It hurts me to admit this...

But I *may* have a child exactly like myself.












How do ya like my tough-love parenting?
"Nooooo, sweetie." *badly disguised smile and laughter*

ETA: Happy Birthday Marmee and Mammaw!

P.S. This post and confession are part of Marmee's birthday present :)

An Update from Africa

Very exciting! We received an nice long email from Mammaw and Pappaw!

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My goal today, is to get each one of you, individually, an e-mail out and it not be a "mass produced" newsletter type thing. Our internet connection stays up just long enough to read one or two emails and then it shuts down. So, I usually work up e-mails up in Word then cut and paste them, praying that it will stay up long enough to get sent. We are enjoying having e-mail here.

When I called the day you were in the airport, I was missing you guys so much. I just wanted to hear your voice. Sadly, I had the equivalent of $10 credit in my phone and was only able to talk that short time.

What are the girls are up to? Do they talk a lot? Does one talk more than the other? What are their personalities like? I'm sure you are starting to see some definite traits. What are you doing for their birthday?

The foundation is complete on the 2nd dormitory and the walls will be going up rapidly. They are hoping to have it to the painting stage by early July. A group from the church in the US which has pretty much funded the whole school will be coming and their task will be to paint. The corn grinder building is complete and the electrical in the process of being installed. Once this is complete, the grinder will be installed and they can open for business. A couple, who was here recently has committed to give enough money to build a 3rd dorm. Even with the construction, Ed has managed to complete several welding projects, build a new road into the school and fencing to block the old road, re-locate signs, and today is assisting with the construction of a new 'guard shack' (Tanzanian style) at the gate. Tanzanian style comprises of 4 posts, recycled corrugated metal and boards that aren't cut to fit. Eventually, a nice brick structure will take its place.

The Quickbooks project has not progressed as I had envisioned. Just entering all 800 students and getting their billing and history correct has taken a long time. I am working with a young, woman, Grace Herman, who is expecting a baby in May. She carried a baby full term last year and it died in uterine. Tanzanians do not acknowledge pregnancies as we do. In fact they are pretty much ignored until the baby arrives. I did not know this and when it was obvious that Grace was expecting, said something. She said she was relieved that I knew so that I could be praying for her and almost seems relieved to have someone to talk to.

I think I told you that one of my first assignments when I arrived was making new curtains for the bhandas (guest houses) at the missionary complex. Because the windows were measured incorrectly, they were re-made once and then other adjustments made to accommodate the curtain hanging devices they have here. I remember saying, at the time, "I didn't come all the way to Africa to 'make curtains'. I was quite frustrated. God just laughed and, since that time (including the bhanda curtains), I have made 44 panels of curtains. Isn't God just funny that way? A lot of cool memories have come back to me of sewing with Mom, [my grandmother and sister].

One day, Annie (our Scottish friend, fluent in Kiswahili) and I were shopping in the market for curtain fabric. We had gone from store to store experiencing price "gouging" because we were wazungu (white). At one store a man came in who was obviously inebriated. He was talking to us and Annie began to question him about his drunkenness and then began to witness to him. He (Ernest) had to leave for a minute and go get his wife, Sophia. The shopkeeper knew him and agreed with Sophia that Ernest had been a wonderful father and husband until he started drinking. Annie has experienced alcohol addiction and shared her testimony with him and told him that he could not overcome this sickness unless he knew Jesus. In tears, he asked that we pray with him there in the shop. He did not accept Christ, but Sophia told us it was the first time he ever acknowledged he had a problem with drink. I have not seen him in the market again, but know where Sophia works and will check on them next time I am there. I won't complain about the curtains again. Actually, I have 36 more panels on the drawing board (for the dormitory) for when the Quickbooks thing is finished.

Our new OMEGA assignment is progressing well. We have a team from North Dakota coming in May and we will stay in tents in a Masai village to work on their school. This is the same village where the guy lives who gave Ed the live chicken. Two volunteers will be here for 6 weeks this summer (one staying with us the full time), and a team from San Antonio for 2 weeks in June/July. Lance Whyle (the water guy from San Antonio) is meeting with Jerry Hale next week to discuss how the water projects and OMEGA can partner. Lance wants to bring teams over to work on the water projects and has purchased a truck equipped with a drilling rig. Until now he and Ed have just been installing pumps. We have discussed the possibility of headquartering out of Dodoma, which would entail a move at the end of the year. We are excited to see how God brings all this together. Our friend Margaret calls it "divine networking".

I will be in Arusha for language school for 3 weeks (April 14-May2). Pray that I am anointed with the gift of "foreign tongues" (preferably Kiswahili).

I know how much we are missing out on all your lives, but, more than anything, my heart yearns to be closer to the girls. They must be tons of fun and I know the 2 of you are doing an amazing job as parents.

We love you all so very much.

Love,
Mammaw and Pappaw

*****

And Now, A Moment Of Silence

For the first time in 2 years I am alone in my house.


It's probably a joke though.
April Fool's Day and all.

Em and Roo have officially gone to "school". Tuesday/Thursday Mother's Day Out.


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eta: Update after Pick Up

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Turns out that picking up 2 toddlers and all their gear does not lend itself to an in-the-moment photo shoot. So, this picture of the girls buckled in for the ride home was the best I could do.


They were both crying when we arrived.
Miss Rachel said that they had only recently turned on the tears.
Two Very Tired Toddlers.

The daily report card that the school sends home indicates that they had a pretty good time. Lunch and snacks were obliterated.
The letter of the week was "F" - good to expand our horizons.
The number of the week is "2".
They also reportedly learned how to say it in Spanish. We'll see.

The comments from their teacher read: "had a great day, very proud of them".

So, all in all, I'll count it a success!

Batman

Bet you're wondering what this book has to do with Batman.

Well stick around for a minute.

Allow me regale you with a tale from our NICU days and soon it will all make sense.
********
J and I developed a routine during the girls' hospital stay.
I spent most of the day by their beds and
J made sure the electricity stayed on.

After work, we made a joint visit to tuck the girls in for the night.

Because we were bound by the staff's shift change schedule, we often didn't make it into the bay (area where the babies were) until 10pm.

Then, we spent time with each girl... talking, stroking, singing and reading to her.
A story book staple was Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever.

On this particular night, the girls were 6 or 7 days old.
Em was having a bad jaundice day and got to stay under the bili light during our visit.
So, J sat by her bed reading and I held Roo by her bed.

Wait.
******
Before I continue this story, you need some background information about the NICU.

It was housed on the top floor of a high rise hospital building. Nothing above the roof but air. And the floor plan is ver' important to this tale, as well.

Imagine a long rectangle.

Never mind.

It looked like this.
The girls had separate beds in the bottom right corner of box 1.


******

So, J sat by Em's bed reading from the Best Storybook Ever.
I was tucked into a corner by Roo's bed as I held her on my chest.


Something from the corner of my vision caught my attention.

I looked up and saw a strange object.

Flying.

Down the long hallway of the NICU.

Past the nurses station.

Straight towards me.

And my babies.

And I completely lost the ability to form sentences.
All I could do was say J's name. Over and over in a panicked stage whisper.

He rushed over, thinking that Roo was in crisis.

Then, he followed the direction of my wild gaze.

And saw this.

Flying directly at us.

I pulled Roo into my chest and curled myself over her.

J leaped in front of Em's crib and brandished the only weapon he had.

The Best Storybook Ever.


He slammed the bat away from our babies.
Followed it as it spun and flew back towards the other babies in bay 2.
J swung again, connected, and sent the beast to his maker.

Then, he walked back to me and the girls.

Calmly took some hand sanitizer. Put it on a paper towel.

And wiped off the book.

********
And that is why all of our nurses called him Batman.


Our hero. For real.

Blue Belles

I'm starting to see little patches of blue along side the road.
Time to start scouting a good bluebonnet patch for this year's pictures.


Em & Roo, almost 12 months, being cute.

Way Back Wednesday

The girls at 10 months. Wearing the most gorgeous dedication dresses made by Marmee.
If you could only see the details on these gowns, you would swoon.

I love their intense expressions in this photo. They were mesmerized by my Broadway routine behind the photographer's shoulder. It was Singin' in the Rain.... slightly altered.

"Good Mornin'. Good Mornin' You talked the whole night through (try sleeping next time). Good Mornin'. Good Mornin' to You..."

I was trying to get a laugh out of them, but you can see they are shocked and embarrassed instead.

Get used to it, girls. Get used to it.

Marching for Babies in May

It's been almost 2 years since Em and Roo were born. But, it shouldn't be. That benchmark should be at the end of June. They were born two months early. 32 weeks gestation.
And that was a great victory.

From the beginning, my ultrasounds indicated that Roo was smaller than her twin. Not to worry, everyone said. Because, she was only 3 days behind. 5 days behind. 8 days behind.
But, as time marched on, the delay became more pronounced. My ultrasound sonographer spent longer and longer taking measurements and consulting his notes from our previous visit.


Finally, at 18 weeks, my amazing obstetrician made the call to send us to a specialist. A perinatologist. There were more ultrasounds.
Roo continued to make progress, but not at the rate that Em was growing.
Her fluid levels were borderline, but never dangerous. Her umbilical cord doppler scans indicated she was in some distress and was having to work very hard for the nutrition she received. Em was in good shape, but had something unthinkable happened with Roo, she would have been in grave danger. There was nothing that could be done to change the situation. Nothing that bed rest or diet or medicine could improve.
Just lots of ultrasounds.
And prayer.

When I was 24 weeks pregnant, the specialist insisted that I receive two rounds of a steroid shot. This was to improve the girls' lung maturity. He was convinced I would have to deliver the girls in the next few days. But, Roo grew and the doctor backed off.
At 28 weeks he expressed sincere surprise.

At 31 weeks, Roo's growth started to flatline. It was time.
I checked into the hospital to have the girls at 32 weeks and 1 day.

Roo

Em


I was discharged 5 days later. But I didn't go home...

First Family Picture (the girls are 1 1/2 weeks old).

First Mother's Day (2 weeks old twins)

...until the end of May. 30 days later. When the Rowdy Girls were finally released from the NICU.


Do you know how incredibly blessed we are? To have made it to 32 weeks. Amazing.
Against the odds with my particular situation (which is generically termed intrauterine growth restriction).
The doctors that took care of Em, Roo and I were outstanding.

But the NICU personnel... they were phenomenal!
What a burden those people bear. Those tiny babies fighting to live. Desperate families clinging to hope.
It is intense, to say the very least.

Several days before the girls were born, I had a dream. I dreamed about Em and Roo in the NICU. They were in separate beds and a very tall man, an angel, was standing guard between the beds. Twelve hours after delivery I was finally able to visit my precious babies. And just like the dream, their beds were in the corner of the room. With a poignant space between. But it wasn't empty. You could feel a holy presence.

I believe all NICU babies have angels standing guard. Fresh from heaven, and plucked from the safety of the womb, these special babies' new existence is painful and frightening. But, the prayers of family and friends enfold them. They bolster their guardian's strength.


And the March of Dimes... with the donations we make. They empower. They strengthen. And they save.
You see. There is an epidemic. Too many babies are born prematurely.
The March of Dimes estimates that half a million babies and their families are impacted by prematurity. Every year. They need our help. To survive. To thrive.

We are lucky. We are blessed. We are so grateful.