Baby Ken arrived at the PERFECT timing for many reasons. I'll explain them all to you in this post. First of all, Arttu and I got to see the little bundle of joy 1,5 days before we were about to fly back to Finland.
On October 22nd at around 5.30 pm, we got a phone call from my SIL's father, saying that my SIL was taken to the hospital earlier and they told her to stay there. We didn't know much more about what was happening. So my Mom decided to go there. Since I was worried of her having to take a public transit alone, I decided to go along with her and I took Arttu as well. I was torn between leaving R2 at home or taking him with me, but he said he'd come.
About half an hour later, we arrived at the hospital and we could pop in to see my SIL who had an IV already by then. The doctor put her on an IV since her water broke at around 5 pm, but still no signs of contractions. So they had to make her start having contractions right away. When we got there, my brother was feeding her in the labour room. They told her to eat so that she could get enough strength to push.
So we waited in the waiting room in front of the labour room she was in. There were already my SIL's parents and younger brother. Not long after that, her aunt and uncle came by to wait, as well. The contractions started becoming steady at around 7 pm (she was 2 cm dilated by then). So started the hellish hours!!! At one point, I could hear her crying softly for a little while from outside. My Mom was SO worried about her already that she also cried and she started praying right then and there.
We waited and waited...and at around 8.45 pm, the nurse said that she was already 7 cm dilated. So we were sure that it wouldn't take until midnight before the baby was born. At around 9.30 pm, the doctor came in to assist the labour. The baby was born at 9.45 pm and my SIL only needed to push twice. She half-screamed on the first push, but then I heard nothing else (I was standing right in front of the room to listen to the progress). Then I heard a baby's cry HE HE HE HE HE HE...and everybody who was sitting in the waiting room came out and praised the Lord! ;-D
A while later, the nurse came out with the bundle of joy and she asked if we wanted to look at him. He was SOOOOO CUTEEEEEEEEEEEEE, even though he was still "damp" he he he...However, he looked so small, too! He was born 3.1 kgs, 51 cm tall.
I saw him sneeze while we were looking at him hi hi hi...then he was taken to the baby's room. A while later, my brother came out and we congratulated him. My SIL was still "being taken care of" inside. Only after some time could we get in to congratulate her. Her legs were still shaking slightly, but she was smiling so widely. She said she was hungry he he he he he...
Almost forgot...the doctor came out afterward and said, "WOWWWWW...so many supporters!!!! Congratulations to all of you!" and then he shook hands with all of us he he he...
We were all SO glad that it went smoothly and fast!!! It's considered very fast, esp. for a first baby!!!
Anyway, another reason why the baby was born at perfect timing was that my brother had decided that the next day (October 23rd), before he found out that the baby was going to be born on October 22nd, he'd start taking his leave (he hadn't taken any leave this year). So that day, October 22nd, he went straight to the hospital from work and the next day he could stay by his wife's side without worrying about work he he he...
The other reason about the perfect timing is that the baby and the mother went back to my parents' house a day after Arttu and I went to Jakarta by bus to fly back to Finland. SO, my parents didn't have time to miss us too much since the baby would occupy so much of their time. Isn't that WONDERFUL????????
OK, now here are two pics of the baby. Unfortunately they're not too clear, esp. since he was put in that "warming box". He was feeling cold, so the doctor decided to put him in that warming box for a few days. (Note: My bro's promised to send more pics of Ken later on, so hopefully I'll get clear pics to share!)
Here's Ken's crib he he he...
And here's a short video clip R2 took of Ken. :-))))
Update on my rashes: Earlier Arttu called the health center, but then it was already full, so the nurse told him that if I could wait till tomorrow, then I should go there tomorrow. She also asked if I had taken any antihistamine or not. I didn't know that we could buy antihistamine without prescription in the pharmacy. I don't really know how the system works here, but since it was still 5.30 pm, we managed to go to the pharmacy (it closes at 6 pm on weekdays) and the pharmacist wanted to see my rashes and she suggested some antihistamine tablets for us. There were so many different kinds, including Zyrtec that Trinity told me about. THANKS for telling me about that, Trinity! Zyrtec cost thrice this type of table that we bought. I sure do hope that this tablet works for me. If the condition doesn't get any better tomorrow, I'll DEFINITELY go to the doctor he he he...
Anyway, this morning I called my parents again since it was my Dad's birthday. I just said happy birthday to him and wished him good health. We didn't talk long, but I talked for a LONG time with my Mom he he he he he...It's always SO MUCH FUN talking to my Mom!
I told her that the other day in the sauna, I asked hubby, "Would it be too fast if we try having a baby at the end of next year?" and he said no.
I want to make sure we're both ready, 'coz I'm FAR away from my own Mom and even though my in-laws are GREAT and KIND people, they also live 25 min. away from us and my father-in-law's got Alzheimer, so I don't wanna burden them. That means that hubby and I have to be totally ready to help each other when the baby comes he he he...
Upon hearing that, my Mom said, "It's fine with me. Just do what you think is right." YEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!! BRAVO for my Mom he he he he...I just feel GLAD that she's ALWAYS so supportive!!! ;-D Even when Arttu still hadn't got a permanent job yet, she still encouraged me to marry him as long as I knew he'd make me happy. I only wish I could be a great Mom like her when the time comes. ;-D
Anyway, I'm also PROUD of my brother. He's started paying for the electric and phone and water bills ever since my Dad stopped working. Then now he's started giving Mom some food money monthly. What makes me proud of him was the fact that he said this to Mom when he started giving her food money, "Mom, I'm going to start giving you food money every month, but PLEASE don't get it wrong. I'm not asking you to cook for us or anything. I just want to give you some food money every month."
The fact that he took into account my mother's feelings about getting that money was what made me feel SO proud of him. ;-D He knows that the business situation in Indonesia has been pretty bad and that my Mom can barely save any money from selling food in the traditional market, though she still has enough to buy food for everybody, but still he wants to make sure that my Mom doesn't need to worry about money.
Mom told me that she'd save the money if she didn't need to use it and that she would still be cooking for the four of them, but she wouldn't be angry if they (my brother and wife) chose not to eat what she cooked and instead ordered food from a resto. Bravo for Mom, as well!!! ;-D
It seems to me that my brother and wife have brought sunshine to my mother's life, as well. Things haven't been really well with my Dad lately. He starts getting angry again if Mom reminds him to eat or to take his medication. Sometimes even when Mom says something INNOCENT, he'd get upset and snap, "You don't appreciate me anymore since I no longer work, but I am STILL the head of the family." Oh dear...how can you tell a man that it's his broken ego that's the problem, not what other people say about him?
Prayers for my Dad, please. I hope God will heal his mental wounds so that he would stop thinking that whatever other people say is meant to hurt him and his pride. He's attached his self-value in his work so much so that now that he's retired, it's getting tough for him to accept the situation, even though he told me that he was okay with it already.
I also wrote him an email for my brother to print-out for my Dad...hoping that it could nudge him into the realization that the problem is inside his own head, not what my Mom says or does.
Oh well...it's long enough, I guess. I'll write about the Second Part of the Christmas party soon then he he he he...I still feel some itch here and there, but not as strongly as Christmas Eve.
Take care, everybody, and hopefully you'll all stay well!!!!
Reading about nursing history is definitely interesting. I'm sure all of you know that Florence Nightingale is considered as the founder of nursing. However, do you know that in the first nursing school in India, women weren't allowed to be nurses since men were considered more pure? Gee, I was shocked when I read that! Then as I kept on reading, I came upon the concept of travel nursing. I've never heard about that before, at least not as an accepted "formal" term.
In America, the demand for short-term travel nurses first occurred in the 1980's since in some cities there weren't enough nurses. Since then, lots of travel nursing agencies have mushroomed everywhere. It seems to me that this kind of job is suitable for people who love travelling. They can visit other cities plus they get lots of benefits by doing this job. The benefits that they can normally receive are these:
1. Free housing (usually furnished housing) . 2. Relocation assistance. 3. 401k plans. 4. Medical insurance (dental, vision, etc.) 5. A better salary than regular nuses, especially if they have plenty of experiences already in the medical world. 6. Bonuses.
Hmmm...sounds very rewarding, don't you think so? This type of job usually lasts for four until thirteen weeks, except if they get to work outside of America, then the job usually lasts for one or two years. However, nurses have to have at least one year working experience (the longer, the better) before they can apply for this kind of job. Anyway, in one website that I read, I found out that Hawaii is on top of the list of "hot spots" for travel nurses. I bet you can understand why, can't you? ;-D
Yesterday before we started our class, another classmate of mine talked about an ongoing strike in Finland. The nurses are on strike, though she said that it was actually forbidden to do such a thing in Finland. They had decided to stop working altogether. I was shocked when I heard that, 'coz three of my classmates are heavily pregnant. One of them should be due last week already, another one is due next month, and the third one is due in January. My pregnant friend told me that people were being directed to other cities AND countries (Norway or Sweden) in case they need help right away. If you're interested in reading the details, go here: Helsingin Sanomat. It seems that 12,000 nurses will resign all at once if they don't get what they want. Imagine the chaos if it should happen! I do hope the officials will find a way to settle the matter!!!
I forgot to tell you that the other day I realized that my friend wrote down the wrong apartment number on her envelope. Our apt. number should be 18, but instead she wrote 20. Funny thing was that the postman/woman must've known already that it was for me (I'd been getting some mails from my bank and some other stuff, too), so he/she delivered it right to our door he he he...COOL!!!
In Indonesia, the postal service SUCKS. A friend of mine was sent a few lipsticks from her sister from Aussie, but when the package came, there was the letter without any lipsticks. It's happened already to some of my friends, as well. It's REALLY dangerous to send stuff to Indonesia via regular postal service. The problem is, they hire High School trainees to help them out (as apprentices) and they open and repack registered letters. You can imagine how tempted those High School trainees are when they see imported stuff in those packages. I'm not saying that ALL of them are like that. I don't even know whether they are the ones who do it or the people who work at the post office. I'm just saying that things sometimes get lost when they're sent from abroad to Indonesia. I just distrust their service he he he he...
