I'm Back....

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Tonights blog is brought to you by Ovol Drops, Baby Anbesol and a little Infant Tylenol. Don't knock it...4 teeth coming in and I can now sit and write and Greta I dare say is having a lovely sleep. Fingers crossed a full nights sleep. Much has happened since my last post, can't begin to recall everything, but a few highlights and low lights (and I assure you I'm not just talking about my hair).

Fact 1 - Greta is a growing little weed.
Fact 2 - Greta has an attitude when she wants to.
Fact 3 - Possible she has a split personality, as attitude goes from Angel to Devil ... quickly!
Fact 4 - Her wardrobe expanded a great deal in the past month - she is one stylin' gal.
Fact 5 - Possible she is a little prodigy... she isn't just a pretty face you know, I think she is smart too!
Fact 6 - Life is short!
Fact 7 - My respect for the medical facilities and some staff is lower than what even I thought possible.
Fact 8 - Toddler + High expectations for a fun holiday shopping trip = Disappointed Mommy.
Fact 9 - I really could use a drink of something other than Apple Juice and Diet Pepsi
Fact 10 - Nothing like having a baby and having a family tragedy to make you realize who matters and who doesn't.

So, in a nut shell, Greta continues to be a cute little gal, despite not having my curls, I dare say she has my fast growing hair, she will hate me for it once she starts dying her hair, no fun needed a color every 2 weeks - damn grey hair! I think she knows she is cute too, which is rather comical. The camera loves her, not so sure she loves the camera in her face all the time, although she is definitely use to it. We embarked on our first Family Holiday...to Maine and New Hampshire. I should have left my expectations at home however - along with my credit card. It probably wasn't as bad as I think, Greta was an amazing traveler - this is where I pause and bow to the inventors of the portable DVD player! Halleluhah, worth every single penny, even if it played non stop Barney and the Wiggles for 12 straight hours. It was a pleasant surprise I must say, she was so good, napped, but I think really enjoyed the drive - and a bonus, she didn't take after her parents - no car sickness sitting in the back seat! However, are you ready for this shocker - she was a pathetic shopper. I can't believe it, I know they tagged her as mine (okay, proper term, they matched our ID bracelets in the hospital), but I had to shake my head and wondered if she was mine a few times. Darren and I therefore had to take turns shopping in the evenings. I know, I know...what did I expect taking a 14 month old to the shopping Mecca, but at least I tried, which is more than I thought I could do. Overall, I think she had a fun trip, she ran through the sprinklers with her clothes on, got every toy she looked at and / or pointed to, and enough new clothes to keep her in a new outfit for the entire fall season - I so wish I was exaggerating, but I swear I am not. Her restaurant etiquette was not quite to my patience level however, although good - I have never eaten so fast in my life, so we determined it really wasn't worth it. We kept Subway in business while we were there and a few nights of take out in the hotel in lieu of some of our favorite restaurants.

As we packed up our goodies and said goodbye to the lovely White Mountains and home away from home in North Conway we were taking our time to our next stop in Maine, sadly, plans changed so very, very quickly. We received news that my Mom had a heart attack and was in the Cardiac ICU at the Moncton Hospital. Of course, this was followed by the news that she drove herself to the hospital, after having taught on the Island for a few days. Part of me was angry at the thought she drove home knowing she wasn't feeling well, but then again, much happier to hear she wasn't on the Island, she could still be in the waiting room.

So, needless to say, it was an extremely long drive home from NH, with a 14 month old in the back singing and dancing the Wiggles, we had to be mindful that she needed to eat...ummm...oh yes, we remembered! She was extremely patient, but 12 hours in the car was tough coming on the end and she fought sleep for 9 full hours...yes, 9 hours of a 12 hour trip! So, we had some extra stops along the way for food, drinks and changes. We cancelled our Bangor stay and headed to Moncton. The hospital was kind enough to let me in when I arrived. It was a rough few weeks, Mom was transferred to the Saint John Heart Centre and had two stints put in to help the 90% blockage. She was home for just a few days and had another "attack". As I was pulling in to the parkade on my way to work, I received the call and back to NB I went. Thankfully it wasn't another heart attack, although as hard to believe as it will sound - she has a gallbladder attack. Talk about unlucky. I don't know if I'm rubbing off on her, but between she and I, we are keeping the medical facilities on their toes. She is finally back home and here is hoping will slow down, look after herself and get well enough to write a letter...

So, you didn't think I would write a blog without a few opinionated comments, did you?

Let's see, the Moncton Cardiac Unit - exceptional: compassionate, knowledgeable, kind, concerned, clean! The Cardiologist was down on the floor chatting with Greta, he loved her German name - he was from Germany and informed us of how we should pronounce her name - GREEE - TA...sounded so much nicer when he said it! Unfortunately, once the ambulance "dropped" her off in Saint John, the kindness left with them. The hospital was filthy, the same moldy licorice pieces were in the elevator the entire time she was there, I cleaned her room, and despite the dirt - which you could overlook if you really had to, the compassion was no where...my mother was labelled #12 on her first day and was continuously referred to #12 for her entire stay. As we waited anxiously to hear how her surgery went, with the nurses telling us absolutely nothing, despite us pacing and asking on 3 different occasions, nothing was as bad as when I went to ask for the 4th time and the nurse looked puzzled at who my mother was, and the nurse behind her said - she is asking about #12. Lets just say - I opened my big mouth, told them what I thought of their rudeness and said they were going to give me a heart attack and I certainly didn't want to be a patient of theirs...not my finest moment...but they made me do it. It made my experiences at the QEH look like a walk in the park...just for a moment! Her return stay to the Moncton Hospital sadly was a disappointment, due to a bed shortage, she ended up on the maternity floor...yup - right there on the wall was a sign saying ring for the nurse to bring your baby..you would think since there hasn't been a nursery there for years they could update the rooms, at least there wasn't a baby in her room, instead, other ladies with serious medical issues all put there because there were no beds...and, I thought the moldy licorice was bad in Saint John - but sticky hot chocolate on a wall that was starting to grow fur in her room - not impressed! So, I really shouldn't be writing this blog, my energy should be writing the administration of the hospitals. Will they care - probably not - but I am pretty sure they wouldn't want their mother in a filthy room with rude uncaring nurses.

So, enough about that, Mom is now back home and will have a month to sit and do nothing but get better. It won't be easy for someone who is use to working 18 hour days, but I hope she realizes that life is too short to focus on work and helping others. It is her turn, she has put others first my entire life and no doubt hers, and its about time she stop and let others fend for themselves and not run to do for others.

Quite similar to when Greta entered our world, there is nothing like having a baby or having a family tragedy occur to make you realize what and who really matters. I read tonight a friend post on Facebook - People, people, people - Good thing I keep the expectation bar low! Well said, I didn't think my expectations could get any lower, but alas, it's now buried in the mud. What is wrong with people, are lives really that busy that we can't pick up the phone or send an email to see how things are. There are people out there, friends perhaps, that could use a little encouragement, or a friendly hello, or maybe an 'I'm thinking of you' post, but what a silly expectation. To those who again sent a note, placed a call, or just sent a one liner - thank you. It was appreciated and noticed...

Life could end tomorrow. Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets. ~Arthur Miller

Toodles

PS. So tired, can't even fix grammar tonight or re-read...