John Shrader 15: Welcome to Poisonwood, Caleb

[Bethella]

Has anyone else noticed that John never announced Caleb's middle name? I'm guessing he doesn't want us snarking about their made up translation of a Zambian work.

[Jellybean]

I'm guessing either Chisobe (which means 'we are lost') or Bangala which is Congolese and means either Precious/dear or poisonwood, depending on the pronunciation.

[Seren Ann]

8 hours ago, Bethella said:

Has anyone else noticed that John never announced Caleb's middle name? I'm guessing he doesn't want us snarking about their made up translation of a Zambian work.

I'd noticed and guessed the same exact thing. Hi John !

[squiddysquid]

I'm completely pro vaccination and had the cholera vaccine before but it isn't 100% effective.

The Zambian government would be doing the Shraders a favor if they make them leave due to visa/ legal reasons, epspecially with all those kids. Does he think a newborn is going to survive cholera?  Cause chances aren't that great.

"Vaxchora has been reported to reduce the chance of severe diarrhea in people by 90% at 10 days after vaccination and by 80% at 3 months after vaccination."

"Cholera vaccines offer incomplete protection. Therefore, vaccination should never take the place of standard prevention and control measures."

CDC on cholera

P.S. Please, please let it be Chisobe!

[Palimpsest]

8 hours ago, Bethella said:

Has anyone else noticed that John never announced Caleb's middle name? I'm guessing he doesn't want us snarking about their made up translation of a Zambian work.

I think he had picked out Chisobe as the perfect middle name for Caleb.  Then he couldn't use it because we already guessed it.

He's now scrambling to find a translation of "we do not trust in Baptism" in other Zambian languages.

[Lurky]

The "but WE'RE clean" thing makes me seethe with rage - it's basically victim-blaming, but it's completely stupid too.

One of my parents' friends caught polio when she was a baby, and she was severely disabled all her life.  Her family had a lot of money, and a beautiful, very clean house, on a clifftop overlooking the sea.  They had servants, even, and wanted for nothing - and none of that stopped the polio. 

I think it might be more of an American evangelical thing, to think that illnesses are a sign of moral failing.   It happens elsewhere, but it seems like a mania in subsections of the USA. 

[Gobsmacked]

22 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

Stupid fool.  Stupid ignorant blithering idiot!

 

We were very much advised to have every vaccination available. We did. We also took Malarial tablets starting before departure and continuing a week after return. 

[Palimpsest]

FYI:  I just noticed that John made 29 photos of young Caleb public on the John Esther Shrader FB.  "The Siblings Officially and Individually Greet and Hold New Baby Brother Caleb!"

The Shrader kids are adorable.   

[Gobsmacked]

Could a kind Sis post photos for us unclean ( but vaccinated) folks. Thank you. 

[Lifesjustbeachy]

Public photos

Spoiler

 

 

 

[anjulibai]

All the kids are so stinking cute. 

But why does Caleb's shirt say "I am special, I was born at home"? Are babies born in hospitals not special? 

[formergothardite]

9 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

Are babies born in hospitals not special? 

Hospital babies get the "I'm average, I was born in a hospital." shirts.

John and Esther(but mostly John) seem to be the type to look down on people who don't have home births. 

ETA: Rea if finally taking his family to be vaccinated. He says that since the government has shut down the roadside vendors selling food, people have become hungry. This led to people trying to break into his church. Obviously he did the Christ like thing and didn't offer to help them, just had them run off. Rea isn't sharing his food!

[Gobsmacked]

What Rea should have done is:

1. Already have been vaccinated.

2. Taken advice from health care officials on food safety.

3. Opened a soup kitchen at his church after bulk buying  pre- packaged from local supermarket. 

4. Have health care official on-site at food kitchen to ensure clean safe food is made and distributed. 

5. Being a missionary in Jebus's name , he chased everyone instead. 

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

4 hours ago, formergothardite said:

Hospital babies get the "I'm average, I was born in a hospital." shirts.

John and Esther(but mostly John) seem to be the type to look down on people who don't have home births. 

ETA: Rea if finally taking his family to be vaccinated. He says that since the government has shut down the roadside vendors selling food, people have become hungry. This led to people trying to break into his church. Obviously he did the Christ like thing and didn't offer to help them, just had them run off. Rea isn't sharing his food!

Lol my kids got 

Kid 1: ‘I’m special! I survived because I was born in hospital!’ (Premie because of placental abruption) 

kid 2: ‘I’m special! My Mummy survived because I was born in hospital’  (lost 3L of blood & went into shock-required immediate surgery and multiple transfusions and was in ICU) 

But honestly it is so typical of John Shrader to think he and his children  are superior to others. As my OB has said...no one is high risk until they are. 

[Gemini]

Ffs who the hell makes/buys a tshirt that says that?  it’s no wonder uneducated women like Jill Duggar make stupid, life endangering decisions about the birth. 

Shrader kids are cute! Shame John doesn’t focus more on them and less on himself! 

[lilith]

Wow, they have cute babies! And their eldest daughter (Alaethia?) is looking so grown up! I’m glad Esther has her - not for sister mumming, just because I very much enjoy the company of my teenage daughter and hope they have that, especially as Esther’s family is so far away.

The shirt looks to me like the sort of thing that would be given out by a midwife/home birthing practice - kind of like really condescending advertising.

[Georgiana]

Personally, I think Caleb's shirt should read "I survived all sorts of unnecessary risk just so my parents could say I was born at home, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt"

[Naga Viper]

Man, the Keller is strong in some of those kids.

[Evangeline]

1 hour ago, Naga Viper said:

Man, the Keller is strong in some of those kids.

For real! The only one who looks like John to me is Alatheia. I feel bad saying that because she's gorgeous and does not look punchably smug like John, but she does have some of his features. 

[Ozlsn]

On 13/01/2018 at 6:25 AM, Gobsmacked said:

We were very much advised to have every vaccination available. We did. We also took Malarial tablets starting before departure and continuing a week after return. 

The malaria risk is worrying - I personally wouldn't be happy taking children to an endemic area without a lot of precautions. I hope they are effectively using bednets etc because falciparum is no joke. Neither is cholera, and seriously they should have gotten all the required vaccines before they left the US. Even partial protection is better than none, and kids dehydrate rapidly.

 

7 hours ago, Georgiana said:

Personally, I think Caleb's shirt should read "I survived all sorts of unnecessary risk just so my parents could say I was born at home, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt"

Also seriously, how privileged do you have to be to think that is a selling point? Well done, you're in the majority of children born around the world - at least you had a birth attendant who was educated and could call in back up if needed. Sheesh.

 

9 hours ago, Gobsmacked said:

What Rea should have done is:

1. Already have been vaccinated.

2. Taken advice from health care officials on food safety.

3. Opened a soup kitchen at his church after bulk buying  pre- packaged from local supermarket. 

4. Have health care official on-site at food kitchen to ensure clean safe food is made and distributed. 

5. Being a missionary in Jebus's name , he chased everyone instead. 

Worst. Missionary. Ever. 

That book you claim to be reading? That person you claim to be following? 

John needs to go back to... well, I was going to say basics, but the US would be fine. Go do your 'missionary' schtick in your own country.

[Naga Viper]

3 hours ago, Evangeline said:

For real! The only one who looks like John to me is Alatheia. I feel bad saying that because she's gorgeous and does not look punchably smug like John, but she does have some of his features. 

Actually, I feel like I see hints of Shrader in the older kids from Charis (I think?) up. Not consistently and to varying degrees, but it seems like maybe it comes out more with age.

That said, if you handed me this roll of photos without telling me whose they were, I'd definitely be like "These must be Suzette's grandkids."

[subsaharanafrica]

Cholera sounds scary and it is, but it’s also easily treatable. According to the WHO among people who receive early treatment the risk of fatality is less than that from the flu. That’s not to say it’s a particularly nice thing to have, but then again neither is the flu.

As someone mentioned upthread, the vaccine isn’t actually a cure all. It only partially protects you and only in the short term (and for children that time frame is even shorter).

Mr.Subsaharanafrica has had Cholera. The dummy thought it would be a good idea to eat a green salad at a restaurant in an area with an active epidemic. He had been vaccinated and was within the time frame when it was supposed to still be working but he had already lost the immunity. 

I can’t believe that I’m semi-defending them but it’s not as simple as just vaccinating your kids, getting them boosters, and washing your hands of the situation. As previously stated the vaccine is kind of crappy (pun intended). But even if it weren’t boosters are not readily available. The WHO rolls them out in areas they determine to be hotspots—ie, places with active epidemics or places where it is highly likely to flare up. We live in an endemic area and good luck finding a booster once—let alone every six months. 

ETA: We are not currently vaccinated. If there is another outbreak we’ll go get the vaccines. I’d rather save the semi-immunity for a time when we’ll need it instead of wasting it now and being stuck in a situation where we can’t get boosters even though we need them because we’ve had the vaccine too recently to get one but too far back for it to still be helping. 

[ILoveJellybeans]

The Shrader kids are adorable. Such a shame they have such a useless father.

[Eternalbluepearl]

31 minutes ago, ILoveJellybeans said:

The Shrader kids are adorable. Such a shame they have such a useless father.

And a mother who puts up with it.

[Howl]

23 hours ago, anjulibai said:

All the kids are so stinking cute. 

But why does Caleb's shirt say "I am special, I was born at home"? Are babies born in hospitals not special? 

So much subtext in that onesie!  First, God likes that baby better, DUH!, and therefore won't let anything bad happen to it!  God is like, "Dude, trust me.  What could possibly go wrong?"

Also,  epic-fertile grand multipara and prolific sperm-donor don't use birth control; God just HATES birth control, because every sperm is sacred.  It's not just for Catholics, you know.  

Snark aside, I'm so glad to see little Caleb out in the world.  The kids are adorable. Although John is utterly useless, I hope that Esther is an an awesome and gentle mom and, although we haven't discussed this (and John doesn't either), I really, really hope they employ the gentle Christian discipline approach.