Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Karissa's Arrival

Trip to Yosemite with Heidi and Juli and Wolfi

Having totally forgotten Natasha's Birthday on February 25, because we had just gotten home from Barnes Jewish Hospital, I wrote a long blog about her coming, even sharing pictures.  Now of course I just must do the same for Karissa...and how I love sharing these stories about our wonderful daughters!

Natasha was a wonderful baby and motherhood was pure bliss until she was 15 months.  Even then it was still wonderful as we were able to witness this darling new little individual emerging.  By 18 months, I began to wean her knowing that we would want a second baby and since Natasha

Beach trip with family and friends one week before due date

didn't come easily, we figured it would be pretty much the same for Karissa.  It was.  It took us 9 months to get pregnant with her and it happened the same;  I didn't ovulate till my 13th day, so I knew for once in another blue moon that I was having a regular cycle.

That was in July of 1991.  Dena and her kids and Natasha and I went together from Vallejo, CA, up to Redwood Camp Meeting in Northern California.  It was a beautiful place.  Dena was pregnant with her little boy and her two older kids played nicely with Natasha, who by this time was about 2 1/2.  While we were there, I kept in mind that I'd had a regular cycle and was not surprised that I was late with my period, and as day after day went by, I grew hopeful.  When we got back to Vallejo, once again, Lily, my friend at the Health Department, did my pregnancy test and we watched with delight as the blue dot appeared!

John and Karissa getting acquainted

One vivid memory of that Camp Meeting with Dena was our first night there.  She had some anxiety about new places and called out to me from her tent.  Our kids were all sleeping soundly. We got up and under a glorious full moon, we walked arm in arm around and around that camp ground till finally her anxiety diminished.

Once again it was a joy to be pregnant.  I felt wonderful.  My sisters, Heidi and Juli, along with Juli's husband, Wolfi, took me on a brief trip to Yosemite.  Natasha stayed home with Dad.  Heidi bought a Yogi Bear stuffed toy for Natasha which we still have.  Hmmm....maybe I better give that back to Natasha!

Perfect Karissa Janelle, APGAR score a perfect 10

Though I had one little girl and most everything I needed for another, still Dena wanted to do something special for me.  She was forever telling me about her troubles with her Navy Seal husband, Terry.  One morning, he called me up to tell me Dena was having a very rough tough and would I please come and see her that evening?  All day I fretted about Dena and what I might be able to do to help her.  So after I got Natasha to bed, I gladly drove the 20 minutes up to her home.  When I got there the house was dark and I wondered if I was too late.  When I rung the doorbell, everything lite up and it was a surprise baby shower for me that she had planned.  I WAS surprised and so pleased! We had a wonderful evening with the funniest games, great food, and such great friends!  My sister, Juli, came over from Sonoma, about 40 minutes away, to add to my pleasure.

My folks were still in Africa working at Riverside Farms

John's folks, Oma and Opa, and my mom

in Zambia and of course my mom came back to be with me.  Just about a week before Karissa was due, on Sabbath afternoon, we took a group of friends to the ocean.  Right by the beach was a good-sized hill.  It was THERE and I HAD to climb it.  I got to the top easily and the view was tremendous.  Everyone was amazed that I could do that!  All the kids loved looking at my big pregnant belly... 

The following Sabbath, John's folks visited us and brought along an aunt and uncle visiting from Germany.  Along with my mother, we had a great time together.  I have pictures of them all....but sadly, none of me!  That Sabbath morning, I lost my mucous plug, then after going to bed that night, felt my contractions beginning.  By midnight, it was now Karissa's due date, I went out to our couch where my mom was sleeping and told her I was in labor.  We labored together through the nite and by 5 am, my mom checked my cervix and I was dilated to 8 cm and she said it was time to go to the hospital.  I was absolutely miserable by

Karissa at one week

this time and was definitely in transition, sitting on the toilet to empty my bowels, but hurting so bad.  John had to stay home with Natasha and would have our neighbors come to stay with her.  I wrapped up in a quilt and mom drove me to Kaiser.

When we got there, I was fully dilated and taken right to the delivery room.  Twice, mom called John and told him to Come Now...but he remembered the 12 hours it took for Natasha to come and thought he had time to shower and shave.  My sister, Juli, was also called.  Karissa was born 40 minutes after we got to the hospital and both of them missed her birth!  All these years, she does not let her daddy forget that he was not there!


After Karissa was born, my mother checked her all over and she was perfect, and her APGAR score was a 10.  But the impatient resident, instead of waiting for my next contraction to expel the

Granda and Grandpa with our girls

afterbirth, tugged at it, and it detached.  I was feeling well enough to know he should not have done that but was reticent to correct him.  After I was out of the delivery room, a nurse massaged my abdomen and a softball-sized clot came out, I passed out, and everyone flew into action.  Back to the delivery room I went and that unwise physician spent an hour pulling placental fragments from my uterus.  My hemoglobin was so low they wanted to give me a transfusion.

Later that day, Oma and Opa came to the hospital and spent some time with me.  My mom fed me really good, high iron foods, and soon my blood count was elevating.  John took his aunt and uncle into the city to go site-seeing.  Later that evening, Dena came and brought a sweet little dress for Karissa.  I was able to go home the next day.  But I kept bleeding and knew something was not right.  I kept calling Kaiser and they said it was normal.  Finally after two weeks of hurting and feeling awful,

My beautiful sister, Heidi, with Karissa

I really had bright red blood and I insisted on being seen.  Roshelle Hall went with me.  She lived next door and had stayed with Natasha so she was able to help me with the both girls.  The doctor took an emesis basin full of placental fragments and clots from my uterus.  The room was a mess and
I apologized.  The doctor said, "It is we who should be apologizing to you!"  After that, I immediately felt back to 100%.

Karissa turns 21 tomorrow.   We are so blessed to have her!  She's a wonderful daughter, a great sister to Natasha, a faithful girlfriend to Winston, a marvelous student....graduating Cum Laude from nursing at Southern Adventist University next month....we are so proud of her....So proud of YOU, Karissa!  We look forward to a lifetime of family affection with you our whole lives long!