Another Apron with Gin the Pocket

8 weeks ago today I started the day out oblivious, 34 weeks pregnant with twins, having pancakes with my (first born) birthday girl, Ava.

It ended as the most hopeful, painful, wonderful, scary, amazing, challenging and most insane day we’ve ever had. Full story to follow (still hard to think/write about, sorry)  but for now, it’s time we formerly introduce the newest lovely lady of our family.

Penelope Hope, aka “Lucky”…

We are so happy you’re part of our family.

Little Cricket, you are so very loved and missed.

Back when we were planning our Big Trip in 2006, specifically Bali, I was online looking to hire a driver to take us around the small country. (it’s just what you did there, due to some issues with the government and police there, we were advised not to drive ourselves)

Thru my searches I ran into an older guy online, who gave me plenty of tips on where to go, what to see… and asked that if I happen to be going near Ubud, Bali… he’s appreciate it if I dropped off some supplies for the mothers giving birth there. He had a friend that ran a maternity and birthing clinic there, a woman named Ibu Robin.

Well, as a new nurse, that had MY name writtten all over it. So we hunted around Melbourne, Australia for the best deal on buckets of OTC vitamins (the mommas there are very malnourished. Many simply bleed out and die after childbirth, which rarely happens in a hospital; they simply cannot afford it) and we maybe or maybe not, lol, served as “drug mules” sneaking those VITAMINS into the country of Bali.
I believe the moment I safely left customs, with my bags rattling and my nerves shot, was my very first day as a bonafide Mother Tiger.

http://www.bumisehatbali.org/ Yayasan Bumi Sehat was a tiny little clinic in the village of Nyuh Kuning, right in the center of Bali. I dropped off the vitamins, and offered up my services, lol, and was told I was 2 days too late – the full moon just passed, boy they could have used me a couple nights ago! lol. And then Ibu Robin stopped by the clinic, running around, stitching up a football player’s forehead (the mother wouldn’t let anyone else touch him) with expired supplies and very little in extras. Then once things were calm, we walked down the path to her home, and had some ice tea. Her daughter was there, and I remember talking at length about some baliense rock star lover who had just broken her heart, balanced only by stories Ibu Robin was telling about her recent trip to Banda Ache – and the efforts they were making there to help people survive and rebuild after the massive tsunami in 2004. It was an afternoon I’d never forget. This “simple hero” who wasn’t really changing the WORLD, but she was changing the whole world of many small families and communities. Poor people. People no one knew, or really cared about.

For lack of better words to describe…. It was super cool to sit with her.

I’ve watched her and the clinic over the years… updates on their website, social media took hold and they offer MANY great articles and info on their FB site…. and I was THRILLED to learn she was not only NOMINATED for CNN’s Hero of the Year… but became a Top 10 finalist.

I was tickled pink (and blue) to watch her story on tonite’s award show, and honestly couldn’t decide which of the 10 amazing people “deserved” to win more.

To my shock and delight, Ibu Robin was just named 2011 Hero of the Year, and the $260,000 she receives puts them one step closer to their amazing new clinic they want to build – a safe place for more mothers to get prenatal care and deliver their babies. She puts education and value back into the members of her communities, and teaches midwifery care to hundreds of other Mother Tigers who want to help others as well.

Goodness knows I never would have gotten pregnant again (successfully) if it was not for the amazing technology and healthcare available to us… and I KNOW FOR A FACT that I wouldn’t be pregnant right now without the village of doctors and specialists I have caring for me and my babies right now. Heck, without them, I’m not sure I’d even be alive. AND ALL WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS MAKING THE APPOINTMENTS, and paying some co-pays.

That’s it.

Big hugs and congrats to Ibu Robin Lim, and all the staff and volunteers at Bumi Sehat.

And to Mother Tigers everywhere!

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/11/living/cnn-heroes/index.html

If something isn’t working, that usually works for you, please email me to get it working again.
We had a breech, folks.
lol.

Another one of photographer’s “holy grail” shots, check!
(it’s a composite, folks, don’t try this at home)

Thanks for playing, Cora. You’re a doll !