She Laughs at the Days

Thursdays come around and I think, "I don't have any photos for PHFR."

Today I actually looked at the photos taken this week and it turns out I have plenty.

PRETTY



HAPPY



We got a dog. I know! A dog and a baby in the same month! But we had already been planning to get one, and when we saw the ad for someone looking for a good home for this little guy Aaron wasn't going to let the opportunity slide. He's a purebred Jack Russell Terrier. Aaron's parents have had one for 13 years now. They are great little dogs, smart, hard working, and they are bred for hunting things that live in holes, like snakes and rats.

Honestly, I'm not an animal person. I grew up around farm people, and animals are functional. They serve a purpose, or you don't keep them around.  Well, one could argue that here a dog like this is useful. He'll keep the snake and rodent population down, and be a good alarm system. Plus he's little, so he won't eat much.

But the real re…

Because reality has rudely intruded upon my babymoon, and I'm not even talking about the part where I'm already back to cooking and cleaning, more or less.

If you follow me on instagram, or my facebook page, or twitter, and you should, I'm a very faithful instagrammar, it's all been sweet baby pics, and sweet bonding sibling pics, and even videos of him just sleeping. It's obvious that I'm smitten with little Dek, we all are.

Which is why this little creeping bacterial infection is completely annoying.

I thought about posting a picture of it, and then thought better because, EWW, it's disgusting. Google bullous impetigo if you want to see it in all it's glory, with the big yucky blisters and crustiness.

What's even more convenient is that it's in my armpit, which, if you are familiar with basic anatomy, you will remember is terribly near to the breast. So I have a highly contagious bacterial infection, with swelling blisters cause by toxins rele…

*Child in Thai




The night before Dek was born, Sean arrived with his 3 oldest kids in tow, two 6 year olds and a 3 year old, and his new intern, Brady, who is a recent high school graduate, and going to the village for a month or more to help him and learn from him. (This is what Sean does here. We've been staying with his family since we arrived in Thailand so we could be in the city for when the baby comes, in case we needed a hospital. His family often stays in the little house he built for them up in his wife's village where they run an organic teaching farm.)

"How are you?" He asked.

"Still pregnant." I replied, gesturing at my huge belly.

"That's why I called before," he said. "I figured if you were in labor I probably shouldn't come."

"Yeah, that would be an interesting situation." I agreed.

I had had a little more mucus making an appearance the past few days, as we drove to Burma and back. But I had that before a…

We have the kind of visa right now that makes it necessary to leave and reenter the country every 90 days. This is something people assumed I knew and so no one told me until 2 days ago. It will be this way until Aaron's work permit gets properly sorted and such.

 We kind of thought that 90 days would be plenty of time to have a baby, get documents for that baby, and get the Boy a surgery he needs, whole other story, before needing to renew our visas. This was before I knew that renewing our visas involved a 4 hour drive to the nearest border crossing and a short trip to Burma.

However, there is still no baby, the Boy's surgery date is for the 21st, because I kept putting off scheduling it, not wanting to be in labor when he's in the hospital, and our visas expired on the 24th. This is one of those moments when my brain melts down and I think to myself, "There is no way." And then I cry.

You see, even if we have the baby in the next few days, the odds of getting …

Move to Thailand - Check

Buy a truck -

Have a baby -

Find a place to live -

Get to work -

So, one out of 5 isn't bad, right?

We found a truck, at a great price, because it needed some work. But work here is cheap, and usually done decently, so it seemed a good trade off. Here though, they don't start the work unless you pay them first. So they give you a work order, saying what they will do, ask you to pay, and then they get to work.

Well, we've been told the delay was because they were trying to find a part. Then they said they found the part, and charged us for it. Then they said it would be ready to test drive this past Saturday. But when Aaron arrived to do so, no one was there, and the engine was still laying in pieces all over the garage. A less than promising sign.

Have a baby. Well, that isn't going so well either. I'm now 9 days past due, and no sign of anything changing anytime soon. I am so not in control of that one, without seeking invasive medical inte…

For the first time ever, in 6 pregnancies, I am still pregnant on my due date. I am so not thrilled about this. It's hot here, and the 5 things that I brought that are most comfortable in this heat are getting very boring to wear. Plus I miss my toes. And my feet keep retaining water. I waddle everywhere, the baby stretches and it pinches a nerve to my legs, which is really not comfortable, and I'm really super tired.

Did I mention the heat?

I keep telling myself exactly what I would tell another mom in my situation when I was a doula. Baby will come when baby is ready. Don't worry about it. Keep busy. Rest as much as you can. Enjoy these last days with your family this size before you add another person. I know these things. But really I feel a little crazy with the waiting.

This week we rented a car, (we're also waiting for the vehicles we just purchased to get back from the mechanics from the various tuning up and repairs we wanted done on them before driving them …