T-Day and Family

Well, we had a good Thanksgiving. Carolyn, Samuel, and Neil, Sam's friend, came for supper and Stephen was here, as well (of course, he lives here). I took pics of Gabriel and Carolyn uploaded pics of Lilly from her camera. We had a great meal (my expert cooking while Claudia rested much of the day). I baked pumpkin pies made with almond milk and Splenda (Carolyn can't have milk and Claudia can't have the sugar), and lemon meringue pies with Splenda. I whipped up some potatoes (Claudia & I cleaned and peeled) and made the gravy with corn starch so Claudia could have some. I made the turkey so juicy throughout that even when we went to put it away it was still full of juices instead of dry.

What a day!! But it was fun having everyone over. Just one person missing--Lilly. She is still in the hospital acting like a premie and trying to figure out how to breathe when she eats. She just wasn't ready to come to dinner yet.

The pics are of Carolyn holding Lilly while in at the hospital and of Stephen and Gabe this evening.

Oh well. Enjoy the pics!!

A Month?! Big Deal! How about several months lag?! Yup! That's Me!

I just realized this post is more than one month behind the last post. Gabe is really blossoming and growing now. He is talking to us all the time and we can understand him some. I am growing more comfortable with addressing him as "Son" like I did Stephen. Gabe has called Claudia and I "Mom" and "Dad" for a long time. He still misuses a lot of words and slurs a bunch of them, just massacring them over and over, but conversations are fairly good and fast moving and he understands a lot more now. He gets a lot of services and he is also in a big growth spurt!! I think he is at least a head taller than when we got him.

He just charms us over and over again daily. He gets lots of hugs and kisses from Dad here. And, yes, he still tries to tackle anyone he can!!

Potty training? Well, that is another subject. He still makes his share of wet and messy pull-ups. At the same time, we are finding ways to help him be more interested in pottying himself.

What can we say more. We just love our little guy. If only he could just sit down for his teachers!

Oh well--all in good (or bad?) time.

Well--What a Blizzard!!

Don't fain anyone--I'm posting again!! Our new granddaughter was born a couple of weeks ago and we are anxious to see her leave the hospital. Her mom says she is out of the isolette now but still on a feeding tube. We have been to see our little Lilly a few times but I have not been able to get Claudia to go with me for a week now, and I feel out-of-place going to see the little one by myself.

I have pics, but they were of the first day and Lilly has all kinds of gadgets attached to her--you really can't see her very well.

Anyway, I do hope we go again soon--or that I can go with someone instead of by myself. Claudia is always too tired in the evening when I can go.

Ohhhh--the blizzard. Sorry--off-topic. Wow!! The TV news crews are calling it the Blizzard of 2010. It was a surprise early snow storm. It actually began over the weekend, but worsened to very bad blizzard conditions over the past two days. All public schools that were scheduled to be in session were cancelled for the week. I didn't have to go to work at all this week.

We got some groceries today and are getting ready for the big feast on Thursday. But all the roads were closed north of Idaho Falls today. Some were closed yesterday already. I have shoveled the driveway twice today, and now it is too cold to go out there and do it again. Temps are supposed to go to single digits or minuses tonight and lasting until 11 am tomorrow.

Brrrr!! But that's Idaho. Winter is without doubt here now!

Finally--Grandparents!!!

When: About 3:45 this afternoon (Saturday, November 6, 2010)
What: A wee little baby girl
Where: Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Weight: weighing no more than 4 lbs 4 oz.
How Born: Caesarean Section

Currently Carolyn Tigner Shaffer is in good medical condition after the surgery and is resting at the hospital.
Lily Shaffer is in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and will remain there until she grows to term (probably 2 or more weeks) or begins eating healthily and gaining enough weight. Carolyn is expected to be in the hospital for another 3 or more days. Samuel is there with Carolyn and the baby and is a happy father right now.

We are happy new, first-time grandparents.

The story as Claudia and I know it:

Last night Carolyn and Sam came over to the house. They had been worried about the baby because it seemed to have dropped a little over a week ago and Carolyn was not feeling very well. During the day the lay midwife had ordered an ultra sound to examine the condition of the baby and Carolyn. The imaging showed a low level of amniotic fluid--less than half. Carolyn is only 35 weeks along and this was a concern. Visits were scheduled with the midwife and Dr. Isbell (Ob Gyn) on Monday, but no one would see Carolyn until then.

At our house last night I was the only person who had observed a mother in labor. I was concerned and thought they ought to probably contact a doctor right away. To me she looked and acted as though she were in labor. Carolyn was grouchy about the inference. They decided not to contact the doctor. Home they went.

This morning Claudia received a call while I was out reading with a friend's son. Sam and Carolyn were going to the hospital because some "things" had occurred during the night and the midwife had told them they should go there immediately.

They went at about 9:30 am and were there the rest of the day. The hospital was apparently about ready to send them home until about 3 pm, when Carolyn's body started into full labor. A C Section was scheduled for 4 pm. Claudia called me as soon as she found out. I headed home withing about 5 minutes. We arrived at the hospital at 3:50 pm and the baby had already been born and was in the NICU. We were told everything was going to be just fine. We stayed awhile, saw our new granddaughter, retrieved some supper for Sam and us and some flowers for Carolyn's room (Carolyn is on a clear liquid diet until they know she can take in solid food). We then wished them both well and left the hospital for home.

We were both pleasantly surprised to discover that the baby had been born and that both were physically doing well.

What more can we say--she is perfect!!!