Why did I not keep up the blog?
... Not sure exactly.
But in August 2007, wehad the painful and unwanted parting.
Aillen had been in Australia for 3 months since the wedding in April..jpg)
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Our requests to Aussir Immigration to extend her visit were rejected..... except one, namely that IF we could provide evidence that it was unsafe for herto fly back to Tacloban, they would be compelled to extend until after the baby was delivered.
Ai was suffering constant sickness and cramps, and we knew ofa specialist who would support her staying here.
BUT, in view of our need to maintain a good profile for the sake of a permanent residence visa,
we decided to head back together to Tacloban.
We stayed in very cheap but decent hotels, and Malou helped Ai to find that rather poor ground floor apartment on the outer fringes of Tacloban.
It was a very difficult time for Ai.
The baby became larger than expected and the strain was enormous.
We counted down the weeks and days, sometimes meeting up on webcam at the internet cafe next to Shakers Pizza in Tacloban, thru to my slow home computer.
We had many phone calls, running to 3 a day, and when Ai needed money for rent or medical or food and clothing, I sent it via the very expensive Western Union.
Sometimes Lou slept there to help her, but it was her mother who was the most constant support and help, and we are very grateful to them both.
The drama climaxed when baby was due, but the doc was refusing a caesarian. Baby was VERY big! Then baby stopped moving. It was an emergency. I was sitting feeling helpless in Melbourne. Ai was telling me on the phone that they had made an appointment on 10 October, late in the day, to open her up surgically.
Then....the news that the baby was delivered.
But he would not be released and was in intensive care because he had contracted a form of pneumonia. His breathing was rapid and difficult.
Ai was also infected with a respiratory bug. Both of them were on antibiotics.
Plus the baby's heart had not sealed and was losing blood, a "hole in the heart" condition that may or may not rectify itself over the firstsix months of life.
When the baby was about 3 weeks old, I rushed over to be with them.
Baby was by then out of hospital, and with some astonishment, after meeting Ai at Tacloban airport, we collected him in a fine new bassinet from the apartment and settled at the charming
Alejandro.
I could not say baby recognised me. He could hardly see. I tried to be awake in the night with
Ai when he needed feeding. I also found I could calm him eby taking him out on the hotel balcony. He loves being outdoors and watching people going past.
Another painful separation after 3 weeks together, when I had to get back to melbourne to pay the bills and do some work. ---- I had airline tickets for us to travel together, but it was clear
that the temporary residence visa for Ai and the Aussie passport for baby, would take an extra month or two.
Our hopes were of Christmas together.
Every Sunday night at that time, I visited friends in St Kilda, Peter and Cynthia, and we called Ai together each week.
Then it was a hope of a new year together.
Ai and baby eventually took shelter at the home of our friends Michael and Dativa in Manila.
- At first, she thought only for a weekend. But with added delays, it ran to several weeks.
On Boxing Day, 26 December, the visa and passport materialised. But Ai was exhausted.
She called me and insisted that I travel next day to join her and help carry the baby and the
bags, also that I travel to the Aussie Embassy to collect baby's passport.
Why the SIA flight was deleyed on take off for 16 hours, I'll save for another blog.
Finally, we travelled from Manila on 29 December, arriving 30 December.
Aillen was given 2 years before converting to permanent residence, James was an Australian citizen by descent, and we were together at our littlehouse at Lara in the extreme heat of Summer!
It felt very good!
In short, after a further five months, it is now May 20.
We have had our first wedding anniversary, two important birthdays, and baby is just over 7 months and crawling, with his first two bay bottom teeth showing.
A few adventures, but going well.
Money is an important feature, as the whole courtship/wedding/honeymoon/pregnancy/ baby/ visas and passports thing had drained my resources. But we have kept it within limits and trying now to reduce the debt burden. Ai would love to find employment, but the bay is until now our first concern. He is healthy. His heart condition has resolved. All is well!
