alicehartleyphotography

Thursday 31st January 2019

Keanu remains in NICU while Elektra is with me on the ward, the midwives encouraging me to super charge feed her as much as I humanly can. This means I don’t receive more than 2 hours of sleep per night. Its boobing and expressing non stop for us in Suite 37. These activities plus endless visits from various healthcare professionals to examine me, administer pills for pain and injections to stave off blood clots.

Meals are bland in the extreme. Soft and bland, boiled veges and meats come away from the fork too easily. I nonetheless eat what the lunch ladies provide me. Soy milk in small tetra packs are my latest taste obsession: in a swamp of tasteless meals soy milk is delicious. The lunch ladies bring me two packs every morning tea having adopted me here on the ward living among the hospital staff so long now. Doubtess they pity me…but to my (our) benefit: we’re all safe under medical expertise; Keanu remains in Level 1 NICU examined daily on the Rounds; I have access to something Kingsley never required: formula; and Erroll can fly satisfied that his family is safe.

Daily visitors are a treat. Of course Jiajia Dora is with us often, lugging Kingsley along with her who by the way become more and more interested in the bebĕ. They bring me refreshing grapes and wholesome nuts. My hunger is insatiable.

Margot’s apparition appears today on the ward. What a treat!

Tuesday 4th April 2017

A letter i wrote Erroll…

Darling look how we explore the beauty of Greece! We wander the coast and explore caves.

Today Kingsley was in the extreme intrepid with his beloved goat tracks. He slipped a couple of times but in the main climbed sure-footed. While stopped at the top of a cliff I of course wanted a selfie. As I manoevered us to sit together and steadied the phone Kingsley played with the pebbles at our feet. All at once he chucked a rock, it hit this Samsung, the phone flipped out of my hand, I screamed like a wild woman, Kingsley became mute with terror that my phone was slowly tumbling down a steep cliff toward the Saronic Gulf waters hundred meters down below. I said a wee prayer, the phone stopped on a tiny ledge held in place with a few rocks and it was then up to me to climb down on my bum scooting / sliding down on my arse attempting to remain alive and not dislodge any pebbles/rocks which would tumble onto the phone and dislodge it further.

Miraculously I retrieved the phone, handed it to Kingsley while I scooted up to the top of the treacherous cliffs and gave Kingsley a kiss.

Later on as we wandered back to town Kingsley noticed the scratches on my calves. He knew from where they came!

Tuesday 17th May 2016

Our first sleep in Saronîtha. And as I remember from past stays, my back still aches from the fold out bed. When K rises at 7:30am I am not impressed- so down we go again till 8:30, then Greek Nickelodeon, breakfast of yoghurt, two eggs (he ain’t liking the whites these days) and Kalamáta olives while I Jiff the pigeon-poo stacked balcony. It sparkles now! And it’s now time for adventures. Today Kingsley does a wee on the pebbles of a tiny beach we find to play pebble-throwing in the Saronic Gulf.

Mum calls on her mobile! Then lunch of veal sausage and mandarin (him), Greek yoghurt, paximáthia & tomato & olives, mandarin. Nap for two hours, though K receives 3 hours kip. And once up he gets buttery toast out on our balcony. We finally leave the house at 8pm for a walk and to play with Maria and Gabriella the little Albanian girls. I am still excited to hop onto the cafe’s wifi!! Sleep by 10:30pm.