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Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Scare at ECU
On November 16th, I was sitting in my class in the Rivers Building at ECU watching one of my fellow students present about a therapeutic style. All of a sudden, my teacher, Dr. Hill, cut her off and said that he had received a text message about a man walking around with a rifle near campus. So, we locked the door and continued with the class. Not long after this, the threat intensified to the point where it was believed that he was on campus. We were told to stay in our classroom and to be on alert. Well, our classes are long and people (particularly the girls) needed to use the restroom. So, Dr. Hill told everyone who needed to go to the bathroom to stick together. Quite a few of the girls did so.
A few minutes later, my friend John decided he needed to go, as well. When he walked out the door, he immediately heard someone yell "Get back into that classroom, right now!" It turns out it was a police officer with a raised machine gun pointed at him. John's need to pee was suddenly gone (or had gone down his leg, already) and he came back into the class. The officer came to our room and said, "Is anyone in this room not supposed to be in here? Did you see anyone walking in the halls with a cowboy hat?" It turns out, the police had gotten a tip that a man they saw on surveillance holding what looked like a rifle, was holding hostages in my building. The police officer told us to board off the door and to not let anyone in until he came back for us. I helped Dr. Hill, John, and my friend Meghan move a big bookshelf in front of the door and then we waited.
At first I was afraid.When I looked around the room at many of my classmates and friends huddled terrified in a corner, something changed. I went from being afraid to having the most extreme feeling of anger and hatred towards a human being that I think I have ever felt. I wondered, "What kind of person would do something like this? Who could be without moral feeling enough to the point where they would make innocent people feel this way?" Then, I thought about the children in the daycare in my same building and the feeling of anger only grew stronger. I was no longer scared; I was just mad.
Finally, after a half an hour or so, the police officer came back. He told us all to get our stuff together and to follow him slowly and in a uniformed line. At each point of the hallway, there were police officers standing with raised machine guns ensuring that nobody was going to pop out and start shooting. With the intense fear, the leading officer started moving rather quickly and we all followed suit. When I looked back, I saw my teacher, Dr. Hill, limping to catch up. Dr. Hill had very severe spinal chord injury years before that make walking difficult for him. So, I turned around and rushed to him and locked my elbow under his to help him out. We finally got to the stairs, where the officers stopped us and told us to wait as they secured access to a bus. Finally, a bus came to us and we were escorted to it by dozens of armed officers.
When we got on the bus, we all began talking. Text messages were flying back and forth from loved ones. My Mom was in town to see Eloise and wasn't expecting her son to be evacuated with raised guns, I'm sure. Julie kept texting me to give me updates. There was mass confusion. Finally, the bus moved and then just dumped us off at another part of campus without anyone really protecting us. A while after, the news got out that we could go home. It turns out, a young man that was carrying an umbrella he specifically bought to look like a weapon (a samurai sword) was walking around on campus. He had no idea that he had caused so much turmoil and was surprised that he was the "shooter."
While it turned out to not really be a man with a rifle, the event felt very real to each and every person that was in the Rivers Building, including the police. They thought they had risked their lives in our protection. I guess that's why I (and everyone else in my class) was annoyed when it turned into a big joke in the media and on campus. People posted things on Facebook like "watch out for umbrellas; they're deadly," etc. The cops took a beating by the local press and were mocked for their efforts. While it's unfortunate that it's turned into a joke, I was very impressed with all of my classmates. It turned into a moment where we really rallied around each other and helped each other. Umbrella or rifle, it doesn't matter. I got to see the best in human nature on that day. I also felt the worst in human nature when I realized how the victims of people that have done abominable things, like school shootings, felt. It was a real eye opener to me about the power of both good and evil.
A few minutes later, my friend John decided he needed to go, as well. When he walked out the door, he immediately heard someone yell "Get back into that classroom, right now!" It turns out it was a police officer with a raised machine gun pointed at him. John's need to pee was suddenly gone (or had gone down his leg, already) and he came back into the class. The officer came to our room and said, "Is anyone in this room not supposed to be in here? Did you see anyone walking in the halls with a cowboy hat?" It turns out, the police had gotten a tip that a man they saw on surveillance holding what looked like a rifle, was holding hostages in my building. The police officer told us to board off the door and to not let anyone in until he came back for us. I helped Dr. Hill, John, and my friend Meghan move a big bookshelf in front of the door and then we waited.
At first I was afraid.When I looked around the room at many of my classmates and friends huddled terrified in a corner, something changed. I went from being afraid to having the most extreme feeling of anger and hatred towards a human being that I think I have ever felt. I wondered, "What kind of person would do something like this? Who could be without moral feeling enough to the point where they would make innocent people feel this way?" Then, I thought about the children in the daycare in my same building and the feeling of anger only grew stronger. I was no longer scared; I was just mad.
Finally, after a half an hour or so, the police officer came back. He told us all to get our stuff together and to follow him slowly and in a uniformed line. At each point of the hallway, there were police officers standing with raised machine guns ensuring that nobody was going to pop out and start shooting. With the intense fear, the leading officer started moving rather quickly and we all followed suit. When I looked back, I saw my teacher, Dr. Hill, limping to catch up. Dr. Hill had very severe spinal chord injury years before that make walking difficult for him. So, I turned around and rushed to him and locked my elbow under his to help him out. We finally got to the stairs, where the officers stopped us and told us to wait as they secured access to a bus. Finally, a bus came to us and we were escorted to it by dozens of armed officers.
When we got on the bus, we all began talking. Text messages were flying back and forth from loved ones. My Mom was in town to see Eloise and wasn't expecting her son to be evacuated with raised guns, I'm sure. Julie kept texting me to give me updates. There was mass confusion. Finally, the bus moved and then just dumped us off at another part of campus without anyone really protecting us. A while after, the news got out that we could go home. It turns out, a young man that was carrying an umbrella he specifically bought to look like a weapon (a samurai sword) was walking around on campus. He had no idea that he had caused so much turmoil and was surprised that he was the "shooter."
While it turned out to not really be a man with a rifle, the event felt very real to each and every person that was in the Rivers Building, including the police. They thought they had risked their lives in our protection. I guess that's why I (and everyone else in my class) was annoyed when it turned into a big joke in the media and on campus. People posted things on Facebook like "watch out for umbrellas; they're deadly," etc. The cops took a beating by the local press and were mocked for their efforts. While it's unfortunate that it's turned into a joke, I was very impressed with all of my classmates. It turned into a moment where we really rallied around each other and helped each other. Umbrella or rifle, it doesn't matter. I got to see the best in human nature on that day. I also felt the worst in human nature when I realized how the victims of people that have done abominable things, like school shootings, felt. It was a real eye opener to me about the power of both good and evil.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
The E-Mail I Wrote After Eloise Was Born
Hello, family and friends! Baby Eloise is finally in the world! She came out as 6 lbs, 15 oz and 19 and a half inches long. Apparently, that is almost perfectly average size; definitely our child. However, she did not have a huge Edwards/Cannon noggin. Thank goodness for that (although she did get my comically small ears). On Halloween night (4 days past the due date) Julie and I didn't really know what to do for "fun" while Julie was having mild contractions and feeling nauseated. So, we ended up watching "The Others" (a terrible choice given the crazy stressed out mother theme) and I read "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" with nothing but Julie's I-Phone flashlight app on in the house. We had only one person come trick-or-treating; a 17 year old kid who said he was going out for his kid brother who was too lazy to get out of bed and do it himself. So, we ate a lot of Kit Kats, too.
Throughout the night, Julie's contractions increased in strength and frequency. With each one, she woke me up and asked me to hold her back and use her I-Phone contraction counter app (yeah, there's an app for that, apparently). Finally, around 3 AM, they were getting within 5 minutes of each other so I took Jules to the hospital...where she would remain in labor until 12:02 Wednesday morning (over 20 hours later). The labor was stressful and almost came down to the point of needing a C Section because of risk to Julie and Eloise. Right before they were going to perform a C Section, Julie had rapidly dilated. She dilated (for those of you who've experienced this or maybe giggled through this discussion during an awkward Maturation Day or Health class) from a 3 to a 10 in about 3 hours (which I'm told is incredible, particularly since the first many hours nothing happened).
As for Daddy, I got to hold Mom's left leg while she was pushing. I made the decision to not look down because there is only room for one hospital bed in this room. I failed to comply with that decision on two occasions. The first time, Julie ripped something or another and shot blood out like a fire hose. That was great for the old stomach! The next time I looked down there was a little face looking back at me.
Eloise is wonderful. We gave her a personality while she was in the womb because we thought it was a funny inside joke. Turns out, she already has a lot of it on her own account. She was born two minutes after Phil's birthday ended because she couldn't stand the idea of sharing the spotlight. While we named her Eloise after Julie's grandmother Lois, it's looking more and more like we accidentally named her Eloise because of her similarity to the children's books about Eloise at the Plaza. She is dearly loved by her parents and we are both excited for the vengeance that is about to be placed on us for being such stubborn children when we were kids.
We love you all. Eloise will love you all someday, too, when she worries about love rather than just sleeping, eating and pooping. Thank you for all your prayers, thoughts, gifts and love that you have sent our way. Come see us when you get the chance! God bless you all.
Love, Dylan, Jules and Eloise Jayden Cannon
Throughout the night, Julie's contractions increased in strength and frequency. With each one, she woke me up and asked me to hold her back and use her I-Phone contraction counter app (yeah, there's an app for that, apparently). Finally, around 3 AM, they were getting within 5 minutes of each other so I took Jules to the hospital...where she would remain in labor until 12:02 Wednesday morning (over 20 hours later). The labor was stressful and almost came down to the point of needing a C Section because of risk to Julie and Eloise. Right before they were going to perform a C Section, Julie had rapidly dilated. She dilated (for those of you who've experienced this or maybe giggled through this discussion during an awkward Maturation Day or Health class) from a 3 to a 10 in about 3 hours (which I'm told is incredible, particularly since the first many hours nothing happened).
As for Daddy, I got to hold Mom's left leg while she was pushing. I made the decision to not look down because there is only room for one hospital bed in this room. I failed to comply with that decision on two occasions. The first time, Julie ripped something or another and shot blood out like a fire hose. That was great for the old stomach! The next time I looked down there was a little face looking back at me.
Eloise is wonderful. We gave her a personality while she was in the womb because we thought it was a funny inside joke. Turns out, she already has a lot of it on her own account. She was born two minutes after Phil's birthday ended because she couldn't stand the idea of sharing the spotlight. While we named her Eloise after Julie's grandmother Lois, it's looking more and more like we accidentally named her Eloise because of her similarity to the children's books about Eloise at the Plaza. She is dearly loved by her parents and we are both excited for the vengeance that is about to be placed on us for being such stubborn children when we were kids.
We love you all. Eloise will love you all someday, too, when she worries about love rather than just sleeping, eating and pooping. Thank you for all your prayers, thoughts, gifts and love that you have sent our way. Come see us when you get the chance! God bless you all.
Love, Dylan, Jules and Eloise Jayden Cannon
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Eloise Jayden's Arrival
(to see more pictures of just Eloise, I put them up on my photo blog)
Eloise made her arrival 2 minutes after midnight on November 02, 2011. After three straight days of labor, an almost c-section scare, being sent home from triage once (almost twice), being pumped full of pitocin, and little Eloise's heart rate making everyone nervous, I was more than ready to push that baby out. She came out head-up, which explained all my back labor and why pushing ended up being so difficult. There are tons of details to share, but that can wait. For now, pictures! Keep in mind that Dylan and I had been awake for too many days straight at this point, in less-than-comfortable circumstances, so we were EXHAUSTED. Thank goodness for epidurals.
Eloise made her arrival 2 minutes after midnight on November 02, 2011. After three straight days of labor, an almost c-section scare, being sent home from triage once (almost twice), being pumped full of pitocin, and little Eloise's heart rate making everyone nervous, I was more than ready to push that baby out. She came out head-up, which explained all my back labor and why pushing ended up being so difficult. There are tons of details to share, but that can wait. For now, pictures! Keep in mind that Dylan and I had been awake for too many days straight at this point, in less-than-comfortable circumstances, so we were EXHAUSTED. Thank goodness for epidurals.
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| Right before they came in to announce "It's baby time!" |
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| So happy to be holding my little girl. And her little hand was in the same position here as in her 20-week ultrasound - that little hand that had me so anxious to see her |
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| Proudly wearing his 'new dad' t-shirt |
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| My mom was in town, and came to see Eloise and Dylan and I during the day |
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| Family of three! |
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| The hospital room |
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| I was so happy to finally be able to receive this balloon! |
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| 1st day of life |
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| Watching sports with Daddy...I have a feeling I'll see a lot of this in our house |
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| At home, snuggled up with mommy. |
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| She had hours of awake time two of the mornings she's been home, which has been fun - just content and taking everything in |
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| Daddy time after church |
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| I birthed a...football? |
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| Another common occurrence - napping on Daddy's chest. Oh, and brainwashing at a young age for BYU |
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| I love her LONG feet. I mean, these things really are super long, and skinny, so wearing socks has been a bit of a challenge |
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| Three generation of women. Grandma, Mom, Daughter |
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| First bath (at home)! |
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| She wasn't quite sure about it. Baths since have been a little less cry-inducing |
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| Our little duckie |
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