A very Merry Christmas in the Philippines

Christmas day turned out to be very special. It was just us three Americans and my puppy Clover, because the filipino staff went home to their families. We started the day with a breakfast feast and then moved up stairs to open gifts.  All three of us love stockings, so we had decided to buy fun little things for each other to put in them. We were also expecting some packages from friends and family at home and we each received one before Christmas. I had also wrapped up a little something for Clover and I think that we enjoyed watching her tear it open the best :)

Christmas day 2011
Tianne, Emily, Sara & Clover

After finishing up sharing gifts, we turned the TV on to see if any Christmas movies would be playing. To my delight the Muppet Christmas Carol was showing at 1pm. So, We settled in for a lazy afternoon. About an hour later the dogs started barking and because Sara was next up she moseyed down stairs to check, Emily followed.  I stayed to continue watching, figuring that if it was a labor they wouldn't need me for a bit.  Boy was I wrong!  Soon a hear Emily, calling my name, asking me to text Georgia, our boss. As I am heading down the stairs she calls; "if you want to see the baby be born you had better get in here right now!" I quickly entered the birth room and assisted the birth of a baby boy 2 minutes later.

A few hours after this another labor came in, this one for Emily, she was only about 5cm. I also, really wanted to catch a Christmas baby, but was pretty sure that it just wouldn't happen.  Georgia kept telling me that mine would come (I don't know how she knew). I was just about to go up stairs at just after 5pm when another woman in labor came to the door. This one was for me!  Less then 10 minutes later I had my hands on the emerging new baby, as he slipped into the world. What an amazing privilege to be a midwife on Christmas day. To witness the miracle of birth and be reminded in a very vivid way of how the Savior of the world was born all those nights ago!

Emily's patient delivered just over 3hrs after mine.  It was a busy, but rewarding Christmas for all three of us.  I praise God for blessing me with a wonderful Christmas that will be treasured in my memory for years to come.  

Three sweet babies born on Christmas day
From left to right: Emily with baby Jessica, Me with baby Regie, and Sara with baby Gabriel  

The stockings were hung on the desk with care

Me and my Christmas baby, Regie
(When this photo was taken I was really tired, hence the messy hair and sleepy look)

Christmas night, 3 new babies in just over 6hrs

Fruit smoothies for Breakfast

And Omelets 

Gotta taste test!  YUM! Banana, mango, papaya, pineapple, buko and yogurt yumminess  

Breakfast is served; Biscuits with sausage gravy, omelets and smoothies  

Sniff, sniff, tear, tear...

More sniffing and more tearing...

Oh, oh, what could it be?

A leash and a toy!

Opening a gift

Clover had fun in the wrapping paper

I had fun teasing Clover with the wrapping paper

Clover got to sneak up stairs to celebrate Christmas with us

Sara read us the Christmas story
"Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.  Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

O Lord, you're beautiful, 

Your face is all I see,

For when your eyes are on this child,

Your grace abounds on me.

Pacak Outreach

One of the things I did for my breastfeeding class is a combined
 health teaching with Sara, at Pacak Village

We would rotate asking the women a question and they would answer what they thought.
Then we would talk about it, regardless if they answered correctly or not.

The women really seemed to enjoy the class and it was surprising to see
what they knew and thought about different aspects of breastfeeding.

Sara and I made a breast and doll out of a pair of socks.
I used it to help demonstrate proper position and latch.

I really enjoy doing health teachings and can really see how God has prepared me though the adult education classes I taught in Didinga my second year serving there.

Thanksgiving

I started the cooking with pumpkin pie

yum, yum, yum

my brother, Trevon, was always the champion pumpkin pie
baker growing up

But this pie would have given his a run for the best :)  I even
made mine from a fresh pumpkin, not a can :)

Georgia cutting the Thanksgiving "turkey"
(which was really 3 chickens)

Emily putting her cherry pie into the oven

Delicious!!!!

The food is ready!

Menu; Roasted chicken, stuffing, green bean casserole, corn casserole,
Sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, cranberry sauce,
gravy and of course rice.  For desert; Pumpkin pie, cherry pie and apple pie

Me stuffing the "turkey"

Emily stuffing the "Turkey"

Emily and I made the stuffing, which turned out amazing!  We dried the bread
in the oven, cooked the giblets, added spices, dried apples and cranberries my
mom had sent me and even had celery!  It turned out perfect :)

Pie crust in the making

Emily's cherry pie was amazing!

Fresh out of the oven and ready to cut and eat

Georgia with her mother in-law

We celebrated American Thanksgiving on Saturday November 26th.  There was only 4 Americans present, but we enjoyed sharing our day of thankfulness along side one Canadian and many Filipinos.  Praise God for wonderful food and many blessings!  To add to the blessing of the day we had a patient who safely delivered a breech baby that same day.
I wish we had gotten a group picture of all who enjoyed the meal, but no one thought of that at the time.  

"I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth." Psalm 57:9-11