Monday, September 29, 2008

14 and counting...

So about an hour and a half after I posted the pictures post, I changed Jack's diaper, and used the last wipe. So off to the store I went, knowing full well I was breaking the sabbath, and that Jack was PROB going to poop again , before it was NOT the sabbath.

Just as I'm checking out, Steve called. "Hello?", and I hear the sound I always expect to hear, when Steve calls me and is home with the kids-Jack is screaming in the background. "Jack got poked in the eye by the rose bush, you need to come home NOW!"

When I got home, he had calmed down...both of them, but it was still hard to access. The outer corner of his eye was cut, and bleeding, but I couldn't tell if it was actually cut, or just a scratch. And it was so swollen on the bottom, we thought for sure, something was in it!

It was only about 8 ish, and I knew this was a job for pediatrics specialists, so we went to PCMC. Luckily, we never even sat in the waiting room. I had called my mom to meet us, because, well, my two yr old had an eye trauma, and I figured it would be very traumatic. No pun intended.
He was fine, slept all the way up there, and wasn't a bit fussy there. So resident came in, and looked real good, and decided to put dye in his eye, to see if it was scratched. But since Jack was fine, we all figured there was no scratch at all. I mean really, you get a scratch on your eye, and it KILLS... you have to keep rubbing it, it feels like something is in it, your eyes water. None of that with Jack.

He put the dye in his eye, and held up a black light to it. There it was, a floresent yellow line all the way across his eye. And I had no camera. grrr It was seriously the coolest thing ever. But now we have to wait for the opthomolgist to come in- from home. ugh...

I think we finally saw the optho, around 11:00. His scratch was so big, and he had a really good, subjunctal hemorrhage in leimans term, a bruise- they wanted to do a full exam. Why I ask you can they not LEAD with..he has a bruise, or in medical terms-subjunctal hemorrhage. How hard is that? He guy told me, my two yr old has a "big word" hemorrhage, does that sound mild to YOU???I need to put in his chart, MOTHER FREAKS OUT AT BIG WORDS...USE SMALL ONES! Do you think that would work?
Anyway...They brought in those eye exam things you put your chin in, but a little one. Jack was SO good, sat right up with his chin in it, holding the sides! again...no camera. *sigh*

His scratch is 10 mm. From the corner of his eye, all the way across the colored part(cornea), and a little beyond. And the kids isn't complaining a bit. wow...

So he's wearing a patch , and I'm supposed to put ointment in his eye, every 4 hours. Seriously... The patch they sent us home was just gauze and tape. Ya, he took that off, an hour after I put it on.

He's doing well, he was really fussy yesterday, rightfully so. He'd been up till almost 3 am. And he has a 10 mm scratch on his eye. Today he seems better. We have a follow up tomorrow, hopefully...for pictures sake, his scratch will still be there! heehee... I'm such a good mom.
My phone died, just after we got there, so I got one picture, before it died. The rest are once we got home.
You can see how it's swollen on the bottom. And the bruise.
This is the next morning, before before he took it off.

After he took it off.

See, generally happy...
Here's the bruise. It got MUCH worse, which they said it would. Of course, my mind goes straight to brain exploding from the build up of blood in his eye. I need meds...

Here's the NEW patches...SO much bettter! He thinks he's a pirate. Keeps going up to everyone and giving them a thumbs up(instead of the finger hook), and saying...ARGH... so freakin cute.

This was him playing with Emma, he was so happy last night. We were keeping a close EYE...on him- pun intended, since his depth perception was off, but he was fine, running around as usual.

He is such a trooper. Oh, and 14...is the number of ER visits, since he was born. I asked registration if he was listed as a frequent flyer. She said, yes, he'd been there 10 times since he was born. The other 3 were at the "big hospital". You'd never now it looking at him.

I've said it before, but this kid is amazing.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Catch up...with pictures

I know, I know, I've been a slacker blogger. Just been a busy bee. I got a promotion at work, and the past two weeks, worked alot to train for that. So during the day, I've just been tired!

Anyway, soccer is finally over. YAY! Two was killer. A couple times their games overlapped, and a couple I had to miss cuz of work. But all in all, it was a good season.

Kids are settling into school. Emma still asks everyday, "Do I go to school today?" Yes Emma, everyday...is the standard answer. :) Nick's doing well. Parker is too!

So I thought I'd share a few recent pictures.
I got Jack ready for school, and Emma saw him and said, "Jack, you look like a dork." So she rolled his socks down. Ya, that's better... :)

Just random cuteness... note the words abouve their head.

Seriously...

So freakin cute...
So sweet...


K, gotta run, but enjoy the pictures!

Nick had surgery!

So Nick has been battling ingrown toenails for years now. He's had to take antibiotics twice, cuz his toe was infected. At his annual chech up, it was all inflamed, so my peds suggested getting it taken care of. So we went to a podiatrist. But it was exciting... to have a procedure done on someone besides Jack!! And of course I brought my camera! haha Oh, this may not be for the faint of heart.

Here goes:

Getting all numbed up. Close up of numbed toe (on the right)

The "set up". The Dr even drew us a diagram.

He cut the whole side of his toenail off, then put this qtip that had a chemical on it, to "kill" the remaing toenail. The blue ring is to decrease blood flow.

Hobbling home... :)
It was pretty cool, and they say, it's almost a 100% fix. He thought he was cool, for sure...

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Looking back, but not too far...

I was telling someone about the program I use for making video, and decided to share with her, a couple that I had made, so she could see what it can do.

Well, I watched this one, and I am just shocked. I posted it almost exactly a year ago. And while the pictures at the time, were from his first year, I am still shocked at how different they all are now. And while I was watching it, I realized I have lots of new friends who may not have seen it.

So here you go... It's really amazing to look back, and realizes it wasn't that long ago.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Is Jack a cat??

So this was on my friend's blog...she loves cats. But it reminded me SO much of Jack. Insert "Mom", instead of "Meow", and you have a typical moment with Jack...

So funny!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Chain reactions

I've been so excited to tell you about an assembly Nick and I went to last week, but life has been getting in my way! So here goes... It's called Rachel's Challenge. It was so powerful, and I hope I can do it justice!

Rachel, was the first student killed at Columbine. She and a friend had gone out to the courtyard, to eat lunch, when the boys came out of the school shooting. She was shot 4 times while wearing her backpack. The period before the shootings happened, her teacher saw her drawing a picture in her journal. Her family has labeled it as "Rachel's Tears" If you notice, the tears seem to be watering the rose, but when the tears get the flower, they turn to blood. There are thirteen blood tears, the same number of people killed only a few hours later.
She was a vibrant girl who just a few weeks before wrote this essay for school, that her parents found, a few weeks after she was killed. She had so many goals for herself, and others. Her family wanted to share Rachel with the world. Rachel left her family six journals. In turn, they have started Rachel's Challenge, challanging kids, and adults, to be better people. Here are they 5 main points, as well as my perspecitve on them.

1) Eliminate Prejudice by looking for the best in others. Columbine was a result of bullies, and prejudice. I have always thought of myself as an openminded, non -prejudice person. I had many african american friends growing up. I saw nothing different about them. I've always tried to accept people with obvious disabilties. But I am prejudice. I judge people by an ugly shirt they are wearing, and because their hair is unkept. How am I any better than the bigots, who judge people because of the color of their skin. So I accept this challenge. I will work on judging people just because their style is different than mine.

2)Dare to Dream. Write down goals- Keep a journal. Well I'm a dreamer that's for sure, and this blog, I'd consider this a journal, but I need to write down my goals. I know I'll accomplish more, if it's written down. And I heard long time ago on Oprah, to set goals for your life. And then when you are making your to do lists for the day, only do the things that will help you reach those goals. I did it a long time ago, and try to stick to it, but I need to write them down, and make SURE I'm doing it.

3) Choose Positive Influences. Input determines output. I think I've done pretty well at this thoughout my life. It sure is easier as an adult though. But I have to say, I try to be friends with lots of different people. A really cool quote I heard at the assembly was, "Don't let your character change color with the environment. Find who you are and let it stay in it's true colors" I LOVE THIS!! I may "hang out" with different kinds of people, but I try to stay true to myself. For instance, people at work, are David Cook fans... but I am definitely not switching sides!! ;) Oh I'm kidding, but really, I know people who have a different "voice" when they talk to different people. Maybe that's different, I don't know. But I do believe, and try to live, that we need to be who we are, in all facets of our life, and not change colors, when it's convenient. We need to stand up for what we believe in.

4) Kind Words. Small Acts of Kindness = Huge Impact. I have been a fan of this for years! But it's good to be reminded over and over. I remember O, was on a random acts of kindness kick years ago. She went to the toll booths, and paid everyones toll for the day. It was fun to watch, but really, one small thing, impacted a LOT of people. Whether it's meeting someones gaze, and smiling, wandering around the mall, or saying GOOD MORNING! to folks you encounter when you're on a walk , or offering someone going into the grocery store, your cart you are finished with, all of these things make an impact. At work, I try to finish a call, calling them by name. Small thing-Huge Impact. When someone does something nice for me... it makes my whole day better!

5) Start a Chain Reaction. The moto for Rachel's Challenge is, "You just might start a chain reaction!" There's not much I can add to that.

This beautiful girl lived her short life by these rules. She told her family and friends many times, she wanted to change the world. I told you she kept a journal, but she was also very artistic. About 6 weeks after she was killed, the police realsed her backpack to her family. In it, they found her last journal. On the back cover she had written, "I won't be labeled as average." Check out the picture. The hole by the binder is from one of the bullets, and now acts as an exclamation point!

About three years after her death, the family was moving some furniture in her room and found this behind her dresser. If you can't read it, it says, "These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will some day touch millions of people's hearts." When they found it, their assemblies HAD reach millions.
One last thing, after her death, people kept telling her family how much she meant to them. They heard all kinds of stories, but one that touched our hearts was about a boy who had been teased a lot, and Rachel always made a point to talk to him in the halls, and he felt like she was his only friend. When the presenter first told us about this boy, he said, " He was born with some birth defects that made him look a little different, and he had a few learning disabilites." I started to BALL. The tears just streamed down my face. We all know how I hate glimpses into the future. Well, at one point, Nick looked up at me, and had tears in his eyes too. Of course this set me off even worse!
But see, all Rachel did, was give him the time of day, and made him feel like someone thought he was important. He told her family, the first time she talked to him, he had been plnanning that weekend, to taking his own life, but changed his mind, when she stuck up for him, and became his friend. Not only do I want to be like this, but I want Jack to encounter people like this everyday of his life!
So I challenge YOU to take the challenge! Go the website, find out about having an assembly at YOUR school! I only hope you will be half as inspired as we have been!!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

The "R" word hits home.

So we're coming home from school today, with one of Parker's friends. They were all talking, and laughing up a storm, and the friend called Parker, "Retarded." I said, without skipping a beat- very nicely, "We don't use that word at our house." It kind of threw him for a minute, and then he said, "Well, EVERYBODY at school says it, so ya better get used to it", or something to that affect. I rebutted with, "Well, I know sometimes people say it to be funny, but people really ARE retarded, and when you make fun of someone by saying that, it hurts the people who really are. Ya know, our Jack could be considered retarded."

Parker then piped up and said, "Ya a 6th grader said it the other day, and I told him, 'HEY, my little brother is retarded!! Don't say that!'" His friend said, "Oh sorry Jack!"

My heart was so full of pride for Parker and his friend.

Then Emma said, "I think he was talking about Nick!!!" We laughed all the way home.

Oh my... she makes us giggle.

Knock on wood...ya right

The more I say it, the more chance of higher the chance of something bad happening. It seems like lately, I've been telling LOTS of people, "He's GREAT!!!" "No surgery for a year!" "Haven't been to an ER in ages." The increase is probably due to back to school and catching up with people from the summer. But I really need to say, "He's fine." And leave it at that.

Last week, I had a cold, and this week, Parker and Jack, and now Emma came down with it. Jack, well, he gets bad...fast. Last year, he ended up in the hospital for 3 days, from a cold. So I've been watching him close, waiting for the fever spike, which he is so good at. And we all know, I'm always on shunt alert.

He took a LONG nap yesterday, over 3 hours, but he's sick. No big deal. Then last night around 9:00, he started getting fussy. Now sure all two yr olds are fussy. Not him. The fussiness turned into whimpering, and grabbing his head, rubbing his forehead, and cold sweats. I'd say, "Does your tummy hurt? Does you head hurt? Do your ears hurt?" A whimpered "YA", to all but ears, that one got a no. He went on for about an hour, crying, and whimpering, squinting his eyes, like it hurt to open them.

So I had Daddy ask him what was wrong. Maybe he could get more information. Now he's telling us, his elbow and knees hurt. Um...maybe it's time to stop asking. So after about an hour an a half of this, I decided to take him in. So now is the dilemma, drive across the street, or 20 min to the hospital that takes care of children. *sigh*

I headed to PCMC, but had the most sickening feeling, I should stay close to home. I didn't WANT to go to the "BIG hospital". I wanted a CT scan-they don't have one for kids, with the little papoose board, to snuggle them in. They don't know I'm not a hysterical mother, and I actually know what I'm talking about. They won't have "KID STUFF" readily available. These are the things that have been going through my mind for the last hour. But it was 11:00 at night. PCMC is FAR away at 11:00 at night, even further in the middle of the night, when we are done. And the BIG hospital, I can see from my driveway. I can read the sign on top of it. So I followed my gut, turned around, and drove 3 minutes to the BIG hospital.

He's still a little whimpery, but better. They ask me what's going on, and I say, "It's either a sinus infection, or his shunt is failing." *rolling eyes* They got us right back, we never even sat in the waiting room. Luckily, there was noone there. Of course he charmed the pants off everyone in triage. :) He was told at least 3 times last night, you are the BEST patient I've had ALL DAY!! heehee

Fortunatly, they realized RIGHT away, ;) I knew what I was talking about, and did everything I asked them to do. The Dr even said, "What do you want us to do?" YIPPEE!!!! The imaging guy, was BLOWN away at how good Jack was. Duh...They all were really. Oh how I love those moments. What I really love is the way people melt when Jack tells them "thank you" in sign. Seriously, the cutest thing you ever saw.

The Ct scan was of course in a HUGE machine! Nothing to snuggle my little bug, but he did GREAT! Such a trooper! Just laid there and smiled. The tech was running around trying to figure out how to get the best pictures. Cuz ya know, it was an adult machine. But we got it all figured out.

So...shunt it fine, YA! But, as the radiologist, and Dr said, "He has an impressive Sinus infection." Now I'm not sure, if they don't see many kids with clefts, or kids at all for that matter, but in any case, every sinus passage he has, is filled with crap.

One other cool thing, the guy who checked us in, came back, and said, "So now I know what a VP shunt is." Apparently he didn't know, and had googled it. Then we let him feel is on his head, and since he got his hair cut, you can see the tubing. This guy thought it was the coolest thing. The guy works in the ER of the largest hospital in Utah. Crazy.

So I'm REALLY glad we went across the street for a sinus infection. Besides, I figured, if it WAS his shunt, maybe we could have gotten a ride, to PCMC. Ambulance rides are cheaper then gas right???

Monday, September 8, 2008

Contest

Can you guess where Jack is??

Sorry, no prizes...just the knowledge you are the most observent!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Em's first day!!

Emma has been SO excited, and today, the first day of kindergarten FINALLY arrived!! We got up leisurely, and took a shower, had breakfast, AND lunch, and then realized, it was still an hour before we needed to leave. Jack was FREAKING out, cuz we were all ready, and he just wanted to leave. So we got there a bit early, I did fake them out long enough to hold them off for about a half hour or so... but...there are a few more pictures, cuz we were just hanging out for so long!

The Backpack!!
Picking her teacher a flower!
Peeking in someone elses window!
Following the panther paws to the kindergarten doors!



Isn't she beautiful?

Open, open, open...

How cute it that!??!
Getting ready to go in!!
After they went in, we all-the moms-just stood there not nowing what to do! It was kind of funny. When I went to pick her up, she was in line with her class, and her teacher said, "There's your Mom Emma!" I threw my arms out to catch her as she ran over to me. She started to run and then stopped. "I have to stay with my class!" So cute! I did tear her away finally!! :)


And Jack's class had friends today!! YAY!! He did GREAT! When we first got there, he was holding on to me pretty tight, but then decided, he was gonna have fun! He kept giving me kisses...SO cute!!
And no, I did not leave. Sat there, and waited for him to come out. :) Ok, I DID run across the street, and get some fries, but came RIGHT back!

Jack likes Bee's?

Jack handed me a book today, all excited! He kept doing the sign for "bee". I said, "Is there a bee in this book?" He said, "Ya!", while making his little bee, fly around, and around! I looked at the book and saw who was on the cover...




Emma taught him that. How cute are they!?!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Random questions in my head.

Warning...RANDOM...

1) When is someone going to clean my house?
2) Is Jack going to let Emma go to school alone tomorrow?
3) Why do we lose touch with good friends?
4) Will I will feel better in time for work?
5) Will I remember the songs for the next concert?
6) What is that smell?
7) Why does every electronic devise I own break?
8) Why do people lie?
9) Why do babies die?
10) Why are the Zooperstars still on A merica's Got Talent?
11) Why is Stella still on Project Run way? seriously...
12) Why can I not find clothes that fit?
13) Why is it taking so long for American Idol to come back?
14) Why does EVERYTHING cost SO MUCH freakin money?
15) What is with all the hurricanes???
16) What will they do when they run out of names for them?
17) Why do my kids eat so much food?
18) Why can I not find a phone that works?
19) Why do people think mullets are cool?
20) Where are all my silverwear and cups?
21) Why can't people do what I tell them to do?
22) Who the hell invented World of Warcraft, and was is he not dead yet?
23) Why can't I just do EVERYTHING I want to do?
24) Why did people not like "Beaches" the movie?
25) Why is politics so maddening?
26) Why is carmex addictive, yet the FDA says it's fine?
27) Why will Jack not say words?
28) Why can I not find a single pair of clean socks?
29) Why do I have to pay someone to drive my car?
30) How am I going to get Wicked tickets?
31) Why does orange juice taste so weird in a small bottle?
32) Why does a trumpet cost over $1000...ONE trumpet???
33) Why do school pictures cost so much?!?
34) Why does sneezing take so much effort, and comes in multiples?

I'm getting annoyed now, can you tell by the multiple punctuation? I'll stop for now. If you have any answers, I'd LOVE to hear them! :)

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Jack's First Day!!

Well I have to say, it wasn't as bad I I thought it was going to be. Emma on the other hand, figured out when we got there- she and I were NOT staying. Ya she was not a BIT happy. I think she was torn between- "She can't play", and "We're LEAVING him here??" It's slightly humorous, if you think about it!

One weird thing, he was the only one there. *rolling eyes* Apparently, they all forgot to come back after the holiday weekend. *grin* But I think it was good for him to go his first day without the upperclassman! ;) The other kids have been in the class for a while. It was just him and the teachers! He had a GREAT time! AND...I got to take pictures without worrying about putting other kids on my blog! :)

Enjoy!

First we have video, of a little interview we had, before we left!



Now for pictures!

Of course he feel asleep on the ten minute drive there!

The classic "at school" picture.
He looks so big sitting in the chair!


Looking in, waiting for the door to open!

Emma wants to "check" on him!

These next few were taken through the one way mirror.


I had to distract EMMA, by walking across the street for ice cream!

Anxiously waiting for him to be done!

His FIRST art project at school!! He is SO proud!

My boy is growing up! I can hardley believe it! I was also told today, that his transition meeting for real preschool, will be in NOVEMBER!!! Seriously, I thought I had till at least February! I hope Thursday goes as smoothly as today!!