Olomouc in early morning fog…

I woke the day after transfer in Olomouc (pronounced: Olomotz) and felt….no different.

Of course, I was now officially considered Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise (PUPO), but I felt no different to the way I’d felt the day before, or the one before that.

This was a little disappointing, because I wanted to feel something that would “prove” to me that I was pregnant, that the transfer yesterday worked, and that the embryo I saw on the screen that was placed inside of my body would stay with me, grow within me, and become my child, my family. I needed something that would help me connect emotionally to the whole process.

So as I stared at the ceiling in my hotel room in Olomouc, I prayed to the universe to please let us come together and be the family we both desire.

My alarm sounded for the morning progesterone suppository. Once that was placed, I started my morning Reiki/meditation session.

As I started to let go of the outcome and my worries melted away, I reminded myself again that if this embryo chose me as his or her family, chose me as the perfect parent for their experience within this life, then I would be the best most loving parent I could be. If they didn’t chose me this time around, then I would still be okay. I would move to Nova Scotia, adopt or foster children, and publish my novels.

It felt like a good plan with a happy ending either way.

Olomouc was waiting to be explored.

The acupuncturist had warned about foods to eat and not to eat, including having a warm breakfast with hot water – no cold foods and no coffee or tea. The hotel did not have a huge range of hot foods that I enjoy, so I stuck with baked beans and breads, and plain hot water.

When I had my fill, I headed out into the sunshine. The weather was lovely, perhaps even a bit hot for my liking, at around 20 degrees.

My first stop was the main square.

Main square – entrance:

Holy Trinity Column:

Love the doors and entrances:

And the buildings which look like a movie set facade:

It was still early in the AM when I arrived and there were not many people around. The sun had not risen high enough over all of the buildings to allow me to get great photos of some of the statues.

Caesar’s Fountain:

Not sure what this was about…but interesting…

Then I found my way to the Astronomical Clock. No crowds at this feature, unlike in Prague, however, there was scaffolding everywhere!

This square was both my entrance to Olomouc, and the way I would have to go back to my hotel, which meant I would come back through when the sun was higher. I took a seat next to Hercules, who I’d originally mistaken for an old lady (!), and mapped out the things I wanted to see.

I estimated that I could see all the items on my list within a few hours.

Taking it easier the day before had been a blessing for my weary feet which had been pounding the cobblestones for days…read: tired and sore.

Unfortunately, Olomouc was all cobbled too and my feet were starting to protest already after walking from the hotel to the main square. I kept going though determined to stick to my plan.

Next stop was another square with more statues off a side street.

When I checked the map as I walked, I discovered that one of the fountains was Jupiter’s.

Jupiter’s fountain in Olomouc?

Flabbergasted I stopped still on the sidewalk and I burst into tears.

Jupiter’s fountain in Olomouc?!

This was the first time I’d really connected emotionally and powerfully with what I was doing here. I was here to have a baby. I was here to have a little Jupiter ruled Sagittarian baby. Jupiter’s fountain was HERE, in Olomouc, the day after my embryo transfer in Olomouc, in the Czech Republic on the other side of the world from where I live.

It all seemed like a massive sign to me and as the tears streamed down my face I thanked the universe for all of the signs that had been present on my journey so far, all of the numbers and angels that had appeared on this trip. And now Jupiter too.

I was meant to be here. My hand made its way to my belly. I didn’t feel any different physically, but I allowed my mind to remember the view of my embryo on the screen and the feeling of the pinch as it was placed inside me. I was here to get pregnant, with a little Jupiter baby.

I pulled myself together and made my way through the square, taking photos as I went until I came face to face with the fountain. Staring up at the figure of the God, I thanked him for being there as another sign on my journey.

There was a bench nearby and I sat for a while watching the people move about the square, with Jupiter’s watchful eye to my left. I imagined bringing my daughter (I kept imagining a girl) back here some day and telling her how Jupiter’s fountain had made me cry for the joy of being pregnant with her.

As I looked at all of the faces of the people around me, young and old, I wondered would my child look like him, or her, or her, or him? I stared at babies – would my baby look like that one, or that one, or that one?

When it was time to continue on my adventure, I found myself searching all of the faces of younger people with brown hair and brown or blue eyes. I walked past a university and I’d heard that many of the donors are university students so every 20 something that walked near or out of the doors I wondered – did you give me this gift I carry deep inside of me?

It became a bit of an obsession.

This is Olomouc:

I happened to come back around to the Astronomical Clock at noon and got to see the things moving and hear the music playing…. IT WAS TERRIBLE! The moving parts were interesting and I did enjoy that, but the music was horribly out of tune, the trumpets when it was their turn to play sounded like dying vultures squawking! Terrible.

Many of the people who had gathered around to see it got the giggles. Myself included.

Until I felt sorry for the clock and the town of Olomouc because we were laughing at something historical that had been put together lovingly by someone, and that had likely been the pride of the town during its heyday. This made me cry again and I had to walk away!

I guess it was just an emotional day for me!

The rest of the day was lovely, walking around seeing the sights, taking photos. I spent some time in a park just watching the world go by and soaking in the sun.

One of the things I noticed was that there were a lot of fathers with babies in prams or young children in pushers. Fathers without any sign of mothers. For some reason that made my heart smile. These men loved their children and I imagined a bunch of stay at home dads in Olomouc. There was even a child care facility in the park and I saw seven dads and only one woman with children.

I had noticed, while I was in Prague, that the men in the relationships were attentive, loving, and affectionate to their girlfriends/wives in public too. Another observation that made my heart smile. They had no qualms about public displays of affection and love and that is – in my opinion – a sign of a secure man.

When I was done exploring, I went back to the same restaurant as the night before and ordered the exact same dinner as the night before. The acupuncturist had told me fried rice and soup would be good for the embryo, and I wanted to eat what was good for her/him.

One more sleep in Olomouc before making my way back to Prague and then home to Canada.

Warm smiles and Love,