Okay, so I took Steeven to school yesterday morning to go over all the results of the tests they did a couple of weeks ago. By the way the ladies at Brandon Elementary that work in this department are wonderful, just had to say that. Anyway, I wasn't feeling the best which I guess is an understatement since following this appointment I went to the doctor who told me my allergies were causing drainage in my throat and, oh ya, I had strep!!
Back to my origianl story. I was at a little circle table with four other ladies, OT, PT, Speech and the director and we all had the same papers in front of us as each lady talked about their part about Steevie. I was doing fine, rolling right along when we came to a page that had his name written out, Steeven I. Christensen. Do any of you catch that? Look again! Even as I type this I am getting choked up, because of the visual, Steeven I. Christensen.
When I had origianlly met with these ladies I expressed my desire for him to learn to write his name as it would be after the adoption is final and we can get his name changed. For some reason I wasn't expecting any reaction, I mean really why would I have a reaction during a meeting like this? Well I did and and it was a big one! Sobbing with a hoarse and very sore throat and I don't think many of the ladies had a dry eye after they realized what my "problem" was. All I could do was point to the paper, because no words would come out, and at first they thought there was an error which would mean I am a freak to react in such a way to an error on the page.
Today as I have thought about this I have been wondering why this is so important to me. Isn't it funny how we, mostly women, can be so sensitive to the littlest of things/details? Don't get me wrong, Wade sees the importance of the name, but wow is all I can say about my reaction. I love that God made me sensitive, he might have overdone it a little but who am I to tell God that :). It seems to have gotten worse over the years, after children that is. The more kids we have the easier I cry! I have to wrap this up because my throat burns everytime I get choaked up, which is why besides being busy I have been working at this post since this morning and it is now 5:00pm.
Okay, so what I am saying is that seeing Steeven's name the way it will be someday really brought out my emotions. Steeven I. Christensen was given to us as a gift from God, just like our other kids, only the way that God planned it carries special significance to me I guess, please don't "hear" what I am not saying. It does for the other three kids as well. They prayed for him for over two years, that he would be part of their family soon. For the first couple fo months Abby would say to God, "Thank you that Steeven is so crazy", meaning wild. She loved it, go figure! When God makes me wait for something I always learn more about myself, see changes I need to make, and then appreciate whatever it finally happens. Obviously I am a slow learner because most of the things between God and I take ahwile to come about. Oh well, he loves me anyway!
The significance in a name is unique to each individual. In my family we gave Jordyn the middle name Lee, which is mine and my mother's. Abby is Abigail Mae, my grandfather's name is Gail, my grandma's name was Ida Mae, and Wade's moms' middle name is Mae. Wade and his dads' middle names are Dean so that is Carter's middle name as well. Steeven's given name is Steevenson Herman Israel, we will give him the name Steeven Israel Christensen. We are keeping the spelling of his first name that way because it is unique and so is he. His birth mother is a very special lady and will always hold a special place in our hearts. I hope that she would be proud of our decision.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
God's Love
Yesterday my step-mom, which I do hate calling her that, Valinda, called me to share her observations of our new family and God's love. I have had this thought many times during the adoption process as well. It was great for her to share with me though.
Today as one of my daycare boys came in the house, Steeven got so excited, even giddy. Abby made the best comment ever, "Steeven is a bundle of joy!" She really said that, what a great kid. God has really blessed me in that area. All four of them are truely wonderful. Of course they all have their moments, just like the rest of us, but really they are great kids. To see how they have taken Steeven and loved him like he has always been here is remarkable. This is not lost on me. It comes to mind daily and my thoughts go to God, who has prearranged all of this.
What must he think as he looks down and sees his plan in motion? When I think of something and follow through with it and it goes well I am pretty pleased with myself, you know. I wonder if he feels that way? Well he is God so he doesn't have the problem with selfish pride. He is probably proud of his creation, being us, and I can feel him smiling at me. Like when one of my kids does something great and I think, wow he/she is really something.
Back to God's love. It really is hard to comprehend how much God loves us and why he even does. We are broken and messed up and aren't even his blood relative yet he has offered us an equal place in his family and his unconditional love. Adoption is the closest earthly comparison for me. Going through the paper process was one thing, but actually having Steevie here is another. It gives me an even greater understanding of God's love.
I had many thoughts that would run through my head about what it would be like when we brought Steeven home. Would it be instant love, would the kids do all right together, would he be accepting of us, would he even like me, would I be willing to parent him like he needs or not want to make him sad? When we met Steeven in the airport I must say that none of these thoughts went through my head, it was like he was finally with us and life was continuing on without really missing a beat. He loved us, responded to us and the feeling was very mutual. When the kids met each other there was a short time of just realizing that he was actaully here, after over two years of them being dedicated to praying for him it was actually real now. Carter struggled some with what to do about Steeven's runny nose and eyes, but he got over that rather quickly. I would find myself wondering what they must be thinking and how they could just love him without being able to fully grasp what was happening. I think as adults we do think too much about things sometimes. Kids just "do" and it comes naturally. My prayer for myself I guess would be that God would help me in that area. I think waaaaaaaaay too much sometimes and it wastes a lot of my time.
Now to Steeven, what a kid! All that he has been through and experienced and yet I can see how in God's infinite wisdom Steeven has been prepared for all of this. God has given Steeven such a personality that he just rolls with the flow, so to speak. He was the only kid, or adult for that matter, where he lived that wasn't terrified of the earhtquake. That's right, he even liked it. He enjoyed his trip to Miami and has been enjoying things ever since. The only two things that are "bad" to him are the dog and the hospital. The dog is growing on him though. I did pray that God would be doing this, getting all of us ready for what was to come, and he is a faithful God who listens to his children. I am so thankful.
Now, having said all of this, I have to say that I am not going into this journey blindly. God does not tell us that when we follow where he leads us everything will go smoothly. Just look at Steeven's hospital experience and the families/income I have lost from daycare. I do know though, that God will see us through all of this and he knows what is yet to come.
Thank you God for your love and how you have shown us the importance of adoption as you have done it with us. What an example you have set for us! I am also thankful that you have given me a little glimpse of your love through the way we love Steeven, my son. Help us to be aware that how we live our lives is an example to others as well. Amen.
Today as one of my daycare boys came in the house, Steeven got so excited, even giddy. Abby made the best comment ever, "Steeven is a bundle of joy!" She really said that, what a great kid. God has really blessed me in that area. All four of them are truely wonderful. Of course they all have their moments, just like the rest of us, but really they are great kids. To see how they have taken Steeven and loved him like he has always been here is remarkable. This is not lost on me. It comes to mind daily and my thoughts go to God, who has prearranged all of this.
What must he think as he looks down and sees his plan in motion? When I think of something and follow through with it and it goes well I am pretty pleased with myself, you know. I wonder if he feels that way? Well he is God so he doesn't have the problem with selfish pride. He is probably proud of his creation, being us, and I can feel him smiling at me. Like when one of my kids does something great and I think, wow he/she is really something.
Back to God's love. It really is hard to comprehend how much God loves us and why he even does. We are broken and messed up and aren't even his blood relative yet he has offered us an equal place in his family and his unconditional love. Adoption is the closest earthly comparison for me. Going through the paper process was one thing, but actually having Steevie here is another. It gives me an even greater understanding of God's love.
I had many thoughts that would run through my head about what it would be like when we brought Steeven home. Would it be instant love, would the kids do all right together, would he be accepting of us, would he even like me, would I be willing to parent him like he needs or not want to make him sad? When we met Steeven in the airport I must say that none of these thoughts went through my head, it was like he was finally with us and life was continuing on without really missing a beat. He loved us, responded to us and the feeling was very mutual. When the kids met each other there was a short time of just realizing that he was actaully here, after over two years of them being dedicated to praying for him it was actually real now. Carter struggled some with what to do about Steeven's runny nose and eyes, but he got over that rather quickly. I would find myself wondering what they must be thinking and how they could just love him without being able to fully grasp what was happening. I think as adults we do think too much about things sometimes. Kids just "do" and it comes naturally. My prayer for myself I guess would be that God would help me in that area. I think waaaaaaaaay too much sometimes and it wastes a lot of my time.
Now to Steeven, what a kid! All that he has been through and experienced and yet I can see how in God's infinite wisdom Steeven has been prepared for all of this. God has given Steeven such a personality that he just rolls with the flow, so to speak. He was the only kid, or adult for that matter, where he lived that wasn't terrified of the earhtquake. That's right, he even liked it. He enjoyed his trip to Miami and has been enjoying things ever since. The only two things that are "bad" to him are the dog and the hospital. The dog is growing on him though. I did pray that God would be doing this, getting all of us ready for what was to come, and he is a faithful God who listens to his children. I am so thankful.
Now, having said all of this, I have to say that I am not going into this journey blindly. God does not tell us that when we follow where he leads us everything will go smoothly. Just look at Steeven's hospital experience and the families/income I have lost from daycare. I do know though, that God will see us through all of this and he knows what is yet to come.
Thank you God for your love and how you have shown us the importance of adoption as you have done it with us. What an example you have set for us! I am also thankful that you have given me a little glimpse of your love through the way we love Steeven, my son. Help us to be aware that how we live our lives is an example to others as well. Amen.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Hair Dresser
Well I have added a "skill" to my mommy/wife resume: Hair Dresser. I don't think I really am qualified for this title, well I know I am not, but it has been added anyway. Today I cut all three boys' hair. Steeven's was the easiest because I can just shave it, but it was hard to watch the other two as their hair came falling off. Wade, of course, loves it, but I will just have to get use to it I guess. I am no Dawn, our hair dresser, but for a while my abilities will have to be good enough.
There is no way, however, that I will be cutting mine or the girls'. Thankfully we are all three letting ours grow so we don't have to go very often. Now, if I could just figure out how to do those darn eyebrows I would have it made!
There is no way, however, that I will be cutting mine or the girls'. Thankfully we are all three letting ours grow so we don't have to go very often. Now, if I could just figure out how to do those darn eyebrows I would have it made!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Random Thoughts
I haven't blogged in a while so here are some random thoughts.
I worked out at the mall today and I still can't believe they give me a discount for the little amount of time I spend there. I'm sure it is because I am such a great employee :)! Abby asked me the other day why I work so much and if I like it. Part of what I told her is that I don't always like to work on the weekends, but after I get there I have a good time. I guess honesty is good, right" I figure that she will learn soon enough that you don't always want to do something, but sometimes you ahve to. This just shows how kids think in the moment and don't always see the big picture because I only work twice a month at the mall so it is not like I am gone all the time working, thankfully.
I had an Usborne book party at my house last night and it actually went really well. I had a huge guest list, even the consultant's husband commented on the number of people I invited because he mailed the cards for her. You know the rule they always tell you, over invite because a very small number actually show up, well it is true! I'm sure this gal will now use my party as an example of this. Oh well, as of last night I had earned $50 in free books and I still ahve some more orders coming in.
Carter has pink eye, ugh. Poor little guy, at lest he doesn't mind the drops. The wonderful doctor wouldn't give him a perscription for Sinus infection, and Wade said she didn't even check his nose, but said his ears look good, REALLY?! I vented to Wade of course and said, "Doesn't she know that the infection is what caused the pink eye, just like Jordyn, and if we don't treat the real problem what's the point?" He agreed and we have moved on, it might not sound like it, but I have moved on.
Wade and the kids are outside playing and Wade just came in and asked about Dakota Vision's warranty. Why you ask? Good question, that would be due to the fact that Steeven's glasses must have fallen off and he then ran them over with his bike. Wade told me he came in the garage and the frames were bent and the lenses, still in one piece, were in different parts of the garage! Now Steeven is squinting at everything and of course Dakota Vision closed at 1:00 today and do not open again until Monday.
Speaking of Steeven riding a bike, he really does! With training wheels, but still he loves the bike. The only problem is that he also tries to ride the bigger kids' bikes, always up for a challenge he is. He is loving this weather and the fact that he can be outside. We are too!
I worked out at the mall today and I still can't believe they give me a discount for the little amount of time I spend there. I'm sure it is because I am such a great employee :)! Abby asked me the other day why I work so much and if I like it. Part of what I told her is that I don't always like to work on the weekends, but after I get there I have a good time. I guess honesty is good, right" I figure that she will learn soon enough that you don't always want to do something, but sometimes you ahve to. This just shows how kids think in the moment and don't always see the big picture because I only work twice a month at the mall so it is not like I am gone all the time working, thankfully.
I had an Usborne book party at my house last night and it actually went really well. I had a huge guest list, even the consultant's husband commented on the number of people I invited because he mailed the cards for her. You know the rule they always tell you, over invite because a very small number actually show up, well it is true! I'm sure this gal will now use my party as an example of this. Oh well, as of last night I had earned $50 in free books and I still ahve some more orders coming in.
Carter has pink eye, ugh. Poor little guy, at lest he doesn't mind the drops. The wonderful doctor wouldn't give him a perscription for Sinus infection, and Wade said she didn't even check his nose, but said his ears look good, REALLY?! I vented to Wade of course and said, "Doesn't she know that the infection is what caused the pink eye, just like Jordyn, and if we don't treat the real problem what's the point?" He agreed and we have moved on, it might not sound like it, but I have moved on.
Wade and the kids are outside playing and Wade just came in and asked about Dakota Vision's warranty. Why you ask? Good question, that would be due to the fact that Steeven's glasses must have fallen off and he then ran them over with his bike. Wade told me he came in the garage and the frames were bent and the lenses, still in one piece, were in different parts of the garage! Now Steeven is squinting at everything and of course Dakota Vision closed at 1:00 today and do not open again until Monday.
Speaking of Steeven riding a bike, he really does! With training wheels, but still he loves the bike. The only problem is that he also tries to ride the bigger kids' bikes, always up for a challenge he is. He is loving this weather and the fact that he can be outside. We are too!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Jordyn's Birthday
Well today Jordyn turns 9, wow! She started out the day feeling very sassy and grown-up making us wonder what the day would bring. She told Wade many times that he was acting weird and he should stop. She even went as far as to tell him that he couldn't act that way at her party! he of course just laughed and said he has been acting this way for over 9 years so why would he stop now, he he.
Since she really doesn't "need" anything I took her to get her first pedicure! I must admit I was a little jealous as I sat there beside her with feet in desperate need of attention, maybe too much information for you. She liked it, for the most part. I ahd to reminder a couple of times that beauty doesn't always feel good, good life lesson right? She chose a pretty green color, new for spring. i was proud of her for choosing something totally different from her norm of pink.
Then we went to Carousel Skate for her party. That's right, Wade and I were there with 10 kids and that does include all of ours. We even skated! The girls really did a good job, I helped some of her friends for a little while, but not long. The boys, who have never been on skates, loved it. Carter went out by himeslf, along the wall, a few times and Steeven was like a wild man on wheels. Both were very fun to watch!
Then it was off to Joey's Seafood and grill. Jordyn is a huge fan of almost all things seafood! I called ahead and spoke with the owner about Steeven's allergy and we were able to work something out for him too. I think it was a great birthday overall. Wade and I are exhausted and the kids are tired, so it must have been a great party!
I can't believe she is already 9. She is such a great girl and I am not just saying that. I appreciate her even more as she is getting older and I see her gifts that God has given her. Each child is special and I am glad, even though it makes it harder, that all four of ours are so different yet alike. I am blessed indeed.
Since she really doesn't "need" anything I took her to get her first pedicure! I must admit I was a little jealous as I sat there beside her with feet in desperate need of attention, maybe too much information for you. She liked it, for the most part. I ahd to reminder a couple of times that beauty doesn't always feel good, good life lesson right? She chose a pretty green color, new for spring. i was proud of her for choosing something totally different from her norm of pink.
Then we went to Carousel Skate for her party. That's right, Wade and I were there with 10 kids and that does include all of ours. We even skated! The girls really did a good job, I helped some of her friends for a little while, but not long. The boys, who have never been on skates, loved it. Carter went out by himeslf, along the wall, a few times and Steeven was like a wild man on wheels. Both were very fun to watch!
Then it was off to Joey's Seafood and grill. Jordyn is a huge fan of almost all things seafood! I called ahead and spoke with the owner about Steeven's allergy and we were able to work something out for him too. I think it was a great birthday overall. Wade and I are exhausted and the kids are tired, so it must have been a great party!
I can't believe she is already 9. She is such a great girl and I am not just saying that. I appreciate her even more as she is getting older and I see her gifts that God has given her. Each child is special and I am glad, even though it makes it harder, that all four of ours are so different yet alike. I am blessed indeed.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Frosting, YUM!
Okay, so I just made the frosting and it is great! A little goes a long way though, wow it is sweet. One would think that after seeing how much powdered sugar and butter, dairy-free of course, goes into one batch of frosting one might think twice about eating it, right? No way! It is good and I made it from scratch and I will eat it!
Also, what should a person do when you have frosted the container of cupcakes and don't want to cram them all back in because it will mess up the frosting? Of course that lonely cupcake must be eaten! Who would be willing to make such a sacrifice? I guess I would and did. Yes, the three boys were out of the kitchen playing and I enjoyed it all By Myself :).
YUMMY!
Also, what should a person do when you have frosted the container of cupcakes and don't want to cram them all back in because it will mess up the frosting? Of course that lonely cupcake must be eaten! Who would be willing to make such a sacrifice? I guess I would and did. Yes, the three boys were out of the kitchen playing and I enjoyed it all By Myself :).
YUMMY!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Cupcakes
I was trying to be a good steward of our money so I bought cake mixes on sale a couple of weeks ago at Hy-Vee. Don't you love it when people point out how good their original intentions were when their plans have to change :)! Anyway, fast forward to last week when we found out Steeven has a dairy allergy. One of the first things that came to mind was, what are we going to do about the kids' birthday parties in March?
Thankfully you can find just about everything on the "worldwide web", as my grandma called it. So I searched and found a couple of recipes that I thought might work. Yesterday Steeven and I went shopping and got all the ingredients so we could experiment today. After the kids went to school this morning Steeven and I began making cupcakes.
Do you like to lick the beaters after making batter, or lick your finger whenever you can as you are making batter? For me it is one of my favorite parts of baking, until now. As the mixer is doing it's thing I attempt a taste. To say it is lacking something is an understatement, but we proceed. When the first round of cupcakes are done I let them cool and then take them out of the pan. Not only did the batter taste bad and look ingredibly runny, the finished product didn't feel like it had cooked all the way through and was pretty "heavy". At that point I had mentally written off the cupcakes, seriously. I gave them some time to cool then I unwrapped one of the chocolately bundles and to my surprise it didn't stick to the wrapper, as I had imagined it would. This is a good sign, I thought to myself. So I took a bite, with Steeven looking at me the whole time. To my pleasant surprise they were very good! So good that I wished he hadn't have been standing there watching because then I had to share it with him.
So the cupcakes are very good and I have it covered now for both parties this month. On a unecessarily sad note, I will no longer be indulging myself in batter. Tonight I will attempt the frosting!
Thankfully you can find just about everything on the "worldwide web", as my grandma called it. So I searched and found a couple of recipes that I thought might work. Yesterday Steeven and I went shopping and got all the ingredients so we could experiment today. After the kids went to school this morning Steeven and I began making cupcakes.
Do you like to lick the beaters after making batter, or lick your finger whenever you can as you are making batter? For me it is one of my favorite parts of baking, until now. As the mixer is doing it's thing I attempt a taste. To say it is lacking something is an understatement, but we proceed. When the first round of cupcakes are done I let them cool and then take them out of the pan. Not only did the batter taste bad and look ingredibly runny, the finished product didn't feel like it had cooked all the way through and was pretty "heavy". At that point I had mentally written off the cupcakes, seriously. I gave them some time to cool then I unwrapped one of the chocolately bundles and to my surprise it didn't stick to the wrapper, as I had imagined it would. This is a good sign, I thought to myself. So I took a bite, with Steeven looking at me the whole time. To my pleasant surprise they were very good! So good that I wished he hadn't have been standing there watching because then I had to share it with him.
So the cupcakes are very good and I have it covered now for both parties this month. On a unecessarily sad note, I will no longer be indulging myself in batter. Tonight I will attempt the frosting!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Really?
Okay, so this is a little glimse into what it is now like to get Steeven to take meds since his surgery.
It started Sunday morning, and has happened multiple times since.
Sunday he wakes up in pain, ugh. As he is sitting on the potty we decide we better give him some pain med because it is overdue. Steeven had other thoughts, as I placed the chewable tablet in his mouth! He is pretty mad at us at this point so he throws his head back, goes limp, eyes roll back and he hits his head on the toilet. Holy cow kid, really! So I jerk him off the toilet and it jolts him enough to get him going again. This is the worst thing ever, even worse than the iv ordeal. Now you may be asking, "Kristi why did you give him a tablet and not liquid?" Good question. He hated the liquid in the hospital so I didn't even want to go there. He takes his allergy tablet great so it was a no brainer to just go with the tablet.
He has had this reaction at different times when we have tried giving him meds since surgery. The most recent was last night, when I was gone at church. Poor Wade. So Steeven is on eye drops for a week after surgery, he took them fine for me yesterday afternoon, but with papa it is a different story. So, what does Wade do to get him to take the drops? Bribe him with candy, oh yes he does. How does Steeven react to this? He sits still and lets Wade put the drops in with no problem! I do not know what this will mean for me today when I try to do it, but you can bet I will not be giving little Steevie candy for freaking out about his eye drops!
Thankfully he does not do this everytime we give him meds. It just seems to depend on his mood, but when he needs meds for pain we can't really wait for him to be in a good mood everytime.
It started Sunday morning, and has happened multiple times since.
Sunday he wakes up in pain, ugh. As he is sitting on the potty we decide we better give him some pain med because it is overdue. Steeven had other thoughts, as I placed the chewable tablet in his mouth! He is pretty mad at us at this point so he throws his head back, goes limp, eyes roll back and he hits his head on the toilet. Holy cow kid, really! So I jerk him off the toilet and it jolts him enough to get him going again. This is the worst thing ever, even worse than the iv ordeal. Now you may be asking, "Kristi why did you give him a tablet and not liquid?" Good question. He hated the liquid in the hospital so I didn't even want to go there. He takes his allergy tablet great so it was a no brainer to just go with the tablet.
He has had this reaction at different times when we have tried giving him meds since surgery. The most recent was last night, when I was gone at church. Poor Wade. So Steeven is on eye drops for a week after surgery, he took them fine for me yesterday afternoon, but with papa it is a different story. So, what does Wade do to get him to take the drops? Bribe him with candy, oh yes he does. How does Steeven react to this? He sits still and lets Wade put the drops in with no problem! I do not know what this will mean for me today when I try to do it, but you can bet I will not be giving little Steevie candy for freaking out about his eye drops!
Thankfully he does not do this everytime we give him meds. It just seems to depend on his mood, but when he needs meds for pain we can't really wait for him to be in a good mood everytime.
Surgery
I thought I better try to get this typed in before my memory bank fills up with new adventures, and not so fun stuff. Steeven had surgery last Tuesday and was supposed to be released from the hospital the next day. They wanted to keep him 23 hours for observation since he is so small and we had no prior family history of surgery.
So Steeven and I leave for the hospital early Tuesday morning at 5:00, it is still dark out folks and that is early! He does great waiting in admissions and then we go up to the pediatric unit on the 3rd floor. The nurse that takes his history and gets him ready is so excited that Steeven is from Haiti. She had just went to a benefit concert for Haiti in Canton, IA on Sunday, which we had planned on going to as well only Steeven woke at at 4:45 that morning and was in no shape to go anywhere that night. So another "it's a small world" example, turns out that her son knows Adam Sieff who is a friend of ours as well and he was one of the performers at the concert :). All the nurses love Steeven because he is being his charming adorable self and all morning I hear, "Weren't you in the newspaper", we get that a lot lately.
The Child Life Specialist, seriously this is a title, comes in and exlpains what I can expect which was very helpful. She also escorts us to the room we were in prior to surgery and basically hangs out with us because when it is time for surgery she walks in with me, which I think is great. The entire time Steeven is being a ham, playing with the oh so flattering hat that both of us have to wear, trying on masks, singing, climbing on things, and on and on. Then it was time for surgery...I hold Steeven's hand as he is rolled back on a bed and of course I am being very positive making a way bigger deal out of this just to make him feel good, that is my job as the mom. It worked because he did great! He wasn't afraid of all the wierd people in gowns and masks that were talking in a strange language, English. He hopped from his bed to the surgery table with no problems, because he is cool like that. They put his maks on so he could breath the sleepy stuff and off he went into la la land. As I turn to leave I see his head go back and they say something about his airway, which I thought was all normal becase nobody was too excited about it.
Then the wait begins. They gave me a pager and when it beeped it would show a number that told where they were at in the process. So, surgery started at 7:17am, yes I am anal so I wrote it all down. At 7:25 his eye doc comes out and is finished with his part of the surgery, probing the tear ducts. He said that the right side was fine, btu the left side was a little blocked. Actually he said, "The tube went right down his right side with no problem, but on the left side there was a little pop and then it went through", and there were hand actions to go along with! At this point my eyes are hurting a little, thanks doc!
Side note: at this point I still ahve nto had any coffee, this is a big deal!
Then at 8:00 surgery was done. Shortly after that the ENT doc comes out and meets with me saying that things went well and telling me about the follow-up appointment and so on. He then says that it will take them about 30-45 minutes to get him to the recovery room.
Wade gets to the hospital, with coffee and muffins around 8:45 to join me in the wait. At 9:00 the pager beeps that Steeven is in the recover room, a little later than he should've been, but what do I know? Then, I'm not sure when because things didn't go as planned so I couldn't type them time in my iPod, a nurse comes out and asks us to come back into the recovery room because Steeven is having a hard time and she thinks we can be of help.
It turns out that Sttven did not repsond well after surgery when they removed his breathing tube and they ahd to put it in 3 different times! This would lead to his oxygen levels being messed up for about 4 days. He finally gets to a point where they let him go up to the pediatric unit where his room was. Shortly after that Wade had to leave to get Carter from school and then they came back up a little while later.
That was how is went for the entire 5 days Steeven was in the hospital, running back and forth trying to make sure the other three had someone to care for them too. We had planned on 2 days but were not prepared for 5!
Steeven was very lathargic the first 2 days so he slept a lot, when he wasn't moaning or throwing up. It took some time to get the pain and nausia meds figured out for him and it didn't help that he wouldn't eat or drink. Pain meds on an empty stomach do not sit well! The rest of the time in the hospital was not plesent either. Steeven did not want to do anything really, but leave! he refused to drink, ate very little, would not play or smile or even laugh. I really believe he was depressed.
Then on the 5th day, Saturday, the sky parted and heaven shown down on our little room....Steeven began to drink! Now, in true Steeven style, he refused all drinks unless they were in a juice box. Really kid! He would walk with us around the ped unit, but still would really not play with anything. The doctor decided that it was improvement enough an let him come home. I think the problems he continued to have with oxygen were caused, mostly, by the swelling in his throat. Even to this day, Tuesday, he is having a hard time sleeping and whne he gets upset, watch out!
Now, looking ahead we have another surgery this summer. I have no idea what that one will bring and really do not want to think about it right now.
So Steeven and I leave for the hospital early Tuesday morning at 5:00, it is still dark out folks and that is early! He does great waiting in admissions and then we go up to the pediatric unit on the 3rd floor. The nurse that takes his history and gets him ready is so excited that Steeven is from Haiti. She had just went to a benefit concert for Haiti in Canton, IA on Sunday, which we had planned on going to as well only Steeven woke at at 4:45 that morning and was in no shape to go anywhere that night. So another "it's a small world" example, turns out that her son knows Adam Sieff who is a friend of ours as well and he was one of the performers at the concert :). All the nurses love Steeven because he is being his charming adorable self and all morning I hear, "Weren't you in the newspaper", we get that a lot lately.
The Child Life Specialist, seriously this is a title, comes in and exlpains what I can expect which was very helpful. She also escorts us to the room we were in prior to surgery and basically hangs out with us because when it is time for surgery she walks in with me, which I think is great. The entire time Steeven is being a ham, playing with the oh so flattering hat that both of us have to wear, trying on masks, singing, climbing on things, and on and on. Then it was time for surgery...I hold Steeven's hand as he is rolled back on a bed and of course I am being very positive making a way bigger deal out of this just to make him feel good, that is my job as the mom. It worked because he did great! He wasn't afraid of all the wierd people in gowns and masks that were talking in a strange language, English. He hopped from his bed to the surgery table with no problems, because he is cool like that. They put his maks on so he could breath the sleepy stuff and off he went into la la land. As I turn to leave I see his head go back and they say something about his airway, which I thought was all normal becase nobody was too excited about it.
Then the wait begins. They gave me a pager and when it beeped it would show a number that told where they were at in the process. So, surgery started at 7:17am, yes I am anal so I wrote it all down. At 7:25 his eye doc comes out and is finished with his part of the surgery, probing the tear ducts. He said that the right side was fine, btu the left side was a little blocked. Actually he said, "The tube went right down his right side with no problem, but on the left side there was a little pop and then it went through", and there were hand actions to go along with! At this point my eyes are hurting a little, thanks doc!
Side note: at this point I still ahve nto had any coffee, this is a big deal!
Then at 8:00 surgery was done. Shortly after that the ENT doc comes out and meets with me saying that things went well and telling me about the follow-up appointment and so on. He then says that it will take them about 30-45 minutes to get him to the recovery room.
Wade gets to the hospital, with coffee and muffins around 8:45 to join me in the wait. At 9:00 the pager beeps that Steeven is in the recover room, a little later than he should've been, but what do I know? Then, I'm not sure when because things didn't go as planned so I couldn't type them time in my iPod, a nurse comes out and asks us to come back into the recovery room because Steeven is having a hard time and she thinks we can be of help.
It turns out that Sttven did not repsond well after surgery when they removed his breathing tube and they ahd to put it in 3 different times! This would lead to his oxygen levels being messed up for about 4 days. He finally gets to a point where they let him go up to the pediatric unit where his room was. Shortly after that Wade had to leave to get Carter from school and then they came back up a little while later.
That was how is went for the entire 5 days Steeven was in the hospital, running back and forth trying to make sure the other three had someone to care for them too. We had planned on 2 days but were not prepared for 5!
Steeven was very lathargic the first 2 days so he slept a lot, when he wasn't moaning or throwing up. It took some time to get the pain and nausia meds figured out for him and it didn't help that he wouldn't eat or drink. Pain meds on an empty stomach do not sit well! The rest of the time in the hospital was not plesent either. Steeven did not want to do anything really, but leave! he refused to drink, ate very little, would not play or smile or even laugh. I really believe he was depressed.
Then on the 5th day, Saturday, the sky parted and heaven shown down on our little room....Steeven began to drink! Now, in true Steeven style, he refused all drinks unless they were in a juice box. Really kid! He would walk with us around the ped unit, but still would really not play with anything. The doctor decided that it was improvement enough an let him come home. I think the problems he continued to have with oxygen were caused, mostly, by the swelling in his throat. Even to this day, Tuesday, he is having a hard time sleeping and whne he gets upset, watch out!
Now, looking ahead we have another surgery this summer. I have no idea what that one will bring and really do not want to think about it right now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)