Welcome to our world, Baby Otto Jon!

Okay, this post was going to be a completely different topic, but I just had to share the amazing news of the arrival of Otto Jon Staus, my freshest, newest nephew!!! He arrived by accident—literally—as my sister, Jill, was rear-ended while driving their 5-year old, Amelia, to school this morning. Car was totaled and the impact of the accident sent Jill into early labor, and eventually, her docs decided to perform a C-section this afternoon.

First and foremost, Jill, Amelia, the babe and their doggie, Holly (who was along for the ride) are all doing very well. Jill was scheduled for a C-section next Friday, November 19th, as the baby was getting HUGE, and she was experiencing severe complications as a result (see, she ain't a big girl normally, so to have Giant Baby inside of her was really starting to cramp her style. Literally and figuratively). So, an early delivery wasn't a bad thing, per se, but perhaps the way it happened was a little troubling, to say the least . . .

Little (big!) Otto weighs in at an impressive 9 lbs., 1 oz, and 21 inches. So much for being a preemie. . . Jill and babe are still at North Memorial for the next few days, for observation and to recover from the C-section. I was able to pop over to the hospital for a while this afternoon, got to see "Crash" (his new nickname, whether he likes it or not!) in the NIC-U, but wasn't able to see Jill. I did get a call from her tonight, and she said she's doing okay, though will probably feel more of the effects of the crash tomorrow . . . I am so happy for the new addition to the Hildebrandt/Staus families! A fresh, new baby always adds an extra element of awesome wonder to the holidays, and to life in general!

Bob had a few visitors this week—Wally, one of Bob's oldest friends, whose friendship dates back to grade school (back when cave children rode dinosaurs to school and carved multiplication tables on slate slabs with burned sticks . . .). Wally brought the poster display and guest book from the benefit dinner and class reunion that was held in St. James this summer. What a great gift—I put the poster up on the window ledge in Bob's room, along with the guest book, so they're the first thing you see when you walk into his room. Also, Lynn, a colleague from the wine biz popped in last night, on his way home from work. . .they talked shop a bit, caught up on lost time. . .

I know it does a world of good for Bob to see people outside his "medical world," people who have lives and work and connections to Bob beyond the walls of a hospital. I love to see the expressions on Bob's face and hear the change in his voice when he visits with "new" faces; it's more animated, more expressive, and at the same time, more relaxed . . .

Bob 's docs are talking about a discharge date from Bethesda sometime next week. His medical conditions (the things that "qualified" him to be a patient at Bethesda) are resolving themselves to their satisfaction—he's no longer on IV nutrition, and his wound is healing amazingly well to the point they may be discontinuing the IV antibiotics. However, they are also saying he'll likely be referred to an acute rehab facility for another few weeks, to really focus on PT and OT services. The goal is to get him as strong and as independent as he can, before heading home (where out-patient rehabilitation will continue) . . . exciting as it is to think of Bob coming home soon, it's also scary. It's been 2 1/2 months since he's been home and his body and life have been drastically altered since. I know he's not thrilled about the idea of spending another few weeks in yet another facility, but there is no way he'd be able to be safe at home right now, even with me there, 24/7. He's still not "there" yet, though I'm sure he'll make progress by leaps and bounds being home, surrounded by his things, being in a familiar environment, no beeping IVs, no aides coming in to check vitals every hour, no shitty food (well, I can't say that last one with 100% certainty . . .)

As such, with all that's gone on this past year, we finally made the decision to put the house back on the market again. It's too much house, land, and work to be living out here, when it's just me taking care of the joint. It'll likely be many months before Bob will be able to operate a lawn mover or a snow blower, or drive a car, for that matter. Penny and Jim help as much as they can, but they're 2 1/2 hours away and have their own home to care for. . . our lives are very different than what they were even a year ago, and this house doesn't fit into the equation any longer. My hope is that it sells for our listed price, and that we can move back into the city, closer to doctors, hospitals, family and friends . . . not that we don't have friends out here in the "boonies," but remember, it takes 20 minutes for an ambulance to reach us, an hour to shovel out the driveway and walks, and the fact I'd have to go back to work full time if we stayed out here, leaving Bob alone in the house . . . just doesn't work any longer . . .

And let's face it, it's simply a house, a thing. A thing that is not worth crying over, scrambling like mad to try to save, or giving up and going into foreclosure over. My husband, however, is

worth crying over, scrambling like mad to try to save, is completely, utterly, absolutely worth fighting for. Out here, I feel much more isolated, so far from help, should we really need it. I am dreading the upcoming winter like never before. Even though one of our awesome neighbors have arranged to have our driveway plowed, I will still be making that long drive to and from work, leaving Bob alone out here . . . I am more than ready to leave this one behind, simplify our lives for a year or so as Bob continues his rehabilitation and recovery.

But, I am also prepared for the possibility that the house may not sell. It's a tough market, and with winter and the holidays are coming up, as such, things aren't stacked in our favor. But we won't know until we try. There may just be that perfect buyer waiting 'round the corner. We'll keep you posted. . . (pic above is Gramma K, Amelia and Baby Otto John . . .)