Wating for Babies

It's summer. It's really hot and dry here. I am mostly staying inside today and staying cool. I went out for awhile this morning to water my garden. I have a lot of tomatoes and squash. I'll go out for a walk this evening. My husband and I are experiencing empty nest syndrome. It's our first time in 36 years with no boys around us. I'm sure we'll adjust to it, but it seems weird now. We are trying to figure out what to do with ourselves. I have lots of closets and piles to clean out that I'm sure I'll get to eventually. Hope you are all having a good summer. Jackie

A Touching Moment

We helped deliver a baby girl on a cold morning in January. It was her first baby and it had been a long labor and a long night. She was born at 8:05 am. We were all tired, but so happy that sweet little baby had finally been born safe and sound. Another midwife, Pat Jones came in to the room. She was there to make sure everything was ok, but now the baby was born! After things settled down a little, the father of the baby told Pat thanks for her work in helping promote natural birth and midwifery care in Houston. They had seen the Birth play that she produced last fall and it had made a big difference about the plans they made for the birth of their baby (that had just been born). We were all touched- especially Pat. It was so good for her to know that the work she had put into the production of that play had directly impacted this new family. Gratitude is something that cannot be bought, only earned.

Young Women are Lucky

I'm happy to see young women come to my office and speak to me about their birth choices. These are bright, intelligent women who want to have a good birth experience. I think women have more information at their disposal concerning child birth and their options than ever before. I'm happy that women can find so much information on the internet and in bookstores. Information can help you know what kind of questions to ask and make informed decisions in order to have the best birth experience possible. There is no way you can control every aspect of having a baby, but you can have some control, and some voice in the process. Young women are definitely lucky to have so much information available.

Putting my dog down

It's a new year and I feel bad about bringing up depressing topics, but this is what is up for me in my life right now. My poor, old collie dog, Gracie, is in terrible shape. She has hip dysplasia, and can't get up and down at all anymore. She barks and yelps when she wants up. If I'm home, I go out and help her up, but I worry about her when I'm not here. She has lost a lot of weight, and just seems to be in pain all the time. She used to love to come in the house, but now she can't get up the steps, and if I carry her in, she seems disoriented and doesn't seem to want to be in the house. It seems like she has dementia and can't understand what's going on anymore. Also, she's gone completely deaf. I came home a week or two ago, and found her stuck in the mud in the bayou next to our house. I don't know how she got down there. It's terrible to see her like this. She was my walking companion for many years.
I've struggled with what to do about her for several months and now I am ready to have her put down this week. I can't stand to see her lay there and starve to death, and suffer. I will miss her, but I know she doesn't have much good ahead of her.
I guess the reason I've struggled with it so much is because I believe in natural birth, and I also believe in natural death. But I don't want to see her suffering anymore. The difference between natural birth is that it's pain with a purpose, and I really believe most of the time, it's better not to intervene. With Gracie, there is no purpose in letting her lie in the yard and die of thirst when I'm not here. I will miss her terribly, but I want her suffering to end.
I'm attaching a picture of Gracie and myself and two of my sons, taken in Galveston. This picture was taken just a few weeks after Hurricane Ike, about two years ago. This is the way I want to remember her.

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.