Tuesday, May 13, 2008

• Happiness is.....

  
  A brand new baby!
  
  
  Introducing Nana Ama Ocran!  (Her "name" is her birth DAY (Ama is Saturday) in Ghana.  Her given name will be revealed on Sautrday in a naming ceremony that in their culture takes place one week after the baby is born.  Till then Johnstin is keeping tight lips on what it is.....Agnes doesn't even know!  In their culture the husband does the naming as well!)  She weighed exactly what Andrew weighed.....3.15kgs and as I held her I couldn't ever believe that Andrew was that small!
  
  
  Agnes, Johnstin, and Ama.......big sis Vero is in Ghana with the family.  Agnes will most likely join them in a months time.  She said that Vero has already told all her friends that she's a "big sister" now! 
  
  I was privilaged to stay with Agnes a bit in the begining stages of her labor.  Johnstin was running in and out taking care of the bills and getting her things together. She didn't want to be left alone as the room that she was in was a private one and rarely used (it costs about $30 a night)....she thought the nurses would forget her! We were also a bit concerned how Johnstin would do....he wasn't looking forward to being there and seeing her in so much pain (you'll be happy to know that he was in fact in the delivery room and was a trooper!).  So I stayed with her and we just chatted while we waited.  She told me about how as she was waiting for the nurses to ready her room that a lady in the bed next to her just had her baby right there in the bed.  The nurses came in and said, "You weren't supposed to have the baby now!"  Agnes said she almost ran out then and there!  Maun General isn't exactly a beautiful hospital.  It's been around since 1958 and it shows.  As her and I walked the halls (trying to get some progress) I walked passed roughly 30 women who were either in stages of labor or had just given birth. I can't even discribe the scene......it just blew me away!  Agnes finally said, "Lets not walk down the hall anymore.....it's scaring me!"  We both giggled and shuddered at the same time! :)  Here the nurses (which really are midwives) deliver the babies and only call a doctor as needed.  In Agnes' two night stay in the hospital she never saw a doctor!  The nurses on duty while I was there were pretty mean.  At one point she needed them and when I went to grab them they were all eating dinner.  They told me, "We'll come check her when we're done with our dinner.....she's fine!"  (I wanted to say, "Is that want you told the lady who gave birth in the bed this morning?" )  Being that I am "white" though I pushed and said, "No, one of you needs to come NOW!"  A few minutes later a very unhappy nurse came in. :) ha!  That same unhappy nurse notified me later that I needed to leave.....visiting hours were over!  :)  By that time Mma Adjei had gotten there and was settling in for round two with Agnes so I left her in good hands.  She said I could have stayed, but honestly, it was hard to see her in pain and not really be able to do much.  She's still thanking me for that.......I didn't do much, but she said just me being there and talking really helped calm her nerves.  Last night we laughed about some of the things that happened.....joking about how we could laugh now, but at the time it sure wasn't funny.  It's amazing how once the baby is there you just sorta forget about all that stuff.  She was a tropper......she's my hero for giving birth in that old hospital.  At one point I thought I could do it......I was quickly reminded that there is no way on earth I would.....I might take my chances on my own! :)   That truly was an experience that I will put in my memory bank forever! 
  PS....I notice in about every picture of myself I am in a blank shirt!  I do own more than one shirt, but I do own several black ones! ha!  Just in case someone was wondering.......maybe I need to brighten my wordrobe up bit!
  

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