WILD Two Days!

The past two days have been nothing but a blur.

I received a call Tuesday afternoon, telling me that Poppy'd had a stroke. I was told he seemed okay and that I could put off a trip back to Kansas until the weekend. Well, about 9:30 pm Tuesday night, my phone rang again -- and I was told, in no uncertain terms, to get to Kansas immediately. I threw some random clothes in the car, grabbed the dog, held my emotions, and left. I finally arrived in Fredonia around 2:30 am, went straight to the hospital, and was greeted with a very sad scenario. Grandpa wasn't doing well and we weren't sure he'd make it through the night. Finally, around 5 am, Mom and I headed home for a quick nap, before returning to the hospital.

Alas, a nap was not to happen. After less than 90 minutes of sleep, the house phone rang. I heard Mom calming someone and saying that we were on our way. I assumed the worst about Grandpa -- and quickly learned that it was my sister -- calling to say that her water had broken -- two weeks early.

We brushed our teeth and threw on clothes and headed to get her for the drive to Chanute. After getting Jill and Adrian in the car, we headed for the hospital (of course not the one where Grandpa is a patient), with me timing contractions and Mom driving with the pedal to the metal. We got there, got her admitted, and she was on her way.

Well, less than two hours later, I was in her room talking with her when the baby's heartrate suddenly plummeted and refused to rebound. The medical team was in immediately and she was rushed off for an emergency c-section. Within less than seven minutes, my new nephew arrived. He had some breathing issues at first, but I'm proud to say that Harrison Monroe Doane is now happy and healthy and absolutely beautiful.

Mom and I came home for a nap this afternoon, which again, never materialized. We went to see Grandpa and then went back to Chanute to retrieve Adrian. On our way home, Mom's cell rang and it was my aunt, telling us that Mom's driveway was full of cops and firetrucks. Apparently, in a way unknown to any of us, power lines from the neighborhood had fallen on Mom's house, in her yard, and across my car -- with her yard on fire. We rushed home to find the house still standing, the electricity actually back on, the yard a little scorched, and...the passenger side of my car lined with scorch/singe marks. All along the top and passenger side, paint has been burned off, all the way down to the steel.

So, before heading home tomorrow, I'll be working with the City to find the cause of the issue and discuss with them how they'll be covering the cost of repairing my car damage, along with any damage done to Mom's house (we can't see any of it yet because it was dark when we got home).

And then, after all visiting with them, seeing my Grandpa, and visiting my new nephew, I'll be heading back towards home, driving through Wichita so that I can stop to meet Isaac Wayne Stout, my best friend's new baby son who also was born today. I can hardly wait!

But, first, sleep...