13 April 2009
Mike is discharged
Jade
08 April 2009
New Update on Mike
Please pray for wisdom for the doctors so that they can find out exactly what happened and treat it in the best way possible.
Please pray for strength, peace, and comfort for Mike and Debby as they process through this. Also, for wisdom as they decide what to do about moving to TN to be closer to family.
Please pray for healing and protection for Mike.
Please pray for Mike's work and their finances. All of the illness's have prevented him from being able to work as much and this is hitting them hard financially. Also please pray for their house to sell to free them from that financial burden and allow them to buy something in Clarksville.
Thank you all for your faithful support, prayers, and encouragement!
Jade
Please pray for wisdom for Mike and Debby as they
07 April 2009
Update on Mike
Jade
Please Pray for Mike Burdette
Emman or I will post updates as we find out more. Thank you we are so blessed to have so many praying for us! We covet your prayers and support.
God bless you, Jade
27 February 2009
Dad's Second Heart Cath
emman
10 February 2009
Dad is Home, BUT...
emman
09 February 2009
Update on Dad
emman
08 February 2009
Please Pray For My Dad
emman
25 December 2008
Radical Mission's First Annual Warm Souls Christmas
check out this article from our local newspaper about our Warm Souls Christmas we hosted on Christmas Eve! It was wonderful! God was present with us just as He was that night in the manger 2000 years ago.
Warm Souls Christmas
love you all!
23 September 2008
The Birth Story of Savanna Zoe Ioanna Chapman
Ultrasound EDD from 05DEC
Her story really starts with a book. Debby, Emman’s mother, had been thinking for some time about becoming a doula, especially since they were planning on moving to
Anyway, as Debby completed the required reading list for DONA (Doulas of North America) she read a book called Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. She highly recommended I read it as well. I checked it out from our local library and read through it quickly. I knew that this was the birth experience I wanted. When I came to the end of the book, I read the about the author section on the inside of the back cover. When I read that she was in
The next morning I awoke at
Then, as is customary in our family, we posed outside the van for photos before loading up and taking off. On the way we called friends and family. We stopped just once for a potty break for Caleb. Caleb serenaded us pretty much the entire two hour drive with “BINGO”. Only it had many more “B I N G O, B I N G O, B I N G O, B I N G O, B I N G O, B I N G O” than I remember the original version of the song having, with only an occasional “there was a farmer who had a dog”. My contractions stayed about 10 minutes apart and 45 seconds long the entire trip. I called Carol and let her know we were on our way and she said she would have the cabin unlocked and ready for us and just to call her when we got in (there is a phone in the cabin for local calls to the midwives in order to allow for more privacy for the birthing family as well as quick access to the midwives if needed). We arrived at the cabin around
While waiting on dinner I starting rubbing my belly with each contraction. Let me tell you, that works amazingly well! As soon as I started rubbing, the contractions became a LOT stronger. They were now about 5 minutes apart but only 30 seconds long. By the end of dinner I didn’t want to rub anymore because the contractions were becoming very strong and painful. Contractions were now 2 minutes apart and 50 seconds long. I started to try to focus on relaxing through each one like we learned to do in Bradley class, but it was very difficult to concentrate on that with Caleb finishing dinner and getting ready for bed. We promised Caleb that we would wake him up if baby Zoe started to come while he was asleep so that he could watch (we had been preparing him for this and he was very excited about his new sister being born and how it was to happen). Caleb went to bed and I called Carol around
When Carol arrived she checked me and I was 3 cm dialated. At this point I stopped timing contractions and just tried to focus. I stood holding onto Emman and trying to relax through each contraction while he pushed on my lower back. I was finally feeling like I was starting to get a better focus and be able to relax through them, but I wasn’t quite there. Debby offered to braid my hair in two braids one on each side and I gladly obliged. Emman got me a cool rag for my neck and I sat on the bed while she fixed my hair, I would relax and lean over onto Emman during contractions and she would start braiding again when they ended. I was losing modesty and getting very warm. Once I was able to get focused and relax at the very start of each contraction, the pain went away! That’s right, each contraction felt like a blood pressure cuff being inflated around my belly, but as long as I focused and let my uterus work the way God intended it to and stopped stressing out about it, it didn’t hurt anymore!!! Labor from here on out was great! I was doing so well at relaxing that Carol asked if the contractions were getting easier or if I was just getting better control. Carol even told Debby that I was so relaxed she couldn’t tell where I was at in labor anymore.
It was then suggested that I try a birthing stool as it would put me in more of a squat position. Sitting in the chair did exactly what it was supposed to and the contractions became stronger and harder, it took even more focus to relax through them now. Some time later I tried lying on my side in the Bradley runner position. This was very painful on my lower back and so we switched to Emman sitting behind me and propping me up in an alternate labor position. By this point my legs were starting to shake uncontrollably which jostled my back (I have degenerative disc disease and several torn discs in my lower back) and caused great discomfort. Debby and Carol massaged my legs and Carol remarked excitedly that this must be transition. She wanted to check me since we were not advised to get into the birthing tub until I was 5 cm since the warm water often slows things down. She thought I must be at least 5 by now. It was
Emman and I took turns in the bathroom and then got in. I had one contraction after getting in while Emman was in the bathroom, then one or two more with him holding me up in the birthing tub. I then had a strong urge to push. I told Carol and asked Debby to get Caleb up. Carol asked if I was sure since I was only 7 going on 8 a few minutes ago. I said I was. She started to put on the birthing tub gloves (they come up to their elbows) to check my dialation and Emman reminded me that if I felt that I needed to push to do so as my body knew what to do. I started becoming a little frantic about Caleb being woken up as I knew that he was about to miss it. Debby ran upstairs to get him. I pushed with the next contraction; by this point the urge to push was so strong I could not have resisted if I tried. Carol had one glove on when she turned around and saw the head already crowning and decided that she had 2 choices: put on the other glove or catch the baby. She decided to catch the baby. At the same time Debby comes quickly downstairs with Caleb. I push once more and she is out. Caleb is in shock from being jolted awake and rushed down right as his sister pops out, I am relieved and Emman is nearly at muscle failure from holding me up! It is
We asked Caleb if he wanted to put on his swim trunks and get in the birthing tub and hold her, but he said no. He was still very shocked and not quite awake, also a little concerned about her crying and confused as to why everyone else thought it was fine. Sensing his nervousness about the crying and remembering the many rounds of BINGO just hours before, I told Caleb that he should sing BINGO to her since she would recognize his voice and had listened to him singing it on the way. He began to sing and lo and behold, she quieted down! (This would become his special song to her as he sings it to her any time she cries, most of the time it works, but only when he sings it!) Later Caleb exclaimed, “mommy just went ugh, and out came baby Zoe!” After several minutes, it seemed like at least a half hour, but I am sure it probably wasn’t that long, the placenta still had not come and Savanna Zoe’s blanket was all wet, and I was afraid the placenta wouldn’t come until I could relax and not be concerned about her getting too far under water, and Emman was shaking from muscle fatigue so I confirmed that the cord had stopped pulsing and requested Emman cut the cord, Caleb helped. I handed her to Debby. After I relaxed I felt another urge to push and the placenta finally came. Emman and I stood up to get out of the tub. This is when I apparently passed out.
"The most unexpected special blessing for me, was after Emman cut the cord, you handed her to me. It was such an honor to have you look in my eyes, smile & hand your precious newborn to me! I will never forget that moment or the look of trust in your eyes. I don't know that it was something you had thought about or planned. I think it just happened, but I thank you for it. I got to be the first to hold her after you, not a stranger in the hospital, but her very own Nana! I know you were unaware as you were passing out, but I held her and sang to her (and held her down low for Caleb to see) for a very long time as Carol, Sharon & Emman worked with you. There was tension building in the room & much rushing around concerning you. I was very conscious of trying to reassure and comfort her (& Caleb) that her Mommy was okay & that we all loved her very much and that all would be fine now that she was here. I remained calm so she & Caleb would hopefully sense my calm, not the tension in the room. Carol finally came to check her over, weigh & measure her as Sharon went to the kitchen to fix the eggs & toast. (I don't believe Sharon held her at all.) I diapered her (& maybe put a t-shirt on her, or was that later?). Carol wrapped her in fresh blankets and handed her back to me. When Emman was available to leave your side, I handed her to him."
When they weighed and measured her she was a whopping 8 lbs 10 oz and 20.5 inches long! Not the little girl I was expecting!
I woke up moments later on the bed with everyone staring at me! (This happened with Caleb too -passing out after birth- only we assumed that it was because I hadn’t had anything to eat or drink and such was not the case this time as I had been encouraged to eat and drink as I desired.)
Overall, this was one of the best experiences of my life! It was invigorating, empowering, encouraging, uplifting, and spiritual. During the Bradley classes as I read about women with “painless” labors, I thought, how can this be. After all hadn’t God commanded that women have pain in child birth due to the original sin? A word study on the passage revealed to me that the Hebrew word we have translated as pain in our Bibles is he same exact word that is later translated as hard work in regards to Adam’s side of the curse. I can say that focusing on relaxing and letting my body do what it is supposed to and what God intended it to do without interfering is hard work, but it wasn’t painful as long as I did these things and let go. This experience has taught me that life is the same. It is a whole lot of hard work to “let go and let God”, but it is often extremely painful when we don’t. I would highly recommend the Bradley method to anyone expecting a baby and would highly recommend The Farm midwives to anyone comfortable with that style of labor. It was exactly the experience I was hoping for! God is good and I feel so blessed for being able to experience the miracle of childbirth like this!
Praise God for His greatness and blessings!
Fillaree Jade Chapman