It's Raining Babies or Three Babies in Three Months or This is the Most Effective Birth Control

On October 5th my family and I celebrated the healthy delivery of a yet another baby girl into the world. That makes three baby girls in three months in my immediate family.

This time the mommy was my tokora (name-sake) Aissatou, the woman I am closest to in my family here in Senegal. With two healthy babies and mommies already in my family I started to worry statistically what that meant for Aissa in a village where it is very common to have childbirth complications. We also started getting anxious that Aissa might be carrying twins, increasing the risks dramatically.

Needless to say I was instantly full of emotion when my mom Penda knocked on my door at 7 am on the 5th, shouting "Tokora maa jibbini!" "Your name-sake has given birth!" I booked out of the room frantically, needing to know NOW if Aissa and baby were both healthy. I ran into her hut and found her laying on the floor, next to her, baby was laying on a sheet, still connected to the placenta maybe a few minutes old. I surveyed everyone, tearing up and laughing, seeing that both mom and baby seemed to be doing well.

Although I hoped to be there for the birth it was such an honor to help them afterwards. My moms tied the cord and cut it and I helped Aissa get the baby to breast-feed. It was such a raw few moments when everyone was simply human and we were just souls working together in love.

Here is a picture of baby Adama Hawa Becky, at a week old on the day of her baptism and naming ceremony. Her Koranic name is Adama Hawa after her aunt and you might have guessed the Becky is after my very own american mother.



Binta, my sister Hawa's baby, is now two months old. Here is a picture of her and Ruby bonding.



And then there is my dad and second mom's child Aminata who was named after me. Aminata/Amanda...you know. She is about two and a half months now and quite the chunkaroo.



Life has been all about these little girls and their mommies for the past few months. I've taken on the household responsibilities of a Senegalese woman; pounding corn for meals, bathing kids, cooking, sweeping, washing dishes...you name it. It's been nice to take some of the weight of Penda, Hawa and Aissa's shoulders and pamper them as much as you can pamper someone in Senegal.

You join Peace Corps thinking, idealistically, you are going to change the world and that your service is going to center around projects attempting to do so. Then, you realize, that while you hope you are making a difference, just important are the human connections and love that grow out of nothing. I am happier than I've been at most points in my service, just being a part of a family, taking care of babies and watching them grow. How rewarding to know that I am truly part of the family. These women are my sisters, these babies are my nieces. Thanks be to God!