A poor, uneducated twenty-two year old single Filipino woman giving birth to a baby who's father is a 52-year-old American man she met online and who came to visit twice. He apparently stopped the "relationship" once he found out she was pregnant.
I helped deliver her baby boy last night. Disturbing.
I usually see couples like this in the mall here, with a very obvious age gap. Sometimes with babies. But at least the man is around. I wonder how common a story like this is. I fear it is all too common and it breaks my heart.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Women's Health Education
Last week I had the privilege of teaching women's health to seven young women living in a local aftercare shelter. Most of them are either victims of sexual abuse or commercial sexual exploitation. One of them is pregnant. The director, who is a friend of ours recently asked if I would come and share some nutrition and health information with the girls. I happily said yes.
I really enjoyed prepping for the class. I created a series of three classes on women's health, which include topics ranging from healthy lifestyle choices and nutrition to the female reproductive system to sex, pregnancy, STDs and abortion. I taught the first class last week.
I shared a little bit of my story with them during this first class and honestly, it was amazing how as soon as I started I suddenly had their rapt attention. They even seemed to sit forward in their chairs (there weren't nearly as interested when I was talking about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and the concept of cause and effect). I shared about the lifestyle I was living when I was diagnosed with cancer and how unhealthy I was - emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I was honest about my drug and alcohol use and how broken I was at that time. I shared about being a different person now and how having cancer was part of my "wake up call" which led me on a path to surrender to God's plan for my life and ultimately to healing and wholeness (not that the work is done; of course I still have a ways to go...).
I am saving all the really personal health topics for last. I want them to get to know me a bit and feel a little more comfortable with me before we discuss these things (thus me sharing a bit of my own experience). We're going to talk about the embarrassing and difficult stuff because I'm not sure they are hearing it anywhere else. It is such important information, essential to their well-being. Now motivating them to make the right choices is another thing but without information, how can they even be expected to make good choices?
On a quick side note...You'd be surprised at the level of understanding the women that we work with at the clinic have regarding how their bodies work. These are the women I see who are having more babies than they want, getting infections that they don't know about, and attempting unsafe abortions by ingesting & inserting pills sold to them on the street. (Have you heard of Cytotec? It can be very dangerous. I've heard of women dying from uterine rupture after taking it. Thankfully it appears that much of the stuff found in Cebu are just bunk pills because I have met numerous pregnant women who attempted to abort by taking a very unsafe number of these pills and/or inserting an unsafe number of these pills vaginally but nothing happened. If those pills were real, they would be life-threatening to some, but many times they aren't and so these women end up with an unwanted pregnancy being interviewed at the clinic and usually ridden with guilt and regret over what they did and now very concerned about the health of their baby.)
So after I opened up to these girls, they seemed to be really interested in me and wanted to know what kind of drugs I did, how old I was, etc... They noticed my tattoo and my nose ring and commented on it. I could see their minds turning. Here I am, perhaps in their minds, "a good, Christian girl," not only with a past but willing to share it with them - including the ugly stuff. I am still no expert on Filipino culture but something tells me that this is not common.
I'm really looking forward to spending more time with these precious young women and girls. You can tell some have had it really, really rough and now have a hard shell, which is clear by the tough act they put on. Others are shy and appear to have their childlike innocence intact, which is amazing to me. I haven't been through nearly what these girls have but I hope that by opening up to them about my life, they will find some additional hope for the future in what God will do for them if they seek him.
My hope is that they will come away with the understanding that God has a good plan for their lives and that he cares about our health - spiritual, emotional and physical. In Christ, they can look forward to wholeness, peace and joy, and abundant life. For Jesus indeed has plans to prosper them, not to harm them. Plans to give them a hope and a future.
I really enjoyed prepping for the class. I created a series of three classes on women's health, which include topics ranging from healthy lifestyle choices and nutrition to the female reproductive system to sex, pregnancy, STDs and abortion. I taught the first class last week.
I shared a little bit of my story with them during this first class and honestly, it was amazing how as soon as I started I suddenly had their rapt attention. They even seemed to sit forward in their chairs (there weren't nearly as interested when I was talking about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and the concept of cause and effect). I shared about the lifestyle I was living when I was diagnosed with cancer and how unhealthy I was - emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I was honest about my drug and alcohol use and how broken I was at that time. I shared about being a different person now and how having cancer was part of my "wake up call" which led me on a path to surrender to God's plan for my life and ultimately to healing and wholeness (not that the work is done; of course I still have a ways to go...).
I am saving all the really personal health topics for last. I want them to get to know me a bit and feel a little more comfortable with me before we discuss these things (thus me sharing a bit of my own experience). We're going to talk about the embarrassing and difficult stuff because I'm not sure they are hearing it anywhere else. It is such important information, essential to their well-being. Now motivating them to make the right choices is another thing but without information, how can they even be expected to make good choices?
On a quick side note...You'd be surprised at the level of understanding the women that we work with at the clinic have regarding how their bodies work. These are the women I see who are having more babies than they want, getting infections that they don't know about, and attempting unsafe abortions by ingesting & inserting pills sold to them on the street. (Have you heard of Cytotec? It can be very dangerous. I've heard of women dying from uterine rupture after taking it. Thankfully it appears that much of the stuff found in Cebu are just bunk pills because I have met numerous pregnant women who attempted to abort by taking a very unsafe number of these pills and/or inserting an unsafe number of these pills vaginally but nothing happened. If those pills were real, they would be life-threatening to some, but many times they aren't and so these women end up with an unwanted pregnancy being interviewed at the clinic and usually ridden with guilt and regret over what they did and now very concerned about the health of their baby.)
So after I opened up to these girls, they seemed to be really interested in me and wanted to know what kind of drugs I did, how old I was, etc... They noticed my tattoo and my nose ring and commented on it. I could see their minds turning. Here I am, perhaps in their minds, "a good, Christian girl," not only with a past but willing to share it with them - including the ugly stuff. I am still no expert on Filipino culture but something tells me that this is not common.
I'm really looking forward to spending more time with these precious young women and girls. You can tell some have had it really, really rough and now have a hard shell, which is clear by the tough act they put on. Others are shy and appear to have their childlike innocence intact, which is amazing to me. I haven't been through nearly what these girls have but I hope that by opening up to them about my life, they will find some additional hope for the future in what God will do for them if they seek him.
My hope is that they will come away with the understanding that God has a good plan for their lives and that he cares about our health - spiritual, emotional and physical. In Christ, they can look forward to wholeness, peace and joy, and abundant life. For Jesus indeed has plans to prosper them, not to harm them. Plans to give them a hope and a future.
Thanksgiving Week, 15 Years Ago
This week marks 15 years since I was diagnosed with cancer and had major abdominal surgery to find out where else the cancer was growing. I remember how unfortunate it was to have to have surgery the week of Thanksgiving, having to miss my favorite family holiday. But it was a different day then.
I was a different person, and my relationship with my parents was just beginning to improve after I had been estranged from them for over a year. In fact, it was my experience with cancer that I attribute the beginning of the reconciliation with my parents. As it turned out (and to my initial horror), I needed them and I couldn't do everything by myself. The entire painful seven days in hospital, not once was I alone. My mom and dad took turns so someone would be with me at all hours. As I recovered and during the months of daily radiation treatments when I couldn't work or go to school and therefore couldn't pay the rent on my apartment, they took me in and cared for me. I had already been living on my own for over two years and was used to taking care of myself, so for me (and my extremely independent spirit) this was really hard.
In time I asked their forgiveness and they did not hesitate to forgive and receive me. Our relationship has only improved since then and I am deeply grateful for their love. They loved me the way Jesus loves us - unconditionally and undeservedly. Like the story of the prodigal son. The father in that story didn't care what his son had done. He desperately wanted his son back and received him with open arms when he finally did return.
Looking back, I realize that having cancer was the beginning of the restoration and reconciliation that has taken place in my life since then. It is a good practice to look back every now and then and recall all that has happened and give thanks for the Lord's grace, mercy, love and goodness. Truth be told, without Jesus, it is scary to think where my life would be today.
I was a different person, and my relationship with my parents was just beginning to improve after I had been estranged from them for over a year. In fact, it was my experience with cancer that I attribute the beginning of the reconciliation with my parents. As it turned out (and to my initial horror), I needed them and I couldn't do everything by myself. The entire painful seven days in hospital, not once was I alone. My mom and dad took turns so someone would be with me at all hours. As I recovered and during the months of daily radiation treatments when I couldn't work or go to school and therefore couldn't pay the rent on my apartment, they took me in and cared for me. I had already been living on my own for over two years and was used to taking care of myself, so for me (and my extremely independent spirit) this was really hard.
In time I asked their forgiveness and they did not hesitate to forgive and receive me. Our relationship has only improved since then and I am deeply grateful for their love. They loved me the way Jesus loves us - unconditionally and undeservedly. Like the story of the prodigal son. The father in that story didn't care what his son had done. He desperately wanted his son back and received him with open arms when he finally did return.
Looking back, I realize that having cancer was the beginning of the restoration and reconciliation that has taken place in my life since then. It is a good practice to look back every now and then and recall all that has happened and give thanks for the Lord's grace, mercy, love and goodness. Truth be told, without Jesus, it is scary to think where my life would be today.
I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.
Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning....
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.
(Excerpts from the 30th Psalm of David)
Quick Report on the trip to Hong Kong
Our trip to Hong Kong last week was great. Really enjoyed the city in all it's efficiency, mass transit, cool/cold weather, lively crowds of people, and delicious food. We did quite a lot in our three days there. Took a tram to 'The Peak', hung out at Victoria Harbor, went to numerous street markets, saw the walled city park where the walled city used to be, hung out with friends at St. Stephen's Society, met and had lunch with Jacki Pullinger, joined in for worship with "the brothers" in one of the St. Stephen's homes, and connected with about nine Filipinos from Cebu that we know and love. The folks at St. Stephen's took really great care of us. It was a good balance between time with others and a time just the two of us exploring the city on our own.
One thing we noticed about the city was how efficient it is! Everything happens fast. You can use prepaid cards on the bus, the train and in many shops and stores. It takes about 1 second to pay for something. We never waited in a line in a store the whole time. The only lines were to get on the subway trains. Most people use the trains and the excellent bus system. So much so that as far as we could tell there wasn't much traffic on the roads. Didn't see any congestion or back ups in our three days there. Bizarre for such a small, yet extremely populated city. There are people everywhere! The crowds can be a bit overwhelming. But the buzz of being among the crowds at night in the street can be equally exhilarating. We walked and walked and wandered around many street markets in the evenings, taking it all in, trying to decide what and where to eat. All the lights, the noise, the people, the smells of steamed meat-filled buns and dumplings. The bright lights. Bubble tea. Dim sum. Did I mention the food was good?
We pretty much did a lot of walking and a lot of eating. The cooler weather was fantastic. Apparently there are numerous well-kept hiking trails in and around HK. It is quite easy for us to fly there from Cebu. There's a direct flight, only 2.5 hours. I think we'd really like to go back again sometime and make sure we get in a long, at least a day, hike during the cool season.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Hong Kong
I only have a minute but wanted to quickly say that Andrey and I are going on a short little vacay tonight to Hong Kong. We'll be there till Sunday. We've been wanting to make a trip there for some time now. Our church community was started by a team from St. Stephen's Society 10 years ago and so there is quite a lot of connections with it still. There is a group of youth from Cebu in Hong Kong currently on a gap year ministry training. We're really looking forward to learning more about St. Stephen's, which grew from a ministry started in the walled city in the 1960s by Jacki Pullinger. There's a book about her called Chasing the Dragon. It's a pretty fantastic story if you have the opportunity to read it.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
11 months...
It's been 11 months since we were approved by the adoption board of the Philippines. Up until yesterday we hadn't heard of anyone else getting matched who were approved the same time as us. Yesterday I heard that a couple in the US (the husband is Filipino and they have no children) were just matched with a 9-month-old. Guess when they were approved? December 2008. We were approved in December 2008.
I think (I think) this means that our application is out there. Available. Up for grabs. This is big. I think.
In the past few months, since I became part of an online group for families adopting internationally from the Philippines, I've vacillated between thinking we might get matched soon to thinking it might be a while yet. I heard of families who waited more than TWO YEARS to be matched and many and what seems like the majority have waited around 18 months. I just wish I knew when it was going to happen! It's driving me a little crazy. Not that I'm feeling really really antsy and impatient yet. I'm not. I mean, of course I am ready and really, really want our chil(ren) to join our family but I know that we haven't been waiting that long and there are just so many families out there that have waited much longer than us that are still waiting. But the stories of some getting matched really soon and then the stories on the other end of the spectrum just screw with my head, back in forth. From excited to relaxed. From impatient to patient. From anticipating the phone to ring any minute and wishing it would, to planning something months down the road and feeling pretty sure we won't have kids by then.
Do I just keep doing what I'm doing, knowing that it could change at any moment but not expecting it to. Or should I be living my life as if it will be any time. If so, what should I be doing? What will I look back on and wish I was doing RIGHT NOW. At least in this moment I'm in the "It could be soon. It might be soon. What if it's soon?" mode. Maybe next week I'll be back to the "It's not gonna happen for a while so just chill out and wait" mode. I can't seem to find a middle ground.
I think (I think) this means that our application is out there. Available. Up for grabs. This is big. I think.
In the past few months, since I became part of an online group for families adopting internationally from the Philippines, I've vacillated between thinking we might get matched soon to thinking it might be a while yet. I heard of families who waited more than TWO YEARS to be matched and many and what seems like the majority have waited around 18 months. I just wish I knew when it was going to happen! It's driving me a little crazy. Not that I'm feeling really really antsy and impatient yet. I'm not. I mean, of course I am ready and really, really want our chil(ren) to join our family but I know that we haven't been waiting that long and there are just so many families out there that have waited much longer than us that are still waiting. But the stories of some getting matched really soon and then the stories on the other end of the spectrum just screw with my head, back in forth. From excited to relaxed. From impatient to patient. From anticipating the phone to ring any minute and wishing it would, to planning something months down the road and feeling pretty sure we won't have kids by then.
Do I just keep doing what I'm doing, knowing that it could change at any moment but not expecting it to. Or should I be living my life as if it will be any time. If so, what should I be doing? What will I look back on and wish I was doing RIGHT NOW. At least in this moment I'm in the "It could be soon. It might be soon. What if it's soon?" mode. Maybe next week I'll be back to the "It's not gonna happen for a while so just chill out and wait" mode. I can't seem to find a middle ground.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Today's Births & Thoughts
It was a busy day at the clinic. We had prenatal exams all morning. Then we had two births just after lunch, 45 minutes apart. No anemic patients. No IV fluids needed. No meconium-stained amniotic fluid. No hemorrhage. Just two, refreshingly normal births. I realize how much I enjoy those when they happen. Truly a joy.
A not-so-great part of the day was examining a 16-year-old patient who came in complaining of pain in her lower abdomen. She's 32 weeks pregnant. The most common reasons for this are a UTI, normal pregnancy-related discomfort, or premature labor. I was pretty sure it was probably one of the first two possibilities as we quite often get women, especially first-time mommies, coming in thinking something is wrong when it really is just normal, practice contractions or normal, pregnancy-related aches and pains. But to be safe, I needed to rule out premature labor just to make sure. So I routinely had her get ready for a quick internal exam not thinking much of it.
I was shocked as I could immediately feel the baby's head because it was so low in the pelvis, and her cervix was at least 5 centimeters open already. I think I may have even gasped. The baby's head felt soft - not the typical well-developed, hard bones of the term fetus skull. I really wasn't expecting this and of course, neither was this teenager. Poor girl. I told her my findings as I discovered them and she looked at me and said innocently and ignorantly, "Is that bad?" I had to tell her that yes, this was bad and we have to transport her to the hospital right away. The really sad thing is that I know the baby is probably not going to make it. They don't have money for a private hospital and the public hospital does not have any incubators. We had to send her there anyway. Just terrible.
You know, I have seen and heard of some pretty tough things at the clinic over the past two years but for some reason this today made me feel more sad than usual. I'm really not sure why though. More than not knowing why this story makes me feel sad is the perplexity at why I don't always feel such sadness with the other tough things I've experienced. Like when my patient's baby died (at the same public hospital) after it's cord became pinched between her head her mom's pelvis in labor and the hospital didn't even do a C-section to save the baby. Again, this is what being poor in the Philippines means. No money + emergency medical need = no care + unnecessary death. I remember feeling numb about that experience. I wasn't there when the baby actually died although I did listen to the baby's heart beat slower and slower with each contraction. That was awful as I was so helpless to do anything about it.
Well who knows why you feel some things more than others? We are human after all. I think we just can't go through life feeling everything, otherwise we couldn't function. But the opposite end of the spectrum isn't good either - never feeling anything and disconnecting from the pain around us. So I'm thankful for the sadness I felt today. I want to strike the right balance of feeling. I want to be affected in some way by the suffering I see, and I want it to make me feel at least a little uncomfortable. That way I am more likely to act. It just feels right to have to deal with it, struggle with it, ask hard questions. Examine myself and my own calling and abilities. I may not always be able to do anything but many times I will be able to do something and will hopefully have the courage to do it. On the other hand, if I let myself shut off, I fear I'd become a hard-hearted person who loves being cushy, comfortable and complacent. Where's the adventure in that?
A not-so-great part of the day was examining a 16-year-old patient who came in complaining of pain in her lower abdomen. She's 32 weeks pregnant. The most common reasons for this are a UTI, normal pregnancy-related discomfort, or premature labor. I was pretty sure it was probably one of the first two possibilities as we quite often get women, especially first-time mommies, coming in thinking something is wrong when it really is just normal, practice contractions or normal, pregnancy-related aches and pains. But to be safe, I needed to rule out premature labor just to make sure. So I routinely had her get ready for a quick internal exam not thinking much of it.
I was shocked as I could immediately feel the baby's head because it was so low in the pelvis, and her cervix was at least 5 centimeters open already. I think I may have even gasped. The baby's head felt soft - not the typical well-developed, hard bones of the term fetus skull. I really wasn't expecting this and of course, neither was this teenager. Poor girl. I told her my findings as I discovered them and she looked at me and said innocently and ignorantly, "Is that bad?" I had to tell her that yes, this was bad and we have to transport her to the hospital right away. The really sad thing is that I know the baby is probably not going to make it. They don't have money for a private hospital and the public hospital does not have any incubators. We had to send her there anyway. Just terrible.
You know, I have seen and heard of some pretty tough things at the clinic over the past two years but for some reason this today made me feel more sad than usual. I'm really not sure why though. More than not knowing why this story makes me feel sad is the perplexity at why I don't always feel such sadness with the other tough things I've experienced. Like when my patient's baby died (at the same public hospital) after it's cord became pinched between her head her mom's pelvis in labor and the hospital didn't even do a C-section to save the baby. Again, this is what being poor in the Philippines means. No money + emergency medical need = no care + unnecessary death. I remember feeling numb about that experience. I wasn't there when the baby actually died although I did listen to the baby's heart beat slower and slower with each contraction. That was awful as I was so helpless to do anything about it.
Well who knows why you feel some things more than others? We are human after all. I think we just can't go through life feeling everything, otherwise we couldn't function. But the opposite end of the spectrum isn't good either - never feeling anything and disconnecting from the pain around us. So I'm thankful for the sadness I felt today. I want to strike the right balance of feeling. I want to be affected in some way by the suffering I see, and I want it to make me feel at least a little uncomfortable. That way I am more likely to act. It just feels right to have to deal with it, struggle with it, ask hard questions. Examine myself and my own calling and abilities. I may not always be able to do anything but many times I will be able to do something and will hopefully have the courage to do it. On the other hand, if I let myself shut off, I fear I'd become a hard-hearted person who loves being cushy, comfortable and complacent. Where's the adventure in that?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Whatever comes...
Do you ever just sit down to blog because it's been several days but you don't where to start because your head feels all jumbled and busy? Well there you go. That's how I'm feeling right now. I figured if I just start writing, a post will come. I'll give it a shot.
I sent off my NARM application today. That feels good. There was quite a bit involved in getting it together so it is quite satisfying to have it no longer in my hands. Hopefully, it's not missing anything and I'll get word in a few weeks that I am able to take the test. I'll go ahead and make travel arrangements at that time. The test is in Eugene, Oregon so that means I'll get to see my friends in Seattle, where I will fly to/from. My mom is going to meet me and then drive with me to Oregon. I'm so glad she's coming and I won't have to make that trip alone. It will be good to have some moral support before the test. Afterward I'll spend several days in Seattle to celebrate and relax and enjoy being with my dear friends there. I love going to Seattle! Oh yeah, that's happening in February.
For the application I had to determine total numbers of birth experiences including births I delivered, assisted or actively participated in, births I observed, and births that were transported to hospital. It's quite interesting to see it quantified and I thought I'd share what I've gotten to experience in two years at Glory Reborn so far.
Births I've observed: 14
Births attended as an assistant midwife: 41
Births attended as primary midwife: 32
I wonder what these numbers will look like in another year?
Here's some fun news - Andrey's sister had a baby girl last night. I don't know many details yet but hope to get them soon. This is a pretty big deal for our family. Mike & Lisa haven't had the smoothest road to becoming parents and God knows Andrey's Mom & Dad have waited a long time (patiently) to be Grandparents. We are so, so happy for our family! This is quite the significant event and even though it's been hard being so far away while it took place, we have been able to be in pretty close contact and feel like we participated. Part of that was because she was overdue so we were constantly praying and calling and eagerly checking email to see if there was any news.
I am a little too busy for my liking these days. I have a feeling these next few months are going to go by very quickly. I think I might ask for a slightly lighter schedule at the clinic, especially while I'm studying for this test.
I've been thinking about Thanksgiving lately. What I will prepare. Who will come. The nerdy trivia we will do. I'm getting excited. I love this holiday. I just wish I could invite everyone! I think I'll put our Christmas decorations up soon. Of course in the US we never did this till after Thanksgiving but it's been Christmas here for months already so I'm willing to budge by a few weeks. Strangely, I found myself enjoying the Christmas music in the grocery store today. Weird, I tell you. This is not like me. I was just in good spirits. And I was finding Thanksgiving/Christmas-type products. There's already Butterball turkeys and canned pumpkin and cranberry relish on the shelves. Well, the turkey was in the freezer. Anyway, I realize that a happy part of these holidays for me is the food prep involved in them and how naturally, a trip to the grocery store to buy all the stuff needed is a big part of those memories of past holidays for me. I recall trips to the store with my mom and buying tons of butter and potatoes and granny smith apples, and yams and the cart being super full. My mom always cooked for huge crowds around the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. It's just how it's done and I love it.
I'm also trying to be a bit more prepared this year so I think I'm not feeling stressed at all and am hoping it will continue. I am learning that this is key to enjoying the holiday season, especially as it relates to gift-giving. It seems we've waited till the last minute in years past and I'm determined to do it differently this year. So far so good.
I made pita bread this week. That's a first. How delightful to pull it out of the oven to discover the air pocket formed like it's supposed to. Okay, well only some did but it was still very exciting. We enjoyed them hot out of the oven with some home-made hummus, feta, cucumbers and fresh basil from the garden. (We're eating a lot of basil lately.) Tonight I roasted some red peppers and plan to make a chicken filling for the leftover pitas and of course, some more fresh basil. I think we'll have some salad on the side. Speaking of which, it's time to get dinner together. Andrey will be home soon and I'm getting hungry.
I really want to try to blog more about food and share recipes that I try and like. I put a lot of time and thought and effort into what we eat each week that it would stand to play a bigger role here. I do promise to share some of the Thanksgiving recipes I mentioned before. So look forward to those.
See, I knew something would come if I just started writing... I'm determined to keep this frequent blogging up. I am continually inspired by my blogging mentors. Unfortunately though I think that the more often I blog, the less interesting my posts may be as they are sure to include more day-to-day details of life. Oh well, hopefully there's something interesting in it for you. If not, you can always skim. ;-)
I sent off my NARM application today. That feels good. There was quite a bit involved in getting it together so it is quite satisfying to have it no longer in my hands. Hopefully, it's not missing anything and I'll get word in a few weeks that I am able to take the test. I'll go ahead and make travel arrangements at that time. The test is in Eugene, Oregon so that means I'll get to see my friends in Seattle, where I will fly to/from. My mom is going to meet me and then drive with me to Oregon. I'm so glad she's coming and I won't have to make that trip alone. It will be good to have some moral support before the test. Afterward I'll spend several days in Seattle to celebrate and relax and enjoy being with my dear friends there. I love going to Seattle! Oh yeah, that's happening in February.
For the application I had to determine total numbers of birth experiences including births I delivered, assisted or actively participated in, births I observed, and births that were transported to hospital. It's quite interesting to see it quantified and I thought I'd share what I've gotten to experience in two years at Glory Reborn so far.
Births I've observed: 14
Births attended as an assistant midwife: 41
Births attended as primary midwife: 32
I wonder what these numbers will look like in another year?
Here's some fun news - Andrey's sister had a baby girl last night. I don't know many details yet but hope to get them soon. This is a pretty big deal for our family. Mike & Lisa haven't had the smoothest road to becoming parents and God knows Andrey's Mom & Dad have waited a long time (patiently) to be Grandparents. We are so, so happy for our family! This is quite the significant event and even though it's been hard being so far away while it took place, we have been able to be in pretty close contact and feel like we participated. Part of that was because she was overdue so we were constantly praying and calling and eagerly checking email to see if there was any news.
I am a little too busy for my liking these days. I have a feeling these next few months are going to go by very quickly. I think I might ask for a slightly lighter schedule at the clinic, especially while I'm studying for this test.
I've been thinking about Thanksgiving lately. What I will prepare. Who will come. The nerdy trivia we will do. I'm getting excited. I love this holiday. I just wish I could invite everyone! I think I'll put our Christmas decorations up soon. Of course in the US we never did this till after Thanksgiving but it's been Christmas here for months already so I'm willing to budge by a few weeks. Strangely, I found myself enjoying the Christmas music in the grocery store today. Weird, I tell you. This is not like me. I was just in good spirits. And I was finding Thanksgiving/Christmas-type products. There's already Butterball turkeys and canned pumpkin and cranberry relish on the shelves. Well, the turkey was in the freezer. Anyway, I realize that a happy part of these holidays for me is the food prep involved in them and how naturally, a trip to the grocery store to buy all the stuff needed is a big part of those memories of past holidays for me. I recall trips to the store with my mom and buying tons of butter and potatoes and granny smith apples, and yams and the cart being super full. My mom always cooked for huge crowds around the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. It's just how it's done and I love it.
I'm also trying to be a bit more prepared this year so I think I'm not feeling stressed at all and am hoping it will continue. I am learning that this is key to enjoying the holiday season, especially as it relates to gift-giving. It seems we've waited till the last minute in years past and I'm determined to do it differently this year. So far so good.
I made pita bread this week. That's a first. How delightful to pull it out of the oven to discover the air pocket formed like it's supposed to. Okay, well only some did but it was still very exciting. We enjoyed them hot out of the oven with some home-made hummus, feta, cucumbers and fresh basil from the garden. (We're eating a lot of basil lately.) Tonight I roasted some red peppers and plan to make a chicken filling for the leftover pitas and of course, some more fresh basil. I think we'll have some salad on the side. Speaking of which, it's time to get dinner together. Andrey will be home soon and I'm getting hungry.
I really want to try to blog more about food and share recipes that I try and like. I put a lot of time and thought and effort into what we eat each week that it would stand to play a bigger role here. I do promise to share some of the Thanksgiving recipes I mentioned before. So look forward to those.
See, I knew something would come if I just started writing... I'm determined to keep this frequent blogging up. I am continually inspired by my blogging mentors. Unfortunately though I think that the more often I blog, the less interesting my posts may be as they are sure to include more day-to-day details of life. Oh well, hopefully there's something interesting in it for you. If not, you can always skim. ;-)
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Old Boyfriend and Facebook
So a few months ago an abusive ex-boyfriend of mine from high school added me as a friend on Facebook. Have any of you experienced having the most unlikely person strangely add you as a friend that leaves you scratching your head? I certainly had to scratch my head and wonder what would inspire this guy to do this and then proceeded to ignore the request. Soon after, a friend of mine emailed me saying this guy had tried to add her as well and she was like (I'll put it into nicer words), "What the heck!? Is this guy crazy??" She then reminded me of a day that she stood up to him after he was pushing me around and yelling at me at school. I hadn't remembered that but thanked her for sticking up for me.
Then, this guy tried to add my younger brother as a friend on facebook. My brother, shocked and outraged, called to tell me and told me how tempted he was to respond to him saying something like, "Aren't you the guy that used to beat my sister up physically and verbally? Aren't you the guy that egged our house and tore up the landscaping in our front yard with your truck? Why would I want to be your friend?" I told him, go ahead and do it if he wants to.
Months go by. Then yesterday my brother called me to tell me that it has been bugging him so bad that he just had to finally respond. He did, and then he emailed his reply to me so I could see it. It was AWESOME! I won't copy it here because I haven't asked his permission to share it but the point I want to get across is that my sweet brother really gave it to this guy. It started out like what I wrote above and then he went on to explain the damage he had done, not only to me personally but to our family and our home (which is true). He told him that he'd pray for him and that he hoped he'd changed and is a different person now but that he would not be his friend on facebook and "not even in real life" if he were to see him. He ended it by saying he hoped he had gotten help so that he didn't treat anyone else the way he treated me.
Well done, brother! This was so sweet and it made me feel good that my brother felt the need to do this. We just can't figure out what would motivate this guy to add us as a friend. Does he not remember? I've already forgiven and moved on a long time ago but it doesn't mean I want to connect with him in any way. I find it bizarre. Facebook is bizarre, in some of the connections it brings. Some undesirable connections can get a little too close for comfort.
Then, this guy tried to add my younger brother as a friend on facebook. My brother, shocked and outraged, called to tell me and told me how tempted he was to respond to him saying something like, "Aren't you the guy that used to beat my sister up physically and verbally? Aren't you the guy that egged our house and tore up the landscaping in our front yard with your truck? Why would I want to be your friend?" I told him, go ahead and do it if he wants to.
Months go by. Then yesterday my brother called me to tell me that it has been bugging him so bad that he just had to finally respond. He did, and then he emailed his reply to me so I could see it. It was AWESOME! I won't copy it here because I haven't asked his permission to share it but the point I want to get across is that my sweet brother really gave it to this guy. It started out like what I wrote above and then he went on to explain the damage he had done, not only to me personally but to our family and our home (which is true). He told him that he'd pray for him and that he hoped he'd changed and is a different person now but that he would not be his friend on facebook and "not even in real life" if he were to see him. He ended it by saying he hoped he had gotten help so that he didn't treat anyone else the way he treated me.
Well done, brother! This was so sweet and it made me feel good that my brother felt the need to do this. We just can't figure out what would motivate this guy to add us as a friend. Does he not remember? I've already forgiven and moved on a long time ago but it doesn't mean I want to connect with him in any way. I find it bizarre. Facebook is bizarre, in some of the connections it brings. Some undesirable connections can get a little too close for comfort.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Saturday Morning
It's Saturday morning already (my favorite part of the week)! This week has flown by just like last week did. November is proving to be feeling much busier now that I started preparing for the NARM (midwifery certification test). I don't have a ton to share this morning except that how impressed I am that Andrey is making me breakfast right now. The kitchen first smelled of coffee and now it's smelling like garlic. Andrey's making us an omelet and it's looking like I want to eat it soon. He's throwing in some leftover roasted potatoes and even harvested some fresh basil from the garden. Impressed, I tell you. And thankful. I love my husband and I love Saturday mornings.
These are the days we are both trying to appreciate. We just know that Saturday mornings will be one of the things we look back on and say how much we miss. That is, Saturday mornings pre-kids. So enjoy it, we will.
I just got home from work actually. I was quite happy that the clinic was quiet last night and we all got some sleep. I was hoping for that actually. Ok, breaky is ready. Will post more later.
These are the days we are both trying to appreciate. We just know that Saturday mornings will be one of the things we look back on and say how much we miss. That is, Saturday mornings pre-kids. So enjoy it, we will.
I just got home from work actually. I was quite happy that the clinic was quiet last night and we all got some sleep. I was hoping for that actually. Ok, breaky is ready. Will post more later.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Monday Morning
It's the start of a new week. Monday morning and I have big plans - big, as in lofty. I've made a schedule for my NARM exam study preparation and I'm a little worried I won't do a very good job sticking to it but I'm going to try. I plan to spend 9 hours a week studying - 3, 3-hour sessions - so by 9 this morning I need to be hitting the books. I've always done better with a little structure so here's hoping it goes well this time around when I have a pretty big test to study for and truly can not afford, in all aspects, to fail and have to take again. So here we go...
As I mentioned before Andrey returned from Manila on Friday evening. He flew out just before another big storm blew through Luzon. Apparently flights later that night and the next morning had to be canceled. I'm happy he made it out of there. Unfortunately the storm did more damage and flooding in Manila and other areas that were hit in the last two storms. Thankfully there were few fatalities. I think they were a bit more prepared this time around and were able to evacuate people in certain areas. It's crazy that the Philippines has endured three, large storms in five weeks and we haven't experienced much of anything in here in Cebu. It makes it hard to imagine what going on there.
Andrey is home from work today due to the All Saints/All Souls holiday. It's pretty big around here, celebrated on November 1 and 2. Most Filipinos travel to their home provinces in order to visit the graves of late relatives with the rest of the family. The graves are washed or painted. Candles are lit to usher the spirits from purgatory to heaven and piles of leaves are burned so they smoke near the grave to keep bad spirits away. A meal is eaten and food is offered to the relative. If you ask me it's a very spiritually-dark holiday.
Yesterday we were reminded of just how big the occasion was. The streets felt empty. Traffic was very light. After church we went to the mall to run a few errands but it was closed! The whole mall! Wow. I had no idea. That's when you know it's a big holiday in the Philippines - when the mall is closed. It's almost unheard of.
I have a few random photos to share from the weekend (as you can see it was an exciting one!)
Time to defrost the freezer?? Got this done on Saturday. I clearly put it off for a long time... NEVER buy a non-frost-free ref. It didn't occur to me when we made this purchase (obviously).
Do you like my fur coat? Gerald loves to pick the least convenient place to relax. He is seriously right up against my neck and face. Nice.
Have a great week everyone!
As I mentioned before Andrey returned from Manila on Friday evening. He flew out just before another big storm blew through Luzon. Apparently flights later that night and the next morning had to be canceled. I'm happy he made it out of there. Unfortunately the storm did more damage and flooding in Manila and other areas that were hit in the last two storms. Thankfully there were few fatalities. I think they were a bit more prepared this time around and were able to evacuate people in certain areas. It's crazy that the Philippines has endured three, large storms in five weeks and we haven't experienced much of anything in here in Cebu. It makes it hard to imagine what going on there.
Andrey is home from work today due to the All Saints/All Souls holiday. It's pretty big around here, celebrated on November 1 and 2. Most Filipinos travel to their home provinces in order to visit the graves of late relatives with the rest of the family. The graves are washed or painted. Candles are lit to usher the spirits from purgatory to heaven and piles of leaves are burned so they smoke near the grave to keep bad spirits away. A meal is eaten and food is offered to the relative. If you ask me it's a very spiritually-dark holiday.
Yesterday we were reminded of just how big the occasion was. The streets felt empty. Traffic was very light. After church we went to the mall to run a few errands but it was closed! The whole mall! Wow. I had no idea. That's when you know it's a big holiday in the Philippines - when the mall is closed. It's almost unheard of.
I have a few random photos to share from the weekend (as you can see it was an exciting one!)
Time to defrost the freezer?? Got this done on Saturday. I clearly put it off for a long time... NEVER buy a non-frost-free ref. It didn't occur to me when we made this purchase (obviously).
Do you like my fur coat? Gerald loves to pick the least convenient place to relax. He is seriously right up against my neck and face. Nice.
Have a great week everyone!
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