Our Big Deal

Hey...psst! Can you see what my shirt says?

Here. Let me make it a little bit easier for you to see.

Yep, that's right. Around here, I'm definitely kind of a big deal.

Thanks for the great Christmas present Auntie Debbie!

I don't know about you...

...but we've found the holidays to be quite exhausting!

I think what Cassidy enjoyed most about Christmas was opening presents. Oh sure, what she found inside was cool and all, but the actual act of ripping open a present was just magical to her.

And for what it's worth, I think I'm in need of a little vacation from all things "Dora".

(Oh...are you getting tired of seeing pictures of the kids in these holiday jammies yet? I swear they don't wear them as much as it seems). : )

Dylan had a great first Christmas. He must have been mesmerized Cassidy's excited energy because he spent he majority of the morning sitting back in his bouncy chair and watching in awe.

This new football suits him. Look how he immediately put on his tough sports guy face when we gave it to him.

Now I am going to try to pick up the pieces of Christmas craziness around the house. It's a beautiful thing. It really is.

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well.

Holiday Excitement

And...the children were nestled all snug in their beds...er...swings...

From our family to you and yours - Happy Holidays! We love you!

Baby food coma

This was taken literally 1 minute after I fed Dylan his last bite of baby food this morning. I swear, this kid will sleep pretty much anywhere. Besides his own crib naturally.

And yes, that is a pink bib.

Mmm snow! And what has gotten into me?!

While Dylan stayed nice and toasty warm inside the house today, Cassidy and I ventured out into the frigidness. And how does this two year old enjoy her first big snow storm experience? By sitting in a snow bank. And eating snow, of course.
And on a totally unrelated note - something strange has gotten into me lately. I have been so unbelievably motivated to clean our house this past week, it's not even funny.

Before I explain what I've done, you must picture a very cluttered house. I mean, it's not necessarily dirty, it's just filled with lots and lots of...oh I don't know...just stuff.

See, when Dave and I moved into this house a few years ago, we shoved everything into closets, drawers and cupboards all the while trying to convince ourselves that it was a temporary solution to a major clutter problem. Oh, we'll organize all that stuff later. Yeah, yeah, later.

Three years later, here we go. This week I've even gone so far as to organize our Tupperware cupboard, which was quite frightening let me tell you. I've gone through our entire closet and filled garbage bag upon garbage bag of dusty old clothes, gross sheets and towels with holes in them. I have dusted, mopped (OK, so Dave mopped, but still), vacuumed, thrown more crap away than you can imagine. I've purchased curtains for our bedroom, cleaned Bailey's dog bed, and have put a bug in Dave's ear about getting a flat screen TV for our bedroom. Hehe.

Please believe me when I say, this is so not like me. But I kinda like it. Go me.

In the 12s

Yeah! We are officially in the 12 pound range now! Dylan had an appointment with the pediatrician today for his third Synagis injection. He weighed in at 12 lbs. 1 oz., which is up 1 whole pound from his last appointment 2 weeks ago! So, at least the marathon feedings are paying off.

So, that was our excitement for the morning.

What else are we up to today? Eh, just lying around.

Hungry Hungry Baby

The boy loves his food. That's for sure.

So, remember how I had posted a few days ago how Dylan had slept through the night? And how I thought maybe it was the beginning of sleep filled nights to come? Well, yeah. Apparently that one night was a total fluke. Dylan is back to his old tricks of eating every 3 hours and then some. During the day and the night.

Could all of this eating still be the result of his heart surgery? I know that he lost 2 pounds, but I would guess that he's made that up by now. Right?

I have even added 2 additional feedings consisting of pumped milk and jarred sweet potatoes. Well, actually I was using the milk that I pumped while Dylan was in the hospital but that, along with everything else, spoiled when our power went out. Man, that still really bums me out. All that work for nothing. Anyway...so today I used water, oatmeal and half a jar of sweet potatoes. Seems like quite a bit to me, but yet he still seems hungry.

What gives? I do not know if this is normal behavior or if my kid has some kind of tapeworm or something?!

This is what happens when I stop feeding him for 2 seconds so that I can get a picture:

And this:

I feel like he's saying, "Must. Eat. At. All. Times.".

Ahh!

Got Power?

I'm only asking because...well...we didn't for about 3 days. Wow. You know...in times like these, you realize that you never truly know how much you love something like that until it is taken from you. Especially when we are talking about heat. Warmth. In New England. In the middle of December. And you have 2 little kids with colds. One who is recovering from heart surgery. And your house is 45 degrees. Not. Fun.

Luckily, we went to our house on the cape after trying to brave 2 nights in the cold. Why did we wait that long? Who knows. I guess I thought that the power would come back on a whole lot sooner than it did. You know when you're sitting on your couch and you think, Now! It's going to come on right now! I can just feel it!! But...it never did.

I didn't even realize how severe the ice storm was until we went out to get coffee that first morning. There were trees and branches down all over the place. Well that and the fact that the entire world was at Dunkin Donuts.

Well, we are back home now and we are warm. We're watching T.V and playing on the computer. Our Christmas tree is lit.

Life is good.

Shhh...

O.k people, keep this on the down low...I really don't want to jinx it...but...Dylan slept through the night last night!! Ahhh! After 4 weeks of around the clock feeding sessions, he finally tuckered himself out.

Last night I fed him at 9:30pm and as is pretty typical for D, he began stirring about about 1am. I listened to him for a little while while trying to motivate myself to get up. In the meantime, he found his thumb, began sucking and fell back to sleep! He did this quite a few times until morning, but he seemed totally content with his thumb and fingers, so I figured, eh, let's go with this and see what happens.

Honestly, I had started a post yesterday about how tired I was and how I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep up the marathon feedings, but didn't get the chance to post it because Cass insisted that we "do a puzzle or something".

Now, if Dylan can keep up this whole sleeping at night thing, maybe I can get my brain back. Well, part of it anyway.

Getting in the spirit

We picked the perfect day to decorate our Christmas tree! Today is the first time it has snowed this year. I feel like there is just something special about the first snow flakes.

I think Cassidy had forgotten what snow actually looked like. Here she is refreshing her memory as the flakes fall outside.

Dylan was very excited about participating in his very first Christmas tree decorating ceremony.

And of course, we had to try out Cassidy and Dylan's very matchy matchy Christmas pjs. Aww.

A Balance

Dylan braves the cold...O.k not exactly. It hasn't even been that cold here lately. But, I'm a wuss about the weather. And as Dave can attest to, I'm a big time worrier when it comes to my kids.

We have been staying very close to home now for about 3 months. Prior to Dylan's surgery, we were told to be really cautious about germs. Now, after the surgery, we are being told the same thing. Dylan's cardiologist said that he is very vulnerable...both because he is recovering from surgery and also because he has Down syndrome and therefore may have a weaker immune system.

I'm struggling with this whole germ thing because I do not really know how careful I need to be. I'm pretty sure that my 2 year old would love to rejoin the world of play groups and gymnastics, but do I risk getting Dylan sick? Also, Cassidy absolutely loves playing outside, but do I bring out my little guy who recently underwent heart surgery?

I'm trying to find a balance. But I'm conflicted. Even a recent trip to Target has left both Cass and me sick.

I would guess it's safe to say that dressing my son like this...

...in 50 degree weather may be a bit extreme. But then again I just don't know. This whole heart surgery and Down syndrome stuff is so new to me. I don't think I have any idea what I'm doing most of the time.

Any thoughts on the germ stuff?

4 Weeks

I can not believe that Dylan's surgery was 4 weeks ago! I feel like just yesterday, Dave and I were sitting beside him in his little hospital crib...

Today, Dylan had a follow-up appointment with his pediatrician. He needed to catch up on his 4 month vaccinations as well as get weighed again. His doctor was concerned about his weight 2 weeks ago, as he had apparently fallen off of the growth curve. Throughout this whole surgery ordeal, he had lost a total of almost 2 pounds. That's quite a bit of weight for such a little guy.

So, he weighed in at 11 lbs. 1 oz. today, which is up 6 1/2 oz. since his last appointment! To be honest, I would have been completely shocked had he not gained weight...seeing as how our couch is now totally dented in on my side because I spend most of the day and half of the night sitting there nursing Dylan. He's a champ.

His incision as well as his chest tube holes and hernia scar are all healing very nicely. Here he is fresh and clean out of the bathtub tonight.

We're just going to keep plugging away with the whole feeding thing. If he keeps up his current pace, I would guess we'll be back in the 12 lb. range in the next couple of weeks. Go Dylan, go!

Amazing

It's been almost an entire month since Dylan's open heart surgery. And I would guess that he has spent 99% of this time on his back. Because the sternum takes about a month to fuse back together, we have been instructed to be very cautious about how we pick Dylan up as well as how we hold him and what we allow (more like what we don't allow, namely um...anything) him to do. I have been told that because of this, we should expect that Dylan will most likely not make any progress this month. That he will regress. We were told to assume set backs.

Knowing this likely regression, I decided to try him in his Bumbo chair anyway. Just out of curiosity.

Prior to his surgery, he wasn't able to hold his head up very well due to low muscle tone. I would try him in the Bumbo chair, but didn't dare remove my hand from the back of his head.

So anyway...I put him in the Bumbo chair yesterday and voila! Check him out!

He was able to hold his head up better than he had prior to the surgery! The only times that his head flopped back, was when his lovable big sister Cassidy, kissed him a little too forcefully. Kind of like this:

Another BIG milestone for Dylan? Eating solids! Dylan's Early Intervention nurse suggested that we give it a try. If nothing else, just so that he could get used to the feeling of a spoon in his mouth. So, I've been mixing up mostly breast milk with a tiny bit of rice cereal and he's done very well with it!

You know...now that I think of it...I do not know why I've referred to Dylan as the "Surprise Master". Maybe he is not full of surprises after all. Maybe I just need to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Every day, he is showing me that he can do all of these things. Really. I should not be surprised that he can do whatever he puts his mind to.

T-day

Ah, Thanksgiving.

We had a very casual and mellow celebration this year, as we are still suppose to keep Dylan on the down low for a little while longer.

Dave made the entire meal as is typical in this family, as I am totally incompetent in the kitchen. Our plates were full of turkey, gravy, stuffing, squash, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (my personal favorite), grapes and macaroni and cheese.

Yeah, those last 2 items weren't originally part of the menu, but after fixing Miss. Cassidy a nice plate of Thanksgiving deliciousness, an ear piercing 2 year old tantrum followed... thus a plate full of grapes and mac and cheese was added.

Here is Cassidy showing off her grape.

Dylan was a trooper as usual, watching and waiting patiently for us to finish our dinner.

We really did have a nice Thanksgiving. After all, Dave and I have much to be thankful for.

I hope you all had a nice day was well.

Stories

Dylan has become quite animated with his story telling lately. Here he is telling me something of great importance yesterday.

Oh how I wish I knew what this little boy really has to say!

Getting there

While Mama walks around the house like a total zombie, Dylan has a great ol' time for himself! I'm pretty sure he is getting a kick out of all of this eating and not sleeping stuff.

See what I mean?

Nah, actually it's not that bad. We've gone from waking 5 times at night to usually 3 or 4. We are making progress. I can feel it!

Thank you all so much for your comments. I really appreciate them.

five times...help!

That is the number of times that The Sleepless Wonder woke up last night to eat. I fed him 5 times between 7:30pm and 6:30am. And this was after feeding him every 2-3 hours during the day as well. This is not normal...is it?!

I know that he is trying to catch up because of the weight that he lost during surgery, but yikes. I'm exhausted. Like, really exhausted.

I was planning on waiting a month or so before introducing solid food (rice cereal), but now I'm wondering if I should do it sooner. Is breastmilk just not cutting it? But then again, I'm not sure if I am suppose to wait longer...like until he can hold up his head better, or until his body seems better adjusted from the surgery. And does the fact that he has Down syndrome come in to play when introducing solids?

I'm at a loss here people.

If anyone has any opinions or suggestions, I would LOVE to hear them.

Thank you! : )

Rare Sighting

Shhh...look who finally cracked!


Naturally, he fell asleep in the swing, which is in the middle of the living room, with his 2 year old sister going wild and Finding Nemo playing in the background.

Eh, I'll take whatever I can get.

Well, I'm tired. Why isn't he?

I have to admit that I wasn't too thrilled about having to take Dylan to the pediatrician's office yesterday for a 4 month check up or to his cardiology appointment today for that matter. Guess who was pretty happy about it, though? Yep, the Sleepless Wonder.

See, I have been slightly exhausted because Dylan has reverted back to his newborn baby's feeding schedule, ie: feeding every 2-3 hours...even at night. I have heard that this is pretty common after surgery, especially because Dylan has lost almost 2 lbs and is trying to make up for lost time. Good for Dylan. Not so good for Mama.

Not to mention that he has lost all interest in napping during the day.

So, yesterday Dylan got his second Synagis injection as well as one 4 month vaccination. He did well, but I just felt so badly for him having to go through more pokes and prods so soon after his surgery.

We also got good reports at his cardiology appointment today. The doctor said that his incision looks well, his heart sounded good and that we would be able to stop his Lasix in one month. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but there is still a small hole in Dylan's heart. We were told that because it only measures less than 2 mm, it should not be a problem. The cardiologist said that it may even close on it's own in the next few months. We'll go back in 3 months to see.

If you can, would you please send us a quick 'hole closing' vibe... just to be on the safe side?

Thank you : )

A small glimpse as to what it was like...

What is it like to have your baby go through open heart surgery? Well, for one thing, it sure as heck isn't easy. But you know what? Keeping the big picture in mind, we really are so lucky. We were taught a lesson about true love. Throughout this experience, I learned just how much I love my son. I can't explain it. It's like nothing else mattered to me in this life. The whole thing was just overwhelming, really. The love.

Here are some moments from the past couple of weeks that I do not think I will ever forget. Some are wonderful. Some heartbreaking. But they all stand out.

Day 1 of recovery.

The nurse told me that at this time, I believe it was 12 IVs pumping into my son's body at once. The vent next to his bed is breathing for him.

Day 4 of recovery.

The picture may not seem like it, but this was a big day for Dylan. He started to breathe against the vent when we talked to him. He was trying to open his eyes. They told us to come back in a couple of hours as they were going to try to take him off the vent.

This is what D looked like a couple of hours later. I still find this truly amazing. Just amazing.

Day 5.

On the road to being Dylan again. I thought he looked so great here.

Day 6.
I think Dylan was feeling the vibe of this day. Not only did he have to go back into the OR for another surgery, but he also must have felt his Momma's stress. See, his eyes were open this day, but he could not keep them together. They kept crossing and just looked really different to me. When I asked the doctor about this, I was told that sometimes a baby may suffer from nerve damage or even a stroke during surgery. He said that they would contact neurology to come and take a look. Yep, stress indeed.

Later on day 6.

This was a difficult moment for Dave and me. Just when it seemed like our little guy was on the mend, he came back from his hernia operation looking like this. It absolutely broke our hearts.Day 7.

He's back! I remember walking into his room in the morning and he just looked at me with this face. I felt such joy and relief. His eyes were together and were focusing. Yeah!

Day 8.

No tubes. No wires. He's free!

Day 9.

I dressed him in real clothes because we were about to be discharged! My brave little man and I were going home.

Back in Business

Thanks to my incredibly intelligent, amazingly athletic, and stunningly handsome brother-in-law, Brian, our computer is back in business. Brian, you are the best. And we owe you. Again.

Guess who else is back in business? Yep. My little hero, Dylan.

There is so much to talk about, but because I promised some pictures, I think I will start with those tonight.

I have to say this, though.

Any little human being who can go from this:

To this...

...in a span of one week, which involved an 8 hour long open heart surgery to repair two major heart defects, and later on in the week one surprise hernia operation, is by far my biggest hero.

Dylan rocks.

Hands down.

Real quick...

I'm typing this on the 8th floor of the hospital. I've discovered a children's room up here with all sorts of toys, games and yes - computers!

I just finished feeding Mr. Dylan and guess what? I'm staying overnight with him tonight and bringing him home with me tomorrow!!!

Ah, I am so incredibly beyond excited to have him back!

Once my computer is up and running again, I can't wait to show you all some really nice pictures from the past couple of days. He is definitely back to his old self. Well, not exactly I suppose. Yes, it is the same ol' Dylan Ross but with a new and improved heart.

Thank you all for your incredible support. Much love to you all.

Little Set Back

Well...our Miracle Boy had a few set backs today.

During Dylan's heart surgery on Tuesday, a stomach catheter was inserted because he had so much fluid build up. When that catheter was removed this morning, there was a complication and Dylan had an Omentum Hernia. An Omentum Hernia is basically a protrusion of abdominal fat through an opening in the muscle wall of the abdomen.

Dylan was taken to surgery this afternoon to have this repaired. Ugh. Sitting back in that pre-op room was not at all what I wanted to be doing. Poor little Dylan...being poked and prodded all over again.

He did well with the procedure and is now recovering...again. He was put on a ventilator during the surgery, but has since come off of it. He is still on narcotics and is pretty well sedated. When we left the hospital this evening, he was doing well. Sleepy and not too thrilled with his mom and dad, but otherwise ok.

On the bright side, it was not an entire day of set backs, though. One of his chest tubes was taken out as well as his Foley Catheter. His A-line was removed and he can move his arms about freely. Yeah! Hopefully tomorrow the rest of his chest tubes will be removed. Then, I will be able to hold him. Finally.

I am writing this blog entry in an email to my sister Kim. Our computer is on the fritz and Dave's laptop is the slowest thing on earth. Not to mention, it won't let me in my own blog. Sigh.

Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers. I know that Dylan can feel them.

Hello

Whew, we are 4 days post surgery. I apologize for not updating sooner, however our computer decided to break down at just the wrong time. I am writing this from a hotel across the street from the D-Man himself.

Here is a quick rundown of what's been going on with our Surprise Master.

His chest was closed on Wednesday night and he did very well with it. No problems or issues.

On Thursday, he was taken off a major heart medication and was also taken off the medication that was paralyzing his body. Apparently that night, he was trying to move a bit more than they had wanted him to, so he was sedated. Everything was still going along just fine, though.

Yesterday, his heart lines were taken out. These were attached to his heart and were there for monitoring purposes. He had a little bit of bleeding from that, but that has since stopped and he is recovering from that very well.

We just left the hospital and it's about 2pm. When we went in to his room this afternoon, he heard our voices and started trying to open his eyes! He was moving his body and began fighting the vent a bit. As I'm sitting here typing this, he is getting his ventilator removed! Yeah!! We will go back in a few minutes to see how he is doing with that. We are hoping like heck that he does well, so that it does not need to be reinserted. C'mon Dylan!! You can do it, Buddy!

It seems like every day we go into his room, we notice that there are fewer and fewer tubes, wires, IVs, machines etc. It is so exciting to see Dylan's amazing progression.

This has been quite a week. So many emotions...

We simply could not be any more proud of our son if we tried. He is a brave little fighter, we now know that for sure.

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers. They have certainly gotten me through some tough moments.

Lots and lots of love,
Laurie

Update

The Master of Surprises. That's Dylan for you.

We are back home for the night. It's been an extremely long couple of days. Here's a quick run down of what happened.

Dylan's surgery began at about 8:30a.m yesterday. At around 11a.m, the Physician's Assistant came to update us as to how the surgery was progressing. She told us that the surgery was going to be a bit more complicated than they had anticipated. They had found an additional defect called an A.P Window which they did not know about until the surgery had begun. We later found out that they had never before seen an A.P window with an AV canal defect before. Never ever. Ever.

We were updated again at around 2pm and were told that the A.P Window had been closed and they were now going to begin the AV canal defect repair. She told us that because Dylan had been on the heart/lung bypass machine for so long, as well as having to be put on cardiac arrest, they were concerned that his recovery was going to be quite difficult. We were told that he was going to be sick for longer than they had originally anticipated.

At around 3:45pm we were told that the AV canal had been repaired and that he was now off the heart/lung bypass machine. She said that there was still a bit that needed to be done before we would be able to see him.

The surgeon, a genius to be sure, but yet a man of few words, came out to talk to us a couple of hours later and told us that Dylan was doing "Ok" but that his lungs were "not good".

We sat with that information for a couple more hours until the cardiologist came to talk to us. She was much more optimisitc. She was exactly what we needed. We were then able to see Dylan. It was amazing...he is amazing.

Dylan remained stable last night and continues doing well today. He is having surgery done this evening to close his chest. They told us that this may set him back a bit as he will have to readjust. But he's expected to do well with it.

We left the hospital this afternoon so that we could come home to see Cassidy. By the time we left, the the doctors and nurses were just amazed by Dylan's progress. They had originally planned on closing his chest on Friday, but are doing it today because he's doing so well. They have already begun cutting back on his 3 heart medications and believe that there is every reason to be hopeful that Dylan will be taken off the ventilator by Friday.

My head definitely hurts, but I am telling you, my heart is so full of love for this kid. He has absolutely, positively, 100% blown me away. He is so courageous and so strong. As I was leaving today, the Physician's Assistant said, "Don't worry about Dylan. He's leading the way and I'm pretty sure he knows exactly what he's doing".

I took this picture of him today because I find comfort in it. Throughout this whole ordeal, I was faced with the fact that I may not see my baby again. It's funny...before the surgery I thought that I would be afraid to see him in this condition, but it was not scary. It was absolutely amazing and beautiful.

Dylan is truly a miracle.

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers. We'd love it if you could keep them coming...for a few more days if you can : )

It's Time

Surgery time.

Here is a picture of Dylan's chest tonight - pre-surgery. We had just bathed him in that special antibacterial soap: Hibi-clense.

My mom will be here at the house with Cassidy and will update Dylan's blog when she can.

Take good care,
Laurie and Dylan

44 hours

I'm nervous. I'm anxious. Relieved. Restless.

I have no fingernails left to bite.

Dylan's heart surgery is on Tuesday... 44 hours to be exact. Four months of waiting has come down to hours now. I'm so tired, but I can't rest.

I wish there was some way for me to tell Dylan what is about to happen to him, but yet I know it's better that he does not know. He can not anticipate it. He won't go into this afraid.

I've been trying to focus on the moments after surgery. The time when I can see my baby being wheeled out of the operating room.

At night when I'm trying to go to sleep, sometimes images of the actual surgery creep into my mind. I don't want to think of that, but I'm afraid. For Dylan. For me. For my family.

But I am also hopeful. For we have every reason to be. Dylan is going into this surgery strong and healthy. Over the past four months, he has proven time and time again that he is a fighter. I have so much faith in my son.

Yes, we are certainly hopeful. Nervous, anxious, relieved and restless. But above all, hopeful.

We did it!

Whew, 31 straight days of posting and I'm exhausted!

Dylan and I just want to thank you all for taking the time to read our blog. The support and encouragement that has been given has meant the world to me.

Please remember to think of Dylan Ross on Tuesday as he undergoes open heart surgery.

Thank you all so very much.

Pre-Op...check!

Yeah! We are back from Dylan's pre-op appointment! It's been a long day, but Dylan did very well. He was such a brave little guy.

To make a long day short, here is a recap from the sweet boy himself:

I had a sedated echocardiogram, an EKG, and lots of x-rays. I then had some moments of discomfort while the nurses struggled unsuccessfully to find veins in both of my arms for the blood draw.

This is how I felt after all of that poking and prodding:

After the bust of a blood draw, I took a trip to the PICU with my Momma and Daddy to have a nurse take bood from a vein in my head. That wasn't too much fun.

My Momma and Daddy spent alot of time talking to doctors, cardiologists and anesthesiologists.

After getting stuck for a little while in the parking garage elevator, we finally got to drive home! This is me on the drive home from the hospital. Whew, I'm exhausted!

Well...that was annoying.

You know those days where you are just not in the mood for the Early Intervention people? Even though they are here to help, sometimes I just feel like being left alone. Today was one of those days. I mean...my house is a wreck and my pajamas are still on. Do I really need to deal with this today?


It was suppose to just be Dylan's nurse today, but for some reason she brought a PT with her that I had never even met before. Keep in mind that we have Dylan's pre-op appointment tomorrow and his heart surgery on Tuesday. My mind isn't exactly on PT stuff at the moment. And that is exactly what she wanted to talk about. Well, that and the fact that Dylan needs to work on not tensing up his lower body and needs to continue working on tummy time as soon as humanly possible after his surgery. Ugh. Good grief. Can I please just get through the surgery before worrying about all this other stuff. And can my baby please have some time to heal his little body before jumping back into the tummy time routine. Please.


Blech. My kids were happy as clams before they got here and by the time they left, Dylan was exhausted and hungry and Cassidy was flopping herself all over the floor becuase she didn't like the way that the PT rolled Dylan up in her blanket.


My head hurts.

4 Months!

Dylan is 4 months old today! Look at how far he's come.

month 1:

month 2:

month 3:

month 4...today:

I could not be any more proud of you, Dylan. I love you more than words can say.

A little update on the pre-op stuff

Thank you all for your wonderful comments yesterday. I truly appreciate each and every one of them. And while I certainly appreciate the comment that was in German, I can't say that I understand what it said. However, assuming it was something helpful/nice/funny/wise, thank you as well! Haha.

I just wanted to post a quick update about the pre-op stuff. I called the pediatric cardiologist's secretary today and asked about the whole sedation thing. I asked if it would be o.k if we tried the echo without the sedation first and if it didn't go well, then moving on to the sedation. I told her that Dylan has had 3 echos in the past and has never had to be sedated. He has always done very well. She said that we could try it, but to come prepared for the sedation - ie. not feeding him 6 hours prior to the echo. Um, wait just a sec, 6 hours? I told her that I was told 4. Her response: "Oh right, 4. Yeah, sorry. Is there anything else I can help you with?".

Gr. I really can't stand it when I am made to feel like an inconvenience just because I am concerned about my baby.

Anyway, like Jen said in her comment, I do realize that in the big scheme of things this is small potatoes. My baby is about to have open heart surgery and I am worried about a little sedation. I don't really know why I'm choosing to worry about this. Maybe because if I worry about this, then I'm not thinking about the BIG thing...you know...the heart surgery.

Pre-op Woes

Dylan's pre-op appointment has been changed to Thursday, October 30. I got a letter in the mail explaining everything that they would be doing on this day.

Here is what it says:

"Dylan is scheduled for a sedated echo at 10 am on 10/30. He will then have a History and Physical, blood and urine tests, chest x-ray, and EKG. You will meet with the surgeon, the anesthesiologist and will tour the Pediatric ICU. We will confirm the surgery date and have you sign consent forms."

So, along with ten thousand other concerns about this appointment, one of my big ones is the sedated echo. I am terribly uncomfortable with this. I don't like the sound of it and I don't like the whole idea of it, either. I was told by the secretary that Dylan would have to be finished eating 4 hours prior to his echo. You know...I just do not want to have to let my baby go hungry. And then drug him. Ugh.

Does anyone out there in the blog world have any words of wisdom for me regarding the pre-op? I'm stressing out. Big time.

As always, thank you so much for reading. And for your continued support.

Much love,

Laurie and Dylan

Happy Halloween!

Well...it was Halloween in my neighborhood tonight at least.

Look who joined in on the festivities! A Jack-o-Lantern and his big sister, Bunny Rabbit.