Day 17 Quebec- visit to hospital

Day 17 Quebec- delayed

Lachie woke up twice during the night, but was easily settled. I woke up at 5:30 when someone from Australia sent me a text. Lachie woke soon after. Breakfast and the computer, with Lachie watching children’s television.

We set off for the shops after a conversation with Tim, just to buy some decorations for Amelia and Sarah’s return. By the time we reached the end of the building Lachie was asleep. So John pushed him around the shops while Heather and I went into the supermarket. I took a few photos of the Christmas decorations along one street.

Trees are all tied up for winter

When we returned home Tim rang again with more details. Sarah lost a “bit” of blood during the quick delivery. It turned out she was slightly anaemic and has to have iron tablets for a while. Lachie had a good morning sleep transferring from his pram to his bed.

We got ready to visit the hospital, and waited for Tim. In the meantime I did some hand sewing. but Tim didn’t get back until 2:30, had a shower, a drink and then we set off for the hospital. Sarah looked tired. Amelia looked less squashed than last night’s photos but was not happy until she was fed again. Needless to say there were lots of photos taken on three cameras. Lachie was not really impressed by his new sister. He was more concerned about jelly beans, iPad or his new toy car. The nurse came in to do some obs on both mother and child, so we left the hospital at 5:15.

When we got home I cooked risotto for the family. Lachie was not in the mood for anything other than plain pasta again until 7:30, when he was hungry again. Tim was helping Heather plan a trip to Montreal with John. They had it organised in a relatively short time. Tim stayed to settle Lachie to bed. I was typing today’s diary.

Day 16 Quebec - Amelia is born

Sorry I forgot I was "offline" now to catch up...

Day 16 

Lachie only woke up twice last night and each time settled very quickly. The rain was falling steadily and sometimes a few flakes of snow.

Up at 7 and Lachie ate his way through everyone’s breakfast. Tim was working from home. Sarah still had her backache, which escalated during the morning. I went down to the patisserie for GF bread and pastries and Heather and John went down to check out the shops and coffee shop. By the time I came back, Sarah was pacing and getting ready to go to the hospital. They left about 10:45. Heather and John returned almost as soon as they left.

I left later to go to the shop to get some more milk and fresh bread at the Metro shop. While I was there I bought a new umbrella. The wind was causing havoc with the fold up one I was using. While I was gone, Heather and John managed to settle Lachie to sleep. We ate lunch and settle down to an afternoon without the kid’s TV, broken by the excitement of the fire engines rushing up the street.

Lachie had a two hour sleep, then John took a major role in playing with him. Heather and I we were both doing hand work to take our mind off Sarah and Tim.

We gave Lachie his dinner and while we were eating ours, Tim rang to ask for a Message connection/ video call. Couldn’t get mine to stay connected, but then they rang Heather’s iPad and we spoke for some time.

All went well. Amelia Anne Heemskerk was born at 3:45 pm (Heather and I exchanged looks - it was now 7:45!!!) She was a fairly fast delivery weighing in at 9.1 lb/ 4.1 kgs and 54 cms long, with a bit of mucus that needed to be removed from her mouth and nose. Born on 16/11/16. Well done. Lachie had a look at his new sister. But he was more concerned about his mum and dad that he hadn’t mentioned all day. Suddenly he wanted to go outside.

In an effort to distract him, Heather reached up to the lolly cupboard, the door swung open and smashed into the clock, sending it crashing to the floor! Tim was slightly disconcerted hearing the glass shattering. After the call we played with Lachie for longer, then bath time, followed by more playing until bed time. Heather went in with him to read the stories. I stacked the dishwasher and cleaned up, before typing. Not allowed to post until the parents have done so…. So my post of today will be delayed. 

No official news

Just to let you know I am not allowed to post family news at this point in time, but as soon as I get the ok, I will let you know.

Day 15 Quebec

The longest I slept was 2 hours in a row with many interruptions. He got up at 6 to play and was entertained by dad until we all crawled out to face the day. Sunshine, but a bitterly cold wind. Sarah had a back ache all night, which got worse during the day.

Lachie eating a stale loaf of bread, complete with petrol hose.

Tim left for work. I played with Lachie-more play dough time, after turning on the washing machine. Heather and John were going on a bus tour of the region at 12:30 down in the old town. When they left, Sarah and I took Lachie out to the park. We got rugged up, but it was comparatively “mild” outside. However this changed as soon as we hit the wind! Unfortunately Lachie fell asleep in the pram just before the park, so we turned around and came home via the shop, to get some apples for dinner. Sarah put him down and went to have a sleep. He woke up five minutes later. Lunch and then we got ready to go to the park again.

More success this time, but it was much colder even with the sun shining brightly. Lachie played in the sand pit. As soon as I made sand castles, he knocked them over. But it was too cold for him to stay long and we walked home via the park, until the cold wind coming over the river sent us back via the main road.

Lachie faces backwards when it is cold.

When we returned home I prepared the apples for Heather’s desert and made the pasta sauce. Sarah was struggling with her back ache and got minor relief with a hot water bottle. By this time Lachie had developed a rash on his face. By bath time he was covered with a rash all over his body. No idea why?

Heather and John came home a few minutes before Tim. We finished off cooking the pasta and Heather made the crumble to top the apple. After dinner Lachie had his bath and was in bed at 7:30. Typed my diary. 

(Winter tyres here have studs in the rubber and make a clicking sound as they drive along)

Some cars have put on their winter tyres

Day 14 Quebec

Lachie had a fractious night, so I spent most of the night in his bed after getting up several times. Then at 4 am he decided he was ready to get up and play in the lounge room. After reading several books to him, he decided I wasn’t good enough, he needed mum. I went back up the ladder to bed.

Up at 6:30, breakfast, computer, playing with Lachie. At one point he had a “poo explosion” and I changed his pants, but it was everywhere and went through the sheet on his bed. So that involved changing the whole bed linen and washing/ drying it. I had to put temporary linen on his bed, which meant making the bed several times.

They have created the area for a skating rink in the park.

 Tim was working from home. Heather was making soup for dinner, while Sarah and I went to the park with Lachie. We were rugged up, but the wind at the park coming across the water was freezing cold. Lachie had fun on the swing and then in the sandpit. He enjoyed kicking the pile of leaves that I had collected from the sand pit.

Then he had fun throwing a rock into the leaves for me to retrieve. It was time to go back. He was almost asleep when we came back, but was woken up in the lift, so he didn’t get to sleep till after lunch.

Tim took Heather and John to the shopping centre before coming home to take Sarah to her doctor’s appointment. If the baby does not arrive by Friday, she will be booked into the hospital for an induction. All her checks and the baby’s were fine. Lachie was asleep when they left. When he woke up we played until the others returned. Of course he woke up just after I began work on my computer. When everyone returned, Heather prepared the dinner.

A lovely dinner of crumbed chicken, preceded by the vegetable soup. She made a cake while the oven was on, but the oven turned off accidentally and the cake was eaten by them when it eventually came out of the oven.

While Sarah put Lachie to bed, I did the dishes then sat down and read some online articles about settings to use on my camera when photographing the moon. Some helpful, some far too technical. But it looks like no moon tonight- after that effort. A busy day doing not much. Perfect.

Day 13 Quebec

Lachie woke a few times = we all woke a few times. I got up at 6:30 and others were up about 7. The plan was to go out for breakfast at a local restaurant and then to mass, if there was time. Checked my emails for any bills – one to pay.

The restaurant we wanted had fantastic city views, but they had no vacancies, so we went to “Cosmos” just up the road at 9 am, which was going to make mass less of a possibility. We beat the breakfast rush by 15 minutes, because by the time we had ordered the place was full and the queue was getting longer.

The food was plentiful and delicious. The fish tank built into the floor was fairly disconcerting for many patrons, who didn’t know it was there. We “caught” mass via the TV screen in the restaurant, where it was broadcast! When mass came on, half the patrons disappeared: either rushing down the road to mass/ getting out of there to do other things. But as soon as they left, the next patrons were ready to take their place

The main street was blocked off and set up for a children’s parade/ celebration of Christmas. We walked down to look at all the floats/stages before the larger crowds arrived. There were so many families, with children rugged up like mini Eskimos. All having lots of fun on the free activities and many just enjoying walking around with their families through the town.

We returned home, because Lachie was tired. Both he and Sarah had a sleep. I downloaded this morning’s photos and searched for my large wool needle somewhere in my luggage. It was eventually found and I finished sewing up the hat I had finished knitting in LA.

Heather and John are thinking about visiting Montreal and maybe Niagara, so we have had several conversations over the last two days about possible holidays.  Waiting for the baby is causing some problems in trying to plan that part of their trip. Sarah sees the doctor tomorrow, so we may hear more news after that.

We returned to the celebrations in the late afternoon and once again Sarah met some friends. We took the long way home through the Plains of Abraham as the sun was setting (4 pm) past the pizza shop to check out possible dinner and continued home. Decided that we would make our own. Once we were there Tim needed to work for a while and we took turns in playing with Lachie until it was time for him to eat his dinner.

Not sure if we will see the extra-large moon tonight as the sky is very cloudy.

Day 12 Quebec

Lachie had a few “wake up sessions” last night = a few wake up sessions for those in the same room and his parents.

Up at 6:30, sharing my porridge with Lachie, before the others woke up.  I uploaded yesterday’s photos and played with Lachie for a while. We all went for a walk to the shops, taking ages to put on all our outdoor wear, but even so the 2 C temperature was cold and the wind was bitter.

The town of Quebec has changed so much since my last visit in September. Gone are the beautiful gardens, the lovely autumn leaves, the outdoor restaurants and the tourists. Now the trees and the garden beds are bare, shrubs and bushes are being bundled up in all kinds structures, all the outdoor furniture has been stored and replaced by temporary tent like structures to ward snow off cars and doorways and the thermostats in the shops is high, very high. Every time we go outside it takes 10 minutes to put on all your outdoor gear and the reverse when returning. Taking photos is slightly complicated when wearing thick gloves, but it can be achieved. And when you get outside breathing normally is a challenge because the air is so cold.

I washed my clothes this morning, before we ventured out at 10:30. Any outdoor water in a container was still frozen. We went over the road to see what was happening up in the park. A 5 kms fun run. Wouldn’t be much fun if you were a spectator. We walked down to the shops where I bought my lactose free cheese, they bought bread and coffee. Lachie was asleep in the pram soon after we set off. We went on to the Gf Patisserie for pastries and fresh Gf bread for me. Back to the unit for a cuppa to have with the pastries.

Heather made sweet potato soup for lunch and in the process broke the blender. It cracked around the base and cracked right up the side, consequently everything that was in the container ended up on the bench. We cleaned that up and she finished making the soup. After lunch more playing with Lachie, before setting off to the apartment’s pool, so that Lachie could have a swim with Tim. Heather and John set off to the shops to buy potatoes for tonight’s roast, rugged up against the bitter cold.

I washed my hair, before helping prep the dinner vegetables. Lachie kept us all entertained with his games before our roast beef dinner. Delicious. We looked at the moon for a while until it was blocked by cloud. Tomorrow it will be a full moon. It was quite windy today and now the wind is rapidly pushing the clouds through the sky. I washed the dishes and put the rest in the dishwasher before typing up today’s diary. Lachie was bribed to get his pj's on by choosing one lolly from his "Halloween collection".

the moon rising, but it was soon under cloud

I’d like to think it is going to be an early night!