The story of the surgery

I know I've been MIA in blogland.  Last Tuesday Paddy had tubes put in his ears and his Adenoids cut out.  It was really the only choice at that point but it did not make for a smooth week.  So, here's the recap.  I worked on Monday.  To make up for the time I would take on Tuesday.  It was stinky and a little bit strange to be here all alone in such a giant building.  Tuesday we got up and headed off to the hospital.  Paddy looked insanely adorable in his little hospital johnny and was charming everyone in the processing area for surgery.  Jerry Garcia (or someone who looked just like him) came to talk to me about all the anesthesia and the surgeon was very comforting and then they took him away from me and I felt like I might die, and my heart might break into a million pieces and I might collapse from the terror of it all - all crazy simultaneous emotions - awful awful awful! 

I sat in the waiting area w/ my crochet hook, a simple pattern and some pink yarn named cupcake.  I counted to 3 over and over and over again.  A friend of mine who is also a surgeon checked on Paddy's progress and came to sit withe me for a few minutes.  Thank you Aimee!  And then I went back to counting to 3.  1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3...so mindnumbing.  And then I finished the simple pattern.  Crap, no scissors.  I turned to the tv in the background and watched the oil bubble from the ocean and looked at the clock every 45 seconds.

And finally it was over.  I went back to see Patrick who was in the middle of a raucous tantrum, I think due to the confusion of emerging from anesthesia.  He was flailing and screaming and all the while his eyes were clamped shut.  It was disturbing.  They tried to give him tylenol w/ codeine but he violently spit it everywhere and that was the last of the pain meds we could do for 4 hours since we didn't know how much he actually ingested.

They told me to take him home since he might be calmer there.

     And that he would take a long nap.

          And that when he woke up he'd be a whole new kid.

What actually happened was that he was starving but had no pain meds and couldn't or wouldn't eat or drink.  And progressively got more and more riotous.  He couldn't sleep, he couldn't swallow, he was soaked in unswallowed drool and snot from an overactive nose, traumatized by surgery, and in pain.  Finally I gave him more tylenol...and waited...and he continued to cry...  And nothing happened.

I called the Surgeon and she suggested he come back to the ER.  So, we did.  And they gave him motrin and he began to transform back into something that resembled a human child.  Then he got a steroid shot.  Understandably his throat was raw from crying for 7 straight hours after having been intubated.  After his steroid shot, multiple exams, an orange popsicle and a sippy full of water he was cleared to go home.

I was instructed to dose him w/ motrin alternating w/ tylenol every 3 hours around the clock for 2-3 days.  Apparently he either does not have the receptor for tylenol and so it may not work at all, or it simply isn't strong enough for him.

Tuesday night was as long as Tuesday day.  He woke up to eat.  I woke him to dose.  He woke up to eat.  I woke him to dose.  He woke to eat.  I woke him to dose.  And then he woke happy and ready to play.  He went to school.  I went to work.  broken, beat up, banged up and sore.  Yes, sore...  holding a flailing, hysterical 23lb baby for 10 hours will help you find muscles you didn't know you had.  Not sleeping will make it all feel worse.  And of course there was the stress involved. 

Wed was fine as long as he got his meds.  And Wed night was a teensy bit better.  He did not wake to eat...I only woke him to dose.

Thurs we saw even more improvement.  I continued to dose. 

Fri he didn't needs meds.  And this version of him started to emerge.  The old Paddy!  Back from before the ear infection days.  The version that we only saw on days 5-10 of the antibiotics.

Fri night he SLEPT.  Saturday we played and enjoyed the heck out of him.  And Sat night he slept again.  And yesterday we had our best day in months.

It was been an incredibly long week.  I can't believe it hasn't even been a full week since his surgery.  But I am already glad we did it. 

And that is the story of how Paddy gained ear tubes, lost adenoids and turned back into a happy kid!

Recent pictures - and Paddy "Danger" Webster

I was digging around recently in my camera bag and found a UV filter that I have never used.  I popped it on the camera w/ the new zoom and had some fun.  Have to say I'm sorry I didn't find it sooner.  Here are some straight out of the camera shots, a few slightly edited as far as cropping or trying to eliminate a shadow, and one taken w/ my cell phone that is priceless :)

These two are unedited - I am thrilled w/ the look of the water and once again, Natalie takes my breath away.

These two are the one's that were cropped & edited for shadows. I love the way Nat's face is lit up by the candles. And of course Paddy's is lit up by pure joy!

 
 

 

And this was one morning I won't soon forget. I bent to tie Nat's shoes and when I looked back up this is where I found Patrick. He is 12m 25d. We are in big BIG trouble with this kid! 

Paddy's stats, Natalie's birthday and my exhale...

Patrick had his 1 year well visit yesterday afternoon.  He is...
22lbs (30%)
30.5" (70%)
Fiesty (100%)

He's ahead of the game for milestones and development.  And definitely the least compliant patient on record.  Okay, maybe not for all of history - but definitely yesterday.  And by noon today he should have another ear infection so I have an Rx on standby.  When she checked him yesterday his temp was 99.9* and his ears were red and filled w/ fluid. Based on his history we know where this is headed....

He screamed so long and hard he broke blood vessels in his cheeks and neck, and flailed around to the point that she couldn't check his leg/hip joints.  But she's seen him prior and said that unless we had concerns she wasn't going to press because she was afraid she'd wind up hurting him.

We did manage to avoid needing a 3rd person to restrain him for vax but it was not ideal and his thighs are all bruised today from kicking around while she was trying to poke.

Yeah, that's my kid!
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Yesterday I took cupcakes to preschool and treated Natalie to her friends singing and some chocolate.  It was rainy so I treated the teacher to 10 kids on a sugar high trapped indoors.  Actually, it wasn't too bad since she put on music and I got to dance around the room like a 4yo for 15 minutes.

Since her party was on 5/1 she decided that was the day she turned 4 and refused to believe that yesterday was not her 5th birthday.  Remember how much fun it used to be to get older!?  And lucky girl got treated to cupcakes for afternoon snack too since another Mom brought in some as a happy accident just to be sweet to her own daughter.  After Paddy's appt I went back to get Natalie and home for our family paaaaartay! She opened all her presents in less than 10 minutes and barely stopped to notice what she'd gotten in her quest to rip rip rip!

Hilarious!

She requested mac n cheese for dinner and then we had cake.  Again. 

Girlfriend better be lovin' life right now because she had cake 3x yesterday and probably lost 2lb from running around like a maniac on a sugar high.  Oh, to eat cake 3x a day and not gain an oz and have a strong desire to age. 
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I am exhausted.  Fully wrung out and ready to drop.  But my kids had great birthdays!  And I am incredibly thankful that it's another year until I need to do this marathon again.

exhale....

AHA(!) re Southern BBQ! and Partypalooza pictures!

It was a crazy busy weekend with Partypalooza at our house but I think a good time was had by all.  I told The Hubs that I wanted to entertain more often and he looked at me like I was insane but I think we're good at it and he'll come around ;)

The menu for the party centered around a South Carolina BBQ recipe that a friend made for me last year.  I've been trying to figure out BBQ since we moved to Richmond 3 years ago and (AHA!) I've finally got it.  And since I don't know too many folks who don't LOVE southern BBQ I'm posting instructions...  I'm not a recipe hoarder and you can all thank me later...after you eat this...and lick your lips and smack your chops and impress your friends :)

 

 

And here are some of my favorites from the party!

Patrick's Butt!

Okay, now maybe some of you are wondering what in the heck I'm doing writing bout my baby's rear end.  Turns out this is a hot topic amongst parents of young ones...  Anyway, lately we've had trouble w/ Patrick's hind end.  He's had a rash of ear infections, resulting in antibiotic use, resulting in a rash on his hiner.  Not to mention we just finished transitioning him to milk AND to frost his cake he got a few molars this week.  So, it's been the worst of times for Paddy's smooth, baby soft butt.  Except...that I have this stuff. 

For those of you who know me personally you'll know that I have had a long love affair w/ this product and the associated baby wash, etc.  It smells divine,  and it has 40% zinc oxide to cure any skin issue under the sun.  Let me repeat that... 40 PERCENT ZINC OXIDE.  Take that little figure and compare it to any other brand of butt 'cure all' out there.

Oh, and for the record, I've only had one friend try this and not go insane with their own love for it.  I considered not being friends w/ her anymore but she's got other qualities that make her pretty darn special...so despite her disagreeing with me on this important issue I've decided to keep her :)

Ps...for those who's older cherubs have a little trouble cleaning up properly after using toilet....this will fix them too :)

Pss...I've had 3 friends ask recently about baby items that I can't live without.  This is one of them.  I buy it from drugstore.com...cheapest I've found when you can't buy it locally.

Happy FIRST Birthday, Patrick!!!

One year ago today, right about now, I was being admitted to L&D.  It was the day before my due date and I was thrilled with how things were turning out.  For a solid 3 weeks I'd been explaining to everyone who'd listen that I wanted Patrick to come on TUESDAY, April 28th. That way I could finish my work week, have one last weekend with Natalie and then one day (Monday) all to myself.  So, when my labor started (right on MY schedule) I thought - BRILLIANT - he's obviously a sweet and compliant child right from the start. 

Go ahead, laugh it up :)

Paddy's first year has been quite an adventure.  The reflux challenged us all and also made us realize how lucky we were that our child was perfectly healthy; nothing that a small, daily dose of prevacid couldn't fix.  After I returned to work I had the priviledge of going daily, at lunch, to nurse him and had so much extra bonding time then I would have otherwise.  We've also discovered that he is not cautious in any way and that he's "All Boy". 

I love to witness the joy that lights up his face when he see's his sister.  They have been a team since day 1 and it's the most amazing experience to see them together.

Patrick, oh how I love you!  I love you thru your barf, and your croup and your constant ear infections.  I love your dimple, I love your incredible blue eyes.  I love how you smile at me as I scold you over and over for touching the stove.  I love to watch the satisfaction on your face when you finally figure out how to climb on a new, ever higher, piece of furniture.  I love your little feet and the little pink toes.  I love that you are the tickliest child I've ever met and that you chortle when you laugh with your husky little voice.  I love your 7 tiny teeth and the way you pucker up to smooch!  I love the way you call Nahhleee when you're happy and yell Maammma when you're mad.  I love that you stand at the window and 'talk' to all the passersby.  I love your soft belly and your chubby thighs and your sweet smile.  I love being your Mom!

At last....Pictures!

It's Wednesday...already!?

This week has made my head spin so far.  Everyone is adjusting from being back to life and the kids have been a bit out of sorts, especially Patrick who continues to lose his mind shortly after we get home in the evening.  I've been vying for time on the computer but can't exactly bump The Hubs off when he's doing classwork.  Consequently I've only just gotten to editing all the pictures from vacation.  I did get them narrowed to about 100 and now just need to crop random people out and make everyone look as pretty as possible.  I am positively thrilled w/ the zoom lens and the fact that I was sitting in a lawn chair, miles (okay many many feet) from the beach when I took most of the pictures :)

2 things of interest last night...

Natalie slammed her hand in the car door for the 1st time.  She was in so much pain and I felt horrible.  Luckily the Director of the Infant Center was just passing us and she ran back into the school to get ice packs so things calmed down more quickly then they might otherwise have done.  Just bruised, nothing broken...and Miss Drama appears to have forgotten about it.  Probably because she did it to herself.  If I'd done it to her I'd hear about it til the day I died!

I've got a rose!  I got home last night and found one of my roses had bloomed.  It's a miniature shrub rose (well, it's supposed to be miniature, it's pretty darn big!) called "Survivor" and there it was - my first bloom!  Yay!

Of course, I have no pictures....  This weekend, I promise, there will be pictures!

PHASE 1 IS COMPLETE!

This weekend was CRAZY!  I'm not even going to try to explain all that I had going on and just focus on a couple of highlights.  I also will not dwell on what my body feels like right now and will assume that the old description of "finding muscles you didn't know you had" will lead everyone to the correct conclusion.  The rehab of the veggie garden is complete :)  I cannot stress enough how happy I am with the result and can honestly and truly say that my pictures do not do it justice. 

Here's the process...

Supplies!

This doesn't look terribly exciting but it was an hineyload of work.  I basically rototilled these sections with good old elbow grease and a large (heavy) shovel.  This wouldn't have been the most terrible thing ever except we have (IMO) the densest clay soil in the universt (yes, seriously) and the $%!!%$* landscaping we've got in our yard involves this green, plastic mesh crap that is impossible to get out of the ground.

Yes, that's more of my "rototilling" skills on display :)

I then spent the requisite amount of time needed for my type A self moving the pots around so things looked just so. 

Definitely do not forget about these fabulous little things.  You can't see them but they're in there :)

And here is the finished product w/ the exception of needing to bury the drip hose.  I think it looks absolutely fantastic!

More fantasticness!

and a special thank you goes out to my helpers!  I couldn't have done it without my kids being excellent nappers and supremely well behaved and great at playing together.  No, I'm not being sarcastic anymore.  With absolute earnestness I thank my kids for their fabulous selves this weekend!

***Notes - I would love to say which plants I used but Hubby tossed the plant tags before I had written it all down.  I recall jasmine, peony, blueberry, catmint, and Yarrow.  I did my best to stick w/ mounding or spreading perennials.  Several of the plants that I did pop in there for this year are annuals to take up space while the perennials establish.  I also made a very concerted effort to use plants that attract beneficial bugs, butterflies and birds.  We'll see how it goes.  And finally, you might notice the black trash bin in the background.  We've filled it w/ compost and are waiting for it to cook.  1x a week I'll lay it on its side and roll it a bit.  I estimate we'll have some awesome dirt in about 4 weeks.  There is a huge pile of other organic matter by its side just waiting for our first batch to 'mature' and then we'll see what we see.

For before's and other random tips on this project see here :)

http://websterupdate.blogspot.com/2010/03/veggie-garden-plan-complete.html

http://websterupdate.blogspot.com/2010/03/garden-phase-i-part-i-complete.html

http://websterupdate.blogspot.com/2010/03/lovehate-relationship.html

http://thepleasuresofhomemaking.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-make-compost-tumbler-for-cheap.html

finally - I realize you can't see any veggies yet.  but there are some seeds in there.  and soon enough its going to be my giant food producing fabulously yummy place to get dinner, super fresh!

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