Shrimp boat captain delivers baby at sea

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

FREEPORT, Texas — When the cook on his shrimp boat went into labor 30 miles offshore, captain Ed Kiesel grabbed a new roll of paper towels and a first aid handbook and did the best he could.

He successfully delivered Cindy Preisel’s baby boy, even though the baby’s feet emerged first.

“I’m no doctor, but even I knew that’s not supposed to happen,” Kiesel said.

“I reached with my fingers … as gently as I could and popped out his left shoulder and then his right,” he said. “But then the little guy was stuck by his head, being strangled. So I did the only thing I could – I waited for a contraction and then slid my fingers in around the top of his head and scooped him out.”

But the newborn wasn’t breathing, so Kiesel gently administered CPR.

“I started giving mouth-to-mouth, three short puffs, and then thumping and rubbing its back,” he said.

The baby began to take short breaths, and after 20 to 25 minutes of CPR, gulped in air. His lips turned rosy and he started crying.

“I was so happy and relieved,” Cindy Preisel said. “It’s hard to put into words.”

Kiesel used net twine, sterilized in boiling water, to tie off the umbilical cord and cut the newborn free from his mother.

Friends waited at the dock in Freeport, about 55 miles south of Houston, with bottles and baby clothes. Preisel named the baby Brian Edward Mawhorr, after his father and the captain who delivered him. The baby wasn’t due until mid-September.

Kiesel said the boat, which set out from Fort Myers, Fla., on July 15, will head out to the Gulf of Mexico again on Friday. The newborn’s father, Brian Mawhorr, will continue on as a deck hand, but Preisel planned to stay with family.

“We set out with a crew of three, and we came back with a crew of four,” Kiesel said. “We’re not getting too much new blood in the shrimp industry, so I guess we have to manufacture our own.”

Jeremy had his tonsils out yesterday.  Everything went smoothly duringthe surgery, I’m glad to report.  I was present with him in the recovery room when his surgeon came in to talk to him.  The DR. reassured him that while his throat was causing him pain now, he did the right thing, and he should see a marked improvement from now on.  The DR. also said that they were full of infection and puss.  I thought that was amazing because when he went in he was “healthy.”  After I brought him home, he did very well until he ate some Jello.  After that he started bleeding a little and he was hurting.  I had his mom come over after work and she checked him out.  She said he’d be okay but that he might be more comfortable if he slept in the recliner.  This morning he wrote he wrote that he slept for three hour streches and then would wake up to drink a little.  He got sleepy again after he sent the dog up to wake me so I showered and took the dog for a walk.  Now he’s resting so I’m just trying to be quite.  I think I’ll try to make some Carnation Instant Breakfast for him when he wakes up.  I’m hoping that it doesn’t taste like poo and will fill him up a bit.otherwise there are always popsicles.  Anyway, it looks like I’m grounded for today so feel free to be witty and amuzing today on the blog and don’t be surprised if I can you and sound stir crazy.    

so as you know, i haven’t been feeling my best for the past, oh, two months or so. however, i AM starting to get back on my feet just a bit and as a result i’m going to attempt blogging a little more often. i can’t promise that anything will be earth shattering (perhaps i’ll just promise that most of it won’t!) or completely coherent but more frequent posts are definitely in order!

for now i think i’ll just list some of my favorite words. because that’s not random or anything.

shanty – as in sea shanty, not shanty town. i always love a good sea shanty.

exactly – i seem to use this word a lot, like when asking the question, what exactly do you mean by that?

evil – i’ve especially come to enjoy this word after having it used to describe me. it is actually a rather useful adjective to describe a lot of people who aren’t me as well.

blanket – such a calm, relaxing word. it helps that i like blankets.

lavender – it’s such a smooth sounding word. and i like the smell.

roast – i just heard the word on tv and i’m really hungry and it sounds good.

was perusing through the blog of the editor of The Horn Book Magazine (a journal on kiddie lit that i subscribe to, for those who don’t know) and ran across this entry. made me giggle a bit.

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so it wasn’t a great start to our chicago wedding extravaganza weekend.  yesterday our flight was first delayed for two hours, then we boarded, then we were told that due to tornadoes in Chicago our flight was canceled indefinitely.  our only option was to wait until friday morning, take a 6am flight to portland and then continue on to chicago.  so we’re in portland now and very tired but i have to say, the portland airport is pretty freaking cool.  free wi-fi, baby!  and nice weird spinning sculpture things.

we’ve heard rumblings that chicago weather is still not cooperating but we’re hoping we’ll fly anyway.   oooo, update:  we seem to have begun boarding so this is a positive sign.  tho we did board yesterday so i guess i shouldn’t be too hopeful.

As I think you are all aware, my wife has often stated that she is not interested in museums.  I was worried that I’d have to drag her around the Louvre, but she was actually disappointed that we didn’t spend very much time there.  We also basically did a running tour (I would have gone faster if people would have gotten out of my way!) in the Musee d’Orsay. I’ll admit that was a bit quick, but Emily is more disappointed.  She even wanted to go to a 3rd museum (Musee de l’Orangerie).  It a seemed  a bit weird for a museum-hater.

some of you asked for it…so here it is!

crunch!!

The baby on the Nirvana Nevermind record cover is now 17 years old. sigh…

Via Seattle Metblog…

Love is in the air! I am so hyped about all the babies. I can’t believe it . I just go around smiling. People at work must think I’ve gone daft. I worked in Women’s World yesterday which is across from the baby department and I was going ga ga. Perspective parents, did you know that infants are included in many of the back to school promotions? I know I sound like a walking ad but everything was so cute and little. I always forget how much I actually like pastels until I’m over in the children’s department. I can’t wait to hear all the fun details about what everyone is going to do with their nursery. oh, happy sigh! I can hardly believe that by spring time our group will have at least three new babies. This time next year mothering will be old hat to three from our group. I am so excited for all the new Mom’s and Dad’s to be. Sending plenty of healthy vibes out into the universe.