Friday, November 19, 2010

Thanksgiving...

I am seeing a lot of posts and blog posts about Thanksgiving and what we are thankful for.. I want to do the same thing but I am going to do this in one post... so... here I go.

First and foremost.. I am SO thankful for my God. He has brought me through so many storms and has blessed me with so much - I am thankful for all that He has given me and all that He has taught me and continues to teach me.. He is always listening and there for me. Thank you God.. for my life and everything that is in it!

I am SO thankful for my husband... you know what.. he really is the best - I am thankful to God for putting him in my life. He is always there to hug me.. support me.. and hold my hand whenever I need him to. He has helped me through some difficult times and NEVER leaves my side. He works so hard... SO hard to provide for us and so that I can stay home with the kids. I can't imagine my life without him! I love him SO much!!

I am SO thankful for my sons... Brevin, Ian and Alex.. and for my little guy in Heaven, Troy. All my boys are such miracles - they make me smile and laugh - I love the hugs and kisses I get from them and I love watching them grow and learn new things. Nothing could ever prepare me for motherhood - I had NO idea what to expect. It is literally the best thing and so rewarding. I have the best kids in the world. I am so blessed... a thousand times over each and every day!

I am SO thankful for my family... Mike and I have such great and caring parents - they love their grandkids unconditionally and do such wonderful things for them and with them. I am so thankful to have the best babysitters in the world - our family!! They never hesitate when we ask them to watch the kids and always seem excited to come and help - yes.. they do leave tired and exhausted but they always come back!!! Thank you!!!

I am so thankful for friends.. we have some of the greatest friends... I get calls everday from friends that just check in with me to see how things are going...that means the world to me. I still get some yummy lunches from a friend knowing that I am usually to busy to make myself lunch. Those friends near and far - you are all the best - thank you for being you!!

I am so thankful for our home - like I said before.. Mike works so hard so that we can have the home that we live in and I am proud of our home and all the love that is filled inside of it!!

I am so thankful right now to be listening to Christmas music - I LOVE the holiday season!! Please don't get on me for listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving.. if they played Thanksgiving music.. I would be listening to that.

There is so much to be thankful for... I could go on and on. I am just so thankful for all that I have gone through to get me where I am today - I would not change anything. I really sincerely hope that everyone that reads this post has a very happy Thanksgiving.. a Thanksgiving that is full of family and friends and lots and lots of love!!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Thursday, November 4... Surgery

Yesterday Ian had surgery... similar to a hernia surgery to correct a right communicating hydrocele. I was so nervous about this because his surgery was scheduled at 10:45am at UofM health center in Livonia. I was a little mad because they told me his surgery should be first thing in the morning and 10:45am is not first thing. He could not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before - how in the world do you get a one year old up in the morning and not give them a sippy of milk or even water? Mike came up with a plan to put Ian to bed at normal time (7pm) and then wake him up at 11pm to feed him and give him some milk and then hope and pray that he would sleep in the next morning - well... Mike's plan worked!!! We woke Ian up at about 10:45pm.. gave him some cereal and fruit and a sippy full of milk - he ate and drank and played a little.. then Mike put him back to bed around 11:45pm and he went right to sleep - he then slept in till 8:15am!!

Mike took Brev to the bus stop and I got Ian changed - kept his jammies on him... got his coat and hat and soon as Mike got back - we loaded him up and we were off to Livonia - my Mom came in to help us.. she stayed back and took care of Alex for us. Thank you Mom!!!



Not a peep out of Ian the whole drive over. Soon as we got to the Health Center - we checked in and a nurse came out almost immediately and brought us to the "prep" room. We got Ian undressed and put on this cute little toddler gown.




For not having anything to eat or drink.. Ian did AMAZING!!! He was walking around visiting everyone that worked there and even visited a few patients. They all seemed to love him! We waited literally till almost 10:45am.. so from 8:45 to 10:45 we waited and waited - the dr. was running behind and the anesthesioloist was sick that day so they had to call another one in. I still am in disbelief with how well Ian did for 2 hours.. again.. with nothing to eat or drink - we walked the hallway a million times keeping him as entertained as possible and he did SO well.


At 10:45am... the Dr. came and talked with us and then a nurse came to give Ian some liquid drug that made him really woozey - after about 15 minutes 3 nurses came and to take Ian - it was hard leaving him and I got really teary but he did great - he was already groggy that he didn't even care who was holding him. Then Mike and I walked to the waiting room - it was hard for a little bit so I went out into the hallway to call my mom and to walk around a bit and that helped. The time went by fast - the procedure was about 45 minutes. Soon as that time was up.. the Dr. came in and brought us into a conference room and told us that everything went great!!! He told us exactly what he did and what we need to do with Ian over the next few days. He then told us that soon as Ian woke up.. someone would come and get us - he told us that would be in about 20 to 30 minutes. Well.. we waited and waited and waited.. an hour went by... the Dr. came in and said that he was doing great but that he just didn't want to get up - he was taking advantage of getting that nap in!! After another 15 minutes a nurse finally came in to get us. I was really nervous walking to the recovery room - I have been told my many that most kids wake up screaming and just out of control. As we walked into the recovery room - I heard NO noise.. I looked around and there was Ian.. laying on a bed with 3 nurses around him and he was just looking around not making a sound. Soon as I walked up to him and he saw me.. he started to cry a bit but the nurse immediately picked him up.. had me sit in a recliner and placed him in my lap - it was such a sweet moment for me - knowing he was okay!!



He cried for a little bit but not much - he kept leaning his head way back.. he was still so out of it. Mike got his sippy of milk out and gave it to a nurse to warm up for us and he drank that fast - we tried giving him some snacks of graham crackers and blueberry bread but he really didn't want that - we have him more milk and he loved that. After about 10-15 minutes we were told we could go home... so we got him dressed and they gave us a prescription for some pain medicine... took the IV out of his hand which made Ian a little mad.





The nurse went over a few things with us and we were on the road by 1:30pm!! The whole day went so fast - God is SO good... I prayed and prayed and I was not expecting the day to go well at all but God had different plans He made it so peaceful for us!!


Ian didn't make a peep the whole way home... he was so relaxed and layed back - he had his eyes open but was totally out of it. Mike dropped us off home and then went out to get his prescriptions. I sat in the rocking chair with Ian for about 15 minutes... My mom made me a grilled cheese sandwich but Ian pretty much ate the whole thing so she made him another one - I put him in his highchair and let him eat his sandwich and a few cheerios - he was doing great!!! The Dr. told us that they gave Ian a spinal medication that made him numb from his tummy down so he would be wobbley for 6-8 hours.. until that wore off. He was trying SO hard to stand and walk and his legs just were not letting him do that - but he was crawling around like nothing ever happened.. he was so happy. Here is a picture of him about 1/2 hour after we got him home.




I was excited for Brev to come home. It was hard trying to explain to a 6 year old what Ian had to go through - that he had surgery.. that he was going to have an incision from being cut by the doctor etc.... so it was nice to show Brevin how well Ian was doing - he was very interested in seeing his incision and his hospital tag on his foot and the bandage around his hand from the IV - I kept it all on Ian so I could show Brevin. He was glad his brother was okay.


All-in-all it could not have gone any better - all the prayers that were prayed for Ian were definitely felt by Mike and I. Thank you God for getting us through that day and mostly.. getting Ian through. We are so blessed by Him for a wonderful experience. Thank you to everyone who kept Ian in their prayers!!