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We are Melbourne bound one week from today. ‘How can you afford to go to Australia?’ I can hear you say it or see the look on your face while you think about it. Maybe I am just paranoid, but I spend my free time creating fund raisers to raise money for Sebastian’s therapy and equipment because we can’t afford it on our own and we are going to Australia?! It’s true, and we can’t afford that either.
We live in Egypt. I know. It’s so exciting, isn’t it? Sometimes, yes. Sometimes I have to create lists in my mind of the things I like about living here to keep sane. Other times I just give in and dislike it. I miss my family. I want Sebastian to have everything he needs to help him achieve everything he can. Blah, blah, blah. I am not going to complain. This is life. This is where we live right NOW.
My family is in Michigan. Ali’s family is in Australia. He also has extended family in the UK. He was hired in the UK to work in Egypt. So every year he and his immediate family (that’s me and Sebastian) get a paid trip back to his ‘home’ location. Technically, that’s London. We were planning to go to London this year because although Ali hasn’t been back to Australia in a couple years, we couldn’t afford the trip. I mentioned this to a very good friend of mine. Her husband works for an airline. He was able to find us a flight that we could almost afford. Ali’s company put the cost of our flights to London against the cost of the trip to Oz and we got a deal! The three of us are flying to Australia for the cost of what it took Sebastian and I to go to Michigan this summer. Nice.
Now we get to introduce Sebastian to his Pop (ali’s Dad), and maybe even a kangaroo or two. We also get to meet some really great families that I have found to be a huge source of support and encouragement for me in the blogosphere, and I am so excited. Sebastian will also get to see a developmental pediatrician, something he didn’t get to do in Mi. He will also get to trial a gait trainer (for the whole month!) to help us learn what is best for him so we can then use the money from the fund raiser to buy one. He will also be able to try the seat2go and we should be able to purchase it while in Australia. AND, suit therapy is located in Sydney. So if we can afford a short trip there then we can also see about getting Sebastian a special suit that will help him use his body more efficiently and intentionally. Sebastian will get loved on by lots of really great folks. And so will we.
Wow. Sebastian is going to have an awesome time in Australia. And so are we.
We will be gone from Dec. 14-Jan 13. I hope to post periodically while we are there. I have a good friend coming to town tomorrow so we get to do some fun things this week mixed in with Sebastian’s therapy, so not sure how much I will post before we head out. But I do have a lot to say, so I may be back once or twice more tonight!
As for that fund raiser…thank you to those who have purchased a calendar already. Thank you to those who plan to purchase one in Australia. Thank you for spreading the word even if you aren’t in the market for a calendar yourself. For the rest of you, get your order in this week to get it in time for Christmas. I’ve also sent a bunch to my mom in Michigan, so she can get one to you easily if you are there without the shipping cost. Just get in touch with me about that…leave a comment, send an email, etc. We sold about twenty at the Maadi Women’s Guild Christmas Bazaar this weekend. The best part was getting to talk to folks and raise some awareness. And selling the calendars was pretty great too. We still have over 300 to sell! Yikes! Spread the word!!!
I was thankful beyond words for the flights returning to Cairo. They were so much better than the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. [Although we were blessed with a helper on the flight from Cairo to Amsterdam and also managed to both get some sleep as we had a whole row to ourselves.] A few different women helped Sebastian and I get through security, and a nice man at the flight check in made sure we had help getting on the plane. It was nighttime, so once we got ready for take off, Sebastian nursed to sleep and slept for the next eight hours. I love my nursing cover. It kept out the light and created a little warm cocoon for Sebastian once he fell asleep. I kept my eyes closed and probably dozed in and out, but sleep never really came to me.
We had nine hours in Amsterdam and checked into the Yotel. I want do to this whenever we have a long layover because it was so refreshing. Every airport should have one. We were able to sleep in a comfortable bed and Sebastian watched The Wiggles while I showered. Feeding him was easier too since I could easily clean him up afterward. [The only mishap was sitting on my glasses, due to the small, compact nature of the room. Snap. Right in half. I am still searching for a pair here that doesn't have rinestones or brand names written down the side.]
While waiting to board the plane in Amsterdam to Cairo, we found ourselves sitting next to a published children’s author, and having a hopeful conversation about HBOT and a place in Cairo which does HBOT. I am looking into that further to see if it is a possibility for us as we believe Sebastian would only benefit from more HBOT sessions and here in Cairo it is much more affordable.
We had someone to help us fold down the stroller and board the plane as well as store our luggage. I love KLM. Their flight attendants are so much nicer, more helpful and accodomating than NW. Throughout the flight every flight attendant checked on us to make sure everything was ok for Sebastian. He slept half of the flight and was pretty fussy for the last hour and a half, but we had been travelling for nearly two days.
Getting off the plane was a bit annoying since we had to go down stais and although I did have Sebastian in the baby carrier, I also had a diaper bag, a rolling carry on and a misc. bag of things. I asked for help down the stairs and one of the not so nice attendants made a comment about bringing too much stuff on the plane. Funny, because the family in front of me had an additional large back pack on as well as the same items I had; they were traveling with an infant. The main difference being that they didn’t need to ask for help because the dad was carrying everything which freed up the mama to carry the babe.
Whether you have a special needs baby or not, travelling alone with a baby is challenging and I am thankful to all of the nice people that offer to help because I couldn’t do it without them. And Sebastian. He’s one seasoned traveler.
I have returned.
I don’t think I could have anticipated how busy we would be during our last month in Michigan. The first month was balancing seeing family and friends with two therapies, HBOT and ABM. The second month saw us adding four different doctors and trips to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit; twice for not so fun tests. All of this has obviously meant little to no time for reflection, but of course I want to retrace and remember some of our steps and adventures a little bit at a time. I can’t say I will be able to do it in any sort of order because if I tried I would just forget it and start with today.
Being back in Cairo has been challenging for me. And I think for Sebastian too as he has been fussier than usual. I have no doubt that jet lag has played a role in this but also a lack of family around is sure to have made an impact too. I wonder what Sebastian thinks. ‘Where has grandma gone?’ The day we left Michigan, he wouldn’t let her out if his sight. He knew something was going on and he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. It was an exhausting day trying to fit everything into the three suitcases we were allowed. Repacking and weighing on a short nights’ sleep, well short week of sleep really. He spent the day hanging out with my mom, getting in his cuddles as much as he could before we were to walk through security at the airport. [flight story in another post, just to keep things short and organized!]
We are so happy to be reunited with Ali. It feels good to be a family again, all together in one happy home. Ali took some time off for our return so we were able to get back into family life in Maadi. This week has been our fist week on our own and we are back to the long days and nights while Ali works long hours. But the moments when he comes home in time for Sebastian’s bath, and the mornings we can all have breakfast together, make those long days worth it.
I miss my mom. I miss my family. I miss the new therapy friends we made in Michigan. And I know Sebastian does too. Sometimes he’s looking around and I know he’s wondering where everyone has gone and how is the house so different? It’s amazing to exist in two places at once, but only possible to physically be in one and even then to feel you are living two separate lives. Not everyone knows what this feels like. It’s strange, heartbreaking and blissful all at the same time. There is a teetering of back and forth, back and forth. And I do my best to live in the now. In this place. In this journey. Today.
After finally finding a place not too far from us that has hippotherapy, I learned that Sebastian isn’t quite old enough for it. I found an excellent place that is probably an hours drive from my mom’s: The Right Step. They recommend you don’t travel much more than an hour for the therapy. The woman who runs the therapy said Sebastian needed to be close to 24 months old. So the next time we come to Michigan we will have to try it out. I can’t wait.
As excited as I was about hippotherapy, I also can’t imagine adding another therapy into the mix right now. As it is we spend three hours every morning doing HBOT, this includes the 1 hour 2o minutes in the chamber and the rest of the time diving. We do this every morning from 9am to 12pm. On the days we have ABM, we go home for lunch and try to squeeze a nap in for Sebastian and if he needs to or can, he sleeps some more in the car on the way to the session. So far we’ve just had one a week the past two weeks, but this week we have two. Each session is an hour and the driving is about 40 minutes each way. So that’s another three hours for our afternoon. So on the days we have two therapies, that’s our day.
We’ve also added doctors appointments into the mix. Getting things checked while we are here and have access to a variety of specialists like a neurologist, pediatric ophthalmologist, pediatric GI and pediatric ENT. The doctors that take our insurance and don’t have a copay at the appointment are all in Southfield or Detroit, which is a 50 to 60 minute drive. So aside from all the sessions and appointments, there is a lot of driving involved.
The driving has proven more challenging than we anticipated. Although I can drive, my mom has been taking us everywhere. She is awesome. She is also getting as tired as we are because she still has to work in between, before and after appointments. The fuel efficient car we were planning to use and that I would drive on my own broke down just before Sebastian and I arrived in Michigan. So now we have the very fuel inefficient truck that also has to take my mom and Jerry to work. It’s been challenging, and expensive (gas).
These are the things that make us tired at the end of the day. And sometimes during the day. These are the things that makes it difficult to get much done in the evening after Sebastian has gone to bed. Because I just want to go to bed too. But I also need some time to unwind so I don’t go to bed right away even on the days I probably should.
BUT. It’s all worth it. When Sebastian reaches for things and grasps things with open hands that are not too tight. When Sebastian laughs when playing a game with his hands with his grandma. When Sebastian scoots on his back. When Sebastian is relaxed and enjoying life around him after his therapy sessions. It’s worth it. Every moment, even when we miss his daddy soooo much. We know the things we are doing are so good for him and helping. Bit by bit. One moment at a time.
This week I was sifting through hundreds of emails in my inbox (dating back to Christmas) and so I’ve been a bit behind in blogging this week. Only now catching up on my favorite blogs, I was pleasantly surprised to be tagged by one of my favorite blogging moms, Bron.
“It’s really simple. I love how every photo tells a story. Some short stories, some long tales. I want to know what is your favourite photo of yourself. Everyone has one. The photo they look at and smile. It reminds them of something, some time, some place. A moment in time. So share the photo, share the story and then tag three other people. I want to see photos and stories all around the blogosphere.“
So I started the task of looking through photos to choose my favorite one of myself. Myself! Can you believe it? Have I had a photo taken of me without my son in my arms since he was born? I don’t know. He is such a huge part of who I am now. Mid-post he roused from slumber although he hadn’t even been asleep an hour so I was able to help him fall back asleep (breastfeeding magic!). As I sat there with him in my arms I began to think about photos of myself that stuck out in my memory. I thought of one from when Ali and I were traveling in Nepal. When I came back to my computer I went to my flickr account and found the Kathmandu, Nepal set. Although I originally had one of Ali and I together in mind, instead I chose this one:
We were sitting in a cafe on Freak Street playing cards and writing in our journals. It was August 29, 2004. We had been backpacking/traveling in SE Asia for a couple of months and were now in Kathmandu. During our stay there were several ‘bandh’ (strikes) in which sometimes we had to stay in our hotel and the streets were quiet; no one dared to go out. The strikes had been ordered by the Maoist insurgency (before they were in government). This was not one of those days and we found our way to the ‘hippie’ haven called Freak Street. When I look at this photo I remember how young and carefree I was. I am smiling at the man I will marry two years later. Did I know this then? Maybe. I’m tanned. Thin. I have my short, bleached blonde, funky hair. I’m wearing the necklace he bought me on an island off Thailand while he was traveling his way up to me from Malaysia, where we had met a month earlier. I am happy. I am living the dream of exploring places I never imagined I’d visit. I have no worries. Only an unmapped future before me. Which I embraced. Which brought me to where I am now. With my family. My beloved husband and son.
Sebastian’s first birthday. I am happy. All that I have experienced to this point has helped prepare me for this life. For this place. For this happiness. For this love.
Tagged:
We went to Alexandria for a couple days last weekend. It was just before my mother-in-law was to head off after a three week long stint in Egypt, two of those weeks were hanging out with us and one was relaxing and site seeing on a Nile Cruise. Our big finale was a weekend in Alexandria, city by the sea. It was about ten degrees cooler than here in Cairo and the sea air was so refreshing. We stayed at The Crillon, the same place as last time. Although we didn’t have french doors opening up to a wide sea view this time, we had the suite which proved nice for getting Sebastian’s meals organised and relaxing in the side room as he slept in our bed. There was still a corner sea view, which was better than none at all.
Historical Library of Alexandria. This time we were able to visit the library and take a look around inside. Although we were greeted by the guard at the door with a very sombre face, “I’m sorry, there is a problem. You have a baby, so you cannot go in.” “No problem,” we replied, as we handed Sebastian over to his Granny to spend the next half hour with him so we could peruse the library. Very nice indeed. The library was rebuilt very recently on a site near to the original which dated back to the days of Alexander the Great [who founded the city and gave it its name]. It was destroyed during Roman times and any relics left buried beneath the sea. There are some artefacts in the museum located in the basement of the new library.
We also spent some time taking a walking tour in the city which lead us to a synagogue which is almost never open to the public, a museum of a poet long dead, and a bank which used to be a cathedral. We walked across tram lines and looked up at architecture influenced by the French and the British. The buildings in Alexandria are in much better condition than those in Cairo. They aren’t as dirty, or falling apart as much.
We found our way down to the Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa via a spiral staircase of over one hundred steps leading twenty feet below ground. Empty graves organised on top of one another in a very orderly fashion. Discovered in 1900 when a donkey fell through the surface, everything is very well preserved. I wondered how many other places beneath the ground we walked upon held similar resting places.
Not far from the Catacombs were colourful lanes, dirt covered streets lined with sorbet coloured buildings pushed up against the back drop of Pompey’s Pillar, the oldest standing relic in Alexandria.
We feasted on fresh fish at the Fish Market, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea at sunset. I ate my first lobster and I couldn’t help but think of the scene in the Little Mermaid where the lobster is trying to make sure he doesn’t end up in the boiling pan of water. I am still a vegetarian, but I have been eating some fish since I can’t have dairy at the moment. Perhaps my eating habits and beliefs are a story for another time.
Ali and I meandered through the market district at night while Moira watched Sebastian sleep (not literally, of course!). We were exhausted and only lasted about forty minutes in the wide world on our own. We even found ourselves reacting to loud noises as if Sebastian were with us.
We arrived back to Cairo at the end of the second night very late. But in Cairo, everything comes to life at nighttime. The streets were filled with people of all ages celebrating life. It was hot and dusty, the market abuzz. Everything is so big in Cairo. Busier. Louder. Dustier. Hotter. It was nice to have a break in Alexandria. I imagine we will head back every couple of months or so. Why not, it’s just a two and a half train ride away.
There were only a few photos of Sebastian in this round of photos, otherwise all the photos are public. I’ve just added them to the already existing Alexandria set on flickr. This is not the guest pass. Leave a comment if you’d like me to email you the guest pass, although if you have the first one it still works.
We traveled by train north to Alexandria for the weekend about a month ago. It was a two hour train ride and Sebastian was able to nap for part of it so we were able to read our books. It felt good to be traveling again. When you travel with a baby, everything is different. It’s not about writing in your journal, reading a book or playing cards on the long train rides. We took turns entertaining him and helping him fall into slumber. We took turns posing with him for photos in front of a landscape moving by as the train sped through the country side.
When we arrived in Alexandria we breathed in the cool, salty air while simultaneously locating a taxi to take us to our sea view guest house. The taxis in Alex are black and yellow instead of black and white as are the taxis in Cairo. But they are just as old and smelly. We zigzagged through the streets and everything looked different. Fresh. Cool. Colorful. It felt good to be somewhere new. Exploring again.
After feeding Sebastian ate his lunch while we listened to the sea above the din of traffic below, we headed out to the library. Alexandria’s library is famous, as it was once the largest library in the ancient world. Although now only a piece of engraved stone survives the original library. When we arrived we were disappointed to learn no children under six are allowed in. We were able to visit the museum in the basement and eventually finagled our way into the children’s library, but had to take turns peeking into the main library and it’s vast volumes of books. We thought about hiding Sebastian in our backpack, but as he was already sleeping and we didn’t want to wake him. 
It felt strange to not be allowed to do something because we had a child with us.
We ate at a posh hotel restaurant in the evening and Sebastian was able to fall asleep in my arms before the main course arrived. It was like being on a date with an additional appendage. A very cute and cuddly one. When we got back to the guest house we read some more and went to sleep as the traffic finally died down outside our window, four stories down.
The next day we would be leaving late afternoon. We took a horse carriage along the sea’s edge to Fort Qaitbey where we found ourselves getting an impromptu tour from one of the guards and taking lots of photos. Sebastian fell asleep on our walk back to the guest house and I was able to take loads of photos of the harbor nearby. There were men fixing their nets for fishing, harvesting shrimps, and children playing in the sand by the shore. Color was everywhere. Boats lined the harbor and dotted the horizon. The streets were occupied by people getting from one place to the next in carriages, on horses, in taxis, on buses, pushing carts and trolleys. Life was everywhere. I couldn’t snap enough photos.
We had lunch at the restaurant downstairs from our guest house and took some falafel pitas for the road. Our cab driver back to the train station was animated and impressed with Ali’s Arabic skills, until our luggage got stuck in his trunk. He was able to retrieve it eventually. The train back to Cairo was uneventful, Sebastian took and nap and had his dinner. We scared a young couple away with his pre-nap fussing, but they were forced to return to their seats in front of us by the staff on the train.
It was a refreshing trip. One of those places you hope to get to often to take a break from everyday life in the city. We’ll see.
Alexandria photo set. As always, photos of Sebastian are private, so leave a message for a link or check my Facebook page where I’ve posted the link there.
I finally caught up with photos on flickr through Sebastian’s first adventures, not including Christmas shots. As always there are guest passes to view the full albums, leave a comment or send me an email if you need the link. I’ve also posted them on facebook.
Happy, originally uploaded by kara melissa.
Most recently we went to the states to introduce Sebastian to his family there. He got so much love an attention, I think he was a bit confused upon returning to Cairo. We seem to know a lot more folks in Michigan! Sebastian experienced Thanksgiving, which was also my first stateside in eight years. On the way to Michigan, there was a stop in London, so you’ll see a few photos taken in East London. We spent some time in Holland, Mi. visiting college friends and introducing our kids to each other! We also celebrated my nephew Ethan’s 8th birthday and spent some time in the snow.
Prior to leaving London, we spent some time visiting tourists sights (Piccadilly, Mayfair, Pall Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Big Ben, Hamleys Toy Store, Abbey Road) and snapping photos of Sebastian and I in front of them.
Two weeks before leaving London, we took Sebastian on his first plane ride with Swiss Air to visit some of my old friends in Schaffhausen from my time teaching there. There’s a bit of a story with that adventure, but I’ll leave that for another day.
Some of the photos are public, but most are private with a guest pass only. Drop me a line and I’ll send the links on to you.
Happy holidays!
Reaching to the Sea, originally uploaded by kara melissa.
Last weekend we spent some time in a seaside resort in Sharm El Sheikh. Ali was covering a bird flu conference for work so Sebastian and I had some time on our hands to relax in the sun. As it was too bright in the midday sun, we waited until after his afternoon nap to venture out for a dip in the Red Sea. The water was about 29 degrees Celsius every day, much warmer than the pool overlooking the sea.
It was a strange place, as anyone who has ever spent time in a resort knows what a self-contained bubble it can feel like. Our hotel was located across the desert from the airport, with planeloads of tourist arriving morning and night. We felt separated from local life, if there is any in Sharm. A place which exists purely for the sake of tourists, I found it difficult to enjoy the company I was in, as most of the tourists staying at our resort weren’t too friendly.
There are so many Russian tourists in Sharm that the Egyptians working in the resort are more comfortable speaking in Russian than English. Maybe they didn’t seem friendly because we couldn’t understand each other, but I’ve never had that problem before. In my experience, a lack of understanding can sometimes lead to comedic and friendly exchanges. Despite the lack of friendly atmosphere, Sebastian was still very popular. One little girl even ventured to give him a big kiss on the mouth! Watch out girls, he’s going to be a heart breaker.
Ali worked long hours so it wasn’t until the end of our trip that we were able to enjoy some time at the beach with him. Colourful fish swam right up to the shore, in search of algae and swimming from one life coral patch to another. It was great to dip into the turquoise waters and see the rainbows of life swimming beneath me as I tread my legs to keep afloat.
Although a nice respite from busy Cairo life, it felt good to be home and back to the daily routine. There’s just something about being a tourist that gets exhausting. Maybe it’s the food, maybe it’s the other tourists, maybe it’s having a baby that needs to stick to a routine for sleeps sake, maybe it’s just life.
The Red Sea was gorgeous and I am looking forward to another visit, but one where Ali doesn’t have to work and all we have is a bungalow door between us and the sandy beach. I think Dahab will be our next destination of choice.
Photos posted to flickr in Sebastian in Sharm El Sheikh, photos of Sebastian in this set need a Guest Pass link of course.
Sigh. We are still waiting for our sea shipment. Paperwork and Ramadan slowed things and everything is still in customs where they will go through EVERY box. What is it that they are looking for? There are a few things which would make life more comfortable if we had it, the rest is for creating the home atmosphere we had at Northiam Street, because it has been since then we had our belongings surrounding us. We packed up everything at the end of May and haven’t seen it since! And we survive just fine. We’ve bought some kitchen stuff and made do with the things we have. Things are really a luxury because essentially we have everything we need right now, which is each other. But that said I still miss the luxury of wearing different clothes, choosing a book off the bookshelf to read while Sebastian sleeps, and using a frying pan to fry up some vegetables for dinner.
It’s possible the shipment might make its debut on Thursday. Alas, the timing is off as we are heading to Sharm El Sheikh for six days. Yep, that’s right. My long awaited holiday to the beach — it’s been since living in Thailand — awaits us at the end of Ali’s work week. Well, a bit earlier. He’s covering a conferece over the weekend and Sebastian and I get to tag along for some fun in the sun. We are going to be staying in a hotel right on the Red Sea.
The little man awakes.
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