Catch of the Day!

Today I had my first real Catch! Little Al John was born at 7:18am Monday morning to the proud parents of Marivic and R.J...AHH it was so fun!



First little bath, he is so cute!


Just a little tired:)

One Fish Two Fish!!!

Sunday Morning the girls and I headed to the clinic, Alma was in labor (finally might I add). The labor went great and beautiful baby Joseph was born at 1:45pm Mia gracfully put him on his mothers belly and started watching for the placenta when we noticed THAT IT WAS TWINS! We were so suprised and so excited, Almas Face was shocked, it was priceless. 2:10pm baby Yosuah was born and joind his brother with mom. So fun! TWINS, can you believe it?


Our beautiful midwife Gerlene

Momma and her boys

This is Yosuwa, and i know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but if i had to.........

Singin in the Rain!

It pored here in Manila, it was amazing and we had a blast!

Yesterday

The sunset falls
Over cradel and all

Panic, disparity awakens debris
Crowning of thorns, she tries to breath

A war has begun over this home
Once so warm, life bearing has become this capstone

Working together, the perfect unison lost
Blood marks its territory, welcoming the frost

Baby is born, a soul returns to her maker
They pleaded for so long, and He chose to take her

Debris for a minute froze in mid-air
A little soul floats up to heaven as the time stood still

A candle will be lit, a prayer will be sung
How I wish I were that note in heaven to be hung

I grieve over the life that salted the earth
My prayers go to those assisting this life changing birth

O, precious death, angels rejoice
Dancing, dancing now worshipping in one voice

Yesterday a baby died.

Alexandra Kim, Mia for short

Monday morning we got a call at 4:30am to go out on a birth. Magnolia was in labor, I was so excited about this birth especially, I have been doing continuity care with her since we first met in early February. We arrived to her house and she delivered at about 6:18 am to a beautiful little baby girl, who was later named Alexandra Kim, Mia for nickname. I was honored that Magnolia would name her little baby girl after us girls. Ah I was so happy, I started doing little baby Alex’s newborn exam when Magnolia asked Gerlene, My midwife, if little Alex was born with any deformities, she then proceeded to confess that two months prior tried to abort her baby. A look of guilt glazed her eyes, I felt even more honored to share a name with this survivor, I later told Magnolia that I was so happy that she had this little miracle, she smiled and agreed. Here's the deal, I'm not asking for sympathy for Magnolia, just understanding, if I didn’t know her it would be easy for me to think, how could she… but after meeting her, spending time in her home, she is as human as I am, and she did this out of disparity, why cant these women who are stuck in poverty have a chance to let life live, why does the cycle of poverty seem to never end with or without abortion? Why did she feel so trapped that choosing to take an abortive drug to dispel little Alex at 32 weeks of life seems to be the only answer? Magnolia is very special to me and a light in her little community, my hopes in writing this is not to get opinions on the issue of abortion, but more for us to look as these women as real women who feel trapped, desperate and just want a rescuer. Ah enough of that…Look how cute she is!

Support your local Halo Halo

So I found my new obsession that has almost taken the place of my coffee addiction, Halo Halo. It’s a Jell-O slash bean slash icy milky goodness mixed drink, Halo Halo by name, amazingness by description. At this stand we are greeted by about twenty little Filipino kids who laugh at us and our obsession to their average summer drink that we rave about. The lady that owns this little local stand knows to expect us and she knows that I like my Halo Halo without Taro on top, which is a mystery purple tar like substance that I like to stay away from, it's just safer this way. The girls and I come daily, twice even on Saturday’s before we go to the clinic for prenatals, where Gerlene, our midwife, expects us to come rolling in around 2 pm with our Halo Halo in hand. . So I guess you could say that I found my own little piece of Zander's O-town style here in Manila to keep me sane and alive.

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

I Love these little babes:)