Steven - Updated Photos

I took some pictures today of our growing young man. I took him shopping today - it is very strange buying size 18-20 for a 13 year old who all growing up wore the same size as his age. And maybe he just likes his clothes a little baggy.. Humm... I am not sure. Still can't believe the size 9 shoes he wears. Is this normal? I am in new territory.

These pictures are a little awkward but a short little person kept getting in the thick of everything pushing her big brother around. It has been a long day for all of us. Sophia tried to shoplift in a couple stores - putting glitter glue in her pocket at Michaels and filling a lunch box with lip gloss and boys underwear at the department store - I know - I have no idea what that was all about. She is a handful!! I also discovered fingerprints all over the camera lens - I was wondering why these looked all grainy!

Ode to Steven

I am just now really getting into this - which by the way is kind of fun and a bit time consuming. I could get sucked into this easily and let everything else crumble. I am making up for lost time today. Hopefully I will post in other months that don't start with the letter "A". :)

I do want to add a little bit about my boy, Steven, who by the way is getting to be pretty big - to me especially. We measured him today - he is 5'4 1/2" tall - yes - I am adding the half for accuracy. He is in the 8th grade - I know - 8th grade!! And he is currently obsessed with getting a new bike. Most of you don't know that he is the most persistant, obnoxious, got to see it, talk about it, do it right now kind of kid. Now, I am not sure where he gets that from (as I look around and should see a mirror). So, I have told him, Christmas is coming - be patient - give me a list and I don't want to talk about it until I am purple, don't change your mind 100 times, and I really don't need to see any youtube video of guys doing the sweet tricks (seriously!). And maybe I am being a little less than 100% supportive here but we have a little less than 6 mths and I am not shopping just yet. And do you really want me to start showing you papercraft/card making videos on youtube - no?? really?? Are you sure Steve?? Seriously, there is this really cute card technique I found that I am just dying to share. Come on!! I didn't think so. So we are even or at least agree we have different interests and won't bore the snot out of each other with the gory details.

Steven is a good soul though for all his little quirks (which mom has aplenty so he comes by it honestly), he has the best spirit, kind heart and will be helpful in just about any situation. I love that boy more than words can say. We have been together the longest in this family. I am the only one who remembers everything since we have been together - well not everything - but all the trials and tribulations. And boy, did we have some. I only hope we can stay close as we have been in the past especially in the years coming.

He is in the band at school - he plays the trombone, he does well in school - Honor Roll every 9 wks and he has lots of friends. He is taking a break from soccer right now and we are trying to find another team sport. We may just take a break until next year unless we find something he is interested in that doesn't cost us an arm, a leg and a small fortune.

I have to include a couple of pictures of him I pulled off of his camera today. They are from our trip to Disney in February. A little background on these photos - Sophia hated Disney - she wanted to come home. She didn't like the characters at all so we canceled a meal with the furry ones an opted for the Princess dinner. Well, she hated them too - not as much - but no thank you and stay away from me please. So I had to get pictures of someone with the princesses, right?? That was the point of being there. We got pictures of the Pooh Bear bunch at the breakfast we went to where Sophia dived across the table screaming when they came out to greet their guests. So, Steven was nominated - again. I don't think he was in too much pain do you??

I need to post some more current pictures of him. He got braces in April and looks a little older to me than these pictures. He is certainly taller.

Until next time... Who is next??

Recovery - kind of

This is Sophia shortly after waking up. She has her penguin the nurse let her have before the surgery. They were so good to her. Everyone was fabulous! We are so grateful. We stayed there for 2 more hours and they wanted her to drink something before they took her IV out. She wasn't/isn't a fan of the IV. She skips the popsicle she asked for and decides to have a couple of sips of water. Yeah! Her voice is kind of a raspy whisper. The doctor said it would probably change from what we are used to.

Part II of this mini series (jk).

We get home around 1:00pm. We are tired and hungry - at least Kevin and I are. :) She wants a drink - big surprise from our typical thirsty girl. She drinks like there is no tomorrow. Uh oh - too fast!! It comes back to visit all over her blanket and jammies. Fun, fun. We need to take it a little slower - she has no concept. She gets sick on various items 2 more times. Now it is time for the pain meds. They have only liquid - which she hates with a passion. I wish they had pills that tasted like candy that would dissolve in their mouths. I may just write to the pharmacutical company later. :) Right... I have that kind of time. Anyway - getting the pain meds in is a chore - she hates it, we bribe, plead, beg until it finally goes in. She falls asleep - she wakes up 2 hrs later - fever, tummy ache, screaming - I was told by the Physicans Assistant that she shouldn't scream - not that she can't but she really shouldn't scream because it could cause her throat to bleed. So, how do you get a 3 yr old not to scream - it is impossible I tell you. We give up and she finally calms down. This happens many times over as we are to give her pain meds ever 4 hrs. Needless to say by 12:00 midnight we kind of give up giving the pain meds and determine that this might be making things worse instead of better. We let her sleep -she falls asleep while we are with her - so we don't wake her. Who wakes a sleeping child??? No one in their right mind I tell you!

I have been in bed with her (she has a full size bed - so there is room) all night so I keep that up in case she needs me. She is up again at 4:00am in pain so we move to Tylenol. She takes it (again - finally)and falls asleep. Around 6:00am I am wasted so I go to our bed. Sophia is a sideways sleeper - so sleeping with her is no fun and very uncomfortable. I figure I can hear her pretty good and Kevin is home with me all day today too - no big deal. She wakes up later - I forget time. Yea - the Tylenol is good!

We speak to the Drs office and we talk to them about the meds - they suggest changing it to something else. But the taste is worse - ummm - No, thanks! We will stick with the Tylenol and so far so good. We do have to start giving her the antibiotic. This is another tsp of pink liquid. So it is a double fight 3 times a day at least. The routine goes like this:

"No, NO, NOOO!!" " I need my blanket" "No, NO, NOOOO!!" " I need my baby" " I need my drink" "NOOOOO!!" " I need to sit down on the sofa" "Don't count!!!" "Don't TOUCH ME!!" and finally after 5 minutes or more (usually more) - success!! I am practically committing to buying her a car to get her take her meds. (Not really but a huge bag of M & M's has escaped my lips.)

This is her hanging out on the sofa on Day 2 - still uncomfortable - some of her friends have stuck around - only because they can't make a run for it.

She manages a smile for the camera - little ham. :)

This last picture is from Saturday - yesterday. She seems like she is on the mend except for the nasty cough and the wicked nasty bad breath. Her voice is cute - it is like she has been sucking on helium. It is still scratchy and she sounds a little like one of the kids from South Park - Cartman maybe?? I forget those kids names. I am not a watcher soI just don't know.

Well we have another week to go before we go to the Dr again. Hopefully all the effort was worth it and she will be healed properly.

Current mantra - 3 more days of antibiotics - you can do it!!

Sophia's Surgery - 8/19/2008

Sophia had a Tonsillectomy and her adinoids removed on Tuesday. We tried to explain to her prior to the surgery this would be happening, etc. Of course we all know that she is 3 so this flies over her head and she doesn't know really what is going to be happening. I am completely paranoid about her getting a drink of water after midnight. Reminds me of that movie from the 80's - Gremlins - not that she will multiply so much as it is imperative that she not drink water - otherwise she will not be able to have the surgery which we have been waiting for for a couple of months now already. So I am having nightmares about her drinking water or any beverage for that matter most of the night not to mention waking up constantly with worry. Good Times!

Anyway... We wake her up at 5:45 am and head to the hospital. She is groggy - good!! Less demanding more sleepy. On the ride to the hospital - "Mommy, I'm tursty." Of course you are - when aren't you tursty!! The child has to have a beverage cup around her at all times. It was a miracle that she didn't wake up in the middle of the night letting us know she didn't have something to drink and we better hop to it getting her something! (She has done this - I swear!) Hence the nightmares..

I decided to document our short little journey in the hospital and some of the after. I need to scrapbook it for sure.

This is our sweet little clueless girl. It took us forever to get her to change out of her pj's and into the hospital gown. She was tired and cranky for awhile. Thank goodness her surgery was 2 hrs after we got there. Lots of hurry up and wait. She wanted pictures with Daddy too! I just love the sweet, happy, unaware and totally trusting girl.

They had to give her something that would help her transition into a pliable little girl - in other words drug her so she didn't care. The Dr. said it was like having 3 margaritas all at once. How much fun is that!! This was done by force of course- she wouldn't take it easily. You would have thought we were trying to poison her with all the fighting she did. Maybe if she knew how nice it was going to be she wouldn't have fought so hard. :) This is her a little after that. She loves that blue surgery cap. She asked if she could take it home for her doctor bag. She loves to play doctor - as long as it isn't with boys - play away! I've told her she can even grow-up to be one if you wants to. I can't keep her out of our first aid kit and she loves to give exams. She will step on you if you try to get up - excellent bedside manner. :)

She is all smiles - still clueless. Sweet baby girl! She tries to count her toes. 1, 2, 3, 4,....... humm... She tries again. 1, 2, 3,...... the doctor shows up and says she is probably seeing 3 of everything. :)

Well - she is ready - the anesthesiologist shows up and tells us what will happen and they wheel her off. She doesn't even care! She just looks at us like - see you later! I wish this came over the counter and we could use it as needed. I know there would be some wacked out kids out there though.

So we wait... and wait - it seems like forever but it is just 45 minutes to an hour if that. There is a lady in the waiting room who I talk to - she is there as a foster grandparent - complicated. The birth parents are there but not together - the mom is with her new husband. She looks 18 and the dad is by himself. I learn he is 31 and has another child he doesn't/can't see because the mom won't let him visit. He pays child support but he doesn't know were his daughter is - nice situation. He seems to genuinely care about his kids and tells the grandma foster parent that he is so greatful etc for all she is doing and he will call her to see how his son doing later that day (the little 9 mth old boy getting the procedure done). The mom on the other hand shows up late because she slept in - sorry - and doesn't even talk to this lady in the waiting room. Not ready for parenthood for sure. Me - can't sleep with worry. Her - not so much. No judging just noticing differences. Anyway - the small bit of soap opera in the waiting room. It made me grateful for my family and our situation and choices we made to get where we are. Long well traveled road - lots of lessons along the way and detours - ohh - the detours - I judge no one.

Well they call us back up to see her - she is awake and cranky. Same old Sophia just a few items shy of a whole Sophie. Poor baby girl. She is not happy to be here anymore....