This is probably why normal people do Facebook -- apologies for all the email, but i figured between the baby and the storm that clobbered our area a bunch of people would be wondering what's going on!
I appreciate your continued prayer and well-wishing! I continue to pray for you and yours as well.
Wednesday at 1:05 am baby Ezra was born. It went about as smoothly as these things can go, and Shelley and I went home around 10am after getting some sleep at the birthing center.
Thursday was time for Shelley and her mother with little Ezra. Her father had to go to Kansas for an airplane part). Isaiah and Clark went to school, Elijah and I went on his (long-planned) band trip to Athens, GA where he played trumpet with other skilled middle schoolers. Ezra satisfied the house-call nurse that stopped in from the birthing center.
Friday was Ezra's first check-up at the pediatrician. The staff was distracted as a mighty snow storm began -- the kids got pulled from school early, and Shelley and her mother had to scramble to finish the doc appt and get the older boys from early release. Elijah and I got rain in Athens, but he still bowled a 116 one game during a break from practices. The power went out around 5pm, and it was cold.
Saturday morning the power was still out and the house was colder still. My mother arrived after sleeping in her car because the roads were too bad. I got home with Elijah at 3pm to find the family bustling around the house in coats and blankets, and the baby happily snoozing. He'd begun eating better and was plenty warm. We ate barbecue that our pastor's wife brought over the previous night (and we reheated on a camp stove in the kitchen). Despite the cold and dim, it was a pleasant family meal. The baby has now lived over a quarter of his life without heat or power (or wifi!). Kind neighbors with a generator for their heat (the Blades family) took in Shelley's parents and my mother. Shelley, the boys, and I went to stay with some friends we knew from church (the Cooper family). Everyone agreed that it was nice to have heat.
Sunday morning the family reunited at church. It was a smaller gathering for a shorter service. We sang a cappella - it was really nice. After several weeks of helping us leading up to and immediately after the baby, Shelley's parents were able to fly out (my mother remains to help). We watched a lot of football that afternoon, and had tacos that evening. The baby is well. The ducks did not come home Sunday evening, and with the cold and the winter predators, we fear the worst.
Monday I came in to work - i've been out for a week and needed to check in. I stopped at home on my way in to feed the beasts. Power is still out. Cats are fine. Dog is lonely but seems entirely undaunted by the cold. I saw 14 (of 17) ducks splashing around in the stream and threw them some corn, but they don't seem to like walking on snow.
A few pictures:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/t8SppWEzVKFIr76Z2
