An eventful weekend around here. Friday Terra’s water broke, 7 weeks premature, so she drove herself into the hospital. We dropped in on her Friday night, she was in good spirits and feeling fine. The babies were under close surveillance, their heartbeats strong, and they were quite active. The idea was that the babies might wait to be born, so Terra would stay in hospital until they arrived, hopefully in at least three weeks time. Such was not to be. We got a call at 5:30 a.m. this morning from Lares to say that they were on their way, and three hours later Lares called back to say they had been born. He had no details on their health, they hadn’t been assessed yet, but he said they looked fine, their heart beats were strong, no obvious problems. They will be in NICU for some time. The boy I will nickname Sunny, and the girl Sky. Sunny was 3 pounds 3 ounces at birth, and Sky was 3 pounds 8 ounces at birth. It seems that all will be well, but a little complicated for a few months. Terra is doing well. And so their heart’s desire has been granted, and their adventure begins.
On Saturday Attila and I took a day trip to the Rideau Camp. Things were still very dry there, so the complete ban on any kind of burning was in effect. Attila prepared the path to the site for the humanure compost bin, and the area where it will be placed. I hand picked all new growth of brambles from the site. Early in the spring, after I had dug up and burned all the brambles on the site, quite a job, I sowed white clover seed over the entire area. It has taken off and flourished. The bees were really enjoying it. This year the bumble bees are huge, almost an inch long and very fat. They are a lot of fun to watch, as they bumble their way around the site.
We also found hundreds of army worms climbing the trees at the camp site. We spent a few hours killing them, but I am not sure that will deter the other flanks of the army as it descends on our forest.
We ate a lovely picnic lunch at the Rideau Camp, then packed our things and headed out to tour the local area. Attila picked a route that rambled through a half dozen small villages. It was a perfect day for roving, the sun shone brightly, and fluffy clouds lumbered across the sky. We located a hiking park, but did not stop to go for a hike. We also viewed an historic bridge, and found a canoe route rest stop along the Rideau system. We were hoping to find a source of potable water, just a tap with water where one could drink, and fill water jugs. We did not find any public source of drinking water, so we will have to keep looking. I had called the Township office and they knew of no public source of drinking water. It looks as if we may have to get our well working sooner rather than later.
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Yesterday we awoke to torrential rain and high winds. It was an exciting day. Lares called and asked us if we would drive out to their place and let the dogs out for a while, and feed them, which we did. We timed our visit to see our new Grandbabies so that it did not coincide with other visitors, except Luna who had decided to stay for a few days, which meant we could go into the NICU with Terra and Lares to visit the babies. They are very tiny. Sunny slept the whole time we were visiting, he is a little further behind than his sister, so he needed an oxygen tube in his lungs, and the “blue light” to make things easier on his liver (hyperbilirubinaemia). As Terra spoke to him gently he stirred and gave a little sigh, recognizing her voice. Sky was awake and very active during our visit. She opened her eyes, to have a look around, and when the light was shone on the incubator so that the nurse could perform a task, Sky placed her hands over her eyes. She too responded to Terra’s voice. They are off to a challenging start, but they are all in very good hands, and the prognosis is good.
Terra will be going home in a few days time, and then she will begin to develop the routine of daily visits to her babies in the NICU, a thirty minute drive from her home, for close to two months. Although it will be difficult, she will be totally prepared for their arrival home.
So there we are, Attila and I are the Grandparents of seven Grandchildren. It seems incredible, and yet by the standards of our family history, the number is small indeed.
Worldly Distractions
Weather
16°C
Date: 7:00 AM EDT Friday 3 June 2016
Condition: Mainly Sunny
Pressure: 101.7 kPa
Tendency: rising
Visibility: 24 km
Temperature: 15.8°C
Dewpoint: 11.6°C
Humidity: 76%
Wind: W 5 km/h
Today
Sunny. Becoming a mix of sun and cloud this afternoon. Wind becoming southwest 20 km/h this afternoon. High 26 except 22 near Lake Ontario. UV index 7 or high.
Tonight
A few clouds. Wind southwest 20 km/h becoming light this evening. Low 14.
17C
Date: 5:00 AM EDT Sunday 5 June 2016
Condition: Not observed
Pressure: 100.6 kPa
Tendency: falling
Temperature: 16.7°C
Dewpoint:
13.4°C Humidity: 81%
Wind: ENE 8 km/h
Today Showers with risk of a thunderstorm. Amount 15 to 25 mm. Wind becoming south 20 km/h gusting to 40 late this morning. High 20. UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Wind south 20 km/h. Low 14.
Quote
“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.”
Franklin P. Jones
Sunny and Sky—what beautiful names. Congratulations are in order! You are lucky indeed!
Thanks Diane! We are thrilled with these two little ones.
Congratulations on the birth of the babies!
I remember how difficult it was to leave my preemie (Emil was 10 weeks early and weighed 3lbs 3 oz) in the hospital for five weeks and visit him several times a day, as I lived only minutes away. It was still hard and I shed more than a few tears.
My second child Everett was 8 weeks early and weighed 4lbs 4 oz, but as I lived more a than a half-hour away that time, I was able to stay right in the hospital hostel so that helped a lot. Then it was hard to be away from Emil! But finally I kept him at the hostel with me and then all was right with the world until we all went home.
That was 27 and 23 years ago! Wow. Medical treatment must be so much better by now. I hope it won’t be too long till their parents get the wee ones home. It’s amazing how they transform almost instantly, once they are out of the hospital, into fat little babies!
Thanks Kate! When Terra first went in to the hospital she and Lares received lots of info from nurses and interns, some of it contradictory which unsettled them. Once their doctor had a chat with them they felt a lot better. The NICU is amazing, they sure know what they are doing. I can’t wait for these little gems to transform into fat little babies!
Congratulations to you and Terra! You must carry the gene for twin grandchildren, Maggie. Good health to everyone.
Congratulations!!! Compared to years ago, hospitals are so well-equipped to help preemies until they get big enough and developed enough to go home. Your family sounds amazing!
Congratulations and sincere best wishes to all concerned with the arrival of Sunny and Sky. What great pseudonyms you have given them.
It seems the Rideau Camp is turning into just the type of thing you had hoped it would be. So glad it’s working out well for you.
Thanks Steve Paul! Twins are double the fun!
Thanks Sandy! Terra has kept her eyes firmly fixed on the horizon, moving one step at a time towards bringing her babies into the world and then home. The NICU is amazing, and the staff are great, not only highly competent, but incredibly compassionate as well.
Thanks Wendy! Even though they were born on a windy, rainy day, they brought a lot of light into the world with them.
We love the Rideau Camp, and both feel right at home there. Hopefully we will be able to camp there frequently over the summer months, we are working steadily to getting the basics in place. We are even talking about getting a little boat so that we can go fishing. We both like fishing, but have only ever been able to manage to get out on the lake fishing once since 1995. We just might manage it now!
Congratulations to all, especially the new parents! A bit of a scary start but I’m glad to hear that things seem to be turning out well, though Terra and Lares will need a great deal of patience.
You’ve come so far with getting your campsite and Iris, I’m thinking it won’t be long before you have a boat to go fishing. It all sounds wonderful, like every weekend is a vacation. Enjoy!
What wonderful news! Congratulations and all good wishes for the health of the wee ones. How blessed you are to have seven grandchildren. Being a grandparent is the most beautiful gift and the greatest joy of getting older.
Thanks Teri! Terra and Lares have wanted children from the get go, so this is what they both wanted. They will face a lot of changes, more than they know, but such is the experience of life. Terra will have her routine setup in no time, and faces the challenge of having to work for an additional two weeks to fulfill her obligations, the juggling of job and preemies in NICU is going to test her mettle!
We are really enjoying the Rideau Camp, it is filling our desire to be in the bush, but only when we feel like it, best of both worlds.
Thanks Sandra! The joy of being a grandparent came as a complete surprise for me, and now here we are with the seven wonders of our world.
Oh! I didn’t realize that Terra wouldn’t be off from work immediately. That’s a bit rough, recuperating from birth, visiting the babies, AND still working. Seems unfair, like the maternity leave should kick in right away. (Or maybe it does and she just feels the need to clear her desk before taking her allotted time off.)
Hopefully those weeks go by quickly for her and with little strain. That’s a lot to handle. *hugs* to her.
Teri, I don’t know the particulars, but it would have been a boon if she had been able to work for a few more weeks, it is all quite reasonable, her employers are good ones. She is a very strong willed person, and although these next few weeks will be very difficult, she will make it work. I think the euphoria of having her babies will carry her through just about anything right now.
Congratulations on grandchildren number six and number seven, Sunny and Sky! (Cute nicknames!)
Wow. Coming in late to the party, I echo all the congratulations and well-wishes already offered here by others, Maggie. Not having had any babies myself, I can only imagine the rainbow of emotions that must be all around you and your family right now. New beginnings. So many possibilities.
A little boat would be nice to have. My Paul was lobstering yesterday and came across an upturned kayak floating in the ocean, so he hauled it aboard his boat and took it to the Harbormaster’s float and dropped it off. He thinks that vandals got into some kayaks at one of the yacht clubs on Marblehead Harbor as there was another one loose from its cradle area… kids!
Thanks Joan! Glad you like the names, it was raining with high winds when they arrived in the world, and for us the skies were sunny and bright when we heard the news.
Thanks Bex! For us, as grandparents, the arrival of grandchildren is pure joy. We are all thrilled at the arrivals, and concerned of course, because the have health issues, probably temporary, but needing lots fo medical care for the moment, and because Terra and Lares are facing a challenging time with work and visiting their babies in NICU. They are exhilarated and exhausted at the same time, and it is quite a combination of emotions.
A little boat would be lovely! I have issues paddling because of an old injury to my arm, and issues sitting because I have severe arthritis of the coccyx, so finding the perfect little boat is going to take some investigation. Attila favours a motor boat of some kind. We haven’t started to look yet though, still working on the sewage disposal system.
How are Sunny and Sky doing, Maggie?
They seem to be doing very well Teri. We saw them the once, in their incubators, full of tubes and their CPAPs. Terra says that she and Lares are able to hold them while they are fed breast milk, to get them familiar with being held while receiving nourishment. The CPAPs are off both of them, Sunny the boy has jaundice and is off and on the biliblanket, but doing well. They are both taking breast milk through the feeding tubes. Sky is “eating” the full amount, but Sunny is not as far along and can’t tolerate too much, but he is taking some. No serious concerns so far!
Sounds like they’re doing pretty well. So glad to hear it!