Peanut's surgery

Well, we can check that off the list. Little Miss A had tubes put in her ears when she was 9 months old. It was time for them to come out. I hate when my kids have to go under anesthesia for anything but it was probably harder on me than her. 

We arrived to the Children's Hospital bright and early -- 6:15 a.m. They checked us in immediately, which meant we had a good long while to wait. Super. 

Isn't she precious in her little scrubs? She actually never asked for food or drink which was impressive. The Child Life team did a good job of chatting with her at a 4-year old level, giving her things to do, showing her the playroom, and helping her decorate her anesthesia mask. 

She found this little green tractor toy which thankfully kept her busy for probably an hour. The surgical floor of the Children's Hospital is one big circle so she just rode around and around and around...I thought for sure she'd freak when it was time for her to leave Seth and me, but they told her she could ride her little tractor back, and she happily obliged.

The surgery wasn't very long--maybe 30 minutes total? It was enough time for me to grab a Starbucks from the lobby and sit back down before they called us. One of her eardrums was perforated from having the tubes in so long, so they had to place a patch on one of the eardrums. She has a follow up visit with ENT in a couple weeks, but we've noticed less "What did you say?" from her. :) 

The poor little thing was downright pitiful after the surgery. She doesn't seem to tolerate anesthesia super well. She was agitated as she began to wake, ripping at her cords, pulling the cotton out of her ears, and generally screaming loud enough that people in post-op in New Jersey could hear. Thankfully, after about 30 minutes of freaking out, she suddenly "snapped back," asked for her slushy they promised her and that was that. We dressed her and she grabbed a snack and walked to the car herself.

We even went out for lunch after we got home and girlfriend was hyper. I think THAT may be the other reaction to anesthesia. HA! Nonetheless, it all went well and those tubes are out. Now praying the infections stay away!!

Carter's first stitches

We made it six years--that's gotta count for something, RIGHT? :) For Labor Day weekend, Carter and Addison were camping with Michelle, Jason and the kids. Seth and I were in NJ for a wedding. We got home on Sunday evening and they were planning to come home Monday around lunchtime. At about 8:45 a.m. or so, I see Michelle calling me. 

When I picked up the phone, she said "So, what hospital should we take Carter to?" HA. Turns out, he was balancing on a curb and lost his balance and fell and hit his face. At first, there was some confusion because we thought the bike was involved but Carter says it was not.

Seth and I met Michelle and Carter at the Emergency Room in the town they were camping in. They beat us by quite a bit and Carter was straight-jacketed (SO SAD!) on the table when I walked in. So that he wouldn't cry when he saw me, I stayed back where he couldn't see until they were done. 

Three stitches later, he was good as new. But of course it happened on the day of the Labor Day picnic at my parents, so he couldn't swim, which was a bummer. We're just thankful his first "injury" was something this minor. 

When it rains, it pours

I swear, this time of year is always frustrating in terms of financial things that come up. You know the drill, I'm sure. Annual car insurance due. Need new tires. Both cars need their "big" regular maintenance. Christmas shopping. New home needs. All in one or two months. Stressful and frustrating.

And--on top of it all--Bentley has a little tumor of some sort (been there awhile; thankfully doesn't seem to be growing) on his shoulder and his ear hematoma is back. He gets blood-filled ear flaps from excessive shaking of his head. In the past, they've gone away naturally, but the one he's got now is kind of bad and worse than he's ever had. And...I'm sort of over it. WHY does this happen every year with excessive expenses? Sigh...

For now, I'll be praying (really hard) that his ear issue resolves itself ASAP. The tumor removal estimate was $1000 so we obviously opted to not do that right now. I'm sure the ear surgery would be just as much so I'd love to avoid that at all costs. 

When it rains, it pours.

Update on Bentley

Our muffin came through surgery just fine, though I'm certain we'll be eating ramen noodles until Jesus returns.

He did, in fact, have an epulis, which is a tumor most common in boxers.

He had the tumor removed, and a tooth on each side of the tumor and 1 cm of bone below was removed as well. While the doctor was examining him yesterday morning, he also noticed in counting his teeth that he was missing two other teeth (the ones right behind the fangs on the bottom), and said they'd do X-rays to check if they were just impacted (and if they were, remove them too). Well, they were impacted, so they came out as well. On one of the teeth (sorry, I thought it was both, which I mentioned to some of you) there was a cyst, which the doctor said is good we caught now because that would have also become problematic.

I had a work event last night, but Seth and Carter went to Maryland to pick him up. Seth said he was out of it from anesthesia, but did well on the ride home. He had a pretty good night overnight though sighed and whined a lot of it. We're sure he was in pain, but he refused his pills last night so there wasn't much we could do.

I made him homemade food, and this morning, he was starving and tanked it! We also put his pills in peanut butter and he lapped that right up as well. He's super annoyed with his cone (photos coming soon) and Carter is terrified of him with it on, but oh well. Two weeks of cone and soft foods and a re-check by the surgeon and hopefully we'll be good as new.

Pray that the biopsies come back that it isn't cancer and this would be the end of this mess. We love grandpa gums too much! :) We did joke though that he still has more teeth than his Uncle Carmelo (Michelle and Jason's boxer, who knocked some out in an accident a few years ago when he ran into the shed). Haha, we love you Carm!

Night Terrors

I'm going to make a very long story short. Like his daddy had when he was little, Carter man has night terrors. If we're going to be frank, the child has never slept all that well. Noises wake him up, he is super restless, and needs 472 pacis in his crib at all times. So, for fun, the big man upstairs thought he would test my mothering skills and patience level by throwing some night terrors into the mix.

He's had a couple terrors in the past few months. While scary and sad, none have been that bad. Last night was sort of different. He had a terror that was even freaking Seth and I out. It took almost thirty minutes to get him to come out of it, and another thirty for me to rock him until his body stopped trembling and he stopped doing the post-intense-cry gasping. The screams were terrifying (hence, the terror part), and that poor little boy was shaking, clenching, and disoriented.

I have a message in for his pediatrician to see if there is anything we should do. I've read that they just happen and can even be genetic, so there may be nothing to do but help keep him calm and get him back to sleep. But, just to be safe, I may want to have him seen to rule out anything else that can cause them.

Say a prayer for the little guy (and us) - it is so hard to see your baby like that. :( Plus, we are one sleepy family today.

Carter's Surgery

Yesterday, the little man had to have a minor surgery. He needed to have a revision to his circumcision that was done at birth since, long story short, enough wasn't taken. Poor thing. :(

We knew that this was going to happen for a few months but we had to wait until he was at least six months old because he had to go under general anesthesia.

Here he is in the surgical center lobby the morning of surgery. He was so intrigued by everything and was SUCH a good boy, despite not eating since the night before (which, trust me, had us VERY nervous). That boy likes to eat!

Still looking around at everything once they took us back to pre-op. He had a little crib bed, and it was so sad to see. It was nice to know, though, that we were just there for something minor.

Then they brought us the tiniest little gown for him, which sort of ripped my heart out. But on the other hand, I thought he was the cutest little thing EVER.

Here is the brave little boy before they came to get him. When the nurse came and put her arms out, he went right to her. Naive little baby.

All in all, everything was a success. We have a few days of recovery here at home before he can get 100% back to himself, but yesterday, the day of surgery, wasn't that bad so we're optomistic.

Friday Happenings

Good news. I'm not paralyzed from Friday's trip to the chiropractor. I could move my fingers and toes right after he cracked my neck, which was all I was asking for. I did, however, lose two (yes, two) hours of my life there. What I was told would be a "one hour new patient consultation/evaluation" turned quickly into a "now turn this way"...."ok stand"..."ok sit"..."let's go for x-rays" and on and on. And I was starting to get mad because it was dipping into our date night!

When all was said and done, he said no wonder I have a sore back with the misalignment I had going on. They want to schedule me for 3 appointments this week (I guess at the beginning it can't be a once and done thing...takes a few times at first, and then can go to once a month, every three months, etc, etc.). I think the lack of excitment read on my face to the secretary because the doctor called me on my way home to explain why I need to come 3 times.

Anyway, when I was finally done, we went out for dinner to Red Lobster. It was yummmmmy! Seth got the "bottomless shrimp" and, if you know Seth at all, he definitely got his $16.99 worth. I'm almost positive the waiter thought I was helping him eat them or he was storing them in napkins like the elderly.

But no, he ate them all. And ordered. And ordered some more. And them some more. My dinner was practically digested before he decided he'd call it quits (which, by the way, was at the suggestion of his wife who was just looking out for his well-being, clothing, and the impending stomach ache).

All in all, he ate 54 shrimp. As in 4 1/2 dozen. And the side dishes that went along with it. It almost makes me nauseous just thinking about it.

I thought for sure he'd be complaining he was full or his pants were tight.

No, no he did not. He told me he was "content."

No Pain, No Gain, Right?

Somewhere between the first week of August and the present, I must have turned 90. Because ever since the Thursday before we went camping, I have had terrible pain in my lower back.

I think it's safe to say that I have a low no tolerance for pain, which, in turn, is probably paining everyone I come in contact with because, hello? Constant back pain is not cool.

The pain remains a mystery because I have never had back pain before. Perhaps it is from the death hike. Or from picking Bentley up incorrectly ("bend at the knees, not at the waist!"). I may never know. I'm hoping the chiropractor will help me out on Friday. Except probably not. Because chriopractors freak.me.out. The thought have having someone twist my neck in ways it was never intended makes me nauseous. I'm sure I'll tense up and he'll break it.

Oh, and while I'm on this health rant, let me also say that unlike any other year, this would be the year that my body would like to reject my flu vaccine. I got the shot on Monday, yet somehow, my body still aches, and the site of the injection is red, hard, and surrounded by a red circle. Awesome.

I figure by next week, I'll be in a walker.

Oh, I kid. Probably just using a cane. :)