As expected the storm we had yesterday was a doozie... but we didn't get the winds they predicted. We stayed at a fairly constant 50MPH from about 8pm to 6am or so, with gusts in the 60's and 70's. We didn't get the 90MPH expected. Beside one or two gusts that made me wonder about the strength of our windows, it was the normal house shaking earthquake like tremors we're used to.
We looked out the window at one point around 10pm and couldn't see the sidewalk a few feet away. It was a total whiteout. We lost power at about 9:30, it came on at about 11, and then went out a few minutes later. Thankfully, it came on for good at about 6am. When I went down to reset the thermostat, it read 41 degrees...In the house. Thankfully, Ian's room stays the warmest and he was wearing his thickest blanket sleeper. Polli was with us and was acting as a portable heater under the covers at the bottom of the bed.
Shawn went out to assess the damage once things had died down and it was apparent we'd had a wild night (outside, that is). While we didn't have any structural or property damage, the wind gusts caused major snow drifts. We get them anytime we have a snow and wind mix, but not to this extent. There were some parts of the yard under 3 or 4 feet of snow, while some areas were blown clean. Shawn spent 2 hours digging a path to our gate and clearing out the several feet of snow around our vehicles in the driveway. I've attached a couple of pics of the drifts.
If Ian were not socked in with a bad cold, we would have been out making a snowman, but he's pretty stuffy, so I didn't want to take any chances. I did bundle him up for a few minutes, but because he refuses to wear his mittens, and the wind chill had us in single digit temps, we only stayed out for maybe 5 minutes.
Upon coming back in, I ran warm water in the bathroom sink and let him splash around with his tractors. It helped warm his hands and we didn't have the attitude issues of the other day... I think my mom was right. His hands probably burned from the drastic temperature change and it made him cranky.
Having a bad case of mom overload, I left at naptime for the gym. The roads weren't great and I hit blizzard conditions as I got closer to my gym... but I was determined to have a couple of hours alone. I'd been cooped up with a 2 year old for 4 days and I was starting to get pretty irritable.
Shortly after I arrived home, Ian was coloring and I was doing some work... I looked up to see a steady stream of blood coming from his nose onto the carpet and coloring book. I'd never seen a nose run so long and so red. We got it under control with a couple of recurrences, so I'm hoping he is OK for the night. He had woken this morning with tons of dried blood in his crib and on his hands & face, so I think the temp extremes and dry air inside are getting to him. I called the pediatrician and talked to "the real thing". He gave us a few tips, but otherwise said not to be too alarmed. He isn't running a fever, has full energy, and is otherwise unaffected by the bloody noses. I do worry a little for his already low iron levels, but I'll address that with his doc next week unless things get worse.
Below are a handful of pics from today, the day after... and possibly the first of many "days after" the way things are going. Someone must have wished for a White Christmas... and the wrath came down on us for such a crazy suggestion.
The spot Shawn is standing in is normally 2 steps down to the walkway.
It's probably close to 4 feet at it's highest point... without the BBQ, it would have been right up to the house.
Another good drift. Almost up to the windows.
To give perspective, our fence is 8 feet tall... I haven't checked, but now that I look at it I think this is covering our dryer vent.
Shawn tried out one of Ian's Christmas presents, a snow brick maker, to establish a marker for the edge of the porch...since we couldn't tell otherwise.
When he couldn't feel the ground, he got a little scared...But at least he wore his mittens for a few minutes.
Throwing his mittens was hysterical... until we got inside and his hands started stinging. Mine hurt like heck, so I can't imagine how his felt.
Digging out the walkway with Daddy & Polli. You can tell he was about ready to go inside.
Talking to Grama on the phone. He told her all about the snow outside.
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