Quite alert, about 20 minutes after birth

Robinah...the midwife that delivered Rachael

Happy kids!

Proud parents!

Wide eyes and alert!

Hoping she learns to do this during the night instead of the day!

Snugglin

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Rachael Alexa Bouffard

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