The Story of a Broken Arm...Again!

Cannon broke his arm...again...after only one week of us living here.

Prospect Park - he fell from the monkey bars right in front of me. I heard it crack and he screamed, "My arm is broken!" And there was no doubt that it was. I deemed this a true emergency and called an ambulance. Did I mention that we had ridden our bikes to the park and that my wallet was at home?

We waited a seemingly long time for the ambulance to arrive. He was screaming things about how Heavenly Father needed to heal his arm right then and there. We were both quite relieved once the paramedics arrived and he got relaxed as they were so calm and gentle with him. He even mustered up some humor that had us all laughing. This kid is something else!

He said he was a superhero and he could shoot needles from his IV

Cannon thrives in familiar routines which, as perplexing as it sounds, includes hospitals. He wasn't afraid to speak up. He begged the nurses for his IV because he knew it meant pain medication. He joked with the nurses, techs, and doctors that cared for him. I was so proud of him - for his courage and bravery and for being him. Sometimes at home I tell him, "I like you just the way you are," and this was one of those times I could really feel that. I marvel at this child of mine.

A re-break of both bones in his left forearm 

I've had so many deep feelings - guilt, thankfulness, regret, sadness, disappointment, anger, pride, joy.

Despite all the trauma, it wasn't hard to see the blessings and tender mercies that show me that a loving Father in Heaven is in the details of our lives:

1. Ryan had just finished a training class early when I called him and was able to leave work right away to meet us at the hospital.
2. Our bikes were still at the park when Ryan went back to get them.
3. King's County Hospital is notorious for less then stellar service, however it is the place to go for serious trauma and I felt that Cannon received excellent care.
4. No surgery was needed and the reduction aligned the bones well.
5. My blood sugars stayed level even though we were at the hospital for seven hours without me being able to eat anything.
6. I was able to keep it together and be the support that Cannon needed.
7. I was grateful for the comic relief that Cannon provided while coming out of anesthesia and for the medical professionals that laughed with us as they relayed the stories Cannon told while under anesthesia.

I also have to give a shout-out to Uber, who arrived at the hospital less than five minutes after we reserved a car, with a car seat perfectly installed (you know I was looking for an excuse to check-out their car seats).

We transferred our care to NYU Medical for all follow-up appointments and are very happy with that decision.

After the white plaster cast, came a bright green fiber-glass cast.

Green Guy

Then a black short-arm cast...

Now he can bend and unbend his elbow at will

Tenegrity and I like that Cole was the only one allowed to sign his cast

51 days in a cast and finally the big day arrived...

I forgot to take the "after" picture, but afterward we did enjoy a lovely day at Bryant Park and a detour to see the Chrysler Building. 

Front row seating to a book signing event for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's new book about Mycroft Holmes (yes, everything about that sentence seems random--I know)

First time on this carousel 

...and his first time playing Guess Who (which was a big hit!)

What's it Like in Brooklyn?

What's city-life like?

Now that we have been living here for about a month, we have things mostly organized and have settled into a routine after much trial and error - of course we'll have to be ready to change it up again once Cannon starts school in a couple weeks.

We live in Ditmas Park, a neighborhood of Brooklyn. The apartment buildings are mixed with blocks of large Victorian houses, which gives it a bit of a suburban feel. It's definitely more quiet than other parts of the city and I feel completely safe taking Blue for a walk at night. The tree-lined streets add to the beauty and give plenty of shade on hot days. I can't wait to see all the autumn colors this fall!

In front of our building waiting for Daddy to come home. He says our building looks like a castle.

Ryan leaves for work at 8:15am and takes the subway into Manhattan to be there by 9am. He doesn't get home until 7pm, so we have had to tweak our nightly routine. Cannon and I eat dinner at 5:30 and he's in his jammies by the time Ryan comes home. Ryan plays with Cannon for a bit, we finish up bedtime routine together and they read together until 8pm. Then Ryan has a chance to eat and we get to have the rest of the night together. He takes a short lunch on Mondays so that he can get home early for family home evening and then after Cannon is in bed, he goes to the laundromat. Wednesday evenings he goes grocery shopping after Cannon is in bed and I supplement during the week. Amazon Fresh had a day of free delivery, so we ordered our groceries from there one time and it was great!

I was looking forward to the challenge of how to fit a 2000sqft house into a one-bed-one-bath-650sqft apartment!  Specifically, my challenge was how to create an aesthetically pleasing and functional home, free of clutter, while on a budget. We had to order more shelving and other things to help with the function and flow, but little by little it's coming along. It's not quite there yet, but I feel happy when I see my work and creativity all over my beautiful little space.

Before

Dining "room"

Entry

The leaning tower of bikes

My gourmet kitchen...still a work in progress

Living room...

...and the other half of the living room, which also doubles as our bedroom.

Bathroom

Cannon's bedroom, which I think is coming along nicely, is large (by NYC standards) and there's definitely lots of space for playing and creating. 

I think Blue misses her backyard, but we try to make it up to her by taking her for multiple daily walks and getting her to the park as much as possible so she has time to run and fetch her frisbee. She's still unsure about the multitudes of unfamiliar sounds, smells, and people she encounters every day, but she's getting to know her way around the neighborhood. Getting on and off our elevator spooks her...fearing that someone might be lurking behind the door. One day she wouldn't get on the elevator because someone had left a broom and dustpan. She likes things to be predictable and free of riffraff.

She's not a fan of the subway

She's so happy to have her daddy home every night

Like many buildings here, we don't have central air. We stay cool with our portable AC and window AC we put in the bedroom, in addition to our regular fans. Some days have been hot and humid, but certainly not as bad as Texas or Florida. We can manage, especially knowing that winter is right around the corner.

Our modes of transportation include: subway, bus, walking, or biking (before Cannon broke his arm). And we have taken Uber a couple times. I am actually enjoying not having a car. I don't really like driving and I don't like to get gas in the car, so this is a win for me! We walk to church and Cannon will walk to school.

Newkirk Plaza

This is the way we go to get to the subway.

There are so many awesome playgrounds around Brooklyn and Manhattan and we have kinda made it a goal to see how many different ones we can get to. Our favorites right now are Nature playground at Prospect Park and Teardrop Park in Battery Park City. Nature playground has no regular playground equipment, but instead is made up of stumps and trees damaged by hurricane Sandy. They are great for climbing, plus there is a huge sand pit, a working pump that brings up fresh water from a well, and big grassy areas.

Union Square

Splash pad at Prospect Park

Teardrop Park - he loves the 14ft slide and the water feature on the other side of the rocks

Parade playground at Prospect Park (this is where he broke his arm)

Nelson A. Rockefeller playground in Battery Park City

Ample Hills ice cream and soccer with some kids at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 5 (look at that gorgeous view of Manhattan!)

Nature Playground, Prospect Park

Cannon and his friend Oliver at Nature playground

Fun at Heckscher playground at Central Park after our visit to the Lego store; not pictured, but he loves the slide at Billy Johnson playground (on the UES of Central Park)

And the food...it's nothing short of amazing! It's a good thing we walk all the time! There are so many little dives and eateries everywhere you go. We love walking to Newkirk Plaza and getting pizza at Lo Duca's. In fact, I had pizza five times the first week we were here!. Ryan brings home treats from Le District, which is close to his work. So many restaurants, so little time...and money!

Cannon has had a hard time with some things (anything out of routine will put him in a state of discombobulation), but he is also finding many ways to enjoy our new life. He loves church and the new friends he has made. Our ward is small and very multicultural - it's great! We have been able to get together with other families at the park after church or during the week. He is having fun exploring the city with us and is looking forward to first grade! And we discovered that he loves to go clothes and shoe shopping! I asked Cannon his thoughts on living here and this is what he had to say: worst: that there's all kinds of strangers; best: playing Legos with Daddy, getting ice cream and hot dogs, going to the library and book store; exciting: going to the Jets game; hardest: breaking my arm; craziest: when Daddy surprised me with a place that I really wanted to go.

First day at church

That time we had to stop for ice cream and enjoy it on the stoop of a random church near a noisy and crowded intersection because it was hot and we had to walk 11 blocks to wait in the non-AC post office for one hour to pick up all our packages and schlep them back another 11 blocks.

Appointments with his orthopedic specialist at NYU Medical mean that we get to have fun in the city afterwards

9-11 Memorial, which is across the street from Ryan's office

We can't remember the name of this place, but you walk up a ramp and there is a grassy area on top of this rock and it overlooks the bay (Battery Park City).

Jets game and Di Fara pizza

Brighton Beach, August 3 (the day before he broke his arm)

Rockaway Beach with Daddy, August 22

We have no microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, or laundry room; we have a total of two closets; Ryan and I sleep on a couch that pulls out to a bed, but we are happy! I am loving it here and I feel like I'm home!

May-July

May, June, July, and August have flown by! We have been crazy busy with packing, selling our stuff, staying in Austin, moving to Brooklyn, and trying to unpack and organize! May-July was incredibly stressful, but that feeling is fleeting now that we are a little more settled.

In May Cannon finished up at St. Thomas. He has loved that school and it was the best thing for him. He made some good friends and he was sad to have to say goodbye to them. He also really enjoyed playing with Treyson and some other boys in the neighborhood. Ryan and I called them his posse because they rode their bikes around the neighborhood and created all sorts of games and adventures. Cannon really enjoys having that independence and time away from us. He was upset about leaving them and nervous about making new friends in New York.

These boys and their shenanigans!

Last day at St. Thomas

Ryan started his job in NYC on June 22. Before he left, we sold a lot of our things (including our cars) and really downsized. Cannon kept most of his toys, but I was sad that we had to sell his trampoline and climbing dome. He has really enjoyed having a backyard and apartment living is such a big adjustment. We packed up our things and put them in a storage unit in College Station. Cannon and I stayed at Mom and Dad Rees' house while he worked and looked for an apartment for us. We were apart for about five weeks, which was the longest we have ever been apart, and I hated it! Once he found us a place (which was an ordeal) he flew back to Austin and we saw him briefly, he got the moving truck and headed out to College Station to load our stuff and make the long drive to NY (with Blue in tow). Several days later Cannon and I flew out and made our way to our new home!

He got sick on moving day

Last meal with Daddy at Rudy's 

It was so hard to say goodbye again after not seeing him for five weeks

Here's a recap of our Austin adventures:

Cannon went to summer camp for a week at Austin Tinkering School

We made homemade pasta

We missed Daddy on Father's Day (and later his birthday)

Cannon overcame his fear of waterslides

Barton Springs

Round Rock Donuts

We went to Gourdough's with Kylene

4th of July - we did the neighborhood parade in the morning and went to Milburn Park for festivities and fireworks

Kylene did a chemical peel on my face 

Grandma made fun things for Cannon

Cannon completed a kids triathlon! 25 yard swim, 1.6k bike, 1k run! Right after he said he wanted to go back and do it again!

We went to Bullcreek with Dave and Shae

We went to Bullcreek again with Dave and Shae, but this time we found a better spot!

Blue had time for plenty of rest and relaxation...

...and time to play with Lucy

Cannon made a fort where he ended sleeping and scaring me because I couldn't find him

We went to a candy shop in Georgetown with Kylene and Grandma

We made one last trip to College Station to hear Jeremy speak at church about his upcoming mission to Korea. Cannon got to spend a little more time with Travis...and Dyson, of course. 

Cannon got stung by a wasp

We played at the Arboretum and ate Amy's Icecream

Two days before our NYC flight, Cannon became sick and couldn't stop throwing up. Dell Children's helped him out with an IV and some Zofran.

On our way out the door to catch a plane to NYC!