Zach is much better today. Last night about 9:30pm he started to snap out of it. He was sleeping and we had to get his last dose of eye drops in so we did his eye drops and of course he woke up. He whined since he didn't want the drops. Then he wanted to cuddle with Mama. I was holding him on the couch and I rubbed his leg and he smiled. That was the first positive sign.
I played with him a little bit and tickled his leg and he smiled and finally started saying some words. I was telling him that he had a balloon that our wonderful neighbors brought over for him and that it had Elmo on it. He wanted some juice and he drank down 2 big cups of juice/water. Then he slowly opened his eyes. After a couple minutes he sat up and wanted to hold his balloon. He was happy! It was such a huge relief.
We had to take the balloon away because he wanted to bounce it around a little too much and I was afraid he was going to hit himself in the eye.
He wanted to watch Jojo so he and I went and laid in our bed and he got to watch Jojo (what would we do without DVR??!!) After Jojo he watched an episode of Mickey Mouse too. About 11pm Zach and Daddy went and laid in Zach's bed and Zach went to sleep for the night.
This morning he was much happier and almost like his normal self. His eyes seem a little squinty, but they are open and he was happy to watch cartoons. He was trying to jump around the house, but the doctor said jumping is a big No No.
Nana is at home with him today and Mommy and Daddy are back at work.
I will post pictures tonight if I get a chance.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Surgery Day 1
Zachary had his eye muscle surgery today. The doctor said he did really well. She went in and moved and/or tightened the muscles behind both of his eyes.
We had to be at the hospital at 9am to check in. Zach did really well. He usually freaks out at the sign of doctors, hospitals, or anything that remotely resembles a hospital. But he was wonderful.
We checked in and then headed over to the prep area for day stay. He got a little restless for a minute but we took out our portable DVD player and popped in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and he was great from that point on. After the nurse talked to us and checked his vitals and all that fun stuff, the anesthesiologist and surgery nurse came and talked to us and everything was good to go. We had been a little nervous that they were going to cancel the surgery again because he had a green snotty nose for the past 2 days, but they listened to his chest and it was clear so they moved forward. About 10am they took him back and started the procedure. Chris and I went to grab a bite to eat and a much needed drink of water and cup of coffee. Since Zach couldn't eat or drink, we didn't eat or drink anything all morning either. We didn't want him to see us and want some too.
About 11:30am they called down to the Surgical Waiting Room for me to go back and be with him. He was very uncomfortable and in a lot of pain. They had given him some fentanyl to help with the pain but he was still very irritable. 42 lbs of dead weight is not easy to manage when he is that uncomfortable and throwing himself around. I held him and rocked him and he moaned and cried between little cat naps. He asked for Daddy a lot, but only one parent was allowed back there.
The doctor had told us that he would have blood in his tears, but actually seeing blood come out of my baby's eyes was not easy to see.
About 2 hours passed and the nurse in recovery thought he was ready to go back to the day stay area. He was still in a lot of pain, but once the fentanyl wore off and they gave him some plain old Tylenol, he slept much better and seemed to be handling it a little better. They had me hold him in the wheelchair and we went by and got Chris and went back to day stay. He tried to open his eyes on the ride back but the pain must have bothered him too much because he closed them tight very quickly.
Once we got back to day stay he must have liked that bed better because he crashed out there and hardly moved. At about 2:15pm the nurse said she thought he was good to go home and she did his discharge paperwork and removed his IV and sent us on our way. When we got outside he tried to open his eyes again, and he just cried and closed them. He slept all the way home.
When we got home there was a great Get Well card from his teachers and classmates. He has yet to open his eyes yet, or be up to seeing it, but I am sure he will love it when he does. I will post a picture of it soon.
Since we got home he has been pretty miserable. We were able to get another dose of Tylenol down and 2 sips of juice, but that is it. It is so heartbreaking. When he is awake he repeats "Mama Mama" and "Hurt Me". It breaks my heart to see him in so much pain. I wish I could take it all away.
At the moment he is sleeping despite his sisters girlish squeals. We are hoping he has an uneventful evening and that tomorrow he will be feeling a little bit better.
Thanks for reading. I will keep you all posted as he progresses.
We had to be at the hospital at 9am to check in. Zach did really well. He usually freaks out at the sign of doctors, hospitals, or anything that remotely resembles a hospital. But he was wonderful.
We checked in and then headed over to the prep area for day stay. He got a little restless for a minute but we took out our portable DVD player and popped in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and he was great from that point on. After the nurse talked to us and checked his vitals and all that fun stuff, the anesthesiologist and surgery nurse came and talked to us and everything was good to go. We had been a little nervous that they were going to cancel the surgery again because he had a green snotty nose for the past 2 days, but they listened to his chest and it was clear so they moved forward. About 10am they took him back and started the procedure. Chris and I went to grab a bite to eat and a much needed drink of water and cup of coffee. Since Zach couldn't eat or drink, we didn't eat or drink anything all morning either. We didn't want him to see us and want some too.
About 11:30am they called down to the Surgical Waiting Room for me to go back and be with him. He was very uncomfortable and in a lot of pain. They had given him some fentanyl to help with the pain but he was still very irritable. 42 lbs of dead weight is not easy to manage when he is that uncomfortable and throwing himself around. I held him and rocked him and he moaned and cried between little cat naps. He asked for Daddy a lot, but only one parent was allowed back there.
The doctor had told us that he would have blood in his tears, but actually seeing blood come out of my baby's eyes was not easy to see.
About 2 hours passed and the nurse in recovery thought he was ready to go back to the day stay area. He was still in a lot of pain, but once the fentanyl wore off and they gave him some plain old Tylenol, he slept much better and seemed to be handling it a little better. They had me hold him in the wheelchair and we went by and got Chris and went back to day stay. He tried to open his eyes on the ride back but the pain must have bothered him too much because he closed them tight very quickly.
Once we got back to day stay he must have liked that bed better because he crashed out there and hardly moved. At about 2:15pm the nurse said she thought he was good to go home and she did his discharge paperwork and removed his IV and sent us on our way. When we got outside he tried to open his eyes again, and he just cried and closed them. He slept all the way home.
When we got home there was a great Get Well card from his teachers and classmates. He has yet to open his eyes yet, or be up to seeing it, but I am sure he will love it when he does. I will post a picture of it soon.
Since we got home he has been pretty miserable. We were able to get another dose of Tylenol down and 2 sips of juice, but that is it. It is so heartbreaking. When he is awake he repeats "Mama Mama" and "Hurt Me". It breaks my heart to see him in so much pain. I wish I could take it all away.
At the moment he is sleeping despite his sisters girlish squeals. We are hoping he has an uneventful evening and that tomorrow he will be feeling a little bit better.
Thanks for reading. I will keep you all posted as he progresses.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Differences
As Hannah has gotten older, it really makes me realize how different raising her is, than it was when Zachary was a baby. Of course there are lots of similarities, he is after all a child before anything, but it is different. Not bad different. Not good different. Just different.
When Zach was small, he/we had to work at everything. Things didn't come naturally to him the way I see they do with Hannah. Things I see her doing, I had to really sit and work with Zach, and show him and teach him how to do these things. I love(d) working with him. I am so grateful I was able to stay home with him that first year. I think I am a better person for having him. He has taught me that you don't take little things or accomplishments for granted.
Looking back, I am really glad he is my first born. As much as I think it would be nice to have an older sibling to stick up for him and for him to look up to, I think, as a parent, it was better that I was blissfully unaware of how "typical" babies developed. To me, it was all just normal. I think if I had other kids that I had seen through their first year where so much is going on, it may have made me sad. Sad at all the things he wasn't just doing on his own. Sad at the things he did slower. Sad at the time I would have had to take away from him or his siblings to give the other my attention. He had all my time and attention. He was my only priority. He taught me how to love unconditionally.
When Zach was small, he/we had to work at everything. Things didn't come naturally to him the way I see they do with Hannah. Things I see her doing, I had to really sit and work with Zach, and show him and teach him how to do these things. I love(d) working with him. I am so grateful I was able to stay home with him that first year. I think I am a better person for having him. He has taught me that you don't take little things or accomplishments for granted.
Looking back, I am really glad he is my first born. As much as I think it would be nice to have an older sibling to stick up for him and for him to look up to, I think, as a parent, it was better that I was blissfully unaware of how "typical" babies developed. To me, it was all just normal. I think if I had other kids that I had seen through their first year where so much is going on, it may have made me sad. Sad at all the things he wasn't just doing on his own. Sad at the things he did slower. Sad at the time I would have had to take away from him or his siblings to give the other my attention. He had all my time and attention. He was my only priority. He taught me how to love unconditionally.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Is it just my kids???
Or do all kids sleep like this?? I think this is the cutest thing. I love it!
Zach-
Hannah-
Zach-
Hannah-
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Big week for Hannah
This past week has been big for Hannah
She has:
Started clapping
Mastered crawling backwards
Repeatedly says "Mama mama mama mama"
Pulls herself up to her knees and then back to sitting
Cut tooth #4 and #5
She has:
Started clapping
Mastered crawling backwards
Repeatedly says "Mama mama mama mama"
Pulls herself up to her knees and then back to sitting
Cut tooth #4 and #5
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Kite Festival!!!
It is a shame we don't live in a more beautiful area...
Best Friends...
Boys will be boys...
Best Friends...
Boys will be boys...
Friday, April 25, 2008
A rough day at daycare...
Zach took a face plant today:
Hannah just looks like she had a lot of fun outside and did a lot of spitting up:
Hannah just looks like she had a lot of fun outside and did a lot of spitting up:
Palins' child diagnosed with Down syndrome
I especially love the email she sent out to family and close friends.
FAMILY FEELS BLESSED: Back at work already, governor says she wasn't in labor in Texas.
By LISA DEMER
ldemer@adn.com
Published: April 22nd, 2008 01:11 AM
Last Modified: April 22nd, 2008 12:05 PM
Gov. Sarah Palin was back at work Monday in Anchorage, holding a meeting on the proposed natural gas pipeline three days after giving birth to her fifth child.
She and her husband, Todd, showed their new baby, Trig Paxson Van Palin, to a few reporters and photographers and answered questions about his condition and the sooner-than-expected delivery.
Trig has Down syndrome, a genetic abnormality that affects a child's intellectual and physical development, the governor confirmed.
"When we first heard, it was kind of confusing," Palin, 44, said. She called the revelation "very, very challenging" and said she initially felt sad.
But the family has worked through that. Palin said she and Todd feel blessed and chosen by God. With a big family including four older kids, grandparents, aunts and uncles, Palin said, they will have lots of support for what's ahead. In their eyes, she said, "he's absolutely perfect."
The oldest Palin kid, Track, is in the Army and texted his mother after learning the news with something to the effect of "This is just so cool -- I finally got my brother."
In a letter she e-mailed to relatives and close friends Friday after giving birth, Palin wrote, "Many people will express sympathy, but you don't want or need that, because Trig will be a joy. You will have to trust me on this." She wrote it in the voice of and signed it as "Trig's Creator, Your Heavenly Father."
"Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed-up world you live in down there on Earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome," Palin wrote.
As for people who think a baby like Trig shouldn't even be born, look around, the governor wrote. Who is perfect or even normal?
FAMILY FEELS BLESSED: Back at work already, governor says she wasn't in labor in Texas.
By LISA DEMER
ldemer@adn.com
Published: April 22nd, 2008 01:11 AM
Last Modified: April 22nd, 2008 12:05 PM
Gov. Sarah Palin was back at work Monday in Anchorage, holding a meeting on the proposed natural gas pipeline three days after giving birth to her fifth child.
She and her husband, Todd, showed their new baby, Trig Paxson Van Palin, to a few reporters and photographers and answered questions about his condition and the sooner-than-expected delivery.
Trig has Down syndrome, a genetic abnormality that affects a child's intellectual and physical development, the governor confirmed.
"When we first heard, it was kind of confusing," Palin, 44, said. She called the revelation "very, very challenging" and said she initially felt sad.
But the family has worked through that. Palin said she and Todd feel blessed and chosen by God. With a big family including four older kids, grandparents, aunts and uncles, Palin said, they will have lots of support for what's ahead. In their eyes, she said, "he's absolutely perfect."
The oldest Palin kid, Track, is in the Army and texted his mother after learning the news with something to the effect of "This is just so cool -- I finally got my brother."
In a letter she e-mailed to relatives and close friends Friday after giving birth, Palin wrote, "Many people will express sympathy, but you don't want or need that, because Trig will be a joy. You will have to trust me on this." She wrote it in the voice of and signed it as "Trig's Creator, Your Heavenly Father."
"Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed-up world you live in down there on Earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome," Palin wrote.
As for people who think a baby like Trig shouldn't even be born, look around, the governor wrote. Who is perfect or even normal?
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Yum!
Hannah loves eating fruit out of this little bag thing. She sucks it out and ends up a big happy sticky mess. This particular night, it was pears...
This is what happens when I have to take it away to refill the fruit...
Oh Ya... that's the stuff...
"Don't even think about taking this away from me again!"
This is what happens when I have to take it away to refill the fruit...
Oh Ya... that's the stuff...
"Don't even think about taking this away from me again!"
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