North Carolina

Tomorrow I start my actual classes, but I thought since I had a moment I would give you an update on the trip. First up we flew first class. Thank you Bj for being a frequent flier! I was very comfortable and got to move around a lot (per the midwife’s orders). The first night we spent in Raleigh because we got in pretty late. I was so surprise to see these on the counter of our hotel:
Blog1

My all time favorite smell in the whole world is this lotion, and I thought it was no longer made! I’m going to track down the big bottles, yum. I knew we were off to a good start. And there’s nothing like a little road trippin’ to put Bj and I in a good mood. I mean the sights are always amazing:
Blog2

Karen that is for you.

We got to our hotel in the evening before the sun had set (which does not happen on the beach here… werid) so we took a walk. We went along the beach and out on the pier where people were fishing. And saw a shark! An honest to god shark. I could not believe it. But even after checking with the guide person it was still a shark. I think it was eating the throw back fish. I don’t know, but crazy. It was wonderful to hear the sounds of the ocean while we slept.
Blog3

We got up early (still getting uesd to the time change) and drove down past Willmington to catch the ferry over to Bald Head Island. We’re right on the beach here too. Have you ever seen cockroaches in the wild (like garages and driveways)? They have them here and they are big and freaky. I think I’ll survive though. My classes start early tomorrow.

In real life news our house should be getting started while we’re gone, things look to be on track. If nothing else we’ll have a big pile of supplies and lumber in our yard upon our return. Grandpa has refused his feeding tube, and is living off of thicken milk and Boost. We’ve talked to him on the phone, hopefully he will continue to try eating the things he’s allowed. He’s on morphine again, which we don’t like. It makes him forgetful and seems to slow down his mental processes all together. I know that he is getting great care. I was telling Bj though that guilt has to be the worst emotion. I want to enjoy this vacation but our minds keep going back to grandpa.

Update… we ARE crazy

I probably won’t be blogging for a week, unless the "spotty Internet on the island" comes through for me. That’s right Bj and I are headed to North Carolina. We’re still going to Learnfest. It is a bit crazy. Grandpa was super sweet last night when Bj went to hang out with him at the hospital. He wanted to talk to me so Bj called me and we chatted. He said he really wants a diet coke. I said I did too, but couldn’t because I was pregnant. To that he replied, "well between you and me I think I’m a little worse off." Ah the funny man is back. When we hung up he said, "love you sweetie." It makes it super hard to leave, but are trip was absolutely non-refundable at this point. Bj’s mom will take over grandpa duty (who is going to have to have a couple tube feedings until he gets his swallowing under control), and my mom will take over Ribbon Jar duty. Oh is that not crazy enough for you? Well our remodel should start while we are gone. That’s right we’ve spent the last two days at the hospital (Bj) or re-arranging the craft room to be the bedroom, emptying the closet, taking down pictures, and generally getting things ready (me, with a lot of help from Sciarrino). The concrete in the basement is going to get blasted with a wet saw, the closet is going to get made into stairs, we’re getting a new roof in the back… and we’ll be gone. Still waiting on the permit to come through from the city, so it really depends on that (which depends on the undependable draftsman to finish plan updates). Okay that was just a quick little post to let you all know what was going on, it’s probably full of grammatical errors, oh well. I’ll try and check in this week.

edited: flight leg one done. Now on to North Carolina!

Much Better


And suddenly not so bad! Grandpa was just moved out of the ICU. He’s still got a nasty cough, but off most of the monitors. He’s getting a rub down to get the iodine off his skin, and getting the first shave in a week (grandpa: “I look like a god damn bum!”). So Bj is playing around with his glasses while we wait for the results from his swallow test. Grandpa is already asking for his diet coke :). Also I’m starting a new pair of socks. Universe thank you.

Master Disaster

Oh blog, I’ve been avoiding you. I love cheery little posts and things of that nature. It seems that things have been getting a wee bit out of control over here. Grandpa, remodel, even knitting = problems.

First up grandpa. He was recovering from his hip replacement fine for a few days, we knew he was super uncomfortable. When we visited one day I walked in just to have him say, "I hope you’re satisfied, look what you’ve done to me." It broke my heart. His nurse said he’s just really confused, because of the meds and everything. He didn’t remember falling and he really thought that we had just put him in the hospital because we wanted to. It was terrible, especially after spending so many hours tending to him. Then at 3am we got a phone call telling us that he had to be moved to the ICU. He developed pneumonia, and was having trouble breathing, what were his last wishes they wanted to know? A tube down his throat? We knew grandpa wanted everything but couldn’t remember specifics at three AM so we told them yes, put in a tube. The next morning when we got to the ICU it was terrible. Not grandpa, but the whole experience. You can’t just go in there. There is a special waiting room where you pick up a phone and talk to the nurse who decides if you can come in based on level of trauma and stuff. In the middle of the floor was a couple curled up on one little camp sleeping mat. They let us back and grandpa was doing better. He didn’t end up having to be tubed, he had to have a sort of forced air thing over his face instead, and by the time we got to see him it replaced by a nose tube. But his heart is having problems, and the pneumonia is creating radiating pain. I just feel so terrible for him. Of course I’m overly emotional in my pregnant state so I’ve been crying over everything. We got to visit him twice yesterday, both for the maximum two hour time slot. He seems to be doing alright, but still in the ICU. We’re off soon to visit him again. Nothing stirs up feelings like this. I don’t want him to be in pain, but I want him to be around to see the baby. And I want what he wants, which he can’t really say right now, so it’s up to Bj and I to determine that. Thank goodness when we moved him up here we did that whole big estate planning thing. If you are caring for an elderly person I really recommend this. We now have his pages of "if this then do this." copied and on file at the hospital.

So after that other disasters just seem like little problems really. But when you have one big thing looming over head, those things seem to build up. Our remodel hasn’t started. Our permit has not been issued by the city yet because the guy doing our plans needs to make changes and he wouldn’t call me back. I had to have my dad call him, which I hate doing because I want to do things myself, but I didn’t know what else to do. Plus we have a few other issues. Like that pretty arch between the dining and living room? It got cut into yesterday to check out the header. It doesn’t have a header. Or the nice big open basement? That’s going to need a wall for load distribution from the peak of our new roof. All this = headache. Plus today’s gloomy weather puts in perspective that we need to get started like yesterday. I’m still hopeful though it will be next week. And I love the guys we’ve got to do the actual work, that helps a lot.

And then at the bottom of the barrel this should just come across as kind of comical, it does to me know anyway (not so much a few days ago, amazing how time puts things in perspective). Here are my newly completed socks, hospital knitting. Perfect fitting!
Masterdisater3

Unfortunately those are Bj’s feet. Here are the socks (which I did make for myself) on mine:
Masterdisater1

Made with exact specifications for my woman’s size 8, fits my husband’s size 12 feet wonderfully.
Masterdisater4

Universe… WHY?

All the little pieces

Before you think I’m some wonder-woman-pregnant-hospital-camp-outer I had to share all the things that have made me walk away from the break-down edge (which is easy to get to when you have HORMONES). Last night after a long day I realized that my lovely friend Kathy had dropped off all these yummy veggies from her mother’s garden. My disheveled body was treated to what seemed like the best meal last night:
Fiber10

Rice and pickle cucumbers and super ripe tomatoes. And a little Johnny’s (of course). I had to get up early again today to get to the hospital, so of course I forgot food. I had one little bar with me. Thank goodness for wonderful friends like Sciarrino who walked me over a yummy wrap for lunch (that grandpa got a kick out of because of it’s green color). She even sat and ate with me while the nurses attempted twice to put a catheter in grandpa’s roommate, not pretty sounding. This afternoon my mom came to help me pack orders, and drove them to the post office for me. Bj forgot I had yoga and couldn’t get home in time to take me so my wonderful neighbor (who had herself just fallen down some stairs) drove me over so I could get a little relaxation time in. My mom figured out that my bella bands could work to hold ice on my ribs (turns out I have rib separation, something that will "feel much better once the baby is out, but make you crazy until then," according to the doctor). Kat walked over dinner with little Henry, including some delisious blueberry pop over, or something fantastic that was still hot from the oven. Bj’s mom just got into town so that Bj and I can be relieved a bit from sitting with grandpa.
Fiber6

And the lovely sunnybliss77 over on Ravelry doesn’t even know it but her sending out a sample of Sundara for me just so I could play with it before signing up for one of the subscriptions made my day. It’s amazing how needles clicking can make a bad day good.

And of course all of your lovely comments, which I haven’t had a chance to respond to. They mean so much, thank you! Grandpa is doing well, and it looks like the surgery will be tomorrow, and if not, then soon.

Breakfast


“What’s that?”
“I think those are peaches.”
He tastes them, “No those are canned peaches.”

My mistake. Just met with doctor. If his levels are good enough surgery will be tomorrow, and it’s a doctor we know. Here’s hoping his blood work cooporates.

The View


This is the view out grandpa’s hospital room (if you lean over and to the right). It’s early (for me) but yesterday telling them we wanted to be called before doctors did rounds didn’t work so I’m trying the wait it out meathod. Grandpa and his roommate are sleeping so I’m going to knit. Thanks so much for all the well wishes. I feel selfish when I think about how much more I would like to be sitting on the couch watching TV. I have a strong suspition though that if it were me in here I wouldn’t be alone either.

P.S. iPhone blogging = no spell check