July & Aug 07
It’s a Girl!!Â
Well I am late once again with my updates for July & August. Life just gets away from me, especially being pregnant and unwell to boot. This month is no exception with 2 hospital stints I will explain further on.
The month of July began with America’s national holiday – Independence Day. The weather on the day was very unsettled and stormy so we decided to not risk standing outside to watch fireworks which may or may not go ahead. Instead we had a nice dinner with Luke & Laura followed by a movie. During the movie we could hear the bangs of the fireworks so they obviously went ahead. So hopefully next year the weather will be better and we can see how the fireworks compare.Â
Andrew and I went to a Mother’s group BBQ at one of the homes of the Mom’s. It was a family event so it was great to meet some of the husbands, and the kids went crazy playing in the sprinklers as it was once again another hot and humid day. During July I was unable to attend several outings the group had organized due to my health, missing a day at the zoo among one of the events.
Andrew traveled a bit this month, with a trip to Memphis and both of us heading to Malvern, PA for 2 weeks. I was very unwell for the majority of the time and ended up having to leave a few days early to get medication from one of my doctors. Whilst there however; we went to the Tutankhamen exhibition in Philadelphia which was fascinating however way too busy. Due to my arthritis I hired a motorized scooter which made getting around the exhibits quite difficult but given the amount of time spent hanging around I was quite pleased to be not putting so much pressure on my ankles. That evening we went into the city and found the most amazing Moroccan restaurant called Marrakesh. It was within an old townhouse and decorated traditionally with materials and cushions. We were in a room upstairs and served a wonderful 7 course meal. I hadn’t been able to eat much all week but the food was so good that I was able to eat some of each course which was just so delicious.
This month Andrew finally got a Maryland state license which is great so that he now has photo identification other than his passport. I, once again, was too unwell that day so I will go and take the test when we have settled into the new apartment so that the address is current.Â
August didn’t begin well. One evening I was in extreme pain down my left side which wasn’t settling with rest and the pain killers I had at home. So a call was placed to the on call OBGYN who requested I come into Labor & Delivery. After some tests and examinations, I was found to have a Urinary Tract infection as well as kidney inflammation so I was admitted to the Maternity Unit. I was in hospital for 4 days receiving antibiotics and pain relief. This episode was very disturbing as the whole time I was quite distressed, worried about the safety of my baby. Only a few days earlier I had been told that my cousin Kathie had given birth to her son prematurely and that he hadn’t survived. So it was quite hard to see reason at such a time. Thankfully the nursing staff and my doctor were very understanding. My love and thoughts have been with Kathie & Ronnie who have had to endure the unthinkable.   Â
Given all my health concerns, I was referred to a Perinatologist to review my care. She was very thorough and helped settle some concerns Andrew and I had. At the end of the day it certainly isn’t preferable for my baby to be experiencing the medications I require, but that she will be okay. The main concern we will face is potential withdrawal issues when she is born but this should be managed quite well and thankfully at our local hospital rather than in Baltimore. The day we saw the doctor was our 1st wedding anniversary. Boy doesn’t time fly!! We had all these grand plans initially of being able to recreate our wedding as Andrew was once again due to be in Las Vegas however the timing wasn’t quite right. Then we thought we would spend the night along the coast at a nice B&B however on the day I was so unwell that I was lucky to not have been admitted to hospital. So we spent the night at home with pizza and playing scrabble! For a present Andrew gave me the most beautiful opal necklace. For many years I have worn an opal ring which belonged to my mum’s mother and he knows how important that is to me so to think of that as a gift plus be able to find one here in America was so special to me. I was in tears at such a thoughtful and special gift. For him I had a photo from our Las Vegas wedding put onto a canvas and blown up. All in all we had a wonderful day despite my health.
In the lead up to week 20 of the pregnancy, I once again experienced terrible pain around the kidney region so I was admitted again to hospital. This time they found that I had a kidney blockage which managed to resolve itself over time once again with antibiotics and pain relief. Whilst in the hospital we had our 20 week ultrasound which was a detailed anatomical view of the baby. At this time we also discovered that we are having a girl! We were so happy, especially Andrew who secretly wanted a girl. She will certainly be a daddy’s girl. The latest ultrasound and picture of me are within the pregnancy folder via the photos link.
My cravings to date have been minimal given I don’t eat very much. I have lost around 26 pounds so far but when I do manage to eat my preference has been for tater tots (potato gems), potato chips and tacos at a place called Taco bell. I have found that my taste buds are constantly changing and something I feel like one day I can’t stand the next.
The month ended with a 2 week trip to Colorado Springs in Colorado. Andrew was required to teach a training course to their client FedEx so it was a fantastic opportunity for me to catch up with my “other†sister Michelle. When I was 17 Michelle was an exchange student to Australia and we have been like family ever since. The last time I saw her was in 1992 so I was so excited to see her. My OBGYN wasn’t too keen on my traveling however the way I justified it was that if I didn’t go I was going to be alone for 2 weeks whereas by going I would have someone with me 24 hours a day to be able to help look after me.
Seeing Michelle at the airport was emotional, especially given that we had spent the day traveling as there is no direct flight from Baltimore to Colorado Springs, we had to go via Dallas. Despite being sick most of the time I had a wonderful 2 weeks. It is hard for Michelle to be what is the equivalent of a single mother with a husband in the American Army. Whilst we were there he was in California on a training mission, and missed his daughters 3rd birthday. On the middle weekend Andrew, Michelle and Justine went to the Royal Gorge and you can see by the photos how amazing the view is. There is a suspension bridge across the gorge with a raging river down below. I was told it was a very hot and humid day so they did well to walk around the park for as long as they did. We also went to the State Fair which was great, but poor Andrew had to push me around in a wheel chair. At least he was able to sample all of the food as he certainly had enough exercise to work off the food! Whilst at the fair, we saw Chris Daughtry in concert with his band. I think he is known in Australia given I heard he was heading there so you should know who I am talking about. We also got to drive around the army base so I have taken a few photos of that also. It was a bit of a joke getting onto the base as given Andrew had USA identification he was allowed on but I required my passport and was considered an alien. But we managed to get on finally, all to go for a swim!
So that’s our life during July & August. September to date has been a crazy month with us moving and Andrew is traveling a lot also. But more of that later. Hope everyone is well.
Add comment August 30th, 2007