The Zoe Chronicles - You're walking!

You're walking! You're walking!
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You've been walking whilst hanging on to a fingernail for months now, but finally, you are officially walking. And, very stable I might add. This is because you and Grandma have worn a path around the house from all the laps you've done. Laps and laps and laps and laps. At least you don't give up easily.
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On Tuesday (the same day that I went into hospital) RJ and I were playing "Pass the Zoe". We'd sit close together and get her to walk between us. We kept moving farther apart, and she was LOVING this game. Laughing hysterically when we'd scooch back further. She gained her confidence quite quickly and then started to deviate from us! She tried walking to the kitchen, down the hallway, and to the dog food.
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And, just when Grandpa flies in, you really start to take off and actually started doing laps of the house on your own! Good timing youngling.
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I need my horseshoe back. I think I'll check ebay. There must be another idiot out there that would dare to give theirs away too.

RJ and I thought we'd go on a date.
It ended in my first ambulance ride.
This is how the story goes:
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So, RJ and I thought we'd take advantage of our live in babysitter (aka grandma) and we'd go see the new Bond flick. I had a stomach ache, but hey, it was just indigestion, right? I popped a few Tums and off to the movies. It was getting progressively worse, but I thought that it would go away, it always does. But, after the credits started rolling, the thought of sitting there in pain for the next 2.4 hours was too much. Luckily we got our money back and left.
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I went straight to bed and the pains were terrible. Every two minutes too. Terribly mysterious. I took some ibuprophen and that didn't help. Finally at 2am, I couldn't take the pain any more. I couldn't fathom the idea of riding in a car (the car ride home from the movie was still fresh in my memory banks) so RJ called an ambulance. They weren't too pleased when they showed up. They said "Are you SURE that an ambulance is what you need?" and then when RJ said he'd follow me in the car they said "Why didn't you just drive her yourself?" I must have been keeping them from a cricket game or something. Anyhoo, after they saw how much pain I was in, they started being nicer.
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At the hospital, they suspected appendicitis. Thought they'd do a laparoscopy surgery to see what's going on, and then take the appendix out. But first had to wait for the ultrasound. They found a whole bunch of fluid, which meant something burst, but they didn't know what. They thought then it could be a burst ovarian cyst. That fixes itself, so, I could go home in the afternoon. But, then I was still in grave pain and a vomitous mess so the surgery was back on. I also had a seemingly unrelated symptom of a distended bowel (with all bowel mechanics working properly, this proved mysterious). Surgery on. Surgery off. Surgery on. Surgery off. I was waiting for Dr. House to show up at my bed accusing me of swallowing Zoe's hair elastics, getting passed through a small hole in some lining, choking some follicle causing it to burst. This, of course, all simultaneous with House's team breaking into my home to search for mold. (If you don't watch House, just ignore those last two sentences).
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Well, consensus is that I had a burst ovarian cyst. Worst two days of my life. I am still in pain from this unrelated distended bowel thing, but I'm on the mend and avoided the scalpel.
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At least I got to ride in an ambulance.
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An Update Long Due

Zoe
You are doing the funniest things. I've mentioned how you have to walk around and around and around whilst lugging something with you. Well, last week, you had your mobile phone and you would walk and talk and giggle. Then walk and giggle and babble and walk. It was so funny how you were carrying on as if you were having the most entertaining conversation ever. You are very lucky that you are that close with Jim Carrey. He's pretty funny. Today, you were walking around and around and around, but this time, you were lugging your huge water bottle. You would stop every now and then to take a sip, and then carry on walking. Just like your Auntie Tania. She can't walk and drink at the same time either. We used to go for walks around the river at lunch. We'd both have a can of coke, but we'd have to stop every 20 steps so that she could take a sip. Terribly annoying. I am gifted in this area, and can simultaneously drink and walk at the same time. I can also drive and paint my toenails -- I really have some useful talents. Learn from me youngling.

RJ
You poor thing… you cut your finger on the saw last week and as if that wasn't enough, got the bad news that you have a double hernia. This means surgery. You won't be at the Hilton like I was for Zoe's birth (SJOG hospital) but it sounds like the Hyatt will be just as nice (the hospital on the river). But, now we need to navigate the confusing health/government systems here, so wish us luck.

Andrea
Went out for dinner with some girlfriends on Saturday night, but before I arrived, stopped at a bank to get $50 out. Put the bill in my wallet next to my fiver (this I distinctly remember), however, when I went to pull it out when the restaurant bill arrived, it had disappeared. Terribly mysterious. Rather than thinking that I have bad carma, I prefer to think of it that someone in Mount Lawley has good carma and needed that $50 more than me. In other news, last week I finished the "Biggest Winner" program at work. This was a 12 week fitness program where I was cycling into work, doing workout classes, soldiering through Jacobs ladder at lunch, and even skipping my favourite Thai takeaway. (I deserve a special medal or a commemorative poem written in my honor for this). I was working my butt off (figuratively, not literally) but I only lost half a kilo. I know that I shouldn't be hung up on the scales -- my clothes are too big and apparently I lost 2 kilos of fat and gained 2 kilos of muscle. So, it was a great success, and hey, I'm still going to keep cycling to work. (I deserve a special medal or commemorative poem written in my honor for this)


Tune in next week when I tell more tales of babes, gore, and money scandals. But really, I hope the string of misfortune is behind us ---------- ACTUALLY, now that I am blogging this... I distinctly remember giving the horseshoe that was up my butt to a friend of mine. She needed it more than I, and I told her I was done with it. So, that must have been it. I've gone and given away my luck. I was telling her the story of how we ended up moving to Australia -- that we were planning on moving here anyways and then WAMBAM my company transferred us out and paid for everything. My sister once made the comment that I must have horseshoes up my butt. My friend has had a really rough go since I've known her (a year and a half) so I said she could have it -- sure hope the horseshoe isn't rusty and it's doing its job. BONNE CHANCE MARINA, BONNE CHANCE!

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The Zoe Chronicles - 15 months gone

Dear Zoe,

You have passed your 15 month birthday, and I must say, it was a good month. You didn't repeat the 14 month grisliness, so the household is grateful for that. This month, you have been one happy little baby. You like to play games -- especially when breastfeeding at night. You will kick my hair with your feet, or you will blow me kisses, or you'll cover my mouth with your foot and smile. All whilst nursing. It's quite entertaining, and I get quite a giggle out of it. You love walking, you'll do endless laps around the house, but there are two criteria. (1) You have to be carrying something and (2) You have to hold onto someone's finger. You won't quite walk on your own although you could. It's quite funny how you need to be lugging something around. Do we walk around with stuff all the time? Is that where you get this little idiosyncrasy?

You've discovered sand. It's always been fun, but this is different. You LOVE the sand. If we go to the beach, you will crawl around and dig your hands, and transfer it from one bucket to another, and kick it, kick it, kick it. Now, if you see sand on the sidewalk, you want to stop and play. This could be tricky since the whole city is one giant sand pit.

Daddy and you are back in swimming lessons, and you find that very entertaining. I have a self defense class during your lessons, so I’m unable to go, but Grandma takes lots of videos. You have the cutest bathers. And, the instructor even complimented you. Of course.

Your eyes are still blue as the ocean and you have lots and lots of thick long hair. I gave your fringe a haircut this week and now you look a little dorky, so I'm sorry. I'm sure there will be future tears when I try to cut your locks and get it very crooked and you end up getting a "bowl" haircut. This is hereditary, and I suppose a right of passage (for both mom and daughter).

I'm actually looking forward to you walking (I remind you often that your cousin that's WAY YOUNGER is walking but you don't seem to care one bit), as I think it will make you a little more independent. I think the dog will be annoyed as you'll be able to chase her quicker (Pasha can see you crawling from a mile away) but I’m usually a fan of anything that annoys my dog.

Happy 15 months girl. I think I may have mentioned this before, but I want a million little babies just like you! Don't tell my company that though.

Love you loads,
Mommy and Daddy

The Zoe Chronicles - Halloween

Must write quickly, as you have woken up WAY too early from your nap, little monkey.

The Halloween party this year was a hit. You looked adorable, and the cave girl outfit that I handmade worked out perfectly. I love it so much I want to add it to your regular wardrobe. We had 9 babies all up, and it's always fun to see a room full of babies in-cognito. We had 2 cave girls, three pirates, a clown, leopard, ghost, and spot the dog. I was a hippy and RJ was an unfrozen caveman lawyer.

Here's a quick pic and I'll write more later...

Have a great weekend everyone!

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