Hoping for a better Monday

I am cautiously optimistic. I am officially 12 weeks which theoretically means that bleeding issues could very well be behind me for the most part. I am trying to remain optimistic and hope that tomorrow does not continue the trend of the previous two weeks. *Keeping my fingers crossed*

Tomorrow I will once again be back at work, but this will be the first day of my last week as an instructional aide. I am looking forward to the week ahead and to the new beginning which is yet to come a week from now. It will be a busy week, but I will try to take it as easy as I can. We are supposed to go to press this week. I need to wrap up a few things Monday and then begin my typing. I will take things one step at a time and I will certainly be praying through the week. We are also supposed to have a meeting to finalize things for the journalism program we are getting ready to start and there is the evening registration for the adult school.

We had a pretty nice day today. Connor and I visited a new church in Delhi partly for fun and partly for newspaper business. I still need to drive by and take some photos. Luckily, the church is right by my current work. This afternoon we attended service at St. Francis Episcopal Church and my parents drove down to go to church with us. Then we went to dinner. Overall it was enjoyable. Connor seems to be working on his canine teeth which has made things interesting. His appetite is somewhat inconsistent, he's fighting going to sleep until very late (he just went down for the night) and he is a little more obsessive about brushing his teeth (he especially likes brushing where his gums hurt). But, he was a happy boy today and enjoyed time with his family. He was really clingy with me off and on throughout the day. Interestingly, as clingy as he was with me today, he had no problem walking right out the door and toddling down the walkway at a Delhi business today. He had to work to get that door open too...just not as much as I would have expected.

The great Connor story of the weekend, though, comes from last night. Darrel was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Connor was making his rounds...playing, visiting me, "helping" daddy with dinner. At one point, he walked into the kitchen. I figured he was going to try to help some more. Darrel's back was turned so he didn't quite catch it until it was too late. Connor walked right up to Nike's (prounounced nee-kay...that's our beautiful seven-year-old Black Lab) water dish and promptly sat himself down in it. It was quite a silly sight to see, though it was much funnier after his clothes were changed and shoes dried. Our boy is quite the character. You can't help but love him!

And with that, I think for now our readers are updated.

Have a great week.

An update PLUS Connor's Top Three

I was back at work yesterday and today. Yesterday was a great day, minimal stress, the kids were SO excited to see me and I was back working with my groups. I loved it. Today was a little odd. I won't go into details here right now, but it was a bit stressful and overwhelming and I didn't know how things were going to go. But, I talked with the principal and the teacher and I think my last week will go ok. I will certainly be praying through the week next week. I have a jury summons for Tuesday and I am hoping I won't have to go. But, if I do, I will do my civic duty. I have a follow-up doctor's appointment on Wednesday just to check in and see how things are going. Friday will be my last day as an instructional aide. It's bitter sweet.

Connor has really enjoyed some dancing and such this week. I thought it would be fun to include his top three of the week. And so, here they are...

#3 "Wrap"

This is the video he opted to "chill" to this evening. He sat in his chair and listened, then came over to me and hugged me and wanted to sway with me. This was recorded a little over a year ago by a local band. Though the band is not currently together as seen here, two of the guys are now B.O.O.K. and will be playing at Magic Mountain in June. Connor just LOVES their music.



#2 "Stomp"
Connor first got hooked on this one right around the same time his fascination with sweeping was first developing, so it's perfect. Tonight, he went and got his broom and started doing his own version of the routine when he wanted me to put it on for him. He continued to do the routine (in his own way) right along with the performers. Broom tapping, foot stomping....he had SO much fun!



#1 O-Zone's Dragostea Din Tei (Numa Numa)
This is a HUGE hit in our house. If you're familiar with the Numa Numa Internet phenomenon, then you're familiar with this song. The first really fun version I saw was a bunch of Navy guys which was quite interesting. Connor is working on his "Numa Numa dance" and I think pretty soon we'll have to try to take some video of it. I hear Ellen is looking for baby's dancing, so we may have to submit it to her once we capture it. He's so fascinated by cameras, though, that we have to be sneaky in taking video when we want it.



Enjoy the weekend!

Taking it easy

I had an appointment yesterday with my regular doctor. He went through a lot of things with us and he brought in the doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat. It was a beautiful sound. Unexplained bleeding in the first trimester is typically "diagnosed" as "Threatened Miscarriage" and the suggestions made tend to be like the ones I received. This does not mean that a miscarriage is happening or will for sure happen. Bleeding, however, does slightly increase the "chances" of miscarriage. The doctor suggested I avoid over-exertion and said that I can pick up Connor some (but did suggest that Darrel continue to help me). I should avoid heavy lifting which he said is of closer to 50 pounds (or more) and I am still on pelvic rest. He said and I have read that seeing the baby and hearing the heartbeat are good indicators that things will be ok, but at this point we should be prepared for the pregnancy to go either way. Such bleeding typically subsides after the 12 week mark so hopefully we'll see an end to this very soon. I should be 12 weeks on Saturday. I went ahead and took today off of work to have one more day of rest at home. Things at my current job have been a bit stressful and so we figured another day off would be good. I will go in tomorrow and see how things are going and we'll go from there. I went ahead and made an appointment for next Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., first appointment of the day, so I can follow up with the PA and she should be able to have a listen with the doppler. If I experience any other bleeding episodes like I did this week and last, I have been advised to either go through the doctor's office like I did or to go back through the ER. That way they can take another look with ultrasound and check my bloodwork again just to see if there are any changes with me or the baby. I, of course, get frustrated because I am the type of person who wants clear answers. I want to know where the blood in coming from and what is causing it and no one can tell me that apparently. So, for now, I hold onto the good news that there does not seem to be a clear source or point of origin in or around the baby and that the baby is doing well. The heartbeat was good and strong again as we heard on the doppler yesterday. So, now we wait and see and pray. I guess this is why I try to take things one day at a time and a good lesson in trusting in God.

Update: A day at the ER

Well, today was...interesting. It's a holiday, so I was off from my education job. I was looking forward to making a few phone calls for the newspaper and taking it somewhat easy while spending time with Darrel and Connor. I made a manicure appointment for 8 a.m. thinking I would be home by the time Connor was ready to be up, after all, he'd had a huge weekend. Alas, he was awake before I left, but he was mostly happy and I got to spend a few minutes with him before heading out for my appointment. By a little after 9, my manicure was done and I was ready to head home. Darrel had called to see if I could pick up one thing from the store to go with our breakfast and since I was right by a store, I figured I could do that. I got out of the car and walked into the store. I was still near the entrance when I felt it...an all too familiar feeling. Yep, same thing I felt a week ago at almost the exact same time. I knew what it was right away. By the time I got back out to the car, I knew it was a little worse than a week ago though. And that frightened me a bit. I got home and immediately went to change my clothes, telling Darrel on my way through the hall that I was bleeding again. Of course, today had to be a holiday! Ugh!

We started working our ways through the numbers we have for where my doctor works hoping one would connect us to an exchange. Finally, one did. They tried paging my doctor and when he didn't call back right away, they advised me to go to the hospital. This was difficult for Darrel and me both. We figured we'd go ahead and go to the hospital closest to us for this. Darrel took Connor to his sister's and came home to pick me up and take me to the ER. It was a long day, full of tests. I had another ultrasound and baby once again looked great: HR 186 bpm, right on track for where I'm supposed to be in my pregnancy as far as size goes and showing off quite a bit doing some dancing, some somersaults and various other aerobic exercises. All of my bloodwork came back fine and a pelvic exam was normal (cervix is still closed as it should be). And so, I was sent home. In addition to the tests, they hooked me up to an IV for fluids, let me eat a sandwich and yellow jello and I got a little bit of a nap in as well. So, it was an interesting day. My sister-in-law will bring Connor home in a little while. Once I finish this post, I think I'll take a short nap. My mother-in-law is coming over here for dinner, so I'll have some good rest time, I think. Tomorrow I am supposed to check in with my doctor and we'll see what he has to say. I have to tell you, I am both relieved and frustrated. I want this baby to be ok, so I am obviously relieved. I am frustrated because I feel great and the baby looks good and yet I keep having this bleeding. It could very well be some sort of first trimester thing that will stop soon. I only have a week or two left until I reach my second trimester. I hope this settles down and things get back to "normal" soon. We'll see how things go from here. Many thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.

A beautiful Sunday

What a glorious day today was and I am so thrilled to have a chance to share some of it with you. I'm not sure where to begin. I suppose beginning with the bigger picture may be best.

At a time when there is much talk of declining numbers in the attendance of Episcopal parishes, there is one amazing thing that stands out to me. The numbers at the parish we attend are actually increasing! For the past several Sundays, we have seen an average of 65-75 people at the 10 a.m. service alone! One of those Sundays, I was LEM (Lay Eucharistic Minister) and I was sitting next to the Deacon after he had received the count for Communion. 78! SEVENTY-EIGHT! He was overjoyed and it nearly brought tears to his eyes. Together we looked out at the congregation and smiled. This deacon is very dear to our family and it was an honor and a pleasure to share in his joy that Sunday. So, there's a glimpse at the bigger picture. Now for a quick look at the smaller, family picture. A couple of Sundays ago, Bishop Lamb visited and after the service he talked about how Connor really seemed to "get" the Eucharist. It's one thing to notice it ourselves, but to hear from our Bishop about it really made it sink in in a new way. Connor has been working on the proper placement of his hands for Communion with a little help from mama, daddy and papa. Today, he did it with very little help and held his hands in place as he waited for the priest to bring the bread: the Body of Christ, Bread of Heaven. It was a glorious sight to see. At such a young age, some of these very real and very important things from our church and religious life are really sinking in and he does seem to "get" things differently than others I have seen in my life. I am so very proud to be Connor's mama and I am full of joy and thanksgiving for the simple fact that God blessed us with this amazing human being.

We had a wonderful evening yesterday with friends. I have not been able to stop thinking about how wonderful it was and how much we enjoyed it. All three of us had a marvelous time. We are so blessed to have such great "family." One highlight was watching Connor sit, then lay, then roll in a leaf pile. I love to see simple things bring him joy. I hope these are things he holds onto for a long time to come.

And so, dear friends, another week has passed. I am now 11 weeks. I'm still on "rest" and "no heavy lifting" orders. For now, it's probably for the best. I will have a follow-up call with the doctor's office on Tuesday, but I honestly don't expect those orders to be lifted quite yet. As difficult as it is, my body seems to need this for whatever reason. I do not yet seem to be "healed" or quite back to 100%, so for now, I follow the orders and make the most out of each day. I have already come up with what I think is a good idea for when I take mom to the St. George Crab Feed in a couple of weeks so that I won't have to actually do any lifting. Your continued prayers are appreciated. Many thanks! I wish you all a wonderful week ahead. And, I will keep you posted on me, baby and the rest of the family.

Yukon Delta villages need help

Some of you may have heard about this. Others of you may not have. I sent an e-mail to a few friends and family members already about this, but I wanted to post it here as well. This is going to be a lengthy post because I am going to include a lengthy e-mail message that was passed along to me through an online moms group. I have been a part of this online moms group since I was expecting Connor. We all have babies who were due in June 2007 and we have gone through just about everything in the way of motherhood together. We also share things with each other that may not be related to our babies. This is one such thing. One of the moms shared this e-mail that was sent to her by her best friend of 20+ years. Below I will include links to related news stories and then the e-mail from the mom's best friend. I know times are tough for many people right now, but perhaps you will feel called to help in some way...whether it's sending food or passing word along to others. Or, simply, praying. I think I've said enough. I will let the news stories and e-mail message speak for themselves.
http://thebristolbaytimes.com/news/story/4512
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/656185.html
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/657452.html

Hi everyone,

It’s not just Emmonak that is struggling it’s the entire Yukon Delta. I live in Nunam Iqua, a village that is 25 miles south of Emmonak. Not only are we faced with the same issues as Emmonak but also our crisis is harder because we no longer have a store here. Our trading post collapsed several months ago, so we have no place here to get groceries.

So not only are we struggling between choosing heating fuel or food but also we have to spend even MORE MONEY to buy gas to travel upriver to Emmonak or Alakanuk to even get food. Which is very expensive when you have pay $7.20 a gallon for gas. It takes at least 6 gallons of gas just to travel by snowmachine to Emmonak or Alakanuk to even get groceries. So that takes that much more money away from what we have to spend on heating fuel and food.

We try to reduce our heating fuel costs by using our wood stove but then are we really saving money? because we still have to spend money on gas to go and get wood for our wood stove.

Everyone, especially Governor Palin, needs to realize that it’s not just Emmonak residents that are suffering! We need help in all of the YK Delta villages!

OK, I complied a list of everyone here in Nunam Iqua. I spoke to all but one household here and Have a list of what is needed. I got permission for my Youth Center to receive/distribute any donations that come in. So they can be mailed to:

Ann Strongheart
Nunam Iqua Program for Youth
c/o City of Nunam Iqua
101 Mudd Street
P.O. Box 26
Nunam Iqua, AK 99666

OR if you would like to send boxes directly to needy families I have a list of families including their family size and needs and their PO Box #’s you can email me at nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com if you would like a copy.

Here is a list of things that are desperately needed, since we have no store here in Nunam Iqua we are really struggling to get food and groceries here.

Here’s the list:

Diapers Sizes 1, 3, & 6
Similac Advanced Formula Powder
Canned Evaporated Milk
Dry Powdered Milk
Powdered Eggs
Crackers ( Sailor Boy Pilot Bread unsalted tops are the most used here)
Rice (minute rice)
Noodles
Peanut Butter
Honey
Jam
Juice
TOILET PAPPER (everyone is running out)
Flour
Sugar
Coffee
Cereal
Crisco
Coffee Creamer
Pancake Mix
Tea
Canned Vegetables
Dried Fruit
Instant Soups
Ramen Noodles
Cup a noodles

Just basic pantry staples. Even salt, pepper, etc.

OOH I just realized I forgot to put baby cereal and baby food on the list.

I would give you all some more information on the YK Delta.

It now costs $650 to fly from Emmonak to Anchorage round trip. For us to get to Emmonak from Nunam Iqua is an additional $150 so that’s $800 from Nunam to Anchorage and back.

Here in Nunam Iqua there are many families, myself included, who live in what could be described as shacks. Our house is 20′ x 30′ and is constructed out of plywood. It was built back in the 60’s and is very drafty and leaky LOL we use my 18 month old’s leftover diapers that are too small to catch the leaks when it’s raining or warms up. But we don’t have a choice, this is the only housing available, we rent it. It’s a choice between here or living with family and we would much rather have our own place, even tho it needs serious help.

Here in Nunam Iqua, we have no running water or sewer. They are currently building our water/sewer project and we hope to have running water/sewer this year or next. We are a honey bucket community, meaning we have 5 gallon buckets in our bathrooms with toilet seats on them.

Additionally, we have no roads here, no cars. We travel by snowmachine and 4-wheeler during the winter and by boat in the summer. We had a store here but it collapsed due to the rising energy costs.

We are currently paying $7.20 for a gallon of gas and $7.35 for a gallon of stove oil. The majority of homes here use stove oil for heat. Some of us have wood stoves to help keep the costs down.

We do have regular postal service here, depending on the ability of planes to make it in. The only way for supplies to arrive here is by plane or during the summer by barge. The majority of us live a subsistence lifestyle. Our major meat sources come from Fishing and Hunting. We also pick berries and wild greens during the summer/fall. We have nets under the ice on the river but the fish seem to be very slow coming this winter.

Oh yeah, Nunam Iqua is a village of about 200 people, located on the southern mouth of the Yukon. We got a brand new school this past summer so now our kids don’t have to brave the elements to make it to their classrooms and the gym to eat.

We currently have a City Office, a Tribal Office, the School, the Clinic, Laundrymat, Powerplant, Youth Center and Post Office available in Nunam.

I know this is going to sound funny but I am very grateful that it got cold again today. We had 36 degrees last night and were worried that it might start to affect the ice on the river and make it unsafe to travel but now we are back down to 9 degrees so no more worrying about the river.

The pike should start running soon so we will be able to take a 60 mile day trip by snowmachine to go catch pike and dry them assuming we can afford gas.

Ummm I don’t know what else to tell y’all but I thought I would give you an idea of what it’s like here in Nunam Iqua. We did have a very early freeze up this year and the last barge didn’t make it in. We are having temperatures ranging from
-25 degrees below zero to 30 above. Normally, we are consistently below zero this time of year.

Hope that gives y’all some information and answers some questions you might have about the YK Delta.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. We greatly appreciate it. Our weather is getting weird here, it got really hot here last night up to 36 degrees, if it keeps up we will be unable to travel upriver by snowmachine to get food, b/c the river will be unsafe to travel on.

Again if you have any questions or what more information please feel free to contact me at nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com

I know there have been references to scams so please feel free to look us up online. Nunam Iqua Program for Youth. I was featured on NAC, Native America Calling last year addressing underage drinking in the Bush. And we are listed with the State of AK as one of their grantees. So you can verify the mailing address and email address I provided.

Sincerely grateful,

Ann

Quick Day Three update

I didn't have a chance to post anything last night. Yesterday was Connor's daycare day which really helped force me into taking things especially easy. I took a big, long nap in the middle of the day which was really nice. I'm going back to work today even though it's the Friday before a three day weekend. I just think I should go back today. It probably wouldn't hurt to have one more day at home, but there are a lot of changes at work and I'm anxious to see how they are all working out. I'm not stressing over them, just curious more than anything.

Anyway...Connor got home yesterday evening and was pretty tired, so he took a little nap. He got up as we were working on dinner. (And by we, I mean mostly Darrel.) He was having a really hard time with me not being able to pick him up and there wasn't anything I could do to help him feel better at first. Eventually we found a place and set of circumstances that made him happy. He sat in his highchair eating pretzels while we working in the kitchen. Darrel and I had another night of reversed roles for the bedtime routine. He got Connor in jammies while I got the milk ready and did some clean-up from dinner. Then Connor sat with me while he had his milk and together Darrel and I put him to bed. He seemed to like that for the second night in a row, so that was a bit of a relief.

Well...it's time to get myself ready and head in to work. I hope everyone has a great day!