John Shrader 15: Welcome to Poisonwood, Caleb

[adidas]

I really hope the baby is okay. 

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

The problem with going over is the placenta (in layman’s terms) gets old and tired and no longer can do its job of maintaining baby. Hence so many increased risk of complications  

I hope baby is born today. 

[BabyBottlePop]

It's so weird to me that John says he would "covet" people's prayers. I thought it's wrong for Christians to covet anything, or at least anything but Christ. 

[Marshmallow World]

54 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

There is a part of me that sincerely hopes he applies this to himself with any form of medical treatment as well. I mean God will guide his wife's hand if he has melanoma, right? Or needs a tooth pulled? 

Actually I'm mostly just hoping he hasn't been able to find anyone to procreate with and is pulling his teeth out alone.

And seriously how is it "Biblical" for him to be anywhere near the delivery? Secret Women's Business that, no men allowed.

Given he was exhibiting all the hallmarks of a controlling abuser I really, really hope no one has been unfortunate enough to marry him.

I literally have not thought about him for years, so I did some googling around. He was engaged in college to a woman who I always thought was really sweet, but didn't know her very well. It was a small enough college that social circles intersected, and she was a friend of a friend. They are still married, and have six children. No indication (at least on public Facebook or blogs) on whether she had the kids at home or in a hospital. 

Sidenote about this guy: I remember him having sisters who would visit the campus. They stood out because they wore headcoverings and skirts exclusively, which was unusual. I did not know if it was voluntary or required in their family. I tracked one of his sisters down on Facebook, and she looks like a typical late 20s-early 30s mom: Ugly Christmas sweaters, jeans, pics of kids with dogs, and NO headcoverings. His wife starting wearing headcoverings when they were engaged (she wore those trendy triangle head handkerchiefs that were popular in the early 2000s), but apparently does not now. 

He was homeschooled K-12 and now runs a ministry for homeschooling families protecting them from the evil government at the state level. Also, he appears to be rabidly anti-vax and anti-evolution. That's really all I can say, partly because their social media is locked down, but also because I don't wanna out myself. 

[Palimpsest]

35 minutes ago, Gobsmacked said:

I was going  to suggest that John could give the truth mobile keys to a trusted person to go collect the midwife. Sadly John doesn't appear to have a trusted person around as he has been awful to everyone. Three years in Kafue, and no-one likes him enough to be able to help out???? Pooor,Pooor Esther. 

No joke.  It might be good right now to have Roderick and Handia taking care of the kids and Jacqueline holding Esther's hand, while John goes to fetch the midwife.

As the midwife is in Lusaka, I surmise that it is John's "experience" that tells us "the baby is active, very responsive, and has good heart tones."  OK, then.

Well, good luck to Esther.  I truly hope she is alright and that this baby arrives safely, smoothly, and with no complications.

[Jellybean]

I hope that John and Esther are just using the wrong term for the score used to calculate gestational age - I think they are referring to the Ballard Score (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballard_Maturational_Assessment) which does give a gestational age calculation to babies once they're born, based on factors like muscle tone, which is less developed in preemies (so they appear hypotonic/floppy). APGAR, as several people have said, only scores responsiveness of newborns and doesn't relate at all to gestational age, despite Esther's 'steller' memory. 

This is one thing that really irks me - people who believe that the human body is designed to run perfectly without intervention. That's a lovely idea, but it just isn't always the case, especially with something as fraught with risk as pregnancy and childbirth. We've already seen how this can play out in grand multiparas with Nicole Naugler, who lost baby William a few months ago and was exceptionally lucky to come through it herself. She was septic and had DIC - disseminated intravascular coagulation (I've heard nurses say that it could also stand for 'Death Is Coming'). I don't know if they acknowledged just how close that family came to losing their mother and sole breadwinner. 

Its always easy to believe that things like that only happen to other people. Until they happen to us, by which time it's too late to heed any warnings. 

My own body shows me every day just how wrong things can go - I have a form of autonomic failure, so the usual functions that would be controlled automatically (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, body temperature) are not regulated and things go galloping out of control. Leaving my body to its own natural rhythm would not have a happy ending. 

I can only hope that there are wise and experienced people around the Shraders who can offer advice and support despite John's attitude and previous actions. I wish only the best outcome for Esther and the baby, that they will both be healthy despite the recklessness with which John and Esther treat this process. 

[TeddyBonkers]

45 minutes ago, BabyBottlePop said:

It's so weird to me that John says he would "covet" people's prayers. I thought it's wrong for Christians to covet anything, or at least anything but Christ. 

Not so! #9 Commandment- Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.

#10 Commandment- Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant nor maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to thy neighbor.

Nothing in there about prayers. OR Troupies, planes, chickens....

[Palimpsest]

27 minutes ago, TeddyBonkers said:

Nothing in there about prayers. OR Troupies, planes, chickens....

Yep.  The Maxwells covet stuff all the time.  It made me goggle mightily until I looked up the right text. 

I'm still not over "desire" though.  Bodice ripper territory.  I definitely desire Mr. P for naughty stuff.  I don't desire people to fill in surveys or to pray for me.

[infooverload]

As someone else pointed out his assertion the fetal heart rate is good, makes one wonder how he would know. Also if he is so dismissive of medical professionals, we should be glad Esther sees a midwife at all.

[anjulibai]

I've been blocked from John's Facebook. Didn't like me asking about Esther, I guess. 

 

[SPHASH]

Why doesn't John drive the Troupie to Lusaka to get the midwife.  Oh never mind don't answer that.  John wouldn't even pick up a dying person along the road.  Silly me for asking that.

[Gobsmacked]

Come join us Anjulibai, there's enough room on our settee if we all squash up a bit! 

Have this on us, The peeps  blocked for daring to ask a question!!!! 

[Carol]

5 hours ago, Marshmallow World said:

My god. I just had a flashback to a douchecanoe in a class at my fundiegelical college. My major was more on the "liberal" side, so there weren't too many patriarchal assholes. We had a class on Victorian literature and the subject of childbirth came up. Some guy that was in the biblical studies major (NO IDEA why he would take that class, as there were much better courses and the only reason why I took it was because it was required) actually said that his future wife would have all children at home with no doctor, nurse, or midwife. Just him. God would give him the wisdom to deliver the baby. He stated that women that had babies in hospitals were selfish, faithless, and ultimately didn't trust God as much as he did.

Naturally, we all jumped on him. He was so freaking arrogant about it. He truly believed that God would give him the knowledge to deliver a baby. If something went wrong, it was "God's will." Ugh. This was probably 15 years ago and it still makes me fume. He was so dismissive and condescending. He wouldn't really answer many questions from women, but when male students challenged him, he kept repeating "That's your choice. I can't make your decision to trust God for you." UGHHHH. 

Anywho, John reminds me of that guy here. HE knows best. Much better than medical professionals, those plebeians. 

Here's hoping he walked out of his last class, stepped out to cross the street and was run down by a large truck causing major damage to his little peedee and rendering him sterile.

Satan is responsible for this post.  I did not write it.

[hasunah]

4 hours ago, TeddyBonkers said:

Not so! #9 Commandment- Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.

#10 Commandment- Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant nor maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to thy neighbor.

Nothing in there about prayers. OR Troupies, planes, chickens....

Unless it all belongs to the neighbours. 

[Carol]

Am I having an LSD flashback or did John early on say something to the effect he realized Africa was a dangerous place and they might lose children there?

I am not saying that is what he wants but I believe if they lose this child John will milk it for all it's worth...to the point of completely disregarding Esther's and his children's pain and loss.

The Great White Persecuted Missionary Loses His Son And Is Devastated.  

Please send money to help him get over his grief. 

[Gobsmacked]

If anything happens to Esther or the baby then John needs be smited mightily. He really is a terrible wee shite.

[Bethella]

7 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

I think the last 2 births went fairly smoothly, although someone said she lost a lot of blood with Stephen.

The person who made that claim that she lost a lot of blood with Stephen's delivery has been caught lying about other things recently, so I went back and checked the original thread- John specifically noted on FB that the birth was very smooth with no tearing.

This was also the thread with @Gobsmacked's first post (on page 4)  

[Gobsmacked]

Following John boy really is very much 'Ground hog day'.  Arcade was given a birthday party back in 2014. Now he is one of john's lost boys. The whole Shrader saga is just so sad and depressing. 

 

[Bethella]

John's update from 7:18 am, January 2- Esther is starting to have more intense contractions but nothing yet.

[apandaaries]

From FB:

Spoiler

Thank you everyone. It's Tuesday Jan 2nd, 7:18 am here in Zambia. Nothing yet, but thanks for your prayers. This baby will come in God's time, and we are so very grateful for all of your prayers on behalf of Esther and the baby and even the timing andthe midwife. Y'all are a blessing. - js

* Esther is starting to have what seems to be more intense contractions...we'll update here. Know it's late there, so thanks for praying as you pillow your heads. Lord willing we'll have good news when you wake up (your) tomorrow!

 

[Palimpsest]

Another update.  John says in the comments:

Quote

In good active labor now...as Esther said, "Sure takes a long time for that baby to travel just a few inches!"

 

7 hours ago, Bethella said:

The person who made that claim that she lost a lot of blood with Stephen's delivery has been caught lying about other things recently,

Oh, it was that person was it.  Thanks for checking and finding @Gobsmacked's first post.

 

[Gobsmacked]

I can't believe I've been around for 3 years already. Time really does have wings!

I just hope the midwife has made it to Kafue safely.  

[Lifesjustbeachy]

Esther's contractions are strengthening.  John says they're thankful for the midwife. 

[Howl]

35 minutes ago, Lifesjustbeachy said:

John says they're thankful for the midwife. 

John's not the only one!  If anything is amiss, she'll likely spot it early.

Sending Esther heartfelt thoughts for an uneventful labor and delivery of a healthy baby. 

 

[anjulibai]

I hope Esther and the baby go through this okay.