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November 26, 2003
26 November 2003
Ryan is 2 this Saturday!
It’s Wednesday morning here in sunny Hobart, Tasmania which makes it sometime on Tuesday evening there in the USA. Let me tell you that Wednesday seems a mighty fine day already – you’ll find out in about 16 hours!
My working life has finally started to settle into some sort of normality. My department (Forensic Medicine, within a major teaching hospital) hosted a 3 day conference on all aspects of forensic pathology on 14/15/16th November with delegates flying in from all over Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. I worked all 3 days from 7.30am – 5.30pm, assisting with registration, catering and all the other details which turn out to be so essential at a conference. Then it was straight back to work on Monday. Let me tell you I was completely exhausted and feeling more than a little down at spending virtually NO time with DH & Ryan that weekend. On the upside, I will be paid overtime for the weekend plus I did manage to wangle last Friday off work!
The conference itself was incredibly interesting and was rated quite highly by the delegates. We managed to sit in on quite a few sessions, including ‘Lessons from Celebrity Deaths’, ‘Hidden Homicides’ and ‘SIDS’, which covered the latest research and developments into this heartbreaking phenomenon. As macabre as the conference topics sound, it was all fascinating and I wish I had been able to sit in on more of the lectures (eg. asphyxia, toxicology, anthropology, investigation of child abuse). Call me weird, but I find this stuff amazing! The speakers were all very engaging and experts in their fields. Still, the majority of my time was spent behind the scenes, organising folders of lecture notes, coordinating the catering and re-filling the coffee and sugar bowls – thrilling....
So that crazy weekend really put us behind with everything else that needed to be done – you know, the day to day shopping/cleaning and of course, just spending time with family. Mark took care of Ryan all weekend and he said Ryan was looking for me on the Saturday, going from room to room saying ‘Mama?’ ‘Mama?’ He was better on the Sunday. I missed him so much! When I got home in the evenings, I made sure I sat on the floor and played with him before his bath.
DH’S HEALTH
You might remember that DH had bowel cancer at the ripe old age of 38 just over 2 years ago when I was in my 2nd trimester of pregnancy with Ryan. Since his surgery he has had regular checkups and CT scans which have all been normal. Last Friday we spent the day at the hospital (mostly waiting – sigh) as it was time for his first colonoscopy since the original diagnosis. To say he was stressed is an understatement. Totally understandable. He went in for the procedure and was out in less than 20 minutes – no abnormalities whatsoever. PHEW!
The last time he had this procedure was when we found out there was a MAJOR problem, in fact the doctor could not proceed with the examination because the bowel was almost totally blocked by tumour. Sorry if this seems like too much information, but I am prepared to shout it from the rooftops if it means lives can be saved from this almost silent killer. A lot of people hear the word colonoscopy and recoil in horror and embarrassment but the message needs to get out there that this is a SIMPLE procedure that could save your life! It certainly saved Mark’s life and for that, we are forever grateful.
MY BOY
Ryan will turn 2 this coming Saturday. My parents and some close friends are coming over for a little party in the afternoon. Ryan’s sister (my stepdaughter) will also be with us for the weekend so it should be fun. We have got Ryan a Bob the Builder bean chair, a musical toy TV, a Fisher Price Little People set and a Bob the Builder video. I have to stop myself buying, buying, buying little bits and pieces for him. We’ve also been picking up a few things for Christmas and have picked out some outdoor play equipment which I am sure he will love. It’s so much fun to shop for little ones! The challenge is knowing when to stop.
Ryan has always been a very affectionate little boy but now even more so. He will run over to me and wrap his arms around my legs or want to picked up and will then snuggle his head right into my neck. He also put his hands on either side of my faces and looks right into my eyes up close then presses his little face to mine. These are the moments that make all the more challenging ones worthwhile!
He is getting so tall! He is around 94cm tall (about 37 inches) so he is over half my height now (I am 170cm). Mark is quite tall and his brother is even taller so I think Ryan has inherited his height from that side of the family. I haven’t had him weighed for a while but I must do that soon as I would estimate he is about 17kg (37lb) by now. Ryan has always been off the charts in height and weight, without being ‘fat’. Mark always jokes that Ryan will play in the frontline for the Australian Rugby team!
CHRISTMAS PLANNING
The dilemma at my house at the moment is whether or not to put up a Christmas tree. Of course, I’m saying YES – DH is saying no because he thinks Ryan will end up pulling it over. How can it be Christmas without a tree?? Granted, Ryan is very curious and will be attracted to the bright, sparkling tree like a moth to a flame. What are you all doing to keep your little ones away from the Christmas tree? DH decorates the outside of the house with lights which always look great but I WANT A TREE with all the decorations!!
We will be going to my mum’s for Christmas dinner. The weather is likely to be hot, hot, hot – being mid summer here in Australia. My mum’s brother is coming over from England for Christmas so it is likely to be a shock to the system for him. Can you imagine having Christmas in the full-on summer heat? I’m used to it now but I don’t think my parents will ever truly accept it, being through and through Brits.
My brother who is in the Aussie Air Force can’t come over for Christmas as he is on standby to go the Middle East. They can’t be any more than 2 hours away from the air base. Let’s hope that doesn’t eventuate. I really feel for the troops already over there and their families back home, whether that be USA, England, Australia or wherever.
GIVING THANKS
My calendar tells me it is Thanksgiving in the USA on Thursday – I hope you all have a great day, spent with your loved ones. It’s a good a time as any for me to think about all I am thankful for. I tend to get lost in the day to day ‘clutter’ of my life – getting to places on time, paying bills, worrying about work issues etc and don’t often find the time to sit back and think about all the good things in my life. Some of the things I’m thankful for:
-a beautiful and healthy little boy, who I’m so proud of
-a loving husband who battled a life threatening disease and came through it all
-my good health
-a loving family who are always there for us and who gave me the gift of a wonderful childhood
-loyal friends (in real life and my internet buddies – you all know who you are)
-a lovely home
-a rewarding and interesting job that helps me provide a secure lifestyle for my family
Of course I don’t have a perfect life (who does?) but it’s nice to write those things down and realise how much there is to be grateful for!
AUSTRALIAN IDOL
After that serious stuff, now for something completely trivial! Australian Idol has just finished, the winner has been announced and he is off to compete in World Idol! Watch out Kelly Clarkson!! His name is Guy Sebastian and he has an awesome voice. I believe World Idol is taking place sometime in December. I tried to buy Guy’s debut single yesterday but it had sold out within 2 hours. It is a gorgeous song called ‘Angels Brought Me Here’ (yeah, I know, sounds crappy!) but I want it for Ryan as I think of him every time I hear it on the radio. It’s completely sappy and tear-jerking but lovely. If I hear a beautiful song, I tend to think of Ryan now, before DH………..and I feel guilty about that. Am I the only one??!! No wonder husbands/partners often feel ‘jealous’ of the attention the new little person in the family commands.
Until next time ( I will probably update after my darling boy’s birthday celebrations – Happy Birthday Sweetie!)
Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in the USA!
Sue & Ryan
www.babiesonline.com/babies/r/rg
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