No. 78, January 2009
Journal
Happy New Year 2009
Here it is the third of January, 2009.
A week ago today, the Good Lord sent us a new grandson
born 10 weeks early to Matthew and Lisa Miller. December
27, 2008. Lisa stayed 5 days in the hospital
and went home. They live about 15 miles away from
the hospital and visit him often.
Lisa's parents live in Waukesha, not far from them. We are
110 miles away.
Oliver Russell Miller was born at 7:30 at night by
C-Section at West Allis Memorial Aurora Hospital.
He weighed one pound, 9 ounces and was 12 inches
long. Lisa had high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia.
We tried to find a Lutheran minister to baptize the
baby, but no one seemed to answer their cell
phones, so the hospital chaplin made Oliver a
Child of god by sprinkling water on his little head.
Ollie as they are calling him is in the neonatal nursery
and is holding his own. They had two feeding tubes
through his umbilical cord, but Matt said after 6 days
they pulled them and now has in IV in his arm,
besides the ventilator to help him breath.
He did have a touch of jaundice, but after being under
a blue florescent light for a few days, that seemed
to clear up. CT scans showed that the brain and
heart are developing. He is peeing and pooping
regularly.
We have high hopes for our
Grandchild Number eleven. He still needs
all of our prayers.
Marianne, Russ and I went down to see the baby
on Monday. At that time we could not touch him,
but Matt and Lisa did get to hold him now.
When Marianne had her premature twins 7 years
ago, Matt immediately came to see her and brought
her a big bouquet of flowers. It was payback
time now, Marianne got Lisa a big bouquet of
flowers.
When we were in Milwaukee we stopped to see
Russell's sister Dorothy who has been having
issues with her back and spine. Was in the
hospital where she had some vertebrate fused
together to alleviate some of her pain. She
seemed very cheerful, but walks with a walker
and cane and is very weak.
Russell's brother LeRoy's birthday was yesterday
he is 79. He is also having health problems, said
he had congestive heart failure and other lung
problems. Portland, Oregon has had their
share of snow this winter, which is very unusual.
They do not have the snow plows or snow
blowers like we have here in Wisconsin and
Massachusetts.
Christmas was nice. We all went to Bethlehem
church in Hortonville for the Christmas
Eve service. All the children and
grandchildren were home, except Richard and
Sharon from Massachusetts. Richard said he had
so much work with the Patriot football team that
they will be coming at Easter.
It has been snowing every other day here in
the Midwest, we must have about 40 inches of
snow. Although the Good Lord listened to all
the grumbling snow shovelers, and one day it
got above freezing and much of the snow
melted. Not is is cold again, and still getting
snow.
Robin and Marianne brought lots of food to
eat along with our peppernuts and chocolate
covered peanuts. I had a big turkey and beef
roast. Robin makes a good casserole using white
and red sweet potatoes, with cheese, cream
ground fresh nutmeg and sharp peppers.
Really good!
Santa brought gifts under the Christmas Tree.
The children got their parents, us, a new
digital camera, which we are still trying to
figure out how to use.
Santa brought Connor something unusual, but
what he wanted, it is a two-wheel skate board
called a Rip Stick. 'S' in shape and he was
really ripping around my dining room table.
Believe it or not, for Christmas Russ took
Robin and Keith the Church service at Immanuel and then
to the Indian Food place, while I stayed home
with all the children. Robin and Keith were so
hungry for that and it was the only time
they could fit it in.
Foot ball season is over for the Green Bay Packers and
the New England Patriots. Neither got in the playoffs.
We got so many nice Christmas cards and newsletters,
it is always nice to hear from people once a year.
New Years Eve our high school friends again came,
the party was here, us six have been meeting for 53
years. Had wine and a brandy slush, snacks and for
lunch had herring, ham, and a turkey noodle Casserole.
The State of the World is sad, with the fighting in
Israel, the stock market and the bailouts. Us dairy farmers
had to make due with low milk prices for many years
and we survived.
Am sure 2009 will be a fine year for us all. And again a Happy
New year to you all.
If this photo attaches, it is R&D at Christmas opening
gifts.
Russell and Delores
