Guest Post by D.L. Bert

Evicted from the plane

            We are currently immersed in a society of uncertainty and confusion. Do lives mater? Is my life more important than your life or is your life more important than mine? Where do my freedoms end and your freedoms take precedent over mine? Today those who have no name but are perceived to be in charge (you know the “They” that always get credit for establishing rules) tell us we all must wear face mask when entering a public area.  Our politically correct friends tell us, “we must all do this in order to save everyone from the death which lingers just outside our door”. Our spiritual and moral leaders add, “We must comply with societal requests out of love for each other”.  So as a society we all march lock-step to a pandemic which might or might not be real. No one appears to be interested in the rights or feelings of those who have an equally strong opinion on the opposite side of the mask wearing debate. 

            An interesting occurrence happened July 19, to a passenger on an American Airlines flight. The Airline has taken a stand that masks are required yet this gentleman has a medical condition which precludes his wearing a mask. The flight attendants were informed and the man was seated. Then a self-righteous passenger raised an issue. The flight was delayed for more than a half hour while the situation was diffused. Eventually the pilot announced, “Should anyone feel uncomfortable with this situation they could leave the plane and the airline would ensure their inclusion on another flight with little or no delay in their reaching their destination”. No one left the plane. 

              

          Imagine, there was someone who only wished to travel from point A to point B and yet society had deemed that something about their appearance was uncomfortable or threatening. This person’s rights were on trial, the question being; are they second rate citizens because they don’t fit into societies’ box? Fortunately the event which happened in Montgomery in 1955, began to change society’s standards, let’s hope it doesn’t take 65 years to educate our nation to the current bout of prejudice. 

 

Rosa Parks sitting on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, 1956.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rosa-Parks

         Did I mention that David Harris, like Rosa Parks was Black? On the same day, on the same airline, but a different city a white woman was evicted from the plane while all the other passengers cheered. Like Harris, she had reported a medical condition which prevented her from wearing a mask but she was white and Harris was black. Maybe what we have been told is true. 

In America today, Black Lives Do Matter. 

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My Son's Birth Story

I enjoy hearing and reading about other women's birth stories. Pregnant with my second little one, I thought I would type up my son's birth story as I wrote it in my journal the day after his birth. It's pretty “raw” I guess in points since everything was fresh in my mind, at one point I just go into snap shot writing mode. I start out just marveling about the miracle that had happened, and interspersed, as I often do when I'm journaling, are written prayers.

With out further ado, here is what I wrote (with few, if any, edits. I've taken out names and some additions are in brackets)

7/24/15 6:40 a.m. Friday

As I sit in the hospital bed so sore looking at my son content, peaceful, sleeping I remembered I haven't written in this journal in quite a while – our baby was born! Born 1:36 a.m. 7/23/15 8 lbs 1 oz, 21'' long and adorable as all get out. I love him so much! I start crying just thinking about it (I know, hormones contribute) he is just exactly right. And so unique Lord you make such beautiful creations – as of this writing he is 1 day 5 hours and 7 minutes old but really he's 9 months and a week or so because this little person was a person with all his uniqueness, individuality and just rightness from conception.

Oh my son – I love you my baby boy thank you Lord for giving him to us to raise – help Jacob and I. I pray he will know you as his Savior, that he will be a gentleman, a boy who loves others and desires to serve and lead and that he will follow you Lord.

Well it's been a crazy week I've been in this hospital room since Monday at about 11:30 a.m. I was 40 weeks last Wednesday. At my 39 week and 5 day prenatal my cervix was soft/thinning and we hoped I wouldn't need to come in the next week for another prenatal – that I'd have the baby before then, well nope didn't happen little baby was comfortable and at 40 weeks 3 days we went to a Family Leadership Summit – at Church the next day quite a few people made guesses for when baby would come. Well I went to my 40 week and 5 day prenatal appointment and baby looked fine, my cervix was softening, though still no dilation, but my blood pressure was high – and it stayed high – they took it 3 or 4 times and it didn't go down staying in the 130's/80's. So my Dr. had me admitted to the hospital. My appointment was at 9:50 and I was in the Family Birth Center by 11:30 (So I've been gone from home since 9:15 or so Monday morning) [If you can't tell I'm a homebody, and being gone that long was starting to wear on me]

So I was admitted to be observed and have my urine collected for 24 hours to see if I had preeclampsia. If it came back with the protein 300 or higher then I would be positive for preeclampsia and would need to be induced. Jacob came and stayed with me Monday night, and Tuesday at 11:30 the nurse took all the collected urine to the lab to be tested. The protein came back with a level of 301. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia. I ate supper Tuesday night and my Dr. started the induction by putting in a hormone strip near my cervix called Cervidil – I was monitored thru the night – I think it was every 15 minutes blood pressure, baby monitor/contraction monitor, etc. [Not an overly restful night] Wednesday morning I finally started feeling the contractions the monitor said I was having, and about 9:00 Wednesday morning they checked me and I was 1 cm. Dilated. Labor had started.

That was enough dilation that my Dr. was able to insert a bulb catheter into the cervix which is then blown up with sterile water to help manually dilate my cervix as well as spray water to strip the membranes, which makes my body release hormones to get labor going. The bulb catheter worked, by about 10 or 11 o'clock I was 4 cm. Dilated and having regular-ish contractions. Because of having preeclampsia I would need to be started on Magnesium via IV once active labor started (the Dr. said around when I'm 4 cm) the nurse with the Dr.'s consent allowed me to delay that as long as possible – since Magnesium makes you feel icky (like having the flu) and also slows down labor or can stall it all together. But eventually around 2 o'clock Mag was started (it's necessary to prevent seizures) sure enough my contractions slowed and so around 4ish Pitocin was also started, lowest amount to start and steadily increased thru the evening – contractions followed suit and steadily increased in frequency and intensity. Jacob stayed with me and we both tried to get some sleep. About 10:40ish Wednesday night I got up to go to the bathroom – sitting on the edge of the bed to let a contraction pass all a sudden I felt a pop and a gush – my water had broken! Now active/working labor started – I've been hooked up to an IV and Baby monitor basically the whole time and this makes moving around difficult but the nurses are fantastic and help the best they can – contractions continue and intensify until I can't handle them by myself and need Jacob's help thru them rolling on my side, squeezing Jacob's arm [he is so wonderful!] trying to focus on relaxing/breathing thru each one. Time ceased to exist for me. My eyes were closed for much of the time between when my water broke and baby arrived – pushing contractions probably started around 12:30? and they were so intense. Jacob was amazing and I couldn't have done it without him. He pushed on my lower back, rubbed it, pushed it, rolled a ball on it and he helped me thru each contraction. I wasn't supposed to push yet even though I desperately desperately wanted to – finally I was fully dilated and the cervix was fully effaced, I could start pushing – and it was a relief to do so – the Dr. arrived – gowns were donned, lights turned on, bed raised, I pushed about 3 pushes each contraction – baby was in distress and needed to come out – I pushed – the Dr. did an episiotomy – I pushed – almost there! - Used the vacuum with one push – it came off – I pushed – baby's head! - I pushed – his body! - the Dr. held him up I could see he was a boy – I held him – Jacob cut the cord – he was whisked away to be checked – the cord had been around his body and each contraction was cutting off his blood supply/oxygen – because of this another Dr. had been called in to take care of baby at delivery – I looked at Jacob - said our baby's name - he nodded – we have a baby boy! The placenta finally came – my Dr. sewed me up – 20 plus stitches – my first stitches ever – baby was cleaned up, weighed, measured, vitamin K shot and goop in the eyes to prevent infection – Jacob held him – I got cleaned up then I held him. We tried nursing – he suckled a little bit – we did skin to skin – he is so soft! They take him to the nursery and finally about 5:00 a.m. Thursday morning it is just Jacob and me in the room – we talk, breath, marvel and then we sleep.

Just an hour or so and the nurses bring baby boy back in for me to nurse, he figures it out like a pro (really this kid must have been reading the breastfeeding books along with me) he has a strong latch.

Grandparents come for a visit, pictures are taken, Jacob leaves with them to eat lunch I stay in the room with baby and we both eat.

Jacob went home to rest and I was able to sleep as well. Then aunts, uncles, and cousins come for a visit – so fun! Jacob came back, grandparents come again, but soon I'm so tired (I still have the Magnesium via IV – had to for 24 hours after baby is born – and it makes me feel crummy) I nurse baby once more after grandparents leave and Jacob goes home to sleep. My mag gets taken off and finally I wash my face, brush my teeth, comb my hair – feel human again. And Sleep.

Now it is Friday morning, I'm going to order breakfast - and wow. I have a little baby boy! He is so sweet and cuddles. I love him. It's now 7:55 (goodness I wrote a long time...) Thank you Lord for our baby.

P.S. [Just for posterity's sake] It was Sharknado week and I don't know how many bad shark movies there are but we watched quite a few Monday and Tuesday... also American Pickers and the History Channel.

Home at last

And that is my little boy's birth story – saga? If you've made it this far maybe it's encouraged you – hopefully it hasn't turned you off of ever having a baby. The miracle of pregnancy and birth is just so amazing and even though giving birth is intense it is oh so worth it.

Blessings, Tabitha

The Promise of a Rose

I honestly don't know what this blog is going to be like - if you're reading this maybe I've written many many more posts and you've gone back in the archives just to see what some of the first posts were like (here's hoping ;) or maybe you've just stumbled across it - which is completely fine by me!

This beautiful June morning I just wanted to share a few thoughts my brain had while walking back to the house from feeding the chickens and seeing this beautiful first rose of the season

 About two years ago this rose bush was cut off to the ground, it had been lost in a jungle of overgrown weeds, sumac, and just over all neglect that was finally pretty much bulldozed leaving apparently nothing, a clean slate - but then a small, bit of a rose bush sprouted, just a stick really - but it was life, I wondered if it was worth coddling doubting if it would ever bloom again, but I cleared the area around the stick, put bricks around it and left it to its devices. The first year leaves sprouted and the stick put off a few shoots - I just kept leaving it alone - and now this year it put off more leaves and more shoots and I was so delighted when I saw it had blossoms! I still wasn't sure if they would actually bloom - but then sure enough over the last week the blossoms got bigger and started to show color and this morning I see this beauty - with the promise of even more to come.

The rose had been so trampled so neglected so beaten down, and yet with a little bit of care and some time it rallied and is all the more beautiful for it.

Blessings!

Opening Ramblings

My first blog post - I've read many a blog, but have only ever contemplated writing one of my own. Generally, if I'm reading someone's blog post its for one of three reasons (and sometimes all three) entertainment, information, and inspiration. So if anyone ever reads my posts I hope I can fill one of those categories as well.

Also I hope to use this blog as a journal of sorts or a scrapbook of life - I'm not terribly good at scrap-booking in person so we'll see how it works when it's on a screen...

Blessings to any who are reading this, and thank you for doing so.

Tabitha