Size Matters

Shortly after Clare was born, 3-year-old Mary Autumn studied her in Mama's arms and asked, "What size is she?"

It soon became clear that Mary Autumn expected to GROW bigger as soon as the baby arrived. She had heard she would become the BIG sister, and in her mind that meant growing bigger like her older sisters Gianna and Anna Mae. Mama explained that she was the big sister because Clare was so little.

It may take a few days for Mary Autumn to digest this information and truly arrive at big sister status. She needs to study the situation a little longer.

Dearma tells the birth story

Here is Clare's birth story from Dearma's perspective.

The day started when Jennie Lou sent an email to Culley and me with the subject line "labor." (Culley and I are the early risers in the family.) I called JL on the phone to get a status report. After hearing the sound of my daughter's voice, I knew I had time for a quick shower before heading for her home. My things had been packed in a bag for 4 weeks, so I was out of the house in less than 20 minutes.

I arrived around 7:30am in time to help fix breakfast, and JL disappeared into the bedroom to putter in between contractions. Periodically she stuck her head out to offer a useful bit of information about chores and expectations for the kids. Granddaddy arrive shortly after me. He engaged the kids in play while I worked in the kitchen.

About 9, Andrea arrived and checked JL. She was 6 cm dialated, the cervix was "floppy and the baby was at 0." All of this meant things were progressing nicely, and we would have a baby some time later in the day, probably sooner rather than later. Andrea called Dodie, who left work to come immediately. Meanwhile JL and Anna Mae went to make the bed in the glass house, a small one room cottage near the big house where the birth would take place. Andrea took her birth bag to the glass house and started setting things up. Michael was charged with getting the birth tub filled which involved getting the liner set up as well as a relay of hoses into the glass house. We were all busy with various tasks when Dodie arrived.

The pattern to JLs contractions were 1 strong one followed by 2 lower belly tightenings. After Dodie checked the baby's hearbeat and visited awhile, JL decided to take a walk in the woods to speed things along. Leon and Aliou and Dodie went along. JL had one strong contraction on the down hill trail to the warehouse and another at the foot of the hill. At the bottom of the hill, we heard Granddaddy calling to the kids that he was going to walk over to Uncle Culley's. Leon and Aliou ran back up the hill to join the contingency who was heading off in another direction through the woods. JL and Dodie looped around to the driveway and climbed the steep hill toward the house, pausing for contractions along the way.

By the time she got back from the walk, things were really picking up. JL changed to clothes for the birth tub, and the birth team hunkered down in the glass house. Shortly after she climbed into the tub, Anna Mae and I left to go fix lunch for the younger kids so all would be ready when they returned from Uncle Culley's. We were wrapping plates in napkins and labeling them when Andrea came to the big house saying, "Wrap it up you two, and come on over."

By the time we got back to the glass house, Mama was already pushing. Dodie announced, "That's the bag of waters." Andrea, told Michael, who would be delivering the baby, to reach in and tear the bag open. As he did so, JL said, "The head is coming." Then she said, "There's an ear!" After one more contraction, Michael had the baby in his hands. As he lifted her to JL's chest, he said, "It's a girl!" Anna Mae and I looked at each other and grinned. That meant 4 boys and 4 girls. It was 11:51am.

Now the mid-wives when to work, lifting the cord from behind the baby's neck and situating JL more comfortably. It was only moments before we heard the baby's lustful cry as she took her first breath of air. Minutes later, she was all pink, a lovely color after the initial gray-blue before she took in some air. Michael said, "Jennie Lou, you make that look so easy."

It's true! My daughter gives birth with undeniable grace.

The rest of the day was joyful with celebration. First, Papa said, "What is her name?"

"Clare Olivia," said Anna Mae, and Mama and Papa looked at each other and nodded.

Then Anna Mae ran to the big house to announce the news. August came first to see his new sister. Granddaddy was getting the other children washed up before bringing them over. Slowly they all trooped in, wide-eyed with wonder. After a short visit, they left to go back to the big house for quiet time while the midwives got JL and Clare out of the tub.

About an hour-and-half after the birth, the two were ready to come back to the big house, and when rest time was over, there was a birthday party for Clare with one candle in a cheesecake. After the kids opened their party favors, they each took a turn holding their new sister.

The were now a family of 10.

I am so awed by the wonder of birth and feel blessed to have been part of the incredible team who assisted in Clare Olivia's arrival.

Clare Olivia's Birth Day

Clare Olivia was born at home on July 8, her great-grandpa Stasiu's birthday (87 years ago). she weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches.

Dearma is leaving momentarily to lend a hand with the household's morning routine. Apparently they are without water again. But there was plenty of water for the birth tub yesterday and Papa will have the problem fixed up soon with an alternate pump he just purchased.

Watch for Dearma's version of the birth story in the next day or so. For now, here are some pictures.

1st picture-Clare Olivia seconds after birth in her happy mother's arms (still in the birth tub). 2nd picture- during the new born exam about an hour later.
3rd picture= all pinked up and snuggled in baby clothes.

Waiting

Boy, I sure have accomplished a lot staying close to home and waiting for this baby to come. Here is a bulleted list of the big stuff I've done.

• Completed several major writing projects and wrote 3 play reviews;
  
• Organized all of my freelance business files;
  
• Created a marketing plan for my book that's due to arrive any day;
  
• Organized my computer files;
  
• Moved plants in the yard (transplanting is among my favorite garden tasks);
• Worked on my drip irrigation system, repairing drippers and adding water where needed;
  
• Planted seeds to create a patio oasis that mimics the urban meadow I saw in Portland;
  
• Cleaned up several unsightly nooks and corners in my yard;
  
• Hauled off 2 trash cans and 2 wheelbarrows full of slash;
  
• Assisted our elderly neighbor with some yard work he can no longer manage;
  
• Washed and cleaned all of the yard furniture;
  
• Helped Cindy repair a leaky faucet;
  
• Returned items to OSH and Payless Shoe Source;
  

And we did all the usual stuff, like paying bills, doing the laundry and the big monthly shopping excursion. Cindy even commented that I didn't have my usual pained expression as we did the shopping, except maybe when we were in Wal-Mart which was so crowded it was claustrophobic.

I've also caught up on reading my periodicals, including reading the newspaper cover to cover each night. I've read 2 books and done some research in a few others. I've surfed the Internet and caught up on email. And we've watched a couple of movies and more than half a season of "Bones," a program about a forensic anthropologist that my sister watches that sounded fun so I rented it from Netflix.

This extreme level of efficiency feels great. Just wish I could maintain it after the baby arrives.

Cactus Flower

This morning when I hauled the garbage cans to edge of the driveway, I saw that one of my cactus plants had a flower. I knew the flower was coming because it is preceded by a furry little bud. Like most cacti, the bloom is short lived, no longer than a day, so I was delighted that my early morning outing was rewarded by this sight. For some reason all of my cacti and succulents are blooming this year. Perhaps it's the overall dryness of the year that prompted them to flower in a wonderful display. Even my Aloe plant, which has never bloomed, sported three interesting orangish-yellow spiky flowers this year.

The cactus that was blooming this morning has a history as do many of my graden plants. I bought this guy at the yard sale the Tippett family held to raise money to bring Leon and Aliou to the US. The cactus was donated by Michael's mother, who is also a Patricia. It quickly found a home by my back gate where it has been making babies for two years, but it had not flowered in the two previous summers that I had it. This is the second bloom on the plant this year, but I saw only a wilting version of the last one, making this morning's flower all the more special.

Many flowers in my garden were acquired from others—coming as gifts or cuttings or from thinning projects. The sweet little yellow irises came from Jenny who got them from her grandma's yard. She also gave me some hens-n-chicks this year. I have another species of hens-n-chicks that August pulled from his mother's garden for me when he was 5. I have Lambs Ear from Pam and Allium from Christine and Love-in-a Mist from Trish. Jennie Lou gave me three of my four crepe myrtles which have shot up this year and are blooming already. When I took a gardening class, we prepared several cuttings for cultivation which have survived in my yard: artemisa, a mosquito repelling geranium, and two other plants I can't remember the name of but which are doing wonderfully well. Since we moved into a house formerly owned and gardened by our friend Doralyn, I also have plants that she cultivated: irises, mums, star jasmine, and roses, along with the trees, i.e. fruitless mulberries and ornamental plum.

The vibrant flower display is waning now that summer is coming on stronger, but I have planted the garden so that there is some kind of color all the way until November. Sometimes when there are fewer blooms, they are even more special-- like the single cactus flower this morning.

Happy Independence Day!

The Cream Puff Birthday

For Culley's birthday, Andrea made cream puffs. We sang Happy Birthday at Brentwood Lake, and Culley blew out the flame on a lighter held by Andrea. After we ate the puffs, we ran races in the sand. The big guys raced around the lake. Then we played volleyball until dark (no pictures of that).

2nd Born

Today is Culley's birthday. Thirty-six years ago when he was born during a heat wave and county-wide power failure, I was delighted to have a boy child. His arrival meant that I had one child of each gender. I can't remember if I had hopes and dreams for this child. but I do know that all he has become is certainly better than anything I could have imagined.

Here are a few things that I admire about my 2^nd born:

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• He taught himself to play the banjo and is the major impetus behind a weekly music night;
  
• He bakes bread all winter and made superb dinner rolls for Thanksgiving this year;
  
• He enjoys food preparation, everything from making sauerkraut to creative sandwiches for lunch;
  
• He gardens with gusto and intelligence, trying out all manner of plants and methods;
  
• He developed a successful website that is related to teaching--Flashcard Exchange;
  
• He partnered with Andrea, one of the most beautiful women I know who taught me how to not to take Culley's grumpiness personally;
  
• He adores his children and cuddles them with glee;
  
• He's a smart money manager and watches the US (and world) economic horizon skeptically;
  
• He takes care of me, giving generously at unexpected moments.
  

I love the way Culley latches on to an idea or project with his heart and soul, eating, drinking, and thinking it to fruition.

Happy Birthday my son!!