Life in the Fast Lane with Four Children: 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Christmas Break in Review

With this December being so crazy, I have gotten behind in posting, so I am going to catch up today!!

To kick off Christmas Break, Clarksville Academy had their Christmas Program. Campbell (in the rainbow hat and scarf) played her recorder......

and sang the song: " Winter Walk" with her grade.

After the performance was over, Christmas Break started.

Buddy, the Elf has been with us since Thanksgiving weekend! He has found some pretty crazy places to hang out!! This would be one of them!

December 19th, Monday was my birthday. Since I was really hoping for a relaxing day, but the kids were so funny. They were so excited it was my birthday, you would have thought it was their brithday's. Lil Ben woke me up in the morning with kisses and saying "Happy Birthday, mommy...mommy, wake up, mommy, Happy Birthday!" I couldn't help but laugh!! He was the first one in the house to wish me Happy Birthday- and he did it all on his own!! So much for sleeping in!

Since Lil Ben still couldn't leave the house, Ben came home and made a Hananoki style meal of steak, lobster and fried rice. It was pretty awesome!! Here the kids are watching me open my gifts.

I felt so bad for Lil Ben. He had begged and begged for me to open my presents all day, but me being traditional, I wanted to wait until after dinner and cake- but he wouldn't take a nap and so he fell asleep. We tried to wake him (as you can see) but he was so grumpy we put him back in the bed. He didn't even get to sing Happy Birthday or eat any cheesecake! Luckily he never said anything the next morning- which I was glad he didn't remember!!

This was the picture that Campbell drew and colored for me! I was very surprised! As you can see, I am not dressed for public viewing, still in pj's! But this was a nice memory so I had to include it!

December 24th: Christmas Eve (Saturday)

We backed cookies during the day on Christmas Eve. Here Campbell and Lil Ben are helping me out!!

As Christmas Eve came to a close, Big Ben read "THe NIght Before Christmas" to the kids! An Annual tradition! Although I took numerous pictures, the older kids looked bored in all of them- except for this one! Lil Ben must have said something funny.

Since we ended up shopping at the last minute this year, we had to move the Family Christmas celebration from its normal Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. So we let each kid open a gift before they went to bed. AnnaMichelle told me that I was not to put this on facebook.....this doesn't count, right?

Campbell, got the art set she wanted!

Shelby, loved the CA colored Abercrombie shirt!

Lil Ben loved his "Cars" Themed art supplies (to keep him out of Campbell's art supplies)

They put cookies and milk out for Santa. Campbell even put carrots outside for the reindeer!

Then, right before they went to bed, we took one last picture with Buddy, the elf! I will have to say that I was sad to see him go!! I will miss!! Waiting for next Thanksgiving! (You can see Buddy sitting on the step above Campbell's stocking)

December 25th: Christmas (Sunday)

Upon waking up, Campbell took on the job of reading the note that Santa left for the kids. He told them what he was proud of from the last year and what they needed to work on.

Lil Ben was so excited about the BatCave that Santa brought. As you can see in the picture, he is already eyeing the rest of the presents! (AnnaMichelle and Shelby each got Ipod docks and Campbell got a sleeping back from Santa)

We invested in MarioKart this year. So each kid opened a piece of it. They usually end up with one gift that is for all of them to share.

Campbell always has the best look on her face when she opens gitfs. So she has two pictures posted below. Here, she is opening her Sperrys.

And here, she is opening her Northface jacket. She was so proud of this gift, we found it a couple of hours later, with her name already on the tag!!

Later in the day, Gramma and Poppy came over to eat with us. The kids (and Big Ben) wanted to show them MarioKart! It was an awesome source of entertainment!

Once Brandi and the boys got to our house, the gift opening began! Here, AnnaMichelle is studying the "Quarter Book" that Gramma slaved over (for months)! She made one for each of the 6 kids!!

Bryson opening a gift.

Lil Ben showing off his new gun. Look at that smile!

Brandi, with her awesome laugh! Opening a gift. I love you, sis! Thanks again for being flexible and coming over on Christmas Day instead of Christmas Eve!

My handsome husband. 18 years together on December 29th and I love him more now than ever.

Shelby being goofy.

Braydon and Poppy trying out Braydon's new gift!

Lil Ben and Poppy, trying out Lil Ben's new gift!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Recovery

Tuesday, December 20

Poor Lil B is so incredibly frustrated with his physical limitations. He feels good, so he doesn't understand that he can't do whatever he wants. Yesterday afternoon he ask if he could get on this tractor outside. After I told him no a couple of times, he turned into a broken record....asking over and over again, each time with a louder and faster request. He did this until he was finally crying and screaming at me. A full fledged temper tantrum. Campbell was trying to (at first) be firm and tell him to stop and (then, second) reason with him. I told her he was frustrated and just let him get it out. After about 15 minutes, he finally calmed down and we were able to distract him with some 'arts n crafts' activities. I figured the tantrum wasn't too bad and to be honest I probably would have done the same. The crazy thing is about 2 hours later I was laying down with him watching TV and during a commercial, he quietly said "Mommy, I'm sorry for throwing a temper tantrum." I felt so bad. He knows he shouldn't have thrown one and feels bad for it, but I feel like if there was ever one that was justified, that was the one!!!

Monday, December 12, 2011

December 2011: 3rd Surgery -Picture Story

Wednesday: Lil Ben, modeling his superhero cape given to him by his classmates to help him through his surgery! This was the night before. December 7th- also, his sisters birthday!

Picture of all the kids from the birthday dinner:

Thursday: Pre-Op. This is the nurse anesthetist is pushing him to surgery in a cozy coupe!

Post Op Recovery Room. This was so much better than in the past. There was no screaming and thrashing about. As we walked around the corner of the recovery room, he was laying on his side with his eyes open. When he saw me he tried to sit up and he started to cry a little....a think more from relief from seeing us, that anything else. He soon fell back to sleep.

In the PICU at Vandy. I was worried he would pull his IV or catheter out, so I put a sock I had in my suitcase over his hand. But then he fell back to sleep.

When he woke up for a couple of minutes, I was able to convince him to smile for a picture.

Eating a purple popsicle later that evening. He was so funny- he got really mad at the nurse, because he wanted an Icee and she kept telling him they didn't have any. He said, in real hateful voice; "I SAW IT on the MENU!!" I couldn't help but laugh. I had to explain to her that in post op recovery, they had shown him a picture of 4 items: juice, popsicle, coke, and Icee and asked him what he wanted. He was so out of it, that I chose a popsicle for him, but he really never ate it. I felt bad when I realized his missed his opportunity for that Icee!! and apparently he wasn't that out of it,because he remembered the "menu"!

I got a real good nights sleep after I showed Lil B how to use the nurse call button. The night before I had gotten up every 15 minutes from 9pm til midnight. I was so exhausted after having been up since 4:30am, that I finally slid into the bed next to him, figuring I could help with most of his issues easily if I were right there. Well, as soon as my butt hit the mattress, the nurse came in to inform me of the "rules." I told her I was well aware of the rules from 4 years ago. I then handed lil Ben the nurse call remote. I explained to him that if he needed to use the restroom, had a sick tummy, his head hurt, he wanted his movie swapped out or restarted- to hit the nurse call button. He did so good! He didn't call my name until 7:30 the next morning. The poor nurse probably spent 90% of her time in his room during the night. I really didn't feel TOO bad about this because I know that Dr. Fearon's hospital in Texas allows the parents to climb in the bed with the kids. That their rules are: whatever is best for that child. Vandy, unfortunately, has the same rules for everyone....and since all kids in the ICU are not medically stable enough for parents to lay with them, then no parents can lay with their children. Oh, well. I got a good nights sleep and was so much better able to take care of him in the morning.

Friday: The first morning after surgery! I was shocked to see that his eyes never swelled shut during the night!

He is playing spongebob games on the nickelodeon website.

Daddy finally arrived Friday late in the morning. He brought a gift that Poppy had bought for Lil Ben. It was kind of a big toy, but he had begged for it non-stop since he woke up from surgery. So daddy brought it and they spent about an hour assembling it in it the ICU. Lil Ben was so bossy- telling us where all the pieces and stickers went.

About lunch time, the day after surgery, I requested to move to a regular room. Lil Ben had never needed any additional blood after the actual surgery, his eyes never swelled shut and he never ran a temperature. He was so bored sitting in the ICU bed. I knew that if we moved to a regular room, he would be able to go to the playroom. So later that afternoon they moved us. The next day we were finally able to get to the playroom.

Saturday: In the playroom checking out all the cool toys.......

Until he discovered the foosball table! He was so happy to make up his own rules and beat me numerous times using those rules!

Then he discovered MarioKart......getting some ideas for Christmas gifts!

Sunday: Discharge Day!
When the doctor came to see us Sunday morning, I asked if we could be discharged! I presented my case- Lil Ben was NOT vomiting, drinking and eating fine, off IV fluids since the day before, was taking very little pain medication, and was so extremely active that I was afraid that he would get hurt trying to get in and out of the high hospital bed. Not to mention I was worried that I would slip into a coma, if I had to watch one more repeat episode of scooby doo!! Despite a slight fever that morning, the doc agreed with me and decided to discharge us!!

This was our final trip to the playroom about an hour before we left to go home. From this angle you can't even tell he had surgery. His surgical incision and tape are not showing.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Anticipation is Finally Over!!

I am sitting in my son's ICU room as he peacefully sleeps. Today has felt like it lasted forever! We woke up around 4:30 this morning in order to be at the hospital by 6am. Well, in typical Moore fashion, we were of course, late. We got here at 6:30, but no one seemed to care and we still sat around and waited quite a bit, so I guess the arrival time was more of a guideline.......

Anyway, we eventually ended up in the pre-op area where things finally got going. We spent a ton of time talking to anesthesiology in an attempt to prevent "emergence delirium" which has occurred both the last two times. The doctors always try to make me feel better by telling me he doesn't remember it and is not aware of what is going on, but unless the doctors can give me medication so that I don't remember it either, they need to fix it.....and I have been very proactive in communicating with anesthesiology, repeatedly. Well, he finally left for surgery and I when I say left, I mean he left us....the doctors did not have to take him away. He went racing down the hallways of pre-op in a little cozy coupe car. The last things Ben and I heard Lil Ben say as we walked out was, I want to go faster!!

We recieved two updates during surgery, all very positve. Then the doctor came out and talked to us, again very positive and then around 1:00 we were finally able to see him. As we walked through the recovery room I kept listening for a screaming kid- because that is how I found him the last two times. Nothing, peace and quiet. As I rounded the final corner he was laying there with his eyes open looking right at me. He started to cry a little, but he was very reasonable and I could communicate with him.....nothing like that the last times. I was so happy that he was not scared and not screaming and thrashing about. He just looked so pitiful. We spent about an hour waiting on an ICU bed to come open and then we moved from the 3rd floor surgical wind to the 5th floor, PICU.

After we arrived on the 5th floor, we spent some time getting settled. He has moments of clarity where he wants to talk non-stop....but it is hard because he is hoarse from the surgery and he is hard to understand. I swear I think he rolled his eyes at me when I didn't understand him at one point!

Then, the highlight of the day....Santa came by to visit!! How awesome is that??!! We were told he was coming before he showed up, so we practiced what he was going to ask for! (We saw Santa at Brunch this past weekend and when LB saw him, he forgot what he wanted and asked for his default request: a train set!) We had to seize this opportunity to correct that mistake. Santa came in, and little Ben gave his request without a single error and even though he is really hoarse Santa understood exactly what LB wanted!!

After an upset stomach and some zofran, he now sleeping peacefully again. Every so often he pops up so that he is sitting straight and up wants to know where something or someone is....it is often a different request! He must be dreaming and waking up still thinking about whatever was in the dream. He is such a little trooper and I am in such awe of his bravery! I don't know that I would be laying in a bed calmly with bandages all over my head and tubes coming out of everywhere!

My little man amazes. Here is to praying that his eyes don't swell shut this time!! The less swelling the sooner we get to go home!!