💾 Archived View for gmi.wolfmd.me › 202201.gmi captured on 2022-04-29 at 11:36:39. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
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Some happy new year. I got paged at 6am due to some IT
bullshit at work. Somehow didn't have a hangover and
worked until 10 then again for a bit until noon. Way later
than I wanted to stay given we needed some daylight to
assemble the generator and triage the house for the night.
I didn't sleep much on the drive up and was very grumpy
trying to get the generator running by the light of dusk.
My parents came over to help and listen to me swear up a
storm. We couldn't get the water back on and Y became
despondent. Read and worked on a puzzle by lamplight and
candle light, listened to the radio on my emergency
handy-talky, set up an elaborate heating lamp corner for
the frogs before turning off the generator and switching
the heater over to battery power for the night. Still woke
up every 4 hours to check on the temperature in the frog
tanks.
I'm dumb, the water was a different shutoff I forgot I had
turned. Pulled out the new chainsaw and spent an hour or
two taking it apart to get the damn chain back on, but
eventually figured it out and now I feel like I can
probably maintain it fairly well. Chopped up one of the
two limbs on the house. The other will require a ladder.
Going to leave that until the snow melts. What to do with
all this wood? Maybe a little squat palisade wall
somewhere? Our airbnb check in is at 1600. To save gas we
shut off the generator at noon and pack-up to leave by
1400. I clear out the aquariums of their departed denizens
and wave goodbye to the house again. My parents again
insist on staying put for now while they run errands and
work on the tree in the yard. Y and I heat the car up on
our way down to Auburn enough that we feel safe leaving the
frogs inside while we get coffee. It's actually rather warm
and we take our coffee outside on the patio of the cafe. I
read more of my book about harems and Y gets some pizza
from across the street. When we get in to the airbnb we
find it to be the perfect spot. Things are looking up. We
set up our workstations on the counter and dining table
respectively and I catch up with my friend from Knoxville.
I can actually start catching up with my responsibilities
as well but I choose to take an early sleep instead.
Power came back on yesterday and I went back home midday to
turn the breakers back on and get the furnace running.
Today I took down the branch on the carport and only ripped
off part of the gutter and flashing. Video games otherwise.
And we got new fish. Wrote a couple letters
Cut branches off the roof, tossing chunks of logs to the
ground manahed tovknock over a birdhouse too. Went to a
shiitake miahroom growing workshop at the mushbarn.
Learned a bit about cultivation and got an innoculated log
and some spent spawn. Struck up conversation with an old
timer organic farmer from chicago park- learned some
tricks-- bend conduit into hoops for a plant shelter, put
compost directly into fallow fields, etc. Bring back the
narrow gauge. Mush barn folks are a bit dreadlocky for my
taste but nice enough. Left with a good hail of fertilizer
and ideas to make spore prints etc. Later had parents over
and played Wingspan-- my mother won
Limb is off the house thanks to my father's assistance.
Only took out one section of railing with it. Glued the
birdhouse back up. I need to start planning the year's
garden and starting seeds. Also taxes. Also all of the home
repairs. Also baby shit? Got the fireplace working but
broke the TV. That wasn't fun to explain to Y. At least
it's after Chtistmas and TVs are cheaper again
Spent the morning sawing logs and sorting boxes of junk.
But in the afternoon, friends from the city came out and
we carpooled over to Dutch Creek Falls in Coloma. It was
a crowded area, but bouldering through the pristine creek
was well worth it. Greenery about and a wonderful time to
get to spend some times with these folks. One used to be
a teammate of mine but recently early-retired. Fun to hear
how he's been spending his time and the progress on their
home in Petaluma. After the hike we went back to my house
gave them a tour and had a little bonfire in the dark.
Now I'm considering going to Burning Man if they end up
having it this year.
Had a much bigger bonfire with my parents and actually
made a bit of a dent in the several tons of fallen
branches throughout the property. I'd love to let them
all decompose naturally but also concerned about the fire
hazard they pose on the ground.
Today Y was awoken at 0300. She had been dreaming about
our pet whites tree frogs and had imagined they gave birth.
Right as she called out for me to look she felt a gush of
water and came to. After a few minutes of assessing the
situation, she woke me up and told me this might be it.
I scrambled to throw together our go bag and we took a
hasty shower in which the realization that our son might
be coming out today, a month early began to dawn on us.
By 0400 we were on the road and Y was feeling
contractions coming on but not unbearably. The roads were
clear that early in the morning and we hit a magical green
streak through Auburn. The half-hour car ride gave us some
time to think.
Y could barely make it into labor and delivery when we
arrived at the hospital and the night shift swarmed in on
her trying to get her to push right then and there with no
medication. Y had frozen up and gone silent, a clear
indication of excruciating pain. She said one thing over
and over again: epidural. After continual pleading for
medication, the anxiety-inducing crowd of nurses cleared
out and we were left with an RN who helped calm us down and
coordinated finally getting Y an epidural of fentanyl. Once
the pain killer hit, Y was back to speaking and ready to
give it another go. I let my teammates know I wouldn't be
in the office, I called my parents and began anxiously
reading The Coming of Arthur
At 0800, a little after the shift change-over the nurse had
Y begin pushing and at 0830 we met our doctor. Y continued
pushing and making rapid progress. The birthing equipment
was called in soon after and at 0849 our little duderino
was fully in this world. I was told I had to cut the
umbilical cord and it was like cutting one of those 90s gel
shake-tubes. Y and I had a little cry holding our buddy who
came out a healthy 6lbs 5oz despite only being 35 weeks in
the belly. He was calm but not too-much-so and he even
opened an eye and latched onto my finger.
After a few more check-ups on L, we were transferred to
the mom baby unit where we were told we'd have to remain
for 48 hours to monitor L's blood sugar due to being a
late-preterm birth. As we settled in and tried to finally
take some deep breaths, we were served a breakfast of a
spinach and cheese omelet. We filled out paperwork and
rested for a bit before lunch of chicken noodle soup. We
learned how to feed L formula via syringe and start the
process of breast-feeding as well as swaddle him. It
would be a long day of being constantly interrupted by
nurses whenever we finally got a chance to nap between
feedings.
I had my parents come down to see the baby and had my dad
help me assemble the car seat in the parking lot. We had
actually planned on putting in the car seat on this day
but hadn't exected to do it in this situation! That being
said, the birthing experience had gone pretty smoothly
with only a few lacerations on Y. We watched the Office
and Friends during feedings and I tried to read between
naps and interruptions from the floor staff. We had a
scare on blood sugar, but buddy stabilized when given
formula.
Freedom from the hospital! We were discharged in the
afternoon and took our first ride as a family back
home. Then sleep.
Late night nervousness about L being jaundiced was
fortunately dismissed by a visit to a pediatrician in the
morning. Healthy baby boy, just asian.