A post of more usual length and content

Just a quick recap of what transpired during the week it took me to get that last post written and all the pictures sorted through.

Monday we made our usual journey out to the duck pond/bird sanctuary and after weeks of watching the mama swan incubating her eggs and pulling down from her chest for the nest, we were finally rewarded with this

And this (try to ignore the rusting out 50 gallon drum in the background)

Aww, look at those little fuzz balls. Now only a week later they are starting to look gangly and like ugly ducklings. But we will watch them everyday this summer and this fall the little cygnets will become as beautiful as their parents.

Tuesday Orrin took Silas to an antique auction in Cahir while I went to a doctors appointment, finally at 17 weeks pregnant I went to the doctor. I took all my medical records from home which the doctor kind of laughed at and didn't care to look at. I guess I told him everything was pretty normal, so there really wouldn't be much of interest anyway. But he talked to me just a bit about folic acid, took my blood pressure, listened to the baby's heartbeat (which was amazing to hear, even though I was thinking this was going to be just walking through the paces, the sound of it startled me), sent a referral to the consultant OB and sent me on my way. No forms to fill out, no height and weight check, no urine sample. I did go back a week later and a nurse drew blood, I peed in cup, she weighed me, and asked me a few questions about my pregnancy and labor with Silas. Still, the process is much more laid back, and seems much less formal than in the US. Much like everything in Ireland I guess.

I also found out that the hospital that is five minutes away has gotten much better, so we definitely will not be driving the hour down to Waterford while I'm in the middle of labor. I'd wanted a homebirth, but the closest independent midwife is an hour and a half away and she's not willing to travel that far. None are any of the others I phoned that are farther. But, I learned there is a midwife from Poland (she's been in Ireland for the past 3 years) moving in next to us in July. So maybe, just maybe... although I doubt it.

Wednesday, Thursday... can't really remember what we did. I can say Silas was being a pill all week. I don't know if he had just gotten used to the excitement of having his cousin, aunt, uncle, and dad around all day for a week, or he was over tired from the week of Spain, or he was sick. Or maybe it was me who had gotten used to having a helping hand in having Orrin around all week, and was just no longer equipped to deal with the whining all alone, all day. It was much better by Friday and everything was back to normal Saturday and this week. So at least it was temporary, but it was hell.

Friday, Orrin and I went to a ceili in Mooncoin. I was a little uneasy about it because it didn't start until 9:30 and we had gone to bed at 9:30 the night before, so I didn't know how we would hold up. But we danced all but one dance, and had a great time. Although not getting home until 1:30 kind of wrote off our Saturday, we alternated napping and lying on the floor while Silas jumped on you. I have to write about the floor in the Mooncoin hall though. It was incredible. There was so much bounce to it, I honestly felt seasick when I was sat out for a dance. It wasn't just a springy floor, you could see it rocking up and down and the dancers jumped and stomped. It was great fun for dancing on, and so easy on your legs. when you are Irish set dancing there are top couples and side couples and they often take turns dancing during the set. The bouncy floor made the side couples feel like they were still dancing even when only the top couples were.

Saturday: See above. Napping and lying on the floor. No wait, we also went to the farmers market in Cahir. Found some sausage that almost tasted like American sausage, in that there are no rusks or breadcrumbs or other fillers in it. Very exciting!

Sunday we took Silas over to Arfinnan to the tractor run. I thought this would be something like an all day fair, akin to a tractor pull in the US. Instead, it was more like a tractor parade. 265 tractors and varying age, size, and condition drove from the GAA pitch (sorry, the Gaelic Athletic Association field for hurling and Gaelic football) through the main street in town. Luckily it was only a short drive away, we somehow managed to arrive right on time, despite the time of the event not being advertised anywhere, (maybe we've lived here long enough we're getting a sixth sense about that kind of thing) and Silas loved it. 263 times Silas said "mo trakor?" and one of us said "here come another one!" He waved frantically at all the drivers, and clapped after each one passed, perched on the stove wall with the branches of sumac surrounding and shading him. Stupidly, we forgot the camera.

So we're all caught up now. Which is great because Orrin's parents arrive tomorrow which means I'll probably be too busy to post much in the next week.