sleep is for the weak

Heather and Tara attempting to help Asianne relax

Thursday night and Friday night were no-sleep nights as one of the prenatal ladies attempted to deliver a baby and we attempted to stay awake to help her do it.

Beth McHoul can put away some coffee. Something about drinking coffee at 2am just doesn't sit right with me.  Eating spoonful after spoonful of Nutella is an entirely different story.  The fuel of champions I tell you. 

Those two nights were insanely long. The day that passed between them was darn long too.  Jonna and Beth were thankful that one lady was not in real labor and was sent home, leaving us with just this one never-ending labor.

That labor gave the word labor a whole new definition.  Poor Asianne really had a time of it.  I have been strongly considering beginning formal midwifery training in order to one day offer more than just Doula and Nutella services ....  but wow ... that was an entirely new look at labor for me.  I don't think I could do two-nighters very often.

Find sleep when you can, on any surface you can

Once it was all over and I'd pieced together a few small chunks of sleep, the real evidence of fatigue reared its ugly head on Saturday night.  I might have been slightly dramatic and irrational and it might be true that I was crying about how unattractive, unworthy, unlovable, and downright hideous I am. Troy the ever patient and loving man that he is just disagreed and said maybe I was over tired and not thinking clearly. He suggested I sleep and see if I still hated myself and the entire universe in the morning.

Asianne ended up needing transport and a C-Section. Thankfully both she and her new little girl are doing well tonight.  The next ladies due to deliver if you wish to pray for them by name: Dalonne, MontCarmelle, Enisse ...  Not that they always go in the order predicted.

We've been verbally preparing Enisse.  At 15 she is understandably afraid. She seemed pretty surprised when I told her next week could be the week.  Hopefully she settles into the reality of this prior to the first contraction.

This week I have a goal of getting photos of the entire Harbor House and every employee and resident and updating you on things there.  Goals are good.  We'll see if Haiti and laboring ladies allow for it. 

Troy with Harbor House Mom, Djenie and her son Kenny

We skipped church and headed to the beach as a family today.  It was so much fun.  The beach we went to is about five miles from where we lived our first two and a half years in Haiti and we used to go there a lot. The food was still sucktacular but the place is so beautiful we just don't care. Paige took some really fun photos, as soon as she gets them to me I'll try to share a few.  Haiti has mountains that drop straight into water, it is breathtakingly beautiful.

Before I head to bed, quick request ... Please pray for Troy's Mom and Dad  - Bob and Karen. You remember that they lost their son, Troy's little brother in November.  About two weeks ago they had just arrived to Florida for a vacation/break when they got a call that Karen's Dad had suffered a major stroke.  They left Florida immediately to go to be with Karen's parents.  They were with them for about two weeks and just left IL and headed home yesterday.  Today they got a call that Karen's Mom passed away.  I cannot imagine how weary they must feel tonight.  They will head back to IL tomorrow and need strength for the journey ahead.