I took the red-eye flight out of San Francisco to Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, August 10th and arrived in Columbus on the morning of Wednesday, August 11th, six (6) days before you were born because g’papa and I were concerned over your mother’s condition. Her doctor had put her on bed rest on her 37th week of pregnancy because she was having health problems.
Her blood pressure was high and she was losing weight, while her thighs, legs, and feet were swollen. The doctor mentioned the possibility of a c-section because it appeared that the baby, you Baby Gage was already too big for her.
Your g’papa immediately changed my flight to leave as soon as possible to take care of your mom because she had no one there to help her especially given her current health challenges. There was no question that I have to be there as soon as possible. She was my first born and I love her very much. I could not believe that she's now going to have a baby ... that she's going to be a mother, too!
The anticipation of seeing my first grandchild born was absolutely amazing. The opportunity to take care of my daughter and grandchild was truly an emotional and rewarding experience! And the time I spent with your mom was very special which I will always remember. I am a very lucky woman ...
The anticipation of seeing my first grandchild born was absolutely amazing. The opportunity to take care of my daughter and grandchild was truly an emotional and rewarding experience! And the time I spent with your mom was very special which I will always remember. I am a very lucky woman ...
I flew on Frontier Airlnes; the seat was so uncomfortable with minimal leg
space even for people with short legs like me! However, for $20, you could purchase additional 5 inches of leg space! Isn't that ridiculous? The bad economy has really affected every sector of the business industry, but that’s another discussion which I will talk to you about later on a separate conversation.
I could never fall asleep on the plane no matter how hard I try. I was not a happy camper on the flight from San Francisco to Milwaukee. We arrived in Milwaukee about 6:00 am with a transfer flight to Columbus at 7:30 am but it was delayed another hour; I skipped breakfast because there was no time to eat and after waiting over an hour they announced that the plane will be late! Making sure I ate and on time was your g’papa’s strict “order” to me. I already didn’t listen! And he's always right! Darn! I miss your g’papa. This was my first long distance flight in a long time and without him!
Finally the plane showed-up and we boarded on a small plane to Columbus. I liked the small plane because we have more space per passenger and there was no more than 24 passengers on the plane. It reminded me of the private planes I traveled on for business. We arrived in Columbus nearly 10:00 am and I could not help but feel the humidity. The weather forecast was thunderstorm with heat index of 100-104 degree from noon to 8:00 pm tonight! I've never been to Ohio before. Welcome to the Mid-West!
Staying idle is never my strong suit. I like to keep busy. I don’t enjoy sitting down doing nothing. I like to work on something and see tangible results. I loathe laziness and lazy people! Make a note of that, Baby Gage. So while we were waiting for you to decide when to come out of your mommy’s tummy, I spent the six days keeping myself busy starting from your mother’s house!
Due to your mom’s condition, it was difficult for her to clean the house. Although she hired cleaning people, they just don’t clean as well as I do! Besides, my assessment is that the furnishings needed to be re-arranged anyway. And that warranted a thorough general cleaning first. So I cleaned ... and re-arranged her house!
Your poor mother was too weak to argue with me so she just trusted me! But it was all good. Your mother liked the way I re-arranged her house! As a matter of fact, it was so clean and everything was organized except your mom claimed that ... now she could not find her things!
I got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed your mother's bathroom floor clean! I cleaned it so well that she could deliver you right on the bathroom floor! By the way, I don't even clean my own houses the way I cleaned your mom's house. We hire people to clean our two homes.
I got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed your mother's bathroom floor clean! I cleaned it so well that she could deliver you right on the bathroom floor! By the way, I don't even clean my own houses the way I cleaned your mom's house. We hire people to clean our two homes.
In my enthusiasm to clean, I accidentally broke her big glass soap container which cut my hand! It cut through the Playtex glove and my hand bled profusely. When your mother saw it, she checked the cut, wrapped my hand with a white towel and immediately drove me to the “Urgent Care Clinic” as I will need stitches! On the drive, I asked your mother not to go on labor while she was driving me to the doctors! When we arrived at Urgent Care Clinic, the ladies at the front desk was confused as to who the patient was. They looked at your mother and said, “I hope you’re not on labor because if you are, you’re in the wrong clinic!” We laughed! The doctor gave me three stitches and I have a slight scar to show you someday. 
One thing about your mom is that she must have “Over Compulsive Disorder” – (“OCD”) because just about everything in her house is arranged in some sort of order, like the Library of US Congress! Her DVD’s are in alphabetical order according to category. The gadgets in her garage are in boxes arranged by type or use with the boxes clearly labeled, all stacked in one corner. The dishes on her table are according to the seasons.
Your clothes are all organized and grouped by age and/or sizes folded in clear bags. The clothes that are in hangers are also separated and identified by age or sizes. The hangers are all the same brand and same color; hangers are hanged the same direction and so with the clothes; from short sleeves to long sleeves, to color, etc. Your shoes are held together by pairs with a vinyl string and velcro. Organizaton is the common theme throughout her house; everythng is organized!
Let’s see how you’ll fare in your mom’s organized home! I’m sure that she will train you early so you would be organized, too just like your mom and that's GOOD!
While we waited for you to come out, your mom showed me around town. She took me to a Japanese restaurant called “Tokyo Sushi” because I was craving for some “sashimi,” that’s raw fish.
Top on my list of favorites are Hamachi (yellow tail), red, white, and blue tuna. Yum, thinking of them makes my mouth water! But unfortunately, not only that the choices were limited but the food was not as delicious.
We are so spoiled living in San Francisco where you can eat the best authentic ethnic food anywhere in the world!
Powell, Ohio just does not compare!
We also went to “TGI Friday’s,” a restaurant chain where we met her girlfriend, Ashley. Ashley was also pregnant, expecting a baby girl in two weeks after your due date. Both pregnant ladies had desserts while I had a glass of God awful red wine! On the other hand, the two pregnant ladies voraciously devoured their calorie-rich sugar loaded desserts!
Your mother took me to Liberty Park for the annual picnic of the Philippine American Society of Central Ohio (PASCO) where we ate some pretty good Filipino food and met some pretty nice Filipinos! We asked them to help us find a Filipina babysitter for you!
Your mother wanted her nails to look good when she goes to the hospital, so we went to get manicure and pedicure at the Vietnamese nail salon where she goes. I was surprised that men worked at the nail salon; I guess I just never had a guy work on my nails and toenails before! But I could not believe how expensive it was for a mani & pedi -- $100? I can get one for $20 in the Marina and $30 downtown and they do a great job! Your mom said its about "supply and demand."
But one thing I could say that was very good and San Francisco quality was the massage we got at “Massage Envy” or “ME” appropriately named! It's your mom's massage parlor. The place was clean, modern, and the total ambiance was very relaxing and spa like; the ladies at the front desk were nice, friendly, and knowledgeable; the supplies they use are natural herbs and aroma therapy; and the massage therapists are certified and well trained! They were so good that we all had several massages. Body massage is very important because we live in a fast-paced society and it’s very rare we have a moment to focus on our own bodies. That’s one of the healing benefits of massage; it’s a meditative time to focus inward and relax. I had the massage therapist worked on my head, neck, hands, arms, back, legs, and feet. I was in heaven!
On August 14th, three days before you were born, I drove to the hospital for a dry run with your mother. That way if your mother goes into labor in the middle of the night, I would know how to get her to the hospital! But the dry run turned into wet run with rain and thunderstorm! All right, it was sort of romantic but nerve-racking. First you hear the thunder, then it got windy, then a bunch of small golden leaves accompanied the wind as it glided on our windshield, then the rain poured! I must admit that the golden leaves blowing with the wind was beautiful, I don’t think I‘ve ever seen that before. But driving in the rain and thunderstorm was a bit too intimidating!
And all I could think of was, “Your mother best not go into labor in the middle of the night during the rain and thunderstorm because she might just have you on the bathroom floor! …”
And all I could think of was, “Your mother best not go into labor in the middle of the night during the rain and thunderstorm because she might just have you on the bathroom floor! …”
♥♥♥
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