50 years

We lived a whole life/day, but the biggest part was Baba coming home.

Have I mentioned that it's really hard here without Tolga?  Tomris is sick. She woke up the other night at 10 pm (I swear she had just fallen asleep).  She was crying with ear pain.  I immediately assumed it was an ear infection - she doesn't get ill often, and it was a very specific pain (although, since then, I am not so sure ... Teoman and Tomris are both dramatizing the smallest injuries: tonight Tomris complained of knee pain, stomach pain, leg pain, and whatever else bumped into her).  I gave her ibuprofen and she cried, I held her until she fell asleep.

I chose to wait until morning, and fortunately she didn't wake up again.  Even in the morning, when she woke up, she came to snuggle with me and said her ear was okay - it only hurt a little. I had decided already I would bring her to the  hospital, however it was Sunday - which meant it would be busy and a random doctor.  I think of all three kids, we've only had one ear infection but I know they are painful, and the faster we take care  of it, the better.

I messaged my "beach friends".  My friend's husband was an ENT doctor.  They had counseled me before on Teoman's situation, and I asked if they could check Tomris today.  It would save me a lot of trouble with juggling the kids and the Turkish health system.  Nariman came by in the late morning - we had lounged at home, waiting most of the morning, and I was ready to go to the hospital  because I didn't think they were coming, nor was I sure what he'd be able to do - I mean was he going to bring the thingamajig to look in the ear?

Our doctor friend did indeed bring his ear scope in a small zipper case.  (Okay, he was going to do the real check).  He asked Tomris where it hurt.
  "Here (pointing to her ear), hear (pointing to her other ear), and hear (pointing to her stomach)."  Eye roll.  The stomach was new.  He asked her to point with her finger, and she showed the whole area again.  He looked in her throat, pushing her tongue down with a spoon. He looked in her good ear and her bad ear.  Tomris and Teoman both stared at Nariman.  He was their beach friend's dad, so to see him checking her ears was confusing for them.  (Teoman just stared with an open mouth).  He said it wasn't an ear infection and wrote a nasal spray and ear drop down that would help, and I went to the pharmacy and picked it up as well as some for Maria (the doctor's wife) who apparently also had ear pain.

We went swimming in the afternoon, Tomris staying in the shallow water - but the weather was terribly humid.  I didn't realize how it hasn't been bad, until now - when the the air has become breezeless and the humidity as risen.

Tolga came around 6pm with a bouquet of flowers and Hakan.  All three hugged their Baba, and Tomris brought me the flowers.  Tuana kept pointing at Hakan - he looks similar enough to Tolga and Gokhan that she acts comfortable around him and goes to him when he asks, snuggling right into his arms.

Tolga had come for our anniversary - he was working several hours away from us but did not want to miss this day - 9 years, 41 to go - for Tolga what is important is always clear and he always makes sure I know it and feel it too.  For all my faults, I sure have a good man at my side.