21 Days

It has been 21 days today that Oliver has been calling the NICU at RUH home but it could be the last day.  I thought today was the day he came home but now they are saying, “tomorrow”.  We’ll see what happens but it looks good.

The Scott in Oliver Scott

Some of you asked where Oliver’s name came from.  Part of it was deadline as he was born two months early.  We were bouncing a bunch of names around and we liked Oliver the best.  Jordon’s idea of Babe Laufenburg Cooper was going nowhere and we have always liked Oliver. 

His middle name comes from our friend Scott Williams.  I met Scott a week or so after marrying Jordon and it wasn’t the best first impression but he kind of grew on us.  We have a bunch of good memories with Scott and Jordon has some memories that require on going counseling to keep repressed (it is just easier to do that than deal with it).  My favorite memory of Scott is that during a storm one time when he was visiting, a loud thunderstorm came up and woke Mark up (who was around three years old), who came running down the stairs and into Scott’s arms.  Mark had never met Scott before (who was passing through Saskatoon) but he was an adult who seemed trustworthy and was closer than Jordon and I.  He never left Scott’s lap until the storm was over.   Ever since that night Mark has prayed for Scott (actually he called him Sott for the longest time) and Ben and Nathan (whose names he could pronounce fine).

I hope Oliver learns from Scott’s tenacity, sense of humor, compassionate nature, and passion for God.  Of course the other weird coincidence is that Oliver and Scott Williams mashes up to be Ollie Williams, the BlaccuWeather forcaster from the Family Guy

Of course that has nothing to do with it but I have a feeling that Oliver’s first words are going to be, “I’m at the wrong airport”

Thank you

Now that I am back from the hospital and starting to feel normal again.  There are a couple of people I wanted to say thanks to in no particular order…

• The Reimers ::  Thanks to Jerry, Gloria, and Kristi for watching Mark the first time I thought I was going to have a cesarean and for stopping by lots to visit, chat, and worry with me before and after Oliver was born.
• Lakeview Church :: Gloria tossed me on their prayer list and I appreciate the many prayers, gifts and kind words over the last couple of weeks.
• The staff of the Salvation Army Community Centre :: Jordon’s workplace was really kind with some visits, thwarted visits, and a wonderful bouquet of flowers.  They also abused Jordon while I wasn’t around to keep him honest.
• Safeway :: My old store gave me a wonderful gift while my new store lectured me every time they saw me walking in because they knew I was on bed rest (even though I was often coming in to check my blood pressure).
• Jordon :: He sat through a lot with me, asked questions for me, got food for me, and made sure Mark was up lots to the hospital.  He kept me from losing my mind and breaking down when they wouldn’t let me go see Oliver, come home, eat what I wanted to…
• Lee :: Despite the fact that he is moving out, he did a pretty good job of watching Mark, made several runs to the hospital and spent some time sitting with us as well.  Oliver is getting a pretty good uncle in Lee.
• The friends who came to visit.  Hospitals are lonely places and those of you who came by made it a lot more pleasant.
• Everyone who e-mailed, Twittered, or left comments on Jordon’s or my blog.  Thanks, it was a lot of fun reading those when I got home.

Back from the lake

When everything with Oliver became accelerated, our plan to spend a week up at the cabin this summer went out the window.  I have to go up to Royal University Hospital once a day at the minimum and our life has revolved around heading up to the hospital.  Later this week after Oliver’s nurse assured me that everything was going fine, we decided to take a half day up to the lake.   We went up to the cabin on Saturday night after seeing Oliver up at the hospital.  The plan was to get up to the lake Saturday night and back to Saskatoon and see Oliver on Sunday.  We drove out via Lanigan and Nokomis.  Between those two towns the highway has simply disintegrated and while they are rebuilding them, I was stunned they didn’t redirect traffic but that was the worst and slowest stretch of highway I was on.  The sand was so soft, it was almost dangerous to drive on.

Of course it was worth it when we got there.  Mark and Maggi had the beach to themselves as we went for a long walk down it.  Jordon and I took the land route while they went through the water.  We were all a little darker and tanned at the end of the day and the dog was totally exhausted.  Apparently retrieving everything in sight in and out of the water is hard work.  I have never seen a dog love water that much.  She spent probably 20 minutes just laying in the water, head out of it but entire body in it.  Of course I forgot my hat and I ended up with a bit too much sun.  I paid for it with a miserable headache last night and today.  Advil is my friend.

Lee had given Mark a tent for his eighth birthday and we set it up behind the cabin for the first time and Mark slept back there.  He never came in until 9:00 a.m. and loved this first time roughing it.  The other advantage is that Jordon and I were able to wander down to the beach and watch the sunset knowing that Mark was safe and tucked in for the night.

Later in the day, Jordon and Mark took a load of stuff to the dump and took along Mark’s slingshot, a gift he got for winning an award for his grades in school.  Jordon’s first shot after warning Mark of the dangers of shooting a slingshot hit a seagull.  Seriously.  If you paid him a million dollars, he couldn’t do it again but he hit a seagull who came into land mid shot.

We did have one problem and that was that during the middle of the night when Mark went to the washroom.  After being a little longer than he should, Jordon wandered out and found him.  He was certain he saw a bear.  Jordon asked him, "Were you planning to stay [in the washrooms] all night?"  To which Mark responded, "If I had to."  It is now mandatory that he takes a flashlight to the bathroom and probably a two way radio.

We left pretty early Sunday but never managed to beat the heat.  Oliver was resting wonderfully at RUH.  Other than trying to pull out his feeding tube whenever he is awake, he is doing well and gaining more weight.  I imagine Oliver will get to experience the lake in August.

Holding Oliver for the first Time

Jordon got to hold him for the first time today.  We could both sit and hold him for hours if we were allowed to. 

On a somewhat related note, the beds in NICU cost $100,000.00 a bed.

FBI E-mail Scam

Stupidest variation of the Nigerian e-mail scam I have seen yet.

Here it is in all of it’s stupidity.

Robert Mueller robertmueller.director@fbi.gov
Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 12:08 PM

Reply-To: peter_crisps007@hotmail.com

To: undisclosed-recipients

Anti-Terrorist and Monitory Crimes Division.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation.
J. Edgar. Hoover Building Washington D.C
Telephone Number : (425)-296-1679

This is to Officially inform you that it has come to our notice and we have thoroughly Investigated by the help of our Intelligence Monitoring Network System that you are having an illegal Transaction with Imposters claiming to be Prof. Charles C. Soludo of the Central Bank Of Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Aziza, Mr Frank Nweke, none officials of Oceanic Bank, none officials of Zenith Bank and imposter claiming to be the Federal Bureau Of Investigation. During our Investigation, it came to our notice that the reason why you have not received your payment is because you have not fulfill your Financial Obligation giving to you in respect of your Contract/Inheritance Payment.

The federal Bureau Of Investigation,Congratulation you Won an ATM Card here in our office.So therefore, we have contacted the Federal Ministry Of Finance on your behalf and they have brought a solution to your problem by arranging your payment in total of US$8,000,000.00 in an ATM CARD which you will use to withdraw money in anywhere of the world. You now have the lawful right to claim your fund in the ATM CARD.Please this offer include the deaf and disable.
Since the Federal Bureau of Investigation is involved in this transaction, all you did have to do is to be rest assured for this is 100% risk free because it is our right to protect the American Citizens. All I did want you to do is proceed and contact the ATM CARD CENTER via email for their requirements to proceed and procure your Approval Slip on your behalf which will cost you $150.00 only and note that your Approval Slip contains details of your PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN) which you will use in activating your ATM CARD in any ATM MACHINE.

CONTACT INFORMATION
NAME: MR. Peter Crisps
EMAIL: peter_crisps007@yahoo.com

Do contact Mr. Peter Crisps of the ATM CARD CENTRE with your full name, home address, mobile telephone number, home telephone number or work telephone number and bank name so your files would be updated after which he will send the payment informations to you which you will use in making payment of $150.00 via Western Union Money Transfer or Money Gram for the procurement of your Approval Slip after which the delivery of your ATM CARD will be effected to your designated home address without any further delay.

We order you get back to this office after you open contact with the ATM SWIFT CARD CENTRE and we do await your response so we can move on with our Investigation and make sure your ATM SWIFT CARD gets to you.
Thanks and hope to read from you soon.
FBI Director

Technorati Tags: Nigerian E-mail Scam,FBI

Off the Grid

Jordon posted some photos of some amazing cabins that are off the grid here.

Where there’s smoke…

This a favorite photo that Jordon took while at the Riverbend Correctional Institution in Prince Albert of two of his co-workers.  A lot of burgers were cooked but a lot of smoke was too.

What I missed while at the hospital

Guess what I missed while in the hospital.  I am starting to realize that with three boys in the house, this could get worse.

The Cooking Blog on Twitter

Ahoy, since I am at home and have nothing to do, I set up Twitter for The Cooking Blog.  Everytime I post a recipe to the site, it will send a Tweet to Twitter to let people know that I have updated.  If you are interested, you can follow it here.