Post #8: Pregnant Stacy in US for meetings

During our Fiji visit in April, 2016 (during Stacy’s pregnancy) we discussed the subject of Stacy's upcoming business trip to the United States. When she originally informed me that she would be in the Washington DC area, my initial inclination was to remind her about her relatives in the area who would love to see her if she had any extra time. But I realized it would be better to mention this in person. However, when the subject came up, I was surprised to hear that another stop had been added, one closer to us and other family. Stacy would be meeting with her employers at the Wildlife Conservation Society headquarters at the Bronx Zoo on Thursday and Friday, April 21 & 22, and departing early Saturday morning for California.

"So Dad and I have nearby plans," I told Stacy, "to be at your cousin Abby's Passover seder on Saturday night at their home in Armonk, NY. We are planning to stay at my brother's house in Greenwich, CT, and they're all going to seder too. But I could come down on Friday and get you after work and we could all stay at the Abrams. I know they would love to see you."

"OK, let me think about it," said Stacy. "But where would I sleep? What's really important to me is a comfortable bed."

"There's a double bed in your cousin Harley's room, and he's away at school," I said. I can sleep on the couch in the basement/office/family room."

Stacy seemed to think it might work out, but Jesse was concerned that I was pressuring her to do this. I figured I would re-visit the suggestion once she was in the U.S.

Meanwhile, after our April Fiji trip, Jason sent an email reply to my “Vinaka” (thank-you) email:

Bula Beryl and Jesse ,

I am so glad you had a lovely time in Fiji, I just wish I had more time to spend with you both and Stacy of course, but must work, would have loved to have cooked for both of you every night,

This is the first opportunity I have had to reply to your lovely email, and I thank you for the kind words,

Stacy and baby bump are now in America and as distance goes only a stones throw away from you both, so I hope you enjoy the catch up for a little two on two (baby bump) quality time .

I look forward to seeing both of you in August, as it will be with out doubt the most exciting time of my life, and for both of you as well, I am filled with so many emotions, and all of them good, I was holding up one of the jump suits you bought over late last night and looking at the stuffed animal toys, with their various smiles, and well it hit me that I will be a dad, I would just like to say that what you did bringing the toys over and especially Stacy’s was a most beautiful thing to do, you guys rock!!

Best wishes and big mobs of love to you both (that’s how we talk in northern Australia)

Cheers Jason xoxo

When Stacy arrived in California, I emailed her:

Hi Stacy,

I hope you managed Ok traveling from Nadi to LAX last night, and maybe got some improved seating. And I hope you got a chance to rest up during the day in your booked hotel room.

David, Tracy & Sophie will be happy to see you at the end of the week and we can all work out logistics if the tentative plans still seem workable to you.

Goodnight

Xoxo mom

When Stacy was at her meeting in Arlington, VA, I was able to talk to her on the hotel phone, since she does not always have a US compatible mobile phone on her US trips. Stacy was okay for the plan to leave the Bronx Zoo after work on Friday, overnight with the Abrams in Greenwich before heading to JFK early Saturday morning.

I figured that Jason’s email deserved a reply to him:

Dear Jason,

Thank you for your sweet and chatty reply to my email.

As grandparents-in-waiting, I think we are just as excited as you and Stacy for this blessed event. And probably the animals, books and clothes are just the tip of the iceberg of baby paraphernalia that I will be transporting or sending to our grandson-to-be.

As you know, I will see Stacy briefly again on Friday & Saturday, and we’ll both be staying with my brother, sister-in-law and teenage niece in Connecticut (not too far from WCS headquarters in NY) who are particularly excited to see her in her pregnant state. When Stacy was in NY in the fall, we all got together with them too. We have a fairly close family, and eventually we would love you to meet many of them.

MOL (mobs of love!) to you too

Beryl

Knowing I would see Stacy soon again, I bought a cute package of baby boy socks to bring to her. And as it turned out, Jesse, despite his initial negativity about connecting with Stacy in NY, realized he would be finished work about noon that Friday, so we drove together to pick Stacy up at the zoo. However, I did get a text from my brother David early Friday morning:

“I caught a cold not flu but have a slight fever this morning. About 100+. I don’t think it is a big deal for Stacy. I’ll just stay out of her way.”

Nevertheless, I thought I should inform pregnant Stacy, in case this would change her interest in overnighting at the Abrams house, which I would respect but of course be very disappointed. I emailed:

“David woke up with cold (headache & stuffed sinuses) & low grade fever this morning. He said he will just avoid getting to close to you. Hope you are OK with that (as who knows how many germy people you come in close contact with on airplanes anyway).”

Fortunately, Stacy’s response to me did not change our plans:

“Okay. Hope David feels better. I pretty much have permanently have blocked sinuses - another condition of pregnancy apparently.”

So Plan A was still in effect. The traffic was terrible, but just typical for the greater NYC area, but we eventually retrieved Stacy in the Bronx and headed back to Greenwich. Tracy, Sophie and even sick David were delighted to see and catch up with Stacy for the evening. And early bird Jesse took Stacy to JFK airport early Saturday morning.

On our return home from Greenwich, I emailed Stacy:

Hi Stacy,

We hope your travel day yesterday was not terribly taxing.

It was so nice to see you again briefly while we spent time with Tracy, David & Sophie.

I hope that David's germs did not attach himself to you, or us. He continued to feel sick all day and they never made it to Abby's seder on Saturday. Of course, dad & I went.

We are on our way home now.

Hope all goes well for you in CA

Xoxo mom

Stacy replied, “Very beautiful in Santa Barbara right now [where she was attending another meeting] - you would really like it here.”

A bit later it occurred to me to write Stacy an email with the subject line “I thought I would mention …” In the body of the email I wrote, “Ever since Ben died, Dad has been very sad at many family gatherings as we attend without our own grown children. But I think that this time at Passover Dad was not so sad knowing his grandson is on the way.

Xoxo mom”

She replied, “Nice to hear ;-)”

Then a rather interesting email arrived from Stacy a couple days later:

“BTW - our group is already talking about when we would have our next meeting here in Santa Barbara, which they may push back to around February so I might be able to travel with baby. Want to come out to Santa Barbara then to babysit? Anyway - there is plenty of time to plan/think about it, but I'm putting it on your radar. You'd definitely like it here.

Love, Stacy”

Wow, so I am already being enlisted as a babysitter! That made me smile.

While Stacy was still in California, I unexpectedly received an email from Jason. Subject: Happy puppy. Text: “Gingers first day in Fiji. Cheers Jas.” The email was mostly a close-up photo of Ginger, Jason’s devoted dog who had stayed behind with his brother in Australia when Jason had moved to Fiji and had finally been sent to him but had been temporarily held in required quarantine for a week.

I replied to Jason:

Hi Jason,

Thanks for sharing the doggy pic.

I am sure you and Ginger are thrilled to be reunited.

I hope Stacy’s cats are not too bent out of shape by the canine presence.

We were happy to see Stacy briefly on our side of the world last weekend.

At our home we are having intermittent lovely spring weather interspersed with cold and damp which was the way it was yesterday.

That inspired me to cook traditional Jewish chicken soup with matzoh balls for the Passover holiday.

xoxo Beryl

I had thought Jason might appreciate a bit of cultural cooking conversation. And I forwarded his email to cousin Claudia, always the concerned dog lover, who was very happy to hear of the reunion of Ginger and Jason.

On April 29 Stacy, back in her Fiji home, posted a photo on her Facebook page with the caption, “Percy inspects the growing baby toy situation. Change is coming . . .” In the photo, Percy is sitting on the bed with all the stuffed animals and some baby clothes, many that I had brought now with others added by Stacy.

Accumulation of stuffed animals and onesies for grandson on the way