Recovery Continues

On Monday morning before Christian's surgery the surgeon was telling us what to expect with the recovery.  She assured us we would be happy with the results.  She said, "But on Thursday night when he doesn't sleep it may be hard for you to remember that." 

Low and behold - The kid didn't sleep last night!  He cried and cried.  His little body was stiff with pain.  The Tylenol seemed to take the edge off so if I continued to rock him and rub his back he'd at least stop crying. 

For barely sleeping he's doing good today.  I'm not.  Very grumpy and still in pj's. 

We're off to the Farmer's Market for their gigantic cookies.  That always does the trick!

A Day at the Movies

Today is not very hot (thank goodness) and cloudy.  I am so happy with this weather.  I hate when it's a gorgeous day and I'm very tired.  I'm very tired because Christian's recovery finally hit home last night.  His nose is draining like crazy, apparently down his throat when he's sleeping.  There's more pain now.  They said day 3-5 of the recovery would be there worst. 

I decided we needed to have a low key day but still wanted to get out of the house.  We headed over to Grandma Kaye's (she's not really any of our real grandmas, however she treats my kids like her grandchildren and her daycare kids call her grandma and it caught on!) to play with Baby Yaya, Dillan, Arionna & Simon.  The kids love Simon.  We played for about an hour and then. . .
WE WENT TO OUR FIRST MOVIE TOGETHER!

I loved every bit of it!  Besides in the womb, Christian has never even been inside a movie theater.  Victoria has had two short trips, one with Papa Wayne to see Dog Hotel.  She begged to leave after 30 minutes.  And a short version of Oceans with Mama Jeanne.

I finally found a time that would work around (our sacred) naptime.  12:10 at the WB Township Theater.  We arrived at 12:14, hit the bathroom, got ourselves the biggest popcorn money can buy (also the largest Diet Coke for the Momma!) and we found ourselves in an extremely dark hallway leading into the theater.  I was thinking, "Holy crap!  They're going to be scared and crying before we even find a seat!"  Luckily the next thing on the screen was really bright and led us into a completely (ok there were three people at the very very top row) empty theater!  Jack Pot baby!  That's why I picked Toy Story 3.  It's been out for months.  I was hoping for an empty theater because I didn't know how they were going to do.  I was armed with bags of candy from the candy store last night, sippy cups and wipes.

Christian actually isn't heavy enough to hold down the folding chair.  So his little legs were at a 45 degree angle as he chowed down fists full of popcorn.  Then he said (in a loud voice), "That's a super huge TV!  Why's it so dark?  Lights broken?"

Victoria looked like a little pro.  Her eyes glued to the screen as she was searching for the giant popcorn tub that actually was as deep as her little arm is long.

This bliss lasted for about 15 minutes.  Then Christian starts whining, "Go back home nooowwww."  I picked him up and cuddled him on my lap.  His little hands were on my bare thighs (I'm wearing a skirt) when I realized his little palms were very warm.  I touched my lips to his forehead and got a Mommy Style Confirmation he had a fever.  Why wouldn't I bring the Tylenol WITH ME?!?!?  We stuck it out for another 1.5 hours.  By the end he was walking up and down our aisle and sometimes the aisle in front or behind us.  But it was just dark (scary) enough that I knew he wouldn't go too fast or too far. 

We saw the movie from beginning to end.  They each got an egg from the old fashioned hen then turns around and around like it's laying an egg.  (Is it odd that I'm calling games from my own childhood old fashioned?!)  We all consummed a lot of popcorn and had a great time.  I sped home and got them down for nap within seconds of entering the house.  Christian's temp was just below 100.  That's to be expected for the next few days as the healing progesses. 

It may be a while before we head to the movie theater again.  But I know we'll talk about Toy Story 3 and our adventure together for a long time.

Walker Art Center

Here it is.  This may very well be a sneak peek to one of the pics on our Christmas card.  I've wanted to take the kids here for years!  When they woke up from nap on Saturday I said, "What do you think about going to the Walker Art Center to take pictures?"  Within 10 minutes we were in the car and on the way.  We didn't think to grad the GPS or find out how to get there.  We knew the general vacinity and a quick call to Liv and we were there.

Sooooo glad we went!  We had a great time and got some great pics!

Do you think they're breaking the law of No climbing on artwork?

Two of my favorite things:
Victoria & hibiscus

This picture is so awesome! 

Victoria and I are standing on one side taking the picture

& Mark and Christian are standing on the other side!

I love it!  Very cool!

We found a real stefanotis plant.  We had these in our wedding
real and fake.
It was fun to see them growing. . .
Since they cost a small fortune!

Family Fun

I love all the smiles and laughter our family is sharing during this photoshoot.
These photos are priceless to me.
Look out JoAnns, I need a lot of new frames tomorrow!

Christian's Second Surgery

Just minutes before the surgery.  He was bouncing off the walls!

Dr. Malone, the pediatric surgeon came in to talk to us about 20 minutes before the surgery.  As she was leaving she turned and said, "Mr. Humphrey,  there is no question in that boy's paternity!  He looks just like you!"

They brought me a gown and hair net and I carried Chistian across the hall to the surgery.  The anesthesia is the scariest part to me.  I expected it to be like last year's surgery.  Unfortunately, it was a little different.  This time I carried him in and had to lay him on the table.  The nurses we all in gowns, hair nets and masks.  The surgical instruments were laid out.  I could feel my heart racing (more than it already was) and my voice was shaking.  When I laid him down they told me to cuddle up to him.  Which meant leaning over the table and holding his sweet small little hands and was cuddling his face and talking to him.  With his little bottom lip quivering he asked where daddy was.  I told him he was waiting outside for us.  They taped the heart monitor to his finger and began sticking five monitor's to his body.  Then he got to add the purple grape Lipsmacker to the inside of the mask.  He started to put it on his lips first and the nurses cracked up.  How funny to see a little boy laid out on a surgical bed so scared he's shaking and he begins to put lipgloss on.  He had chosen the color about an hour before and they showed him how to put it on the mask.  After adding the grape smell they put it on his face.  By this time I couldn't sing or even speak.  I just didn't want my tears to fall on his little face.  The anesthesologist began singing The Ants Go Marching On.  She was alternating tapping on his forehead and rubbing his ear.  Unfortunately it took three times of turning up the anesthesia to put him to sleep.  When he went out his little eyes didn't close.  He was still looking up when they said, "Ok, mom thank you.  Get her out."  They didn't have to tell me twice, but by the time I got to the door I couldn't see through my tears.  Then it was the waiting game.  Staring at the screen with his birthday to signify his name, telling us what part of surgery he was in.  I made a very hot hot chocolate trying to pass the time.  My eyes went over several pages of my O magazine.  However, I can't recall one thing on any of those pages.  As Mark and I sat there waiting and wonderinf and praying I couldn't help but notice the four other families in there waiting too.  One mom was sobbing into her daughter's pink blankie.  I kept telling myself how lucky we were to be there for something as routine as an adenoidectomy.  The surgery was suppose to take anywhere from 20-45 minutes.  It took 20, but we waiting for 40 to find out it was over.

We were so relieved when Dr. Malone came in smiling and said he did great and was in recovery.

She said his adenoids were,. "Huge and filled with snot."  She assured us we would see a difference in a week and we'd be very happy.  Within 10 minutes a nurse said Christian was awake and asking for me.  Last year this was where all hell broke lose.  The moment I had been dreading the most.  The initial recovery room has several children in it who has just come out of the surgery room.  One parent isn't allowed to come in until their child's airway is clear and they are stable.  I had to walk by four children who were in pain and screaming or crying to get to Christian.  He was the furthest bed.  His face was red from crying.  They pulled a rocking chair right up to the side of the bed.  He was hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor.  I began to sing Twinkle Twinkle but it was hard to sing while fighting back tears.  So instead I started telling him how I couldn't wait to take him to the zoo and went through all the animals we would see and all the things we would do.  The nurse at his bed smiled and whispered, "Como Zoo?"  I nodded and she winked and said he kids loved going there too.  Within five minutes he was stable and we were off to his actual recovery room.  Mark was waiting outside the door for us.  Down a hall  in an elevator and down another hall and we made it to recovery room F.  

Here we are just after we arrived.

This is as close to sleeping as he got.  We stayed the mandatory three hours.  After five cartoons on Nick Jr. (none of which he enjoyed) a book about Paul Bunyan (which he didn't enjoy) a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich and a chocolate chip cookie and milk (which he throughly enjoyed!) and a rooster balloon made by daddy from a non-latex glove which was the highlight of the stay he was jumping off of the bed.  He was attached to two machines but nothing fazed him by hour two.  He was begging every nurse to take his IV out.  When the nurse came in the last time we were hiding under a little blanket together pretending we were hiding in the woods.  I had to get very creative to keep us all sane in that tiny room for three hours.  When that nurse came in she thought we were sleeping, seriously?!  Is that what normal kids do?  Rest after a surgery?  Not our boy!
Finally at 1:00 he got his wish and we were outta there!

Here he is WALKING out of the hosptital!  His shirt is filled with stickers from the nurses who thought he wa adorable and a perfect little patient!

When we got home he took a two hour nap and woke bright eyed and bushy tailed.
All that worrying and it's all behind us now!
Thank goodness it's over!

The Night Before

The night before Christian's surgery we took him to Cup N Cone after dinner. Since he wouldn't be able to eat or drink until the next afternoon.  After the ice cream we headed to Christian's favorite store.  The Dollar Store.  Among other things, he got a new fireman hat.  He loves it!!