Kenyan Princess

When Josiah was about 1 1/2 and we were new missionaries in Kenya, living in urban Nairobi at Blackrose Apartments and learning the ropes of kenyan living, we had a discussion with our team leader, a wise vetran missionary, about having a baby in Kenya. We wanted our children to be close in age and did not feel we needed to put our lives on hold during our 2 year term in Kenya. He agreed. And so it was decided that we would try for another baby. It took 5 months, which seemed long and agonizing, especially when compounded with the stress of missionary living in the bush. But God was gracious.

While I was pregnant we drove 8 hours each month to Nairobi for doctor's visits. And almost every month I had an ultrasound, since they were only about $40 a piece. I really wanted to find out the sex of this baby. We had kept Josiah's sex a surprise. When I was pregnant with Josiah Danny's dad had teased me that "Smith's don't have girls." There had been two generations of all boys. . .however Danny's grandpa was the only boy of all sisters! So of course it was absurd. And yet, I still pleaded with God to allow me a daughter, even if it was only one! But each time I had the ultrasound the technician was shy about telling me the sex of the baby. One time she said, "Well, it might be a girl, but it's hard to tell that. I could be wrong." What was that supposed to mean?! So I waited anxiously to find out if this baby would be a daughter.

And after a very intense 3 hour labor my baby arrived into the world in Nairobi, Kenya at the Aga Khan hospital--a GIRL!! I was overjoyed. She was beautiful, perfect. And I named her Hannah Grace.

Ever since Danny and I had been dating I had wanted to name a daughter Hannah Grace. In fact, I loved the name so much that I threatened if I had all boys the last one would be named Hannah (or some form of it!) I love the character of Hannah in the Bible. She was deeply loved by her husband. And if it weren't for the fact that he was a polygamist who married a second wife who could give him children, it would be a romantic love story. He says to Hannah, "Don't I mean more to you than 10 sons?" But Hannah felt the pain of her infertility passionately. So passionately that as she poured out her feelings to God, the priest thought she was drunk! And what is most amazing about Hannah is that after God granted her her request and gave her a son, she turned right around and gave him back to God, in fulfillment of her vow. She kept her word and did not make idle promises. And her praise to God is what Mary's song is patterned after. Hannah actually means Grace. And Grace is also my baby sister whom I love and adore (I must mention that I have another little sister whom I also love and adore). So Hannah Grace is a beautiful name.

And my Hannah Grace is a beautiful, passionate princess. There is a line in a Chris Daughtry song that says, "be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it all, and then some you don't want." Well, that is what I got in my girl, although I can't honestly say there is any part of it that I wouldn't want. Despite the fact that I am a jeans and t-shirt kinda gal, my daughter is all about dresses--poofy, twirly, princess dresses. For two years in a row now she has worn her pink princess dress literally to rags. Lucky for her grandma got her a replacement Belle dress this year! Hannah's favorite color is purple, and pink, despite the fact that my favorite color is blue and I rarely own anything pink or purple. She is passionate--she loves passionately, and she hurts passionately. She cries. She screams. She is overly dramatic. She sings songs to God --she once gave her dad and I a good 1/2 hour concert at bedtime in which she sang her spontaneous praise to God. She is loud. She talks in this adorable, high register that I know I will miss someday. She loves to draw pictures and give them away to anybody and everybody. Her love language is "gifts" and she gives aggressively. She loves to dance and sing and act things out. . . . She is practically perfect and I could not have asked for more. I thank God every night as I pray for her at bedtime. I thank Him for giving me a beautiful daughter who loves me as intensely as she does anything else!

My sister Grace wrote a beautiful description of our Kenyan Princess:
"I know a little girl who was born in Kenya. She loves to color pictures and give gifts. She wears dresses. She loves hugs and kisses- to give them and to get them. She loves everyone she meets. She is 6 today. Glad you were born, Hannah Grace :)"

And so I know, as I have heard from many, that I am not the only one whose life is tremendously blessed by our princess--for she is truly God's princess. And I look forward to seeing how He uses our passionate, loving Hannah!