Stuck in MS forever

Okay, so its not forever, but F just got extended in this God foresaken state until March 2011. That means that poor H will have to at the very least start school as a homeschooled child. Unfortunately, children cannot attend school in MS unless they go back through the entire retinue of vaccinations, including those that are irrelevant for older children. I am at a loss as to why I would do this at this point. So we will homeschool my poor socially deprived little man through Kindergarten and hopefully move somewhere with a more logical approach to the parent/child/school interaction before he starts first grade.

What a let-down!

Don't go to work!

So yesterday, F was working on getting his tail lights fixed on his Yukon, since we had gotten pulled over the night before (what a way to start date night!). Meanwhile, the kids were "helping" him and "using" his tools and such. I decided to make it easy on him and take them to play across the street at the playground, and easily influenced them because there were other kids out playing. K asked Daddy to come with us and I said, "Daddy has to do a little bit of work first."

Perhaps we ought not call him deploying "going to work" (stupid Elmo video) because K FREAKED OUT and said, "NO! Daddy! Don't go to work!" I explained that he was working at our house and that we'd be able to see him the whole time, but she was literally in tears over the idea of F going to work again.

Tomorrow morning is going to suck! F heads out for a 9 a.m. muster and will be gone for just a short while (we hope) but explaining the difference between a few hours and a few months to a two year old stinks! I have tried telling her that Daddy has to go to work for a few hours and that he'll be back for lunch, and I sure hope that she believes me when the time actually comes!

So what have you learned?

"So what have you learned, Dorothy?" Or perhaps more apt, "Hey JoJo what do you say? We all want to know what you learned today!" Eight months two days since I started this blog and here is what I come up with at 1 a.m. the night before it allegedly ends...

Well, I've learned that if you have family and friends, you can survive anything. I've learned that if the military can goof it up, they will (kinda knew that one though, didn't I?). I've learned that I can do things on my own that I never dreamed possible even though a brave face and bravado of the mouth may state otherwise.

I have learned that my children really are fabulous kids who are sensitive to other people and resilient in a way that only a military child can be. I've learned that you can't listen to what other people say about doctors, hospitals and their experiences but rather you must explore options for yourself to see what really works.

I've learned that knitting is a GREAT way to pass the time when you are cooped up UNLESS you are trying to feed a baby who likes to grab yarn or tending to toddlers with their own agenda(s). I've learned that paper or plastic is the wrong question, because cloth is WAAAAAYYY better (both in diapers and shopping bags).

And I've learned that a "good night's sleep" can be defined as less than 5 hours and you can still be bright eyed for homecoming!

And so we wait...

Its a good thing I have kids to keep me sane (uh, what? Hmmm more on that statement another day when I have the fortitude to rectify the dissonance!). This morning, K asked if Daddy was still with Peter Pan. Confused, I quizzed her and discovered that when I said Daddy was in Japan, she thought I meant he was hanging out with Peter Pan. Well, he is with the lost boys who refuse to grow up for the most part, so perhaps she is more wise than I know. And I think it will take more than faith or trust or pixie dust to get their stupid plane off the ground and get them home! Delay #3 has them arriving tomorrow - I won't hold my breath in case those aforementioned children need me today!

And so it begins

Just heard from the lovely husband and the first delay is in effect. Twelve hours as of now puts them set for a 2:00 a.m. arrival - fabulous! I was just hoping that I could drag the monkeys out in the middle of the night to meet with him - three cranky kids and an airport area - nice. : (

There will likely be another delay that makes the nightmare scenario moot as they arrive the following day. Ugh - some days I despise the military!

8 months-1 day

Running around like a headless chicken tonight, I realize that
a) the house will never be clean "enough"
b) nobody will care tomorrow
and
c) by Monday anything I did would be trashed again anyway (who am I kidding - by tomorrow).

So we work on "normal" tasks like bathtime and bedtime and brushing teeth. Here's to hoping that the kids sleep through the night in their own beds tonight. Here's to hoping they sleep at all. And here's to hoping some lame pencil pusher doesn't decide that one more day is no big deal.

Why should the last day/night of deployment be as difficult as the first? I don't understand it but it always seems to be the way. The kids are a bit more honery, I'm a bit more tense, things break and don't work the way they should. (You run out of alcohol except for the nasty Bud Light that you put in the fridge for him tomorrow.)

Ugh, make it through the night, fall into his arms tomorrow afternoon and sleep for three days as if the last eight months were just a bad dream...

Nearly there

Well, we have "only" a week remaining. In the larger scope of eight months I suppose that it won't be that long, particularly with what we've been through in this eight months, but its bittersweeet to have him coming home so near to the holidays, yet not in time for the holidays - particularly when this year the kids finally started to "get it" in terms of Santa and presents and so on. (I base the statement that they really "get it" on their reluctance to take down the decorations or the train we set up under the tree because they want it there for "when Santa comes back.")

So, tomorrow my mom leaves and by the time we return from New Orleans, the day will be over - one more down in a long string of days that loomed endlessly before us at the start of this blog. Haven't decided if I'll continue here, or create a "homeport blog" or consider the name to be a daily mantra appreciative of every day that we are able to share with F once he's home - more of a coming home from the daily grind, than the long deployment.

In any case, seven days and hopefully (as of now) he'll be home, but as always that will be subject to the whims of the military, the command and I'm sure the weather.

Musings of age

I was thinking last night as I snuck in a quick bath that I should be thinking profound thoughts and analyzing my life in some way today. Rather I was rushing to get my hair washed before C woke up hungry or K had a nightmare or H got bored with late night cartoons on Boomerang. That's about as profound as things get around here these days, although I was also debating finding myself a good quality face cream to keep the age lines from showing, but for now I guess I'll just accept them as part of me - as the kids do and my husband will if he ever gets home.

The kids and I went and made welcome home signs for F's return. The command puts them up all over the base so that people know the guys are home (and chicks too, but really there are only a relative handful of girls in the unit so let's get real, deal with being called one of the guys, you're in the military for goodness sake). It was nice, but they use house paint for durability, so I really wasn't thrilled with the kiddos "helping" if you know what I mean.

It seems odd that its less than a month until we have our big arrivals - dancin' grandma, the jolly fat man and last-but-certainly-not-least DADDY! Kind of seems like it will be a little bit of a let down after its all over, but we'll see what the new year brings.

The kids are getting a HUGE (for them) play kitchen for Christmas. I got a pretty good deal on one, I think and it just arrived. Hopefully I can figure out a way to set it up before Christmas Eve without them seeing it or grandma and I might be up most of the night assembling!

We're hoping to take the kids on a mini-vacation in January or February just because we can, and to give ourselves a break before returning to the real world - a kind of thank you to ourselves for surviving this deployment and thriving and growing.

In the meantime, I think we're going to get ourselves in the holiday spirit and go get a Christmas tree. Should be interesting trying to get a tree put up with the "helpers" here, but we'll see how it goes. So the tree ends up horizontal across the couch - whatever. We don't exactly have a Better Homes and Gardens kind of house as it is - more like something from Elmo's World (including the crayon walls - grrrr)!

Off to locate Christmas decorations and child-proof stuff to scatter about the house! And for anyone who is missing holiday cuteness...

OTR Again

Well, its finally time - the van is packed, the "stuff" is "stuffed" (instead of just the turkey) and its time to get on the road again. Early in the morning we're headed home. I don't know who is more excited, K or me, but we are all ready, I think to settle in at home and await the arrival of both big men - Santa and Daddy!

We've spent from Labor day to turkey day with the inlaws and it has been a complete God send being able to share C's birth and the task/joy of raising the three kids together, however it is certainly time to move on to our own place and our own lives again. C has never known a day without any one of several adults available to touch, pick up and hold him, and he might just be shell shocked to be stuck with "just" mommy for a while.

On a side note, it will be good to get out before the snow flies on Sunday night. Although we've had flurries off and on and it isn't a huge storm coming, it is enough to make me thankful that we're leaving now.

My next post will likely be delivered from the old homestead down south, and our internet is due to be installed on the afternoon of the 3rd. Wish us luck that Cable One doesn't bite us in the butt (again), as they seem to be the only show in town for non-dial-up on base. grrrrrrrr!

NF: Military makes sense

NEWS FLASH!!!! The military has done something that makes sense. Or perhaps it was Congress, which would make it even bigger news. When Frank was in the Reserves in Kuwait, he reenlisted. Recently, we received a letter stating that the bonus he received when reenlisting was due to be returned (meaning we needed to repay several thousand dollars) since he did not fulfill his RESERVE contract. OUCH!!!

I finally called again on it, I had always seemed to call after hours or at particularly busy times for them and never got through after an initial contact wherein they told me they couldn't talk to me until they had a copy of our Power of Attorney. Anyway when I got through today they said that there is a new policy, by which anyone who leaves the Reserves to go on active duty without a break in service would no longer be required to repay that Reserve bonus as long as the Active Duty contract would fulfill the time obligation for the Reserve contract bonus.

Long story short, we just wiped what would have been a large amount of debt off of our backs!!!! Wooo Hooooo!!!! I can move that payment into other areas of our budget where it will be well appreciated. Now THAT was a great phone call.

BTW - "they" lie

I know I read somewhere once the story of the "house of 'they'," but whoever "they" are, "they" are also liars. "They"say that it gets easier each time you leave (or your loved one does) but I don't think it does. I'm certainly not a novice at this experience, and I still cry every time.

For anyone who reads this and doesn't know our history, F & I have never spent an unbroken year together in the same place, the whole time. We met in London, the day after I arrived for a two year tour, while he was half way through his two year tour. We started dating in August, and I went home for Christmas, while he stayed in London hosting his parents. By June, he was gone, back to the states to go to school and I remained in London, where he came to visit once, and I came to see him once.

The following June, I left London and returned to the states. When I found a job in NH, I moved there, and F was in school in the same town, so that was good, although he went home to MA for summers and most holidays. Even since we married in May 2004, we have been apart a lot. From his time at the police academy (M-F for 12 weeks? in 2005) to deployments (Kuwait 2006-8mos, this one-8mos), I cry every time he leaves. And if anything, it gets harder.

I think in part it is harder because of the kids now. I know on some level that much of the acting out that follows him leaving is a lack of ability to vocalize how they feel when he leaves/is gone. But its frustrating because even though I know the problem, there isn't anything I can do to fix the problem. I know that we signed on for this, knew what we were getting into, etc. etc. etc. but again, knowing it and being able to deal with it are different animals.

So, we plot his return and have started the countdown. At some point I need to figure out exactly when we'll return to MS. C isn't the best car rider (although he isn't the worst either) so it will be a different drive for sure. I need to think long and hard about when to travel - I don't want to deal with winter driving if I can help it, but we'll see how things go.

On a more positive note, C is 4 weeks old today. He can hold his head up quite well, and I'm amazed at how fast he's growing! Although he seemed to swim in his big Britax carseat (Wizard) at birth, I actually had to raise the headrest the other day, so he's filling that out for sure. He's outgrowing clothes left and right and is starting to look more like a little baby than a newborn, if that makes sense.

Going too fast!

I know I sound a bit like one of the kids, but why is it the countdown to something good (like Daddy coming home) lasts sooooo much longer than the time or event you've been waiting for? I know that 12 days is not nearly long enough for any of us, but now I'm starting to feel sad and trying to prepare the kids for Monday morning, when F flies out again to Okinawa. I know that H will not understand, although he did say we need to start another countdown calendar for when Daddy comes home again, so perhaps that was a hit after all.

I am just a wimp and can't face the prospect of a countdown that lasts into the hundreds, so perhaps we'll do one for Halloween, Thanksgiving and then Christmas, then daddy coming home, or at least one that incorporates those dates as well. Otherwise, the large number of days that drag on between now and then would just be too overwhelming for me.

I've been spoiled having F home, and just can't face the idea of him leaving again so soon, although I always knew our time would be short for now.

Charles' birth story

This birth story would not be complete unless it began at 34w, even though the birth itself began more than six weeks later…

Having returned from a nine week hiatus from doctor visits, my return to the medical professionals assigned to care for baby and I through the process brought back to reality exactly how “managed” the process of bringing life into the world has become. I certainly don’t fault my doctor – I think she’s fabulous, in fact. However, I did respectfully disagree with her assertion that baby needed to be delivered within weeks 38-39 for the “best possible outcome” due to my diabetes. And so the weekly discussions began about premature extraction of this beloved babe, but bi-weekly testing ensuring that baby was still comfortable eased my mind and I knew that baby would come when baby was ready if we only let him.

At 37w, my first exam showed a small amount of dilation (1.5) and the doctor who did the exam swept my membranes, with my knowledge and consent, in an effort to get things moving. He said that he predicted that baby would arrive within four days. Thankfully, he was very wrong, as the events that followed would have been much harder for all of us had his assertion been correct.

A few days later, after no progress towards labor, we began hearing stirrings and rumblings of a hurricane headed to the Gulf Coast. Living in the heart of “Katrina Country” people were rationally nervous about the potential impact of this storm. I was informed that Keesler AFB would close the hospital and Mother/Baby Unit without advance warning if a determination was made that the storm was headed that direction, and was advised to evacuate somewhere that had a Labor and Delivery department at their hospital. Gee, thanks for that, at nearly 38w pregnant, I’d never have thought of that without the suggestion of the hospital administration.

So, after a few phone calls and much soul searching, and consultation with family, I made the decision to drive up to Massachusetts and have baby surrounded by family who would be able to support us, as well as H and K during my hospital stay. I found a hospital that allowed VBACs (Vaginal birth after cesarean section) and an OB practice who would agree to take on a high risk patient (diabetes and “advanced maternal age”) at 38w pregnant, who was evacuating from a potential hurricane.

And so we began our journey north from Mississippi to Massachusetts, with grandma-to-be along for the drive (and doing most of the driving), with my biggest fears being going into labor in West Virginia (don’t know why I was having nightmares about this unlikely possibility since WV is about 30 minutes of the 23 hour drive) and secondary would have been going into labor at all on the drive.

We arrived safely in MA and I met with a very engaging and encouraging doctor who felt there was no rush to have the baby, knowing my history and medical issues. I returned to bi-weekly Non stress tests (NSTs) and Biophysical Profiles (BPPs) and began the anxious baby-watching sessions. 39w came and went, as did the 40w mark, at which time even this doctor began to feel that it would be a good idea for baby to arrive sooner rather than later, and he set an induction date of Wednesday, September 17th. I was slightly heartbroken at the thought, but also ready to meet our new baby, and after a stressful few weeks, ready to be done, if baby was ready to arrive.

I really didn’t want to be induced. Monday night, my father-in-law and I took a ride in his truck down a bumpy road that he is convinced precipitated the arrival of Frank, baby’s daddy, 34 years before, and went to the drugstore in town to pick up castor oil to choke down to induce the onset of labor. By this point, I was pretty much willing to try anything other than doctor-induced labor.

That night, the kids and I snuggled in and I told them that if they woke up and I wasn’t there, that perhaps I had to go to the doctor to have baby, but that grandma or grandpa would be there to help take care of them or comfort them if they were scared. We all went to sleep before 10:00, a rarity these days, and neither of them woke for a while. I woke up around midnight feeling crampy. I thought it was, perhaps, the side effects of the castor oil, and headed to the bathroom since, well, castor oil is found in the laxative section, if you know what I mean.

For the next two hours I debated whether castor oil really was the most stupid thing I had ever tried, or if I was in labor. When I started having contractions that I couldn’t walk or talk through, I determined it was the latter, and realized that in all of our discussions about baby, hospitals, labor and so on, we had never really discussed the logistics of going into labor – who would drive to the hospital, how I would wake people up, etc.

The stairs at the in-laws are steep and narrow, and I really didn’t think I could make it up them between contractions (did I wait too long?). So, I turned on the light to the stairs outside of their bedroom and “knocked” on the wooden stairs, calling up to them. After a few minutes, my mother-in law came down and I told her I was calling the doctor on-call and that I thought we needed to take a drive to Pittsfield. The doctor on call was surprisingly alert for 2:15 a.m., an occupational hazard, I suppose and I lied and said the contractions were regular (they weren’t) and only a minute or two apart (they were).

And so we left for the hospital, making the 45 minute journey in about 25 minutes thanks largely to no traffic and a driver who kept asking, “Are you sure we don’t want to call an ambulance to meet us?” (God Bless her!) We checked in at about 2:45 a.m. and were rushed up to the Mother/Baby unit. By 3:00 I was “safely” ensconced in a hospital bed with fairly strong and regular contractions. Dilated to 5, I knew I wasn’t leaving without a baby and even then, it wouldn’t be that morning, but rather a day or so later when we were finally able to leave. I also knew we wouldn’t be keeping that induction appointment.

By the time I was dilated to about 7, 4:30 a.m. or so, I asked for some stadol, a lovely narcotic I was familiar with from Henry’s birth. Once I had that in my system, it was easier to relax through each resting period between contractions, and I was almost able to sleep in little 30-45 second bits (my “naps”). By the time 5:00 rolled around, I was starting to wonder why on earth people actually attempted labor when it was so much “easier” and less painful to have the baby extracted through c-section. By 5:15 I was annoyed that there weren’t better drugs available to laboring mothers. By 5:25, all I wanted to do was curl up on my side and take a nap. I mentioned it to the nurse, and she said, “go ahead and try.” As soon as I curled my legs up next to me to “sleep,” I felt baby shift and begin to arrive and I knew that my much desired nap would have to wait a bit longer.

Doc came in and after a few pushes, he told me to ease up or I’d tear, but by this point, all I wanted to do was push. I got baby’s head out, and doc wanted me to push, but I was between contractions on a short “nap” and refused for all of 15 seconds or so until the next few contractions and baby was out! Just before baby was born, I remembered to ask that no one tell me boy or girl, as Frank had always done this, and I didn’t want anyone else to do it. Instead, they gave me baby, pretty much right away and I held our little man, definitely a boy, while grandma cut the cord and they wiped him down a bit. Charles was born at 5:39 a.m. on September 16th.

I was able to nurse him, and snuggle him before he was taken for “just a minute” to get weighed and such. I asked why it couldn’t be done in the room and was very annoyed and concerned when they took him. I had a bad feeling, which I should have listened to. They gave Charles his first bath without me there, and I didn’t get to help or take pictures or anything. They also gave him a vitamin K shot, without my permission or knowledge and put unnecessary eye ointment in, again without asking me. All-in-all they had him for nearly two hours, all the while I kept asking where he was and why he was still not back. I didn’t know how much he weighed or how long he was, so while I made a few phone calls, I had no real news other than that he was a beautiful and perfect little man and that he was here.

When the nurse brought him back, she said she had gotten “busy” which was not a good enough explanation in my opinion, but alone and tired it was a little hard to work up my usual backbone to argue and besides, it had already been done so at this point it would be merely howling at the moon.

Grandma brought the kids to meet their new brother early that afternoon, and although they wanted to see me, I think they were pretty indifferent to the little bundle of brother in my arms. They much preferred the sticker books and crayons that the nurse gave them.

Just after noon, we moved into a different room and settled in. No internet access and a hospital policy of 48 hours if you don’t have visiting nurses benefits within your insurance policy made for a long stay, but they took pretty good care of us, although they were annoyed that I didn’t “need” any pain medications or other assistance (drug pushers!). I explained that I had stayed in the hospital a shorter period of time for my c-section and that I was very low maintenance, but all the same we were glad to leave on Thursday morning.

Charles in Charge!

Join me in welcoming Charles Joseph to our little family! He is a tall, skinny little man and utterly adorable! Now we await Daddy's visit to meet him!

Eviction pending

Well, baby is on alert that eviction is pending if he or she fails to make an appearance on his or her own by Wednesday. So, five days or less and we'll have three kids - gulp! At my appointment today, doc said that baby really needs to be born sooner rather than later or risk some of the complications that overdue babies face, combined with diabetes, "advanced maternal age," and blah blah blah, the benefits of induction are now outweighing the risks and I feel a little more inclined to agree to it.

I'm currently dilated to 2.5-3ish and still only 50% effaced, but progress is progress and at least that means that according to the doc if we do have to resort to induction, it will not involve the gel, just the pitocin and possibly rupture of membranes at some point. The pitocin does increase the risk of tears and such from the c-section scar, but its about all I can do for now.

We'll see how it goes - hopefully baby comes before then anyway. Uncle C is still holding out hope for his birthday tomorrow. Doc did sweep membranes today, which is likely to lead to labor in theory, however nothing yet and its been five hours, so here's to holding out hope...

'Nother day, 'nother NST

Friday was fabulous, and I was pretty impressed by the new doc. He questioned me as to why my other doc was so keen to induce, and since I barely understood I told him I was as baffled as he. He said that he will let me go to 41w before mentioning induction, and then it would be brought up as an option if I were concerned and if conditions were entirely favorable.I asked about VBAC policies in their practice, and he said VBACs are the norm across the board, and that the only thing the partners diverge upon is Breech deliveries, as only 2 docs in their practice will do them (he is one). I wanted to just die right there and go to heaven (not that this baby is breech).

He said I am 1.5 cm dilated still and 50ish% effaced, but that baby is still pretty high above the pelvis, and that there should be no reason to expect baby to come soon other than the fact that baby is due to arrive soon. I loved that answer!

He also said he'd put together a little brief for the other docs in case they didn't have time to review my entire file (all 16 pages) so they knew my situation should I turn up in labour before they have a chance to meet me. He really was reassuring across the board and I feel pretty good. He said that he saw no reason a VBAC wouldn't progress normally, and no reason to induce, even the diabetes, at any point before 41w+. Woohoo! A non-interventionist MD!!!!!

Well, Saturday brought another regularly scheduled NST (since I hadn't had one since leaving MS) and of course, it was non-reactive as usual. Baby just HATES those tests. So, they had a radiologist come in for an ultrasound Bio-physical Profile (BPP), which was fine. Baby is just over 7lbs right now, so that is a good thing, and all of the markers were good so they cut me loose again.

This morning was the best NST I've had, largely because I had a whopper of a contraction just before they were going to send me for another BPP, and baby's heart did the proper acceleration and then some. So, in and out in 45 minutes, which is definitely a record for this kiddo. And since the contractions are picking up a little, there is a good chance baby will decide to show his or her face at some point in the near future (or not, stubborn little bugger - don't know where he gets that!). Not yet to that "I'm so done being pregnant" stage, but not too far off either.

Uncle C still thinks that this baby will be born on his birthday, Saturday, which is the baby's "due date" so we'll see! Hoping for a non-Thursday baby simply because I don't want the poor kiddo to be a 9/11 baby on so many levels! But, baby will, as is his or her tendency thus far, do as baby wants!

Why so difficult?

So, when I was out and about on my excursion earlier in the summer, about half way through I remembered to call and suspend our cable and internet to lower the bill while we were gone. In preparation for evacuation, I briefly thought about adding turn in cable box/internet modem to my list of things to do, and decided against it, because I wanted access to the news for as long as possible prior to leaving, and had we turned in the boxes, we might have lost the ability to know what was going on that last day or two.

I called today to suspend our cable and was VERY rudely told by a Cable One representative that they have a policy of not suspending service, and that they don't disconnect unless you return the boxes and so forth. I tried to explain that we have traveled outside of the area in an effort to avoid Gustav and were unable to turn things in before we left, and was VERY rudely told that they are a corporation and that this simply is not their problem. Either I pay each month while I am gone or they will charge my for the equipment and for breaking the contract of service that I signed.

I told her that I didn't sign a contract, and that I never spoke to a single Cable One representative with the exception of calling to have it reinstalled, much less sign anything. She told me to find a copy of the contract and read it again. I said, find a copy of the contract wth my signature on it! In any case, the whole thing has been resolved by me telling them to bill me for the equipment, and that I would refuse to pay it, but that I demand my cable/internet be cancelled immediately. I intend to follow up on this with Cable One at a later date, but my blood pressure couldn't handle speaking with this ignorant woman a moment longer.

Follow up to that, I call Tricare (our insurance company) to ensure that my medical appointment tomorrow will not be a problem, only to be told that there is a blanket referral in the wake of Gustav that is in place from Aug 29-Sep 12. Uh, my due date is Sep 13, so if I go to or past my due date, will this all not be covered? No, simply call on Sep 12 to ensure that they annotate a conversation to the effect that I am due at any day and unable to travel. Well, duh! Can't we annotate that now? No.

I'll not be calling any other customer service centers for a few days because I don't know that I can bite my tongue and am not in the right frame of mind to behave.

LOVE Continental Air

Okay, actually I am indifferent to whether or not they retain pillows or rent blankets or offer free coffee, because what they DO that is fabulous is change flights for military members whose wives are displaced by hurricanes without charging the $350 change fee! Of course, we had just booked F's flight home for October so he can meet baby the week before we were evacuated. I had expected a change fee of a hundred dollars or so, but was in absolute tears at the thought of the fees listed on Orbitz. I called the airline directly, was connected almost immediately with a live person and was told a similar fee. I explained our situation and after brief consultation with her supervisor, the representative was able to waive the fee and change his ticket for the difference in fare - in our case $17.00. This restores my confidence in the goodness of people and even the understanding of corporations to a degree.

So, with that major step complete, and being settled in at the in laws, we now return to awaiting baby's arrival, followed by daddy's arrival with a lighter heart and easier mind. The local doctor's office is not interested in or able to see me until Friday, so I will relax and wait out the rest. I suppose I should at some point deal with insurance companies to make sure that is set, but I think I'll wait on that for another day!

On the road again

Okay - so we're headed out! My mother-in-law is here, and we have the van packed. Everything is inside except the people at this point, so we're out of here. I got my laptop back just in time, so I'll have that with me on the road, but don't know how much I'll access it. I think we're going to try and crank out as much of this trip in one shot as possible.

Wish us luck, and pray for us and for those who have already left, are leaving soon and those who are chosing not to leave.

Packing it in

That's it. I'm done. Come Saturday we are heading to MA to the in laws until after baby comes. The uncertainty of hurricane season is outweighing the uncertainty of finding and utilizing a new doctor and new facilities at 38w pregnant, so the kids and I will be packing up tomorrow and Saturday and driving to the Berkshires for a lovely autumn in New England.

Hopefully, baby will take his or her time and arrive once we have settled in a touch. I won't be able to use the local hospital, rather have a 45 minute (roughly) drive to the "big city" once in labor, but after weighing all options, it really does seem to be the best idea for all of us. I hope to return home about two weeks after baby comes so that Daddy can meet the little one and catch up with the bigger kiddos.

H is just mad because he wants to stay and see Elmo next week, who is coming to the Keesler (Gustav permitting) on tour. I just told him about it yesterday, and when I asked him if he'd like to go see Grandma and Grandpa for a little while, he said, "No, thank you. I just wanna go see Elmo and Cookie." When asked, K said, "No, thank you. I want to stay at my house and watch Pablo/'Niqua." (The Backyardigans) At least they were polite in their refusal to accept reality!