Rochester Christmas

We celebrated Christmas a day late with my family on December 23rd. John had just been discharged from the hospital and my parents made homemade calzones. We ate and opened presents before William had to go to bed. It was a nice way to end a terrible few days.

The McGarry's/Heidts

The theme for this year's Christmas? Transportation! Checking out a new dumptruck from Grandpa and Grandma.

Helping Mama open presents. After every gift, he wanted to stop and play - it was hard to get him to focus on the other presents when he just wanted to go back to his first gift.

Helping Grandma open a present. This is also a great picture of Uncle Mike!

Ooooohhh....a little Christmas wonder goes a long way to heal. William was so impressed by everything: the tree, the lights, the paper, the toys, the food, the COOKIES!

William posing on his new chair from Aunt Megan

Home

Happy New Year!

For New Year's Eve, we got together with some of our favorite people: Jessica, Chris and their brand new baby Cana. They came over to my parent's house and we rang in the new year together. We played a little Wii and had a wonderful visit catching up with everything. It couldn't have been more perfect.

William meets Cana for the first time

William offers to share a truck with Cana. He is shocked when she really isn't interested.

Party animals William and Cana

William tried to get Cana interested in his favorite truck book.
Jessica, Chris and Cana brought a present! A train set!

Helping Mama open the train set while leaning on her belly isn't helpful as much as painful. Especially with his poky little elbow.

We bought special party hats for our family - however we weren't all wearing them at the same time ever!

Updates

1. John had his follow up appointment yesterday with the surgeon. Everything is looking good (I thought everything was looking gross myself) and sent us on our way with instructions to get a splint and complete our physical therapy as directed. His cast was removed, staples in his head were taken out, x rays taken, physical therapy exercises were learned and a splint was tailor made to fit him. John has permission to return to St Louis for the rest of his care. However, John does not have permission to drive himself to St Louis or anywhere else for the next several weeks.

2. The car situation has been resolved (we think). We have spent the majority of our time the last three days trying to shop for a new vehicle and arrange for payment of said vehicle. Things are complicated by many things including the fact that our checkbook is at home along with the title from our now totaled Expedition. Also, we are not from Minnesota and have to pay St Louis sales taxes and our banking institutions are in Seattle, Washington. Nothing has been easy this last week. However, we are now the owners of a 2009 Toyota Sienna. I'd like to tell you I'm happy about this, but to be honest I'm not. I'm ready to be done with the complications and red tape and paperwork and overeager sales people who assure you things will work and in the end they do not. I think happiness will find me later, hopefully soon.

3. Our current plan is to drive home tomorrow depending on the weather and how everyone is feeling. It will be good to be home again where there is a possiblity things won't be so difficult and we can start working on our next long list of tasks to complete from medical forms, insurance paperwork, and followup appointments to schedule.

Happy...

Anniversary to us today. It was low key and relaxed. Just what we needed today.


PS One of the losses from the accident is my cell phone. If you're trying to get ahold of us, you'll need to use John's phone number (or e mail me for the number). I spent a chunk of time calling my doctor offices to update their records.

PPS After all my calling around, I am pleased to report that all the cookies I have eaten over the holiday are not contributing to gestational diabetes. Blood work was all clear - bring on the pie.

A Week Past

We are busy busy busy. We're figuring things out and making lists. Things that are lost, things that are damaged, things that need to be done. At the top of every list I want to write in big letters: REMEMBER WHAT MATTERS IS EVERYONE IS OKAY. Christmas has come and gone in a blink of an eye - a fuzzy, unfocused eye.

I do have pictures to share and stories to tell, but my heart just isn't in it. This last week has been one of the more difficult in my life and I just can't find it in me to write about the everyday stuff just yet. Or fill you in on why I hated dogs for 15 minutes last week. But, it is coming. I promise.

Hospital Update

I know people are looking for more information about us. Luckily, there wasn't all that much that needed fixing in the end. John was admited to St Mary's Hospital in Rochester (a great place to be) yesterday and consulted with doctors about the treatment of his hand. We elected for surgery to take place yesterday on the three center fingers of his left hand. The surgery itself was about an hour and half and surgeons reported everything went well. Two pins were placed in the ring finger on John's left hand to hold the bones in place. His hand is expected to recover with the possibility of some stiffness in his joints. Only time will tell. John spent the night at the hospital to receive antibiotics and should be ready to go home sometime this afternoon.

We have some bumps we are going to have to clear before we are back on track again (physical therapy/occupational therapy, vehicle decisions, travel decisions, insurance claims to be filed, medical claims to follow up with, and check up appointments to coordinate). I think we're all starting to feel like the problems are becoming more managable and life as we knew it will be possible again (which sounds kind of dramatic, but what we've been through is just so overwhelming in so many ways).

We'll be back when there is more to tell....Happy Holidays everyone