Grammy Comes to Town

Grammy braved two long plane rides, a frantic layover in Texas, and a ride past scenery that would make her consider moving to the south, just to see her baby granddaughter, Honey. What a lucky girl she is! Grammy brought a bit of the farm with her as well as some goodies for the kids, and it couldn't have been better timing. Shayna and her mom are more like sisters than parent and child when they're together. Since these two get pretty creative sometimes, I was obviously worried I might come home to more ducks in our kitchen, but surprisingly there were no new additions to our little trailer. Grammy helped Tracer hunt easter eggs on Sunday, hung outside while he played in his white trash (homemade) water park on Monday, stayed inside all day watching the rain on Tuesday, helped Shayna perfect her bread making skills on Wednesday, ate at the illustrious Catfish Country on Thursday, spent the night at her childhood friend's, the Ross', on Friday, and said some tearful goodbyes in Memphis on Saturday. And thats not to mention taking care of Honey, Tracer, and Shayna the whole time.

There's a reason Kraig calls her her Rondi Babe. She camped out on cushions on the floor, cooked a string of meals that are still sticking to our ribs, cleaned, did dishes, and tromped through the mud to meet up with me and Tracer after our walk... We are a lucky family to have her for a Grammy, and we are all blessed to have her as the one that raised our wife/mother. She is missed by us, but now those at the farm can stop missing her.

Hunington "Honey" Ryder

We couldn't have hoped for a more perfect day. Friday, March 29th, Shayna's contractions started at 8 am, and since she wasn't due until April first (and planning on an even later birth), we didn't think it would happen so fast. By 12 noon she was having serious labor pains, and at 2:40 pm our little Honey Ryder was born. There were so many things that made it perfect for us. We are so thankful to have her here healthy, early, and small.
Since Honey was born on Good Friday, I had the day off, and didn't have to return to clinic until Tuesday, which means I didn't need to take any personal days off. On top of all that, this rotation is an easy one with really good hours.
Labor lasted 6 and a half hours, Honey is a girl, doesn't need to be circumcised (our most traumatizing experience with Trace), has a small head, and there was minimal "trauma" to Shayna's body (if that's possible with any birth).
Our midwife got there 10 minutes after the birth, so I got to catch Honey and hand her to Shayna. Turns out I'm better at catching babies than footballs, thankfully. She was really slippery, but we managed.
Meanwhile, Trace watched Tangled, 2 and a half times, before falling asleep in the "other room". He woke to the sound of Honey's first cries, and stumbled up to the bedroom saying "baby, baby".
The midwife did all the clipping of cords and checking reflexes so we could just enjoy being together with our new baby. She was 100% healthy from day one. We are most thankful for that.
Grandma Ronda arrived the next day, and with all the work out of the way, we get to party for a week with her.
There is nothing that we would have changed. Being able to have the baby in our home, without distractions, was amazing. Shayna did all the work, and I feel very privileged to have been able to help her. Some people might call us weird, but because of that we have had some amazing experiences. We love our little Honey; born in Booneville Mississippi, in our trailer, caught by her dad!

Fix it up, Wear it out, Make it do, Or do without

We've found multiple uses for almost everything we own... here are just a few examples:

1) Plastic storage bin/ trace's bathtub/ temporary duck cage
2) Couch cover/ curtains/ quilt squares
3) Couch/ trace's bed
4) Blue foam insulation/ trailer skirt/ race car track/ kids play patio
5) Whiffle ball bat/ stick horse/ rifle/ microphone
6) Camping trailer/ house/ ant farm

Memphis Zoo

Welcome to Booneville

Over a month ago we hitched up our home and moved to Booneville Mississippi, named after R.H. Boone... yes, a relative of Daniel Boone.Our branch president and his wife were nice enough to let us squat on their acreage for as long as we like. We hope we don't wear out our welcome.
I finished up my 2nd rotation this past weekend, and while I was taking my end of rotation test Shayna was at the 'ol Rural King buying some ducks. So the 3hr drive home was serenaded by our noisy new little friends. Come to find out the weather took a turn for the colder later that night... so we've had 5 ducks in our kitchen for a few days. Today we finished their shelter outside, and are happy to announce that we are no longer those trailer people with farm animals where they prepare their food. I think after both our missions we vowed never to be those people... how cruel life is when you make ultimatums.
On top of our duck madness, we have slowly been trying to get Trace interested in ditching his diapers. The same night we had ducks in our kitchen, Trace put his new (not used) toilet seat on his head and it slid around his neck. It took a few minutes of trying to manipulate it over his ears before we could free him... we were worried for a few split seconds that he would grow up to be a potty mouth... or worse yet, a butt head.
My next rotation (Mental Health, yes I have been dreading this one) will start tomorrow and is only Tuesdays through Fridays 8-5pm. Thank goodness. Couldn't have been better timing with baby #2 on the way. Shayna keeps telling me I have multiple personalities (mainly when I don't agree with her), so I think she's afraid I'll be admitted while I'm there.
Shayna is due April first but we are banking on it being here sometime a week later (Trace was 10 days late). She's been a trooper, and is so ready to be done with pregnancy forever (if history repeats itself, ask her in a few months and she'll say she cant wait to have another one).

The Clampetts go to New Orleans

Monday morning while we were all recovering from a little case of viral nasopharyngitis (the common cold) Shayna got the idea to head down to New Orleans for a couple days... seeing as how Shayna will be ready to pop in a few weeks we decided it was as good a time as any with my weird work schedule (swing shift). We waited a day so we could drive the 5.5 hrs in the early morning... Trace traveled surprisingly better than most adults. Upon arriving in what is appropriately termed "the dirty south", we were a little worried we had set out on a family adventure, and ended up in Hades. After dropping our car off at the hotel and checking into our room, it seemed a little less derelict. Beignets and local musicians on Royal Street, constantly averting our eyes on our walk down Bourbon Ave, riverboat watching at the waterfront, taking a historic saloon themed family portrait... we did it all! Trace was in rare form as he constantly pointed at trash on the street saying "ewww" and at smokers, saying "na no".
During our dinner at Huck Finns the chef and manager were being interviewed on camera... so our festive Jambalaya meal was free... of course with that kind of luck we had to order desserts.
Besides chasing every pigeon on the street, the hotel was the highlight for Trace. He loved riding the trashcan while saying "yee-haw", and getting to take a bath in a real tub (at home we have have a plastic storage bin he baths in). Shay and I took advantage of having TV and watched 4 or 5 episodes of chopped on the food network. It was a great trip! The drive home was smooth, and we feel very blessed to have not gotten mugged by gypsies or bitten by an alligator while visiting the city with the motto "A lazy current... The seductive howl of an accordion...A splash too loud to be a fish...Pick your passion". We may never return, but it was lots of fun.

 

One Rotation Down..

The first rotation is over and we are all still alive. I spent over 200hrs with Dr Christopher Cummins in Ripley MS (home of the souths oldest flea market) and almost 40 hrs driving to and from his clinic. My first rotation was awesome! Dr Cummins is a southerner to the core and gave me opportunities to stretch beyond my comfort zone daily. Speckled throughout the 5 week rotation period were experiences including: being sung to by a geriatric that had fallen asleep during an exam and woke melodically; getting to guest star on the "Ask Dr Cummins Show" on Ripley's very own TV station; and getting to wear mardi gras beads all day on the 12th. We are indebted to his wife for serving us shrimp and grits, Paula Deane style... It was amazing. Since I don't have an Iphone, packing light each day of clinic was not an option. I always have my little worthless phone on me (worst trivial decision of 2011 was buying that thing), my laptop in the car for studying (listening to podcasts), and our halfway reliable tablet in clinic for drug referencing. I consider this set-up the caveman Iphone.

Shayna and Trace spent their days at the toyota plant RV "park" and going on "adventures". One of these consisted of RV lusting, and they later included me in this covetous practice. The Sherman RV dealer is just 10 miles from where we stay, and is filled with residencies that are considered trailer but far from trash. We felt a little guilty knowing that ruby (not getting any younger or any less wrinkles) was faithfully waiting for our return.

Norma, Shayna's classy black southern midwife, has been up to visit a few times. She has been delivering babies for 18 years and we are so happy we found her (there is only one other well established midwife in MS and she is down on the gulf 6hrs away). Shayna is a champ with this pregnancy and we are so excited for this baby to get here (its quite the little gymnast, I wouldn't be surprised if there were twins in there).