Portland Mania part 1

Hello Ladies and Gents.........

It has been many moons since I have posted; for which I beg your forgiveness. I am currently in Portland aka. the Rose City....for......you'll never believe it.....an ANIME CONVENTION.... AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

This convention is an annual event called Komoricon. The title is actually an amusing joke. The word Kumori is Japanese for "Cloudy". Any Oregonian could tell you that Portland is the wettest town in the state. It is a three day convention at the Hotel Hilton and filled to the brim of costumed enthusiasts in all sort of cosplaying (dressed as certain characters). My first convention period and I'm a little frightened.

But yes, now that my friends have all moved to different parts of the Beaver state, we don't get to see each other very often, so we are desperate for events to bring up together. All of my friends are really big fans of something called Anime (Japanese Animation). It consists of videos and books. I'm afraid to admit that it really isn't my cup of tea, but as I didn't move to Utah last year, my friends told me around Christmas time that they were going to the convention and I was coming with them. Oh ya, and I am expected to be in costume. I kicked and screamed a little bit, but as one can see.....I'm here.....

Now some of you may be wondering what I am going to wear as far as costumes go. I will be going as a 18th Century Maid. Complete with white apron and white head piece. Photographic evidence will be posted in tomorrow's edition.

Well, that's all for tonight, My friends are begging me to leave my post and have hilarious fun with them! Let's see what kind of michief I can make with them......bwahahahaha!

C-ya

ke7ejx

Twilight Night

As I am sure that you aware of. Twilight made a mid-night debut last night. My friends and I have been looking forward to this event for months, ever since we heard about it last year. So, naturally; we had fun ever since 0700 yesterday morning...

For those of you that have never heard of Twilight (that's a time of day, right...?) It is the first book of a four (so far) book saga written by LDS writer Stephenie Meyer. It is a love story between a human and a vampire. A girl named Bella Swan moves from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington. There she meets a strange boy by the name of Edward Cullen and his equally strange family. After a couple of near death experiences, where Edward saves her in impossible ways; she discovers what he is. As their relationship grows, Bella becomes the target of another vampire and nearly died or turned. The book ends when Edward and Bella go to their High School prom. There Bella discusses her desire to be converted into a vampire herself. They are in an impasse at the end of the book.

After my friends got done with their classes at Central Oregon Community College, we ran some errands, went to lunch at a Chinese restaurant, then went to Charlotta's where we listened to Christmas C.D.s and the Twilight book on CD until it was time to get ready.

We drove back to Bend to the Old Mill District where we would be attending the premier. We went to a couple of the shops and picked up some things. Then headed to Red Robin for dinner. The food was good, the service was great, and the company delightful. The place was crowded with other Twilight fans. They were excited like we were and there were many discussions going from table to table on what was predicted about the movie.

At about 7:30 we went across the parking lot to the theatre. We spent a couple of hours of me watching the girls taking turns playing Dance, Dance Revolution. As the line began to form, we quickly took our place and begin the three to five hour wait. We spent the time reading, talking, laughing, and discussing the book. I was in charge of the camera and had fun taking pictures of different goofy stuff the group did such as posing with each other and a toy prize from one of the machines, they had fun picking on Charlotta and I had fun getting footage of it. We also had fun observing different groups, especially those that came in costume. Some of them were well done and some were well...not necessarily matching the movie's boundaries.....carnivore vampires, etc. There was a fight between a couple of teams- vampires and werewolves.

By 11:15 I had blisters all over my feet, yet I was having the time of my life. This was my first Midnight Premier, and I couldn't think of a better movie for it. Around 11:40 the barricade was removed and our tickets were checked. We found excellent seats in the front and settled in. A couple of girls went to get refreshments while we saved their seats. They came back and we settled in for the main event. Then, at long, long last, the movie started.

I sat through well over two hours of colours, shapes, emotion, and stories. And I loved every single moment of it. Some parts did not quite go with the book. However. I haven't seen a movie that has. When the movie ended, the entire room went into cheers and applause. We were all stoked over how the movie turned out. My friends and I talked about nothing else on the way home. Some things in the movie influenced some of our feelings in the book. It was worth the extra few dollars. I recommend this movie and the books, of course, to everyone that reads this blog.

C-Ya

ke7ejx

Hallow's Eve

I know that if word got out that I did something funny and completely out of character, and did not share it; there’d be a lynching party outside my door. This situation would not be very pleasing, not to mention, I can think of better ways to leave this earth than from the end of a rope. :-) So, here comes my post!

In my little circle of sisters and friends, we have a little tradition. When the leaves turn and fall, the apples ripen, and the pumpkins rise; we have a Halloween party. It is always held at Charlotta’s place. The day of the party, we all get together in the morning and spend the day cleaning the house, making the goodies for the party, finish the decorations, and have a good time. About an hour or two before the party we get into our costumes, help out with hair and makeup and such.

Then, the other guests arrive and it's time to party like it’s 1999! After an hour or so, comes another tradition. Trick or Treating. Charlotta’s family believe that there is no age limit to this activity. I agree. For the most part, most people are quite hospitable for us ‘older kids’. This year, not a single person complained. This one guy asked each of us “Trick? Or Treat?” Everyone in our party said treat. I looked the man in the eye and said “trick”. The man looked at my companions and said “you should have said trick” as he handed me a dollar bill. SCORE!!!!! The rest of our sojourn through the neighbourhoods went nicely.

When we got back, we participated in another tradition: Sort the Loot! This is where we sort through our sweets and then take turns picking what we wanted. This went in the following order: Marissa, Amanda, Nicole, Charlotta, and myself. Charlotta is always among the last to have a turn due to her rabid addiction to chocolate. She still made off with quite a bit. I did not mind as I am not chocolate fan.

After the loot has been taken care of, we sit down and watch horror movies until bed. This year we watched Red Rose-the haunted house that used to be in Seattle, Washington until the early 2000’s. It was four hours long and great every second.

Now, costumes. We shall start from oldest to youngest.

Nicole: She decided to go as a cowgirl but after all was said and done, ended up a scarecrow. It was very cute and she didn’t even have to pay for it.

Amanda: Took an Athena costume (which traditionally flows to the ankles) and turned it into Artemis (which ends at just above the knee). She completed the ensemble with an olive leaf tiara.

Charlotta: As always went as a Vampire. Instead of all the blood and what not, she decided to be an elegant one. She dressed in all black along with a wicked black cloak. Her fangs were great (as she has had them for a few years).


Myself: I was completely at a loss on what I would go as. Money was tight and my wardrobe was somewhat diminished. Dad then suggested that I borrow his black graduation robe and go as a hanging judge who ended up at the end of her rope (a possible theme, perhaps?). I decided to go as a Vampire Judge. When I was getting ready it was suggested that I wear a red cloak. So I did. Nicole used four cans of white and silver hair spray to turn my hair silver. The aerosol was sooo overwhelming! My hair ended up as straw so when I took a shower the next morning, I had to wash my hair several times.

Marissa: Vampire number 3. She decided to go Goth. She purchased coloured contacts- ice blue, and her fangs online. She too wore all black along with a scarlet tie. She also wore a killer trench coat. It was awesome!!!

It was fun having everybody there. The food was great, the company pleasant and the movie was to die for…..literally…..Well, I hope your Halloween---where ever you were---was pleasant and that you were all safe. Thanks for reading and I will post again soon!

C-ya!

ke7ejx

The Life and Confessions of a Starving Undergrad

I know that I haven't been as diligent in posting as I should....for which I apologize....so, to make up for it, I will give you a detailed list of all that is going on since early July, by date. Some of my faithful readers (who rock by the way) already know this but...repetition isn't always bad.

July 11th- I went to my friend Katie's wedding. She was married to Michael, another long time friend. They had the ceremony and reception at the Humane Society outside of Redmond (near the new Wal-Mart). Katie was in a gorgeous gown-sheer long sleeves, medium sized train...beautiful. Michael was handsome in his black and blue tuxedo. The bridesmaids were stunning. The little flower girl and ring bearer were absolutely adorable. The father of the bride was emotional the entire evening (understandably so). It was a wonderful ceremony, though it made me slightly melancholy as a single woman who hopes for this sort of thing in the future. I did one thing that was really bad...when Katie's sister randomly stuck a video camera in my face and told me to give a toast to the happy couple... naturally, I was at lost on what one should say for these sort of occasions. In the middle of my toast, however, I completely blanked on the name of the groom....some one I have known virtually all my life. I think this provided karma for the next event on my list.

July 15th- A few days after the wedding, I was in the living room curling up to one of my favourite novels-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Dad was doing yard work, so he left the cell phone in the house with me. My brother Gregg calls, telling me that I was going to Cline Falls State Park with them. So, I changed into my swimsuit, packed P&P in my bag along with a towel and sweatshirt. He showed up with a friend and her ten-month son. I get into the car and we take off. We are driving down Cline Falls Highway when this girl blew a stop sign. Gregg ended up locking his brakes and swerved to avoid t-boning her. We struck her right behind the drivers door. It had happened so fast that no one had time to react. By instinct alone, I had covered the boy with my body. On impact, I flew forward, the lap belt caught me and threw me back into my seat. Gregg managed to get to the side of the road where the girl had ended up. The left front of Gregg's car was virtually non-existent. The girl's car was smashed in on the left side. It was not a pretty picture. The plus side was that there were plenty of witnesses. Dad shows up, her parents show up, insurance information was exchanged (or so we thought) and we were able to get both vehicles home. I rode with Dad, who asked me if I was all right in various ways. I assured him that I was well. After the adrenaline was gone, that's when the pain kicked in. I was getting really sore while making dinner, so Dad told me to take a hot shower after I got some food and sugar in me. I was in the shower until the water was freezing. However, I did not feel better. I took four Advil and Dad gave me a Flexiril (muscle relaxant) and I lied down in the sofa. As the evening went by, the pain became more and more potent. Finally, at 2330, Dad and Gregg carried me to the car and rushed me into the ER at St. Charles. After three to six hour of poking, prodding, sticking me in a cervical collar, and going through X-rays and CT scans; they diagnosed me with severe cervical strain and back muscle strain. ouch... I was prescribed Toradol and Flexeril and sent on my merry ol' way. The next day I called a few people and that afternoon my Bishop and Stake President arrived to give me a priesthood blessing. I go to the doctor the next week and found out the following:

1) My condition had worsened

2) My doctor knew how to push the magic button that completely paralyzed me.

3) I was becoming my father every second the doctor poked and prodded me. In other words, I was thinking thoughts no Latter-Day Saint should think. I wanted to make the man lose his manhood.

4) The hospital gave me a drug that could've killed me (Toradol). He nearly had a stroke when he found out.

And last but certainly not least: I had big time Scoliosis; for those not too familiar with Health; that is curvature of the spine. We pulled up the X-rays and sure enough, my spine went ten degrees to the top left. Talk about a wake up call.....

Now, after a few weeks of no improvement and three prescription drugs later, I was sent to physical therapy. I was assigned to two therapists: Tom and Hailey. To be honest, I liked Hailey more. Tom was nice, but when someone stabs your back with his forefinger and go "tell me when it's just pressure" for over an hour....it takes a whole new meaning to the term "purgatory". Hailey massaged instead of poked. She was close to my age, loved thrift stores as much as I did and had eclectic taste in clothing. I looked forward to those sessions. For a few weeks I went to it three times a week, then at the end of August, two days a week. I graduated on the 4th of September.

Now, there has been some confusion in regards to my current physical location. So, here's the scoop. I was going to move Utah, it was all set. On the 16th of September (after the Stock Market went down the hole) I found out that the banks that were going to give me the loans I needed for that sojourn called me to inform me that they couldn't do it. I also found out some personal information that down right devastated me. So, I will move next June.
Where does that put me at the present? I volunteer at the High School as a Teacher Assistant and Tech support. Obviously, I don't get paid, but it will be taken as college credit at three different universities in Utah. I am also looking for a paying job in Redmond. Once I do, I'll let you know.

I am sorry you've had to wait so long for a post, I just didn't consider much of this as being newsworthy. I hope you all are well where ever you are, and I shall post to you again soon.

c-ya

ke7ejx

The Fourth of July

The holidays are the time for family to connect. This phrase we have heard for eons. Is it always the truth, however? This year Amanda, one of my best friends, invited me to spend the Fourth of July with her family on their annual camping trip.


Now, I come from a scouting family. I have been through a decade of Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing outings. I have learned that there is nothing better than a dry tent, a good sleeping bag, and a nice campfire. Amanda’s family believes that RV’s are the way to go. Period. She actually laughed when I told her that my experiences with an RV are virtually nil. When my mother and step-father bought an RV I only slept in it once. They also believe in bringing electric sources of entertainment. While I just brought my spiral, scriptures, a couple of books, and a pair of good walking shoes. So, this was going to be a new experience for me.

Nevertheless, I am always up to a challenge.

Now, before I proceed with my musings, I should probably briefly describe those I spent time with…..

I will start with the family patriarch. His name is Larry. He is Amanda’s step-father and has been married to her mother for about five years. Anyone, who knows anything about my family are likely to be more than acquainted with my step-father. These two men are so alike that not only would they get along fabulously, but would probably be friends for life.

Next is the mother. Connie works in the medical field, which is quite handy really. She is truly an interesting character. She can be a real handful at times, and other times she is rather maternal and sweet. You never knew if she would take something the wrong way, one second she could be laughing, the next screaming. It felt like being in a mine-field, all you’re trying to do is not to upset the mines.

Heather, Amanda’s younger sister is another complex individual. She lives in Louisiana with her father and is here for the summer holidays. She is also a major drama queen. If she is more than five feet from her cell phone and/or iPod …. yeah.

Heather’s friend Melody is somewhat amusing to observe. She is an athlete who thinks she is too skinny. When she complains that she can’t gain any weight there are a couple of us who dearly want to tell her to shut it. She also giggled at everything and anything, especially when Larry would provoke her. It was exceedingly entertaining.

On Wednesday morning, I was picked up by Amanda and we finished up the last of the preparations. Then we all crammed into Larry’s pick up and drove down to Lake Billy Chinook.

When we got there, we dropped off the RV so Larry could retrieve the boat. He dropped Amanda and me at the nearby day park so we could take a dip. After a time, we walked a mile back to camp to wait for the others to return with the boat. When they showed up, we set up camp while Larry took the boat down to the docks. After he came back we relaxed for a time. At that point I ended up getting scared spit less when he asked me what religion I was apart of. I asked him if it would help me or hurt me to answer. He said he didn’t know. After taking a deep breath and bracing for impact I told him that I was LDS. He clarified by asking if I was a Mormon. After I affirmed it, he said that there is a cure for Mormonism. I replied that there was also a cure for Baptist (everyone in the group but me was a Baptist). Thankfully, he didn’t freak out over me being a Mormon, but he made it clear where he stood with it. I thanked him for being good about that fresh piece of information. Most parents flip when they find out that their children are friends with someone like me. Actually, this trip provided an excellent missionary opportunity for me. I was asked many questions and answered them to the best of my abilities and with the tools I had.

Later on that evening we went inner tubing. We took turns on the three-seater. The problem was that the bottom of the tube was just a flap so the water would pummel the bottom of the tube. I had several bruises on my backside. It felt like someone bent me over their knee and whacked me several times with a belt…..ouch!

Thursday, we went out onto the lake for a few hours and tried the individual tube. Larry spent several minutes trying to buck me off the thing. I ended up getting a lot of airtime. I also used my weight to keep from flying off. Then after several minutes I landed on the back of the tube with half my body in the water and before I could pull myself back on he jerked me into another wake and I flew right into the water. Everyone was impressed with how long I stayed on. I had a blast!


When we went back to camp, we all passed out in our bunks. Then we made dinner and Connie and Larry went to town to get some things. To pass the time Amanda and I went for a walk and wrote in our spirals for a while.

Friday, we once again were out on the lake. That day we tried wake boarding. Melody managed to not only get up, but stayed up for several seconds. The rest of us were unable to even get up. On my last attempt , the rope caught me around the neck and my life preserver also went around my throat. I immediately let go of the rope and was in an awkward position. My feet (still attached to the board) was right behind my head and I was trying to keep the life preserver from choking me. Larry managed to help me get on the boat while I was coughing and wheezing. I lost feeling in my right arm and hand, had a red mark around my throat and ended up with a mighty painful sunburn (blisters and all).. Connie told me that I was to stay indoors for the next couple of days. So when they went back to the lake Amanda and I wrote in our spirals and talked. When they got back at dusk, we made a fire and made smores . Everyone also got a kick out of the fact that I wore my water polo goggles so that my eyes would be protected from the smoke. I had the last laugh when a couple of them got smoked out of their chairs. J

On Saturday, our last full day. I spent the day in the RV reading and writing. When the others came back Larry, Connie, Amanda and I played a card game called Phase 10 (kinda like rummy). I got creamed big time. Then we all went on the boat and sped around the lake for a couple of hours. When we came back we made a fire, cooked bratwursts and smores.


Sunday morning, we ate a quick breakfast and broke down camp. We unpacked the RV and then I was invited to stay over an extra night. We watched Fool’s Gold (which was okay…) and went to bed.

I hope all of you enjoyed the Fourth. Thanks for reading!


C-Ya!

ke7ejx

One Busy Week

This is one week every year that I am always happy to be over with quickly. Cub Scout Day Camp. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy myself most of the time. However, there is a lot of sweat, blood and tears that go with it. This was my sixth and final year as a Station Leader. Last year I had anticipated as my last year, but as the event is govern by various members of my church; every time they saw me, they would ask the same deadly question"you are helping again this year, right Kristyn?". At first I was saying no, by Christmas it turned into maybe, Spring was a possibly, and sure enough by June it was most likely. Yes, I know. I have the will of a field mouse. But, these women asked me every time they saw me. Though they asked me what I have planned for my station next year and I flat out laughed. When they asked me what was so funny, I replied that I wont be here next year. I am moving to Utah sometime this summer. So, now as they lament, they have to find a bigger sucker than I to assist the Science Station. Therefore, I shall now begin the tale of this infamous day camp.

Every year brings something different. Such as the theme of the camp. Last year was Pirates, this year it was Galactic. Galactic was mainly a Star Wars thing. We had everything from cheesy costumes to dens having their own cheer which they had to perform at every station. Some were cute, but some where somewhat tedious. But their enthusiasm makes things worth it.

As I mentioned before, I am a Station Leader. Every third week of June, I stay with the former female Advisor from my old Venturing Crew in Prineville. Her name is Kate. She and I are in charge of the Science Station. Our subject for the week was Astronomy. When she told me that was what we were doing, I was ecstatic as Astronomy is one of my favourite subjects.

So, Monday morning, I get packed and run the errands I need to get myself prepared. That evening Kate picks me up from my apartment in Redmond and takes me out to her home in Prineville. We put together some of the things we needed for the week, and then I had fun on the computer by chatting with a friend and having a religious conversation with Kate at the same time. We ended staying up a little later than planned (around two in the morning).

I wake up early Tuesday morning, maintained myself and ate a quick breakfast. We get down to Les Schwab Park, and cart different containers and boxes to the table that was to be our station. Our station consisted of a table and a small canopy to protect the boys from the sun. So, after bathing ourselves in sun screen. We felt prepared to take on both Mother Nature and the Scouts. Today's activity was about Earth's Atmosphere. We discussed why the sky is blue, and various details about Earth. For those who aren't aware; When the Sun sends its light 93 million miles our direction. It bounces off of our atmosphere by the various chemical elements it is made of. To emphasize its point, we filled some Mason jars with water and added some milk. Then the boys on one side of the table shined flashlights through the jar and the light shined blue to the boys on the other side (showing the sky on a sunny day), but to the boys with the flashlights it was a reddish colour (showing the sunrise and sunset). This got the boys really excited. Then at the end of the day, we cleaned up and went back to the house. We worked on some projects while watching the Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Kate wanted me to watch it because apparently I have quite a physical and personality resemblance to the character Lucy Pevensie. I was astonished to see that she was correct. I also noticed that some of my closest friends were like different characters in the film. After the movie, I did some work on the computer and went to bed.

On Wednesday, we had an Astronomer by the name of Larry, who works at the nature center and observatory in Sunriver. He discussed the different planets and how far they were from the sun. He then took the boys on a walk that required me to pace how many steps to each planet (seeing how it is unlikely for us to take a trip through the Solar System and make it back in time for the closing ceremony). This was fun until the last couple of trips, because of the fatigue that afflicted every participant. I also enjoyed chatting with Larry. He was an English instructor for eight years. Then he started a career in Astronomy. That night I ended up passing out for a good couple of hours, which was cloud nine for me.

Thursday......one disaster after another. My alarm clock never went off. So, I leaped out of bed and dived into the bathroom across the hall. Within five minutes, I was dressed and was in the process of putting on socks and shoes while hopping out the door. We get down to camp and at the beginning of the first session, Kate gets her hand caught in one of those Coleman chairs that don't close easily. She can't get out and I went to help her, but because I am a kinetic learner and very klutzy, she tells me to stay away. Then, finally one of the leaders jumps in to help. They can't figure it out and Kate wrenched her hand out of the joints of the chair. I was still in shock and frozen to my place when one of the parents came up to me asking if I was all right. And out of nowhere my eyes fill with tears and I am led away to pull myself together. I was embarrassed for that, not to mention I felt like I had made matters worse. While I was getting my wits back, Kate had asked one of the other assistants to help so she could take a break and get back her wits. The assistant flat out refused. So, after Kate took care of a few details, then left one of the parents in charge. That was when one of the Camp Directors found me and helped me back to the station. After a few minutes, Kate came back. Today's activities was the boys were to take a black or blue umbrella and draw the constellations Big Dipper and Cassiopeia, so they could trace it in glow-in-the-dark paint on Friday. We went through the rest of the morning. Then, during lunch Kate was very upset. So, I insisted that she take the rest of the day off and I would cover the afternoon sessions. The boys were very understanding and bore with me. The leaders and parents were also very helpful. After camp, I walked back to Kate's and enjoyed the solitude that the walk granted me. When I get home, Kate was asleep. So, I spent the evening reading a book and listening to the music on my my space profile.

Friday morning, I woke up earlier than usual (much to my displeasure) at four-thirty. Kate, who slept all afternoon and night was up. She and I end up sitting down with a cup of hot chocolate and talked until it was time to get ready. Today was the last day of camp. I took the boys out to one of the parking lots to gather rocks to hold down their umbrellas. Then they traced their constellation in the glow paint and set the umbrellas to dry. By the last two morning sessions, I could hardly move. Through out the week I had some slight sunburns. On Friday, my neck, arms and lower legs were covered in second and according to some, third degree burns. A couple of women from my ward put aloe vera on the burns, only to have me hiss in agony. Aloe works for cooling the skin. However, the application hurts like....(well you get the idea). So, Kate insists that I take the afternoon off. I didn't argue. So, I missed out on the potluck and awards ceremony, but, truth be known, I didn't give a hoot. I was covered in blisters, burns, and on the top of my hands were several bumps and sores. This was an allergic reaction to the sun and the latex in the paint. So, Kate and I pick up some lunch and we go to the house. I gingerly sit in an easy chair and watched a movie and ate my lunch and a big bowl of cherry vanilla ice cream. I also lied down for a while. That night, Kate and I go back to the park to go to the Astronomy party that Larry was hosting. I got to see Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and several constellations. I was like a kid at Christmas time. If any of you are acquainted with the hymn " How Great Thou Art", that went through my head several times. The experience was sooo awesome!

Now, it is Saturday. I slept on and off through the night and limped out of bed around nine. This afternoon, I am returning to Redmond to recoup and get ready for the week. Thanks for reading.

C-Ya!

ke7ejx

Population Moves Up One!

I promised those of you who read my blog that I would write if anything exciting in my rather boring life occurred. Well, if this is not exciting.... then I don't know what is.

Yesterday morning I was getting ready to go out and run my errands for the day. I pick up my father's cell phone and noticed that there was an unread text message. I open it up and the message said that my sixteen year old foster sister Ashley had just gone into labor. Needless to say, any of my plans for the day were immediately shot. I quickly pulled on some clothes, wrote a note to Dad and ran out the door. I lived about two miles away from the hospital. When I wasn't defying my doctor's orders and running, I was speed walking. I got to the hospital about a half hour after getting the message. By then, Ashley had been in the hospital for forty five minutes.

Throughout the day, she was on pain medication. She received her epidural at about five in the afternoon. She was fully dilated by seven thirty. The epidural wore off before she was fully dilated. When we asked that she get another dose, they refused. When the doctor finally arrived, it was time to get the show on the road. The delivery was very hard on Ashley, we helped to support her as she pushed, gave her encouragements, and coached her as much as possible. At about ten minutes after eight in the evening, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He came out blue, still, and silent; which caused great alarm to Ashley. The nurses chafed him and he started to wail. I cannot describe the feelings at seeing this precious boy when he opened his eyes for the first time and looked around. I had tears streaming down my face. I was so proud of Ashley.

They gave him his vaccinations, measured and weighed him, tested his blood sugar and gave him back to Mom.

This is the information about the baby:

Name: Lakai Brodyn Foster
Born: 02 June 2008 at 8:10 PM
Weigh: 9 pounds 4 ounces
Length: 22 inches

This was the first birthing I have ever witnessed, and to think, I get to do it again in nine months for my brother's girlfriend. It was worth the exhaustion!

ke7ejx