Life Starts Now.

Living each day to the fullest, because we know first-hand just how fragile life can be.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Thought I'd add some new pics of the little dude. Joel's doing lots of new cute things...(of course, he's a baby :) We picked him up a little teddybear attached to a blanket, and I think he made a friend for life. Everytime we give it to him he gets so excited!

And this is how we find him. He hasn't exactly rolled over in one fluid motion yet, but he's trying SO hard! I had just laid him on his back, walked to the kitchen, came back, and this is where he was. He does this over and over and over. And quickly! This kid LOVES laying on his tummy. Sleeping pictures are so precious anyway. He hasn't had much of a chance to rollover, so we're doing tummy time....which is super awkward by the way...but he seems to like it ok. This is Suzi, Joel's Occupational Therapist. She's very sweet, and Joel's still getting to know her. I love this picture....his poor butt had the worst rash!



As of yesterday, sprints are up to 30 minutes, three times a day. After being sick for a few days, he wanted to be distracted from sprints, because he wanted to depend on the vent to breathe for him. (Much like Connor did after being sick...trying to get him back to his own bed after healing from the flu was a nightmare!) Last night, we went for walks around the house, sat on the front porch and watched the neighbors make their loops around the block. I love moments like those. Just snuggling with my baby in a blankie....for a second, I forget all that we've been through and it feels normal. It was a peaceful I couldn't create if I wanted to. I am so thankful.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Stuff's gettin better

Our family dynamics have changed again...in a wonderful way. Three times a day we get to turn the ventilator off. We unplug Joel from his feeding. We take the oximeter probe off. And we walk around. We sit wherever we want, and we don't have to worry about rearranging cords. Three times a day. The other morning, Joel got to snuggle with me on the front porch couch, which meant a lot to me, because I usually sit out there alone or with Adam, and from the couch, I have a perfect view of Joel's bed. It was neat to have him on my side of the window. It's a new freedom, and it's a nice break from the beeps, and the spaghetti. Things are looking up once again. Soon it won't be minutes, it will be hours that I'll get with him off of the machines. Wrapping him up close to me, like babies are supposed to be.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Crazy Week







Thankful it's Monday. Last week was definitely a test of sanity, among other things...






We're learning how to balance a healthy marriage & parenting on little sleep. We had two nights this week with no night coverage, so we pulled graveyard a couple times. If I didn't have a life pulling me in five hundred directions during the day, it could totally grow on me. I can accomplish during the wee hours of the night things that I notice all day long and never seem to get finished...taking out the recycling pile on my kitchen counter, laundry, art projects, drinking a cup of coffee before it gets cold. Brings back memories of staying up all night painting. Theoretically, it would work. Realistically, I was mentally insane by Sunday. No sleep, general hectic-ness, and Mia smearing poop all over upstairs TWICE in one week, (and that's with taping her diaper on....) I think that pretty much sums it up....and then there's Friday.






Adam had to drop off Logan/pick up Connor in Eugene Friday. We had to go to Tacoma. Since he was driving farther, it made sense that he take the Kia and I take the gas-guzzling suburban. The appointments went great. Joel had an EEG & a venous (2 HOUR) ultrasound. We haven't got the results of the ultrasound yet, but the EEG showed normal brain function, and we were given the go-ahead to start the phenobarbital wean. YAY! We stopped by the PICU, saw some friends, had a great time. We ended up getting out of Tacoma at 5:30. On a Friday. In a car with no a/c or working cigarette lighter adapters. Test faith much? When we finally reached Lakewood, our suction machine was fully out of power, and we got a call from a friend alerting us to a 12 car accident on I-5. We pulled off for gas and decided maybe we should just stop off for dinner as well...we were unsure of how long we'd be stuck in traffic, and we only had about 4 or 5 hours left on the vent battery. Red Robin it was. We were able to save a booth next to the hostess stand and get Joel plugged in before the dinner rush arrived. I was pretty nervous getting him into the restaurant, but once we got settled in and I got my iced tea, it was smooth sailing. Joel's first time to Red Robin was a success! I'm so glad we were forced to act in a situation like this, because now I think I could take him to a restaurant again with ease. We did it!