Here Comes Halloween Here Comes Halloween...

Emily had a big Halloween Party, we Carved a Pumpkin, Mom had us all over so that she and Gannie (and Vera) could give the kid's their Halloween treats, and then today Thomas' Class went to Gallrein Farms! (It was VERY muddy there!) Here are some pictures!

Ringing Bells

I got Doo Wop all signed up today for Ringing Bells for Salvation Army! We've done it for about 5 years, (Not including last year, we were a little busy with getting the new store opened in time for Thanksgiving!) so this should be pretty fun.

We will ring on Wednesdays starting the day before Thanksgiving! The shifts are 3 hours 10-1pm, so people will sign up for a 1 hour shift and a lot more of us can work this way!

Fall Festivals

The kids both had a Fall Festival at school. Each class has their own party at different times. Thomas' class had theirs on October 20th, and Grace's was October 23rd.

They were supposed to dress up as Farmers.

The big Fall Festival at church is this Saturday (Always held on Halloween Night! 6:30-9:30)

Here are some pictures!

Thomas is doing Great!

This is my very long account of what happened the day of Thomas' Surgery!

The super duper short version is: Thomas is Doing Great!

Now the long version: (Includes pictures....)

I was delighted to find that we were NOT in the same sedation suite that Thomas has had his last 2 scary IVs done. (And where he would no doubt have started panicking had he seen the place!)

Instead, we were sent upstairs to the 8th floor where Grace had her tubes put in when she was 1 year old. In fact, I think Thomas was possibly the oldest child there, although there was a little girl about 3 years older, who may or may not have been an older sister...

Needless to say, he was treated like a little baby doll and the place was decorated so cute and little stars and moons, even the stools in our room were in the shape of stars! Plus, the entire floor was way way over decorated with Halloween decorations. It was really cute.

We waited in a waiting room that looked like a hang out for kids right out of Key West Florida. Complete with Parrots on every wall and 3D Parrots on every column and desk. They even had Disney Channel playing on a TV, and several kid-sized tables and chairs, one of which had a baby about Ian's age precariously balanced on a chair. Thomas couldn't resist running over and waving at him! He tried to wave back and kind of wobbled.

When they called his name, Thomas actually ran right up to the nurse and past her down the hall! He was so excited by the place. I soooo appreciated the effort they put into making it kid-friendly. Plus, when we entered the actual "hospital-wing" part, then you never saw such Halloween decorations! There wasn't time to think "Uh Oh, this is a doctor's office!" because there were spiders, pumpkins, skeletons, witches...you name it and I mean EVERYWHERE! Anywhere else it would have been gaudy, but it worked wonders on these kids.

They took his weight and height, then led us to our room. Before we had time to get settled, though, a man showed up, nicely dressed, and carrying a moving SKUNK! (it was a puppet it turns out) He introduced the Skunk as "Stinky" and it waved at Thomas. He came over and insisted on being petted and wiggled all around while Thomas petted him. The man told us his name and that he was the Chaplain. I couldn't help but grin at the Pastor and the Skunk. He couldn't stay and chat because he was off across the hall to a frightened looking 2-yr-old boy who was enchanted by the moving animal! Thomas watched this entire exchange too.

Eventually, they came and gave the boy across from us a drink and some juice, and he quickly got Ve-rr-yy sleepy and silly. Thomas watched all of this carefully and laughed along with the adults.

He was also aware of a baby that came back crying from probably getting tubes in his ears down the hall. I explained that when babies wake up from the sleepy medicine they are very confused and they cry. He was in a room on the same side of the hall as us but 2 doors down.

The groggy 2-yr-old across from us noticed this too, and was starring with wide open eyes and mouth and pointed an amazed finger at the baby. Thomas watched all this curiously. I told him the little boy couldn't figure out why the baby was crying like that. Then the boy started incoherently crying on and off. Thomas and I talked about how he wasn't sure if everything was ok, and he thought maybe he should cry too. About that time, he quieted down again. Thomas giggled at all this.

We had told him that after the little boy got really sleepy they'd put his hospital gown on him, because for some reason little kids don't like taking off their PJs. About this point, they started dressing the little one. Thomas apparently decided to prove he was a big kid and announced that he wanted to change clothes right now! So, Sam and I helped him into his gown, stashing his clothes in the plastic bag provided.

He climbed right up on the table and started playing with his Iron Man toys.

When the Anesthesiologist came in, we were very clear that Thomas had been through a very rough introduction to his first IV. He was very sorry that it had happened that way, and assured us that it would not be that way this time. He told us they'd give him something to drink first, which would make him really sleepy. "Goofy Juice" is what he called it. Then after he was really sleepy, they'd take him in the back and give him some gas, and if the doctor felt he needed the IV, they'd put it in once he was asleep, and take it out before they woke him up.

This picture was taken just after he drank his Goofy Juice, followed by Apple Juice mixed with Sprite, because he wouldn't pick one! Which he informed the doctor was a "golfer's delight".

I think he looks a little goofy here, don't you?

They took him back at 8:13am, and the doctor came in at 8:30am to say it was all over! He said that everything went fine. They didn't find anything unusual when they did the endoscopy of his sinuses, which is great news, and that they cauterized several blood vessels on both sides of his nose. Hopefully, that will stop the nosebleeds!

After about another 30-40 minutes, they brought him back from recovery, still pretty sleepy.

The nurse brought in some Red Icee, and asked me to try to get him to eat some. I gave him about 3 bites, thinking that he didn't seem to feel well, and then he lost it. The nurse was there luckily, and helped me help him. He was sick over the next hour about 3 times. Sleeping some in between. Finally, they gave him half of a Zofran that dissolves in your mouth. The result was great.

This picture is 8-10 minutes later...

We went home after this was taken, arriving home at 10:30, and slept until 1:30pm.

Although, I have to say, it was pretty funny. I got up to his room, and he was sitting up on a bean bag chair trying to pick out which book to read or which toys to play. I had to talk him into getting in the bed! He said, "I've been asleep all morning!" I told him, "Mommy is sooo sleepy, come lay down with me, bring a toy, you don't have to sleep." So, he did, and fell asleep right away!

Then about 1:30, Thomas and I woke up hungry! We had some Chicken Ramen Noodle soup, and watched Blues Clues, then He-Man.

We then spent the remainder of the day playing LEGOS Star Wars and then LEGOS Batman. Those games are addictive. We were still playing when Sam got home from work! I handed him Thomas' controller and he played for awhile too!

Then Thomas and I went over to Mom's where Gracie had been since 5:45am, and she was very glad to see us! We had Chicken Noodle Soup (sounds familiar) and some crackers, and got to see Aunt Sarah, Tyler, Ian, and Uncle Bill, plus Mimi, Gannie, and Grandaddy!

All things considered, it was really a pretty great day! And here...I was actually worried!

You know, God is good All the Time!

MJ

Thomas Surgery Tomorrow

Thomas is having a minor surgery tomorrow at Kosair. They are cauterizing a blood vessel in his nose that is causing him to have major nosebleeds. It should only take about 5 minutes for the actual procedure, but they're also going to do a scope to be sure that's all that is going on, so it will be a little longer.

We have to be there at 6:30am and the procedure will be at 8:15am.

Carve a Pumpkin

Check this out! Click on this link to Carve Your Own Pumpkin Online! Grace Loved this! We did it about 10 times or more!

http://www.cubpack81.com/images/carve_pumpkin.swf

Mom is MUCH Better!

Just a quick update:

I talked to Mom this morning and she is MUCH MUCH better! I think getting rid of the medicine and adding Food helped tremendously!

(Your prayers didn't hurt too bad either! Thanks!)

We actually are going to try to do a mini-birthday party for Dad tonight at her house for dinner...

We'll see.

God Answers Prayers so Fast!

After my last post, and having sent the same info out to many people on email, my Dad heard back from the Doctor, (probably just a few minutes after I wrote you all that note) and they got great news! She doesn't have to take those harsh antibiotics anymore!

Also, they are allowing her to eat REAL FOOD! They think it will help settle her stomach! This is super because she hadn't had anything to actually eat in well over a week, possibly 2 weeks now. She's been on that awful liquid diet.

So, right away she had some bread and dinner rolls, and a fried egg sandwich (Doctor's suggestion by the way) and later a baked potato -very mashed up- and was very soon feeling much better.

Still a lot of nausea, but that's much better. Also, she has been able to take the 3 medicines Dr. O'Koon had called in this morning.

Bad news is: they've also taken her off all other medications, Yes, even the pain meds. She can have Tylenol and Aleve. Not going to help too much though huh? So, that is a major continued prayer request.

All things considered, a real blessing! Thanks for taking a second to lift her up this morning, it really helped!

MJ

Not a Great Day for Mom

Hi!

Just a prayer request:

Mom is home safely (since 11am Sunday) but they've continued to make her take these really strong antibiotics they had her on in the hospital. Only they didn't send her home with all 3 of the stomach medicines (like the anti-nausea stuff).

She spent all night last night throwing up and severely nauseated. This morning Dad called the Doctor who called in 3 different stomach medicines (and yes, an anti-nausea thing that was much stronger). But this morning she was feeling so awful she didn't want to take these pills, thinking it would make her sick again.

So, here's the prayer request:

That she would stop feeling sick, that she'd be able to take the 3 medicines, that she'd sleep a lot, and that they'd take her off these harsh antibiotics soon.

PS- Also today is Dad's Birthday, so she'll probably worry about him having a rotten day, so there's that too!

Frisbee Sunday

Mom is home!

Hi!

Just an update:

Mom came home from the hospital yesterday (Sunday) at about 11am. She is doing great, although having to adjust to the difference between the great pain killers in the hospital, and the average pain killers they sent her home with! But all things considered, she is doing really well!

She's up walking all over and watching tv, etc.

They still have her on a liquid diet (includes milk/pudding/jello) now, and by late tonight, she can add a few soft foods.

MJ

Mom days 2 and 3

These 2 pictures are out of order, the one on the left was day 3 (Saturday) and the right was day 2 (Friday).

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