The New Woman

I do indeed feel like a new woman these days. It's been almost 2 months since I've posted and I'm not even going to try to catch up other than to tell a bit about Havila's birth. Other than that, I think I'll just start talking about my life right now and see if it's worth publishing as a blog when I'm done.

Havilah was born a tad after 9 p.m. on the 23rd of June. I think that was a Thursday. I'd been having contractions off and on since the Saturday before. I kept thinking that maybe this was it, and it never was. But on Thursday "things" didn't stop and the baby was getting pretty low and by six we found ourselves in the labor room.

The nurses told me that it was going to go fast. After 24 hours of back labor with Jube I was rather dubious and decided I'd believe it when I saw it. Dr. Supriya couldn't make it that evening so another doctor delivered the baby. I asked to have my water broken and they seemed relieved that I'd asked. That sped things up even more and the baby came out before I knew it. Things always seem faster after you start pushing don't they?

Our doctor was a nice lady--but looking back I think the nurse did most of the work. When I asked to have my water broken, the doctor did so. And I think she cut the cord. And she visited me the next morning as a routine thing to make sure bleeding was okay, etc. Other than that...well, everything went so smoothly that I'm pretty sure the nurses could have done it quite well on their own.

And the funny thing was, the nurses were all rather relaxed and cool and the room didn't fill up with nine people other than Dru and I and the baby the minute she came out. Very Odd. In fact, between contractions (I had plenty of time between them and they actually slowed down a tad between the initial pushes) once I noticed that all the equipment was in the room and there were about 5 people standing around watching quietly. I asked Dru what was going on and he said, "I think they think the baby is coming soon." I was still dubious. And I felt a little conspicuous being watched like that. "So much for dignity," I told Dru.

Then she was out and I held her for a bit and Dru went out with her when they weighed her and stuff. Actually, he came back in and told me he'd been flirting with the nurses. Then he explained that the nurses were all rather impressed with his Thai ability and I guess they just had fun weighing the baby and Dru got to tell them not to put the silly eye drops in, etc. With Jube he had to tell the pediatrician that he was going to come watch--and insist upon it. I was left alone in the room for a bit and it was just dawning on me that I was no longer pg and that I'd just pushed a baby out and we hadn't been in the hospital for ages before it happened--and I was beginning to feel a bit smug about it when Dru came in and told me a looked smug.

They waited a while before letting me go up to recovery so Dru and Havilah and I spent some time together than when I did go up they wheeled me up because I was feeling rather weak. When I got up there I took a shower and almost passed out on Dru a couple times but it was lovely to be clean.

Anyway, it all went very well and smoothly. She (7 pounds 2 ounces) was littler than Jube was by around ten ounces--and it made a difference. No tears whatsoever which made life super comfortable as far as sitting...I didn't worry at all about position and sat however I pleased. It was amazing.

I came home and waited for a week and a half to start getting my energy back. I thought I was going to come home a new woman after a long hard pregnancy and I didn't really feel any newer at all. I drank chlorophyll and that didn't give any immediate help, but I do think it gave a big boost in the long run. But I was feeling pretty sad there for a while and thought perhaps I'd be weak, tired, and sickly forever--and doing some crying and asking God why...all that. Even doing some soul searching to see if there was some specific sin in my life for which I was being chastised. Then it suddenly all got better.

It is AMAZING how fast I can work when I don't have to work around a HUGE THING out front of me. And my strength is coming back. I went out last Saturday and swept our concrete driveway, cleaned up the garage, and raked the lawn. Stuff I'd only longed to do before. (All that activity was actually inspired by reading Debi Pearls book. More on that later.)

I'm reading my Bible more and quiet time is coming alive again. And I'm falling in love with my man again. No, I did not fall out of love with him--but I think most women who've been pregnant know what I mean. Funny though, I'm having to put an effort forward to be a good wife. I needed a boost, some inspiration and perspective--so I dug out my Debi Pearl book. She is ouchfully honest. She talks about the dumb-duck wife. I came down and asked Dru how he managed to marry a dumb-duck woman. My mother isn't one, I know better. (A dumb-duck woman is one who doesn't seem to be able to do any of her own household fixing or lawn work, etc.) And after that I went out and did the yard work and it looks very nice. Next I shall tackle that pesky flower bed that will only grow luscious green weeds. I'm even going to try running the lawn mower and weed eater. (Watch me run over the lawn mower cord.) Dru would actually like to be able to keep up with all the lawn stuff, and he kind of thinks it's men's work. But he's got a big work load right now and I enjoy it when I put my mind and body to it--so why not?

Speaking of Dru's work load! We had a rediculously full week last week and I lived through it. I committed my days to the Lord one by one and it was all okay in the end. Alltogether, Dru had to prepare 11 English lesson plans, three of his mornings were full chaperoning IGo students teaching English at schools here in the city, Thursday evening we had supper at a Thai home, he had to attend a prayer/evangelistic meeting on Friday night, and Saturday was prep for teaching Sunday school and preaching. WOW! To top it all off, he went to bed last Sunday night with a fever. It went away Monday but he didn't feel real well all week and yesterday he was complaining of a very sore throat and this morning he took pain killer for a headache.

Again, we see changes in the future and need wisdom for decisions. Actually, it seems like about the time you have the big decisions taken care of there are more, doesn't it? So we're thinking about those decisions--but it's okay. They feel so much more "think aboutable" now that the baby's here and my brains are back.

So we're busy, happy, and still alive on our side of the planet. Oh, and go for baby pics here: picasaweb.google.com/druseth/HavilahGlory02 (Sorry, I couldn't get it to link the "right" way.)