Oh, baby, baby!

It was a life-affirming day.

On Monday I went to lunch with my neighbor Kim and her adorable daughter Abby (yes, this Abby) and noticed how low Kim was carrying her pregnancy.  I had a feeling things would happen soon, but I had no idea how intricately I’d be involved in the whole adventure.

On Tuesday afternoon, I got a call from Kim who had taken Abby to a routine OB appointment.  At that appointment, the doctor decided that the baby’s heart rate was dangerously low and had suggested an immediate C-section.  But what to do with Abby? Kim’s voice was shaky as she asked me to come to the hospital immediately to get Abby, who she had to leave in the care of nurses.

No matter how loving and kind the nurses were (and they were), this is a terrifying experience for a 2-year old.  When I arrived, she was crying her poor, sweet eyes out in the arms of a nurse, surrounded by three other nurses who were doing their best to console her.

I couldn’t console her either.  Until, that is, I asked her if she wanted to “go see Shasta and Quinn.”

Abby stopped crying for just a quick second, looked at me again as if she was just realizing who I was, and then reached out to me to hold her.

(Insert melting heart here.)

My intent was to take Abby home, feed her dinner, play with her a bit, and put her to bed in her own room.  But I had no car seat so we had no choice but to stay at the hospital until I could somehow get a car seat from Kim’s car.  A nurse took us to the room where Kim would be brought after her surgery and suggested that we wait there for her (and hopefully for her husband Zach, who Kim had, of course, also called when things got wacky).

Once Abby settled down, we explored a variety of photos and games on my iPhone (alright, who taught this girl to play Angry Birds?!), took a few walks, found an area with children’s books, toys, and a small train table, and even found an Elmo doll for her to hold.  An hour or so passed and then who should appear but Abby’s mommy (wheeled into the room in her bed, of course), her daddy in his OR duds and, in his arms, her new baby brother, Ty! (Who was perfectly healthy – guess the decreased heart rate was a momentary fluke…?)

I brought Abby right up to Zach and Ty.  Zach introduced Abby to her new baby brother and asked if she wanted to touch him.  In a move that I somewhat expected (because the same thing happened to us years ago), but Zach likely did not, Abby turned defiantly away from Zach and Ty, burying her head in my shoulder and tensing every muscle in her little body.  Clearly this little girl was already on sensory overload, and now a baby brother too?!

As Abby caught sight of Kim being wheeled into the room, she said every so quietly, “Hi Mommy,” almost as if she were asking a question.  Surely everything was out of context and confusing for Abby!  Mommy is in a big moving bed, surrounded by strangers in matching outfits.  Daddy, if that man IS Daddy, has weird paper clothing and a hat on and is holding a bundle that looks funny and makes funny noises.  What is going ON here?

Zach seemed to know exactly what to do.  He sat down in a chair and took off the paper OR cap.  “Hi Daddy!” Abby said confidently.  He IS Daddy after all!  Again, Zach asked if Abby wanted to touch her new baby brother – which is exactly when I took this photo:

Things were finally beginning to make sense to Abby.  So THIS is Ty!  “Mama’s belly isn’t named Ty,” Zach told Abby.  This little guy is Ty!  He’s your new baby brother!”

And then they were a family of four.

And all was good with the world.

Well, that might be a bit optimistic.  If Abby is anything like Elisabeth was when Peter arrived…

(Insert melting heart here.)

…it will take a little while for them to find their “sibling groove,” but it will happen, and I am sure that Abby will be an awesome big sister to baby Ty!

Isn’t he adorable?  And doesn’t he look so much like his big sister?

Shortly after I snapped the photo of the new family, I quietly slipped out, as Ty and Abby’s REAL grandma had arrived and Kim’s extensive extended family was beginning to arrive.

I’ll have to be patient and wait for my own grandchildren to arrive when the time is right.  But for now, I feel so honored to have had the opportunity to share this amazing event with Abby and to be among the first to meet Ty. 

All is good with the world when a new baby arrives in it!

A late Autumn stroll through Ashland’s Lithia Park

Dad is home from the hospital after his open heart surgery a bit over two weeks ago.  The plan was that I’d come to Ashland to help Dad and Lou after his surgery, but dummy me – I got sick and had to stay away for an extra week, necessitating quick action from my brothers.  Amazingly enough, we were all able to come together and work things out and I finally got here last Sunday, almost a week after initially planned.

I’ve been cooking up a storm for Dad and Lou for a few days and today, after filling their freezer with casseroles, I took some time to go for a walk in Ashland’s beautiful Lithia Park.

I missed the perfect Fall colors by about two weeks, but still, it was gorgeous!  Behold!

(Yes, the deer were that close – and closer!  They live in perfect harmony with humans here, not at all afraid, just a bit curious, and even seemingly aware of their beauty and spectacle.)

(Look at that!  Someone knit the tree a sweater for the winter!  Here, tree, let me warm you up a bit…)

A golden Golden Gate day

Aleks and I flew to the Bay Area yesterday for what was supposed to be a big family get-together with my dad to discuss his book and the possibility of publishing it.  Obviously, with Dad in the hospital after open-heart surgery (which went relatively well), that’s not happening as planned.  But Dad insisted that we still all get together so Aleks (a political science major and very passionate about Opa’s book for a variety of reasons) and I kept our tickets and flew from rainy Seattle to Sunny San Francisco yesterday.

My brother and sister-in-law picked us up at the Embarcadero BART station and after a quick lunch in Chinatown, we spent the rest of the afternoon admiring the Golden Gate Bridge (and the City, if you turned your head) from far and near. 

It’s had living so far away at times like this.  If my whole family were here, all 11 cousins would be together.  As it is, Aleks will meet his 5-year-old cousin TJ today for the very first time.  That’s just not right!

My father's heart

Remember this video I took of my dad and his soon-to-be wife, Lou, playing a mean game of ping-pong EXACTLY three years ago today?



Well, Dad's heart isn't playing ping-pong these days. In fact, for about an hour and a half today, Dad's heart won't be pumping at all. Instead, it's (literally) being put into the capable hands of a heart surgeon who, through multiple bypass surgery, will attempt to bring oxygen back into this heart that, as of last week, was "days, not weeks" from stopping altogether.

I have never, ever heard Dad admit to being scared of anything.  But last night, when I called him to wish him well (and he was stressing over an unbalanced checkbook -- grrrrr!), he told me that he was scared -- and who wouldn't be?  Dad has never had surgery or been in the hospital for more than relatively routine procedures, so this is new for him.

I'm not the praying sort, though at times like this I envy those who are.  The most I can do today is think positive thoughts, fill my own heart and mind with the love I feel for my daddy, and trust that the universe is working exactly as it should.  Your positive thoughts, in whatever form they work for you, are welcome as well.

I love you, Dad.  I trust your heart, just like I always have.  Everything will be fine.

In the Pacific Northwest, moss always wins

Dear hubby,

It seems that you might have won a battle or two but you have definitely lost the war. 

You simply can’t fight moss in the Pacific Northwest and expect to win.  A lawn?  You want a LAWN?  I think your “lawn” wants to be moss.

OK, I agree that one COULD take a gestalt view of all this and conclude that our backyard looks like lawn…

“Oh, what a lovely backyard lawn!” someone might say, when they’re looking at our backyard from a distant vantage point.

But when you look closely, you really have to admit…

…that our yard wants to be moss.  It’s begging to be moss! 

Lush, bright green, needs-no-mowing, fends-for-itself MOSS!

What do you say, Mr. Environmental Engineer?  Can we wave the white hanky and surrender?

(Quinn would like to remind you that it’s Be Kind to Moss week month year.)

Love,

Your defeated wife (and diggy dog)

A quick Autumn walk around Cottage Lake Park

As I was headed home from doing a few errands in town, I passed Cottage Lake Park – something I do nearly every day.  But today I couldn’t help but pull into the park’s lot, take my camera out of my purse, and shoot a few quick photos.  Oh, how I wish I’d had Kat’s Nikon D-40 with me! 

These pictures just don’t do the Fall colors justice.

Just look at that blue sky!

Then I came home to this:

There’s no mystery.  This perfect angel didn’t do it:

This little bitch did: