Chompers...

Well, Happy thanksgiving to you all. I have not posted in a bit but I have been so busy. I did my turkey dinner on Tuesday of this week, Andy and Iveth did theirs on Thrusday (it was pretty good for Andy's first turkey, Good Job!!) and then Tina made turkey last night. I am getting ODed on Turkey.

Speaking of all this eating, guess who is getting teeth. Yep, I can not believe it either but Helen is busting gums. I have to say I do not wish this on anyone, not at all. Sometimes there is no consoling her and there is no orajel down here. So a little tylonol works wonders. I have been thoughing her binkies in the freezer and that is ok but it has been rough. I heard this can go on for month or two. I pray it does not.

I don't have any pics since the camera is in Australia. That is the other place Austin is interviewing. So who knows where we are going. All I can say is out of latin america.

(Oh BTW, I updated captions for the pictures Austin took in Ireland...I should have pic of Australia this week....keep posted)

Y Durante y Despues la cirugia...(and during and after the surgery)

Well, I had enough support for sure. The Mehjongg girls cancelled mehjongg to come with me. So they came and guess what we played there. I had nine girls waiting with me and my door bell rang the minute I got in the house.

Breakfast, I know better than to entertain (of sorts) and not have snacks. I should have brought a cake. No one does a damn thing in this country without a cake. What is even funnier is that Michelle and Tina went for drinks and Michelle could take her coffee but Tina couldn't leave the cafeteria with her UNOPENED can of coke. So we sent Cynthia with Mirium's empty purse for cokes, chips, plantains, and peanuts. So we ate the same things we normally eat at Mehjongg.

Mehjongg set up on the bed.

Mirium, Michelle, Me, and Araceli playing mehjongg.

I saw this on the bathroom and thought what if the paciente does not use the toliet? I did use the trash can to throw away the diapers. Plus I paid for the room.

This call box looks like it is 50 years old.

Need information????? Hey free WIFI!!!!!!

After the surgery.

This is what she looked like when she was wheeled in. Yes, she took her own blanket in the operating room!!!

Sleeping.

This was her IV. Saline Solution to keep her hydrated.

The instructions on the electric feeder for her IV drip. So modern....

Damage to the wall, not so modern....

Her at home, sleeping. Home safe. I will take some pics of her incision but the ones I took have her other parts in there, and she don't need that blasted on the internet.

Before the Surgery

I took so many photos that I decided that I would bust this into two entries.

Here is before.

Here, me and Helen are chilling on the bed.

Here is Helen with her little braclet. I am not sure that I got to take that home.

Helen was in Room 203. I sprung for a private room, it was Q600. The double was Q500 and we had the option of just sitting in the waiting room. No way on the waiting room, I had guests coming.

Helen snoozing on the bed.

This is the closet. Funny.

This is the nurse that brought in the hopsital clothing. Michelle said it was the same size as CJ's clothing (the 3 yr old down the street). They did not have anything smaller.

Here we are, going to put Helen in her scrubs. She is hungry.

I told you they were tooo big.

Yep, still hungry.

Here it is, with the arms and legs cuffed.

I couldn't hold her, she would just cry because she smelled the milk. So here is Michelle and Tina taking turns. You know, both of them looked stoned. I have to learn to take better pics.

Austin in Ireland!!!

I guess since we are posting pics I best let the cat out of the bag. Austin went to Ireland to interview for a job. Our contract here ends on Jan 22 and we are not all that interested in renewing. Austin's schedule has been messed up since Helen was born and he hates to see time slipping away without being there. So we are looking for a job where he is home everynight. So these are the pics from his Ireland trip.

Downtown Kilkenny, a town that is an option for our living in, close to the mine, approx 22,000 people, 45 minutes to the mine or less



Castle Kilkenny, in you guessed it Kilkenny


Me(Austin) infront of the Rock of Cashel in, Cashel


This is Dave and Kristen. Our dear friends that I miss so much. If we don't move there, I am coming to visit!!!!!!! (Austin said that he can not remember the name of the pub...)


Rock of Cashel

Collection from the Phone...

Well, I have not blogged in a bit and went to do it today and realized, I don't have the camera. Austin has it on his trip (more about that later) and what am I going to do??? Am I SOL?? Nope! I have a camera phone. (Please forgive the grainyness) So this is a collection of photos on my phone previously and some I took this week. Enjoy the ramdomness!!!!!

Austin had me take this while she was eating, look at her finger. Perfect trigger finger if you ask her daddy, He says, all she needs her own baby glock (g26).


Another shot while nursing. I see this all day and never get tired of looking at those baby blue eyes.


This is me on the day she was born. See how out of it I look? They have great drugs here.


World's largest binky!


Somebody fell asleep. No Roncando!!!! (no snoring, which she does)


MMMENENEEEEEPTHE!!!!



These next four are my fav. She has discovered her tongue and likes to do the lizard. ( I am not sure there are words for these...)

Surgery

Thursday we had Helen's 2 mos Dr appt. She passed with flying colors (weight, 8lb 13 oz) and looking great except he noticed a lump in her groin. Dr. asked me if I had noticed it, and I had not until he pointed it out. Well sitting in his office, he says that he thinks it is a hernia and he wants me to see a pediatric surgeon to confirm. So he calls this guy up and gets me an appt same day (A lot of Drs have great availability here, not like you would wait months on end to get an appt). Well, I grab Michelle and we go. The Dr is nice, doesn't speak much english but in the end, yes it is a hernia and we have to operate.

I was so upset. Last night, all I did was worry. I felt better after talking to Austin and decided it had to be done. Just do it. So I prayed and I felt that the deciding vote was to call my Dr (OB/GYN) and if he gave this guy a thumbs up, we were going to do the surgery here instead of going to the US. Well this morning, I have never felt calmer. I call my Dr and he says this guy is very good, and we are in excelent hands. To quote him "I think you will be very pleased with the results." This cinched the deal, and I made the calls. We are going to operate on Tuesday Morning. One day deal (no night in hospital) and in one week, all should be good.

I tell you that this has more than reminded me of when I had my surgery 1995. Dr appts, Mom and dad scared, waiting to see what the Dr says. But what I remember in this time in all this, I was never scared. I should have been peeing in my pants scared but I never was. All I knew is that everything was going to be ok. I remember going into surgery and as I was being wheeled in, I was smiling. I could not help it. I was thinking, you dumbo, wipe that grin off your face but I just couldn't. I just knew it was all ok. And it was. Today I woke with the same feeling and I really have to thank God for that one. I can not take any of the credit. I know it will be ok.

Bigger still...

Today we tried small diapers and they fit! A little big in the leg but as long as they don't blow out, I can start using them. Here are some pics how she looks.

I also bought a new baby carrier today. What do you think?

Happy Halloween!!!!

Wednesday was Halloween. Yes, they celebrate it here, Dia de Brujas (day of witches). So all the kiddies dressed up and had a party in the empty apartment. We have 18 kids living on the compound (that does not count Ariceli or Isabel's kids) and I made 21 bags of treats. Well there were some that were too old to trick or treat, some extra kids from school that don't live here, and CJ decided he was going to trick or treat twice (once by himself and once with Edwardito) so I caved and gave him a second bag.

All the mothers went to Lucy's house for a witches convention. We just sat and ate and I was kid free for a bit. When I left, I said, "Adios Brujas!" They laughed....

Anyways. this was Helen's costume. Thanks to Auntie Sarah, we were set. No, I didn't take her trick or treating. I think if the kid can't enjoy the candy, you are exploiting people. I walked her around to say hi but at the end of the night, four people came to my house to give me treat bags for Helen. I got what I was trying to avoid in the first place.

The hat was a bit big, but maybe next year. It kept sliding over her eyes or off her head. It also turned to the side so the eyeballs were in the wrong spot but cute nonetheless.


This position is funny to me.

She was sleeping for most of it but really liked being walked around outside at night. She really liked looking at the sky.

The trick or treat bags.




The extent of my Halloween decorating.


Yes, I have been outdone by my neighbors and I don't care.



And some pics of Helen at Breakfast this morning. The onesie she is wearing is 3-6 mos!!!!



This is a good one.


This is right before she started the fussy business again.