TRIBAL MEMBER NEWS
New Babies!
Ainsley Raye Kahler
by Mommy, Daddy, and big sister Bailey
Ainsley Raye Kahler was bom Sept. 6,
Staff Sgt. Morgan and First Lt. Ryan T. King
2005. at 4:30 p.m.
She weighed 9 pounds, 8 ounces, and
King Returns from Iraq
First Lt. Ryan T. King, USMC. gradu
ate of Virginia Military Institute, grand
son of Mary Johnson Grabert, and son
of Judy Grabert King, returned from de
ployment to Fallujah, Iraq, at the end of
September.
was 20*/2 inches long.
He is attached to the 1st Battalion 10th
Marines, Alpha Battery and is stationed
at Camp Lejeune, N.C. The picture shows
Ryan (right) with Staff Sgt. Morgan on
the morning of Ryan’s return from Iraq.
Our family is thankful for his safe
return.
Ainsley is the granddaughter of Susie
Leppert and great-granddaughter of Illa
Hoiness.
We love you!
Natalee Marie Solis
Natalee Marie Solis was bom July 18,
2005. She weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces,
and was 20’/2 inches long.
Her parents are Kimberly Taylor Solis
and Raymond Solis of Eureka, Calif. Her
great-grandfather is Keith Taylor of
McKinleyville, Calif, and she is the beau
tiful great-great-granddaughter of Agnes
Baker Pilgrim of Grants Pass, Ore.
Agnes is so honored that her Creator
allowed her to live to see her fifth to en
ter her world. She says she is so blessed.
My Son, John - His Birth
by Mark Pullam
In the course of events, when one re
members the real important ones, one can
always find the humor in any situation. 1
have told this story many times and for
my son’s 11th birthday, I promised him I
would write it down and submit it so he
could see it in print.
My wife had been in labor for more
than 20 hours and was having trouble
delivering our son. He was such a healthy
baby, but he got stuck and the doctor had
to do an emergency C-section to remove
my son and save him and my wife’s life.
I had to make the hardest decision of
my young life when I was asked by the
doctor if he had to save only one, which
person would he save - my wife or my
son. 1 had discussed this with my wife
previously and we had decided that if
there was a choice to be made, my son
would be the one to save.
Our pediatrician, Dr. Wikes, was the
best there was, so he assured me he would
try to save both of them. With fear in my
voice, 1 said to him, “ Save my son. My
wife and 1 already decided that.”
So he nodded and off went my wife
to the operating room with nurses and
doctors scrambling to get it ready. I was
ushered into a room where a scrub nurse
tossed a set of scrubs my way and told
me to get ready. I was going to have to
wear them in the operating room.
Much to my chagrin, they were about
two sizes too small. I am a large man and
the scrubs were for a man half my size!
Well, by some miracle I got the bottom
half on, but could not fit into the shirt at
all. The disgusted nurse then gave me a
long surgical robe to wear instead and I
was ushered into the operating room post
haste. I saw my wife on a board that looked
like a big T and she was firmly secured and
had been given a spinal tap to numb her.
The operating room was full of doc
tors and nurses and also a group of medi
cal students that was there to observe the
operation. I was standing by my wife's
head, providing comfort and support. The
nurse monitoring my wife’s vitals was
near me and stated to the doctor in a cute
southern drawl, “Doctor, why don't this
man have a mask on?”
Dr. Wikes immediately started to
swear at the nurses and told them to find
me a hat and surgical mask right now!
Dr. Wikes also had an attending physi
cian. Dr. Balderson. as an assistant He was
a young doctor on his surgical rotation.
As Dr. Wikes started the procedure,
he had a screen put up so Tammy and 1
would not have to look if we did not want
to. Being a chicken when it comes to blood,
I was grateful for the screen and the abil
ity to just listen to the doctor.
As Dr. Wikes started his first cut, my
wife’s monitor went flat line and the alarm
went off! Dr. Wikes started to scramble
and as he started to yell instructions to his
team. Dr. Balderson said to him. “Doctor,
how can she be dead? She is still talking?”
The monitor sensor had fallen off her
finger as she lay on the operating table.
Dr. Wikes then berated the staff about
shoddy work and went back to the opera
tion. He started his incision and I heard a
loud “thump” over by the medical stu
dents. One of them had passed out and
no one was helping him at all. They just
stepped over him!
Dr. Balderson then told one of the stu
dents to move him to the comer and leave
him there. If I hadn't been so worried about
my wife, I would have burst out laugh
ing. But the operation went on as planned.
Dr. Wikes made the incision and said,
“I see a little nose.” Both my wife and I
said in unison, "He got my nose.”
The doctor asked me if I wanted to
see my son for the first time. I went to the
lower end of the table and he handed my
son to me. I looked into those beautiful
little brown eyes and every secret in the
universe all of a sudden just made sense
to me. This was my son and 1 instantly
loved him forever.
I helped clean him up and got to watch
the pediatricians weigh and measure him,
and he was all healthy and fully formed
(yes, I counted 10 fingers and 10 toes).
Then they handed him to me. Only a
parent can describe what that feeling is
like, to hold your baby for the first time. I
took my son, John, to my wife at the front
and we were both in tears with the joy.
Dr. Wikes said the operation was a
success and he worked on sewing my wife
back up as I held my son close to my body.
The warmth of his and my body was so
comforting and I was so proud 1 could
not put into words the emotions that I felt.
Both my wife and my son were alive and
healthy, and all I could do was thank the
Creator with a silent prayer.
Dr. Wikes then announced that he was
ready to wheel my wife to post-op and I
should take my son to the nursery for a
while until Tammy was ready to take the
baby in her room.
As I started to turn and leave, my
pants fell completely off and were around
my ankles! I looked over at Dr. Balderson
and said to him, “I can't do this.” He tried
to assure me it was natural for new fa
thers to be anxious about new babies, but
the bonding process was necessary.
1 then informed him that I was not
having problems with bonding, but to
look down. He was confused and 1 more
urgently asked him to look down. He did
and had trouble stifling a laugh as he saw’
my scrubs pants down around my ankles!
Dr. Balderson took my son and I pulled up
my pants and we headed to the nursery.
As we were on our way with Dr. Balder
son holding my newborn son, we passed
the nurses’ station. The nurses started to
tease Dr. Balderson about how good he
looked holding a baby. It seemed that the
young doctor was a very eligible bachelor.
Well, one nurse in particular seemed
to be very interested in young Dr.
Balderson. She looked at him like an eagle
looks like when it spots a field mouse -
total concentration and the field mouse
has no chance of escape. I saw that look
in her eyes and the doctor was toast.
When we got my son to the nursery,
I informed young Dr. Balderson that he
was doomed (a year later we got an invi
tation to his wedding).
When I got back to see my son that
night. I thanked the Creator for giving me
a son so perfect. He was asleep and I took
him out into the hallway and as 1 looked
into the stars outside the window. I lifted
him up and introduced him to my ances
tors as my son, John.
December 2005
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Siletz News
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