Off the Hook

So you may remember reading a few days ago that I had a story involving a 2 calls to 911, a semi, and a police officer.  Here's a little more about that embarrassing story...

I was driving back from my MIL's house and had 13 hours of driving to accomplish in one day.  Yes, it would be a very long day, but I piled the toys and snacks in the passenger seat to hand back one at a time to K on the long drive.  All was going great until I reached about halfway.  I was passing a semi truck and was almost by him when he started drifting into my lane.  I thought he would realize and pull back over, but he didn't, so I honked my horn to alert him to the fact that I was there.  He then gave me the bird!  And in the very next instant, he started trying to run me off the road on purpose!!  I had K in the backseat (19 months) and me and 5 months pregnant and completely alone.  Not very intimidating.  I was terrified that this maniac truck driver was using his truck like a weapon, so I called 911  to report him.  I gave a description of the truck and his license plate number to the dispatcher and was told that she would alert the highway patrol.  I then got into the middle of a group of cars and passed the truck and was happy to be free of the psycho driver.

About 15 miles down the road, my adrenaline had almost worn off and I wasn't paying close attention to my speed (or the speed limit) and failed to see the highway patrol officer shooting his radar gun right at me until I was close enough to realize that I was going to be pulled over.  Great.  He pulled up behind me, flashed his lights, and I pulled over.  Here's a fact that you may or may not know about me, but is entirely true and somewhat embarrassing.  Every single time I get pulled over by a police officer, I cry.  Not the tears that come hoping to get out of a ticket, but actual tears of oh-crap-I'm-in-big-trouble.  I have no idea where this comes from!!  I don't have issues with authority figures, etc., but throw a police officer at me because I'm speeding and no matter how hard I try to fight the tears back, I have never yet been successful.  Now that I'm nearing my late 20's 30, I thought for sure that I could handle this like a big girl.  So while he was getting out to come and get my license, registration, and proof of insurance, I was rehearsing in my head over and over that I would NOT cry this time.  Well, he got to my window, asked for the 3 needed items and I nervously fumbled around looking for them.  My hands were literally shaking and I was trying not to let him see that fact.  He then asked me if I knew why he pulled me over.  That was it.  Blame it on the pregnancy hormones, or the fact that I had been run off the road twice by a semi driver 15 minutes before, or the fact that I was making a 13 hour drive alone, but I started crying and the story of the psycho driver spilled out and "yes, I was speeding but I didn't realize it until I saw you", and...

He took my papers and looked relieved to be able to get out of the situation.  Poor police officer!  No sooner than he got into his car and closed the door to run my information, the psycho truck driver passed and honked his horn twice as if to taunt me for stupidly speeding.  The nerve!!  I rolled my window down and pointed to the truck and started trying to tell the officer that that was the guy who had run me off the road twice.  He came back, told me I could go, and said that he was going to try and catch the psycho driver.  He told me that if I saw him with the truck pulled over, I should stop behind him.  I pulled myself together, got back on the highway, and proceeded to drive for another 15 minutes without seeing either the police officer or semi.  All of the sudden my GPS told me to keep left at the split of 2 major highways.  Since I hadn't seen the police officer yet, I was worried that he went right and I would miss him. Sure enough, just as I passed the ramp that exited to the right, I could see that he was down the ramp and had the truck pulled over.  It was too late.  I noticed that while I was passing the ramp going around 65 mph.  So I found myself with a major dilemma.  Should I make a several illegal u-turns to get back to the police officer?  Should I just keep driving and think, "See ya!  Wouldn't want to be ya!"  No.  I called 911 again and got the same dispatcher, explained the entire situation, and asked what I should do.  She told me she would pass my phone number along to him and if he needed to get in touch with me, he would call.  Feeling satisfied that in case he still wanted to ticket me, he could and I didn't get out of a ticket with a story,  I continued on driving (setting my cruise to a "safer" limit).

I never heard from the nice officer that stopped me.  I hope that the next time I am pulled over (because I know with my lead foot that it will happen), I will be able to keep it together even if it means answering only in "yes" or "no" so my voice doesn't crack and send me on a downward spiral!  Suffice it to say, I was very happy to arrive safely home, away from the psycho truck driver and free of an expensive speeding ticket.

Home Sweet Home

I just arrived safely back at home.  After 12 hours of straight driving, lots of snacks, a passenger seat loaded with toys to hand back to K throughout the drive, a couple of stops to break the trip up, 2 audio books completed, and 1 more started, I have to say that it's nice to relax.  I pulled into the winding driveway of our house almost wanting to kiss the ground after the long drive and then saw my hot husband waiting in the driveway with a huge smile to welcome us home.  Home never looked more beautiful!  10 days is a long time to be apart.  Our record prior to this was 5 days.  We doubled it and could definitely tell.  Though the best part of getting back home was seeing how excited K was to see Kai.  He gave him the world's longest hug (seriously he just didn't want to let go), and has been laughing and playing with him since the second we walked in the door.  It's one of the sweetest things to witness.


I have a crazy story to share when I have a few more minutes involving a semi truck, a police officer, and two 911 calls.  Don't worry, it's not quite as terrible as it sounds.  However, we have much more exciting news that we'll likely be sharing tomorrow if our little one isn't too shy.  Our ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow!!  Well, I must go for now because I have a family to enjoy now that we're all together again :-)

Update

I know.  I haven't been faithful this week with posting.  As you know, I've been visiting my MIL as she's recovering from surgery, and have been so busy.  I have tons of pictures to share soon of our time here.  We've been able to do a few small local things that don't require much getting around and I've seen so many great friends and family in my few days here.  My sister surprised me with a special overnight visit this weekend.  It was so much fun to catch up again. We stayed up until 3 a.m. talking and laughing, but I definitely felt it the next day.  Being in my 2nd trimester and having a 19 month old wake me up in the morning makes those late late nights a little different now.  I have to say that after this trip I am completely exhausted and am looking forward to heading back soon.  It's the good kind of exhausted though--you know the kind that comes because you've filled the time with so many fun moments.  


I've learned that life as a single parent is hard!!  I'm thankful that I have a great husband that helps out with K every chance he can.  After this trip I appreciate him even more!  I'm hoping that once I get back he'll let me have a late-sleep-in morning (hope he's reading this;-)  BTW, the baby bump is growing due to all the great food I've been eating and the irregular exercise I've been getting while gone--missing belly pictures will be up soon.  AND, in just a few short days until we'll find out the gender!!!!  I can hardly wait!!!  So, I'm off to bed a little earlier than the last few nights (though still much later than I should) in hopes of catching up on some dearly missed zzzzz's.

Here

I left on Monday morning after Kai had completely loaded the car with our bags, pack n play, toys, food, books, and music we needed for the long trip ahead (he's such a great husband!).  K and I headed out solo for the first time ever with an almost 14 hour trip ahead of us that would be split into 2 days.  I started out with the friendly voice of my GPS leading the way, yet I was completely terrified because I was going to have a solid 11 hour drive the first day with my 19 month old son strapped into his car seat.  I still have him rear facing because of the current recommendations and my fear of serious injures to him in the event of a crash.  If you want to know more about car seat safety click on the link here I borrowed from my friend Jessica's blog.  It's definitely not as fun as having him front facing, but I'd rather have him safe.  


K did amazingly well the whole trip.  There were moments of screaming (on his part--although I thought of joining him a few times), but I kept a supply of snacks and toys that I would continually hand back when he grew restless.  We stopped for lunch, gas, bathrooms, and playtime and arrived at 8 p.m. in time for dinner and bed.  


So here we are for the next few days.  It will be the longest that Kai and I have been apart in our 10 years of marriage and it's already a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I assumed the toughest part would be not having Kai's help with K, but actually the hardest part has been sleeping in an empty bed and not being able to talk with Kai in person every night. :-(  At least we have face time on our iphones!  That makes it a little easier! It's amazing how much I took these things for granted.  I'm enjoying the time with family and friends right now, but am looking forward to being back home with my guy.  Wish me luck--both for the next several days and for the return trip.  Yikes!  I don't even want to think about that yet!

40 Days: Here and Gone

40 days have come and gone. We’ve seen much and learned more. We are busy packing and it’s always hard to say goodbye to a place, even that you’ve only known for six weeks, that you’ve begun to call home. We’ve enjoyed the friendships we’ve made and the memorable moments we’ve lived. I’ll miss the walks along the dirt path to the dental clinic to peek in and say hello to Kai everyday. I’ll miss the beautiful, rich smiles of the local people and shouting out, “Mahna Ohna Tup Ko!” every time we meet. I’ll miss chatting with the other missionary couples that have become good friends in our brief stay here. The city noises and smells that once were not so familiar will even be missed.

As all things, this chapter must close for us to move on to the next one: graduation and life after. But we will not forget our time here or the experiences lived. I know once we get back to our “regular” home, we’ll look back at pictures and miss it, remembering the great times in Madagascar. But for now we’re torn between the excitement of getting back home again and the sadness of leaving. I still have a few more posts that I didn’t manage to get up before we left, so the travel side of the blog is not quite over yet.

I wrote this yesterday, but didn’t have time (or a good internet connection to post it) so I am posting this from the Paris airport. We have a 6 hour layover here because our original flight was from Madagascar to Paris, Paris to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to London. Because of the lovely volcano that has been sharing it’s ash with most of Europe, our flight from Amsterdam to London was cancelled. They re-booked us from Paris directly to London. We weren’t too sad about that. It ended up taking off an hour of travel time and a lot less headache from all the connections. As I write, we’re in the Sky Lounge enjoying cushy seats, great food, free internet, and a little sleep. Kai and Kasen are out! Leaving at 1 a.m. and flying 11 hours can do that to you. So for the moment, I have a few cherished quiet moments. These are rare, so I’m seizing the moment and I’ll write more later :-)

Traveling With a Baby Internationally?

Would I travel with a 13 month old to the other side of the world and live in an underdeveloped country for 6 weeks again? Yes. But let me share a few things I’ve learned. I'm writing this to have all the details saved in one place if we ever consider doing this again and thought I'd share since it may help you if you're considering traveling internationally with your baby/kids.

Here are some things that have been invaluable to us while we’ve been here:

• Portable high chair—It compacts, is easy to wash, and fits on most tables. Also holds children up to 37 pounds.
• Stroller
• Pack n play—Most airlines let you take a stroller and a pack n play for free with a lap baby (children under 2 that sit on your lap). These 2 things are a must have if you’re traveling internationally!
• Baby wrap (I had a friend make mine for me and it’s perfect for those times when a stroller is too big to maneuver through the small crowded spaces)
• Baby snacks/food from home Great for the plane rides, but also those times when you’re not sure about the sanitation of the local food.
• Skype It’s great to be able to talk to family and friends 10,000 miles from home.
• Sanitizing wipes For the airplane, etc. (not the same as baby wipes—these kill 99% of germs). This is one of the first set of flights where none of us got sick afterward. BTW, have you ever wiped down the airplane seats before you sit in them?? They are disgusting!! Think: several white wipes made dark, dark brown from all the grunge. We brought along an entire box. Also, they’re good if you get a cut/scrape and don’t have any alcohol on hand.
• Books for Kasen He loves to read along with age appropriate books for him and they are hard to find in another country.
• A few games/toys Make sure they pack well (small). These are great entertainment for the plane ride and once you're there. Also, the in flight magazines and sick bags are great to let your little one play with/rip up (the magazines say you can take them with you, so don't worry about ruining them). You can make a game of putting things in and taking them out of the bag. And be prepared to walk the aisles to get the wiggles out in between meal times. Most people are really friendly on the flights and will smile and wave, etc. as you pass.
• A few favorite movies to watch when you get a little homesick.
• Several sippy cups Should you ever leave home without one? We brought 5 and have had 3 break, so we’re happy we brought more than we thought we needed.
• Nursing. I’m nursing beyond when most mother’s quit, but if you read up on the benefits, they are vast! Also, if you’re traveling close to the time you’re thinking of weaning consider a few things:

1. It’s a big comfort for your baby when you’re traveling across the world and just about everything is new to them.
2. If they get sick, babies that refuse to take food usually will still b/f, so you know they are still getting nourished and hydrated. This happened with Kasen while we’ve been here. He ran a high fever for 3 days straight and refused food. When I called the doctor in the U.S., she was relieved to find out he was still b/f because dehydration is a huge concern for babies.
3. They can get your antibodies while b/f which helps prevent them from getting sick and helps them get over it more quickly if they do get sick.
4. These are just the benefits I’ve found for traveling. There are many more overall for b/f, but that’s a whole different topic…

Before you leave:

• Call your airline and request the baby bassinet if you’re traveling with a lap baby. There are only certain seats that have this option, so call as soon as you book your ticket because they’re on a first come, first served basis, but they free you up during sleep time which is a HUGE relief on long flights. Kasen was over the height and weight limit, but it just meant that he was very snug while sleeping.

• Make sure immunizations are up to date for you and your kids.
• Put together a travel kit with medicines for you and your baby/kids just in case. Talk with your doctor about potential illnesses and get a few prescription medications you can pack to treat a broad spectrum of sicknesses. Also include a good supply of ibuprofen and Tylenol for your child. Kasen has run a fever several times while here and he also cut 4 new teeth, so we used our entire supply already.
• Pedialyte packets. You can reconstitute them with bottled water, but it’s perfect if your little one gets diarrhea or is vomiting. Thankfully Kasen avoided both of these, but we packed a hefty supply just in case.
• Passports for your kids.

What we wish we had done differently:

• Packed a few more books for Kasen’s age. I packed a few board books, but have them completely memorized now and am looking forward to getting back to our small home library for a little more variety.
• Packed more ibuprofen and Tylenol for Kasen.
• Packed everything we needed for 3 days in our carry-on. Since our luggage was delayed by up to 8 days for some pieces, I wish we had packed more essentials. Usually we do, but with all of Kasen's stuff, we decided to try and pack lighter. That was a big mistake!
• Realize that things wear very quickly, so only pack those things that you don’t mind getting a little extra wear and tear. Some of our whites are blue, some of our colors have been bleached, and many things have permanent stains. (This is true for our particular kind of trip, but if you’ll be staying in nice hotels, etc. this may not apply to you.)
• Packed an extra bottle of shampoo and conditioner. Paying $7 per bottle is a little hard to swallow when I could have packed the same bottle for $2.
• Packed a “leash” for Kasen. I don’t care what your line of thinking is on this one—when you’re traveling in another country, it’s nice to know they are close and attached.

FYI: I had a friend who lives in another part of Africa tell us that for babies/kids it generally takes about 1 day per hour you change in time. After having experienced crossing time zones with a baby for myself, I have to agree with her. Being 10 hours off from Pacific time, it took us about 10 days from the time we left for Kasen to get adjusted to the time here. Kai and I have always been able to adjust within a day or two if we stayed awake until the evening of the local time (no napping!), but with a baby it’s a whole different challenge.

Yes, he really did fall asleep standing up due to jet lag.

Note: Do your research and find out what's available before you travel. Madagascar, though very underdeveloped, still has basic necessities available for purchase.