Baby Steps

Hi Everyone,

I am now half way done, 13 weeks down.  I hope this second half goes by even quicker than the first!  We continue to be very busy here; with each month we are setting records for the largest number of trauma admissions seen at this hospital since it opened. August is looking like it will not be any different.  We had 17 traumas yesterday...of those 6 were intubated (on a ventilator).  We had one Marine with burns to 90% of his body, the only areas not burned were the back of his head, the bottoms of his feet and a part of his leg.  His birthday is today...29 years old, he was flown to Germany this morning.

 

Maryam enjoyed her birthday last week, 4 years old now.  While we were chatting on the computer she opened the doll house that I had bought and wrapped for her before I left home.  Of all the nights, the webcam wasn't working so we couldn't see each other, we had to settle for just hearing one another.  She loved the gift and has been playing with it every day.  She cut a piece of her cake and had my mom put it in the freezer for me...I have a feeling I'm going to have to eat a lot of cake when I return! A few of the neighbors came over with their little boys, Maryam seemed to like the attention.  It was very hard for me not to be there with her as she was preparing little goodie bags to give to her class and as Ashraf was decorating the house for her birthday...but it's one more milestone down and one step closer to me returning home.

 

In 2 weeks I'll go through all of the emotions again as Layla celebrates her 1st birthday.  Yesterday she took 5 steps by herself.  I wish I could say that I was thrilled to hear that she took her first steps, but once again, it was very painful to not be there to see it myself.  I feel very selfish to say that I had hoped that she'd be a later walker like Maryam and that those first steps would happen closer to when I came home.  But I'm also glad to see that she's developing normally and is not slowed down by my absence.  I guess she'll be running by the time I return.

 

A week ago Ashraf, very bravely, took the two girls camping...tent, s'mores and all.  They all loved it and I think Ashraf was very proud of himself.  Maryam told him that she had a great time and that it was a lot of fun, then she added, "but not as much fun as when Mama is with us".  Glad to know I'm missed. 

 

I've attached some pics...the girls camping, Maryam's birthday and me with the medical evacuation helicopter (the female with me is an Army neonatologist that was sent here as an adult intensive care unit doc, the guy with me is the afternoon ER doc). 

 

Take Care,

Angie