The Tale of Four Beds and a Million Mosquitos..

It has now been 3 days since Evan was born and I have had some time to think about the events of Friday as I was "laboring" with my sister. It was strange for me to know that my sister was going to be giving birth only 16 months after having Anaiah, and that she was going to be doing it in Uganda!! The thought of that made me very nervous and scared for her. I am thankful I was able to be here with her and see what things are really like...here is a glimpse of what happened while we were at the hospital..
first of all, the laboring rooms are called "suites" which i found rather amusing since all that was in them was a bed, a chair and a bathroom. The suite had no toliet paper in the bathroom, no soap in the dispenser, and no towel to dry our hands on after washing!! The bed was rather uncomfortable for Aimee and it creeked very loudly anytime any of us sat on it!! We were able to find some toliet paper, and a nurse filled the dispenser with soap..but even after doing so it still did not come out!! So we just used hand sanitizer!! While Aimee was laboring she had several nurses come in and check on her and Evan to make sure all was going well..they were just so quiet about it. When she was having a contraction they would just sneak in the room and stand right behind her..she would sometimes have no idea they were there! It was just weird to me that they did not make it a point to let Aimee know they were in the room. And most of the time one of the nurses or doctor were talking I had no idea what they were saying!! They talk so quietly and have accents as well..so I am sure I looked confused more than anything!!
Anyways..as the day progressed Aimee's body did not dialate enough, so she ended up having a c-section. At the point of making this decision she was contracting a lot and they were strong..so when it was time to move her to go back for surgery the nurse brought in a bed that we had to move Aimee on to. The bed the nurse brought was pretty dinky and was sitting a lot lower than the bed Aimee was on..at first the nurse was just going to make Aimee move to it without it being level with the other bed. So one of us suggested that we lower the one bed so they were even...and the funny/strange part is..the first bed Aimee was on had wheels and could have been moved out of the room just as easily!!! so we got her moved and she was off..or so we thought!! Cheryl and Andrew went back with her, and I was told after they went through the first double doors Aimee had to move onto another bed. And at this point, she was very tired and no one was around to help her except for Cheryl because Andrew was changing into his scrubs..so Cheryl helped her move onto that bed..but she was not done still!!! After they got to the OR they said she had to switch beds AGAIN because the one she had just been transferred to that was in the hallway of the OR was not sterile...so she had to be moved again. And every time she was supposed to get onto a new bed she was left to do it on her own. It is such a blessing that Cheryl was back there and able to help her each time!!!
So needless to say, the process they have here is quite different!! From what I have seen it is hard for them to think things through ahead of time!
Chai tea is a big deal here and they drink it all of the time..I lost count of how many of the nurses asked Aimee if she wanted some hot chai while she was in labor!! She very politely told them no thank you each time, but the kept asking!!
A few hours later we made it to the recovery room..it was nice and had a big bed for Aimee, Evan and Andrew to sleep in and there was a single bed for me. We all went to bed around 11 and I went right to sleep...but when we woke up at 2 for Aimee to feed Evan I found out that whole time Aimee and Andrew were getting eaten alive by mosquitos..the net that was around their bed was not big enough at all and they kept getting bit!! Thankfully Evan was in his bed with a net over him and was just fine! So from that point on Andrew and I proceeded to kill dozens of mosquitos. It was so nasty how many there were! He asked someone to bring them a new net..but that was never done. So he found an electric bug zapper and really instead of sleeping spent the rest of the night killing mosquitos! The next day we were moved to another room for a few different reasons and the mosquitos were not that bad in there! But let me tell you, I had to sleep on the most uncomfortable bed EVER!! When I layed down on it I felt like there was no mattress and I was sleeping on metal! I woke up with a very stiff neck and back the next day! I was so happy to sleep here at the house last night on a nice cozy bed without all of the mosquitos!!
Aimee said last night there were only like 2 in their room and they got a lot of rest. I was very happy to hear that!!! She and Evan may get to come home today..lets hope so!!

Uganda so Far....

I have been here for almost a week now and feel like I have adjusted pretty well. I was really tired the first few days, but am now on a good sleeping schedule. My trip over here was long, but it went very smoothly! Since being here, we have not left Kampala since we are still waiting on Evan to be born! Being in Kampala, I can tell that I am not in America, but I also don't feel quite like I am in Africa. Kampala has a lot of "American" aspects to it in a sense. We have gone out to eat a lot and gone to the mall as well. While driving down the streets here there is a lot going on. There are tons of people walking, lots of people on motorcycles, and lots of people driving! It is pretty intense and there is no way I would have any desire to be behind the wheel of a car here! There are lots of people on the street trying to sale all sorts of items, and they will walk right up to your car and stand there until you nod your head no. I feel like there is a lot going on, and that people have a lot of good ideas, but they do not know how to execute them. The city looks like it is in transition, maybe waiting for something better. It is just strange.

We went to Aimee's doctor last week and that was different. The office was very small and hot!! Her doctor was very nice, but I had a hard time understanding what he was saying to me. I have a funny story...while there, a mother was going to weigh her baby. And in order to weigh a child here, you put them in a cloth seat, and hang them from the scale. Well, this mother had gotten her baby girl naked, and as she was taking her baby out of the sling/seat the baby peed all over the floor. There was a lot of pee!! And the mother just walked off and left it. I can not even tell you how many people proceeded to walk through that little girls pee. It drove me crazy that no one was cleaning it up!!

I am having a very fun time with Anaiah Dawn!! She is so cute and so loving. It took her a few days to get used to me, but now I think we are good friends! She is one dramatic little girl, and that just makes me laugh! She is full of laughter and loves to be a part of our adult conversations. She gives Evan the sweetest kisses on Aimee's belly, we shall see how she treats him once he is here!! She loves to watch baby einstein videos and gets sooo excited when one is being put in for her! I love her so much and am so thankful we are getting to bond and know each other!

Aimee is doing pretty well, she is ready to have the baby though. And today would be a great day, it is cool and rainy. So she would not be too hot! She and I have been watching a lot of Jon and Kate plus 8 and last night we watched MamaMia, and she really liked it! Andrew is going crazy here and is ready to be back in Fort Portal!! So he has been playing on the computers a lot! We are all hangin in there, lets pray for a new baby to come very soon!!

A Year of New Adventures...

I can not believe we have just welcomed the beginning of another year and that it is 2009. Remember when it was the New Millenium (SP??) and every one thought the world was going to end? That was 9 years ago, the same year I graduated from high school! I can not believe how quickly time has flown by since then!! As I sit here in 2009, I can't help but think about this past year and it's events.
I began 08 saying goodbye to my dear sister, brother in-law and precious little niece. That was really hard...but in some ways this year without them has flown by! It took some time to adjust to life with out them in America, and I still find myself doing that often. March brought me to my official Doula training through KAPPA. That was an amazing weekend, and I am so thankful that I have finally found what I want to do with my life. I am still on the road to being a certified Doula,learning more all of the time and getting more experience when the opportunites arise. In May I was able to go home and visit with my family over Memorial Day weekend. During that visit, I helped my mother go through our entire house and we picked out paint for every wall. It was quite the task, but we got it done and after it all being painted, it looks pretty fantastic!! The summer was spent with several trips to the beach with my babies and lots of fun in the sun! We (meaning me and the family I nanny for) went on vacation in August and had a great time with the Collns and Jennings families. During that trip I got some amazing pictures while we were at Ecola Park watching the sun set- it was a BEAUTIFUL night! In October I was able to go home to the farm and I brought Carey and the kids with me! We all had a lot of fun riding horses, feeding chickens, chasing cats and riding on John Deere! I also decided to quit my job in October, while it was one of the hardest decisions I have made, it was a good one (I think!!).
November went by quickly, and then December came and went just as fast. In December the Fox family lost sweet Hadley and that was so very sad. She was such a sweet,lively girl who will be greatly missed. My family and I had a great Christmas and were VERY thankful to have made it to Idaho!! We played lots of games, ate lots of food, saw LOTS of snow, and shared lots of hugs and laughter. It was great being with my family!!!
2009 is shaping up to be a great year thus far!! I am leaving for Africa next Monday to go and visit my sister and her family!! I can't wait. It will be so weird to actually be with them and to see Anaiah walking and talking!! And to meet my little nephew who could arrive any day now! I look forward to 09 being a better year than last, with less tragedy and loss. I hope to grow more in love with my God and learn how to walk in His path daily. I hope to find a great job and to really begin my career as a Postpardum Doula. I hope to find love in all areas of my life. I hope to be a friend to everyone and to love the way I have been called to.
Hats off too a great year!!

With Great Loss comes Great Hope

It seems that the past month and this last week have been filled with loss..loss of Cascade, loss of Cindy, loss of my job, and now the loss of Hadley. It seems strange that in this season of cheer and all things bright, I have seen more gloom than I had hoped for. I have come to grips with the fact that Cascade is closing and will not reopen it's doors, and I am "okay" with that fact that this Friday is my last day with my babies. Even though I chose to quit my job, it still breaks my heart in many ways. I am still wondering why God chose to take Cindy away, and that loss still makes me wonder what He is doing. And on Friday, sweet Hadley went home to be with Jesus. Even though she had been sick for a while, it still hurts and my heart grieves with the family. I can't imagine what her parents are feeling, her grandparents, her little brothers, her aunts and uncles, and all those that knew her. I can't imagine losing my sweet niece Anaiah, and this is where it hits me the hardest. Hadley was the niece of my sister in law- and when he married her, Hadley became Drew's niece as well. I I feel so bad that my brother is experiencing this- and all of the Fox family. They are a family I grew up knowing and feel so sad for this time in their life. With all of this going on, sometimes it is hard to look forward to what is going to happen next.
I do not know where I would be or what I would do with out the hope I have in Christ. It is becasue of Him that I can have the confidence to look towards the future and know that somehow, everything will be ok. It is with hope that I look forward to next month and traveling to Africa to see my sister. It is with hope that I look forward to the arrival of Abi, Nate and Kelsey- and then traveling to Idaho with them to see my family. It is with hope that I anticipate the birth of my sweet nephew. I am thankful for hope and that there is a tomorrow, whether it is here on earth, or in Heaven, I have hope. Hope was a word associated with Hadley. She showed me how to have hope in each day, and the love of Christ. Even though she is gone and will be greatly missed, this little girls spirit lives on and gives me hope for the days to come.

School of Brotherly Love

A week ago tomorrow I found out Cascade College would be closing it's doors in May of this year. At first, all I felt was shock but now as time has passed I am feeling a lot of sadness and loss. Not just personal sadness or loss, but that for our community here in the Portland area. I was so blessed to have attended Cascade, and I am so sad to see it closing. I have so many memories at that school. I have been blessed with the rich heritage of Columbia and of Cascade. I have countless family members that attended both Columbia and Cascade, my dad and grandpa both served on the board of trustees. I got to walk and experience that campus with my sister and my brother in law. I met my best friends there and will forever be grateful for all of the opportunities I had to grow in spirit and knowledge over those 5 wonderful years.
Growing up I heard all about Columbia Christian College and all of the fun and exciting times my parents had there. That is where my wonderful parents met and fell in love, and it is also where they met a lot of their life long friends. Growing up they showed me the importance of maintaining relationships and how frutiful God can make them if you continue to invest in them. I remember as a young child dreaming of going to Columbia (at the time)and gaining what they had. As I entered high school and started thinking about college, I was able to start visiting the campus and was able to see what my parents had been telling me about all along. There was a spirit of community, love and support. I knew it was where God wanted me to be. So I went and experienced some of the happiest times of my life.
I am sorry that all of the current students have to think about leaving this place that has just started to or is finishing transforming their lives, I am sorry to all of the facutly and staff that have the Cascade vision and have to somehow let that go. I am sorry to all of the people who have invested all of their time and energy into this place that truly does transfrom lives. I could never tell you how much that place has impacted my life and can't imagine my life without it. I pray that we never lose our memories, traditions and relationships that we cultivated while spending time on that Northwest Corner of Heaven.

School of Brotherly Love

The raindrops beat upon the roof descending all in rhyme
The images of faded dreams keep drifting through my mind
The pieces of the puzzle of myself I had not found
But now I know the answer and my feet are on the ground

Oh, School of Brotherly Love remain forever in my heart;
Oh, School of Brotherly Love remain forever in my heart.

Lonely in my wanderings I walked without a home
The clouds of life, they followed me where ever I cast a stone
The wrong path I had chosen and there was no light to see
But now I 've found the answer and I'm hapy and I'm free

Oh, School of Brotherly Love remain forever in my heart;
Oh, School of Brotherly Love remain Forver in my heart.

I've learned to love and sing and pray and share a brother's tear
To know the joy of perfect peace and fellowship sincere
My heart was overjoyed with love and sunshine filled my soul
And now I walk the pathway to the true and only goal!

Oh, School of Brotherly Love remain forever in my heart;
Oh, School of Brotherly Love remain forever in my heart.

My FAVORITE time of year!!

I love, love, love the fall season!! It is so beautiful with all of the leaves changing color, the big fields with all the bright orange pumpkins, and the cool crisp air! It is always exciting to me to wear hats and scarves too! I am so thankful I live in a climate where the weather changes and we have four different seasons,I don't know if I could handle somewhere where that does not happen!
Last Saturday I went with Dave, Carey and the kids to the pumpkin patch. We had a good time and had a gorgeous day! The kids enjoyed their pony rides, hay ride, playing with the pumpkins and the other little games they got to play. It was a great day filled with lots of memories!




Then, last Sunday I went to Roloff Farms with David, Carrie and Jamie. It was kind of a bust if you ask me!! It wasn't all it was cracked up to be!! We ended up going to a different pumpkin patch up the road and it was much cooler! They had a much better selection of pumpkins, shorter lines and things were just a lot cheaper! We had a lot of fun!





So one day while we were outside a few weeks ago, the boys found a caterpillar- the poor little guy could not escape their grasp. They played with it for soo long and wanted to know where it was every second!! I finally had to pick it up and put it on the other side of the fence so that they could not touch it or follow it anymore! I did manage to get some pretty cute pics of the boys that day while they enjoyed playing outside..they are pretty good little models!!
Last week the boys got their big beds. Needless to say, nap time was interesting everyday..I had to go in every 5 or 10 minutes to remind them to stay in their beds, to stop touching each other, and to itleast rest if they did not want to fall asleep! It was pretty funny some of the things they were trying to do..hopefully this coming week will go better!!

Down on the Farm

The first weekend of October, I went home to Idaho and got to bring some of my favorite people with me! Carey and the kids came home to the farm! It was so much fun and we had a good time taking tractor rides, checking out all the tractors, looking in the hay barn, taking rides on Taco (our neighbors horse), playing with the kittens, feeding the chickens and just hanging out. The weather was beautiful and I was excited to share where I grew up with my "kids." Here are some pictures from our time there




05.jpg">



I have the joy of praying for a young lady at church. Kaylin had a birthday in late Septmeber, and we went on a date! We went to Red Robin for lunch, and then we went bowling. It was a lot of fun and I had a great time with her! Also, in late Septmber my babies turned 3, I can't believe they are that big!! We had a very good time at their party and they really enjoyed opening all of their gifts- they did not want that part to end!