old day

I woke up on my birthday like six times.  Each time grouchier than the previous.  

My poor family.

The day before my birthday I got mastitis.  Sorry if that's TMI but it's a part of my life.  It's a part of nursing (though I didn't know it with my first two).  The first time I got it I told Karl and his face lit up like I just said a funny joke.  That is because in his younger days he worked on a dairy farm and he would treat cows for such a thing.  And for his wife to tell him that she had the same thing as those cows, well, amusing, right?  Um, if you have had it, you know there is nothing amusing about it.  Nothing.  Achy, fever, chills, you kind of want to die but you know that would be bad because you obviously have a baby to take care of.  And mentally, getting this stresses me out big time because the biggest remedy is rest and forcing people to let me rest is a very non restful feat.

So, I had that to deal with.  And then, sweet baby Maximus decides that he needs to wake up more in the night and be a little less content during awake time (please let it just be teething, please let it just be teething, please...).  

And THEN, there is a tsunami watch.  I found out because mother-in-law texted me.  We don't have a TV and I had no idea.  It didn't end up being a huge deal here, especially for us because we live about 500 ft above the ocean level.  People closer to the water did have to evacuate but we didn't.  I did throw some clothes, a flashlight and some food into a bag just in case.  

So the waking up (at least) six times was because baby was sad or hungry, or because I was all fevery( and then chilly and then fevery again), or because the tsunami sirens were blaring, or because I was worried we would need supplies, or... I kind of felt like I was just wandering all night.  

I woke up (the last time) to birthday wishes from my family and on Facebook (feels weird, I am blogging about Facebook) were birthday wishes/ I hope you're okays.   People were worried and I didn't realize it.  

But then I started worrying about the people in Japan.  Um, my people in Japan.  My aunts, my uncle, my cousins, their kids...

It turns out, everyone is accounted for and okay.  My cousin, who we are the closest to happened to be out of town for work.  His wife was visiting his mother and his daughter was in Guam for vacation.  His home is on the 15th floor.  And the insides were like a giant picked it up and shook it.  Dishes, bottles, TV, piano, everything broken.  No one was home, no one was hurt.  

I keep wondering about my friends there.  Some of them have checked in on Facebook, and when they do, I give a sigh of relief.  But  then I keep wondering about the other ones.  

And then how about the people that I don't know?  I keep thinking about how cold it is up in Sendai.  I hate being cold.  People that once had everything they needed had everything washed away in seconds.  And now, since kids are my business right now, I think about the kids there.  Little baby Maximus' that need food and shelter.  

So, um, that was my birthday.  It was a lot to process in my (pounding) head.  We did celebrate.  We went to dinner.  Karl and the kids (with the help of that oh so nice Betty Crocker) built me a cake with 35 candles (to humor Samuel) on it.  I said I wanted cards from the kids and I got them.  Eva went on Youtube and learned how to make some lilies and a star basket to put them in.  She kept exclaiming how technology is amazing. 

Karl may be able to come up with some grouchier birthdays of the past but this one my take the (birthday) cake (ha, ha).  

As time goes on and I see more and more coverage of the devastation in Japan, it seems to sink in more.  I remember where I was when 9-11 happened.  We were in Chicago and I was a teacher.  I will always remember that day.  Sprinkled with celebration, but with a sad, somber undertone, I think my 35th birthday will also fit into that file.  

This is the cake that Karl and the kids built for me.  The kids were excited to put so many candles on it.  I was so focused on blowing out the candles in one breath (which I did very very fast) that I blew them out and Samuel said, "You didn't make a wish."  He was totally right.  Like I said.  Old.