Hi to all and my apologies to those of you who have been waiting for an update for such a long time. I sometimes get a bit on over load, and I've been there since we came home from the hospital.
I will first start by saying that Jake is doing awesome! Since we came home from the hospital, his surgery site has healed, and it's like we have a new little boy running around here! This is what we have seen in a little over a month:
Jake has chubby cheeks! He's bulking up :0) and had put on over 2 pounds in a little over a month since he has been home. That's more than he has gained in over a year and a half. His cheeks are pink, he has energy like we have never seen before, and we always thought he was a big talker before, but we were mistaken. He is an utter and complete motor mouth. He never shuts up. His speech clarity has improved dramatically and he is still only wearing one hearing aid. He is a big mouth and the biggest instigator in the house and we love it. (Seems he may have a bit of his Momma in him?)
Jake has been very excited to tell everyone who asks that his big ear is better and the hurt is gone. When he returned to preschool, he greeted every single teacher with a hug and each student-friend the same, one by one. He had his first play in snow EVER! It's nice to have a healthy and pain free Jake.
"The Plan" so to speak has been on the move since we returned home. The only goal we have right now is making sure that Jake stays healthy and infection free until he can get his next surgery. He is on a strong antibiotic again right now to clear up a new sinus infection and we need to keep his head and ears clear so we keep praying so that he can heal on the inside and not have to rush into another operation too quickly.
After Jake's one week follow up with his ENT team at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia we are consulting with expert surgeons in the field of Atresia Repair, as we were before his emergency surgery. There are two that we are considering, one in California that we were quite sure that we would have perform Jake's surgery. The second is in Virginia. I was always under the impression that this doctor was never a clear option for us because I was under the assumption that he only dealt with children older.
I thankfully have had much help and guidance from an angel of a woman who I call friend out in California. She has been a savior to me in making sure that my head stays clear and filled with facts and this has helped me stay on a clear course in getting many questions answered.
The doctor in California has given us some information and would like to have a copy of a new CT scan sent to him which we are scheduling
We are consulting with the doctor in Virginia soon. We leave on the 7th of January and return on the 9th or 10th. Hopefully we will have more clarity to the plan and I will post right away with any new news. What we know now is that Jake's inner ear needs to stay healthy and the only way that can happen is to get that ear canal opened and that needs to be done by a genius in this field. We have to just choose between the two we know. We already love the doctor in California and our "people" out there. Being East Coast dwellers, we have to explore the possibility of surgery in Virginia also. Being a family of 6, six hours by car is more do-able than 2 by car, then 6 by plane but not at all a reason to choose a surgeon. We will get our consultations and get rolling with the plan.
I will be taking this trip to "Virginny" with our beloved Captain Nanny. For those of you not in the loop, Captain Nanny is Paul's Grandmother on the Whitenight side of the family. When she originally found out that I would be traveling solo with Jake, she offered to come along. Now we will take to the road Thelma and Louise style. Not being alone is huge. Getting special time with the Captain is even bigger.
I will end by saying that I am a show me the facts kind of girl. That IS fact, but there is something about the way I was told "you need to bring him to me" that is gnawing at my gut feeling. Virginny, here we come.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Jake's update after surgery. Sunday November 22, 2009 8:26pm
I am very HAPPY THAT JAKE IS FINALLY SLEEPING for the first time today since 7am this morning so that I could tell everyone his great news. For everyone who has followed us since we have been in Philadelphia, here is the after surgery update.
I am very happy to write to everyone and let you all know that Jake's surgery was a success. We tried to keep everyone updated as the events unfolded Friday night into Saturday morning that lead to his emergency surgery.
We have spoken to the doctors and we were given this great news following the surgery:
*A large cholesteatoma was removed from within Jakes middle ear along with a great deal of infected material that had nowhere to drain because he doesn't have an opening to his ear canal. Jake has the opening of an ear canal that quickly comes to an end. This cholesteatoma lived in the middle of where a normally formed ear canal should be. Picture a tunnel that comes to an end. Immediately following the end of the tunnel, there is a huge boulder. On the opposite of the boulder there is more tunnel. This area referred to as more tunnel is the other side of Jake's ear canal that we didn't know existed. YAY! At the end of that little ear canal that we didn't know existed lies (thank you Jesus) an eardrum. He has an eardrum, I could do back flips. This is something we were told was at best unlikely and never happens. It's great news BECAUSE when his surgery is done in the near future to connect those two pieces of NATURALLY formed ear canal in the middle with very little skin grafting needed, he also won't need an artifical or constructed ear drum. He has his own. Less grafting means less possibility of rejection, means better result of a very successful canalplasty surgery with very little transplanted skin from other areas of his body, and ultimately, yes better hearing ability.
My apologies for this lump of an update that I am staring at. I am apalled to think that I am not correcting the paragraphs or even using spell check but I am dog-ass tired and The Philadelphia eagles are about to SQUASH the Chicago Bears....Love you Ray, but you're goin' down!
Those of you who know me to the core know that it's been a long 3 1/4 year road and I have said the whole time that everything happens for a reason. All of this medical frustration that we have been dealing with during this time has lead us into the hands of the gifted doctors that we have seen, who carry reasoning, compassion, empathy, a love for human life and a passion for healthy and happy children. We know that we were not lead here by chance.
I am learning some important stuff along this journey. I learned this week that when I DO feel like I can't take anymore I truly AM just about to be at my best and I don't realize it. I am just wishing that there could be a little smoother transition to getting to it :0) Thanks for all of you who glued me back together, you know who you are.
I am learning that when your inner voice tells you something is wrong, it is not usually, it is always.
I am learning that even though I have faith, I need to be more like Paul and have a lot more and not always look for logic because I keep being shown that when I am most insistantly searching for logic, I can never find any and something else takes over.
I am learning that there is way more good in people than I could have ever imagined after being conditioned as a hardened non emotional bank employee striving for the corporate dollar.
I am learning that in the worst of times you get the best of people and from our entire family I thank you all who have shown us and given us your best. We never forget. We always pay it forward.
I am very happy to write to everyone and let you all know that Jake's surgery was a success. We tried to keep everyone updated as the events unfolded Friday night into Saturday morning that lead to his emergency surgery.
We have spoken to the doctors and we were given this great news following the surgery:
*A large cholesteatoma was removed from within Jakes middle ear along with a great deal of infected material that had nowhere to drain because he doesn't have an opening to his ear canal. Jake has the opening of an ear canal that quickly comes to an end. This cholesteatoma lived in the middle of where a normally formed ear canal should be. Picture a tunnel that comes to an end. Immediately following the end of the tunnel, there is a huge boulder. On the opposite of the boulder there is more tunnel. This area referred to as more tunnel is the other side of Jake's ear canal that we didn't know existed. YAY! At the end of that little ear canal that we didn't know existed lies (thank you Jesus) an eardrum. He has an eardrum, I could do back flips. This is something we were told was at best unlikely and never happens. It's great news BECAUSE when his surgery is done in the near future to connect those two pieces of NATURALLY formed ear canal in the middle with very little skin grafting needed, he also won't need an artifical or constructed ear drum. He has his own. Less grafting means less possibility of rejection, means better result of a very successful canalplasty surgery with very little transplanted skin from other areas of his body, and ultimately, yes better hearing ability.
My apologies for this lump of an update that I am staring at. I am apalled to think that I am not correcting the paragraphs or even using spell check but I am dog-ass tired and The Philadelphia eagles are about to SQUASH the Chicago Bears....Love you Ray, but you're goin' down!
Those of you who know me to the core know that it's been a long 3 1/4 year road and I have said the whole time that everything happens for a reason. All of this medical frustration that we have been dealing with during this time has lead us into the hands of the gifted doctors that we have seen, who carry reasoning, compassion, empathy, a love for human life and a passion for healthy and happy children. We know that we were not lead here by chance.
I am learning some important stuff along this journey. I learned this week that when I DO feel like I can't take anymore I truly AM just about to be at my best and I don't realize it. I am just wishing that there could be a little smoother transition to getting to it :0) Thanks for all of you who glued me back together, you know who you are.
I am learning that when your inner voice tells you something is wrong, it is not usually, it is always.
I am learning that even though I have faith, I need to be more like Paul and have a lot more and not always look for logic because I keep being shown that when I am most insistantly searching for logic, I can never find any and something else takes over.
I am learning that there is way more good in people than I could have ever imagined after being conditioned as a hardened non emotional bank employee striving for the corporate dollar.
I am learning that in the worst of times you get the best of people and from our entire family I thank you all who have shown us and given us your best. We never forget. We always pay it forward.
Jake's update #3 Friday November 20, 2009 3:22pm
I woke up this morning for the first time at about 06:25hrs with 4 doctors standing over me. What a stupid feeling that gives you! First thought: Oh my GOD I'm in my jammies. Once I got over that I and they examined Jake, I had a list of questions for them that I had been working on when I was supposed to be sleeping last night. I typed down all of their responses including their names into my phone since in my disheveled state I knew I couldn't rely on brain cells, so don't worry all of you who have been asking for the plan. I took down the plan! I was my own secretary and got it all.
Here's the plan. We are here until Jake is better, that's the plan. Jake will be on an IV antibiotic and he is being closely monitored for signs that the infection is clearing up. When the doctors are sure that the infection is not a threat to him anymore he will come off of the IV medication and onto oral, that is the next step. Once he is on an oral medication and they are comfortable with his activity level, he will have more bloodwork completed before we go home. When we leave for home he will still be on an oral antibiotic. We will return and have an MRI completed to re scan the area that was full of infection. The doctors explained to me that there is a new MRI procedure that allows them to be able to identify the content of material that is seen, for example, bone, tissue, fluid, skin tissue. We will receive those instructions when we are leaving. So that is the plan so far.
Leaving is still not being discussed at ALL which doesn't give me the warm fuzzies, because I miss my family at home and most of you know how well I do in small confined places. I already had a nurse tell me if I continue to lap her, she would take Jake's stroller and my sneakers. :0(
The good news:
Jake slept through the night, YAY! That was awesome, minus the Doctor Dudes sneaking up on me in my jammies. We graduated today from milk and juice to cheerios also. This seems trivial without knowing that cheerios are the first solids he has eaten since Monday. When he opens his mouth to get them in he is still wincing in pain and he holds his head when he chews but at least he is hungry. We are sticking with the pain medication to make it easier.
We traveled by wagon today from 4 East to 4 West to do laundry, as I must keep my NEW MOON shirt clean and beautiful. After visiting 4 West we went up to the 8th floor to the library to take out a book and a DVD. When we were leaving and checking out the book, the librarian said to Jake "Oh, YOU'RE Jake Whitenight? THE Jake Whitenight?" He said "Yes, I am da Jake Whitenight and my Mommy's best buddy." She then told him to wait right there "shugga" I have something here for you. She came back with a letter and handed it to him. The kid got mail! How exciting! I was so excited, HE was 1000 times more excited than me! I have read it, I don't even know how many times now but it doesn't matter he has it memorized. Every time I start to read it again by request, he recites it with me. Thank you so much Melinda and the Brady family, you really made his day. Since then, every good wish that he has gotten from you all on the computer, I read to him and he has been answering back on his own, I am just the typist. They are the bright spots to his day. Every time he gets a little bored he says "I have a great idea Mommy! Let's go see who is talking to Jakey on the ump-a-u-ter." Thanks all.
If anyone has a minute and would like to send him a card, here is the link:
http://www.chop.edu/ecards/ecards.cfm
I think the idea is genius for hospitals, and I think a very little known patient/ guest feature that's available.
Right now Jakey is sleeping soundly, allowing me time to update, shower and get something to eat. Special thanks to all of you at home who have been helping out with the Whitenight Boys at home by sending food and goodies for them. Thank you also to all of you who are helping out with watching the boys when you can so that Paul is able to get here to the hospital and go to work! We have found our strength in all of your support and we love you.
Three things I know today:
1. It takes a whole village to raise one child
2. You can find things that make you laugh out loud even in the toughest of times.
3. Just when I think I can't take it anymore, I'm about to be at my toughest, and I just don't see it
coming yet. :0)
Here's the plan. We are here until Jake is better, that's the plan. Jake will be on an IV antibiotic and he is being closely monitored for signs that the infection is clearing up. When the doctors are sure that the infection is not a threat to him anymore he will come off of the IV medication and onto oral, that is the next step. Once he is on an oral medication and they are comfortable with his activity level, he will have more bloodwork completed before we go home. When we leave for home he will still be on an oral antibiotic. We will return and have an MRI completed to re scan the area that was full of infection. The doctors explained to me that there is a new MRI procedure that allows them to be able to identify the content of material that is seen, for example, bone, tissue, fluid, skin tissue. We will receive those instructions when we are leaving. So that is the plan so far.
Leaving is still not being discussed at ALL which doesn't give me the warm fuzzies, because I miss my family at home and most of you know how well I do in small confined places. I already had a nurse tell me if I continue to lap her, she would take Jake's stroller and my sneakers. :0(
The good news:
Jake slept through the night, YAY! That was awesome, minus the Doctor Dudes sneaking up on me in my jammies. We graduated today from milk and juice to cheerios also. This seems trivial without knowing that cheerios are the first solids he has eaten since Monday. When he opens his mouth to get them in he is still wincing in pain and he holds his head when he chews but at least he is hungry. We are sticking with the pain medication to make it easier.
We traveled by wagon today from 4 East to 4 West to do laundry, as I must keep my NEW MOON shirt clean and beautiful. After visiting 4 West we went up to the 8th floor to the library to take out a book and a DVD. When we were leaving and checking out the book, the librarian said to Jake "Oh, YOU'RE Jake Whitenight? THE Jake Whitenight?" He said "Yes, I am da Jake Whitenight and my Mommy's best buddy." She then told him to wait right there "shugga" I have something here for you. She came back with a letter and handed it to him. The kid got mail! How exciting! I was so excited, HE was 1000 times more excited than me! I have read it, I don't even know how many times now but it doesn't matter he has it memorized. Every time I start to read it again by request, he recites it with me. Thank you so much Melinda and the Brady family, you really made his day. Since then, every good wish that he has gotten from you all on the computer, I read to him and he has been answering back on his own, I am just the typist. They are the bright spots to his day. Every time he gets a little bored he says "I have a great idea Mommy! Let's go see who is talking to Jakey on the ump-a-u-ter." Thanks all.
If anyone has a minute and would like to send him a card, here is the link:
http://www.chop.edu/ecards/ecards.cfm
I think the idea is genius for hospitals, and I think a very little known patient/ guest feature that's available.
Right now Jakey is sleeping soundly, allowing me time to update, shower and get something to eat. Special thanks to all of you at home who have been helping out with the Whitenight Boys at home by sending food and goodies for them. Thank you also to all of you who are helping out with watching the boys when you can so that Paul is able to get here to the hospital and go to work! We have found our strength in all of your support and we love you.
Three things I know today:
1. It takes a whole village to raise one child
2. You can find things that make you laugh out loud even in the toughest of times.
3. Just when I think I can't take it anymore, I'm about to be at my toughest, and I just don't see it
coming yet. :0)
Jake's update #2 Thursday November 19, 2009 3:56pm
Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 3:56pm | Edit Note | Delete
Ok, this is going to be a much different update than I thought I was going to be writing to everyone:
We went down to pre-op to get ready for surgery. I spoke to the anestesiologist,the nurse. They covered every detail with a fine tooth comb: congenital anomolies, past complications, future planned surgeries, probability of intubation difficulties and I was as comfortable as I was going to get with having your child's mastoid bone removed.
The surgeon came in to discuss the surgery, what would occur and what to expect with post op care. He started looking over Jake who was sleeping and really looked a bit puzzled and then started asking me to show him the area that was swollen when he came in, and how I thought it looked now in comparison to when we arrived. He excused himself and went to get the other doctor who would be present during the surgery.
After about 10 minutes of the two of them debating, they both walked back into Jake's room and told me that they felt that he had responded so well to the IV antibiotics in such a short time that they felt it would be the best decision for Jake to cancel the surgery and be aggressive with the antibiotics and try to save the mastoid bone. He went on to say that by looking at the CT scan he would agree that Jake was an excellent candidate for his planned Atresia surgery and did not want to jeopardize that in any way by performing a surgery in the same area when he thought there was a very good chance could be avoided all together.
For now: Jake will be on an IV antibiotic and pain medication. His progress is being closely monitored and must continue to improve. We don't know when we are coming home, I have heard some whispering talk of 2 to 3 days with my bionic Mommy ears but have not been given an "official" answer yet. Right now Jakey is sleeping after filling his belly with 3 apple juices and a carton of milk. Right before he fell asleep I asked him, "who loves you, Little Bit?" He answered "EVERYBODY!" Thanks everybody. Keep those prayers coming, they are working.
I sit here still shocked as I am writing this update. There are three things I know for sure right now:
1. Everything happens for a reason
2. Life is Good (no matter what)
3. God is great
Ok, this is going to be a much different update than I thought I was going to be writing to everyone:
We went down to pre-op to get ready for surgery. I spoke to the anestesiologist,the nurse. They covered every detail with a fine tooth comb: congenital anomolies, past complications, future planned surgeries, probability of intubation difficulties and I was as comfortable as I was going to get with having your child's mastoid bone removed.
The surgeon came in to discuss the surgery, what would occur and what to expect with post op care. He started looking over Jake who was sleeping and really looked a bit puzzled and then started asking me to show him the area that was swollen when he came in, and how I thought it looked now in comparison to when we arrived. He excused himself and went to get the other doctor who would be present during the surgery.
After about 10 minutes of the two of them debating, they both walked back into Jake's room and told me that they felt that he had responded so well to the IV antibiotics in such a short time that they felt it would be the best decision for Jake to cancel the surgery and be aggressive with the antibiotics and try to save the mastoid bone. He went on to say that by looking at the CT scan he would agree that Jake was an excellent candidate for his planned Atresia surgery and did not want to jeopardize that in any way by performing a surgery in the same area when he thought there was a very good chance could be avoided all together.
For now: Jake will be on an IV antibiotic and pain medication. His progress is being closely monitored and must continue to improve. We don't know when we are coming home, I have heard some whispering talk of 2 to 3 days with my bionic Mommy ears but have not been given an "official" answer yet. Right now Jakey is sleeping after filling his belly with 3 apple juices and a carton of milk. Right before he fell asleep I asked him, "who loves you, Little Bit?" He answered "EVERYBODY!" Thanks everybody. Keep those prayers coming, they are working.
I sit here still shocked as I am writing this update. There are three things I know for sure right now:
1. Everything happens for a reason
2. Life is Good (no matter what)
3. God is great
Jake's Update November 19, 2009
Thank you to everyone for your kindness, thoughts and prayers. We will continue to need them.
We have finally landed in a room at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. How we got here is a long story, but right now we sit in room 4405 on the wait list for surgery. Jake will undergo a mastoidectomy some time in the day. I will leave you to decide whether you want to google or not. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastoiditis
Right now he is finally resting after begging for water, juice, milk, anything as he hasn't eaten or had anything to drink since Wednesday morning at about 9am because of the pain he had to open his mouth. He is being given morphine pain medication until the surgery to clean out the Mastoid infection.
The staff here is exceptional and I feel like I am in the presence of great people who are skilled in dealing with Jake's specialized care. I thank God that my inability to bend and my passion to be heard didn't let me shut down when I kept insisting day after day after day that there was STILL something else wrong. I thank Paulie for saying "follow your instincts, Baby. You're always right when it comes to this stuff." Complications from mastoid infection include meningitis and brain abscess so catching it in a timely matter was vital.
I will keep everyone posted on Jake's recovery and our anticipated return home. For everyone who has called or texted, thank you so much for the company and not letting me go to that "shut down" place and for making Philly feel close to home. Please pray. He hasn't gotten to where he is without the grace of God. Pray that the surgery is successful and leaves Jake in good health without any further complications.
We have finally landed in a room at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. How we got here is a long story, but right now we sit in room 4405 on the wait list for surgery. Jake will undergo a mastoidectomy some time in the day. I will leave you to decide whether you want to google or not. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastoiditis
Right now he is finally resting after begging for water, juice, milk, anything as he hasn't eaten or had anything to drink since Wednesday morning at about 9am because of the pain he had to open his mouth. He is being given morphine pain medication until the surgery to clean out the Mastoid infection.
The staff here is exceptional and I feel like I am in the presence of great people who are skilled in dealing with Jake's specialized care. I thank God that my inability to bend and my passion to be heard didn't let me shut down when I kept insisting day after day after day that there was STILL something else wrong. I thank Paulie for saying "follow your instincts, Baby. You're always right when it comes to this stuff." Complications from mastoid infection include meningitis and brain abscess so catching it in a timely matter was vital.
I will keep everyone posted on Jake's recovery and our anticipated return home. For everyone who has called or texted, thank you so much for the company and not letting me go to that "shut down" place and for making Philly feel close to home. Please pray. He hasn't gotten to where he is without the grace of God. Pray that the surgery is successful and leaves Jake in good health without any further complications.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
THE DENNY MORE FUNDRAISER MARCH 28, 2009
Last night the Manville/Hillsborough Elks hosted a comedy show starring Denny More. For those of you who don't know who he is, keep your eyes peeled for his next show, this man is amazing! Denny is a comedian, magician, hypnotist that did some things that I would never believe if I hadn't seen them with my own eyes and known practically everyone in the audience who participated! I just can't stop thinking about this show. The night was a huge success with the Elks raising a total of $1700 for our son Jake. Paul and I were fortunate enough to have help help from our friends with Weston School's PTA, who succeeded in selling $300 in chances, totaling 6 tickets to 6 lucky winners for the night for "Jake's Escape" New SUV raffle set to go off on September 12th at The American Legion Post #304 here in Manville NJ.
This night for us was more than entertaining, more than a fundraiser. I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone in attendance. You all made the night exactly what it was and that is a night to remember! Thank you all for the memories and good times. I just keep remembering more funny things that happened!
The Elks members who volunteered in the organization, set up and presentation of this event did a fantastic job! It is solely because of them that this night was possible. I can only hope that the evening was as enjoyable for the folks working the event as it was for those of us in attendance. It was really hard to sit still and not be constantly on the move helping out with the event, but it was made very clear to me when I first arrived for the night with Jake to meet the volunteers that this was my job for the evening. The night started with us being surrounded by the warmth and love of everyone there and ended with us all in hysterics!
We were blessed to meet many of you, who were friends of friends, coworkers of someone who knows someone else that knows us or someone in our family and then some! I have so many stories that came from this one night, it's incredible! We discovered that our friend's sister is good friends with our cousin's girlfriend! We also realized that a family that has been very helpful to us with several events for Jake is the same family that entrusted their own son's daily care when he was a child to my own mother. Small World. Getting smaller every day, and that's just two of the stories!
Coming into this great weekend we received a call from Jake's Endocrinologist and he doesn't want to see us back until the end of the summer with instructions to keep adding calories to Jakes diet whenever possible. In closing tonight I look to my left at our "Little Bit" sitting and eating a bowl of Haagen Dazs Chocolate ice cream, drinking his milk, and singing "We're on our way to Grandpa's Farm".
I'll say it again; life is good!
This night for us was more than entertaining, more than a fundraiser. I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone in attendance. You all made the night exactly what it was and that is a night to remember! Thank you all for the memories and good times. I just keep remembering more funny things that happened!
The Elks members who volunteered in the organization, set up and presentation of this event did a fantastic job! It is solely because of them that this night was possible. I can only hope that the evening was as enjoyable for the folks working the event as it was for those of us in attendance. It was really hard to sit still and not be constantly on the move helping out with the event, but it was made very clear to me when I first arrived for the night with Jake to meet the volunteers that this was my job for the evening. The night started with us being surrounded by the warmth and love of everyone there and ended with us all in hysterics!
We were blessed to meet many of you, who were friends of friends, coworkers of someone who knows someone else that knows us or someone in our family and then some! I have so many stories that came from this one night, it's incredible! We discovered that our friend's sister is good friends with our cousin's girlfriend! We also realized that a family that has been very helpful to us with several events for Jake is the same family that entrusted their own son's daily care when he was a child to my own mother. Small World. Getting smaller every day, and that's just two of the stories!
Coming into this great weekend we received a call from Jake's Endocrinologist and he doesn't want to see us back until the end of the summer with instructions to keep adding calories to Jakes diet whenever possible. In closing tonight I look to my left at our "Little Bit" sitting and eating a bowl of Haagen Dazs Chocolate ice cream, drinking his milk, and singing "We're on our way to Grandpa's Farm".
I'll say it again; life is good!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
This is a tough one
It has been since October that I posted and my apologies for that. The holidays do get the best of me, especially because they are so time consuming.
I am writing this post under duress, as I really don't feel like posting, but the need to keep everyone informed is out weighing low mood so I will suck it up.
The good news is that we are all in a new year and I welcome 2009 with open arms and a fresh new outlook for great things to come this year!
Our family is doing great. Paul and I are on the "weigh down" so to speak. Having 4 boys to chase is not easy and being overweight doesn't make it any easier so here we go! Being an emotional eater doesn't help me much. I have to balance my head and my heart in the right place to do this the right way.
Dylan is just finishing his wrestling season and looking forward to his 9th birthday and a new baseball season, as well as his first part in a school play coming up in May. Casey will have the first birthday of the new year and turn 4 on March 26th, he is so excited! I am sure that we will all experience displeasure, as "Angry April" is just around the corner and since Timmy has to wait out Casey's birthday, Dylan's on the 12th of April and hang in there until the 28th, I am sure he will be his troll like self again while he waits! I am hoping that the distraction of T-Ball beginning for Tim and Casey will make April a little less angry for him.
The newest edition to our family, Mya is doing great and is a very pleasurable girl, but as Dylan would tell you, she's no lady! Mya is a 1/2 & 1/2 Newfoundland/Black Labrador that joined our family on July 12th 2008. It was back in June that our Sheltie Mollie was giving us a scare and we thought we should "prepare" and get the boys a new pup. Mollie miraculously got the spring back in her step soon after our new arrival so now we have 2 dogs! Mya has made herself Jake's dog, and loves him (and all of the boys) endlessly. We are blessed to have rescued her from PAWS NEW ENGLAND through www.petfinder.com and she will be 1 year old in (you guessed it!) April on the 22nd! One more birthday for Timmy to have to sweat through!
Jake is doing wonderful and is learning more and more every day! He is "wicked smart" as Will Hunting would say for all of you movie buffs. At 2 1/2 he is doing quite nicely, despite the hearing loss with such a great vocabulary that we haven't counted words on over 6 months. You can't walk past him without him identifying numbers and letters frantically, it's awesome! Jake is quite a little instigator and spends a fair amount of time egging on is older brothers, especially Casey! It's very entertaining here to see our "Little Bit" causing big trouble, then sitting back and laughing about it. I do have to say that he is my child most like his father and is the most laid back one we have. Thank you, God for giving him such wonderful patience and such a warm and sunny personality! Together with his HOH teacher Nancy Hovey from The Summit Speech School, I enjoy watching Jake rise above and beyond expectations of my wildest dreams for him at this young age. It's sometimes hard to believe that he's only 2 1/2. Despite all of these great things going on around us, Jake was recently diagnosed with FAILURE TO THRIVE. I've inserted a link that describes things there, although I myself can't go "googling"; I know what it is. The short of it is simply this. It's a physical diagnosis. The bottom line is that he is not growing and he has to. We have begun the process of lining up doctors again.
Jake has already seen a nutritionist and followup every two weeks is required with food logs of his every meal to count his calories, fat, & protien.
Today we will see the Ear Nose and Throat specialist and if I'm going to go with my gut here, I will say that we are going to come home with the reccommendation of surgery for adenoid removal . I will be surprised if we are not moving at least in that direction.
Immediately after ENT, we go for cardiology follow up and we are hoping to be discharged from cardiac care. Say a prayer.
If the visit today does not lead us towards adenoid removal, then we will move onward to a pediactric endocrinologist, and gastroenterologist to uncover any other complications that may be holding back Jake's growth.
Although at times I am tired of being tested, Paul reminds me every day I can't falter in my faith and I don't. I just get tired of fighting every day of my life and sometimes feel like I've been beaten with a tree branch. It never seems to fail that when I am feeling at my lowest, around the corner comes my "Little Bit" smiling ear to little ear :0) to remind me what I'm fighting for.
Today I'm wearing the shirt with the glass on it that says half full. Good things are coming.
I am writing this post under duress, as I really don't feel like posting, but the need to keep everyone informed is out weighing low mood so I will suck it up.
The good news is that we are all in a new year and I welcome 2009 with open arms and a fresh new outlook for great things to come this year!
Our family is doing great. Paul and I are on the "weigh down" so to speak. Having 4 boys to chase is not easy and being overweight doesn't make it any easier so here we go! Being an emotional eater doesn't help me much. I have to balance my head and my heart in the right place to do this the right way.
Dylan is just finishing his wrestling season and looking forward to his 9th birthday and a new baseball season, as well as his first part in a school play coming up in May. Casey will have the first birthday of the new year and turn 4 on March 26th, he is so excited! I am sure that we will all experience displeasure, as "Angry April" is just around the corner and since Timmy has to wait out Casey's birthday, Dylan's on the 12th of April and hang in there until the 28th, I am sure he will be his troll like self again while he waits! I am hoping that the distraction of T-Ball beginning for Tim and Casey will make April a little less angry for him.
The newest edition to our family, Mya is doing great and is a very pleasurable girl, but as Dylan would tell you, she's no lady! Mya is a 1/2 & 1/2 Newfoundland/Black Labrador that joined our family on July 12th 2008. It was back in June that our Sheltie Mollie was giving us a scare and we thought we should "prepare" and get the boys a new pup. Mollie miraculously got the spring back in her step soon after our new arrival so now we have 2 dogs! Mya has made herself Jake's dog, and loves him (and all of the boys) endlessly. We are blessed to have rescued her from PAWS NEW ENGLAND through www.petfinder.com and she will be 1 year old in (you guessed it!) April on the 22nd! One more birthday for Timmy to have to sweat through!
Jake is doing wonderful and is learning more and more every day! He is "wicked smart" as Will Hunting would say for all of you movie buffs. At 2 1/2 he is doing quite nicely, despite the hearing loss with such a great vocabulary that we haven't counted words on over 6 months. You can't walk past him without him identifying numbers and letters frantically, it's awesome! Jake is quite a little instigator and spends a fair amount of time egging on is older brothers, especially Casey! It's very entertaining here to see our "Little Bit" causing big trouble, then sitting back and laughing about it. I do have to say that he is my child most like his father and is the most laid back one we have. Thank you, God for giving him such wonderful patience and such a warm and sunny personality! Together with his HOH teacher Nancy Hovey from The Summit Speech School, I enjoy watching Jake rise above and beyond expectations of my wildest dreams for him at this young age. It's sometimes hard to believe that he's only 2 1/2. Despite all of these great things going on around us, Jake was recently diagnosed with FAILURE TO THRIVE. I've inserted a link that describes things there, although I myself can't go "googling"; I know what it is. The short of it is simply this. It's a physical diagnosis. The bottom line is that he is not growing and he has to. We have begun the process of lining up doctors again.
Jake has already seen a nutritionist and followup every two weeks is required with food logs of his every meal to count his calories, fat, & protien.
Today we will see the Ear Nose and Throat specialist and if I'm going to go with my gut here, I will say that we are going to come home with the reccommendation of surgery for adenoid removal . I will be surprised if we are not moving at least in that direction.
Immediately after ENT, we go for cardiology follow up and we are hoping to be discharged from cardiac care. Say a prayer.
If the visit today does not lead us towards adenoid removal, then we will move onward to a pediactric endocrinologist, and gastroenterologist to uncover any other complications that may be holding back Jake's growth.
Although at times I am tired of being tested, Paul reminds me every day I can't falter in my faith and I don't. I just get tired of fighting every day of my life and sometimes feel like I've been beaten with a tree branch. It never seems to fail that when I am feeling at my lowest, around the corner comes my "Little Bit" smiling ear to little ear :0) to remind me what I'm fighting for.
Today I'm wearing the shirt with the glass on it that says half full. Good things are coming.
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