Thu, Apr 3, 2008, 9:19 AM
Hi Melissa,
Congratulations on your acceptance at Guelph. I'm sure it is a tempting offer.
I'm going to write to the guys on the admissions committee here to express my concern that you may go somewhere else and see if they can speed up the admissions process. I was thinking about dropping off the tape recorder this evening if that works for you. I'll phone you tonight at your new place - can
you email me your grandma's cell phone number? What are your plans for this weekend? Do you and your mom want to come over on Saturday or Sunday to sort through and wash baby clothes? Do you want to use special soap for the baby clothes - something soft that will reduce chances of allergic reaction?
I think I used to use Ivory Snow for Jonah when he was a baby because it is supposed to be milder. Either day is fine with us but it would be good to know soon. Still going to Ottawa? Hope you're feeling better. So far, not sick and suspect I won't be. Still no news on my amnio though. Will likely talk to you tonight. R
Quoting Melissa Jennings <mrjennin@dal.ca>:
>
> Hi Rebecca, My mom's flight was delayed due to fog (remember those days?) so she won't be in Kingston until 2:00pm on Thursday, we'll be going straight to the house after that. Anyway, you have my phone number.
>
> I hope you didn't get sick! I recieved the following email today from Guelph, which is good news- that is if I don't hear from RMC...
>
> M
>
>
>
> Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 10:05:56 -0400From: srhall@uoguelph.caTo:
> mrjennin@dal.caSubject: offer of admission
>
> Dear Ms. Jennings:
>
> On behalf of the CDE Admissions Committee, and our Graduate Co-ordinator, I am happy to let you know that you have been recommended for an offer of admission into the Master of Science
> program, Capacity Development & Extension with International Development Studies at the University of Guelph for Fall 2008.
> If our recommendation is approved, you will receive an official offer of admission directly from Graduate Program Services. This process can take approximately two weeks. Opportunities for funding are announced to students once enrolled in the Masters program. We thought you would like to know of our recommendation as soon as possible.
> Likewise, we would appreciate hearing from you before too long as to > whether you are likely to accept this offer.
> We reiterate, though, that all recommendations for offers of admission are subject to and require the final approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies on behalf of the Board of Graduate Studies.
> Official letters of acceptance, and official responses, will be from and to the Graduate Program Services Office.
> You will be assigned the temporary advisor, Helen Hambly Odame, who is available to guide you through the beginning of your program.
> This is a temporary arrangement until you choose your final advisor and committee in your second semester of study in our program.
> Enclosed please find a copy of your recommendation letter from International Development Studies stating their requirements of the program to you.
> If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate in contacting me.
> Sincerely,
> Sue Hall
> /for
>
> Al Lauzon
> Graduate Co-ordinatorCapacity Development & Extension
> ______________________________________________
Prof. T, the woman I reluctantly emailed for a reference for my grad school application in Guelph’s Rural Extension program ( I was accepted with funding) is becoming my best friend within this past week. She has offered me a research assistant job, a place to live, help with getting into an MA program with her at RMC, where she is a Research Chair, she has even offered her support as a doula. She is doing more for me than my friends and relatives combined. We share similar backgrounds, her mother is poor and her father was an alcoholic – we are both self made, struggling to be accepted as individuals in the sea of the privileged. We share values and experiences from Feminism and our interest in Africa and a real sense of empathy. She is also having a baby and is due in August. The unplanned appearance of Rebecca in my life when everything seemed very dire has reaffirmed my belief that this baby was sent by God to help me develop into a complete human being – too many unexplained and wonderful things have happened for this not to be true
March
I had an ultrasound last week and the baby is probably a girl! I guess you can only be completely sure if it is a boy…
According to one to my pregnancy books, now that I am in my 34th week, I am carrying around the equivalent of a “svelte cat.” This is the last month, and for numerous reasons I am glad that I am no longer in Ethiopia, the need to urinate hourly tops that list. Although being stuck inside because of yet another snowstorm warning does make me miss the 20 degree weather.
Pre-natal classes: my svelte cat and I attended our first pre-natal classes last Tuesday. When I get back to GG’s she never hesitates to mention that adoption is still on the table and as she pushes the brochure towards me, explaines there is a couple at her church who are interested in meeting me. These will occur weekly for 2 hours a night for the next month. The class was pretty much what I had expected; 9 early 30s caucasian couples and myself. We spent the first hour introducing ourselves and to tell the truth, despite the fact that each couple had to say about 6 things each(I had to say 12 things- lucky for me I’m interesting; p ), I don’t know much more about them then what they own (ie: “I drive a Chevy,” “we have 2 dogs,” “we renovated our house”). Although the “class clown,” (surprised this role exists in a PRENATAL class? So am I) revealed his profound love of beer by rallying the other “follower” husbands to support his persistent offer to bring beer for a snack one week. Being the sensitive guy that he is, he also offered to bring juice for the women- his request was approved by the teacher.
The teacher is a Newfoundlander, recently retired from the Canadian Forces with 5 boys- in her spare time (what spare time?) she is a very active doula and has attended 33 births! The woman is a birthing machine! She immediately put the kibosh on my plan to have a waterbirth citing the generally hostile view of this method by local doctors here, which is reflected in hospital policy. The rest of the class consisted of tightly gripping ice for a minute 3 different times to simulate the pain of contractions, going over false vs. real labour, discussing complaints (pregnancy related) and alleviation strategies- I learned that warm milk with honey cures heartburn (it really does!) and that we should have been doing “Kegels” for months now- (does holding my pee so I didn’t have to use the gross pit latrine at work for months count?)
We also received homework which I will list here so you, dear readers can help me out.
Ask a woman over 50 and a new mom (baby within 5 years):
1. What coping tool/technique helped you the most during labour?
2. What coping tool/technique did you find the least helpful during labour?
3. Was there anything you wished you had known more about?
4. Was there anything you would have done differently?
I’m ready and I’m excited to meet my baby. Thanks to God, my friends and my grandma things have fallen into place. Carrie and Prof. T held a wonderful baby shoer for me where I was comforted by the presence of some of my closest friends and boosted by their overwhelming confidence in my abilities.
· I will move into a new place on April 1st, just ahead of GG’s 3 month time limit.
· I like my new job, it keeps me busy and covers my rent. I’ve also been able to pay Susan back for the flight to Khartoum, thanks to an incredibly generous gift from the Dingle family.
· My mom is coming to visit to help me with the move.
· I have almost all the baby stuff I need
· I have found a doula, Christina, a homeopathic doctor volunteering her services as this is also her first birth.
Melissa Jennings wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Hope you are doing well.
> It looks like there is less than a month to go (my due date is April 15). Some friends of mine organized a baby shower last weekend so I think there are only a couple more things I need to get before the baby arrives. On April 1st, I am moving into my own place and my mother is coming to stay with me for a little while to help out.
>
> Here are some questions for you:
> 1. When the baby is born do you want to be called from the hospital? or later on, or get an email?
> 2. Do you have an idea of when you'll be here?
> Here is some information about paperwork:
>
> Registering a Birth In Ontario
> You can register the birth of your newborn in one of the following ways:
> Newborn Registration Service - Use this 3-in-1 service to register a baby under the age of one, apply for a birth certificate and apply for a Social Insurance Number , all at the same time.
> A listing of municipalities offering the newborn registration service.
> If you are unable to or do not wish to use the Newborn Registration Service, you can fill out the Statement of Live Birth form online, print and mail it to the municipal office in the municipality where your child was born. Once registered, you may apply for your child’s birth certificate.
> After the birth of your child, the hospital or midwife gave you a form called a Statement of Live Birth form .
> Fill out the form, ensuring the information is clear and accurate (this will be your child's permanent legal record).
> Once you have completed and carefully reviewed the Statement of Live Birth, the parent(s) who are named on the Statement must sign the form as indicated.
> The birth of every child born in the Province of Ontario must be registered within 30 days of the date of birth either with the Office of the Registrar General, where electronic registration has been implemented, or , where electronic registration has not been implemented, with the municipal clerk of the municipality in which the child was born. The municipality may charge a fee for handling this form. This fee is not for a birth certificate. An additional fee will be charged to obtain a birth certificate.
> The Statement of Live Birth is your child's permanent legal record.
> Please be advised that it is an offence to sign someone else´s name to the form . If one of the parents is unavailable to sign, send the form to him/her to be signed and returned (originals only).
> What happens after the birth of your child is registered?
> If you have completed the online Newborn Registration Service and applied for a birth certificate at the same time, you will not receive the Notice of Birth Registration, but will receive the birth certificate once registration has been completed.
> If you are registering the birth of your child with the Statement of Live Birth through the municipal office , and not through the online Newborn Registration Service , once the birth is registered, a Notice of Birth Registration will be mailed to the address given on the Statement of Live Birth. You may then apply for a birth certificate .
> Birth certificates are delivered by courier and someone will need to available to sign for the delivery.
>
>
> I think thats about it... anything you want to know?
>
> Melissa
The New-New
My mom does come for a visit the first week of April. She does help me carry my luggage from GG’s to a place in downtown Kingston where I am renting a furnished room in a house shared with the owner upstairs and a couple downstairs. The kitchen and den are shared but I have my own bedroom and bathroom and its affordable at $500/month which is half the salary I get from Prof. T. plus $200 from the government.
We pick up some groceries but forget the wine. I am exhausted and obviously not drinking wine but my mom insists that I walk the 60min round trip to the shop with her.
From: ehm_jae@hotmail.com
To: kathryndingle@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: An article from globeandmail.com
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 11:39:40 -0600
Very interesting...
I just got an email from Guelph telling me I've been reccomended for admission, I think Rebecca might be disappointed. By the way we never discussed your upcoming relocation to Manchester, fill me in when you get a chance.
Mj
From: kathryndingle@hotmail.com
To: ehm_jae@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: An article from globeandmail.com
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 10:00:24 -0300
does recommended for admission mean that you didn't even apply and they just found you?!
i don't think rebecca will be too disappointed - she probably knows that what's best for you is to do what you want!
manchester is on.... check out the program International development: development management. it's in the School of Enviro and DEvt.
the weekend i'm coming to kingston i might leave early on Sunday morning. my mom is in TO that weekend and i'd like to see her. she's coming to town for her old Catholic schools' 50th anniversary. crazy!
got your lovely TY card and so did my parents.....
have a good one. call me over the weekend if you've got time.
k
From: ehm_jae@hotmail.com
To: kathryndingle@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: An article from globeandmail.com
Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2008 04:37:59 -0600
No,
It means I did apply and they've reccomended me to the department, I guess? Now Rebecca is pushing RMC to send me an offer of acceptance.
Speaking of pushing, my water just broke 2 hours ago so it looks like I'll be having a baby today (or tomorrow) I'll give you a call when that happens... Enjoy your sunday.
mj
kathryn dingle <kathryndingle@hotmail.com>
Mon, Apr 7, 2008, 9:15 AM
to Melissa
WOWOWOWOW.
That labor continued until nearly midnight through massages and acupressure from the doula, showers and diarrhea, seizures and painkillers (but I don’t scream once – just quietly endure, as this is my new mantra in a life with you) when Prof T and my mom argue about who gets the first picture and they compromise as Prof T really wants to be the one to cut the umbilical cord. Then I hold you. Id say we gazed into each others eyes, but you’ve seen the pictures and no that’s not possible.
I am no longer conscious after a heavy sedative and epidural to stop my seizures. When I wake up starving, a friendly nurse informs me that there is no food available for a few hours as she drops you into my shaking arms to start breastfeeding. There is no food for you either, just blood and pain as my milk hasn’t yet come in. so while you doze with a belly full of formula in a plastic cot beside me, I am hooked up to an industrial milk machine trying to prompt a milk flow. When you wake up hungry, I somehow have to figure out how diapers work in my IV anti-convulsant fog while trying to pick you up out of said plastic cot with all of the strength I can muster to get you to latch on in another attempt at breastfeeding. In the meantime I am by myself – in a room shared with 3 other women, one is just out of prison, while nurses intermittently toss piles of paperwork my way or do more tests on you for what they suspect may be diabetes - they wrongly assume you are from a reservation and thus the extra attention to your “well-being”
Mbuyiselo Siqebengu <msiqebengu@yahoo.com>
Thu, Apr 10, 2008, 9:02 AM
to ehm_jae@hotmail.com
Hi hope you guys are well you can send me an email, im stil going to be in Sa cause im still saving and can i crush with you guys or should i find a place to stay cause its going to be a big problem since i dont know anyone except you , so do you have a plan or someone i can stay with
Subject: Baby Girl
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:53:48 -0600
Hello all,
In a perfect world each one of you would get a personalized email, in that perfect world I would also be able to sit comfortably for longer than 10 minutes on my ever sensitive stiched region...
On Sunday, April 6th at 10:15pm after 16 hours of labour I gave birth to a beautiful (big) baby girl. She's 9lbs 11oz (hence all the stitches). She's beautiful and healthy (mashallah) Her name is Rana Elizabeth Siqebengu Jennings. She is a really great baby, a good eater, sleeps a lot and doesn't cry very much.
I've attached some pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Melissa
Mbuyiselo Siqebengu <msiqebengu@yahoo.com>
Mon, Apr 21, 2008, 5:25 AM
to ehm_jae@hotmail.com
That will be great, he can contact me and we can take from there, i would be greatful.....pls send me your phone numbers so i can be able to call you
Melissa Jennings wrote:
> No worries, you'll see her when you see her. At this age she can't recognize faces anyway!
>
> I did want to let you know that I have a contact on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Rugby Union here if you were interested in a sponsorship type deal. He is my friend's dad (she is a referee and suggested it) let me know if you are cause it includes Toronto, etc. and I will forward you the contact info.
>
> I took Rana for her first doctor's appointment today and everything is fine. She is the size of a 3 month baby, not a newborn which means she can sleep for longer periods of time. Thats good for me cause I need to start working again this week (from home). Did you see the new pictures I put up on Facebook? She is the cutest baby- she is always making funny faces, I could stare at her all day but I can already feel my brain turning to mush as a result!
> Take care,
>
> M
> > Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:17:23 -0700 > From: msiqebengu@yahoo.com > To: ehm_jae@hotmail.com > > Thanks, im glad you guys are well cant wait to see you guys...the saving is going really slow hope it could be faster but you know with our economy life is a bit hard this side, but bet you ill come see you guys....kiss her for me tell her i love her so much > > >
