Quick, let's catch up!

Well, when I don't post for a long time I feel like I have to play catch up.  So much has happened.

The dying of the eggs:

The Hunt:

The Bunnies:

The hunter and the hunted:

This was a few weekends ago.  We started the front flower bed project.  It still looks just about the same.  With only weekends to work it was very sad and annoying when we were ALL put out of commission last weekend with a nasty GI tract something.  Maybe this weekend we'll have a chance to work out here again.

Wonderful Brother Mayes came with his tiller and tilled things up for us!

Here are the men, gabbing.

This is what is left of Ruby's black eye.  She had a run-in with the floor and the stool on Sunday.  It was amazing to watch how fast it turned purple and puffy, poor thing.

I really need to find out what these bushes are called.  This is ours and it is amazing (especially from the other side).  It is totally covered in beautiful blooms!

And now, what you've all been waiting for:

THE BEES!

Here's a video Randy took of the swarm he collected on Monday evening.

This is Randy transferring them from the box to the hive!

Here's the next beekeeper.

Well, I'm off to tend the bees!

The Scoop:

First of all, our big news is: 

 It's a BOY!!!

The rest of our news is about what we learned at our "high risk pregnancy consultation."

When I first visited the midwives, they took a blood sample to run the usual tests.  My blood showed that I have an antibody for anti-E.   They then requested a blood sample from Randy.  The perinatologist explained that on our blood cells we all have "labels."  One is your blood type A, O, or B.  One is your Rh factor:  + or - .  Another of those is the anti E or A or D or C etc., you get the picture.  Well I have e, e on my blood cells.  Randy has E, e on his.  It's not a problem unless blood mixes.  I'm anti-E, you see. Then my body would make an antibody to kill the foreign E, e labeled ones and have that antibody around just in case it sees any more E, e's.  And that's what happened, apparently. The doctor's best guess is that Lucy inherited E, e from Randy and that when she was born there was some contamination.  It is possible the other girls are e, e like me and that is why we didn't hear about this sooner (?).

Was that as clear as mud?

Anyway, right now the #'s of antibodies in my blood is at the lowest level.  They will monitor the levels in my blood regularly to see if they increase--which would be an indication that this baby may have E, e and my body is mounting an attack on his blood.  If my antibodies continue to increase they will monitor the baby with regular ultrasounds and check for signs of anaemia in the baby.  If the baby develops problems, they can give him blood transfusions through the umbilical cord (Crazy, huh?!) until he's born.  Once he's born my blood can't attack his anymore and all will be back to normal.

Any questions?