Monday, September 28, 2009
Goldfish and Hockey Season - Update #11
As we draw close to 30 weeks (Thursday the 1st - My sisters birthday!) I cant help but look forward to the end of the month. Halloween has always been a good time for me, and not for the usual candy hording reasons, but more so for the time I spent with my dad when I was younger. If all continues to go as it has our girls will be as ready as the docs will allow them to be by the end of October. Now just as I have written this on the screen I check myself. If one believed in knocking on wood, this would be the time to do it. One thing I have learned and especially in precarious situations such as ours, is don't get too far ahead of yourself. I am mindful of the future, but I am keenly aware that as much as I want to be a dad at the end of October, it could very well be hours, instead of weeks. Bottom line; count your blessings. I am, as of right now those babies are still marinating inside. ;-)
Joanna's' uterus (kinda sounds weird) is a little irritable these days. She moves and it has small contractions, for the most part though they are unorganized. Our hope for now is that they don't learn how to coordinate. Funny how I work all day trying to get peoples muscles to coordinate and then I'm off to the hospital to hope for the exact opposite.
There are times where I wish I had a goldfishes memory, (3 seconds). In rare circumstances it is sometimes better to be naive to the facts. I think Jo and I are feeling that a little these days. Going downstairs(labour and delivery); the first time, I was ready but a little scared but I was at peace if it was time. Now though, the more I know, I still feel peace, its just an adapted version. Hard to describe, as you can tell by my nonsensical ramblings. A friend brought a goldfish balloon to Joanna and it is still hovering around, reminding me to have peace and know there is a Greater control at work.
Even though the Jobs household is not complete, that doesn't mean there isn't a flurry of activity. Reno's are taking place left right and centre. New flooring is ready to go in downstairs, tiles, bath and toilet in the main bath upstairs, and a ridiculous amount of cleanup and organizing all over the place. I have had mounds of help from family and am uber grateful. That being said, we are looking to organize a work day/weekend. Many have asked how they can help and so I am trying to set up some time to get some of these jobs done. This is all so we can have some sense of being on top of things before the craziness hits. Now I have been to work days before where you show up and there is little organization and you end up there all day feeling like you havent been utilized. No more. How I envisioned things is listing a bunch of tasks and whoever thinks they are up to can come blast it out and then be done. I am in the midst of compiling the list so hold off on the "I can totally come and knock a few walls down" emails.... I'll post it soon enough.
Go Oilers Go!!!!
Ryan
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The little trip downstairs - Mini update #10
Ryan
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Goat Meat and a Winning Formula – Update #9
Who knew that five weeks ago Joanna would have left the house and not been back since. The house will have had a significant makeover, two beautiful girls will have been born, parents moved back into the province, really good friends moved out of the house, and life as we know it will have changed forever.
These past few days have been encouraging, Joanna's ultrasound has had positive results, as expected the fluid level for baby 'A' is low, but the doctors are not concerned that it will have any lasting effect on her. Boy oh boy they are growing though, almost 3.5 lbs for one and just under 3 for the other. The tech commented on one of the girls rolled back fat….. nice! Heartbeats continue to be stable and strong, and we have some really cute ultrasound pics of the girls chubby cheeks! ;-)
Saying by to Jo's parents was tough as they have been a huge help and comfort for me knowing they were within close proximity when I couldn't be. I had a particularly nice dinner with Rob in which I backed out of a dare to try goat meat… looking back I kind of feel like a wuss, as there is not much that I won't eat, but I had a hankering for lamb and wasn't deviating from my plan. Rob stepped up to the plate and the goat meat with jackfruit turned out to be a winner.
There are a few theories out there when comes to the saying 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. In sports its my experience that this only lasts so long, a winning formula is kept together too long and the opposition figures it out only to make you look foolish in your static state. I have learned over my short almost 30 years that not all sports analogies fit neatly into the real world. Many do and I have benefitted greatly from them, but this one doesn't. Joanna has a really good formula going; it's working and repeating it day after day is something that is going to produce two of the greatest joys of my life. Doctors have asked if she would like to go 'home' to participate in home care due to the stability she has exhibited over the course of the last 5 weeks. As tempting as this may seem, please refer to my explanation above. We have a winning formula going here and why would we mess with it. Secondly we don't meet the necessary criteria due to us living in Abbotsford, and not having 24 hour supervision available; yes I have to work…. I think her mental fortitude is to be admired, and she is quickly showing me the willingness to do anything for these girls.
I dislike traffic quite a bit; I resisted using the 'H' word there as it would have been easy to do, because gosh there are a lot of goofs behind the wheel. Now it would be easy to go off on one of my tirades about lower mainland traffic, road construction, the price of gas etc, but my mind is quickly drawn back to the selflessness that we are learning as a couple. 'This song is not about us'; is a phrase we have continually joked together about many times over the weeks in response to feelings of frustration or pity seeking. Being DINK's' 'duel income no kids' for the last 6 years has a way of permeating your lifestyle, I thought it had sunk much deeper. I am learning that some of the most profound joys in life come not from satisfying my own needs, but those of another; even if they aren't born yet!
Continued thanks go out to the many offerings of assistance. Each week brings new blessings most of which blindside me like a lottery win! Our hunt for quality tenants continues so if you live in the Fraser Valley and have an avenue to post an ad (i.e. church, school or work bulletin board) please let me know and I would love to send you the info.
Blessings,
Ryan
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Shoes and their Lessons. - Update #8
Jo has a new appreciation for diabetics, and the bodily abuse they take on a daily basis. Finding out that fasting for 8+ hours, drinking a disgusting sugar syrup solution and then giving a bunch of blood will result in vomiting, tiredness, lack of appetite and a general feeling of crappyness. We self taught the difference between the glycemic index, and glycemic load. 'Index', taking 50gr of any food and testing its effect on blood sugar and 'load' taking the effects of an actual average serving size on sugar levels. Take for example carrots, higher on the index scale but you would have to eat an unreal serving size to have an appreciable spike in blood sugar.
As we inch towards a great milestone of 28 weeks, your thoughts, words of encouragement and prayers never get old. I like repeating important facts, I find that if I read the same thing again by an author he/she probably feels passionate about it. Your thoughts, words of encouragement, and prayers mean the world to us right now. I wish I could respond to all of you individually, gosh knows I have sent many a 'virtual message' back as we read and receive all kinds of encouragement. Just know we treasure it all.
Joanna's parents have been in town, using a well earned vacation to spend in Vancouver and the hospital, rather than hitting the beaches of Hawaii or some other long pined after vacation spot. This sacrifice hasn't gone unnoticed. It has allowed me to stay on top of work and even get a conditioning class organized for the very near future (1-2 weeks away). As well I have picked bathroom tiles, regained vision of the family room floor, thanks to my family and spend time with my favourite dog Bishop. Even though we have established a routine, it still doesn't feel normal. Our house seems like it is taking a giant deep breath, almost psyching itself up for the inevitable onslaught of estrogen in the coming months and years. This routine feels surreal. Almost as if I am walking a mile in anothers' shoes, as the saying goes. Don't get me wrong, and if you subscribe to the theory that all things happen for a reason, which I heavily do, this experience of someone else's shoes will come in very handy somewhere down the road. The crazy part is, it might not even be my road, or even Jo's, it could be one of our offspring or one their friends for all I know. My hope is someone will learn/be inspired by these shoes.
Another thing I would like to mention, our great friend Deb has volunteered her wonderful organizational/scheduling skills (she has 5 @ home+ Joel ;-) ) to help schedule visitors and Jo has enough on her plate as it stands. So please send your requests to thegirls@coastalfitness.ca and Deb will get you in at a time that is best suited for everyone.
I wish there was more to update, but other than my improving skill of putting on Jo's T.E.D stockings, and us now finally watching the first season of Prison Break, my hope is 28 weeks will soon be 34 and my wife and I can jump headfirst into parenting.
In Health,
Ryan
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
School of Life - Update #7
One of the areas in life that I think I have tried and hopefully get better at as I age is; learning from others experiences. Now this may sound simplistic almost to the point of obvious. But how often do we find ourselves being defiant and seeking our own path, just because its 'our own'? Hypothetical Example: Be demanding, quick to anger, short in compliments and overall just a jerkto be around and see if the waitress spits in your food. My point is this not every server will react in this manner, but is it worth the risk? Joanna's experience has taught me that no one is going to spit in my food if I am genuine, patient, complimentary and overall a pleasant person to be around. This is a learning outcome that I can apply not just in restaurants.
A few rough days have past, Jo has had multiple blood tests for anemia, gestational diabetes, and a couple other tests that I probably shouldn't attempt to spell. Her red blood count is improving with a doubled dose of iron. Who knew that all the dairy that she has been craving has been inhibiting the absorption of the iron pill? The diabetes thing seems like it is dragging on, she is on the cusp and the docs haven't come to a conclusion as to the course of action..... I say stop having the carnation breakfast shake ordered first off, I mean c'mon the second ingredient is sugar for crying out loud, 30 + grams!! The second would be to at least have the food appear to have been made/cooked on the premises and not in Prince George and then scooted down here in the Flinstone mobile. Now before you all get those ideas in your head like "I bet Jo is just accepting the food for what it is and is a super trooper....." you need to come down and take a look at the excuse for a chicken breast salad. Jo has had some fine words for the 'special of the day'. So let me take this opportunity to once again thank those that have contributed wonderful meals for us to substitute any time something unrecognizable shows up.
As I home school myself in the field of renovations, I feel that I am around a 'B' cruising into the midterm. Nursery has only two shelves to go up, a dresser to move in (thanks Jeanine), and a womens touch to finish things off. Cribs are done, glider/ottoman set up, floor replaced, and walls/closet painted, I think the bathroom midterm will test my reno fortitude. Furthermore as a complete aside, we are looking for new tenants come Oct 1st, Our good friends Kent and Kara are moving on to get settled for their new addition and we are going to have a huge hole to fill down there. Not a real hole just one from having really good friends move on, (probably didn't need to write out that explanation....) So if you know of any friends or family looking for a suite in Abbotsford please send them my way.
Class Dismissed.
Ryan
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Ultrasounds and New Perfume - Update #6
We have had some good news with regard to the recent ultrasounds. It seems as if the babies are growing quite well. Our doctor confirmed yesterday that the girls are at the size that a singleton would be at 29 weeks! The girls weigh in the neighbourhood of 2.2-2.4 lbs. The fantastic news was kind of short lived though, as the docs were in dissbelief of our relatively ginormous babies. Subsequetly Joanna was promtly tested for gestational diabetes. This test came back negative, and just to be sure this morning Jo had to chug the glucose drink for the second time. Can you say 'delish!'
The eternal entreprenure I am I was wondering what that wonderful smell was as I was driving home last afternoon. It then occured to me it was 'insta-tuitionelle', my latest addition to the already saturated fragrance market. Since smell is the number one marker for memory this new fragrance will allow us to................HOLD THE PHONE, BACK THE TRUCK UP........this perfume should under all circumstances stay at the hospital. I actully think that they make it smell like they do so you fight hard/comply to orders so you can get the heck out of there as fast as possible!!
Joanna got to soak in give or take 3 minutes of sunshine yesterday. 1 minute to the patio, 3 minutes outside, and 1 minute back to the room. A highlight forsure. My highlight was the food order blunder today. Jo chooses her food for lunch, dinner, and the next morning; she does this all on one sheet of paper that is seperated into 3 colums, 1 per meal. Today breakfast came and the accompanying order sheet. Something was off though, the indicator may have been the fact that there was nothing on the tray that Joanna had actually ordered. Not to mention, and this is by far the best part, a new sheet had been printed off and new items had been circled, compounding the hilarity it was in ink and Jo always circles the items in pencil. Are you kidding me..... anyways if this is the worst part of the day then we are having a wonderful day. Ill take more of those days with a touch less 'intsa-tuitionelle'.
Ryan
P.S.
Once again here is the contact email info for visiting Joanna.
thegirls@coastalfitness.ca
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Another week of elevators - Update #5
Now your wondering why the title: '...elevators'. Well as some of you may know I have a few things that can get on my nerves. I am getting much better in most areas but others....not so much. Not for lack of effort though. One such thing that drives me nuts is the person waiting for the elevator, we've all encountered him/her. Basically the world is in their way. I am inside said elevator and patiently waiting to get off at one of two floors.(Remeber this point) As the doors slide open, at least 50% of the time I am greeted by one of these over zealous 'elevator waiters'. Ok, so there two floors in the hospital so one could deduce very quickly, hopefully in a single trip, that if someone is on the elevator when the door opens, 98+% of the time they are getting off. It is more than widely accepted protocal that individuals getting off the elevator has the right of way. So why am I greeted with this indignant look on their face as if they have been wronged, as we awkwardly pass each in the still opening door?
Crazy....my apologies for my rant, there are three ways to look at this either I'm off my rocker, we don't have much new to report on the baby front, or I have far too much time on my hands. A)Partially correct, B)Correct, C)Very False
As you are reading this we have reached 26 weeks today. Fantastic! Another milestone. Joanna is responding well to this round of antibiotics; what I mean is the small infection is not growing, although her upset stomach doesn't appreciate them much. Maybe this is a good time to mention that if you are planning on coming to visit Jo, please don't have a cold, the sniffles, a sore throat, the flu, or brown hair. Ok I was kidding on the last one, but Jo has slightly compromised immune system right now and I would be super appreciative if she didn't get sick.
Joanna received wheelchair privileges today. Before you all get excited and have visions of me peeling around the ward racing other ante-partum patients, she only gets 5 min. Basically enough time to relieve some of the tension in the previously mentioned trapezius muscles. (Upper back/lower neck, I'm a kinesiology grad; sorry...)
Please continue to pray that the fluid levels around baby 'a' continues to replenish, any infection goes away, and that Jo continues to feel His strength in an other wise helpless situation.
RD Captured Memories
That's a real nice couch.... oh yeah and mega hot pregnant wife!
Ryan.
P.S.
I think after writing this I will resolve to take the stairs, to avoid 'awkward elevator guy' altogether. I mean I am a personal trainer after all, seriously, c'mon, that's just lazy Ryan!