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France with Friends

On September 25, 2015

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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

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Barbara spent a fun few days at the Jersey Shore with her sister Daphne, granddaughter Clementine, & grandson Kieran. They played pinball when it rained & mini-golf when it didn’t, & had some beautiful beach days.

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

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london
Just got back from a wonderful week in London with my youngest granddaughter, Clementine, who is 12. Lovely weather for boating on the Thames, which she loved. We went by water to the Tower of London one day, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich the next, and to Kew Gardens the day after that. We saw “Billy Elliot” and “Wicked”. But her favorite experience of the whole trip was the exhibit at the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank, which involved shooting down a helical slide 3 stories high on the outside of the building. I did it too! (and did not have a heart attack!). Thanks to Nicole for taking care of everyone so well while I was away – she spent a LOT of time at the hospital!

M.O.B.

On April 16, 2015

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Barbara was the happy M.O.B. (mother of the bride) on April 11, when her daughter Jen married Tim O’Reilly in a ceremony on the Linden Terrace, in Fort Tryon Park. There were 210 friends and family gathered to fete the couple at the sunny if rather chilly exchange of vows, and we all danced and ate and partied until late at the reception at La Marina afterwards.

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

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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!

Charlottesville1

Charlottesville2

Our Numbers for 2014

On January 29, 2015

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  • 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
  • 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

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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

Me & My Dad

On December 22, 2014

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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

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