Back at rehab, Dr was pleased with me, and my pardon was extended to a whole weekend if my progress continued. I kept thinking on D and my baby, everytime, I felt like quitting thinking of them both made me push that bit harder to get myself home.
Ches was my new therapist and trainer and he was relentless in driving me to eat right, and complete the exercise's five times a day. when I was flagging, he ordered energy juice to lift me, then after a ten minute break he pushed me right back to it.
I was doing reps today using my legs and the bar lift. "ok, Jon, now lift and curl, c'mon you can do this, I need fifty... go..."
he stood at the side and timed me, sweat broke out and my heart rate increased, I was 25 reps in, and my body was aching and tired and needed to rest, but I kept on going, beads of sweat trickled down my face, and I was breathing hard as I pushed and pushed, every muscle ached with every rep, but I carried on, groans escaped my lips, but still I continued.... I was pleased when ches started the count down as we neared fifty, "c'mon, just a few more, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, that's it and rest...well done buddy..." he ticked off another check on the list he had clipped to his board, then came round and sat on the steps next to me which were the next port of call for me.
"you should be pleased with that, your improving and getting stronger day by day, my heart was still beating really fast and I was breathless as I answered in short spells.
"I'm doing this so I can get home for when my baby is born..."
"ahhh your gonna be a papa?"
I shook my head, a smile escaping my lips... "Yeah"
"When you due?"
"May, or there abouts..."
Ches looked at the calendar, "well we have some more serious work to do if your gonna be home on time for Baby's arrival, and let me tell ya these exercise's will seem like a walk in the park when baby's here...."
"What you saying having a kid is harder?" my breathing was returning to normal and I was able to hold more of a conversation with out gasping for breath.
"yeah course it is..."
I felt a little nervous, "so you got kids then..." Ches smiled "yeah, a boy and a girl, boy is 2 and girl is 6 months"
"wow, so your and ol hand at raising kids then?"
he laughed out loud, "hardly, cant really say I'm an old hand at it, mine are still babies really, let me just say, it's a learning curve, and one you won't forget..."
" a learning curve.."
"yeah, there's no hand book buddy, when that little bundle screams and opens there lungs, you are there, you have to find what's wrong and deal with it, they cant talk and they rely on you for everything..."
"well I kinda got that... aint it just a case of diaper changing and feeding?"
Ches looked at me, " you think that's it?"
"well aint it?"
he chuckled as he stood up ready to start me on another round of reps with the bar, " mostly yeah, but then there's the colic, nappy rash, infections, coughs, sneezes, temperatures... the list is endless, and let me add, not any one kid is the same... Tamara my little one, she is pretty good and sleeps most of the night, wakes us about 6am for a feed, but Miles, he was something else, every feed he had resulted in him being sick, he could not take bottle formula, he was allergic to it, and it seems milk too, he's lactose intolerant.. had us up all night every night...it was a trying time I can tell ya.."
I'd never heard of a baby being allegic to milk, nervously I asked, "how long dd it take to find out?"
"month or so, they ran test and the like, at one point he was admitted to hospital and was fed by tube, while they found out what the problem was..."
"what he have now then?"
"he's good on goats milk and soya products, look I aint trying to scare ya, cause right now you look like a deer caught in the headlights, I'm just giving ya the heads up on what can happen, now you ready to start again..."
I shook my head, "right shall we go for sixty this time?"
again I shook my head as we started in on another round. by the final count out, my legs and thigh muscles were burning, as I cooled I was given another drink, "here drink this its full of electrolytes to replace what you lost during that work out, right break for lunch and I'll see you back here at 1pm ok?"
Mike arrived and helped me into the chair as he took me back to my room. I was thinking on what Ches had told me about his little boy and I was anxious, what if my baby became sick like that?, how would I know what to do....
as we pulled into the room I was surprised to see my ma waiting there.
"mom, what you doing here, thought you were avoiding me?"
"hello hunni, now why would I avoid you?"
" the sex of the baby?"
"Oh, that, look it was completely by accident, I swear..."
my ma look at me trying to portray a look of innocence, "Stop already ma, I know the truth."
"You do?, what truth?"
"you asked the Doc ma, he told D"
"I didn't, he's lying, I saw the scan and said how on could you understand all the blobs, where would the little boy bits be if it was a boy, he then pointed to where on the scan they would be, and as there was none showing I assumed the baby was a little girl... so I didn't actually ask him..."
"and that makes it alright does it?"
she hung her head, "no I guess not.." then looking up she added, "but I really am sorry, you have to believe me when I say I meant no harm?"
I was to tired to argue, Tessa came in just at that moment and brought my lunch. placing the tray in front of me, I lifted the cloche and took my fork and began to eat.
My ma was still stood near by and came round and sat on the edge of the bed next to me. "smells nice."
I shook my head, "it's ok, edible, if I'm honest I'd eat molasses if it meant getting home quicker."
"what fish is it?"
"tuna I guess, not sure..."
she watched me intently, "you know you wanna slow down and chew more so your food digests better..."
I just gave her the stink eye. she held her hands up, "ok, just saying"
as I took another mouthful I asked, "Ma, what's it like being a first time parent?" I hoped she would answer without questioning me too much on why I was asking.
I was lucky she drifted into lala land easily, "its the most exciting and wonderful time in a couples life, holding something you have both created, you feel a love like you have never felt before... and all in the world is perfect..."
"Ok ma, that bit I kinda get, but what about routines an the like, how's that work?"
"its different for every baby, you will all learn together what's best for you," then she chuckled, "or should I say baby decides and you settle into baby's demands..." she added, "you'll both be fine, you'll see..."
Now I had two people warn me about parenthood, with a heavy heart I headed back to my workout, and tried to focus on the task at hand, and hoped in my heart that baby would be delayed for at least a month or so.....
