Old Man Shove Surgery Report

After starving for several hours, this was a meal fit for a king (or queen)!

Why in the world I had to wait for THREE hours to hear how a 40 minute surgery went I'm not sure. About an hour and half into waiting, I shut my computer and started watching the exit door, expecting my name to be called each time the doorknob turned. However, slowly but surely the waiting room emptied, refilled with new patients, then emptied again and no word on Ryan. At the two hour mark, I asked for an update from the receptionist, explaining that it had been over an hour past when I was told that I'd hear something. Then, at two and half hours I approached the desk again, even more anxious. "Oh, you haven't heard anything yet?" she asked innocently. Seriously. I. Am. Going. To. Freak. Out. Lady.

Then, right at the three hour mark the doctor emerged. (Finally!) The surgery went well. Ryan had a clean break (which we'd been praying for), and the doctor said the tendon was "in a good place." HOWEVER, the first words (after "it went well") out of his mouth were, "Did your husband play sports?" Um, yeah, high school football? Apparently the tendon ruptured nicely but the tissue is a little worn for his age. Because of the lack of suppleness, the doctor said he's going to treat Ryan's recovery a little more cautiously than we had hoped for. Right now he's looking at four weeks on crutches (while we were hoping for two).

Ryan awoke feeling nauseous after the surgery, and the nurse tried to get him to eat crackers and drink ginger ale to help. He was way too groggy to put anything into his stomach, so we sat around for a bit before heading out. As he was being wheeled out by the nurse, he caught me sneaking a sip of his untouched ginger ale. I giggled and shrugged; he wasn't the only one who hadn't eat anything in a while, and, hey, it was going to be thrown away anyway... (Insert sheepish grin.)

We picked up the baby from Uncle Shane's, stopped at Panera (of course), and headed home. E.V. and Ryan passed out along the way, and it's mostly been getting everyone fed and comfy from there. Ryan's tired but feeling okay in light of the situation. Thank you for all of your prayers and concerns. Now on to the healing!

Old Man Shove Gets Cut

In good spirits!

Today Ryan and I woke up feeling surprisingly happy and excited. I say "surprisingly" because today is surgery day, which, for most people, would be a bad thing. Ryan, though, is ready to get his surgery over with and begin the healing process. God has granted us both supernaturally positive attitudes today, so considering how bad we could have felt, waking up with no worries today felt like waking up on Christmas morning. (Is December 27th too soon to say that?)

We've been praying for the best possible outcome and feel confident that God will take care of him. I'm in the waiting room now, doing my only job right now--waiting--and praying for the surgeon to have a clear head and skillful hands. We've been praying that Ryan's achilles snapped cleanly and that there will be two non-shredded ends for the doctor to connect, that he'll not be in too much pain over the next few weeks, and that he'll heal quickly.

When Ryan was waiting to be wheeled back, he was (of course) working up until the last possible moment, in good spirits, and joking about not needing anesthesia because he was already sleepy and ready for a nap. The doctor said that he should eat once he's awake and up to it, so we talked about what he wanted (in case he's not of sound mind), and we landed on Panera (surprise, surprise). As they wheeled him down the hallway, his second-to-last words to me were, "Not a Big Kid Grilled Cheese. I'll take a Frontega. No onions. Noooo oooonions!" (And then, of course, "I love you!")

Now that the gears are in motion, I'm getting ready to play Mrs. Nurse and wait on my husband hand and foot (left foot, to be exact!), but perhaps more importantly, we prepared for his impending recovery last night by purchasing a television for our master bedroom. (Funny how his rupturing his achilles tendon resulted in us getting a new television, isn't it?) Ryan's been refusing to take it too easy over the past week, claiming he wants to "get his money's worth" out of the surgery. Ha! So last night when he convinced me that he could go alone to Costco to get the 32" TV we agreed upon, I should've known better than to let the man out on his own. Somehow Costco was mysteriously and suspiciously out of stock on all 32" televisions, and when I got the call to weigh in on whether he should get a 47" or 60", I knew I had been duped. Oh, well. The 47" fits nicely on our bedroom wall, and if it eases his recovery process, it's worth it. HOWEVER, let's just say that I won't be so easily convinced of his independence post-surgery. :)

I'll update once he's out. Prayers welcome!

When you work for yourself, work can't wait. ;)

In seven years of marriage, I've never put Ryan's ring on my own hand.
Gosh, boys' fingers are way bigger than girls'!
Can't wait to give this back to him. 

Happy Raindear Day!

When Emma Vance went to sleep last night, she sighed and confided in me that she was excited about waking up to a white Christmas. Being an honest mother, I told her, "No, E.V., it's going to rain, dear."

You can see where she got confused...

Merry Christmas and Happy Raindear Day to everyone!

Emma Vance and Priscilla, The Video

Ryan shot a few quick minutes of footage during Emma Vance's first trip on the Pink Pig a few weeks ago and threw together this little video today. Enjoy!

Wookie Christmas / Dear God, She's Mobile!

My sweet family, all cozied up!

This morning I awoke early with E.V. with a mental to-do list a mile long. Ryan, on the other hand, is a little more relaxed when it comes to our daily schedule, so he slept in a bit longer than the baby and I did. In fact, instead of nagging him to get up with me, I tried a devious ploy: When E.V. took her morning nap, I settled her into our bed next to Ryan. (So precious.) I whispered that he needed to get up with her when she awoke, knowing that she's a consistent 45-minute napper. Well, the joke was on me today because Emma Vance slept almost TWO HOURS! Seriously? :) I suppose it was her Christmas gift to her dad...

TODAY you choose to sleep two hours? Really? :)

When she awoke, she was extra happy and chirpy (and rested!), and as I tried to feed her, all she wanted to do was talk. Wookie talk, to be exact. I figured she was practicing her carols for tonight. Wondering how to say "Merry Christmas!" in Wookie? Here's a little tutorial (and, yes, I chimed in too!):

Then, as Ryan headed out the door with my Honey Do List, I watched as E.V. demonstrated her "crawling" skills. Last night we officially discovered that she can reverse crawl as we watched the monitor and laughed at her backing her thang up all over her crib instead of going to sleep. This afternoon she demonstrated that rolling over and reverse crawling can amount to being officially mobile, and I couldn't help but be entertained by her efforts to reach her Christmas gifts. (To her credit, I didn't mark them "Don't open until Christmas," so she had the right to be curious.) Time to baby proof the house! Too bad I forgot to put "outlet covers" on my Christmas list this year...

"I bet I can get to that Christmas tree on my own, Mom..."

middle of a reverse crawl tactic

(and she got distracted...)

"I'm getting closer!"

"Those presents are in my sight!"

"What?!? NOW you tell me I have to wait until tomorrow?"

"That's MY Baby!" (Christmas Eve-Eve)

Tonight was Emma Vance's first time at church!

Since Ryan worked at North Point Community Church for many years, when he ventured out on his own, we decided that we needed a break from the church world. Fast forward four years, and the closest we've gotten to going back to "traditional" church has been attending North Point Online. The reality is that Ryan's often gone on Sundays (and I really don't desire to shlep a baby to church just to sit alone or be a third wheel) and when he is here, honestly we just want to rest and not make a big deal about Sunday. There are no such things as typical weekends around here, so because North Point makes the resource available to us, we get our church fix through the ol' interweb these days.

Things have been changing in my heart recently, though. Now that Emma Vance has most of her immunizations, we've been wanting to get her into church-church. In talking about the subject, we decided that Christmas Eve might be a good time to start. Unfortunately the 23rd snuck up on me, and this morning I remembered that church was tonight. We decided to fast forward our day's events a little in order to make the 4:30 service, and although going to church kept us from accomplishing as much as I'd have liked to today, I'm glad we actually stepped foot inside the church for such a special occasion.

We've never left Emma Vance with anyone other than her grandparents, so I was anxious as to how the whole Waumba Land (childcare) experience was going to go. I mean, Ryan worked at North Point for a looong time, but this was new even to him! And, to complicate matters, the service fell right smack dab in the middle of her usual nap time (not to mention that she had an abbreviated nap before we went so that we wouldn't be late). Checking in was much quicker than I expected--one short form to fill out and a volunteer walked us to a classroom where a sweet woman took to Emma Vance. We handed over our diaper bag and carseat and kissed her goodbye, and I found myself rambling off instructions as we walked away. I'm not sure who the woman who took E.V. was, but she made me feel like she was thrilled to have Emma Vance in her arms (even though E.V. was grabbing and clawing at her face, which is her latest obsession). In fact, I might have changed my mind, grabbed my child and ran back to my car if it hadn't been for her gushing excitement. Thank God for such a wonderful volunteer!

The service was awesome. Let me just say that their take on the musical "Les Mis" and a comedic sketch about mall employees were perfect. (Two subjects I know a lot about!) Seriously, I laughed so hard and appreciate how much work was put into both pieces. I do have to admit that while Andy spoke about the birth of Christ, all I could think of was how Emma Vance was doing. I kept checking my phone and expecting "Waumba Land Baby #61, please come get your screaming child!" to appear on the screens. Andy spoke about the reality of the  Christmas story, how it really happened and isn't a fairytale, and I kept imagining newborn Emma Vance cuddled up in a manger. (Poor thing! How uncomfortable!) I guess a sermon that's inevitably about a BABY wasn't the wisest service to test out my ability to trust others with my child, right? Plus, There was a crying baby in the room, and it made me so anxious to see how Emma Vance was holding up.

When the service was over, Waumba Land was swamped, and as we waited a few feet outside of Emma Vance's classroom to pick her up, I caught a glimpse of a volunteer holding her right inside the doorway. Almost simultaneously, a girl walked by with her husband, looked right at E.V., then turned to her husband (so she was facing me) and exclaimed, "Oh what a CUTE baby that was!" :)

Okay, okay. Every parent thinks their baby is the cutest baby ever, but I'm a realist who knows that my love for E.V. gives me rose colored glasses for her. HOWEVER, to hear someone be so candid and gush completely unsolicitedly about Emma Vance made me lose my cool for a moment. I cried out to the woman, "That's MY baby!" while grinning from ear to ear. (Insert sheepish look and red cheeks while later recounting the story.) You would think that after such an obnoxious claim I'd slap my hand over my mouth and be embarrassed, but no. Instead, as she smiled and said, "The one with the bow on her head?" I excitedly said again, "That's MY baby!" (Yes, ma'am. The one with the bow on her head.)

Thankfully her husband kept her walking forward or I might have told her again that it was MY baby she thought was so cute. (Just in case she didn't get it the first two times.) Ha! Oh well. You can't blame a "new" mom too much for her glowing adoration for her child, right? Now I just need to work on my delivery...

So, to cap off the story, Emma Vance was happy as a clam when we picked her up. During the service, she skipped her nap completely, had a diaper change and a bottle, ditched her shoes in order to be more comfortable, and clearly made an impression with her cuteness on everyone. (Did I ever doubt her?) Although we didn't get a full report on her behavior and somehow ended up with some other kid's Puffs and baby wipes, overall I'd say E.V.'s first time in Waumba Land was a success.

Little Miss was too social to sleep while being watched, but she passed out the moment we strapped her into her carseat--like literally the moment we strapped her in. She seemed exhausted but thrilled to have made new friends tonight, and for that I'm thankful. And, of course, I'm so excited that we can now confidently bring her on Sunday mornings and not worry. (Perhaps that's her Christmas gift to us?)

Christmas Eve-Eve service with Dad

To the sweet volunteer who loved on my baby--thank you!

"That's MY baby!" (and, man, does she look tired!)

Sleeping in heavenly peace...

Everyday is Christmas Day

Meeting Nana and Pop for the first time!

Christmas is a big deal in Ryan's family. And I mean BIG deal. In fact, family legend tells that once upon a time his Nana was asked why she had an image of Santa hanging on her wall well into the warm weather months, a question to which she promptly responded, "Because everyday is Christmas day!" This saying has become popular amongst Ryan's family (and even has a song and motions to enhance the experience), and I'm sure E.V. will learn how to join in soon enough. With this being Emma Vance's first Christmas, we're happy to have the Nana and Pop here all the way from New York to help introduce her to the most wonderful time of the year.

The first night they drove in, we met them at Wendi's house to make proper introductions. Here's how the evening went, in a nutshell:

Wendi's house, all aglow!

E.V. got immediate kisses from Nana (of course).

(Not indicative of her emotions, but too cute not to share...)

Nana bought E.V. a bonnet, which she had to try on right away!

When Pop got his hands on her...

...they were equally smitten with one another. :)

admiring her bonnet

(a sneak peak at Wendi's Christmas decor)

We sat down to dinner, but the food played second fiddle to the baby, as is to be expected. Ha!

Nana played "Patty Cake" with Emma Vance.

Ryan got a quick smile as he passed Emma Vance around the table.

Pop couldn't get enough of her...

...and vice versa!

Pop pretended that a bee was buzzing toward Emma Vance...

...and we discovered she has a fear of bees...

...but she recovered quickly once we told her it was just pretend. :)

Then Emma Vance got all bundled up to head home.

Bedtime came too quickly, making their first visit a quick one, but Emma Vance has gotten the chance to hang out with Nana and Pop a few times during the last week. This evening, the whole gang (including Ryan's family, my family, and some of Wendi's neighbors) all went to dinner compliments of Wendi and Mike (Thanks!) at La Casa in downtown Alpharetta to officially start the 2012 Christmas festivities. Emma Vance got all dressed up in her fancy Christmas dress (Thanks to Grandma!) for the occasion. It was a relaxing evening full of good food and good company, and E.V. was excited to see everyone.

Emma Vance clearly out-dressed me this evening. She's tough competition, that one!

Ready for Christmas to start!

Appetizers and catching up...

(She LOVES her Uncle Shane so much!)

After visiting with lots of family members, she ended the evening with Aunt Alana. So cute!

Now that Nana and Pop are here and we've had our official Christmas Kick-Off Dinner, the festivities can begin, and although most people leave Christmas celebrations to December 25th, around here we like to remember that everyday is Christmas day! :)

Besties

I suppose if no one's moving then everybody's comfortable, right? :)

Now this is what true friendship looks like, folks. (PS: LOVE them.)

Old Man Shove Visits Publix

Enjoying Old Man perks at the grocery store.

This.

Happened.

Today.

And I think Ryan had a little too much fun riding that Rascal. #EagerToBeOld

Debating who has the sweeter ride. I think Ryan may win this one...

It's (Not) the End of the World as We Know It

"We're Still Alive!" Celebratory Brunch

This morning just before 6 a.m., Emma Vance woke herself up by rolling over onto her belly while dreaming--and then forgetting in her sleepy state how to roll over to her back. She was pretty disoriented and upset--as was Oscar. Since the baby had woken him up out of a peaceful slumber, he realized that he had the urgent need to go potty. So I walked E.V. downstairs with me to let him out, where it occurred to her that we were up waaaay before we normally are. ("Is it still dark out, Mom???") This realization brought a smile to her baby face, and before long we were up-up. She was all giggles and babbling as we let Oscar back inside and crawled in bed. (Of course we had to wake up Ryan to join us in our early morning party!)

Since the world was supposed to end at 6:11 a.m. (EST) today, and since we were up already, we decided to indulge E.V. and snuggle and play for what might have been our last fifteen minutes on Earth. I looked at Ryan and told him that although I knew I should put the baby back to bed, if this in fact was our last few minutes alive, I'd rather us all be together, hunkered down in our big bed, dogs and all. I do have to say that there was a quick moment there, right before 6:11, that I held my breath. Call it superstition or whatever, but if someone pinpointed the exact moment in time you might die, even if you didn't believe them, it's only natural to panic a bit just before that moment occurs, right?

And then the world breathed a sigh of relief as 6:11 passed quickly by.

We had a weird schedule this morning since we were up early but not functioning, and when we all got up and running, we decided to celebrate it NOT being the end of the world by having brunch at Cracker Barrel. In the moments before we actually left our house and entered the world, I do have to admit that the thought crossed my mind--what if there had been some terrible disaster and we just weren't aware of it yet? I mean, we didn't have the news or radio on, and it did seem eerily quiet outside with no cars zipping past our house...

And then I breathed a sigh of relief as a noisy car passed quickly by.

So, there you have it, folks. No apocalypse, horrifying natural disaster, zombies rising from the graves, solar flares, etc. Turns out the Mayans were wrong, and I'm happy for that failure on their part. Now, onto living the rest of my life...