THANKSGIVING MILESTONE!
On November 29, 2015
By Barbara
France with Friends
On September 25, 2015
By Barbara
I had a wonderful week at a chateau in the countryside near Lautrec (9/18-23) with 9 other friends of Catherine Carr, to celebrate her birthday. Catherine & I met in nursing school, then became midwives & dear friends.
Mornings at the Chateau D’Aragon began with a trip into the village for fresh croissants & pain aux raisins or citron. Then over our coffee or tea & pastries we’d decide who was going where with whom. I saw some of Toulouse, Castres, Carcassone, & Albi, & hiked “The Crests” tour around Lautrec. Each evening we had a fabulous dinner cooked by Cousin John, one of the party who’s a professional chef from San Francisco.
The actual birthday celebration featured a chocolate mousse cake from the local patisserie & the surprise announcement to Catherine that we had established a scholarship in her name through the American College of Nurse Midwives.
Many thanks to Nicole for taking good care of all our clients while I was having such a great time!
Catherine and Barbara hiking around Lautrec
We made crowns out of sparkly pipe cleaners for the party – here’s my royal look!
A fun few days at the Jersey Shore
On August 15, 2015
By Barbara
Here is Barbara sharpening her eye-hand coordination at the Silverball Arcade.
Barbara, her sister, & grandkids after a round of mini-golf
A Wonderful Week in London
On June 21, 2015
By Barbara
M.O.B.
On April 16, 2015
By Barbara
Barbara, daughter Jen & her husband Tim at the wedding reception
Clementine, Kendall & Kieran top off the wedding festivities with homemade butter pecan ice cream at Grandma’s house, after midnight
A Weekend in Virginia with My Granddaughter
On February 23, 2015
By Barbara
Just back from Charlottesville, Virginia, where I visited my granddaughter Kendall, a freshman at the University of Virginia. Snow snow snow there all day Saturday – lovely, but tough going. We decided against a visit to Monticello (next time!) and the official tour of the university was cancelled, so I got an unofficial tour from Kendall. Thomas Jefferson’s “Academical Village” is beautiful. Kendall’s aunt, my younger daughter Jen Pahlka (founder and CEO of Code for America) came down Saturday night after a speech in DC. By that time the snow had turned to sleet and the roads were ice-covered, so we had a perilous trip from the train station after picking her up! But it was great to be able to have dinner and then breakfast the next day with both of them. My journey home on Amtrak featured snowy fields and forests under blue skies all the way up the NE Corridor. I love train travel!
Our Numbers for 2014
On January 29, 2015
By Barbara
- 54 total deliveries, of which 45 were vaginal
- 1 of these was a vacuum delivery
- 2 of these were VBAC’s (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)
- 3 other patients who had previously had a Cesarean birth had a repeat Cesarean
- 1 = prolapsed cord
- 1 = breech
- 1 = non-reassuring fetal heart rate tracing
- 6 patients had primary Cesarean deliveries
- 5 of these were for non-reassuring fetal heart rate tracings.
Several had meconium and/or a cord around the neck. - 1 of these was for a 10 lb. 8 oz baby
- 5 of these were for non-reassuring fetal heart rate tracings.
- Of the vaginal births, 32 women had no stitches
- 7 had a first degree perineal laceration which was repaired
- 6 had a second degree perineal laceration which was repaired
Unexpected Start for the New Year
On January 13, 2015
By Barbara
A week after I returned from my holiday visit to Tulsa, I got a call from my sister Jeanie that my father was in the ER with severe pain in the right temple and uncontrollable vomiting. I finished my office hours on Monday, December 29th, and booked a ticket back to Tulsa the next day. Dad was in bad shape when I arrived, on codeine around the clock for the pain. He had a hemorrhage in his right eye, causing such pressure in the eyeball that it couldn’t even be measured. He had eye surgery on Friday and was much better by the time I flew back on Sunday. I left him with a freezer full of single-portion servings of the food I know he likes – when under stress, I cook. His vision is slowly returning, and we are hoping for the best. Won’t know for a couple of weeks how much he will be able to see, but already he can walk his beloved dogs, Buddy and Sandy, and maneuver around the house.
Nicole was there for me in this emergency, and I can’t thank her enough for stepping in and managing 3 labors in 5 days, 2 at once the day I was on the plane coming back! We had 7 clients due in the month of January – how crazy is it that 3 people had their kids while I was gone! She did a fantastic job with some long hard labors, and all the babies got born vaginally. She has earned her place as a CBS midwife par excellence!
My sister Daphne, my Dad (before eye problem), me, granddaughter Kendall, grandson Kieran, daughter Amy
Happy 2015 to ALL !
On January 8, 2015
By Barbara
Me & My Dad
On December 22, 2014
By Barbara
I spent 5 wonderful days with my father in Tulsa just before Christmas. My sister Daphne flew in from Chicago, and we got to have lunch with our sister Jeanie. My older daughter, Amy, her husband, and my grandkids Kendall and Kieran were around as well, so it was a family-centric get-away. Lots of good food and holiday cheer. Wishing you all the best for this special season – Barbara
Daphne, Dad, and me