July 20, 2006

I have added a few blogsites of children whose stories I've been following. Some babies have survived this horrible CDH birth defect and others, "angels", have not. For those of you who are interested, these families have awe-inspiring as well as heart-breaking stories to tell. I admire each and every one of these wonderful families and the painful journeys they've taken with their sick babies.

Love, ~Tanaya~

From Jeannie:

Thanks so much for your prayers. Shahala and Peter had their baby girl yesterday. Shahala did an amazing job. Shahala’s dear friend, Anna-Karen’s daughter and Judah Southmayd’s Aunty, helped with the coaching. Peter, Anna and I all had tears in our eyes when Zion Reign gazed into her mommy’s eyes while the doctor tended to some last minute details and did some stitching. I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to be part of a really good birth experience after the trauma of the past few months.

It was very exciting to show up at the hospital yesterday morning and find that our nurse was Kathy, the wonderful girl who saved Silas’ life (and Tanaya’s) by pushing him out of the womb. (She had to straddle Tanaya on the bed and use her whole weight to push on Tanaya’s tummy and she ended up breaking Silas’ collarbone to do it because he was stuck so tightly!) Kathy and her student nurse, Ashley, took very good care of us. Shahala was magnificent. The doctor didn’t need to give her anything to induce labor, just break her water, because she was already having contractions and partially dilated. Shahala has had such a rocky pregnancy she wasn’t sure she’d be able to go through everything without drugs or an epidural, but she did it totally on her own. Ashley was raving about how well Shahala did. And when that baby figured out how to nurse---it took about five seconds—Kathy bragged about having to wipe off dried milk from Zion’s lip when she gave the wee one her first bath at two hours old. Zion Reign weighs seven pounds five ounces and is twenty inches long. She was born at 1:44 pm on Tuesday and I got to press the buzzer that sends a lullaby throughout the hospital to let everyone know that a new baby is born. Zion’s grandparents—both sets—are still arguing about who she looks like but we all agree she is very cute!

Tanaya and Nurse Kathy had a tearful reunion after Shahala’s delivery. As a matter of fact, people were coming from all parts of the hospital to talk to Tanaya and Albert about Silas. Albert works there and the staff has been so supportive of the Kyne family through Silas’ long illness. Silas wowed a few of them in the parking lot where a breeze was blowing germs in a different direction.
Karen (Judah’s grandmother) was driving home from Portland when we called her with the news, and she started sobbing with relief and joy. I thank God that our two families have been able to support each other through our struggles. I don’t know if you folks knew that Karen’s daughter, Naomi, delivered twins while Silas was in the NICU in Portland, so even though their arms are empty because of Karen’s daughter, Rachel Southmayd’s baby Judah’s passing, they are filled with thriving Johnny and Zoe.

Karen has been an errand girl between Portland and the Rogue Valley for a new friend of Tanaya’s in Ashland who has twin babies that are allergic to anything but human milk. Tanaya has rallied all the NICU mothers to donate their stored breast milk for these precious babies. Becky, who has been pumping milk for Joshua since January 28, has filled cooler after cooler with frozen milk. Baby Nanette’s mother, Joanne, and others are pitching in, too.

Caleb is feeling a little better. His road rash is healing and his bones don’t feel as sore. Trevor is helping him finish his drywall job in the evenings and they expect to be done on Saturday. Trevor works for the Southmayd’s now, installing granite countertops. He couldn’t continue in the drywall business because he needed his evenings and weekends free for his ministry to the Junior High kids at Living Waters Church.

I must run and help the Kyne family get organized for moving out. Their room will be available for Mary Duke, Trevor’s third grade teacher—and a best friend of mine—who is coming tomorrow from California for a visit to help us figure out different ways to teach Micah to read. Mary specialized in teaching children with dyslexia (a politically incorrect term these days). She did wonders with Trevor and is anxious to see him again. It has been fourteen years since we’ve seen her.

Thank you all for praying for our extended family and friends. This has been a busy and productive season for our family, with lots of stretches along the way, but is has only drawn us closer to each other, and to our Lord Jesus, our sustainer. God bless you.

Love, Jeannie