Update from the birthroom - we had [surPRISE] TWINS born at the clinic last April 16th. It was during a dayshift that the unknowing patient came to the clinic already in active labour, and ready to push! Naomi, a first year student, quickly got things together to facilitate the birth. Krys was supervising at the time, with Ate Elsa assisting. The mother had a normal size tummy for a pregnant, full term baby - there weren't any signs that would lead one to suspect a multiple pregnancy. I had even done one of her prenatals, a few months back but couldn't determine the position of the baby (nOW i know wHY!). THe first baby slipped out weighing 5lbs. 5oz... when the patient's stomach still looked pregnant, Krys checked with the Doppler for another set of fetal heart tones inside, and sure enOUGH, another baby was waiting to be frEE! Krys ran to get another filipina supervisor while Ate Elsa double-clamped and cut the cord of the first baby. THe mother pushed again and the second baby fell out, weighing a mere 3lbs. 5oz. [both baby's were born in the caul]. THANKfully, everything went ok - the mom DID have to be transported after a few hours due to continuing bleeding but she got to spend time with her babies first and also Naomi was there to care for them. They hung around the clinic for almost a wEEK while their mom was in the hospital! - basically FAMOUS in Mercy circles, we started calling them bean-sprout and sweet-pea =) ...so thEN the mom gets out of the hospital and her and her husband pick the names Swheety and Cuttie (pronounced like sweety and cutie) for her two new daughters. GOODNESS! hahaha, what fun we have here in the phils!
It's a crazy feeling to hold something tHIS small and fragile. But, they are both thriving (thanks to a little wet-nurse action from Naomi and the love and care everyone has been showing to them). The family is now at home with their TWINS, and Naomi is going thERE for baby check ups, instead of having the mom pack everyone up to come to the clinic! But SERIOusly, as a midwife, you wait and wait and wAIt for the chance to see something like this...and i miSSed it! Sayang!

Luke&Ruth Schroeder

I had the HONour of witnessing Ruth Biral (momi ruth) and Luke Schroeder get MARRIED yesterday at All Nations Christian Fellowship. The "Mercy girls" (Lo, Tiff, Medea, and I) had the task of doing HAIR&makeUP for the bridal party - it.was.so.fUN! THe girls (from Zamboanga) are sO inCREDIbly beautiful, putting makeup on their face was aLmost unnecessary. It was such a great morning. THe ceremony started at 2pm, with dinner to follow, and dANCing after that! I was fairly impressed at how the groom got every dancing, mainly by starting off with the easter song, followed by the macarena, and so on. ALL filipinos have EXcellent rhythm and LOVe to dance so little encouragement was needed to get the party started! SO FUN.

AiJEY's 1st Birthday!

A beFORE and AFter shot of my dear little godson.. he turned ONE year old on April 11. It's kind of hard to believe that a baby I delivered is already walking!, but I guess there are many more out there - babies I've helped - just walkin' and talkin' (NUTS!) hahaa, some filipinos follow a tradition of not cutting a baby's hair until its first birthday. Aijey had some cr-azy hair patterns going on...and on his birthday they bUZZEd it! I went to their place on the day after and didn't recognize him at first! They put a lock of hair in a bible, and throw the rest in a flowing stream or river (in the hopes of long, flowing hair!) hahaa. Aileen said that "they" say she needs to buzz it 5 times in a row, to help the hair grow in thick and beautiful! I guess hair is a big deal here. It was cool because they've moved out to Comval Province (which isn't so cool because I don't get to see them very often), but Jeffrey (Aileen's almost husband, boyfriend) picked me up on his motorcycle and drove me almost 2 hours out into the country to visit them for the day!

a triBUTe.

I've been SUPer "pre-occupied" lately (if you could call finishing an assignment pre-occupied)... but, as of tOday, I am finished the LASt (big) assignment of what could very well be my academic career (so much for those plans to go to Ryerson =P - i'm just kidding). BUT. for now, I am done. Next week we have a few lectures on ethics and communication and whatnot and that'll be IT. Crazy eh...I can't believe it's already been (almost) two years! I'm looking forward to starting work in Agdao, with a prenatal day and even mORe buntis (preggo) girls to keep me occupied, as well as starting exam/NARM review, switching to wednesday prenatal days at Mercy, which means new teams and a chance to work birthroom shifts with new people! A lot is happening on this side of the world, and even mORE planning is in the works in regards to what everyone will do when they leave - I'm pretty sure Lois has until summer of 2009 all planned out, almost to each day of roadtrips, visiting long lost friends, and working to pay off loans! I wish I was that organized! But, for now, I will watch my classmates all leave one-by-one (except for dear Charity, of course, who'll also be staying on). Goodbyes suck. I'm already not looking forward to watching them go..but thEN Brianna will come! THere's ALso the excitement of getting to know these incredible women outside the Philippines - seeing their homes, and meeting (the rest of) their families and friends and being able to hang out in our own settings.

ps. bk! you are rULing our street lately with graffiti aLL ovER the place! hahaa, every time I see one I fondly think of you... just know that you're already a part of the life here sa Philippines - and your initials are everywhere to prOVE it! LOVe

ALmost UNbelievable

Another great story...without any pictures (sorry!)

A while back I had a continuity who delivered while I was away on a midwifery mission in the mountains. However she was/is still vERY attached to me and goes so far as to call me her best friend (kIN-da scary, but she means well, for the most part). She started texting me again asking if I could help her "fregnant friend" =), Ludivina Jayme who, according to her, is very poor and will come to Mercy for friday prenatals (my prenatal day). Honestly, I kind of ignored the request because it's tiring helping EVERYone and I really didn't feel the need to.

so thEN, thIS morning during prenatals I pick up a chart, and call the name of the patient "Ludivina Jayme", thinking to myself that I must've done a prenatal on her before because her name was so very familiar...only minutes after talking to her I realize she knows Madel (my other cont). I was surprised because I thought she'd be around Madel's age (17) but she was 37! AND this is her 10th baby! AND her husband just died in october leaving her with her nine children (all still alive, praise God) and one on the way. She didn't know she was pregnant at the time of his death. And I can't even beGIN to imagine her despair on finding out. Needless to say, I took her as a continuity.

Krys (the director of Mercy) did her initial prenatal last time and, given the situation, wrote on her chart that Mercy would pay for the lab works needed to deliver at Mercy: blood typing, HBsAg screening, and a urinalysis. She waited for me to finish prenatals and we went to a clinic in Agdao. It was cool because it was such a small place I asked the technician if I could watch him (I got my blood type also - mom, I'm "A" positive!). UNfortunately, we discovered Ludivina is hepatitis B REACTive. Shoot. The technician was clear she'd have to have all of her kids tested...and, a (+) hepB screen means I'll have to refer her to the local hospital for delivery, as Mercy's policy prohibits delivery. I will still be able to see her through pregnancy though. I wish I had a picture of her, for a 37-yr old mom with 9 kids to take care of, she looks aMAZing!

We went out to lunch after the having the lab works done and I asked her to list off the names of her kids, from oldest to youngest! I took a census as she did:
- Marilyn - 18 yrs old
- Liesel - 16 yrs old
- Liesa - 14 yrs old
- Gerald - 12 yrs old
- Jason - 10 yrs old
- Jessica Lyn - 9 yrs old
- Charlyn - 7 yrs old
- Jeffrey - 6 yrs old
- and little Jay Mark - 2 yrs old
- plUS one due in June!
Please remember Ludivina, and her kids - there is no telling how many of them have the actual hepB infection.. I doubt she'll have them all tested. But, I'll keep you updated on what happens with this family! I suspect she'll just stay at home to have her 10th, that's what she has done with all the others..

...just thAT kinda people -

recently there have been 2 little girls hanging around on our street...NORmally, there's a pack of a bit older kids who always make me smile with their broken english, fun games, and interest in anything I have to offer. But these 2 girls I have never noticed before.

I was just coming off shift and they were there to greet me as I went 2 doors down the street to our house. I invited them inside because I knew Jenny's mom had brought some chocolate kisses for us (I'm good at being generous other people's stuff/food). The bold one came right on in and started exploring the unknown of the foreigners house, while the other one stayed back, warning her friend not get in trouble. I pulled 4 kisses out, 2 for each, placed them in their open palms, and sent them back outside. (here's where the story gets good!)

a few days LATer, I saw them again and they asked to come inside saying sOMething about "chalk-co-late" =D This time the timid one wasn't so and came right in and stopped at the fridge! I pulled out the entire (bIG) bag of kisses and let them help themselves this time. Oh gOSh! It was so cute. They both took ONLY TWO! I couldn't believe it! Dozens of memories ran through my mind about little rude white kids grabbing at candy, taking more than their share (and most of those were of mE just the other dAY!). But these cute filipinas were the total opposite, and they can't be more than 5 years old!

Every time I think about it, it warms my heart!