A very Merry Christmas

I had a great Christmas. This was one of the best Christmas's ever. I got to stay home all day yesterday and today with my family. I guess it's safe to say there won't be any Christmas babies this year because I'm writing this at 11:30 pm, on Christmas day.

Three of my five boys were here. One that is a Senior in High School, and two of my sons that live in Oregon were home for the holidays. They had to fly home today. The house seems empty after they left this afternoon. I have another son who is on a mission for our church. He was not able to come home for Christmas because we want him to concentrate on his mission and not traveling, but we got to talk to him for about 45 minutes early this morning. That was wonderful. We put him on speaker phone and we all sat around the table talking. We all miss him a lot, but are glad he is where he is.

For Christmas, I got a necklace and earrings, a book about the Civil War, and a book about Wildflowers. I gave my husband a world map that has pins to mark all the places he's traveled to on business. It's amazing to see all the places he's been. The best part of Christmas was being home with my family. Last Christmas, I was in Amarillo with my mom who was dying.

This evening, I have been updating the blog with all the babies that have been born in the last month or two. It makes me happy to remember all the families I've worked with this year.

Several babies are due most anytime. I was secretly kind of hoping to deliver a Christmas baby, but I'm sure it won't be long. I hope to write again soon reporting their births. Jackie

My Youngest is a Senior !

Anson started 12th grade today! He's the youngest of my five sons and the only one still living at home. I can't believe it. We've had a child starting school every year for 30 years, but this is the last year. He is looking forward to a good year. Seems to have a pretty good attitude after the first day. We live two blocks from his brand new high school. I wish I'd had a brand new high school to go to. I hope it will be a good year for him.

My Birthday!!!

Today is my 52nd birthday! I feel so blessed by all the cards, calls, texts, and e-mails I received today. I am lucky to have so many friends and people that care about me and I thank you all.
This was a very busy day. I was up all night at the Birth Center and later helping with a home birth in the Heights for a baby born at 6:44 this morning. This is the first time I've ever delivered a baby on my own birthday! See the other blog for the birth stories of these two precious baby boys. After I was finished in the Heights, I went back to the office about 1 pm to see some of the people whose appointments I had to cancel this morning. I left the office to go home about 4pm. By then, I was pretty tired and went home to bed for awhile.
After I got up, George gave me a beautiful present of a green antique pitcher and tumbler set. I am going to make some lemonade in it tomorrow. My sons, Travis and Anson, and Travis' wife, Brenda, and George, and I went downtown to the Dessert Gallery for a birthday cake. I had a toffee cake. The weather was very hot and humid today and we had a thunder storm with some good lightening this evening. I love summer rain. It seems like summer now. When I was a kid, I always loved my birthday because I would get out of school. Now I am just happy to be alive and I am looking forward to a good year. I hope I get to sleep all night tonight.

Spring Time !

It's springtime in Houston! I'm getting to help with a great crop of spring babies. The weather has been so beautiful lately. I've been busy at home planting a garden with tomatoes, okra. squash, green beans, and basil. I've had some nice students working with me for the past few weeks. Lori and Brooke. It's wonderful to see new nurse-midwives and nurse-practicioners coming up and having a little bit to add to their training.

A Hard Day

This was a hard day. This is one of those days that I think about giving up and doing something else. This is one of those days when I question what I do and if I should keep doing it. I had to send one of my clients to the hospital this morning at 2:30 am for severe blood pressure problems. It was scary and I was worried about the mom and her baby. I went to the hospital with them but they wouldn't let me stay with her. I did not challenge them or try to tell them what to do. They just wouldn't let me in. The nurses were very hateful to me. Luckily, I had a good doctor there I knew we could trust and I knew she was in good hands. So I waited and wondered in the waiting room. She had her baby a few hours later. I'm happy to say everything was fine with her and the baby.
It was a beautiful spring day in Houston today. Several people said, "Have a good day, or Isn't it a beautiful day?" It wasn't a good day for me. I felt sad about how things went all day long. I've felt like it's all just too much.
But tonight, I started feeling better. I got an e-mail from someone who I helped with a birth a little over a year ago. I talked to someone who was sick with a breast infection and helped her get the right medicine to help her get well. I talked to someone with questions about pin worms and I took a nap with my cat. I am starting to get my self confidence back even though the nurses at the hospital have no use for me. I am first a wife and mother and sister and friend and I am a good midwife. I'll be ok. I need some sleep. Jackie

My Mom Died

My mom died after a long illness on January 24, 2010. I've made several trips back and forth to Amarillo to see her this year and each time I went, it was like watching a candle slowly burning out. The last time I saw her in December, her flame was just barely flickering. On the morning that she died, I was with one of my clients in labor. We didn't know if the baby was a boy or a girl. It turned out to be a girl and I thought that was kind of neat that it was a girl to replace the girl I was losing. Mama suffered a lot the last two months of her life, and I'm glad the suffering is over. I like to think she is in heaven with her mom and dad and brothers who died before her.
We had a great memorial service and funeral for her. My brother and I spoke at the funeral because mama didn't have a church or pastor. It turned out to be very intimate and personal and I'm glad we did it that way. She was buried next to her mom and dad and husband at an old cemetery in Claude, Texas.
I feel very blessed and loved by all the calls, e-mails, and cards my friends have sent. I am lucky to have so many people who care about me and that I care about as well. That would make mama happy.

2010 New Year Letter and 2009 Wrap Up

Dear Friends, January 2010

Another year gone by and a new one to start over with! I’ve loved hearing from so many family and friends this Christmas season. And especially pictures of all the kids and families are such a treat. Thanks for taking the time to send your greetings.

I want to wish all of you Happy New 2010. I hope it will be a good year for us all. Here’s a few of the highlights of our family in 2009.

· Bonham graduated from high school! He was surprised we made such a big deal about it. He said he thought he had to.

· Took a summer vacation to South Padre Island in July. It was great.

· Anson and I went to see a Bruce Springsteen concert in April. I had to twist his arm to go, but he admitted it was a great concert. I loved it.

· In September, Luke, Abbey, Travis, and Brenda came home from Oregon after 2 ½ years. It’s been wonderful to have them home again.

· Luke left in early December to work at Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah. He’s happy skiing every day.

· Had a Griggs family reunion at our house in March. Had a great turn out. First Griggs reunion in 25 years!

· I got to go to a great midwife conference in Pacific Grove, California (near Monterey) in October. It was really wonderful and I would heartily endorse Pacific Grove as a vacation destination.

· We took in a little stray sheltie dog and named him PupPup. He died from heart worms in November. We are still sad about it.

· George went hunting and got a mule deer. Come see us and we’ll give you a package of meat.

· Jackie helped with 86 babies- 46 girls and 40 boys. The birth center is doing well. I still love what I do and it keeps me very busy!

· Travis and Brenda are living in the little house behind our house. It is wonderful to have them so close.

· We got to go to several movies, concerts, talks, home tours, Astros games, and a canoe trip this year. Bonham and I went for a weekend in Austin to all our favorite restaurants.

· Anson got his drivers license and took over Travis’ old red El Camino.

· Planted 8 fruit trees on our property. A tough year for little trees to start out. No rain and temp above 100 for most of June.

· George stayed home most of 2009. Only a few trips to a job in Woodward, Oklahoma. His work decided he is too important to let him travel much.

· I stuck with my goal for 2009 and went to the library at least once a month. I read a lot of books this year-mostly about the Holocaust.

· Anson is doing great in 11^th grade at a brand new just built high school. He was born to be a teenager and doing a good job at it.

· Bonham is going on a mission for our church to California (San Jose area). He will be working with Spanish speaking people. He is leaving early February for two years. He is very excited and looking forward to it.

This year is starting out sadly for me. I just got back from Amarillo to see my mom. She is very sick and I think that is probably the last time I will see her. She is 82 and her health has declined steadily since she had a bad car wreck about seven years ago. It is very sad to see her in so much pain and I hope this will not last long. I feel torn between staying there and being in Houston to see after my own family and my clients having babies. I just try to think about mama being with her family members who have passed before her and how happy that would be. Dying is part of living. It’s also like birth-it happens in it’s own time.

As you can see, the boys are growing up and we are growing older. We are so proud of each one of them. We have a lot to be thankful for. We hope to see you all this year.

With love,

Jackie and the boys

PS. Here’s my blog sites: www.lifeofamidwife.blogspot.com, www.bayareabirths.blogspot.com