Wedensday, October 13 (3 months!) Happy b'day! THe day was busy and tiresome, as usual. I feel so sorry that the time is running so fast- my little girl is already three months old. And I still can't quite get used to the idea that she is already here with me - I have that idiotic feeling that time is mooving too quickly and I am legging behind, missing everything.
I bought her a little Chicco mermaid - she does need that very special toy to sleep with.
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Friday, October 15 (3 months and 2 days) Some statistics In the morning there was a call from our childrenТs hospital - firstly, we have to turn up for our routine monthly check up and secondly Katie faces another vaccination (from God knows what).
I had only three classes today but there was something else and something else to do, I was in hurry and still arrived to the hospital too late. Though we got weighed and measured:at the age of three months Katie weighs 6800 gr and is 64 cm tall (which makes us a 1400 gr gain).
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Sunday, October 17 (3 months and 4 days) Park Alley walk Spent the whole day outdoors, got some great pictures .
In the afternoon went to see Lucy and their new car. I got that nasty pleasant surprise - her daughter, Nastya, is as noizy and intollerable as Sasha, perhaps even worse.
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Monady, October 18 (3 months and 5 days) Something is wrong
The day was more or less OK - I overslept and woke up at 7:15 - the time I usually have to
be at the car park. But there was no frost so I did not have to spent time on cleaning the
front window and was practically on time and picked up Boris at the usual spot under the
Metro bridge.
They walked with Katie from 8:30 till 1 pm with one feeding. Then we went to the
cemetery ( I was terribly hungry and tired but could not, of course, object or anything,
cause Boris is the only one who agrees to walk with Katie while I am studying).
In the evening, though, Katie was crying (which is very unusual for her) and I collapsed
with a terrible head ache. Her temperature was 37,4 so we will stay at home tomorrow.
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Tuesday, October 19 (3 months and 6 days) First illness So we are both infected by some nasty virus, which apparently was brought by Sasha from
his kindergarten. In the morning I could not find the phone of our hospital so I walked
there and called the doctor personally.
She is really friendly, paradoxically for an ordinary Ukrainian doctor. Said that it is
a virus and that we should stay indoors for couple of days.
KatieТs temperature keeps jumping between 37,4 and normal, she cried a bit, but in
general seems to be OK.
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Wedensday, October 20 (3 months and 7 days) Staying at home bliss Yep, by now I am bored. Just as I woke up to the alarm clock at 6:30 and realised that I don't have to go anywhere today I felt totally happy. I have so much free time now - I was tyding up, I was reading to Katie (oh dear, I feel so sorry I don't devote more time to her - she is soo terribly interested in those books - she follows everything I show her!) then we played a bit, then I was nursing her, then she fell asleep. And I felt suddenly that I DO need those classes in the end. Now Alex is out working and I am spending my time in front of the computer and looking for more exuces for not studying that damn biology. I called the uni today explaining the situation. They said that it is perfectly allright with then - I can be away till the end of the week.
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Friday, October 22 (3 months and 9 days) Home gardening
We were staying in the whole week Ц oh, what a week Ц and I donТt have anything special to report. The days were something like this Ц at 8 a.m we woke up and at 8:15 I took Sani to his kindergarten. Then, back at home I nursed Katie, had my breakfast and sat on the floor in front of the computer. Actually, this website was born :-) in one of these days.
Today we went out to the METRO cash & carry center Ц which is literally on the other end of the city. The aim was to buy pots for my plants plus getting my pregnant pictures from my dad, who lives in that area. Dad was working, as usual, and Katie was in the car with Sasha.
METRO is a really huge shopping center and has this policy that only those, who are registered as official representatives of officially registered companies can do their shopping. So if you work, say as a clerk in a governmental institution there is no way that you can get the member card. Plus they donТt let the kiddos in, not even infants (so we went in turns). And the store is crЕ, umЕ well, not very good.
In the evening my sister called and we talked at least for half-hour. I wanted to drop in some time to see her and Pauline but as I gathered she is not yet prepared for such visits. She was really surprised to hear that Katie wakes up only two times per night Ц Pauline is up every two hours. ItТs funny how she canТt comprehend so many things Ц how can I be studying and being a mom, how can I be enjoying the whole thing and how is it that me, so young and so stupid, know what baby slings are. Well, I do love her still and am dying to see the baby.
Here are some pictures dad took at her release from hospital:
In the evening we realized that we need some soil to fill those pots with. So we went to the forest (which is just down our street) to look for mole-piles and by the time we reached the end of the street it was getting pretty dark and the forrest did not look to welcoming. So we turned round and went through the park and there was a big fresh pile of black soil. We loaded as much as we could into the plastic bag and with some great efforts pushed it into the baby carriage. Sani was delighted. He never saw his parents doing anything more stupid.
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October 23-24 (3 months and 10-11 days) Picture taking weekend In Kiev there is a district called Podol. The closest I can compare it to is pre-reconstructed Docklands in London. Podol is located along the river side with all those huge grey industrial things which donТt seem to function any more. There are many old dilapidated houses and there is that special spirit, something from fairy and romantic tales Ц crooked windows and shabby doors, little trees growing on the edges of the rotten wooden roofs, graffiti, cool and shady courtyards, etc.
Sasha grew up here and for him this place is even more special. WeТve spent there both Saturday and Sunday taking pictures. One day I hope Sasha will finish working at his website devoted to Podol.
On Saturday IТve finally bought three rugs Ц dirty cheap and just what I wanted Ц white and green stripes. And on Sunday our grandma insisted on having Sani for the whole day so we went to Podol just with Katie, which was, I have to admit, more fun, cause no one was getting in the way.
And Sunday is a big day for us because Katie finally rolled from her back to the tummy all by herself!
The pictures are HERE .......................................................
Monday, October 25 (3 months and 12 days) Stayki Trip The day was absolutely gorgeous. When my classes were over I realized that I am not at all tired and Boris asked me to take him to a big building supermarket ЦNovaya Liniya (New Line) which is located on the other end of the city (a good 40 min drive, if no jams) but the day was so good I did not want to object. On the way there we dropped into another shopping center where he wanted to look for some furniture for the house in Stayki. The problem is that he wants the interior in the Victorian style, which might have been appropriate for a house somewhere in a more civilized neighborhood, but on a street like this, I guess, the desired splendor would look a bit out of place.
When were in the Novaya Liniya I realized that my flat is no so far away now and the day was still fantastically warm and sunny so I proposed to drop in to my place and pick up some books and then dive to Stayki.
We packed as much as the car could take then I picked Sani from the kindergarten and on the way we dropped to McDrive so it was more or less OK for me ( I did not eat anything since early morning). Katie was with us, of course. I think that most Ukrainian parents would be horrified reading this because here it is considered that small children should stay within a walkable distance from home and those families who own a car very rarely go somewhere with infants. Stayki is a village 52 km from Kiev. Since I hate fast driving the journey took us an hour each way and I was almost sorry we went there because traveling in darkness may be fun anywhere but on these roads.
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Tuesday, October 26 (3 months and 13 days) Terrible day In the evening I was close to hysterics because I felt exhausted and helpless and angry. I will be an engineer! Me, who dreaded math Ц meЕ my GodЕ I am studying to be an engineer!
I was close to tears because the bloody uni takes away all of my time and this time Ц with Katie is the most precious because she will never be so small and cuddly and all I want is to have her near me. Of course all of it is insane - Boris walking with her for 7 hours while I am having my classes! The only solution I have is to come there once or twice per week, make photocopies of whatever they were writing in class, answering the test questions and leaving till the next week.
My mom was not too happy to hear that my Уstudying enthusiasm subsidedФ. DamnЕ I was smoking! Me, who is a non-smoker for nearly 5 years!
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Wedensday, October 27 (3 months and 14 days) The vaccination and first falling The solution was close. I had to take Katie to the hospital to make some complicated vaccination. It is a very good excuse not to go to the uni today. The doctor was receiving from 3 so in the morning I really tried to do some tiding up. Katie was lying on the sofa in the living room and suddenly I heard a lout thump and saw her on the rug on the floor. I pray she wasnТt hurt, only scared. She cried for about a minute then I nursed her and she went quiet and in 10 minutes was already smiling.
Then we went to the cemetery to see SashaТs mom - she would have been 78 today.
In the hospital we were told to stay in till Friday (yes!)
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Thursday, October 28 (3 months and 15 days) Earthquake Hey! We had an earthquake today!
Last night I was doing some layouts on the computer when I thought that I went nuts cause the house was shaking! I switched everything off and woke Sasha up and said that the house is shaking. He told me that I work too much and went off to sleep. So I thought that he is right and followed him. And in the news today in the morning they said that there really was a small earthquake!
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