Exactly ONE WEEK from today, Chris (and all the other M4s) will find out where they are headed for the next 3+ years...
I am so excited that I'm fixin' to jump out of my skin!! =)
Oh where, oh where will the Waynicks be going? Stay tuned!
PregnancyTicker
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Avery on vacation
My baby is with his "grandparents" until we get our house sold. So hurry up and sell!!! Haha. He's just too much for some people to handle... so the best plan was to not have him in the house while it is being shown.
I miss the little booger already and he's only been gone for 4 days. The house is really lonely without him. My little sleeping buddy is missing... although he's probably happy b/c I think I accidentally knocked him off the bed Saturday night... that is another story...
Ahh! What am I going to do?! I seriously hope I'm not without him for 3 months or something. I will just die.
This picture is from Christmas- his eyes look a little crazy from the camera flash. :)
Monday, March 2, 2009
snow come and gone...
So after our 70-degree-weather on Thursday, snow fell in Memphis on Saturday night... lots of it! We got about 8 inches of beautiful white powder in our backyard- pretty impressive! Too bad the snow lasted less than 24 hours. I didn't even have time to take pictures of it before it melted. Booooo.
Memphis weather sucks.
Memphis weather sucks.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
the day has come
Today is the day that all the M4s submit their rank list for match. It's exciting! Our list has gone backwards, sideways, round and round and all kinds of ways. We have prayed hard through this process and trust that Lord has led us to the right decision.
Chris and I are not telling anyone our final list, so don't ask! :) We know that no matter how we rank the programs, the Lord is in control and we will end up exactly where we are supposed to be. So that is why we are keeping the list to ourselves- we want everyone to be excited about the best choice (which God will determine), and that may or may not end up being what we put first on the list.
We cannot wait until March 19th! Please say a prayer for the M4s and their wives as they go through this exciting and stressful time of matching and moving to a new place.
Chris and I are not telling anyone our final list, so don't ask! :) We know that no matter how we rank the programs, the Lord is in control and we will end up exactly where we are supposed to be. So that is why we are keeping the list to ourselves- we want everyone to be excited about the best choice (which God will determine), and that may or may not end up being what we put first on the list.
We cannot wait until March 19th! Please say a prayer for the M4s and their wives as they go through this exciting and stressful time of matching and moving to a new place.
Monday, February 23, 2009
killed two birds with one car...
The incident happened on Wednesday 2/18/09 on my way home from work. I was driving on 240 N and had made it to about exit 28. I spotted two birds flying, which I think were hawks, chasing each other and fighting. (no, they were not attempting to mate). I got really nervous because they started flying closer to the road. The two stupid things flew right down into the middle of traffic and began to hover and fight in the lane I was driving in. I yelled at them to get out of the way, like they could hear me or understand me, but no. The poor things just stayed there. I couldn't swerve, I couldn't slam on my brakes, I'm on the interstate, so...
POOF! Giant explosion of feathers. Two birds. Dead. With one car.
At first I was mad and yelled out "You stupid birds!!!!" Then I got really upset... and burst out crying. Who else would this happen to other than me?! So unfair!! TWO birds at once?! Really??
Just a fact about me, I have an abnormal love for animals- wild, domestic, ugly, cute... all of them. Well, with the exception of bees and mosquitoes. Anyway, I think animals are precious and beautiful creatures of God. I usually cry if I pass a dead dog or cat on the road. Hitting animals is a real tragedy in my world. Fortunately it hasn't happened very often. But it happened Wednesday and it ruined my entire evening.
So I call Chris first and cry to him about it and being the sweetheart that he is, he offers his condolences and promises to give me a huge hug when I get home.
I couldn't stop crying so I call Mom. And of course my mom has wisdom to impart. She says it's odd that I tell her this story because she was just thinking about me and Christopher and how difficult marriage is. She asked me what those two birds were doing. Well, they were fighting and not paying attention to their surroundings. And as a consequence, they were destroyed. :( The same goes for us married couples. Stop fighting and pay attention to the devil's schemes, or else you might be destroyed. Such an interesting illustration that is very true.
Moral of the story: Love your husband! oh, and watch out for birds when you're driving.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
new roof!
We are getting a new roof! Our house looks like a tornado came through, but the end result will be nice. :) Special thanks to the FIL (Mark Waynick) for making this happen.
The front of the house- porch covered up with a ginormous tarp...
Crazy person #1 and #2 scraping shingles off with a shovel.
Crazy person #3. At least he is on a ladder.
The disaster of a back yard. Notice the radio on top of the chimney.
Avery checking out the mess and avoiding stepping on nails.
New ceiling in the sunroom... consequence of a leak from the roof...
The FIL.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
emergency medicine interviews
The last residency interview is over as of today, praise the Lord. We have to submit our rank list on February 25th. Please pray for us as we make this decision. We know the Lord will stick us where He wants us, but nevertheless we should seek His will in prayer.
Chris chose 11 places to interview at and here's the list:
Chattanooga, TN
Birmingham, AL
Winston-Salem, NC
Charleston, SC
Columbia, SC
Augusta, GA
Greenville, NC
Cincinnati, OH
Lexington, KY
Columbus, OH
Nashville, TN
Exciting times!
Chris chose 11 places to interview at and here's the list:
Chattanooga, TN
Birmingham, AL
Winston-Salem, NC
Charleston, SC
Columbia, SC
Augusta, GA
Greenville, NC
Cincinnati, OH
Lexington, KY
Columbus, OH
Nashville, TN
Exciting times!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Ryan Corning- A Miracle
This was posted by Ryan's father yesterday and it will likely be the last posting on CarePages. (I don't think he would mind if I shared what he wrote) This journey with Ryan has been truly amazing and a huge witness to the healing power of our Lord God.
A Valediction
Posted 11 hours ago
For those of you with children, I'm sure you remember what it felt like the day you took the training wheels off their bike, sat them on the seat and gave them that last push as they wobbled down the street by themselves. (I always ran behind them, just out of sight, ready to grab them up at the first sign of trouble) As I remember, the feeling was four parts pride of accomplishment, three parts joy and excitement and one part fear of the unforeseen. Those are wonderful moments to remember, knowing they have taken their next big step in their lives. Sherry and I did something like that again last week when we dropped Ryan off at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN.
As you know, Ryan had a craniotomy to replace his skull on December 11, 2008. He was very happy when he was discharged less than 24 hours after the surgery. Ryan was happy but that meant his family had to care for the terrible looking wound on his head all by themselves. We managed that process OK but as usual, Ryan accepted the circumstances without complaint. After a few days, he had excessive swelling and fluid build-up on the left side of his head. He said he could hear a gurgling noise whenever he moved. He made jokes about hearing the ocean and regularly enjoyed grossing out his mother when he pushed on the bulge saying something like "look, it's a water balloon". His good-natured acceptance of the situation has been a wonderful reassurance and a constant joy.
It's been over a month since the operation, the staples have been removed and all the swelling is gone. Ryan's hair is growing back nicely and soon, with a little more growth, there will be little visible evidence of the trauma or even the operation. Ryan's still suffers from pain that runs down his right leg from damage to his sciatic nerve. We are working toward a complete diagnosis of the problem but that seems to be the extent of his remaining injuries.
Ryan can't remember the accident, can't remember much of his stay in the hospital but has most of his memories from the rehabilitation hospital. Other than the loss of about two weeks of memory (one of which he was in a coma) his memory is 100%. This is not just an observation, during his outpatient therapies; he went through a battery of tests including mental, physical, short and long-term memory, coordination, balance, hearing, eyesight and more. Each test compared his performance against an average for someone his age and each test he did at least average or better. Some tests were so much better than average the therapists were very impressed.
When Ryan was in the ICU, due to the extent of his injuries the doctors only spoke of a future that held mental, physical, emotional and speech limitations. To prepare us, they gave us a guidebook for families living with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). We tried to read the book but could not bring ourselves to apply their terrible descriptions to our son and we quit. Some of the hospital staff found out we weren't reading it and we were scolded because we needed to "prepare ourselves for his care". These were among the darkest days of our lives and they reinforce the fact that Ryan wasn't just lucky; he received a miracle cure from God.
On our last visit to the Neurosurgeon, I questioned the doctor about activities Ryan should avoid after a craniotomy. (I was actually hoping he would say something about skateboarding was off limits but no such luck.) I was surprised to hear there are very few limitations he has to follow. According to the doctor (and these are really what he said) Ryan should no longer consider a career in the NFL, no professional hockey, no bungee jumping and no deep-sea or scuba diving. Other than that, he encouraged Ryan to participate in all life's activities. (He did emphasize he should wear a helmet when appropriate)
While Ryan was recovering, he had a lot of time for introspection. He came out of that process with a new focus and determination to achieve his goals. Prior to the accident, like many students, he was unsure what he really wanted to do. Now, he has a laser focus on a career as a Pharmacist. When he was preparing to re-enroll at the university, he wanted to sign-up for a VERY heavy course load saying he needed to "catch-up". Most of the classes he needed were extremely challenging and both Sherry and I had to do a lot of talking to get him to reduce the schedule down to the following:
Chemistry
Microbiology
American Literature
Golf
We were both happy with the course load reduction. Sherry still isn't too happy with the choice of the golf class though. She keeps thinking about lines of people swinging clubs right next to her son's head and errant golf balls flying every which way. I think that if he made it through a traumatic brain injury, he's toughened up enough for a round of golf.
Ryan has been at home for the last three months. During that time, Sherry and I were able to spend a tremendous amount of time with him. Not just a few minutes at the dinner table but hundreds of hours spent together. As terrible as the reason for being homebound was, we've been blessed by the time we shared with him. What a wonderful person we've had the honor of raising. We are proud of the man that he has become and thank God for lending him to us. With everything we've been through, it's been a tough transition to let him go. Every time I walk past his empty room I miss having him here but at the same time, overjoyed he is back at University.
As I write what I expect to be my final entry to this journal, I am humbled by the outpouring of support we have received. From the first hours, we have been surrounded with so much love, prayers, encouragement, and support I can't begin to detail them all here. So many people came to visit in the hospital, brought food there and to our home for weeks and weeks... Thank you Many more people from all over the world kept Ryan & my family in their prayers… Thank youTo all my friends & family who lived with us 24/7 for over a week in the hospital… Thank youTo Ryan's friends who repeatedly visited him both day and night… Thank you. The Corning family is blessed by what you have done.
Let me end by mentioning something very special that been happening. A wonderful friend of mine sent me a Psalm and a Prayer when the accident occurred. It was sent to uplift Ryan and help us endure. The next day, I received another Psalm and a Prayer from him and I've received one every day since then. Seven days a week, the first email that I receive is a Psalm and a prayer. What a wonderful way to start the day! Here's a copy of one he sent recently- just one of the many things I can never repay:
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up earlyand go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.
Psalm 127:1-2
Let us not suppose that it was us who did everything right when Ryan was injured and made all the correct decisions so that he would recover. Let us not believe that surgeons, nurses, and therapists alone could save Ryan's life. All their knowledge, skills, and tireless work are nothing without the will and hand of God. It is God who made this miracle. To everyone we give our heartfelt thanks. And to God we give our adoration and praise. And now, we ask for your continuing blessing on Ryan as he has returned to school. There will be many challenges, and he will need your help daily. Please stay steadily by his side.
Amen
With Gratitude,
Dan
A Valediction
Posted 11 hours ago
For those of you with children, I'm sure you remember what it felt like the day you took the training wheels off their bike, sat them on the seat and gave them that last push as they wobbled down the street by themselves. (I always ran behind them, just out of sight, ready to grab them up at the first sign of trouble) As I remember, the feeling was four parts pride of accomplishment, three parts joy and excitement and one part fear of the unforeseen. Those are wonderful moments to remember, knowing they have taken their next big step in their lives. Sherry and I did something like that again last week when we dropped Ryan off at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN.
As you know, Ryan had a craniotomy to replace his skull on December 11, 2008. He was very happy when he was discharged less than 24 hours after the surgery. Ryan was happy but that meant his family had to care for the terrible looking wound on his head all by themselves. We managed that process OK but as usual, Ryan accepted the circumstances without complaint. After a few days, he had excessive swelling and fluid build-up on the left side of his head. He said he could hear a gurgling noise whenever he moved. He made jokes about hearing the ocean and regularly enjoyed grossing out his mother when he pushed on the bulge saying something like "look, it's a water balloon". His good-natured acceptance of the situation has been a wonderful reassurance and a constant joy.
It's been over a month since the operation, the staples have been removed and all the swelling is gone. Ryan's hair is growing back nicely and soon, with a little more growth, there will be little visible evidence of the trauma or even the operation. Ryan's still suffers from pain that runs down his right leg from damage to his sciatic nerve. We are working toward a complete diagnosis of the problem but that seems to be the extent of his remaining injuries.
Ryan can't remember the accident, can't remember much of his stay in the hospital but has most of his memories from the rehabilitation hospital. Other than the loss of about two weeks of memory (one of which he was in a coma) his memory is 100%. This is not just an observation, during his outpatient therapies; he went through a battery of tests including mental, physical, short and long-term memory, coordination, balance, hearing, eyesight and more. Each test compared his performance against an average for someone his age and each test he did at least average or better. Some tests were so much better than average the therapists were very impressed.
When Ryan was in the ICU, due to the extent of his injuries the doctors only spoke of a future that held mental, physical, emotional and speech limitations. To prepare us, they gave us a guidebook for families living with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). We tried to read the book but could not bring ourselves to apply their terrible descriptions to our son and we quit. Some of the hospital staff found out we weren't reading it and we were scolded because we needed to "prepare ourselves for his care". These were among the darkest days of our lives and they reinforce the fact that Ryan wasn't just lucky; he received a miracle cure from God.
On our last visit to the Neurosurgeon, I questioned the doctor about activities Ryan should avoid after a craniotomy. (I was actually hoping he would say something about skateboarding was off limits but no such luck.) I was surprised to hear there are very few limitations he has to follow. According to the doctor (and these are really what he said) Ryan should no longer consider a career in the NFL, no professional hockey, no bungee jumping and no deep-sea or scuba diving. Other than that, he encouraged Ryan to participate in all life's activities. (He did emphasize he should wear a helmet when appropriate)
While Ryan was recovering, he had a lot of time for introspection. He came out of that process with a new focus and determination to achieve his goals. Prior to the accident, like many students, he was unsure what he really wanted to do. Now, he has a laser focus on a career as a Pharmacist. When he was preparing to re-enroll at the university, he wanted to sign-up for a VERY heavy course load saying he needed to "catch-up". Most of the classes he needed were extremely challenging and both Sherry and I had to do a lot of talking to get him to reduce the schedule down to the following:
Chemistry
Microbiology
American Literature
Golf
We were both happy with the course load reduction. Sherry still isn't too happy with the choice of the golf class though. She keeps thinking about lines of people swinging clubs right next to her son's head and errant golf balls flying every which way. I think that if he made it through a traumatic brain injury, he's toughened up enough for a round of golf.
Ryan has been at home for the last three months. During that time, Sherry and I were able to spend a tremendous amount of time with him. Not just a few minutes at the dinner table but hundreds of hours spent together. As terrible as the reason for being homebound was, we've been blessed by the time we shared with him. What a wonderful person we've had the honor of raising. We are proud of the man that he has become and thank God for lending him to us. With everything we've been through, it's been a tough transition to let him go. Every time I walk past his empty room I miss having him here but at the same time, overjoyed he is back at University.
As I write what I expect to be my final entry to this journal, I am humbled by the outpouring of support we have received. From the first hours, we have been surrounded with so much love, prayers, encouragement, and support I can't begin to detail them all here. So many people came to visit in the hospital, brought food there and to our home for weeks and weeks... Thank you Many more people from all over the world kept Ryan & my family in their prayers… Thank youTo all my friends & family who lived with us 24/7 for over a week in the hospital… Thank youTo Ryan's friends who repeatedly visited him both day and night… Thank you. The Corning family is blessed by what you have done.
Let me end by mentioning something very special that been happening. A wonderful friend of mine sent me a Psalm and a Prayer when the accident occurred. It was sent to uplift Ryan and help us endure. The next day, I received another Psalm and a Prayer from him and I've received one every day since then. Seven days a week, the first email that I receive is a Psalm and a prayer. What a wonderful way to start the day! Here's a copy of one he sent recently- just one of the many things I can never repay:
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up earlyand go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.
Psalm 127:1-2
Let us not suppose that it was us who did everything right when Ryan was injured and made all the correct decisions so that he would recover. Let us not believe that surgeons, nurses, and therapists alone could save Ryan's life. All their knowledge, skills, and tireless work are nothing without the will and hand of God. It is God who made this miracle. To everyone we give our heartfelt thanks. And to God we give our adoration and praise. And now, we ask for your continuing blessing on Ryan as he has returned to school. There will be many challenges, and he will need your help daily. Please stay steadily by his side.
Amen
With Gratitude,
Dan
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving! (Round 2)
I'm a little behind on my posting... it's been a wild and crazy holiday season...
The Vermillion Trio. Love my sisters!
My mom's family: Uncle Ray, Aunt Jeanna, Granny and Momma
The Vermillion Trio. Love my sisters!
Me and momma. We look more alike everyday.
My mom's family: Uncle Ray, Aunt Jeanna, Granny and Momma
Dad wearing mom's fashionable pink apron that must be at least 25 years old. Wishbone in hand.
Avery was desperate for a piece of turkey, ham or anything else that would come his way. Eventually the man in the pink apron gave in... or was it me that let him have some? Hmm..
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
update on the Fried Chicken Catastrophe
Not only is our sink still not functioning properly (drain backs up), but now our dishwasher is clogged too. I will never live this down.
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