From a Hosptial Bed at Tripler Army Medical Center

So my pregnancy was going very well, with no complications, until Friday. But first let me go back a bit...

As most of you know and read Isaac and I were returning to Hawaii on July 12, to prepare for John's return on or around Aug 7. Everything went according to plan in that department...we arrived safe, and sound exhausted, but here nonetheless. We stayed at a friends place until we got our own place FINALLY on Tuesday, July 15. (Now the drama's of moving in are for a post all in themselves, but since I am trying to catch up quickly, lets just say where we thought, and told everyone we were moving into, flooded in the brief days before we moved in. SO we had to look at other places in the same housing complex. Now that house, when we signed the lease had no working A/C or hot water heater, but are very needed!!! Those were fixed by the next day and Isaac and I moved into an empty house. The POD with all our stuff arrived on Thursday, and John's wonderful company moved us in on Friday July 18th. They even set up my bedroom furniture, so I had a bed to sleep in. YEAH!!!) ANYWAY....so everything was going fine, I was unpacking boxes slowly, looking for things that were put in strange boxes.(Like the legs to the couch in a BATHROOM box!!) Everything seemed to be going well. I was having a few contractions, but nothing to write home about, I would just stop what I was doing and take a break. Well Friday, July 25th (12days until John returns), I went in for a routine OB appt. My Blood Pressure (BP) was high. The Dr, and rightfully, was very concerned, since that is why we had Isaac at 36wks 1day, my BP spiked. But I was terrified and started to cry. Well I was sent upstairs to L&D for observation and tests, and was told not to expect to go home. I cont to cry and cry. Not helping the BPs at all. My highest BP was 169/100 that was when they told me that they were going to induce me in a few hrs. Just having gotten here, and not have a regular DR, I have to explain to every Dr and nurse why I am the only woman in the world that wants to go to full term. Once I explain to the Dr why I was balling my eyes out she said I understand, but this is needed. Well she went out to talk to her boss man, he decided to run a few more test before inducing me. Well those few more test gave me time to talk to John, which calmed me down considerably, the wonders of a hubby voice. John informed me that he would work on leaving Africa early, which help calm me down. My BPs immediately fell considerably. Well to a lower not such a serve level like the 130's/80. And within a few hrs were back down below 120/70. And have looked good ever since. With the new BPs lower, they decided that I would stay for 24 hrs as they collected protein information (too much protein is bad). And they gave me 3 scenarios 1. Low BP's & Low protein=get to go home and wait YEAH!!! 2. Protein=Stay and be induced immediately 3. Low proteins, HIGH BPs=stay here until they either are lower, or I deliver. So I am currently waiting for the protein results to see if #1 happens. It has been a stressful 30hrs. But some great things are coming out of it, JOHN gets to come home early. He can't leave right away, he has things he needs to finish in Africa, and wrap a few things up and pack and what not. But he gets to come home in about 4 or 5 days. We will know in the next couple of days what day he arrives in Hawaii. YEAH!!!! So that is exciting, if I know that is all it took to get him home early, I would have done this months ago. Just Kidding, but still it is great news. Isaac has not been forgotten about, actually I have worried more about him then anything else the last 30 hrs, but he is doing fine. He is staying with the friends who took us in as we were waiting for our house to be ready to move into. He cried when he left the hospital and I didn't go with him, and then cried again when he had to go to bed again without mommy. Those both made me cry, once again, not good for the the BPs, but understandable.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

I love this country and all the freedoms that it gives us. And I truly love the people that help keep it free, so I can say and do what I want. I have always loved this country and all that it offers, and always felt extremely grateful for the blessing of being born here, in the USA!!!! In college, in a Law class I took we have to do mock-cases with openings and closing and what not and my professor just said I loved to way the American Flag in the juror's face, he asked me if I would like him to bring in the National Anthem. Well AnYwAy...Being a military wife has just reconfirmed that to me. And since my hubby is off serving our country, although he is not in Iraq this time, he is still keeping this country safe in his own FUN way. (Did I mention that I was jealous of him, he gets to have all the fun, without the children ;) ). Well I thought that I would post some pictures that he recently sent me from his FUN is Africa... (none of these of from his recent trip to Ethiopia)

The people John works with. The guys in civilian clothes are Djiboutians that they hire to translate and drive.

I thought that they said he was going to be safe, no gun or anything. Then why does he have a vest on?

Some pictures of the people...

The way the people in Djibouti live...

Some have better conditions...

Did you ever think that you would see this...

Yes that is a goat in a TREE!!!

Or MANY GOATS in a TREE!!!

He also see lots of these....

As you have seen Djibouti is very dry and brown, and well kinda ugly...it has not rained there in 2 YRS!! But it is lucky enough to have part of it, a very small part of it, to be by the ocean, many Africian countries can not asay that. Well John did get to go play in that ocean...

He has got to have lots of fun, like riding on a helicopter, like this one...

And I think this is that place that is the 2nd lowest place above ground that is below sea level. I THINK!!!

Well his time is just about up, which I am happy about. But I am still grateful for him and our other friends that are serving our country. As well as all the people that I don't know...

THANK YOU armed services