Update on Max

Yesterday we took Max to the pediatrician's office because his stitches haven't come out. According to the plastic surgeon, who put them in, as long as we followed his instructions, there was a 2 in 1000 chance of them not coming out. Well, I guess it's a 3 in 1000 chance now. There are two issues. The stitches haven dissolved yet and the Dermabond, or glue, that he covered them with has complicated it even further.

We saw Dr. Penny, a doctor we have never seen before. He took a close look at it and said there was nothing he could do because of the glue. He said that we needed to go back to the ER at Scottish Rite because maybe they had a solvent such as acetone that they could use to remove the glue. He told us they'd refund our copay.

I called the hospital to make sure we should be going there and the person that answered said that we should be able to go to their urgent care facility. She said they were just as equipped as the ER for things like that and it would save us some money. I asked her to make sure they could handle it. She called them and they said that we did need to take him to the ER because of the glue.

When we got there, the nurse that checked us in said that she couldn't believe that the doctor sent us.  She said that Neosporin or petroleum jelly will dissolve the glue. I started to get upset because I felt that the doctor should have known that. The copayment  at the doctor is $25 and it's $100 at the ER. I almost said that I wanted to leave after she told us that, but figured that we were probably in the best place to have it done correctly, since no one else seemed to have a clue.

We saw Dr. Bachelor who first asked why we needed the stitches out that day. We told him that the plastic surgeon told us they needed to come out by day 7 or he would have dot scars from them. He told us that the stitches can take up to 10 days to dissolve and that it wouldn't increase the chance of the marks if they stayed in that long. He also said that he didn't like when some doctors put the glue over because it causes problems like this or can trap bacteria under the glue. He prefers to put a Steristrip over it, because it's easily removed.

He said he'd do what he could. He put some petroleum jelly on it and tried to get some of the glue off. He worked around the edges of the glue for a few minutes but pulled it up by the stitches. Max screamed so loud and high that I knew it was hurting him. Sure enough, he started to bleed a little. He stopped after that, saying there was really nothing else he could do, because the sutures had obviously not dissolved yet. He gave us instructions to apply the petroleum jelly 3-4 times a day to dissolve the glue and if the stitches don't come out by day 10, to take him back to the pediatrician to have them removed. They gave Max a popsicle after the whole ordeal which made him feel better. I hope it tasted really good because it cost us $100!

The whole thing frustrated me! I felt like the doctor at the pediatrician's office should have known what dissolved the Dermabond...especially since he called it by name. We shouldn't have had to go all the way to the ER just to pay $100 for them to tell us there was nothing they could do.

So now, we wait. We've been putting the salve on and it seems to be dissolving the glue, but I'm not sure the stitches will be ready to come out by Sunday, especially since he re-traumatized the area by pulling at the stitches before they were ready to come out. I'm scared that it may make a worse scar because he did that, too. All we can do is continue to pray for it to heal as well as it can, while we do our part. I think we all relived the trauma of last Thursday a little when we had to hold him down for the doctor to try to get the glue off. It's horrible to hear your baby screaming at the top of his little lungs because he's in pain. I hate it for him. I wish I could take it away, and I know Travis feels the same. Hopefully we'll have this all behind us very soon and we can move on. We just ask that you continue to pray for healing for our sweet baby Max. Thank you!

Here are some pictures from Thursday night, before we saw the doctor.. You can see that the glue is coming off and one of the stitches, with glue attached, is loose. One came out by itself, too. The rest are very tight and stuck in the glue.

When it rains it pours...

I wish we could have skipped this week. Just getting over the trauma of Max's fall last week, we began this week with a fresh outlook, a little bit more caution, and an appreciation for life and health beyond a cut that will heal.

Monday started out OK except for the fact that there were very few work tasks for me during the day. It was kind of nice to be able to just focus on Max while he was awake. I worked that night making up my hours for the day. Tuesday was the same, barely any work during the day, so Max and I played and did some organizing and chores around the house. About mid-day, however, I noticed that it was getting pretty warm in the house. I checked out the thermostat. It was set to 73 but the temperature in the house was 77. I called Travis and he said to check a couple of things. It didn't help, so I called our A/C servicer. They said they could come out that afternoon. They said that it probably froze up, so I should turn the A/C off and leave just the fan running.

By the time they got here it was up to 80 degrees. Max and I were staying cool in front of the floor fan, but it was pretty uncomfortable, especially being big and pregnant. The guy checked out our system and said that we had a bad leak. He strongly recommended that we replace the A/C system, because it's 10 years old and this is probably the first of many leaks. It would cost them $800 to fix it and about $4000 to replace it. Whoa! That was tough news to hear! Travis and I discussed it and figured that we should probably just replace it because of the possibility of many costly future repairs.

We decided to get a second opinion and set up several estimate appointments for the next day to try to get the best price. Travis stayed home from work that morning, to help with the estimates. The second tech that came out gave us the same advice as the first, and we got 4 estimates for the repair ranging from $2600-$3600 depending on the brand. Travis went to work after lunch and Max and I headed to Target to buy some shelving for the garage.

I called Travis on the way home, because a lady wanted to come look at one of the desks we were selling, and I told him I preferred if he were home when she came. He said he was already home. I asked him why and he told me that he had been laid off! I didn't even know what to say. I was dumbfounded. I told him I was almost home and we would talk then.

When we got home, he told me that he went in to the office and couldn't log in. He asked around and after a while, they came around to his office and told him that the company was doing poorly after loosing a big government contract and that they had to let him go. They also told him that he would get no severance pay. It's a small company of around 30 employees, and they laid 40% of the company off that day, including his boss, and even the owner's uncle.

What a shock! What a week! Travis applied for unemployment and started his job hunt Thursday. I worked with a couple of companies who were bidding against each other for the A/C job, and we were able to get one of the companies to come down to $2320 with no credit card processing fee, which is normally 3.6%. We scheduled them to do the work Monday, with the hopes that the leak is slow enough that the freon will last though the weekend.

We don't know how long it will take or what God's plan is, but we have faith that he has something better for our family. The outpouring of encouraging words and prayers has been so wonderful. Lots of people have offered resources and contacts to Travis. Travis' former boss recommended him to his recruiter. Our brother-in-law, Pat, offered to put in a good word about Travis for a job opening at his company. The lady that bought the desk from us sent us a list of her recruiters. Our good friend Kristine has a friend that does the same work and offered to talk to her about any openings at her company. The list is long...we are so grateful!

As you can imagine, it's easy for us as humans to dwell on the possibility that he won't find work for a while. Our insurance will run out at the end of the month, which is not a good thing when you have a baby due in less than 4 months. The negative thoughts could be crippling if we let them take over. We're choosing, however, to focus on God. We choose to stay positive and have faith that he won't give us anything we can't handle. We claim his promise that He will neither leave us nor forsake us. We choose to let this make us appreciate what we have more, make us stronger as a family, and stronger as a couple. All that really matters in the end is that we're in heaven with the people that we love. We need your prayers. The next few weeks and maybe months aren't going to be easy, but with your prayers and encouragement, we know we will make it though.

22 weeks preggers

Well, this time around, the pregnancy is flying by! We have a little over 4 months and our family will be expanding to a party of 4. I'm excited about it...and nervous at the same time. No telling what life will be like with 2 boys under 18 months...well, I guess I have an idea, but I'm praying that it'll be easier than I'm imagining it'll be. I'm hoping Baby 2 will be a champion sleeper, Max will be speaking fluent English, and I'll have the energy to manage being a work-at-home mom of 2. I may have set my hopes too high, but I can dream!

I'm feeling good, aside from minor back pain and a few headaches. I'm not so big that I can't maneuver around and I still have energy to carry Max around and occasionally dance to a Yo Gabba Gabba beat. Don't get me wrong, I'm tired, but I'm managing pretty well, still. In a month or two, I may be singing a different tune...

So here is a photo of me at 22 1/2 weeks, taken today, with both of my boys. Max was happy to be the king of the hill and I'm sure this won't be the first time he pins his little brother. I realize I'm in for a life of wrestling, sports and dirt...and I'm OK with it. Wouldn't trade my boys for anything! They are everything to me!

Gramma's, Grampa's and Madeline's Visit

Gramma and Grampa decided to come visit, this past Saturday, to see Max after his exciting night at the ER. Saturday morning, Madeline was asking a lot about Max and seemed very concerned, so they said she could come along, too.

After a long trip to our house, which included waiting in traffic behind 2 wrecks, they made it here. Max was shy at first, as Madeline presented him with a special surprise she had picked out of her own toys to give him. Madeline loves her toys and would keep them all forever if it was up to her, so this was a very big gesture! The wrapping paper was even a picture she had colored. Inside, he found a squishy purple hippo, which he began chewing on almost immediately. He loved it! She is such a sweetheart!

 Had to add this one...Madeline even did her make up to come see Max! 

Max warmed up quickly and he and Madeline had a super fun time playing together! 

Max loves giving hugs...and they are so sweet!

Bath time! Max was either being very modest or he found something to play with. :) You can tell Madeline enjoyed the pizza she had for dinner!

 All clean!

Reading with Gramma

Reading one of the truck books Gramma and Grampa gave him

These two are so lucky to have such a wonderful Gramma!

We had a great time visiting and playing...Max and Madeline wore each other out and both slept like logs that night! We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our family!

Planes, trains and automobiles...

I don't know what makes boys like what they do...and makes girls like what they do. I guess it has to do with hormones or something, but it's pretty amazing. There just seems to be something in a boy's make up that guarantees that he'll love things that GO! Whether it's an airplane, a ball, a train or a car...Max loves it! Don't get me wrong...he loves other things too. He loves books, acorn caps, sticks and playing in the dirt, too, but there is just something magnetic about things that move.

I love watching him play. It all just seems to come naturally to him. We tell him the sounds things make, but he just seems to know what to do with them, without us telling him. He's a curious, adventurous, sweet boy, the perfect mix, and I hope he holds onto those qualities into adulthood...they'll take him far!

Max's Big Fall

Thursday, June 9, had been a good day. Max had slept 8 hours straight the night before...for the first time ever! He was in a good mood, cheerful and energetic. The morning went by fast, while Max played with his trains and watched the men resurface our street. I was able to get quite a bit of work done before and during his nap, which was nice. Unfortunately, I developed a migraine in the early afternoon, and since I had gotten enough work done, I decided to call it quits for the rest of the day. I laid on the floor while Max climbed all over me, squealing with delight. There's no rest when you have an active 1 year old!

In the late afternoon, when my headache was finally gone, I took him for a walk and we got the mail. When we got home, I let him play in the back yard, while I mulched the flower bed. He had a great time playing in the dirt of the garden pots...so much fun, that he was covered in a thin coating of dirt from head to toe.

When I was finished outside, it was almost 5pm. I stripped Max down to his diaper and washed his hands and arms. We sat together on an ottoman, by the sliding glass door, eating some delicious ripe mangoes. It's an ottoman that no longer fits in our living room and Max loves to sit on it and look outside. He gets up and down from it, easily, so I left him sitting there and gave him a rice cake to eat. I went to the laundry room to get some pajamas I had washed that day, intending to take him up for a bath before dinner.

All of the sudden, I heard him fall and start crying. I rushed into the kitchen and he was laying on the floor, rice cake pieces around him. I thought he would be fine at first. The ottoman is only a foot or two off the ground and there's nothing dangerous around. But when I turned him toward me, I saw a 1 inch gaping cut on the left side of his forehead. My stomach dropped. It looked so horrible! I quickly surveyed the area and could only conclude that he fell onto the metal strip that guides the sliding glass door. It isn't sharp, but it's thin. Thankfully, I got my whits about me quickly and grabbed the kitchen towel. I held him on my left side, wrapping my arm up and around to put pressure on the wound. I grabbed the phone and called 911. He was screaming so loud in my left ear, though, I could hardly hear what the lady was saying. After I gave her our address and my phone number, I was going to give him an ice pop to distract him, but I heard her say not to give him anything to eat or drink. I threw that on the counter and ran upstairs with him, hoping the TV would distract him enough so that I could hear her instructions. It worked. She told me to do exactly what I'd already done, which is to use a towel and put firm pressure on it to stop the bleeding. Luckily, I had done it so soon after it happened, that he didn't lose a lot of blood. She asked if he was displaying any warning signs that would indicate a brain injury, and I assured her that he wasn't. He was alert and acting normal. She said the paramedics would be there shortly. I quickly called Travis and filled him in. I told him I'd call him with the details of where they were taking us. We made our way downstairs, unlocked the door and waited for them. I let Max watch Winnie the Pooh on the iPad, which kept him calm.

The emergency personnel arrived within 5 minutes and they checked him out. They wrapped his head and helped us get our things together quickly and we headed out to the ambulance. They got his car seat out of the car and we strapped Max in and headed to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta-Scottish Rite. I called Travis and my mom and they said they'd meet us there. Thankfully, playing a game on the iPad kept him calm and he even took a little nap on the way there. The EMT said it was fine since he hadn't shown any signs of concussion earlier.

Travis beat us there, and when we arrived, we were directed to ER room 47. Nana and Papa arrived shortly after we got there and they took turns being in the room. Even though the rule is only 2 adults, the staff was very accommodating and allowed us to have 3. The EMT stayed until they could see us. We had to wait a while because a helicopter arrived with a child, just as we were going in. We were actually 3rd in line. We let Max play on the iPad, and Nana lent us her fun bracelet for Max to play with. We put it around his Lambie's neck and made him dance and jump around, which kept him occupied. At one point he really wanted to get down an walk around and Travis held him and showed him all of the neat stuff in the room, which kept him happy for a while.

We finally met our nurse, Sarah, and she put some LET anesthesia cream, which contains Lidocaine, Epinephrien, and Tetracaine. It helps stop the bleeding and numb the area. After it had been on the cut for 30 minutes, Dr. Harper came to see us. He explained everything that was going to happen and what to expect. He asked if we wanted to help hold Max down or if he should get more reinforcement. Travis and I both agreed that we wanted to be the ones to do it. We laid him with his head at the bottom of the bed and the doctor lowered the foot and raised the head of the bed, so that Max's head was much lower than his feet. I held Max's arms and torso and Travis held his legs. A nurse held his head, and the doctor placed a blue cloth over his face, with just a hole exposing the cut. That, for me, was one of the most difficult parts. He was hysterical and confused and couldn't see anything. As the doctor started closing the cut, I talked to him so he could hear my voice, and then began to sing Old MacDonald to him. Nana and the nurse joined in, and it helped some. The stitches on the sides of the cut seemed to hurt him the worst, and it seemed to take forever. We went through all of the animals and had to start over again since we ran out.

When Dr. Harper had finished the stitches, he applied glue over the wound to make it waterproof. He explained to us that on days 3-7 of the coming week we have to use a soapy washcloth and rub the wound, 3 times, 3 times a day, to get the glue off and the stitches out, otherwise there would be pock parks from the stitches. He said that Max could take a shower and that we should keep him on a schedule of Tylenol or Motrin for pain. We asked for a dose at the hospital to make sure he was comfortable on the ride home.

By the time he was finished, it was around 8 and Max was hungry! They gave him a blue ice pop and within minutes he was bouncing happily in my lap, no sign of being traumatized by what he had just been through. I also had some Cheerios in the diaper bag. When we offered them to him, he grabbed them by fistfuls and shoved them into his mouth.

After some paperwork, we left the hospital around 8:30 and headed home. He was sleepy but stayed awake until we got home. I called and talked to his Gramma who offered loving, encouraging words and who said they would come see Max this Saturday. She will be bringing some special scar cream that is highly recommended. Max is so lucky to have such wonderful grandparents!

When we got home, I walked into the kitchen and saw that the green ice pop I had opened had melted all over the counter making a huge mess. I cleaned it up and fixed him a cut up corn dog and yellow squash for dinner. He gobbled up the corn dog, drank lots of milk and wouldn't touch the squash. While I fed him dinner, Travis went to get him Motrin, since we were almost out. We gave him a bath and finally got him to bed around 10pm.

It was difficult for me to fall asleep. I kept replaying everything that had happened. When sleep finally came, it was restless. All I felt like doing was holding and cuddling him...keeping him safe through the night. I was glad when he finally woke at 2:30. He was pushing his head into the corner of the crib, like he sometimes does to feel snug, and I think it hurt the cut, which woke him up. We gave him another dose of Motrin, I nursed him, and he went back to sleep pretty quickly. He woke again at 6am, I nursed him and we cuddled in his chair and he fell back asleep. I sat there thinking about everything again. For a few moments, I let myself be overwhelmed and I began to cry. I cried partly because our baby had gotten hurt so bad, and it was awful to see him in pain...awful to see the blood pooling in the thick gash...difficult to see the little curved needle sewing up his soft, once perfect, baby skin. I also cried because I felt so blessed...an inch closer to his eye, and he could have lost his eyesight. I am so thankful for his Heavenly Father and guardian angel that kept him safe. It could have been so much worse! I kissed his sweet little cheek and put him back in his crib. 

He woke for the day at 8:15 and was bright and alert...cheerful! I'm not even sure he remembers anything from yesterday. He ate a good breakfast. We made our funny faces at each other and spent the morning playing and cleaning the house. Travis suggested that I just focus on him, and work during his nap, so it was a fun morning together, without the computer!

His Nana came over around 10 and they went outside for a while, while I continued to clean the house. He got to help her water the flowers and clean off the front porch, which he loved! After they were finished, she helped feed him a snack. He was sad to see her go, but loved the time they spent together!

Because of our dear friend Kristine, we found a lady that was interested in buying our guest bed and TV stand, so we can transform our guest room into Max's big boy room. She and Kristine stopped in around noon. Max wasn't his usual self, since it was naptime, but he got some lovin' from Kristine, which made him feel better.

After they left, I was upstairs putting him down for a nap, and my mom sneaked back in the house with a bouquet of gorgeous flowers and a note telling me what a good mom I am. It meant so much to me that she would do that! They were even the flowers I had mentioned I liked the best, when we were at Costco a few days ago. Like I said before...we are so lucky that Max has such great grandparents! They are all so supportive and involved!

Yesterday was a very scary day...one I hope we don't have to relive ever again! It scares me to think that he's only 1 and has so many years...so many opportunities ahead of him for accidents to happen...bikes, skateboards, cars. It just means, though, that we have to trust in God even more. I know that He is taking care of both of our babies. He loves them more than we do. I have to trust this fact...for my sanity and peace of mind. I'll admit...I've been paranoid today, but I'm working on it. I'm praying for him everyday. This parenting thing is hard. We can't do it alone. The support of friends and family make it possible. The overwhelming amount of messages and prayers helped us get through it. It takes a village, and we are so grateful for ours!

Here are some pictures from yesterday...

In the ambulance...the iPad helped so much! Thank you for such a great Christmas gift Papa! Max has a monitor of some sort on his toe...probably for oxygen or pulse.

The cut...so awful to look at!

 

All stitched up! 8 stitches! He's got bragging rights...more stitches than Daddy!

 

The ice pop was just what he needed!

 

About to eat dinner...happy to be home!

The ramblings of a work-at-home parent...

To all of you who have been work-at-home/stay-at-home parents, you know what a blessing it can be...and also how challenging it can be, too. I try to balance everything, but sometimes it feels like I'm not doing a very good job. I know that Max is starting to dislike my laptop, because it means I won't be playing with him. I wish I could only work when he's sleeping, but I'd never get enough hours in. Add to that the fact that most days lately, it's been extremely hot and the air quality is horrible even in the early morning, and we can't go outside, and you have a boy that's not always so happy.

Yesterday we went to lunch with one of our good friend, Amy. It was great to get out of the house. We had a nice visit while Max people watched and flirted with a pretty blond at the next booth. You could tell how much he loved having a change of scenery. After we ate, I let Max out of his stroller, and he almost ran the whole length of the mall and back, only stopping to watch a guy that was dancing with a video game and to meet a little boy with a Thomas train like his. It was so great to see him so happy and free.

 Max is a boy that only needs wide open spaces, fresh air or a little dirt to make him happy. He's strong, independent and adventurous. I admire all of these qualities, but they also make it more of a challenge to keep his playtime interesting and engaging. I've recently split his toys up and stashed half of them away.  I plan to rotate them, so he has some new things to look at once in a while. While I'm typing this, he's eating a snack and throwing raisins and Chex on the floor, which he'll be picking up when he's finished eating :)

 I'm praying that I'll find a balance to this new way of life to keep him happy and occupied so I can bring in the extra money we need. It's going to be extra challenging when Baby 2 arrives to find the time to work, but I know that we are living God's plan and He will provide and will help me find a way to do it all.

I'll add to this that I know that being a work-out-of-the-home parent brings it's own set of challenges and emotions. Travis doesn't get to see Max all day like I do, and I know he cherishes the nights and weekends when they can wrestle, read books and play cars together. I know he misses seeing some of the firsts that I get to witness, too.

I just think that being a parent, in general...juggling everything that comes along with it...is one of the hardest, most unselfish things anyone can do...but that it is also one of the most rewarding. I would never want to go back to being without my boys! They are God's gift to us...perfect and beautiful, in a world of sadness, war and discontent, and I am so thankful for the blessings they are to my life. I hope that they'll always feel how much they're loved, and when they're all grown up, they will look back at their childhood and know that I did my best to raise them to be loving, kind, and respectful human beings.