Recovering

Jake is doing well recovering from his surgery.  He has slept through the night both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  He wakes up with a fever--I'm thinking it's because he goes so long without any pain reliever so we give him his dose as soon as he wakes up.  In the mornings he will tell me he is sick and he needs to go to the doctor, the one with the castle (Dr. Robins has a play castle in his waiting room).

He acts pretty good during the day and will eat pretty much as normal.  We push fluids especially water, but he isn't really interested in the whole popsicle thing.

Jake has some little sores on his tongue.  I'm not sure if they are normal??  I'm thinking/hoping they are just from his tongue touching against his raw throat?

It's so funny how fast kids learn--Jake will ask for a toy or a treat and he'll say, "I need it because it will make my throat feel better," in his very nasally voice.  I love the way he talks, but I'm hoping he gets his normal voice back.

Jake has been such a trooper so far.  He throat is starting to look greenish (gross, I know) so I think the scabs are starting to form.  That is a good sign.

Jake's Surgery Day

Today was the day we had re-scheduled to have Jake's tonsils and adenoids out.  We had to be to Central Utah Surgical Center at 9am, and Jake couldn't have anything to eat or drink after 6am.  Jake isn't usually starving when he wakes up. In fact, I usually have to beg him to eat before we leave for the gym.  SO, I wasn't really worried about the whole no eating thing.

Since we didn't have to leave until 8:20a, we had enough time to get Ryan up and ready for the day before we left.  Guin came up last night so she could stay with Ryan so Jim and I could both be with Jake.  Ryan and Jake are currently obsessed with Scooby Doo and love to rent the animated cartoons from the library.  Ryan immediately wanted to watch one of the movies when he woke up, and without thinking, we turned their current favorite movie on.

When it came time to leave, Jake did not want to!  He was having one of his full on tantrums--kicking, screaming, bawling his eyes out.  When we finally got him strapped in his car seat, he did his famous kicking the dvd player (makes me CA-RAZY).  He cried half way to the our destination; he finally calmed down and decided it as ok to watch Despicable Me.

We made it to the surgical center a few minutes early and got checked in.  The nurse that was checking us in was talking to someone named Betsy.  I couldn't see who she was talking to, but I knew my cousin Betsy worked in the nursing field and thought she even worked at the surgical center.  I stood up and caught a glimpse and it was my cousin Betsy.  I yelled her name and she turned around.  I haven't seen her in years!  We chatted a bit and then she said she'd be in the back and would chat with us later.

A few minutes later, Jake was called back.  We got his tiny gown and he was given a little stuffed lion that he gave a hug right away.  We took Jake in the bathroom and got him changed.  He wasn't opposed to getting in the Looney Tunes gown, thank goodness.  However, he did not want to wear the hat (hair net thing).  Good thing it wasn't necessary until he was out :)

Doesn't he look so darn cute in his little gown and socks :)

He wasn't very fond of his name tag and wanted it off!

The nurse took us to a little room with toys where Jake could play while we waited.  Thank goodness they had toys--we waited a good 45 minutes before Jake was called back.  I felt bad because I was starving so I knew Jake had to be so hungry or at the very least thirsty :(  

Jake playing in the waiting room.

While we waited I got to have a good chat with Betsy though before she had a patient to take care of.  The doctor came and chatted with us before surgery to make sure we didn't have any questions or concerns.  Then the anesthesiologist came and talked to us about how Jake would be put out, etc.  Betsy came back when Jake was ready to go back.  I was getting nervous and thought Jake would freak out--thank goodness Betsy was there; it just made me feel better for some odd reason.

They anesthesiologist got a wagon for Jake to ride in.  They gave him a blanket from the warmer to wrap around him and he was ready to go.  I thought I was going to cry, but I held it together.  Jake was happy as a clam to ride in the wagon with the doctors.  He never even looked back.

Jake getting in the wagon with cousin Betsy.

Happy as a clam.

Going back to have his tonsils out.

Jim and I went and waited in the waiting room.  They told us it would only be about 30 minutes and they were right.  30 short minutes later they called us back to sit with Jake.  I heard him crying but didn't know what to expect.  The nurse explained he was still "out of it" and he would act a little crazy.  She had me sit in the recliner chair so I could hold him.  She told me not to let him down.  Easy enough or so I thought.

Jake was like fighting with a wild animal!!  He had the strength of ten men while coming out of anesthesia.  He was kicking, arching, biting, scratching, pulling my hair, etc.  He ripped out his iv right as the nurse was coming to give him a shot of morphine (the nurse, I swear, took her sweet time getting the morphine though, ugh).  There was fluid from the iv bag squirting everywhere and there was blood, ick.  Jim had to go and find a nurse to help us get everything under control.

The nurse told us his crazy behavior would probably last around 20 minutes.  She went away to do who knows what while we fought with Jake.  In the meantime I had a mini meltdown--I don't know why, I just didn't expect him to act the way he was acting.  One funny thing I remember that Jake said was, I was telling him that he was fine and he said, "I not fine! I need to go home!!"  I got a little laugh out of that one.

Around 25 minutes the wild animal behavior turned off like a light switch and I had my Jakey back.  He cuddled in and I just held him.  We finally got him to take a few drinks of water, and we also got some ibuprofen in him, too.  I guess they do a tylenol drip while they are in surgery.  The nurse explained why they don't give children narcotics, but I was too busy wrestling to really comprehend what she was saying :)

We waited until we got the all clear to head home.  Jake took a little snoozer in the meantime.  Jake came out of surgery at 10:21a and we left the surgical center around 11:45a.  We had to stop at Costco on our way home to get some ibuprofen.  I think they should tell you to get both ibuprofen and acetemetophin before surgery cause I had no clue.  I just wasn't thinking so we had to get some since he would be alternating the two pain relievers every 2 hours.

My little turkey in his car seat for the ride home.  He loves his new lion.

On the way home, we stopped at Sonic and got Jake a slush to drink.  He sucked it right down.  We also stopped and got lunch.  As we were heading up the road to our house, I looked back at Jake and he had found a crusty piece of bread from Zupas in his car seat and was trying to eat it.  The poor thing was starving!  We took him in the house as soon as we got him and fed him his cheese quesadilla from Cafe Rio. He scarfed it down!  I didn't think he'd be up to eating solid food either.  He did great with it.

Now we're on the road to recovery.  The doctor told us days 3-7 would be the worst when the scabs start to form and the healing takes place.  I guess that can be really painful.  All I know is his throat looks so sore.  Jake will open his mouth and show me his throat--YOWZA!!

Here's to hoping Jake has a speedy recovery!

Flower Pots

My sister Amy always has the most beautiful flower pots--her yard, in general, is pretty amazing.  I feel like I have NO clue when it comes to flowers, yards, how to arrange things, ugh.  Amy told me about potting classes at Cook's Greenhouse in Lindon where you take your pots (or they have some for purchase at the store) and the workers help you pick plants specifically for your pots that will work where you will have your pots (in sun or shade).

Jim and I didn't think we'd be able to go to one of the classes at Cook's.  The classes are on Thursday's from 4-7:30p and we had something everything Thursday night until after Memorial Day.  Since Jake's surgery got pushed back a week, we decided to go the class tonight.

Ryan fell asleep on the way up to Lindon so Jim sat in the car with him while Jake and I went into Cook's to get started on our pots.  

Cook's has tables set up in the back where people can come and go between 4-7:30p. One of the workers goes through the green house with you and helps you picks plants that will work well together and will grow where you will have your pots.

Jake and I went through and picked our plants and then got to planting.  We were done planting one pot and were half way done with the second when Jim and Ryan came in.  Ryan was a bit ornery, so I hurried and finished the remaining pots so we could head for home.

Just so I can remember, here are the flowers that we planted:
Bidy - the yellow flowers that are trailing
Bacopa - the white trailing flower
Orange Symphony - the orange flower in the middle area
Geranium - red flower
Lantana - the cute little flowers in orange and red
Sweet Potato Vine - the green trailing, also in purple in the smaller pot
Coleus - the bright green plant in the smaller pot and the reddish plant in the other pots

While we were checking out, Jake and Ryan saw these watering wands that they threw a hissy fit over.  To stop the whining, I told Ryan we could buy one wand and they could share it.  I figured we could use it--they are pretty cool.  But, when Jake saw that Ryan got the green wand and wouldn't let him hold it, Jake started to throw one of his awesome fits.  Because I'm a push over (or I just don't want to hear the bawling), we are now the proud owners of a blue watering wand along with the green.

We stopped and got a pizza at Two Jacks on the way home.  After eating our dinner, we watered our plants with our fancy new watering wands.

Ryan rode his bike while Jake was taking his turn watering.  He thought he was pretty cool that he could stand up and peddle his bike.  He has been telling Jim that his bike is broken.  Jim filled up his tires with a little more air so his training wheels kind of teeter and this made Ryan think his bike was broken.  We finally convinced him that it is fine to ride.  He's just learning that if he pushes the peddles backwards it will stop his bike, lol. 

Ry thinks he is too big and can stand up and peddle.  It kind of cracked me up :)

He must really be concentrating since he's got the tongue sticking out going on :)

I'm really happy with how my pots turned out.  The classes were a great idea and by going to the class (that is free, mind you) you get a 25% discount on all of the flowers that you purchase that day.  Not too shabby :)

My finished pots and a couple of roses that are blooming in our front yard.

Sick, ugh.

We got home from Hayden's birthday party last night around 8p.  The boys wanted to ride bikes so we decided to let them play for a few minutes before taking them inside to get ready for bed.  I started to feel a little ick but nothing I couldn't handle.  It got worse as the night went on.  By 10 p, I told Jim to put the garbage by the bed in case I didn't make it to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

I was able to go to sleep but woke up around 11:30p and made a mad dash for the bathroom. I threw up 2 more times in the night, didn't get much sleep, and still felt awful this morning.

Jake came in our room twice in the night (I was only coherent, but deathly ill, for one of the visits) but Jim didn't notice anything when he took him back to his bed.  Jake came in this morning and was laying in bed with me.  He started gagging and then threw up in our bed.  I yelled for Jim to bring the garbage out so he could throw up in it but we were too late.  Jim went into the boys' room and discovered Jake had thrown up in his bed in the night.

Luckily Jim was able to stay home and help me today.  He got all of the sheets washed and back on the beds, got the boys dressed and fed, and took care of the boys.  I couldn't have done it without him.  

I was starting to feel a little better around 12p so I went downstairs and had a bowl of cereal.  30 minutes later I was regretting that decision.  I never threw up again, but my stomach started to hurt.  As I was sitting in bed, Jake came back in and puked all over my floor.  Jim to Ryan to Carl's Jr. for lunch while Jake and I stayed home and rested (this was Jake's 2nd nap for the day).  Jake slept from 1p-4p and I didn't get up until about 5p.

It's funny how kids can be sick but still be so active--Jake was just as sick as me throwing up, but he still played, acted fine for the most part (besides throwing up and several naps.  He did chill with me in bed for most of the morning, too).  I'm not sure why we got sick--I'm thinking it was something we ate??  Jim and Ryan seem to act fine.

Since Jake was sick today we had to reschedule his tonsillectomy surgery for next Tuesday.  I was so bummed we had to push it back, but I know it is for the best.  It's just that we'd made all of the arrangements for the surgery to take place tomorrow--Guin was coming up to stay with Ryan, I had cancelled our day care appointments for the week at the gym and we were planning on staying home, we had smoothie ingredients to make smoothies for Jake, etc.  But, everything gets put on hold when you're sick.  That's life.  I'm just glad we're both on the mend--you appreciate being well a lot more after you've been sick.

50 & 34 months

Ryan at 50 months (ok, I know I really need to stop the updates on Ryan, but I have minor, or major,  OCD and just can't seem to stop, ugh.  Help me!):

• has a new found love for Scooby Doo.  He loves renting the dvd's from the library.
• has starting saying "you".  For example, he will say, "Get me a drink you!"  I have no clue where he picked that up from.
• has started asking us to speak up when he can't hear us.  He'll say, "Talk louder.  I can't hear you."  It doesn't sound funny, but it cracks me up when he says it.

Jake at 34 months:

• says some of the funniest things.  The other day I told him to go bug dad.  So he went over to Jim, poked him in the side, and said, "bug."  It was SO funny.  Or, the other morning I was washing his sticky hands after he had eaten toast and jam.  He said, "Don't forget my mug, mom!"