Ezekiel Ross entered our world Thursday, March 22nd, at 1:58 pm. He weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs 14 ounces, was 21 inches long, head was 14 inches and chest was 14 1/2. While I will admit, the labor was intense, hard, and seemed like it would never end at times, I had a wonderful support group between Chad and the two midwives that were there. The midwives stayed away for the most part and let Chad and I work through labor together. Words cannot begin to describe how perfect he was throughout the whole process.
It has been amazing preparing for this little life since we first found out we were expecting last July. As amazing as it was to carry him in the womb for those nine months, nothing compares to the last couple of days carrying him in our arms...especially since Chad can take part in this too =).
One thing I have always loved was names and picking out names. I loved any time I got a new fish or animal of some sort, and would spend hours online researching names, meanings and what-not. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to be able to pick out names for my own child. Chad felt the same way...although I don't know that he ever spent hours thinking about naming a fish =). In fact, Chad and I already had several names picked out before we were technically even engaged….yeah we do some things a little backwards =).
When picking out names, I love looking back to the meaning in the name. Ezekiel was a name that Chad had always liked and brought up during our first child name conversation. When sitting down and reflecting on what our prayer would be for this child, the name just seemed to fit more and more. Ezekiel means, "God strengthens". When looking at the prophet Ezekiel in the old testament, his was a message of personal responsibility. While Israel as a whole had sinned against God, Ezekiel preached that each individual must accept personal responsibility for the national calamity and must accept guilt for his or her own sin. Besides personal responsibility, the book of Ezekiel also shows us that while God is a just and righteous God, He is merciful and forgiving. It also assures us that God will triumph in the end.
After we both agreed that we really liked Ezekiel not only as a name, but as a name for our child, we set out finding a middle name that we felt fit. Chad and I have both been blessed with wonderful examples in our parents, family, and friends and we wanted to be intentional about honoring some of those people. Obviously we'll never get to them all no matter how many children we have but we figured we'd start close to home. Ross is Chad's father's middle name and thus our little one is named for him.
Going on to Ross and Chad's father, Kevin...it's hard to know where to start. Chad was blessed to be raised by a man who loved God and taught Chad to do likewise. He is a wonderful example of who a husband and father should be. While I still have not been blessed with enough time to get to know him more, I cannot begin to describe the blessing I have received from him through the man he has raised Chad to be. Chad has blown away every item and more I had on my "list" of what I wanted in a husband. In approaching our second year of marriage, he still opens the car door for me every time we go somewhere, carries my things for me, helps out majorly around the house, and tucks me into bed every night. But most importantly, he takes seriously his responsibility in leading this family spiritually and providing for us...which is what he watched his own father do for his mom and family while growing up. But it's so much more than just the little things Chad does for me, it's just easier to put into words than the way he is learning to love me as Christ would have him to, in the strength that Christ is giving him. The way that his father reflected so well.
And this is our prayer for little Ezekiel Ross, that he will learn from the godly men that God has placed in his life. That he will learn what it means to live in God's strength. That he will learn to love as Christ loves.
My two handsome fellows =)
