The fast entry of baby #17

It was midnight when my head hit my pillow, "Please Lord" I prayed as I drifted off to sleep,"Do not have a labor text until morning." I was in the middle of an active dream (that I can't remember) when the "boyfriend" sounded. Instantly alert I reached over to read the text. "ahhh" I thought as I noticed the time, "it is 4:30am, God let me get a little sleep." The text was in ilocano and while I couldn't read most of it, I recognized enough words to know it was a labor texting.

She told me her contractions were every 10 minutes apart, so I advised her to wait until they were closer together. Her chart told me she was a G2 (second baby) and when she didn't text back, I began to wonder if she was on her way. I went back to bed, but left my door open so I would hear if someone pulled up. Sure enough a few moments after placing my head back on my pillow, I heard the dogs barking and the roar of a vehicle pulling up. Jumping out of bed I pulled my scrub top on (I had left on my scrub pants) and hurried back downstairs.


The labor who was texting had arrived and looked very active. Upon doing the ie I discovered she had no cervix left on the bottom and a cervixal lip from 9-3 on top of about 8cm. Her water had not broke yet and her contractions were strong. I advised her to try hands and knees position and rest her upper body on the birth ball. This helps the remaining cervix to dilate. She found that uncomfortable and asked to walk. 

In the early morning air she attempted to breath through her contractions, but it soon became obvious that her body was taking over and she was baring down. "I think the baby is coming" she told me as I was about to suggest we head back inside. Upon laying down on the bed there was already 2cm visible of the bag of water. I was advised to break her water because the baby's heart tones were a little low, 2 minutes later a new baby boy slipped into my hands and entered the world. That proud mama only pushed for about 3 minutes and she had her baby only 27 minutes after arriving! I am sure glad she listened to her body and came in when she did.


Because the baby was breathing a bit too fast and his color a tinge pale we ended up transporting to the hospital. I went and visited them this afternoon and he was on an IV drip. His mom told me the doctor said he has an infection and will have to stay in the hospital for a week. His breathing and color looked better and I am sure he is going to be just fine. 


Proud daddy was too shy to be in a photo, but 3 year old big sister wasn't :) Praise God for the wonders of new life and that I get to be apart of it. 

Thankful Thursday

I am ready for my break. Simple as that. 

I still have assignments to do, tests to take and other duties, yet I feel the coming break and I long for it.

I spend my limited time gazing out the window, longing for a cool breeze and a familiar face. 

I feel my impatience growing and my peace leaving. 

Yet He whispers in my ear, Tianne, this break is not your future, I AM. Don't cling to a coming time. Cling to Me, cling to me right now.  

Today I am thankful for: 

The beauty that surrounds me 

For the opportunity to spend my life serving Jesus 

For the grace He has given me that I do not deserve 

I am thankful for the hope of eternal life spent with Him!

Dancing in the rain

As the rain came down it beckoned me to come and play. It had been raining every day in the evening for the last few days, but this was the first rain without lightening joining it. Come, each droplet said, come and play with me. I made excuses in my head of why I couldn't, but it called on. "I'll do check on Clover", I thought as I meandered toward the door.




Once outside I saw the rain pouring off the roof in big splashes. Ok I'll just run in it one time. Before I knew it, I had ran though the rain countless times and my cloths were drenched. I laughed, I danced, I spun as my bare feet splashed through puddles of water and the rain ran down my face. The cares and pressures of this world washed away with each drop of rain that hit me.

As the moment passed I slipped back inside. Water dripped from me, as I stepped back into life. It was a lovely time away spent lost in a moment, where life seemed to stand still. Thank you rain for beckoning me to come and play. Thank you Jesus for these sweet moments that refresh my soul, I loved dancing in the rain with you today. 

Eagle - goodbye my dear friend

I remember his nose eagerly coming over the stall wall. A uniquely colored appy stallion, but I wasn’t there to see him. I was there to see his curly babies and when my friend and I left that day I never expected our paths to cross again, but they did. His owners decided to donate him to the school I was attending and I was to be the one to train him. He was gelded the day he arrived and I met him the next. His name was Eagle a 97% foundation bred appaloosa.  

We spent the next 8 months together. I was the trainer, but he trained me in many ways. He was stubborn and sensitive at the same time.  I remember working in the round pen with him, placing the bit in his mouth & the saddle on his back for the first time. I was the first person to sit on his back; he didn’t even attempt to buck. I remember the feeling when he finally laid down for me. I slid off his neck, hugged his head and spent many long hours working together. I shed many tears on his shoulder that year and many laughs. At the end of the school year I decided I couldn’t part with him, so I bought him and hauled him to Wyoming with my other horse, Romeo.

I spent many hours on Eagles back that summer, winding with a string of mules on craggy mountain paths.  He had a quick step and a smooth trot. We did our job well together. Him and Romeo became good friends and we continued our journey home that fall. I had dreams of doing some endurance rides on but never found the time to do it. But I would take him out on the trail and pretend we were training for a long race.

Because I was moving to Africa I decided I should part with him to help save money. With tears in my eyes and great emotion I loaded him into the trailer and drove him to his new home. Over a year later while I was still in Africa, a friend went to pick him up, as the home wasn’t working out.  When I was home for 4 months that fall I spent time riding and loving on him. My future was up in the air and I didn’t want to part with him again so I asked my parents to keep him a while longer. After returning to Africa I felt God calling me to serve him full time in Africa and I knew it was time to part with my horses for good.

My mom being the wonderful mom that she is took on the task of finding Eagle a new home. A wonderful family decided he would fit wonderfully with their other horses.  I was sad to say goodbye again, but filled with thankfulness that God had provided such a wonderful family to be Eagles forever home. For the last 2 years Eagle has been loved and happy at his new home. I visited him last summer while I was home and got to ride him, lay him down and hug his head. I never imagined that it would be the last time.

This past winter Eagle has been sick with kidney stones. His family has been working diligently to help him heal and feel better. Today my mom informed me that the vet was out to look at him and she found a watermelon sized cancerous tumor on his bladder. He has to be put down.  I wish I could hug him and bury my nose in his hair one last time. I am sad and my heart is heavy. Yet, I am thankful that God blessed me with such a wonderful four-legged friend. I learned so much from Eagle and through working with him I became more kind and gentle, more like Jesus. Goodbye my dear sweet friend, I will always hold you close to my heart.