Life Behind the Highlight Real

Ep 29: From Breaking Coffee Tables to the NICU with Sara Schaber Fitterer

May 16, 2022 Sarah Huffman, William Huffman, & Jorie Schaaf Season 1 Episode 29
Life Behind the Highlight Real
Ep 29: From Breaking Coffee Tables to the NICU with Sara Schaber Fitterer
Show Notes Transcript

Sarah Huffman and Sara Schaber Fitterer go back...way back to Mr Randle's biology class in the 10th grade. They've been friends ever since. 

With that kind of history, expect great stories, including getting dumped at a Sarah Mclachlan concert, being roomies after college, their "anything for money" parties,  relationships, marriage....then a baby. 

A baby that was born at 25 weeks.  Sara shares the story of the day she gave birth to a preemie. The ambulance ride, the comedy troop, the bedpan, and Al Roker. 

At under two pounds, Jackson was the size of a ruler wearing diapers the size of a credit card. 

Sara shares the story of a world being thrown upside down. Hours in the newborn intensive care unit, the amazing nurses, and the emptiness of leaving every night without your baby. 

The bumps were frightening until the day Jackson was allowed to go home.

Sara details Jackson's bravery and fight for life, and the stress as she and her husband experienced all of this for the first time.

Keep up with past episodes of Life Behind the Highlight Reel: https://www.lbthr.com/

Magical Quotes

"This is my son. Screw all of you. He is going to make it"

"We're not going to shy away from doing things. We will do it and make it work. And if people stare at him, I will stare right back."

"Nobody will ever know what you've gone through expect you and the other NICU moms"

William Huffman  0:00  
Hey everybody, William here and Sarah. And we just need to let you know that we are licensed real estate agents in the state of Minnesota with REMAX results of Good Life Group. And that's our legal disclaimer. Everybody, William here and we're the dear friend Sarah without an H we're going to talk about from breaking coffee tables to the NICU. Stay tuned.

Sarah Huffman  0:19  
Here we are 20 years later, and we're all still friends,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  0:23  
and probably still talking about the same four stories.

Sarah Huffman  0:26  
And we laugh like like everyone should know them.

Accouncer  0:29  
Welcome to Life behind the highlight reel. The podcast that takes things beyond the curated life we all see online. Join hosts Sarah and William Huffman as they dive in with their friends to talk about the good and the hard things that come with a real not perfect life behind the highlight reel.

William Huffman  0:50  
Everybody, William here and

Unknown Speaker  0:52  
Sarah ID Jory. And Sarah, we have two series of

Jorie  0:58  
letters with an H one one's just no H.

William Huffman  1:01  
Thank you for that. Yeah. Which ones which? Well,

Unknown Speaker  1:03  
if zero with the H.

Sarah Huffman  1:11  
Well, I was reminded me of this one time we were at a bar back in our early 20s at Harvey's. is Sara there. Yeah, which one?

William Huffman  1:20  
You were both there. We were both there.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:24  
Wasn't one of my finer moments.

Sarah Huffman  1:26  
The gentleman Souter was calling for Sarah with the LBh. The age

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:31  
didn't clearly did not pan out.

Jorie  1:34  
I'm not here. This is gonna be great. And

Sarah Huffman  1:37  
I remember I was like, Well, tell me what you talked about. And I'll tell you if it's me.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:43  
Came on that night.

William Huffman  1:47  
We got to back this up. We got we went right into story that only two of you know. This is gonna be a freaking riveting podcast. Is YouTube talking about stuff that nobody else knows? Audio? Zero. It's gonna be great. Well, it's gonna be forever. Absolutely. Okay, so, would you like to introduce your friend?

Sarah Huffman  2:10  
You mean our friend? Well, she's

William Huffman  2:11  
yours. I acquired her in the marriage. While I was there, you weren't an acquisition. You're the reason we don't have a cat. Really? Yeah, cuz you're allergic to them. You can get one no, because we, I like you. And I want you to be able to come over if we whenever you want. But it's still your fault.

Sarah Huffman  2:30  
Sorry. It's okay. Sara's the top of her mouth will itch and then she'll be like, scraping the roof of her mouth. So

William Huffman  2:39  
that's appealing.

Sarah Huffman  2:40  
This is how it works. Okay, everybody, we today we have Sarah shaver fitter on as our podcast guests. Yes, those two URLs there. There are two URLs. Yeah. Yeah. That's Sarah fitter. fitter, or it's better or, or her. And, Sarah, how did we meet?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  3:00  
Biology class? Back in grade? Ninth grade? 10th. Grade

Sarah Huffman  3:04  
10th grade 19 9509

William Huffman  3:07  
teen none.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  3:10  
I don't want to know what my hair looked like then.

William Huffman  3:13  
That's where you went? Oh, I want to know No, it was probably.

Sarah Huffman  3:18  
I don't remember it ever being bad.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  3:20  
Oh, it was bad in middle school. Well,

Sarah Huffman  3:22  
you always had like curly, well, you still do have curly hair. But here's the deal. Someone was straight hair always wants the curly hair and the curly haired person. Yeah, always want straight hair. And guess what? We don't always get what we want.

Jorie  3:35  
I will never get a perm ever again.

Sarah Huffman  3:37  
I had a perm one time ever.

William Huffman  3:39  
I've had my hair permed

Jorie  3:40  
Jesus, why do you keep on surprising me with things?

William Huffman  3:43  
Yeah, when I was younger, I had really long here.

Jorie  3:47  
ears pierced. Yeah. Oh my god.

William Huffman  3:50  
Several times Sarah.

Sarah Huffman  3:52  
Which one? I don't care

Jorie  3:53  
both helped me.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  3:57  
See the perm

William Huffman  3:58  
it's there's photos out there of me in the in the like a mullet. Palmer? Yeah.

Jorie  4:03  
Oh my god. Yeah,

William Huffman  4:05  
it was legit.

Jorie  4:08  
Shocked today. I can't Tiger King. Will you I could whip his ass.

Sarah Huffman  4:18  
Anyhow, so Sarah, we met back in well, we'll do let's just say this version. Sarah and I were in Mr. Randles. Biology class in 10th. Grade. What school?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  4:30  
Dinah High School fighting Hornets. Insert your comment now? Yeah, I always every day I needed to. There's always a comment. Yeah,

Jorie  4:41  
you guys like that was very spoiled school. Here we go. I don't know. I'm from Bloomington Jefferson.

Sarah Huffman  4:47  
Oh, West blooming West Bloomington.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  4:49  
Yeah. Oh,

Jorie  4:50  
Edina. What are you doing it? I'm sorry. I wanted to go to care, but not here.

William Huffman  4:56  
I didn't go to school. That's okay. Yeah, you

Sarah Huffman  4:59  
didn't go to school. Good. I went to alternative school I did. So anyway, Sarah met intent Sara and I met in 10th grade biology class. So in Edina, the way it works is you go to like you go to your Rolls Royce. I was just getting ushered into school.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  5:15  
My Dodge Neon. Yeah.

Jorie  5:16  
I had a Dodge chipping paint on the trunk,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  5:20  
probably. I don't think it was very safe.

Sarah Huffman  5:23  
I just remember like dodge nearly became a better driver when you got your Corolla. And then when you got your minivan, it's like

Sara Schaber Fitterer  5:30  
Game Changer took off. Yeah. We'll talk about

Sarah Huffman  5:33  
Sarah's driving later, but like you could have gotten whiplash might be

William Huffman  5:37  
my funnest podcast to date. So far. This is going well. I love it. Okay,

Sarah Huffman  5:41  
so can we get back to 10th grade biology? We're

William Huffman  5:43  
not there yet. I mean, we're still walking down the halls eating our pastries

Sarah Huffman  5:47  
in our Starbucks. Back when Starbucks wasn't everywhere. It was in high school. I had

Sara Schaber Fitterer  5:57  
it was a thing like we went there after we got a frappuccino. Yeah,

Sarah Huffman  6:00  
like it like it was a thing. We can tell you what we did on our weekends.

William Huffman  6:04  
They were back to biology. What period was biology class?

Sarah Huffman  6:06  
I don't remember.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  6:08  
I just remember Mr. Randall never button that top button. He's zipped his pants up and then had

William Huffman  6:14  
a belt and then never buttoned his pants. Oh,

Unknown Speaker  6:17  
I saw I think we were after lunch. That is my takeaway from by.

William Huffman  6:21  
That's a red sign. That's a red flag was Mr. Randall.

Jorie  6:25  
You got out of biology. He

Sarah Huffman  6:26  
was a really nice man was nice. Yeah. And I think he was in choir because I feel like he would like look at choir notes. Like, on his desk. Wow.

William Huffman  6:35  
The brief the brief time you require. I was

Sarah Huffman  6:38  
caught from choir after 10th grade. But you did have to take you did have to take a musical elective in 10th grade and it was choir band or orchestra. I must had to do choir wasn't didn't have a musical. I feel like there was like some musical element Hmm. Or theater. Do you think

Sara Schaber Fitterer  7:00  
I was not in theater? But okay,

Sarah Huffman  7:03  
so Sara and I so in any Dinah house or any dynamic. You have your elementary schools that feed into the middle school. And there were two middle schools. And then we went to different middle schools who did not know each other grades for middle schools. six through nine being

Sara Schaber Fitterer  7:18  
boy, I think seven I think wasn't when we went

Sarah Huffman  7:21  
it was seven. Yeah, nine.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  7:22  
I think it's changed now.

William Huffman  7:23  
So that's why 10th grade is when you're first meeting.

Sarah Huffman  7:25  
10th grade. Okay. Yes. So

Sara Schaber Fitterer  7:27  
10th Yep. 10th grade. Yep.

Sarah Huffman  7:29  
And so we're in middle school, first day of school, and you're in biology and you have to get a biology partner. And this was like a biology partner for the year. And I didn't know

Sara Schaber Fitterer  7:39  
how awkward that we had to do that. Yeah, just assigned them. Right. Like it's like a popularity contest then too, because

Sarah Huffman  7:46  
I was like, I don't know anybody in this room. And there was a person sitting in front of me, I won't name name and then there was a person we can totally name No, I

Sara Schaber Fitterer  7:54  
don't know. Probably like, no, she's probably like married or like Elon Musk or something. Probably.

Sarah Huffman  7:58  
And then there's a person sitting next to you. And that happened to be Sarah. Okay. And I was like, well, these are my choices. Hi.

William Huffman  8:08  
So you chose the person you didn't know

Sarah Huffman  8:10  
I didn't know either. Okay, the

Sara Schaber Fitterer  8:12  
other one was not the best option I don't think it just wasn't probably it was brilliant. I mean, now you know

Sarah Huffman  8:18  
me know I feel bad saying

William Huffman  8:19  
well she she had two options so I wouldn't the Universe

Sara Schaber Fitterer  8:27  
There we go. So we just chose each other and yep, the rest is history. Are

Sarah Huffman  8:31  
we our podcast over yeah

William Huffman  8:35  
well, there's more to that story is I need to dissect a pig by myself I know we're we're you want to tell the story the first time I met you but

Sarah Huffman  8:44  
we'll get to that in a second so Sarah never biology partners the whole year and you know just friends make becoming more friends. We went to our my first concert I think we went together really Shanaya Twain. Oh,

Jorie  8:54  
oh, that's love it was spared happy

William Huffman  8:57  
boost

Jorie  8:59  
under do me,

Sarah Huffman  9:02  
nerd. That's all I know. I don't know lyrics. And then we can talk about the stair McLaughlin concert.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  9:11  
Did we go to the No, no, I didn't go You didn't

Sarah Huffman  9:14  
go but I did

Sara Schaber Fitterer  9:20  
trade before that,

Sarah Huffman  9:21  
like during the concert.

William Huffman  9:22  
Oh, shut up. No, you did it. Yeah. How did you get dumped during a concert? Go

Sara Schaber Fitterer  9:28  
to the concert. I just Oh, these guys she was at it with people?

Sarah Huffman  9:31  
Yeah. As Sarah McLaughlin singing like in the

William Huffman  9:36  
everybody's crying you're donating money to

Sarah Huffman  9:38  
getting like a 911 call from Sarah.

Jorie  9:42  
And your bond your eyes right now on her flip phone. Be like BlackBerry keys.

Sarah Huffman  9:53  
So I in 10th grade I had a liver tumor. They found a liver tumor and so I was out of school for life. Quick catch was that two months. So while it was like the end of the school year, and so I missed the dissecting portion of the biology class, so I think I missed the frog. I missed the baby pig didn't just

William Huffman  10:15  
start with a worm.

Jorie  10:18  
Worm a frog and then I went to the pig.

William Huffman  10:21  
No, I didn't do that. Yeah, so I

Sarah Huffman  10:24  
started the year was very brave. Sarah was very brave and had to do that on her own.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  10:29  
Did I get the other gal? No, she must have

Sarah Huffman  10:31  
had no Shana. She had her own partner.

Jorie  10:33  
I mean, did you pass your fine

Sara Schaber Fitterer  10:34  
solo messed up? Because I graduated? I don't probably didn't do so well, but at

Sarah Huffman  10:39  
least the pig was already dead. Oh, sciences wherever. Formaldehyde

Sara Schaber Fitterer  10:44  
Yes, I can still smell it kind of like that Pot. Pot

Sarah Huffman  10:46  
Roast. I bet you're still tasting that pot roast. There's a story.

William Huffman  10:50  
Oh, my gosh.

Sarah Huffman  10:52  
Sara, where'd you go to school? Like after college? We graduated or after high school. We

Sara Schaber Fitterer  10:56  
graduated and we're not doing I went to St. Thomas.

Sarah Huffman  10:59  
Right down the street lovin. And what did you graduate in?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  11:04  
Journalism? Clearly, I'm hitting the stories hard right now. And really, really, really taken that that degree.

Sarah Huffman  11:13  
You have had a degree that many people will never know. And so don't sell yourself short on that journalism.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  11:20  
It was okay. It was good. So tough job

Sarah Huffman  11:22  
market when we graduated. Oh my gosh, because you went right to target. And how long did you work there?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  11:30  
Oh, gosh, I don't even remember I was just part of that first layoff. That's really the one that was that was kind of the big. Did you guys work at the same target? We did not. Okay.

Sarah Huffman  11:41  
So Sarah was at headquarters. So she was like fast, fun and friendly downtown. Okay. And at that time I was teaching, because I think I was teaching with that when you had your first layoff?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  11:54  
Oh, maybe?

Sarah Huffman  11:56  
I don't remember.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  11:57  
So I worked there from 2002 to 2009. So probably seven years. And because I was actually pregnant with Jack found out pregnant with Jackson, and then got laid off two days later. Oh, that's right. Yeah. We start to a red letter year.

Sarah Huffman  12:17  
Okay. And one more thing before we go down like to like Jackson and Logan. So you're at Target. And at that time, I'm teaching and we happen to be roommates after college. Those were fun times. They were really easy. Simple times.

Jorie  12:31  
I want a juicy story. If you guys went to college together, no, we didn't go to college. Well, you guys were roommates after

Sarah Huffman  12:38  
college after college for four years. And remember, we had a housewarming party? Oh, tell me we had housewarming parties for a lot of things. Like if we could have a party it would it would happen. So we had a housewarming party at our first apartment in Linden Hills. And that

Sara Schaber Fitterer  12:54  
was kind of like, I feel like a 75 year old woman party. And it was then we really like

Sarah Huffman  13:00  
my bet. You brought us housewarming present. Yeah. And we had such a cute place. And remember how you didn't want the drinks on the buffet because it's gonna get sticky probably. So one of the things that that our fans should know is they're a shaper fitter is the most commonly clean person I know. She's very concerned about crumbs. Dust.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  13:21  
I like to clean. I love that. I like to clean.

Sarah Huffman  13:25  
Kaboom.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  13:27  
Can't go to bed with a dirty sink.

Sarah Huffman  13:29  
You cannot go oh

Jorie  13:30  
my god. No, no, you can't with food in the sink. You have a copper sink. And I actually just used GoDaddy two weeks ago and I used it with daddy. Oh god. Oh, like a scrub daddy. No, it's a chemical that makes it copper again, like it gets rid of all everything. Oh, but I didn't wear gloves. So I didn't care. I mean, my sink looks. Hey, brand new. Yes.

Sarah Huffman  13:54  
What do you think about all this talk about cleaning?

William Huffman  13:59  
I love Maria Garcia.

Jorie  14:01  
She needs to come to the podcast office.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  14:04  
So I've learned that there's like a whole cleaning like tick tock of us. Yes. videos, these people that like clean their houses and like do these like, you know, just like I know I feel like I could have like pioneered that.

Sarah Huffman  14:21  
Well, I'm even just yesterday. True story. I was watching a tech talk about a guy detailing his car.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  14:29  
Oh, there's no fun. Yeah, I know.

Sarah Huffman  14:32  
It had 19 million viewers. I know it wasn't alone.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  14:37  
Right? Oh, like a before and after. If someone cleaning their stove. Yes. Like, oh my God, I need that product right now.

Jorie  14:43  
That's why I did my sink.

Sarah Huffman  14:44  
Can you start it? Can you just do it? I

Sara Schaber Fitterer  14:46  
mean, I probably could. Okay, so we digress. I digress. So

Sarah Huffman  14:50  
at this point, we were living in our apartment in Linden Hills for like not even a year. No, because that was the year like 2003 It was starting the The lovely condo conversions so we were kicked out of our cute little brownstone. So cute. Oh, it was so cute.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  15:07  
We should have like, if we were smart, we would have bought it. I don't know why we did. I know. It was so dumb.

Sarah Huffman  15:11  
We could have gotten that thing for 200,000. And now

William Huffman  15:14  
Oh, my word I

Sara Schaber Fitterer  15:16  
know like young blacks from Lake Harriet.

Sarah Huffman  15:18  
Yeah, yeah, we were I mean, we right around the corner from Sebastian Jones. We were 23 it's just yeah, it just wasn't on our radar. And then she made a but much better purchase a few few years later my condo? Yeah, no, no, and then the most my most impulsive decision to date. So then we moved around the corners still in linen Hills area on 47th in Xerxes, and that is when we really had some good probably hit our stride. So what were some of the parties we had the summer solstice party. That was fun. And I think we had a keg fall the fall one. Oh, do we have the fall foliage? Yes. And we wouldn't have themes. And this is back in the day when everyone used like the evite Yes, yes.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  16:04  
There was no Facebook or thank God or Instagram. Nope,

Sarah Huffman  16:07  
there was no social media at this time. And then we had another party. It was our goodbye zerks party. We had that truth or dare party anything for money. It was called anything for money party. They were telling me more. I don't we had printed off fake money. And like I think we gave people money as they came in the door and whoever had the most money and then night

Jorie  16:31  
stealing that idea

Sarah Huffman  16:33  
that it was called anything for money party.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  16:35  
It was really fun. Those were fun times.

Sarah Huffman  16:37  
Oh my gosh. And Sarah would like at the end of these nights, she would throw up her hands like this. I'm not doing it. I'm not gonna do it. I'm just gonna go to bed not cleaning up. She wasn't gonna clean the kitchen

Sara Schaber Fitterer  16:49  
clean and hard to go to bed with a dirty kitchen but I did it. Yeah,

William Huffman  16:53  
that's you guys are so weird. What did you really? Oh, seriously, what does that she can't quote about the dirty kitchen. I know you can't get you Yes, you can't. It's very easy. No,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  17:02  
you can't can't ignore sleep as I know who wants to wake up to like a sticky plate. Yeah, like I want to wake up to like a fresh kohner With my fresh you write your sticky plate with you to better something, something but it will be in my head

Sarah Huffman  17:16  
up there. So Sarah, I at this point, Sarah's working for target. I'm teaching in an Eden Prairie and I decided to go to grad school, because the only way to make more money when you're teaching is to get your master's degree. And so I went to I went to St. Thomas, I got my master's degree. And while it's while at St. Thomas, I happened to meet our friend Josie link. At the time, it was Jessie Grannis, but whatever. And Jessie was just engaged to her fiance now husband, Tom, and Tom had some friends. Tell us about him, Sarah. Well,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  17:54  
Tom's friends really, like blossomed into our girls because I met one friend named Chad Gil met a friend named Chad. And we both married these Chad's so.

Sarah Huffman  18:06  
So there you go, everybody. I went to grad school and help these ladies find their mates. Several of them

William Huffman  18:14  
you're welcome. Yeah, okay. You're just like the quarter beard night place up in Superior

Sarah Huffman  18:19  
and does bring people together. Yeah, I guess so. Yeah. All right. Does she's good at that.

William Huffman  18:24  
Yeah, she is a connector. That's true. That's one of the things that when we met each other there's still a dozen years or so before I meet you. There are

Sarah Huffman  18:33  
a lot of years ago. A lot of bad decisions. Oh, no good decision. We're

William Huffman  18:38  
all perfect because it led you to me right? Yes, yes. But we did three that were kind of like the connectors in our in our friends in our family.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  18:45  
Yes. There's yeah Sarah cuz she's kind of the Chad calls it the glue. The glue the sticky plate. You're the glue to everyone.

Sarah Huffman  18:53  
Like here we go. So Sarah meets Chad at was at the anything for money party.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  18:58  
Oh God, probably where I was being ridiculous with this sweater. Oh god. Yeah.

Sarah Huffman  19:02  
What happened? No,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  19:03  
no, I had like candle wax. How do I get candle wax on a sweater

Sarah Huffman  19:07  
and it was a new, cute sweater from anthropology.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  19:11  
It just bad decisions like looking back or just cringy

Sarah Huffman  19:15  
and so Sarah would open the door to this party. Hi. do wanna see my candle backs?

William Huffman  19:23  
That is totally something you can do. They just was like when Stefon Diggs caught the miracle. The other Yeah.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  19:28  
That was amazing. That's on video to sports that collapsed last night was wrong. Brutal walls.

Sarah Huffman  19:34  
So how did you meet Chad?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  19:36  
at that party?

Sarah Huffman  19:38  
At the end? For my part one of them. Yeah,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  19:40  
we met and then he worked downtown too. And we met for happy hour. Maybe? I think happy hour.

Sarah Huffman  19:49  
I don't know I was strikes.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  19:50  
I x for happy hour. Yep.

Sarah Huffman  19:52  
I x Did you share a cookie? Probably.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  19:55  
We went to Eichmann for happy hour and the rest is history.

William Huffman  20:00  
Oh, we're not going to slide that easily.

Sarah Huffman  20:03  
I think Sarah sent me down on the like, we had these blue striped couches from my great aunts. Great Aunt Claire's couches. And I think she sat on her couch, and I would sit on my couch and she'd be like, I have something to tell you.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  20:16  
Really? I think so. Oh, my gosh. Because he emailed me what? Well, this again back was very shake back before, you know. Like Chaz media and Oh, chess. Back before all it's like that's what people did, right. Like you emailed or called. I mean, there was no texting AOL Instant Messenger. Texting wasn't like a huge thing back then. And it makes it sound so ancient.

Jorie  20:44  
It was email or call. Yeah, otherwise, if you did text it was $1.29.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  20:50  
To Text Yeah. And

Jorie  20:52  
BBB BBB? It was amazing. Whenever you could text Yeah. And not even look at it anymore. Yeah.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  20:59  
So I mean, this was it was call or your email. I mean, email. Yeah. Weird. He emailed me at work. Your target. Target era.chamber@target.com. It

William Huffman  21:08  
was only shaver that Yeah.

Sarah Huffman  21:10  
Sorry, we shaper.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  21:13  
So I think we met and I think it was like Valentine's Day. It was because we went out on one of our first date. That's

William Huffman  21:22  
one of your first days was on Valentine's Day. That's that's a

Sara Schaber Fitterer  21:25  
commitment. Yeah, that's something you did it. Yeah. And he had that other girlfriend. Remember? We met airy fairy? About her and many years at that New Year's party. And she had that blue dress on? Yep.

Sarah Huffman  21:37  
So we guideline. We

William Huffman  21:38  
go from January, January. There was a girlfriend to you going out in February 14,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  21:43  
I guess. Yeah. Because I

Sarah Huffman  21:45  
think our party was in January,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  21:47  
because we were at Tom and Jesse's for new dads for that New Year's party. And that's when Tom broke the coffee table. Right? That's

Sarah Huffman  21:55  
right. Yeah. And what I love

William Huffman  21:56  
about this so far is everybody out here is listening to this. And they are actually like, oh, yeah, I remember that one time that Frank did that shit like this, because this is awesome. I love this.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  22:09  
I mean, I don't want to embarrass Tom. I don't really remember what happened. But something happened with the global coffee table. I mean, we were young we had

Sarah Huffman  22:16  
so much fun when they lived on their at their house on Tallinn. And it's just it's funny because here we are 20 years later, and we're all still friends.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  22:26  
And probably still talking about the same four stories. And we

Sarah Huffman  22:30  
laugh like like everyone should know them

William Huffman  22:32  
their core memories. They aren't we all have those core memories that we like that core member when you get with your homies when we're old school jeez, and you're just like, you might remember that one time that I crapped in the top of the toilet.

Sarah Huffman  22:44  
No, it's called upper Decker. Oh my god will

Sara Schaber Fitterer  22:47  
like without the seat off.

William Huffman  22:49  
No, you crap your water.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  22:51  
Oh, oh god. Okay. Decker. Annie how know how logistically that

Sarah Huffman  22:59  
you and Chad got married. You're a boy mom. So you're really putting the puzzle the

Sara Schaber Fitterer  23:06  
guy might learn how that works suit. If I told my 10 year old he'd be like, cool. No, you know what he would

Sarah Huffman  23:11  
do? You do it. Hey, Alexa,

William Huffman  23:14  
what's an upper Decker

Sara Schaber Fitterer  23:15  
one and then go to school and cars and doggy style, which is apparently the other thing that 10 year olds are talking about at school. Oh, they're not getting a rap song or Tatum's going in?

Jorie  23:27  
I'm telling you she's not tells you.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  23:29  
You should have bed at night. So yes, we did get married.

Sarah Huffman  23:35  
You did we did and how to Chad asked you to marry you.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  23:39  
And hikes on Valentine's Day. The sight of our first date

Sarah Huffman  23:45  
and didn't get like pass you a card. Wait,

William Huffman  23:47  
wait Bill times day was your first

Sara Schaber Fitterer  23:48  
date? Yes. And we got engaged on Valentine's Day. Was it just a year after? No, it was longer? I was it too. Yeah, it was a lot. Yeah, it was too because we had moved. I moved in with him to that house. And that house

Sarah Huffman  24:02  
that we sold? You did sell it.

William Huffman  24:05  
Short.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  24:07  
Stories there too.

William Huffman  24:10  
Okay, okay. Okay. Well, we'll keep going.

Sarah Huffman  24:14  
So Sara and Chad got married. November of November. Oh, seven of oh seven. Isn't that wild? Number 10th 2007. And then when was little Jackson?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  24:26  
He was born June 2009.

Sarah Huffman  24:29  
Okay, so you guys were married a year before he was born?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  24:32  
Yeah. Oh, yeah. More than a year. Okay. Math.

Sarah Huffman  24:35  
I don't remember. I just remember like, you guys got married. You had Baxter your puppy. And then Jackson arrived. So you found out you were pregnant with Jackson when?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  24:47  
January? oh nine probably. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. January end of December. January oh nine. And I remember

Sarah Huffman  24:54  
that because we had either a birthday party or a bachelorette party for Jill. Yeah. us, and we really loved the tequila.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  25:04  
Yeah. Oh, I didn't know I was pregnant, but I was drinking. Yeah. It really does. I mean, it wasn't on purpose. No be judged.

Sarah Huffman  25:15  
But was it like a judgy thing? It was just like, Oh, yep. And then the next day, we're literally like on the couch watching TV and whatnot. And then, like, literally

William Huffman  25:24  
is this one one of your friends wrote your lesson plan for you? Oh, that was? That was fun. Andrea went to

Sarah Huffman  25:32  
work. Andrea went to work and the rest of us had a nice day. Angry, yeah, journal about Chernobyl fall. But you found out in January that you were pregnant. And you were due when?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  25:47  
October 2009.

Sarah Huffman  25:50  
Yeah. And what Tober six to be exact, October 6. And like, how was your pregnancy?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  25:58  
Normal, like normal? Like, I didn't eat deli meat or, you know, did all the things.

Jorie  26:03  
Are you one of those?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  26:05  
I mean, probably I was, you know, didn't do the things walked. I don't know like

Sarah Huffman  26:16  
I don't know. Yeah, I remember at my birthday party, half Caf coffee. Oh, yeah. You were careful in the caffeine half Caf. Yeah, no deli meat. Where what were some of the other things that I don't

Sara Schaber Fitterer  26:26  
know, like, stupid stuff that you know, I mean, you have kids, you have kids? I have to Yeah, I mean, just like you read the dumb books and what to expect. Yeah. And try to do the thing. Read it. I know. It's probably not gonna help at all. Um, yeah. Like all that try to be healthy.

Sarah Huffman  26:44  
Yep. And then what happened early June.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  26:47  
Jackson was born June to June 23 2009.

William Huffman  26:52  
July, July, August, August, September, September, October. That's four months. Yeah,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  26:56  
he was he was born early. He was born at 25 weeks. And keep in mind there's 40 weeks in a pregnancy. So he was born quite early. So tell

Sarah Huffman  27:05  
us about the day like you wake up on this level it was it a Sunday

Sara Schaber Fitterer  27:10  
so yeah, it was Father's Day was woke up normal day we went to Victor's

William Huffman  27:16  
is that even still open? Yes. Oh, yeah. The Cuban plays, right. Yes. Yeah. Really

Sara Schaber Fitterer  27:20  
good breakfast.

Sarah Huffman  27:21  
Yeah. Like good pancake.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  27:23  
Yep. Went there for breakfast? You know, probably ate up a storm. It a really good pancake. Thank God. Yeah. And yeah, then came home. We went to great harvest. You did? Yeah. I remember going to great harvest after and getting that's the bread plates rightly. You remember the weird things? Yes. Like God like shortbread bars? What the hell like what was I thinking? And yes, and then came home and went to the bathroom? And didn't you go to Target we went to Target because I got a new lunchbox. For me work

Jorie  27:59  
for the shortbread bars.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  28:02  
Don't be weird, because I need to bring I need to, I need to start packing my lunch more. So I need to do lunch box, because that's what you do. Right? Like you're nesting. Yeah, nesting and getting your lunch box and then came home and, you know, not good things started happening, like out of out of nowhere. Like what happened? So I mean, I don't want to get graphic but oh, no, I was bleeding. So you're bleeding and pregnancy? Probably not a good thing. And we call to the doctor. And she. She's like, Oh, I think you have a hemorrhoid. I'm like, No, I don't think it's that region. Yeah, there's

William Huffman  28:37  
bleeding out of your thumb, and then there's bleeding out of the other noise

Sara Schaber Fitterer  28:41  
coming out of that region. Yeah. Okay. Well, maybe you should go to the hospital and get it checked out. You might have a hemorrhoids like you don't come in in pregnancy. Okay. So you know, it's coming in life. Yeah. And but that didn't I didn't know that. It was not that hemorrhoids are coming in life. No, no pregnancy. Oh, they can be I think. Yeah, but I think that's just what they thought it was coming. It was not coming from that region. It was coming from the other region. So yeah, we went to the hospital. And which hospital did you go to Fairview? Southdale. Okay, they because I was gonna deliver there. So they did an ultrasound. I just remember the ultrasound tech looking really like having concerned look on her face that I didn't think looked right. But of course, they can't tell you anything. So yeah, I found that I was already four centimeters dilated. So that that point, there wasn't a lot they could do. I know there's scale for this for the dilation is a 10. Okay, so you're almost halfway there. Yeah. So and at that point, there's not a lot they can do for you. Okay. I think if it was less there are things they can do. Basically, all they can do is just have you lay there.

Sarah Huffman  29:49  
So you mean you are like by the book up to this point. You're pregnant? Yeah. I mean, I yeah, you're going to your exam like how often are you seeing your doctor? Well, I had just seen

Sara Schaber Fitterer  29:59  
my after like two weeks prior to that, and everything looked fine. So it happened quick. And yeah,

Sarah Huffman  30:07  
so this was like a Sunday morning. Now they're like, oh, by the way, Father's Day, it was Father's Day, four centimeters dilated. And now you have to lay here. Yep. So they have a plan to like trying to like keep, say, Jackson. Yep. That is Jackson. Jackson, did they have a plan to keep him in? Or like, what was his What were they saying at this point?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  30:27  
Um, I mean, the plan was to, we wanted to get to 28 weeks because 28 weeks is like a really big milestone with 25. And we're at 25. Okay, well, they actually thought I was less than 25 I think but I was then they realized I was measuring about 25. Okay, um, so yeah, 28 was kind of the milestone, so I wasn't going home. Regardless, you were the I was going to stay in the hospital. So they transferred me to U of M Riverside. Hold down

Sarah Huffman  30:55  
there, because they were they more like prepared.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  30:59  
Yes. So they had the level four NICU. So what is NICU mean? Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Thank you. So they had the level four. Is this in your book? No. Not in the book. It might be but I mean, prior to this, like you just like I didn't know. I mean, everyone I knew it just had normal a poem babies. Yes. You know, crawled it eight months and walked it 12 months and tucked it whatever. I mean, that's just what happened. Right? Right. That's all I knew. Yeah. And that's all any of us. I mean, you don't really I never knew of anyone that had a micro preemie. Yes. So that that was a thing that I didn't know what was the thing or was the thing I didn't know the book say I

William Huffman  31:40  
was this was 10th grade biology. I know we didn't learn about that.

Jorie  31:48  
What a button the top button. Maybe they

Sarah Huffman  31:50  
will Yeah, distract. Oh, god. Okay, so they ship you down to Riverside? Yeah. And this is still on Sunday. shut

Sara Schaber Fitterer  31:57  
me down and like one of those like Lifelink ambulances. Okay, and

Sarah Huffman  32:00  
where's Chad at this point? Oh, God,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  32:03  
he probably had that same look on his face. He hadn't when we went to the closing for our new house. Remember that? I do deer in the headlights?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  32:13  
I know that look very well. He probably had I don't think he could come with me. So he had to drive down so I went in this ambulance with this like group of four people who thought they were like a comedy troupe. And like, hadn't worked together and we're jokin and it was just this melee on like yeah, so they weren't nothing worked. I mean, they couldn't get some monitor on I mean, it was just like We'll get there soon. Yeah.

William Huffman  32:42  
I am pissed for you. And this was years ago it

Sara Schaber Fitterer  32:45  
was I mean it was I think I was just so oblivious. I was just yeah, let's go so we went got there and then I just was there I mean, they had me in like an angle to try to like keep my head below. Like my legs up a little bit.

William Huffman  33:01  
They wanted your literally your head below your uterus

Sara Schaber Fitterer  33:03  
to keep like, keep gravity Yes. And plan. Yeah, that was the plan. Like not getting up to go pee. I mean, just you can figure out like,

Sarah Huffman  33:13  
did they bring the bedpan? Yes, that was really awkward too. So especially for someone who cares heavily about cleanliness. So

William Huffman  33:20  
what wasn't a catheter is a bedpan. It was a

Sara Schaber Fitterer  33:22  
bedpan. Okay. Yeah. I mean, it was like a metal bed.

William Huffman  33:24  
I've had to poop in those. Yeah.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  33:28  
I don't think I pooped but I peed a lot. And I had to have the nurse leave and turn the water on. Because there's like that. You know, when you go into a bathroom, but like, yeah, coming out, coming out as fast. And the person next to me is peeing really fast. So anyway, I had some anxiety with such a beautiful glimpse into you. Yeah. But anyway, so I was just there. And we were just there. And then, um,

Sarah Huffman  33:48  
and when was he born?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  33:49  
He was born two days later. So I was able to get lung steroids, which were very important for him. So that's good. So they give you two steroids to help develop his lungs. And then, um, you know, so we were thinking things were going well, like, maybe we'll make it to 28 weeks. But you know, now that we know Jackson, we know this was probably his planet. Yes, like I'm gonna eff with them. Yeah, day one. Here we go. Game on. Yeah. So yeah, so two days later, I was allowed to go to a bedside commode, which is what they called it

William Huffman  34:30  
where the wheel in

Sara Schaber Fitterer  34:32  
the shitter. So yes, exactly. So as I was upgraded to that got up and there's more bleeding. And so then the doctor comes in and they can feel his foot coming out. Of course, he's the wrong way. Because again, it's it's Jackson Jackson. So the last thing I remember is Al Roker on the TV scene and here's what's happening in your neck of the woods shot. Save definitely remember Al Roker on the TV like that is the last thing I saw. We need to do

William Huffman  35:06  
the thing where you can hire the celebrity. Hire Al Roker.

Sarah Huffman  35:11  
sincera

Sara Schaber Fitterer  35:15  
he was the last person I remember seeing because that is just like, there is no one Chad some scrubs are taken me and it's just like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, what's happening and here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. And then he was born, I had a C section and he was born and he looks like an alien. And that is probably Chad's probably more traumatized by that because I didn't actually see it. I just saw him like, boom, they've quick show them to you. And then they whisk him

Sarah Huffman  35:40  
and then it was off. Yeah. How,

William Huffman  35:42  
what? What the dimensions so

Sara Schaber Fitterer  35:44  
he was one pound, 15 ounces. So he was under two pounds really small. Like he was like his skin. I mean, Sarah, you saw him right away? Yes. He was almost like translucent. Like you can see all of everything kinda and like there's 10 put

Sarah Huffman  35:58  
it in perspective, like his diaper was smaller than a credit card.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  36:02  
It was yes. My mom puts one on the Christmas tree every year. That little diapers diaper. I mean, she has to carry it in her purse and show like the people at Jerry's foods.

Jorie  36:10  
I'm sure she did. So we Dinah.

Sarah Huffman  36:15  
But, like, I just remember the first time I saw Jackson like, well, a he's very stubborn. And he is he is a fighter. Yes,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  36:24  
he is. But I'm a long ways

Sarah Huffman  36:27  
his legs. I just remember his legs. Were like little chopsticks.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  36:31  
Yes, they're very small. Very small. Yeah, like they put a quarter by like one of his feets. You know, just like to give like perspective. Some people do those pictures, like a pop bottle or something like see how big so he was like 12. He was basically the size of a ruler. Yes. And but he was actually like a really good size for that. Being so early and so early. Oh, he was like that was actually like, considered hefty for 25 weeks. Because I mean, we know someone whose baby was born under a pound. So 13 ounces. I

Sarah Huffman  37:05  
can't even and she survived. Wow. So he was born on a Tuesday. And I remember Chad sent the text that Jackson Edward fit or text probably has arrived,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  37:15  
let alone Yes. Arrived.

Sarah Huffman  37:18  
So you know you have him? When did you see him?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  37:24  
I believe they bring you down right away. Like once they get you kind of up and recover. You know, like, from a C section. Like there's a little recovery and you sit back and eat some ice chips or whatever. And then um, yeah, I think they put me in a wheelchair and brought me down and some. So I mean, like a lot of that. I don't really remember. Yeah, I mean, it's very I just I vaguely remember it because I can remember where he was in the nursery. But other than that, like, that was kind of a blur.

Sarah Huffman  37:53  
And now like this insert Sarah now into a whole new community. Yes, it is a whole new community. Like just then No, I'm not talking about like where Jackson is at now. I'm talking like Nikki

William Huffman  38:05  
Nikki babies. Like, yeah, I

Sara Schaber Fitterer  38:07  
mean, you're kind of immersed in that that world for? You know, he was there for 106 days. So I mean, we were that was our leaving was almost weird when we left like I almost didn't really know what was I going to do with myself? Yeah. You know, because everyday you went there. You hung out there. You talk to the nurses, you talk to the doctors. Yeah, it was just a routine.

Sarah Huffman  38:30  
And Jackson didn't have the easiest time in the NICU.

William Huffman  38:33  
Can I ask him questions? Yes. Um, so, I mean, it's almost like, I mean, obviously, your world is flipped upside down, and you're thrown into this brand new universe. What can you tell me about like the doctors and the nurses?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  38:47  
They were I mean, that they were amazing. I mean, that's who the nurses that kind of are who get you through it. Right. And there's, you know, favorite doctors not so favorite doctors, you know, ones that maybe are a little more blunt. And you don't want to hear but actually never right. So, you know, got it. Right. Yeah, but they were jerks then? Um, but yeah, I mean, we, the nurses kind of become that's who's they hold the baby in the middle of the night, they, you know, those are the ones that are by your side and that are with you during those times when they're giving you the bad news. And bad news happens a lot. So yeah, I mean, they do become and I'm still you know, in contact with, I mean, via social media with some of the nurses and so that's, it makes it it's very you become very connected.

William Huffman  39:32  
What about some of the other families that were there when you were

Sara Schaber Fitterer  39:34  
there? So yeah, we did meet. We actually met I mean, we met a few families when we were there. But they do keep it you do meet people. There's like the people that kind of the revolving door people like the you know, babies that come in there for like two days and go home. Like they say to you like the smallest and the biggest babies are the ones that are in the NICU. So like that one pound babies and like the 12 pound babies Those are the unhealthy babies ones in the middle. You know, that's the ones that go home right away, not the big and small ones.

Sarah Huffman  40:08  
So like in a traditional pregnancy, you're typically in the hospital for how long,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  40:13  
like a couple days, I mean, I, you know, a couple days for a C section, and then you go home with your kids. So, I mean, so we saw that, I mean, I just remember memories like being in going up because you deliver on one floor, and they take you up to the next and seeing a woman in the elevator with her holding her brand new baby, you know, and that and then seeing people go home with their, you know, holding dad, the dad walked, they're cute little babies and their little carriers. That was not us, like seeing that was not easy. You know, you're like, oh, they get to take their kid home. You know, and I still think about that, like that kids Jackson's age now, you know, and think about how different that was for them, versus you know, how different our experience but now it's like, you know, that's it doesn't bother me. Now. It bothered me then. But,

William Huffman  41:02  
and I've obviously never been through that. But I would assume, like just when anything different happens to you. It's very traumatic or traumatic and dramatic. And you had to deal with those emotions. You had to get through it.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  41:13  
I mean, that's probably why they gave me Zoloft. When I left the hospital, we're like, Here, take this. This may help.

Jorie  41:20  
Thank you. Thank you. I

Sara Schaber Fitterer  41:21  
will. You don't see me well take this.

Sarah Huffman  41:25  
So because that's what I was gonna ask is like, you know, usually a couple days you have your baby a couple days later, you're heading home. So my question is, you're not heading home with that baby?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  41:39  
No, you're heading home by yourself. You're not baby stayed at the hospital. So, you know, that's weird. And you're coming home to your house where you have altered some pictures hanging on the fridge. Right? You know, so I mean, that's, you know, weird. You know, you're not bringing that kid home. And I mean, at that point, you're thinking that kids aren't gonna live? I mean, because it's very those first few weeks are very well, the first few days. I think once they make it through the first few days, their success rate, their success rate goes up. And he did I mean, he did really well, the first few days. I mean, the ship kind of hit the fan more of the third and fourth day.

Sarah Huffman  42:17  
And what happened third or fourth day,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  42:18  
he we found out he had a brain bleed. So they're common and premies. They rank them one to four, you know, one being like, it's going to resolve on its own, they'll be fine for being all this is not going to be good. So he did have a grade four on the left side. So that news was bad. That was very, very bad.

William Huffman  42:40  
Um, 25 weeks? Yes. 25 weeks? Yeah. Size of a ruler. Yeah. Now we're talking about brain.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  42:47  
Yeah. So now. Yeah. And that's what they tell you. I mean, before you have the kid, you know, when you're sitting in this waiting area, like in the hospital before you have them, they tell you all the scary stuff. I mean, someone comes up and does not sugarcoat how crappy it could be. So I mean, they're telling and this was one of the things I told us and I just remember, Oh, my God, this is one thing I don't want to have happen. You know, because you obviously know how important your brain is. Yeah. So um, yeah, but it did happen. And so that's, that was not a good day. I remember that phone call. Oh, yeah. It was rough. It was not. I mean, it was a bad, bad day. Because I mean, we didn't know if he was gonna make it. I mean, they unfortunately, this, they have to do this. They basically give you the option to discontinue life support. I mean, essentially, you're there keeping this child alive with a ventilator for the first

Sarah Huffman  43:41  
students a doctor or someone say like, is his life viable? Yes. Like they use very technical term. I

Sara Schaber Fitterer  43:48  
mean, they're, you know, they are basically like, do you have the option now to discontinue this? You know, we don't know what his outlets outlook, we'll be like, and they kind of give it a range of, you know, what he'd be like in the future. So, but we were like, No, we're not doing that. Like, hell. No. I mean, that's, you know, he'll be fine. And we'll do whatever. So we did.

Sarah Huffman  44:12  
Can I just pop in for a second? Yeah. Because that's how you're saying it. And I just remember that phone call. And you were like, Mother trucker? You're gonna tell him? I mean, there might have been some other words. Yeah. I don't know if we want to go explicit. Like, honestly, like that is the moment out of all the moments that I remember you like changing like, that is like the turning point where you were like, This is my son. Yeah. And screw all of you. He's gonna make it Yeah. And yeah, if there's something about Sarah shaver fitter if she is determined for something, watch out, watch out world.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  44:53  
Yeah. So we were I mean, we're both determined like that. We're not gonna stop here because this happened. And then eventually, you know, it just, you just, I mean, like anything you learn to live with it and you learn to, like adapt to what's happened and yeah, and we moved on and

Sarah Huffman  45:13  
and like he's what were some of the other things because he had that one brain bleed didn't he he

Sara Schaber Fitterer  45:17  
had to sell the one side was less it was a two on the other side, which is, you know, those will resolve the call like resolving on their own where there's minimal effects to the brain, the for their the grade for actually is taking out like that white matter. So I mean, if you look at an MRI on him, there's a part of his right side of his brain that's not there. So I mean, it's just been wiped out. And I mean that you kind of can regenerate those. There's probably fancier terms to be using, but create, I don't know how to explain it. Like, we can create pathways. I don't know. So, anyway, that happens. But it's still I mean, it's affected his speech, his mobility, it's affected a lot. But there's also a lot of positives. I mean, he's got a lot going for him too. So yeah, so aside from the brain bleed, you know, kind of typical stuff, they do a little heart surgery a few days after, I mean, and they really explained that, like, they're gonna go cut their lawn, you know, like, this is just like, we're just gonna go in and make an incision here and go in and tie this off. And Chad and I were both like,

William Huffman  46:23  
okay, 25 weeks, yes, the size of a ruler, or two

Sara Schaber Fitterer  46:27  
pounds, they just, like go in. Yeah, and are just like, cutting me that kid open. And it's like, you know, just every day like, they're, you know, going to whatever, like, cut their lawn, like I said, so. Yeah, so that happened. Like, yeah, I mean, there was just a lot of like, you know, weird little nor, I mean, normal for preemies, you know, they get infections, they, you know, have to toy around with their settings on their ventilator and try to remove it, and then it goes back in because they're not breathing. And, and again, I mean, this was 12 years ago, and like things even now have come a long way. You know, so were some milestones

Sarah Huffman  47:09  
that you were hoping Jackson was going to accomplish. Like what was going to get you guys home?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  47:13  
Yeah, getting the breathing tube out. You know, when he did in August, early August, he got it out. And basically, they just took it out. And they weren't sure it was going to work. And he started breathing. You know, like getting, then they put you on oxygen and getting off oxygen getting out of the, you know, what you might the isolette or incubator, you know, that was a big thing moving to a crib. You know, starting bottle feeding or breastfeeding. Gotta remember all the bills. Yes, yeah. Yeah, to count like milliliters. And I mean, now it's like, I will forever know how many milliliters are in cup and an ounce. And all I mean, it's just like, you asked me and I know are trying out different bottles. And when eight liters, yeah. And so it's just yeah, there's a lot of different like, really agonizing little milestones you have to like meet in order to go home. And so he did end up going home on his due date, October 6. So

Sarah Huffman  48:12  
what did he have to pass before he could go home? Oh, gosh, wasn't there like a car seat test? Yes,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  48:17  
they had to do a car seat thing where they test out the car seat and put them in a car seat. Because you go home with oxygen. And he wasn't on it very long. He actually like longwise did really well, whereas the lot of preemies have a lot of issues with their lungs. So he's actually never really been ever really been his thing. He's kind of more of a brain guy. You know, we're just gonna concentrate more up there. But yeah, the lungs have always been, he's never really gotten that sick. Whereas a lot of you know, kids more literally have asthma or have breathing issues, or, you know, getting pneumonia more often, but he never really did. So. I don't know, he's got some good lungs on him.

Sarah Huffman  48:53  
Yes, he does. Um, what about like his he had a shunt,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  48:57  
yes, he does have a shunt, a VP shunt in his brain. And that was from the brain bleed. What's a shunt, a shunt is basically a little thing they implant in your brain, and it helps drain your spinal fluid. So what happens is, when you have the brain bleed, it's kind of like, cuts off those pathways, because our spinal fluid just drains normal, like, through our whatever, our bodies, I don't know where the hell it goes. But anyway, so they put that in to help kind of divert that to get it out because the brain bleed causes some issues with all those pathways. So he has that. And that's, yeah, I mean, that did cause some issues when he was younger, but now it's pretty knock on wood stable. So yeah, and premiers have a lot of Irish eye issues. He doesn't necessarily have a ton. I don't he's, yeah, I mean, he sees pretty well. So anyway,

William Huffman  49:55  
seeing what he sees something you want. Yeah,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  49:59  
it's fine. Yeah, but yeah, so I mean, it has created a bit of a different life than probably what we expected when we thought we were gonna have this kid when I found out I was pregnant in January 2009. After that tequila night, I mean, maybe it was the tequila night? I don't know. No, no.

Sarah Huffman  50:18  
I mean, I didn't name him Jack's. Yeah, Jack was a.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  50:23  
So. So yeah, it has created a bit of a, you know, interesting journey for us.

Sarah Huffman  50:34  
And you have like, you've connected with other NICU moms? Yes. Like we tell us about that.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  50:39  
So we have. So post NICU. Again, like I said, I didn't meet a ton there you met, you meet some here and there. And then it was just sort of kind of, after that, gosh, I don't even remember how we all connected. But somehow, like about six of us came together who had babies around the same time. So they're all around 12? Now 1112. And, yeah, so that's been a really good connection, especially when they were younger. But it's been a nice connecting with other families. And then just now I've just connected with, you know, just via social media, you people connect you with other people, if somebody knows somebody that it's happened to. And so you do kind of get immersed in this

Sarah Huffman  51:27  
community. And they're like you, you're very positive, and you're very resilient.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  51:34  
Well, I don't know how positive I am all the time. But again, that's probably what you see. Those were compliments. Thank you. I know, I'm bad at accepting compliments sometimes.

Sarah Huffman  51:43  
But I think it's like, I don't think people realize the change in like, just lifestyle, like the things you think about,

William Huffman  51:50  
course they don't, they will never know like, we have a glimpse into the life correct. We still we have a fraction of an idea of what it's like, we will never know nobody will ever know what you've gone through except you and the other NICU moms and even then it's there's probably just bad and different levels, you know,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  52:09  
but no, you're right. I mean, I think we but I think just as humans, we adapt to anything that happens, good or bad in our lives. So we've just adapted and just have figured out how to navigate this life with him. It's different. But you know, I wouldn't somebody's I would trade it. You know, I do wash you know, there's things I wish I could take away from him. But I mean, his person, I would never trade who he is, and this right and his personality, and, you know, his silly, crazy self. And I mean, that's just Jackson. So and that's, we love him for that. And he's, he's so strong. And so whenever I like think of something, you know, if I have to go like, you know, say getting like your blood drawn or something that you hate doing, or, you know, it's like, Shit, I can handle this, like, look, all the stuff that he's done, you know, and so you think like, yeah, or even like, when my, I think my mom had an MRI or something. And she was like, Oh, it's so hard and little. Mike Jackson has had like, 50 of those in his life and he's handled it. Thank you can do it, ya know, so I just always think that like, he's, you know, he's inspired us. Yes.

William Huffman  53:20  
Wow. So, after Jackson, you're like, there's no way in hell, I'm gonna go through this again. Right. So he's an only child. No,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  53:26  
no, no. So we did, we did end up having another child so I they did find out that what I have is incompetent cervix, that's a really positive term, isn't it? Yeah, that sounds cervix is incompetent. Um, that is the actual term. So basically, like my cervix just cannot hold babies. So whenever I see someone having like quadruplets that like, you know, who are like, born at like, 37 weeks. I'm like, she wants to have a titanium service.

William Huffman  54:01  
Yeah, very capable.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  54:03  
Mine not so

Sarah Huffman  54:05  
they called it an incompetent,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  54:07  
incompetent cervix, they might be a toddler, but that's what they probably

William Huffman  54:11  
should change that.

Sarah Huffman  54:12  
So did they did you know that before logon or during Yes, so

Sara Schaber Fitterer  54:15  
with logon I was just watched super closely. So I went every week and had an ultrasound and they just altra close watched and then they started seeing the same thing happening where my cervix started, like prematurely opening. And they took me right to the hospital. And basically what they can do is they can like stitch it shot. So like, like your shoelaces like they did not

William Huffman  54:38  
like your shoelaces. I mean, that's a very dumbed down I mean, that I get the visual but that's

Sara Schaber Fitterer  54:43  
tied, like they tie it they don't like tie it like you stitches, like leaving that. Yeah, so they did that and then I was on bedrest for like a super long time like you were put on bed rest at like 20 weeks. Yes. So I was on bed rest for a long time. And now we're talking about Chad had to like kaboom the sink and that was not going well.

Sarah Huffman  55:05  
Like unseres to do list for the like for Chad like in the notebook. She had a list and one day she read it off to us and it was like, pick up groceries get crunchy for kaboom the sink. You know, because boom is a cleaning product. I

William Huffman  55:19  
know what it is. Yeah.

Sarah Huffman  55:22  
And here we are, like two hours later. Still laughing laughing

Sara Schaber Fitterer  55:25  
about couple of minutes saying I'm more

William Huffman  55:27  
intrigued by the list. Yeah, you

Sarah Huffman  55:29  
made that's a very good list. So how? Just take me back because this is a part I don't remember. How did you manage Jackson in his care while being on bed rest? So and a full time working has superhero? Yeah. So

Sara Schaber Fitterer  55:42  
Jackson was a toddler. My mom was able to help more than so you know, Jackson was in preschool. So he was in preschool a few days a week and are many we've had him in more than we might have put them in a little more said at Frasier. Yes. So he was there. And then yeah, I mean, again, like you just make it work. I mean, we do just adapt to what you have to do. And like he still napped. So I mean, that was, you know, we were able to manage that. But I think yeah, he was in preschool, and my mom helped me she was still kind of more able to help them. So that worked out pretty well. But still, yeah, that was hard. But he stayed in the full time. So he was born at you know, full term and seven pound 11 ounce baby, you know, the ones you expect to have to leave the hospital. And we left the hospital with him and brought home his little cute little budgie baby, and, you know, so it was very weird to like, have that experience where, oh, he just ate right away. Oh, he's just breathing. Oh, you just take them home and put them in your crib, and he sleeps and you're not having to hook up oxygen, like it was all of your it's still as weird every day, because it's so different. You know, oh, you know, he's in fourth grade. He's learning about this and that and like he can, you know, read a chapter book. Like it's just, you know, all the normal things like It still blows my mind, even to this day that it's so different. So, like Logan's milestones are so different, different than Jackson. And that's fine. And you know, I hope like with this experience with Logan being this brother to Jackson, who has special needs, like, hopefully that shaping him to be either he's going to be a wonderful, excellent human or need years of therapy. So it's the only it's really just kind of

Sarah Huffman  57:27  
maybe a little blend of both.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  57:31  
So yeah, I mean, it's, we definitely have more of a unique family than what you see, we have to do a lot more dividing and conquering. But I mean, even with a child with special needs, who's you know, he uses a wheelchair, he uses a communication device. You know, things are non traditional. We're not going to shy away from doing things. I am determined to not ever let that define us and say, Oh, we can't do this. Because of him. We will do it. And we will make it work. And you guys

Sarah Huffman  57:59  
hear that like motivate like, there is like a like if Sarah has her mind to something. Watch out.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  58:04  
Yeah. Well, and if people stare at him, I will stare right back.

William Huffman  58:08  
One of my Yes. Yeah. Yeah. This is not a new thing for you to stand up. Well, no. And

Sara Schaber Fitterer  58:15  
I mean, just that people like Sarah, like if we're at Home Depot, and he's in his wheelchair, and he's just wheeling through like, What a happy camper and someone stares, I kind of want to be like, Do you want his medical records? Could you want to sign a release right here and I can have a mail to you. I mean, like, it's like, Hi, have you never seen somebody that looks different than you? I mean, that's.

Sarah Huffman  58:32  
So here's a question actually, like, real life question. I do not know the answer. Yeah, I probably don't either. And I'm like a questioner. So like, if I saw like Jackson, or if like, a kid sees Jackson or whatever it is, like, what are some things that are appropriate? Like,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  58:48  
I think just to act like normal? I think like just, you know, say hi, act normal. I think kids are a lot better at it than adults. You know, kids will just flat out compensate What's wrong with him? And I'll and I'd rather have that than, like, be like, Oh, God, I feel I feel bad for her. Like you. I don't want pity. You know, I don't want someone you know, that's it. I hate that. So I mean, I think more so kids are more of like the blondes like we're at a park and he's scooting around on his butt and having a good old time. And it can just be like, what's his deal? Well, let me tell you in RDS special needs and, um, and that's, I'd rather have that than somebody just to be super like, you know, like, oh, like awkward and weird.

Sarah Huffman  59:32  
Yeah, go ahead. Well, well, I

William Huffman  59:34  
just want to have a few more questions. So you used to do running,

Sarah Huffman  59:40  
trying to run Oh, you are

William Huffman  59:43  
the first couple of times you started to run. What was your reasoning for that for Jackson?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  59:46  
Because he can't so I mean, I figure if he can, I hate running? I'm gonna flip and do it. You know, I mean,

Sarah Huffman  59:54  
almost been explicit there. Yeah. Okay.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  59:58  
I'm gonna do it. So Oh yeah, and I've tried to start getting back into it because I kind of got out of it. Sarah inspired me to download the peloton app. And now she has me hooked. So awesome.

William Huffman  1:00:08  
That's so cool. I love the fact that Sarah is a great cheer on her. A cheerleader. And yeah, we got a loud clap. I'm like, why are we going to watch Sarah right? Well, she's running because Jackson can. Oh my god. Okay. Yeah, let's go. Oh,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:00:24  
I gotta get back into that. So yeah, that's it's good for mental health, too.

Sarah Huffman  1:00:28  
What are the what are some strategies that you have? Because you do have a special needs child, Jackson? And you've got Logan? Like, how do you parent both?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:00:36  
I would say I Well, we do a lot of dividing and conquering. So you know, like, Logan plays a lot of sports. But we try our best to bring Jackson to everything he loves cheering him on at baseball games and being outside. But there are times when we can't do both things. So we just have to do more. You take this, I take that or? Yeah, that's just kind of always been our strategy. And

Sarah Huffman  1:00:59  
I feel like you've had to really learn this system.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:01:02  
Mm hmm. Yeah. Oh,

William Huffman  1:01:03  
yeah. We talked about this, there is a system there. And if I feel like,

Sarah Huffman  1:01:08  
yeah, you could like you literally could be an advocate for other parents too. And then

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:01:12  
there are people Yeah, that do that. Because there are a lot of things he qualifies for. And, you know, things that it what always strikes me is that there's a lot of people who don't speak English that have a special needs child. And I don't know how they, it would be so hard if I was in another country trying to do this, because it's so hard here. They don't make it easy. So you really do have to, like, seek out things and ask questions. But that's why it's helpful to have kind of your community and your people

William Huffman  1:01:41  
who So say, if somebody's listening to this, and they don't know what to do, say they have a child with special needs, what should we what are the first things they should do?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:01:51  
I would say, like, get hooked up with like their county, and you know, figure out what programs that child might qualify for. Because for, you know, so many years, I think we thought we wouldn't qualify, but we actually do it doesn't, it doesn't matter. I mean, you just you just have to learn to ask the questions and hopefully get hooked up with like a good social worker, when you're getting the NICU we were not. So I think we learned more of these things through other people and through other parents who have children, and just that's been, you know, our friends, that macphails We met them, and they been a big help to us, because their daughter has special needs with helping kind of navigate that. So I feel like finding somebody that you know, maybe is more of a veteran that can help guide you through it has been a big help for us. Because it's just, it's overwhelming. When you look out there and you're like, What do I need to do? You know, I want to make sure I'm setting him up for success.

Sarah Huffman  1:02:47  
So it's a lot different. You know, and I think just as a special needs parent, whatever their capabilities are, you just start to look at the world different. Like what are the how do you get in and out of buildings? Yeah,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:03:00  
I mean, now we do notice those things more, especially when traveling airports. We've noticed that a lot I think places you know, just aren't suited for a child with special needs. And some places are great. And when you go to those places, like a great place that's awesome is like Target fields. They have wonderfully accessible amazing handicap seating. They have family restrooms, you know, places like that, that have thought about it. Soccer place where you guys oh, they're great to be on this field. Yes. I mean, that's another they have a fantastic bathroom. Like our airport is fantastic. Other places, not so much. So other airports, not so much. But um, yeah, that's

Sarah Huffman  1:03:42  
because you don't think about like family restrooms being important. They are important, but they are very important. Yeah.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:03:49  
And having just the ability to do what you need to do bathroom eating toileting wise for him. You need to have a decent restroom. And because he recorded he recorded a transfer. Yes. So you requires a transfer and just having you know, I can't tell you how many gas station bathrooms we've been in where we've had to be on the floor, you know, and that's gross, but you just learned to deal with it.

Sarah Huffman  1:04:12  
You've got a wipe. Oh, Clorox. What is your favorite wipe?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:04:17  
Oh, I like a classic Clorox

William Huffman  1:04:20  
bleach. Bottle or the big two.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:04:22  
I kind of like some of the fun want to say flavors, but smells. spice it up a little maybe some coconut? I don't know. Um, so yeah, yes. Anyway,

William Huffman  1:04:34  
that's awesome. Well,

Sarah Huffman  1:04:35  
I have one more question. Jackson stay in the school district.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:04:39  
He will be in the school district till he's 21. If you have an IEP, which is individualized education plan, you probably know all about these being a teacher. Um, you do qualify for more services. So when he graduates high school, he will go on to a transitional program that will hopefully help prep him maybe for a job. Um, there are lots of jobs out there that people with disabilities or, you know, cognitive deficiencies have so

Sarah Huffman  1:05:12  
well, I think that's the cool thing is you've been such a great advocate for him. And it's not going to be Oh, he can't trick gladiator for him. It's going to be we're going to figure out what he can. Yeah,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:05:23  
I mean, we want just we always just want him to set to be the most successful, it doesn't matter what that looks like, just happy and successful. Happy is number one, of

William Huffman  1:05:33  
course, and you've been happy with the school district.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:05:36  
We have. Yeah, they've been good. I mean, there's I think good and bad to everything. But is, you know, when we looked for a house we did for I focus on that too much. I don't think it probably really matters. I think most school districts have good, special ed programs. But yeah, we have been happy. They've been good. And I think he's met some fun people and you've also been involved. Yes, I think is important. I think you're gonna get more out of the teachers when you're involved. But, um, yeah, but he loves school. So that's good. And the bus and the bus, the bumps on the bus.

Sarah Huffman  1:06:09  
And the best thing about there are so many like amazing things just about your whole family like Chad's humor.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:06:16  
Yeah, we we try to put humor into it. Your humor? Yeah, it's important to be

Sarah Huffman  1:06:20  
Logan's humor. And let's face it, Jackson's humor that kid,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:06:25  
he's funny. He's really

Sarah Huffman  1:06:29  
like, just because he doesn't like sit and talk sentences. Oh, he can mute. He's

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:06:34  
really communicating a lot more. Like a lot more. It's really funny. Yeah, he knows what's going on out there. Doggy style? Oh, yeah. Oh. He's like, Mom, what's doggy style? Anything?

Sarah Huffman  1:06:48  
What do you say to that? I

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:06:50  
don't even know. They think it's like twerking. So Twerking is like a big thing. And the fourth grade. Sorry, do you have a fourth grader?

Sarah Huffman  1:06:59  
A first grader, right? Yeah, it's gonna second grader. It's

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:07:02  
gonna happen. I don't they it's just I don't know.

Sarah Huffman  1:07:05  
What was Logan learning this week in school? Oh, God,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:07:08  
they had the human development. Boys learned about boys girls learned about girls. So he came on with a penis diagram. Oh, they had to label it.

Sarah Huffman  1:07:19  
Fourth grade that starts

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:07:20  
next year, they learned about the opposite sex. So next year he'll learn about girl I

William Huffman  1:07:25  
thought maybe we didn't learn about that until Hal. Seven three.

Sarah Huffman  1:07:29  
either. I remember at fourth grade. Did you remember it? Yes. Okay, because we could not laugh. We could not talk. Yeah, when they showed you the pictures of the cauliflower, but we learned I don't know what the cauliflower is. Okay, boy thing?

William Huffman  1:07:42  
No, the boys and the girls were Miss Hart was her name.

Sarah Huffman  1:07:45  
Can I tell my story? Because I don't know if I want to talk about cauliflower right now. I don't know what it is. So in fourth grade, we could not laugh or anything. And we ended like we had like the books, the books about like, whatever. Anatomy and anatomy and we had to read it out loud. And it was like around the room. You had to like go around the room. And I think it was like chapter four. I got the fresh chapter on the penis, the penis because I didn't know how to I've never seen the word spells so there we were, like the pennis is the the penis phonics worked for me? Moving on. Yeah, no. And you bring up cauliflower. Like I also said was calling. And I have to

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:08:38  
ask Logan if he knows what cauliflower is or that

Jorie  1:08:41  
I hate Alexa.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:08:43  
Ask what it is.

Sarah Huffman  1:08:45  
If anyone's listening to this, we're sorry if your Alexa's are now going off.

William Huffman  1:08:50  
Siri, what is cauliflower? Yeah, well,

Sarah Huffman  1:08:53  
no, don't do it. No, no, don't do it. Don't do it off. But yeah, so that's now you are living the life of fourth grade.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:09:02  
Yep, lot goes on in fourth grade. big turning point. big turning point. I think the big takeaway for him was he didn't want pimples. They talked about pimples. Yeah, acne. He's like, I don't want pimples. Mom. I gotta get some facewash All right.

Sarah Huffman  1:09:18  
There we go. Now they're growing up. So before we wrap up, we will ask you our restaurant question. But before we do, I

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:09:24  
did write I did put or she made a list. Yeah, I was thinking about it last night.

Sarah Huffman  1:09:29  
But before we do, what are your goals for your your boys and or your family? Oh,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:09:35  
interesting or goals? Um, well, I would say number one, just for everyone to be happy and healthy would be a goal. But I would say our goal is just to try to explore and travel as much as possible as a family. We really liked doing that. And we have fun doing that. And I want to you know, we've often talked about chat always wants to do so. Something like we need to like you know make a blog or something about traveling with a special needs child or tips and tricks and you know show other families that they can do that and it's

William Huffman  1:10:11  
possible to just go to the Grand Canyon on a cloudy day

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:10:14  
we did go there and a cloudy day that was stacks it's got some faceless looks for that day was not impressed. Like

Sarah Huffman  1:10:22  
we drove all the way further this yeah a lot of cloud

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:10:27  
Yeah. Um, but yeah, I mean that's a goal and just I think just try to live like as I don't know I'm really into this like living simply like just trying to be you know, not try to have such a crazy hustle bustle and just try to enjoy more every day. Life love it awesome my list out

William Huffman  1:10:52  
because we like to finish up every show with somebody's top five restaurants pressive it is but it's okay will judge

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:10:58  
you you can judge me Yeah, I just don't know how and I tried to like group it by breakfast lunch dinner is record you know, but there is a new place by racks that you guys would love in Burnsville Olivia is are. Yes,

Sarah Huffman  1:11:12  
they have. It is so great.

William Huffman  1:11:14  
Just the best $22 Chicken Sandwich I've ever had in my life.

Sarah Huffman  1:11:18  
It is so good. And is it all gluten free? Yes.

William Huffman  1:11:21  
Gluten free and dairy free.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:11:23  
Just went there and I loved it. It was so good. So I knew I was excited. We had that. I live in the south suburbs, which were not known for our restaurants. Happy Valley. Yeah, it's just not really a restaurant Mecca. Um, I don't know how do you guys do this?

William Huffman  1:11:38  
Alright, well, what's your number five? Well,

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:11:41  
I kind of grouped it like I don't really have a number five. I would say like if I'm talking like South burbs our top probably restaurant we like getting sushi from Guca sushi. You guys ever been there? No. Buy the Home Depot in a strip mall? Because everything's in a strip mall. And you can Apple Valley in Burnsville.

Sarah Huffman  1:12:02  
And is it delicious? Is it office? 77

Accouncer  1:12:04  
we got it's out for 42

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:12:05  
Oh, there we go. Come on. Everything's off. 42 Yeah, it is good. It is our number one takeout place to get what's your order? Um, we usually get like a couple of like the sushi. Is it the she me with the rice? Yeah, we usually get a couple of those. We usually get like two or three rolls and some edamame mate. That's kind of our sushi order. Yep. So yeah. All right. What

William Huffman  1:12:29  
do we got? For I would say

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:12:31  
Number four would be this is my favorite breakfast place. You guys might judge original Pancake House. I really Yes. They're a waffle is so good. If

Sarah Huffman  1:12:47  
people don't know Sarah talks with her hands. So here it

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:12:51  
is so good. You guys. I like a basic good breakfast. You know, we we always go out to breakfast. Some like spinach a egg like fritatta I don't want that. I just want a classic. Just give me the pancake. Breakfast with some good bacon and coffee. That's That's it? You know,

Sarah Huffman  1:13:13  
I feel like I'm ready to go to the original Pancake House to get

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:13:15  
there. Belgium waffle. It's got like fruit on it. You can get blueberry strawberries and it has real whipped cream. I mean, I'm not talking like the stuff out of the can. Yeah, it's stuff they like really made. It's really good. They whipped it. Yeah. And that place is always busy. It is always

Jorie  1:13:31  
always packed and only open until two.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:13:33  
Yes. Yeah, I don't know. waitresses make good. Good. Really good money. Yes. I mean, they're probably making good money in there. Right? six to two. Yeah, I mean, sweet hours. Yeah. Come on. So.

William Huffman  1:13:46  
All right. Number three.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:13:48  
Look. I would say my number three love it for lunch. Good Earth. Oh, I

Sarah Huffman  1:13:56  
mean, that's any Dinah.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:13:58  
Dinah staple.

William Huffman  1:14:00  
Dinah A F coming up here. Yes.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:14:03  
I mean, you can't pass up their chicken salad or chicken salad open faced or do you like like it on the bread on the bread? I like the nice like hearty bread. It is a little seeds. I think more of like a nostalgic staple for us in the Galleria. Yep. You know, I mean, there's a lot of some decent restaurants in there. But I it's a standard. It's just Yeah, always you're always gonna get a good solid lunch. Yep.

William Huffman  1:14:27  
All right, number two.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:14:30  
This is a place Chad and I went on our second date whities. Oh, yeah, I think they have really good bar food. The grilled cheese or Yeah, the chicken sandwich. There's beet salad. Sarah

Sarah Huffman  1:14:41  
beets. Love it. Beet Salad

Jorie  1:14:48  
isn't even still there?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:14:49  
I mean, yes, it is. But I we all there's always like a good default for

Sarah Huffman  1:14:53  
it. Yeah, we went there the night after our wedding. Overly Yeah, yeah, I

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:14:57  
mean, it's just really good solid bar food like good food. eyes you know, just just go there. It's a standard not the best, but you know, like it's just a good good i really like it. Yeah. All right,

William Huffman  1:15:08  
number one

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:15:10  
I would say this is another maybe nostalgic maybe from where we lived Zumbro Oh, always been one of my favorites. Good breakfast and lunch. Love that turkey sandwich

Sarah Huffman  1:15:20  
they have with cranberry. So good. And just so cute. Well has never been into Zumbro it is so good. You should go there. But it's also one of the restaurants that's probably closes that too

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:15:32  
temporarily and like 80 and I like restaurants.

William Huffman  1:15:34  
I love a good geriatric dinner.

Jorie  1:15:37  
One day I don't think I had one really dinner plays out here.

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:15:40  
Clearly we don't go out much have to throw this in there just because Do you guys ever go to Nicoma speech coffee? No, but you used to Okay, so if you're ever in the area it's such a good like local little coffee place. Also really good lunch again. I must be at and I like lunch. I like a good sandwich.

Sarah Huffman  1:15:58  
Kids are in school. Yeah. You can like relax.

Jorie  1:16:02  
Oh, looking at this I'm like God

Jorie  1:16:09  
Wow, Chad, I really get out.

Sarah Huffman  1:16:12  
Go to lunch go to lunch. I like

William Huffman  1:16:14  
never been to a place that serves a baked potato with dinner. Fairly

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:16:21  
so anyway, I just gotta put the plug for the Nicoma speech. I missed that I

Sarah Huffman  1:16:25  
miss like the little like don't they have a good karma roll?

Sara Schaber Fitterer  1:16:28  
They had just have Yes. Good. Again sandwiches. Really good soup. Good coffee. Yes. Just super good. Yep. Super fun. Just a good little right by the lake. Perfect little like, just kind of reminds you of like cute little city place. Yep. Anyway, lame LIS sorry. It's

William Huffman  1:16:45  
not lame. It's amazing. Thank you for sharing. You're welcome. We really do appreciate you coming on today. It was very cool for you to share your story and I know it'll help somebody in there provide some insight to even us. All right, as always, we out deuces.

Accouncer  1:17:00  
tune in each week. For more in depth conversations about life behind the highlight reel. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform to make sure you never miss an episode. For today's show notes head over to lb thr.com

Transcribed by https://otter.ai