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Grand-maman's Visit | ||
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This just in... Sunday March 27 (in Korea); Saturday March 26 (in Canada) Well, this will be the last entry into the 'Grand-maman's Visit' section. We heard a trip update from Gilles. Micheline called him from Toronto.. She told him about her trip over. Here are the highlights:
Saturday, March 26, 2005 It's a sad day in Pusan. Today, Mom had to go home. We would have liked to keep her with us much much MUCH longer. We woke up early and mom got her last things together. She fussed over Madeleine and quieted her down one last time. She called dad quickly to let him know she was on her way to the airport. Then Jon went to get a taxi. Mom and I had a few moments alone but I was too sad to say much. I just held Madeleine when they left the house. Some women suffer from post-partum blues after they give birth. I'll suffer post-mom blues. I'm really going to miss you mom. Des gros becs... Je t'aime... Jo
Friday March 25, 2005 The log of Micheline's last day. 7:00 a.m. Micheline got up with Jo and Madeleine. They lounged around in bed for 30 minutes or so chatting with Madeleine and shortly after Jon left for work got up and changed a diaper. 8:00 a.m. Breakfast was served. Madeleine had mother's milk. Jo had oatmeal and fresh strawberries courtesy of the landlady. Micheline had toast with peanut butter and bananas. Healthy breakfasts all around.
8:30 a.m. Jo had her first shower since being hospitalized on Tuesday March 15. It's just like backpacking. Jo (and the rest of us) were pretty darn happy. 9:00 a.m. The girls called grand-papa Gilles in Hearst. They took pictures of the living room to share with him.
They talked until the second international calling card ran out of minutes -- 50 minutes or so were left. The cards originally had 200 minutes or so to Canada.
10:00 a.m. The girls did laundry and a general clean up. The dishes were washed. The floor vacuumed. You know that sort of thing. 12:00 p.m. They had a delicious lunch of vegetarian man-doo (steamed wontons) and crudite (raw vegetables -- you know French, it makes everything so complicated). 1:00 p.m. Tea and The Fellowship of the Ring on DVD. 2:00 p.m. Naps were had all around. 3:00 p.m. Bottles were sterilized and strawberries were cleaned. Just to liven things up, more laundry was done. 4:00 p.m. Micheline finally gets around to packing. She did her ironing and rounded up all of her scattered belongings. 5:00 p.m. Finally, it was time to relax. They chatted about living-food recipes and healthy diets. 6:00 p.m. Jon arrived home with a delicious Turkish meal of falafel, humus, Turkish bread and cicek (tzatziki) from "Kebapistan", the only Turkish restaurant in Busan. Our apologies to our Turkish friends and neighbors but we couldn't find suitable pictures and recipes on the Internet.
7:00 p.m. We tried warming up a bottle to try Madeleine on it. It is much harder than it looks to get it just the right temperature. True to her even temperament, she went from breast to bottle without a complaint and back again. 8:00 p.m. Micheline got her going away gifts from Jo, Jon and Madeleine. She got a lovely tea pot, some green tea from the finest green tea area of Korea and a tea storage bowl.
9:00 p.m. The vet and his wife made a house call to give Jack his rabies booster, but it was really an excuse to see Madeleine. They brought a lovely pants suit for her. 10:00 p.m. Micheline relaxed in pajamas in the family room, while we chatted and wound down for bed. Things got really quiet and sleepy. We made plans to get up at 6:45 to make her 10:40 flight. It won't take that long to get to the airport; it's an international flight and they want her there two hours early.
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Today was Madeleine's first full day at home. It was also her first bath. Daddy did an excellent job with some helpful hints from grand-maman Chauvin. Amazingly, Madeleine never cried, but stayed nice and calm for her nervous daddy. ______________________ Poor Micheline! She travels halfway around the world to be a stranger in a strange land and she ends up spending most of it in a Korean hospital. Granted it is a labor of love and I doubt she wanted to be anywhere else, but still it doesn't show off the wonders of Korea. She did, though, get to spend a few hours in the Nam-po-dong area of Busan. I took her on a brief tour of the area Friday night and she returned on Sunday for a solo adventure. She even rode the subway by herself! (Click here for a detailed subway map) She bought plenty of goodies for the folks back home. Nam-po-dong is a market, business and entertainment area of Busan. It has the famous Gukje Market and Chagalchi Fish Market. Other links: Gukje Market and Chagalchi Fish Market. 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 15: I've just arrived home from Pusan National University Hospital (a 45 minute, $20.00 cab ride) with the important duty of posting news from the waiting room where Jo and Micheline are spending the night. We booked a private room by the good grace of our gracious doctor -- apparently there are few rooms to be had at the hospital -- otherwise Jo would be in the Labor and Delivery area where visiting rules are much stricter. Luckily Korean hospital costs are quite a bit cheaper than North American costs. Jo has had regular strong contractions all evening. They started at 6:00 p.m. and have continued every 4 - 7 minutes since. At 8:00 p.m. she began taking her oral prostaglandins to help her efface. If progressive labor hasn't started by 8:00 a.m. it's onto the pitocin drip to see if we can jump start things. Everyone is in a buoyant mood and Jo is positively radiant! Everything looks like a go at this point. The room is nice -- it has a hospital bed, a sofa bed, a fridge and a bathroom. Okay, it's plain, but functional. The staff is nice and it is much easier up in the private room away from the strict stuffiness in Labor and Delivery. Tuesday, March 15: Sorry we didn't write last night, we had so much catching up to do. So, here's a delayed update. Mom landed on time in Pusan. We saw each other quickly through the big glass separation area and waved while mom waited for her luggage. We took a cab home and we were talking so much it seemed to zoom by. Once a the house we kept talking and talking. Mom took out all the wonderful gifts that people had sent for Madeleine. I just want to take this opportunity to thank Diane Hardy, Joanne Forgues, Rachel Veilleux, Stephanie & Gabrielle Ayres, aunt Diane and grand-papa Chauvin for all their special, wonderful and oh so cute gifts. We can't wait to use them! Finally, at 11 we had to let Jon get some sleep since he had to get up super early the next day. Jon gallantly gave up his spot in our room and took the sofa bed in the living room. Mom and I went and continued our chatting like girls at a slumber party. I think Madeleine sensed her grandmother's presence because as soon as we got in the cab from the airport, contractions started 5 min. apart lasting at least 45 sec. Then, at home it continued ...even after I got in bed. Luckily, things eased up and I was able to get a good night's rest. However, I felt some irregular contractions this morning too. Mom and I are going for lunch at "Dubu Maeul" (Tofu Village). Then we'll be heading for the hospital at 4 to check in. I'll be staying overnight and induction will start tomorrow morning. Jon will be updating from now on. Wish me luck!
Our trusty gal in Seoul,
Ji-hye, has called and reported that Micheline's flight was delayed 1 hr;
it landed at 5:45 instead. Now, Micheline must go through immigration,
pick-up her luggage and pass customs before joining Ji-hye for dinner.
Ji-hye will give us a call as soon as the rendezvous occurs. Micheline has now boarded her flight (# AC 0063 in case you want to check the Incheon Airport link that lists all arrivals) to Seoul. Her first overseas trip ...ever! She called Gilles from Vancouver and all is going smoothly for her. Gilles informed us that she only had to check her large suitcase in Timmins and it will be transferred for her all the way to Seoul. She dinned on a frittata breakfast on the way to Vancouver and enjoyed part of the movie (she always had trouble staying awake for a whole one). She met a Chinese student returning to Shanghai for a school break. Although she sounded a little tired in Vancouver, we're sure she'll have a chance to sleep on the 11hrs + flight to Seoul. Hope she gets a window seat! Stay tuned for updates! Micheline Chauvin on first leg of her trip! She spends night in Timmins reveling with fellow teachers before departing the next morning for leg two -- Toronto. We hope she didn't party too hearty since her flight leaves at 6:00 a.m.! Pearson Airport watchers be on the look out bright and early tomorrow morning! If you're lucky you'll catch sight of the globetrotting grandmother on her way through. After Toronto, we're told it's on to Vancouver where the intrepid Micheline will board a long trans-Pacific flight for Seoul. The flight is arduous taking 11 hours 40 minutes. Once in Korea she will meet up with our lovely Seoul correspondent, Ji-hye, for dinner. After a 3 hour layover at Incheon Airport, she will take a final flight to Pusan, arriving at 9 pm. Adding it all up -- it makes for a long day!
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