The Beach Part 1

Brian is uploading the pictures to the computer overnight so this blog will be informative only.

We left Thursday morning to go to Charleston to visit my friend Susan and her family. Susan's daughter Jocelyn is 26 months old, and I had yet to met her. I felt it was time we made the trip. I must say that Ruth and Jocie (as her Australian father Matt called her) played very well with each other. In fact, Brian and I discussed today how Ruth seems like an older kid today and is even saying more understandable words. (Tonight she said "bath time" and took her diaper off and carried it with her to the bathroom.

We got there Thursday afternoon and played in the backyard on Jocie's swing set. Ruth even sat in a big girl swing and let Daddy push her. Susan made a great dinner. However, after a day of traveling in the heat, eating fast food and dealing with a fussy baby in the car, my stomach revolted and I got sick. As Susan bathed the girls, I threw up in trash can while my husband was probably rolling his eyes and Susan's husband rushed to get me water and a wet cloth. Susan calmed explained to her daughter (since she was asking what that sound was) that "Ms. Natalie is coughing." I was in so much pain that I asked Brian to take me to the hospital. Matt lead us to an urgent care that closed for the evening. On the way back home, we stopped at Target for Brian to run in and get me some supplies while Matt stood outside with me, probably scared out of his wits since he kept asking if I had had that same pain with Ruth. (I was also moaning like I was in labor. I learned in my birth class with Ruth that moaning was a good way to manage pain and I have used that technique ever since).

Around 10:30pm I finally felt good enough to go to sleep and was fine the rest of the weekend. On Friday, Susan had to work so Matt took us downtown and we took a carriage ride of the city. We learned so many interesting historical facts of Charleston. Ruth slept through the ride. Jocelyn did great until about the last 15 minutes when she announced that she was done. It was so very hot. Thankfully the carriage was covered, and we had ice water with us. Brian, ever the good dad (and despite the rolling of the eyes as I expelled everything from my system, a good husband) held Ruth throughout the ride covering her from the sun when we made turns and the shade didn't cover her. He also fanned her with my hat and brushed her wet hair out of her face.

Well, that takes us up to Friday morning. My sweet (and really very good caretaker) husband has joined me in bed to watch a show on hulu (a website - we forgot to tape one while we were gone). I will post more tomorrow during Ruth's nap and hopefully get some pictures up soon.