Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

One of my favorite scenes in the 1987 John Hughes Holiday Classic "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is when Dell Griffith (John Candy) breaks it to Neil Page (Steve Martin) that he will be having his turkey roll in Wichita unless he follows Dell.
Well, Dr. Thompson, Dr. Ted Thompson (it's Packers week up here folks!)* told us last night that Anders likely has two more weeks in the hospital, which means I will be having my 30th birthday cake right here or someplace on the road in Downstate Illinois.
The nurses had been telling us that Anders only needed to take 50% plus 1 feedings via mouth to be released. That scenario seems likely by next week considering his much improved breathing. They stopped his caffeine yesterday, one day early. So I had begun the process of rounding up the cast of characters for Anders' baptism. Not so fast, my friend. Dr. Thompson told me last night that Anders needs to be at 100% oral feedings to get released, which when one thinks about it makes more sense.
Anders is still chugging away. He weighed 5lbs 15oz as of yesterday. He's all cheeks now. Anders is better than ever. We just got some bad information from the nurse practitioners and bedside nurses.
I will miss the Meatfest, which all joking aside, is a deep blow. I hope Anders only has two more weeks left in the hospital. He could have three more, which would put him at his due date. Anna's leave extends through about Nov. 4. Thankfully, we are still covered, but unfortunately she will not have much time with Anders at home before she returns to work. We are living on Anders time. I think we are finally starting to accept that reality.
This minor inconvenience is put into perspective when considering what other parents are going through. The reason Dr. Thompson was there last night was to talk with another couple of new parents whose baby has a mutated 17th chromosome. An extra chromosome on 18 causes Downs syndrome, but this half of an extra chromosome on 17 sounds pretty rare. He had never seen anything like it and he's probably the most knowledgable guy in Minnesota about sick and premature babies. The geneticist is coming Monday to talk with them. My heart goes out to them. This will be an agonizing weekend.
In happier news, we have Iowa-Arkansas State today: a classic letdown game after the huge Penn State win. The Hawks will eek by an overmatched opponent.
Twins-Royals: Detroit is trying to give the Twinkies the divisions, but the Minnesota 9 are too polite to take it. If the Twins find a way to beat the best pitcher in baseball, KC's Zack Greinke, today, then I expect them to come from 1 back and take the mediocre AL Central.
Vikings-Packers: Monday's game will be the highest rated broadcast in the history of Cable Television. Watch for Brett Favre to pull it out at the end.
And finally, for MN Steve, Gophers-Badgers: I know nothing about either team. Golden Gopher fans are being encouraged not to sell their season tickets to the visiting Sconsers. If the Gophers are the true home team, they pull the upset, but if The Bank (like the Metrodome before it) is Camp Randall NW, then the Badgers bring home Paul Bunyan's Axe yet again.

*Ted Thompson is the name of the Green Bay Packers general manager who foolishly disregarded Brett Favre's pleas to return to the Packers after leading them to a 13-3 season and within a whisker of the Super Bowl and a brief, ill-considered retirement.