Hello Friends!
I am looking to spruce up our classrooms at CHCS with fresh decorations and need your help! I don't want to publicly post the room themes because I'd like to keep some surprises. If you're interested in helping out, please let me know!
The classrooms are:
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Back in June when I sent out a newsletter announcing my role as interim director, I had also said that I would publish a blog about the miracles surrounding my pregnancy with Nathan. This is mostly so that I have a record to tell him as he grows about how loved and protected he is.
We found out we were pregnant an early October Saturday morning when the colors were still painted in the sky. Mikken had taken the dogs down to the bathroom while I was taking the test so when he came back in I asked if he was ready to be a daddy. We were so excited! I was only several weeks along at that point so we weren't going to tell many people yet, but the love for our nugget was already there.
We told my immediate family the next day. My mom did a happy dance and yell. She was thrilled and had a million questions about the future. I wish we had a video of the reactions. Over the next couple weeks, we only told a handful of people like my co-teacher (who actually guessed on his own, but would've figured it out as morning sickness crept in) and Mikken's mom. Mikken's mom's reaction was both anti-climatic and exciting at the same time. When Mikken told her, she said in Kreyol, "I already know and it's a boy. I had a dream that I was playing with him next year while you went to work," and she went back to washing the dishes.
She wasn't the only one who dreamed it was a boy. One vivid dream that I had was being the hospital, getting ready to take the baby home, but Mikken wasn't there. The baby was SO tiny, but healthy and adorable. Another close friend here in Haiti also dreamed of a curly haired little boy, but was in denial about it because she wanted me to have a girl. I didn't think much of these dreams for a while, but they did come back to me later! (This picture is the closest I could find to the baby in my dreams...tiny!)
October 21-22. In the midst of that recovery, I started bleeding. I was terrified that I was going to lose my first baby. I had yet to see an OBGYN because it was so early and I was so nervous that it was going to be too late. Thankfully, Mikken's cousin works at the same clinic that I went to for my typhoid and they had an OB there as well. I was able to go in after hours for tests where they found out the bleeding was from a bacterial infection. The test results weren't really enough to sooth my hormonal, nerve-wrecked mind so the doctor was able to do an ultrasound where the baby was just big enough to see as a small blob. I think I almost cried in relief when I saw the little flash of light which was the heartbeat. God is amazing, you know?
I was feeling a bit better when November came around and took the morning sickness as a blessing (tried to at least) because it reassured me that the baby was still there and growing and changing within me. We slowly told new people like my grandparents the news and they were super excited as well.
During this time, we also had to reapply for Mikken's visa. When we got married, the type of visa that we got was a one-time entry which meant that when he got to the States, he was supposed to stay in the States. With our ministry, that wasn't possible so we had to reapply for a spouse visa this time. We weren't too concerned with timing. As long as he had it by May when were planned to leave for the baby, we were fine. Right...?
Back to the main narrative. ;)
November 18th is a Haitian holiday celebrating the victory of a major battle towards independence which means no school! Since Thanksgiving isn't a holiday here, the missionaries use the Haitian holiday as our Thanksgiving and gather for a feast and fellowship. It was here that we announced our baby to our missionary family and friends.
November 19th had us back in school where I was super excited to tell my students and previous students the news of the baby. I played hangman with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade and told my 7th graders. News quickly spread until the whole school knew. They were so happy with me. From that day on, I got plenty of belly rubs checking on the baby in there.
November 20. Started to feel feverish again and my chest was tight. Turned into a cold with a terrible cough that lingered for a long time. Exhausted again. But Baby remained healthy and kept growing!
December 3: Next ultrasound and baby actually looks like a baby this time!
Christmas Break in PA was great except for the fact that Mikken couldn't join me. In all our years together, we've never been together for Christmas. My family was so excited to see me and already started to spoil the baby. I loved watching my mom transform into a grandma.
January: Mikken takes over as lead 5th grade teacher!
January 7: We find out it's a boy! Nathaniel which means "Gift of God" and Robert from my grandfather and dad's name. Fun fact is that we actually had both a boy and girl name picked before Nathaniel was conceived. We'll save the girl name for when God decides to give Nathan a sister.
February 4th: Ultrasound reveals a healthy, active baby boy that won't sit still for a good picture!
February 15: Janeen organized a super cute Valentine's baby shower which the Grosses hosted for us, the day after Valentine's. The plan was to eat, play some games, and then pop a balloon filled with blue confetti. The heat in Haiti was too much for the poor balloon though and it popped itself as we were eating! I was somehow able to laugh it off and yell "surprise" instead of being too disappointed.
Late February: COVID-19 talks are becoming more frequent even though no one in Haiti has gotten it. We watch into early March when the world starts panic over the virus. We start to wonder what this means for Mikken's visa if the government is going to pull some of their people out of embassies. Meanwhile, Nathan grows bigger and stronger.
March 16: (Monday) My school's Board meets and they urge me to evacuate the next day on MFI. The conversation takes place passed 9 pm. There's rumors that the borders will close soon from COVID. I can't bear the thought of leaving Haiti so pregnant without knowing that Mikken would follow. We had gotten news that he has an appointment for the visa that same week, but with everything happening so fast, I still didn't want to risk going without him. We decide to wait together, acknowledging everyone that we may be stuck for a long time.
March 17: (Tuesday) Mikken is about to get on a TapTap to get to the bus station for the ride to Port-au-Price for his visa appointment when his phone rings telling him that all embassy appointments were cancelled. Despite the initial panic, Mikken was able to remain level-headed and explained that he was desperate for the appointment as I was 29 weeks pregnant and that our organization wanted us to evacuate. The embassy rep on the phone had him hold and then came back on saying that if he could get a letter stating that our organization wanted us to leave, he may be able to have his interview. Problem was that the bus was leaving in 10 minutes and we didn't have that letter. Melissa (the director) had been at meeting off of school property where I was so I interrupted her husband and good friend Steve's English class in a semi-panic. He actually drove to Melissa's meeting to get her back to the school while I hurriedly typed a letter for her to sign and seal stating the boards evacuation order. Mikken had called the bus to wait and quickly came for the letter making it just in time for the bus.
March 18 (Wednesday): Mikken shows up at the embassy where he sees everyone being turned away. They were all being told that there was no appointments for anyone because of covid. Mikken went to the man turning people away and told them the situation and about the phone call that he had. Thankfully, the guy had a very short list of people that he was to allow into the embassy and Mikken's name was one of them! The embassy was pretty empty and the interview was very short. They told him thank you and that he could come pick up his visa in a week. Um, no! He says he must have made a weird face because the interviewer asked if everything was okay. He pulled the pregnancy card and told her how urgent it was for him to get the visa more quickly. She listened well and told him to come back THE SAME AFTERNOON. That just doesn't happen in embassy matters. Or in Haiti. Like almost never. He got to go back, pick up his visa, and ride to the airport where I bought him a ticket for the 25 minute flight back to Cap-Haitien. Serious miracles.
March 19: (Thursday) With Mikken back in Cap-Haitien, visa in hand, we made the decision to leave Haiti together that weekend. We quickly made arrangements at school and I said goodbye to my students. I send a letter to my parents about my early leave. No one knew that this was going to be the last in-person school day of the year. We were supposed to be looking at a new house to rent that day in order to move that month. We chose to still look at the house with the idea that if we liked it, we could pile our stuff in and move in when covid blew over...As soon as we got home from looking at the house and as we began to discuss our options we got notification that the president of Haiti was going to speak right then. In his speech he announced that Haiti's borders would be closing effective in one hour! We got almost immediate notification that all American flights were cancelled. One mission organization, Missionary Flights International was going to try to fly people out the next day so we quickly contacted them to be sure we had secured our tickets with them. My parents were leaving to fly to Florida to then drive us back to PA.
March 20 (Friday): We said goodbye to all of our missionary family and finished packing up what we could. We decided to postpone moving as we were in enough panic and stress as it was. We arrived at the airport early with the rest of MFI's passengers being evacuated and checked in without a problem. But we kept waiting for boarding. And kept waiting. And waiting. We finally got word that though the plane had arrived, the Haitian government was forbidding them from taking passengers back with them to the US. The pilots were stalling as best as they could as the rest of MFI's workers scrambled to get proper clearance. The US side of things got cleared, but Haiti was still a no-go. Eventually, they couldn't stall any longer and had to return our bags and fly out without us. We left the airport not knowing what other options might come. The only thing we could do was contact our state representatives to urge the government to take action and get us back as citizens. Thankfully the PA rep's office answered swiftly thanks to some connections with my mom's co-worker. They would plead our case for us.
March 21-22. We continued to pack up our house and pray for an opportunity to evacuate. My mom kept calling the Embassy for updates and they were less than helpful. Even research on flights out of Port-au-Prince came up empty with the next flights not being seen until May. We booked one of those flights just in case that was the soonest option. We tried to stay calm and enjoyed a home church service with the rest of the school's missionaries and Hannah, one of our seniors, cut my hair. (Good thing too since barbers in the states would be closed for months). My parents hung around Florida hoping for news that we'd be on a flight, but eventually had to head back to PA without us.
March 23:(Monday) We went to school to help create work packets for our students and accompanied a friend to the clinic we had been using. While there we decided to get one last ultrasound to check on Nathan to try to avoid one in the States. They're about $25-30 here compared to the $400-500 in the States. While there a cute little nurse who only spoke Spanish and loved to lecture me on eating properly, snuck me a mask to wear. I haven't seen her since to thank her.
That morning, we also got notification of a flight out of PAP but it was for $1,200 a ticket! The PA state rep office had let me know that there was still no movement on flights from Cap, but that the State Department was negotiating with the Haitian government to allow more charter flights. We heard rumors that American was flying but no one at the Embassy or American Airlines could confirm or book us a ticket. That night, we bit the bullet and bought tickets on that ridiculously expensive Eastern flight from PAP. Just a few hours after we gotten the non-refundable tickets, we got word that MFI had gotten clearance to fly out of Cap the next day. Too late! We weren't throwing these tickets away.
March 24 (Tuesday): Early in the morning, Mikken's mom arrived at our house to pet-sit for us and Mikken's dad and cousin started out with us towards Port-au-Prince. Though the mileage isn't too far, it is still a 6-7 hour drive up and around many mountains. My almost 30 week pregnant bladder didn't appreciate it, but we did get some beautiful views! The ride was pretty much uneventful and when we arrived we met up with 2 friends from Children of the Promise who had driven down to evacuate as well. One of them was flying out with her children that have some special needs and who was also escorting another little boy to his parents in Florida. I believe part of the reason God had us in Port was to help navigate her stuff and kids in the airport. It came time for the flight and we kept watch out the window but no planes were landing. When boarding time had come and gone, my mom called Eastern who responded that there were no scheduled flights that day. None on radar either. We just kept waiting, not willing to believe it when finally 4 hours after we were supposed to take off, the plane landed and we were called to re go through security and board.
The plane was dirty and they had us all sit together which is very anti-covid protocol, but we were thankful to finally be going. Our missionary friends in Cap had already landed in Florida so we were trying not to regret our decision! We obviously landed much later than anticipated, but we still were able to help our COTP friend with her baggage and watch the little boy she had escorted unite with his forever family. That was so special and brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me of our own Gotcha Day with my sister all those years ago. Anyway, our connection flight was only a few hours away and we had already booked our motel. Instead of staying in the airport, we decided to go shower there to take away a bit of the grime of travel. We were there maybe 2 hours when we went back to the airport for check-in. It was the emptiest that I've ever seen Miami airport. I got my Dunkin and we waited at the gate to board. Mikken fell asleep and I lost my Dunkin as morning sickness had resurged with the stress of the week (or month). But internally I was relieved. I was about to be in my PA home with my parents.
April 1:
April 15: We made it to 33 weeks! Little did we know that this would be the last weekly update picture that we would take.
April 17: (Friday) Though I had gotten an ultrasound in Haiti just a few weeks before, the doctor wanted to do one in PA. Unlike Haiti, I had to go alone to this ultrasound. I at least got to hear his little heartbeat for the first time. His measurements were on point and we were both looking healthy!
April 20 (Monday): It was about 9pm and we were watching one of the Jurassic movies. I was laying on the couch when I felt something off. I quickly went into the bathroom where I found that I had started bleeding. Big clots. We called my midwife group who told me to head to the ER for a check just in case. We were 6 weeks out from delivery so no bags were packed yet so we threw a change of clothes in bag and my mom drove Mikken and I to the ER.
Mikken filled out a covid form and they started wheeling me to L&D, but when we arrived they told Mikken he couldn't come in with me. Not really helpful to my already nervous mind. They had me change into a gown and checked me out. All of the nurses and midwives were super kind and tried to ease my discomfort as best as possible. When the cause of bleeding wasn't immediately identifiable they decided to move me from triage to a room which meant Mikken could come back with me. I was so relieved. But I kept bleeding.
They hooked me up to a bunch of monitors to check both myself and Nathan's vitals. Besides the bleeding, we were both doing a-okay. When it didn't show signs of slowing, they decided to admit me.
April 21st (Tuesday): They did some blood work to check on the placenta, but that came back normal. I had to undergo a rapid covid test which felt like they were swabbing my brain through my nose. They also gave me a steroid injection, specifically for Nathan's lungs in case he had to be delivered soon. But when they did the ultrasound, even an internal one, Nathan and the placenta both looked fine. I was praying I'd be released for bed rest, but at 2 am I was still passing lots of blood.
Mikken and I managed to sleep around 2 hours though it was not restful. At around 7:30 I started cramping and they decided that ice chips were going to be my only diet. Nathan was still looking good, but talks of c-section starting popping up more frequently.
9:20 Is about the time that I realized that my "cramps" were actually contractions. They wanted to drive to keep him in as long as possible, but let me know that if Nathaniel showed any distress or if I hemorrhaged, I'd be rushed back immediately. I had yet to see the attending physician.
Mid-morning a couple different people came to talk to us. A doctor came in to tell us what a C-section would be like. An anesthesiologist came. And a neonatologist. He explained all the different scenarios of what could happen when a baby is born just under 6 weeks early. He told us to expect the baby to be in the NICU until his due date which still over 6 weeks away. We asked a few questions and then he left. And I fell apart. I had accepted and internalized so many plan changes, but my baby coming early was not one I could handle. So I just cried a while and Mikken just held me.
12:30 while my nurse was talking to me I felt the blood and it was a ton. I didn't realize that would be the defining moment at the time as I was still able to clean myself and go to the bathroom alone. But while I was in the bathroom, the nurse had alerted the necessary people about the amount of blood I had lost and that was it. Nathaniel was coming that afternoon, ready or not.
1:00 I quickly called my parents to let them know that Nathan was on his way. Stupid coronavirus meant Mikken couldn't be with me for the surgery. We kissed goodbye and I was wheeled to the OR.
The anesthesiologist was honestly the best and described everything he was doing before and during. It was exactly as he said. I numbed exactly as he said and threw up exactly when he said I would. I just wish Mikken had been there to hold my tingly hands.
At 1:50, they lowered the partition to my lower half and I had the joy of watching Nathaniel Robert enter this side of the world with a cry. 5 lbs, 9 oz and 18 inches long.
He was then rushed to the corner of the room for evaluation where I learned days later, he didn't breathe again on his own for 5 minutes. He was fitted with a CPAP and taken to the NICU and I was sewn and taken to recovery. We were both safe.
If it hadn't been for COVID, I would've been in Haiti when this happened where who knows what kind of health care I would have received. Who knows if there would have been a CPAP for Nathan or even power to run one if there was. If it wasn't for the miracle of the same-day embassy papers, Mikken wouldn't have been just a room over. Though it was completely out of my control, God knew what He was doing when we had to be evacuated and I'm thankful everyday that He kept us safe and together.
I'll save his NICU days for another day, but I'm glad I have this to read to him as he grows.
In just a few weeks time, Mikken, Nathaniel, and I are due back in Haiti for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.
•Our family's goal is to live out the plan God has written on our hearts- to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples (Matthew 28:19) through transformational education and to always “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8).
Mikken will be the lead fifth grade teacher this year and already has eleven students enrolled in his class! He’s excited to start the year as a lead for the first time and is already brainstorming ways to make his class fun and engaging. He’ll also be trying to squeeze in some elementary art classes.
My role is very different this year as I will be stepping out of the classroom into the director role of Cap-Haitien Christian School. This summer I have already started on some of these responsibilities that will carry into the school such as our covid-19 response, hiring of teachers, and updating handbooks. I will also be meeting with teachers to review their lesson plans, create pacing guides, and get into the classrooms to work with them as they reach and teach our students. It’s my prayer to use the foundation of the leaders before me to continue on the path to academic excellence, spiritual growth, and making disciples to best serve our staff and families at CHCS.
Nathaniel will be at home with his Grann (Mikken’s mom) and his fur-siblings. ;)
In order for us to get back in time, we are in need of some more monthly support. If just 10 people would give $100 a month, we would be fully funded for the year. Would you consider joining our team? No amount is too small. We’d love to sit with you and explain the mission and vision of the school and how we hope to help achieve it as a family.
Thank you!
Our Support Page:
https://give.teachbeyond.org/support/saint-fidor/
