All About Family

On the ultrarunning list-serv that I "was" a member of, until they went on a Karnazes-bashing feast last year, they would label posts "NUC" for "No Ultra Content" or "NRC" for "No Running Content".

This post is most definitely a "NRC" one!

Today is my Dad's 61st birthday and I just got off the phone from talking with him and wishing him, "Happy Birthday!" My sister, her husband and two kids were there at the house.

Earlier today, my oldest niece, Haylee, who's 8, called him first and then my younger niece, Hunter (she's 3), got on and wished him "Happy Birthday", he said, and then asked him how old he was.

My Dad said that he responded, "Six. One."

He said he heard her holler to my sister, "Pappy's 61!"

We shared a good laugh. The last couple of Christmas, Waverly and I will go to the Dollar Store on Christmas Eve and buy something - of the same thing - for everyone. We don't stress over it. If we find something, great. If we don't, then we don't do anything. It is just one of those things (the many of them) that she and I do together.

This year, it was $1 CD's.

For my cousin, who is 23 and is dating a really nice, beautiful young woman, we gave him a CD that the first song was the Wedding March! And hers was a Kids CD! (I have a warped sense of humor.)

I don't quite remember what I got my grandparents, but my grandmother told my Dad today that he should tell me that "she really enjoys her CD" and "listens to it often". Again, my Dad and I had a good laugh.

It wasn't always that way. There is one bad episode that left my Dad and I not to say a word to each other for at least a couple of months. But you try and bury that stuff because we don't know how long we have left here on this Earth.

If you're reading this on Tuesday evening, please keep Waverly in your prayers. She fell today at school during PE and is having some pains below her belly button that haven't gone away. Her Mom is taking her to the ER at Memorial Hermann in The Woodlands to find out what is going on. She said that when she laughs or coughs that it hurts. It could be nothing and it could be everything. We just don't know.

She's scared and was crying when I spoke to her (before they left to go.) I told her that before I got my back straightened out recently that when I coughed while sitting that my hip hurt like crap.

It is at a time like this that you have to exercise faith because certainly I can't exercise any amount of control from Pasadena, California and even if I was there, I'm not a medical professional ... so that means all I can do is get her the help that she needs and trust those who are qualified to make the decisions necessary for her well-being.

As soon as I hear something, I'll post and keep everyone up-to-date. These are the worst times when it comes to travelling for a job.

8:30 p.m. Central -- She's been triaged. 17 people in front of her. Some have been there since 3 p.m. (Unfortunaetly, this is typical of the business that I work in. Could she have gone to a neighborhood clinic, which could have taken X-rays? Possibly; however, if there's a break of a bone involved, I want my money on a hospital emergency room visit.)

11:30 p.m. Central -- Now there are only 2 people in front of her. Many have left. One coded in the ER; certainly not good. Waverly thinks it is just a pulled muscle; however, she's still getting checked out! It reminded us of her very first trip to the ER as a baby. We were living in Dallas at the time - where she was born - and I think that she hadn't eaten anything in almost a day, plus she was running a temperature. Well, we had Children's Hospital of Dallas there and that's where we went. After waiting there for awhile, guess what happened? She wanted a bottle! They checked her out and said that she wasn't dehydrated. And it was back to the apartment we went! (Those were some better times. It is kind of bittersweet.)

1:11 a.m. Central -- The ER staff indicated that she had a soft tissue contusion (or a bone bruise). They determined that her organs were intact (and that was one of the things that I told her when I talked to her on the phone - when she was scared - that that was the major reason why she really needed to go and have it checked out.) Her Mom said that she made the comment that she wished that I was there, which I kind of understand but then again I don't. Her Mom was there to take care of her and made the effort to do so (like she would no matter what.) I felt bad for her. Here's the reason why this blog will never go public again: I do what I do - i.e. the things that I do - with my daughter because it is just natural. It is what I know to do. I've always said that it is my job as a parent to open the world to as many experiences as I possibly can to her. And sometimes, many times actually, I feel like I don't do enough. That's how much I want to give to her. I also know that as she'll turn 13 - oh my God - in May, that time is also running short.

For those that read this and prayed for her, thank you. The doctors, of course, indicated that if something changed to come back. And I apologize for not updating this at 1 a.m., I was already in bed here. :)