Delivered 10 Calves and a Baby, All in a Days Work!

My daughter Sarah was only three months old, when I made the shocking discovery that I  was pregnant again. This blessing was a total shock. I was breast feeding full time and using birth control! I cried the whole pregnancy. I had a three year old and an infant, and no idea how I could possibly take care of a third child too. Ryan my oldest was delivered cesarean, and Sarah was a difficult vaginal birth. I was dreading the upcoming delivery.

I opted for a planned cesarean and had an appointment scheduled for a Friday, a week before my due date. That Monday before, I woke up at 5 am with a labor pain. I had a lot of false contractions, so I just wrote it down to keep track. I decided to have a relaxing bath since I was uncomfortable and awake anyway. Two more contractions, fifteen minutes apart, made me decide this was the real thing. I started to get everyone ready to go, and my husband phoned his parents who would take our children that day, the hospital, and his boss. We were almost ready to go, and my husband was still on the phone complaining to his boss about how much he hated hospitals and how this was going to take forever. I was hit with another contraction. It was sooner than expected and it was strong! I am doubled over in pain and I yell, "Get off the phone!" I tell my husband, "call back your parents and have them meet us on the highway." That would be quicker than driving down their dirt road. We each grab a child, and I grab a bath towel.

Randy buckles Ryan into his car seat, and I can't do anything more than hold Sarah on my lap. We drive the 7 miles to meet his parents. Randy hands off Ryan to his dad and his mom comes around the car to get Sarah. She takes one look at me as a I am breathing heavily and says, "uh-oh." At that moment, my husband FINALLY figures out this is happening a lot faster than he thought. He takes off, flooring our crappy 78 Chevy Malibu, top speed 80 miles an hour. We still have 50 miles to the hospital. I am doing my best NOT to have a baby, but my water breaks. Thank goodness for the towel! I can tell the baby is really low, and I tell my husband, "go to Ephrata. They have a hospital." They did not have an ob/gyn, but my doctor was still 20 miles away. He chose to go to Moses Lake.

We get another eight miles down the road, and I know I am going to have this baby right then. I say something to that point, and my husband responds, "well have the baby then." At this point, I am laying with my head on his lap and my feet on the door. The next contraction the baby's head crowns. I yell. My husband looks over, says nonchalantly, "Sure enough." He pulls the car over, runs around to my door, and it's locked. I pull the lock, slide to the edge of the seat, and the next contraction delivers the baby into my husbands hands. Randy hands the baby to me, which I wrap in the towel and make sure is breathing ok.

Randy roars off into rush hour traffic, and we arrive at the hospital 15 minutes later. The baby is ok and we name this bundle of joy Jeffrey. My husband is bragging to all the hospital staff, "I deliver calves all winter. Birth is perfectly natural. No big deal." He goes home to get the kids and returns later that evening. As Randy enters the elevator, he hears a nurse say to her friend, "He delivered the baby by himself along the road. Says ten calves and baby is all in a days work."

Much later my husband and are talking and I ask him about the slight hesitation between catching Jeff and handing him to me. He admits sheepishly, "I looked for a fence to throw him over to clean out his lungs, but I didn't see one." Thank goodness there wasn't a fence! Jeff is turning 24 this year, and he has continued to wonder and surprise us every year. Happy birthday Jeff!

​The Hardest Year of My Life

Most times we never see the event coming that will change our lives forever. In one instance, we become different people. Sometimes we don't recognize the significance of a moment until years later. My one moment occurred during an icy winter just over a decade ago. I was carrying water to the outside animals in a large canning pot. I slipped in the ice and fell hard. I landed in a sitting position, still holding the pot because I didn't want to spill the water. My husband asked, "Are you alright?" I shakily replied, "I don't know." I would usually reply, I'm fine, and laugh in embarrassment. I wasn't in immediate pain, but it didn't feel right. 

Driving combine cutting wheat!

It took a while for the pain to set in. I thought I would be fine with some rest and ibuprofen. I probably waited a month before I seen a doctor, and by then I was a mess. I couldn't lift a pot of coffee with my right hand anymore. I couldn't sit, stand, or walk without pain. I could only lay on my left side somewhat comfortably. I was uncomfortable driving, or even riding. I started to use my left hand for almost all tasks. I had stabbing pains throughout my lower back and down my leg. My shoulder hurt and pain shot down my arm. The middle of my back felt like I was being stabbed. I had to ask the doctor for a medical withdrawal note, because I was failing my college classes. I hurt too much to read and understand the material. I hurt too much to sit at a keyboard and type. I was in tears explaining this to the doctor. He prescribed antidepressants and said I was overly stressed. He said my middle back pain was from ulcers resulting from ibuprofen use. He said my hand pain and loss of strength was carpal tunnel and provided me a brace. He said everything else would be fine in time and gave me muscle relaxers and vicodin. I was in so much pain, I didn't question him. I didn't push for Xrays or tests. 

Out weeding, checking equipment

The problem was it never got better. The prescriptions did little in the way of relief and nothing for improvement of quality of life. I couldn't push a shopping cart or pick up groceries to put in the cart. I had to have the help of my kids for almost every household chore. I hurt so bad and felt utterly worthless. I cried and I prayed and I cried some more. The doctor never seemed concerned that I was still asking for pain meds 3 months, 6 months, even a year later. He said I would just have to learn to live with the pain.  I didn't know if I could. It felt like my life was over.  I was only 35, and I had nothing but pain and misery.



Someone finally suggested a chiropractor. I was extremely reluctant, but even more desperate. It worked for me. After the first visit, I finally had some relief from the pain. It took frequent visits to the chiropractor to regain function, but I still struggled with the pain. He ordered Xrays to see what was going on with my spine, and he discovered a compression fracture in the middle of my back.  I am sure that was only part of the medical issues resulting from that fall. That was the proof that made me realize, it wasn't all just in my head. I wasn't just stressed.  

Living the Dream of Big Tractors, Hard Work, and Long Hours!

Recovery was long and hard, and every journey like that develops us as a person.  I learned its ok to ask for help. I don't have to do it all myself. I also learned to advocate for myself. It's not okay to have you pain ignored. More importantly, I learned to appreciate everything. I still hurt, but I have regained my strength and ability.  I work hard and play hard, because in one moment everything can change. Hard work is a blessing when you thought you would never be able to work again. I graduated college. I started working on the farm. Some days I come home tired and hurting, but I am still so grateful. Everything is an achievement to me! I'm not bedridden, and I have so much to look forward to. The motto of my TractorJen page is "living the dream of big tractors, hard work, and long hours," I really mean it. When I was writing this post, I wasn't sure what pictures to include. So much of this story is about pain, but I really want this to be about triumph. Being able to do everything I can now is such a blessing, and I will never forget it.