Cold Home Visit

Our friends Al and Lisa Bell graciously helped and entertained us during our stay in Smyrna. We made plans for Daddy Dave and Al to make an Owensboro trip on Saturday while Sandy and the boys stayed in Smyrna with Lisa. Unfortunately, the Bells came down with our stomach virus and were unavailable, so we traveled home to check damages and get supplies. Driving along the highway we observed tree damage much greater than that done by Hurricane Ike’s 80 mph September winds. That storm broke 200 utility poles compared to the 2,000 damaged by this ice storm. Our home sustained light damage compared to others but was still without power. At 3:00 pm the nursery thermometer measured 40 degrees outside and 35 degrees inside. Low temperatures for that evening were forecasted to be near zero. We switched the car seats to the minivan, loaded supplies and headed back to Smyrna.

Big Tub Time

Mommy and Daddy have a big sink at home perfect for bathing babies. On previous travel stays we would wash them in the hotel room sinks, but our boys are way too big for that now. This situation allowed for Benji and Davey to graduate to the big tub. Fish couldn’t have met this water tank with more excitement. Their first big tub bath was in the Bowling Green Hilton Gardens, and Daddy joined them in the tub for comfort and security, but he needn’t have bothered. Both boys were neither scared nor unsteady in the big tub. The next night at the Smyrna Hampton Inn they squealed and squirmed with excitement when we started running the bath water. In the big tub they could bath together and splash all they wanted without rebuke. It was easily the high point of their adventure.

Refugees on the move

Owensboro was devastated by the ice storm. More than eighty percent of Daviess County had no utilities; even cell phones were down. The hotels closed due to the power outage. What few gas stations that had power for the pumps had long lines waiting. Daddy Dave filled the 4-wheel drive Jeep, transferred the baby seats and evacuated the family south. Bowling Green’s hotels were full of people from other parts of Kentucky who had lost power and southern utility employees traveling north to help restore power. We stayed Wednesday night at the Hilton Gardens near the Bowling Green Convention Center, where we did several loads of laundry and enjoyed a warm, comfortable night’s sleep. The next day we moved south to the more modestly priced Hampton Inn in Smryna, Tennessee, close to our friends Al and Lisa Bell.

Oh what a night

We didn’t sleep much Tuesday night. After the lights went out we moved two playpens into our bedroom and piled covers on everyone. Several candles provided our only light and heat. The house was extremely quiet without power, and every sound outside seemed incredibly amplified. Freezing rain continued to fall throughout the night and the additional weight overwhelmed tree branches. Another limb would snap and fall every few minutes or so with a loud crack, and then the falling ice would sound like breaking glass. Sometimes the house would shake when heavy limbs hit the ground. With each snap we worried that a large tree would fall through our home on top of us. It was terrifying. As temperatures dropped in the house, we moved the babies in bed with us. By morning, 4 inches of snow lay on top of the ice and the babies’ diarrhea had returned. It was time to leave.

Icely Done

We knew it was coming, but what do you do? The big winter storm promised lots of snow north of us and ice to our south. Sandy went to the store and stocked up on supplies, mostly diapers and baby food. The storm started with about 2 inches of beautiful snow Monday night. As temperatures warmed during the day the snow turned to freezing rain. The light shimmering off the ice covered landscaping looked like diamonds. As the ice accumulation grew, the plants and trees drooped excessively from the weight. By dark, tree limbs began breaking, often bringing utility lines down with them. About 8:00 pm a huge tree in our neighbor’s yard fell onto the power lines and snapped the telephone pole in our backyard taking our power and heat with it.

Sick Call Answered

Momma Sandy had been up all night heroically nursing her three sick boys, and she knew there was still much to do. She called the office and took the day off to nurse her family. We called our babysitter Carol and asked her not to come by that day so she wouldn’t catch the virus, then called Grandma and Grandpa Edds and asked for help. Grandpa took the stained couch cushions to the dry cleaners and went to the grocery store for us. He then watched the boys while Mommy cleaned and Daddy Dave slept. Grandma later relived Grandpa so he could go to work. Sandy washed load after load of laundry. Thanks to the loving care of Sandy and the Grands, the virus ran its course in 24 hours, and Sandy and her boys were able to rest the next night without interruption.

A night of changes

Daddy Dave didn’t feel well on Sunday and by bedtime his diarrhea began with a vengeance. Sleep was impossible on the toilet, though many efforts were made. Around 2:00 am Benji began crying loudly. We found he had vomited all over his bed and himself. Daddy bathed the boy while Mommy changed the bed. The smell eventually overwhelmed Daddy, and he lost his dinner too. Shortly after putting Benji back to bed, he heaved again requiring another clothing and bed sheet change. Trey Davey woke hungry about 5:30. His diarrhea had leaked onto the sheets requiring another boy and bed cleaning and changing. Ten minutes after finishing his bottle Trey projectile vomited all over the blue room, Sandy and himself. Between vomiting and diarrhea, we had changed outfits three or four times during the night and were quickly going through clean clothes and bed linens.