Baby G

Introduction to the World.

Lovely to have Oma and Opa with us for 3 months. On 21 April we enjoyed fine Bavarian fare, included beef and blaukraut, with cloves (about 2 months later I remembered cloves bring on Labor, so perhaps they helped) and I ate a ton off it. For the rest of the evening I realize I can walk holding onto the stroller instead of the walker. Doesn't dawn on me at all that the reason I can suddenly get about more might perhaps be because the babys head is engaged. 10.30 I go to bed. 12.30 I wake up and 2 seconds later my waters burst (a new sensation really, since I was induced with Chookie and they burst them right before she came). I wake up Doc 'the baby's coming!, the baby's coming, my waters have gone the baby is coming' Doc 'Well get out of bed, have a shower' So I went and had a shower and he stripped the bed. I washed my hair. Why did I wash my hair?! Doc came through and I said these are big contractions, the baby is coming now, but for some reason he decided that babys take a long time and so off to bed he went. Meantime I phone my MD and Oma wakes up and is surprised I'm calling my doctor. Oma is also expecting this will take some time. I am now timing my contractions. Every couple of minutes. for about half an hour before Oma wakes up Doc again and I say to him, 'really, it's coming now, you're going to have to drive fast'. Made it out to the car in between contractions. Made it to delivery suite in between contractions, call back my doctor. 'Are you here to book in for a caesarean?' the nurse asks. 'No, I'm having a baby now!' Puts me in a room. Strip down into gown. Nurse checks. Almost fully dilated. Oh hello again Bavarian haute cuisine. Oh hello MD, you must live net door. MD 'Yes, round the corner' MD examines, fully dilated. Push when you're ready. Completely natural, no IV line, not even another gown! HELLO BABY! 8.95 dark hair, blue eyes, just like daddy.

Baby Shower

Plenty of Time

Our little American one will be welcome any time from tomorrow, as that will be week 37. Mean time Doc has been at the American Cancer Congress in DC and is on flight number 3 home. Not the correct flight as his first flights' delay entailed a missed connection and subsequent re-route to Kona. Kona is on the other side of the Island. So our freshly arrived visitors (Doc's folks) are having their first trip to the 'other side' in the evening, it'll be a scenic drive at least until the sun sets just after 6!

It's been 1 month now since I slid across the glossed cement, flooded, not even disabled accessible toilet at work, did the splits and thumped the wall with my Pelvis. Thankful that I didn't land on the baby. Since then I can hardly walk, my Pelvis was already weak from the loss of ligaments with a ruptured Pubis Symphysis week 28 of pregnancy - now 8 years ago, and this whack to the wall has knocked out my Sacroiliac joints. Yes it's painful, but not long to go now before the little one comes and I can start physical rehab, which this time will include ligament strengthening injections.

How an accident works in the UK. Paid sick leave for a time, paid maternity leave for a time, free NHS healthcare, company fix problem bathroom.

How this works in Hawaii. Haven't received a penny, work comp insurance just made available for use 1 month after accident (I received a prescription card yesterday, I had to pay for a walker frame myself in order to be able to get to the bathroom without the assistance of Doc), no paid maternity leave, no change in Bathroom. This now makes it understandable to me why people 'sue' in America. I don't want to personally, but the facilities are still an accident waiting to happen to someone else, which is just not right, is it?

 On the other hand my Blue Cross/Blue Shield Insurance is there to cover the birth.... or not if my employer decides paying the premium (of which I already had my portion of the April payment deducted from my last payslip) is not a priority, and NEGLECTS to inform me. Try to have a baby in America with no insurance anyone? Shaking in so much shock at not even being warned, I found out fro the insurance company. Thankfully Oma and Opa were there to calm me down and attempt to find a solution, so hopefully the lapse in coverage of almost 2 weeks has been rectified. Yes there are laws. Not sure as yet if it is covered now.

In Scotland this is called 'a kick in the teeth'.... if ever there was. Pretty mindboggling. Was I a bad employee? No, the opposite, apparently so much so that my boss can't cope without me so is now going to close, and yes I did leave detailed procedure instructions on how to do each task................

Doc's work is going well, and Chook is doing very well at school and with her Scottish books I have shipped over - have to keep up with the subjects which seem behind to me here, me thinks.

Oma has the baby clothes all washed and ironed, and our neglected ironing mountain is almost conquered. Opa has been doing jobs in the hoosey and Faith has been so so excited to have Oma and Opa to stay! So we are being spoiled by them, including German cooking, yum. Bet Doc can't wait for his flight to arrive tonight!