Updates.

From late last night:

Dad is doing fine. His blood pressure has come down to 135/72. There is something about stress, going to the hospital, that makes blood pressure go up, I think! They put him in a quiet room at the side of the emergency room for the night, which is much more comfortable than being in the ICU. They couldn't find his previous EKG, but no one is concerned. It is routine to stay the 12 hours, get repeat blood work, take the stess test, and go home. All of his initial blood work was completely normal, except his hemoglobin was a little low. After reminding his doc that he gave blood about 10 days ago, the doc wasn't worried about that, either.

So, don't worry. I'm going to bed. The furnace has come on twice this evening! It is cold out.

Love, Mom

From this morning:

I'm waiting for Dad to call after his stress test for a ride home. He had a good night. They wouldn't give him anything to eat before the stress test, so he is hungry and wants his coffee. Love, Mom

I called this morning, and Mom sounds fine. Except that I asked why he couldn't eat before the stress test, and she said, "in case they have to resuscitate him." Argh.

(no subject)

My father is totally fine. Thank you, all of you, for the good thoughts and the handholding.

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Yesterday we went dancing with the Baltimore Folk Music Society. This is the same organization that I used to do English Country Dancing with, and hope to again. On the second Saturday of every month, they have an family dance from 5-6:30, followed by a potluck, which in turn is followed by a contra dance for adults.

About 35 people attended the family dance - mostly families with children, but also some adults on their own. Alex was the youngest baby there. There were a few toddlers and preschoolers, a whole gang of kids aged about 5-10, and even a couple of teenagers. The band for the contra dance played the family dance as well - a professional-quality string band with guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and bass. Instead of "children's music," they played country jigs and reels. The dancing started out very, very simple - a long line of people holding hands and snaking around the room in time to the music - and then progressed to circle dances and a contra. The dances were well-chosen for children's participation, but they were definitely fun for adults as well.

Alex had a blast. She kept shrieking with excitement, especially when we did a circle dance with lots of stamping and turning. She'd get so happy that she'd have to bury her face in my shoulder for a moment before looking around again. I just carried her in arms for the first couple of dances, and then put her in the sling in a kangaroo carry - cross-legged and facing out, with her back against my chest. She loves people, so dancing in a large group was a constant feast of entertainment for her. Everyone seemed happy to see her. Even though she was the youngest, we didn't get the slightest feeling that the caller or the other dancers thought she was too young.

I think we're going to make this a monthly event. It'll probably be a while before we can even stay until the potluck - Alex wore down by around six, from a combination of overexcitement and closeness to bedtime. But even an hour of dancing felt great. It also convinced me that I need to get back to English dancing. Michael can certainly take Alex on Monday evenings.