Carter's Recovery

Yesterday Carter woke up from his afternoon nap back to normal.  I'd actually say he woke up guns blazing.  At one point I went to the bathroom and came back in to find this:

I was at the far end of the hallway by our bedroom and Carter was walking into the kitchen.  I said, "Carter, where are you goin?"  Just like I normally would.  He jumped in surprise and whipped around to look at me.  Normally he just continues walking and pays no attention to me.  I always thought he was just ignoring me because he had important places to go.  Now I'm wondering if he couldn't hear me before.  I was also impressed with his balance.  He seemed much steadier walking, fell a lot less, and didn't put his hand out for help when walking up inclines or steps.  I thought it was possibly the placebo effect.  Carter gets ear tubes and suddenly I think his walking is better, but it was the first thing his teacher mentioned when I picked him up from daycare today.  She was very impressed with how much steadier he was!  He did great at daycare today, but I forgot how tired and needy he is when he comes home from daycare.  He wanted me to hold him all night and followed me around pulling on my legs and reaching desperately for me!  I was trying to eat my dinner and Ty was finished so he picked Carter up and had to walk into the other room so he couldn't see me.  I overheard Ty say, "Daddy or nobody, those are your options."  It was so sweet and I was so proud of him!  We are excited to see how the tubes effect his speech as well!

Excited to play on the toys at daycare!

So glad you're here, mommy!

Carter's Ear Tube Procedure

This morning when our alarms went off at 5:00 am Ty was so eager to turn them off, he tried to roll over me to get to mine!  I hit snooze and slowly rolled out of bed assuming Ty was not going to get up with the first alarm.  I was pleased I had been able to sleep.  I was worried nerves would keep me from catching any rest, but I slept soundly until about 4:30 am when I awoke and struggled to fall back to sleep.  Fortunately the more information I read about the procedure Carter was to undergo, the better I felt.  I knew he would only be in surgery for about 10-15 minutes and the procedure is the most common childhood surgery.  We needed to leave at 5:30 so I waited until the last minute to wake Carter.  He's had a few mornings this past week where he woke up at 5 or 5:30, but of course today was not one of them!  I went in a little after 5:20, rubbed his back, carefully pulled him out of bed, changed his diaper, and off we went.

A little tired, but ready to go!

We arrived at the hospital a little before 5:45 and got checked in quickly.  Carter was a little bit tired, but fairly alert during our wait.  There were multiple other children in the waiting room most likely undergoing the same procedure.  One little boy was definitely a morning person and was running all over the room, talking, and keeping his parents on their toes.  Carter sat in my lap for quite a while and then wanted to walk around.  Then he read a book with daddy and not long after we were taken back to a room.  

Watching the other little boy run around the room.

Just chilling in the waiting room.  You can see the busy boy in the background.

 

Reading with daddy.

The first thing I noticed walking into the room was a little teddy bear sitting on the miniature bed.  The nurse told us the teddy bear was for Carter and we even had to sign a release saying we got to take the bear, but understood the button eyes could be a choking hazard!  Ty signed paperwork while I held Carter.  The nurse had us change Carter into a gown with tigers on it which we all enjoyed.  She put a monitor around his toe and then we placed booties on his feet.  They gave him some medicine our doctor had described to me during our appointment that was supposed to make him feel calm.  The nurse described it as goofy medicine and said he may act goofy and he would look like a drunk toddler if he attempted to walk.  I held him and we rocked in a rocking chair in the room.  He got sleepy initially and then got a bit goofy smiling and then leaning in really close to my face and biting my nose.  After biting my nose a few times and grinning ear to ear about it, he leaned in and chewed on my shirt.

Changed into his tiger gown.

He was not pleased that I set him down, he wanted to be held!

So I obliged of course!

When we first entered the back area they had me set Carter on a scale to get his weight.  He screamed and cried, reaching for me the whole time.  I was thankful they gave him the medicine to calm him because when the nurse came to get him and wheeled him out of the room, he just sadly looked at me and reached his arms up to be picked up.  There was no crying, screaming, or breaking of my heart as he was wheeled away.  Ty and I were sent back to the waiting room after being told the procedure would last 5-10 minutes and the doctor would come out to talk with us after anywhere from 15-30 minutes.  After speaking to the doctor a nurse would come to take us back to a recovery room once Carter opened his eyes.  We sat down in the waiting room to eat the snacks we had been given and then I headed to the bathroom.  When I came out I was shocked when Ty said I had missed the doctor.  A few minutes later the nurse came out to get us and take us back to Carter's recovery room.

Starting to get sleepy.

 

Before Carter was taken away the anesthesiologist described to us what would happen before, during, and after the procedure.  He told us the recovery area would be a sad place with lots of crying, not because the children are in pain, but because they don't like the way they feel from the anesthesia.  He said even when you try to soothe them they will typically still cry.  I was so glad he prepared us for that because as we were walking down the halls, before we even got to the recovery area, I could hear Carter crying.  A momma knows her baby's cry and it sure was hard to walk the nurse's pace and not run ahead to find my baby.  When we got to little man he was laying in the bed.  I scooped him up and held him as he screamed.  I had a bit of a flashback to the newborn days as I realized I needed to support his neck because his head was flopping around.  When I first picked him up, he continued to cry, but I could see him start to come to a little bit more because he looked up at me and stopped crying as I rocked him back and forth.  They got Pedialyte for him to drink and he drank so violently he soaked the front of my shirt.  We packed bananas for him, but didn't even attempt to feed him.  He was struggling just to drink.  

Poor guy was so upset in the recovery room!

After just a few minutes in the recovery area, monitoring his breathing, we were released to go home.  He was still crying a little bit off and on, but would look up at me and stop occasionally.  We pulled out of the parking lot at 7:45, just 45 minutes after he was wheeled into the surgery area and 2 hours after arriving.  I was so thankful everything had gone so smoothly and our sweet boy was on his way home.  We fed him a banana and some more Pedialyte before changing his diaper and then all 3 of us crashed in our bed for family naptime.

Chugging Pedialyte on the way home.

Carter woke up from the nap really fussy, but he was just super hungry.  After feeding him and sharing some cuddles he was ready to get up and play.  He played for about 3 hours and was ready to take another nap.  I am amazed at how quick the recovery has been!  He is doing really well and other than being a little bit fussier than normal, is acting his typical self.  We have to make sure no water gets in his ears for 3 days and will give him drops in his ears for the same amount of time.  Then it's business as usual.  We don't have to worry about keeping water out of his ears or protecting them any more than we already would after the tubes have time to settle in!   

Eating some dark cherries after his nap.

Down for nap #2.

Grandmas and Grandpas and Greats, Oh My!

This weekend we went to Ty's hometown to visit his family.  Ty's parents and both sets of grandparents live in the same town so Carter got to see his grandparents and his great grandparents.  It's right around a 4 hour drive and we've really struggled with the trip in the past.  Normally we leave right after Ty gets home from work and arrive after Carter's bedtime.  Under those circumstances the trip ends with an hour or hour and a half of Carter tiredly crying.  We decided to try something different this trip.  We bathed Carter and put him in the car seat ready for bed.  He fell asleep within 30 minutes of leaving and slept until the half-way point when we drove through a town and the street lights woke him up.  He cried for 30 minutes before I reached back and cupped his face in my hand.  Feeling my touch, he stopped crying and eventually fell back to sleep.  When we arrived Carter fell back to sleep within a few minutes after laying him down in his Pack N Play.  Our new plan worked perfectly!

Ty took the day off on Friday so we traveled Thursday evening and had all day Friday and Saturday and then a half day Sunday before traveling home.  Friday morning we visited one set of great grandparents for breakfast, Carter's Gigi and Papa.  Papa had made a rocking horse for Carter to play on.  He also took Carter on a tour of his shop.  Carter thought it was fabulous and loved walking around, falling in saw dust, and checking out all the wood.  Aunt Tina also came to see Carter and brought her 2 dogs.  Carter loved the dogs and followed them around saying doggie.

Sitting in a high chair used by many more before him!

Reading with Papa!

Checking out Papa's shop.

Kisses from Papa.

Checking out the backyard with Gigi.

We headed back to grandma and grandpa's in time for a light lunch and naptime.  Carter was exhausted from all his visiting and exploring and napped for 3 hours for the first time in months!  When he woke up we headed straight over to his other great grandparents' house.  He began to realize that each new house he went to had a whole new set of toys for him to play with.  He had a blast playing with all the toys and practicing going up and down the stairs.  We took a nectarine with us for Carter to eat as a snack.  He walked by the table, saw it, grabbed it, and walked around eating it.  I was shocked!  I had never given him a whole fruit to eat bites of, I always cut it into pieces for him.  I was amazed to see him go to town eating it!  Carter's grandma and great grandma were both on the floor playing with him.  Then he wanted to go down the stairs so his grandma went with him and his great grandma stayed at the top of the stairs.  They threw a ball back and forth and Carter thought it was hilarious!  Just now looking through the pictures, I'm so disappointed I didn't get a picture of him with his great grandma.

Carter with great grandpa.

Multitasking with his nectarine!

 

Grandma cooked potato soup for dinner, but Carter was not a fan.  He hasn't had soup before and I think it had more to do with him not being successful feeding himself.  He's all about feeding himself and will slap your hand or spoon away if you attempt to feed him, unless you are sharing something special from your own plate!  After dinner grandma gave Carter his first full hair cut.  He got a little trim around the ears before his first birthday, but this time he got a big boy hair cut.  While I was watching I was so torn.  He looked adorable with his new hair cut, but he also looked so much older!  I got a little bit emotional during the hair cut although he definitely looks very handsome now!  

 

Handsome big boy hair cut!

Saturday we stayed at grandma and grandpa's house and took it easy.  Carter's grandma surprised everyone when she came out in an outfit that matched Carter's!  Despite the cold temperatures we ventured out to the park after Carter's nap.  He enjoyed the slides and attempting to climb the ladders.  That evening Gigi and Papa came over for dinner and were impressed with Carter's appetite as well as his range when throwing unwanted food from his tray!  Carter tried his first cookie and loved it!  Carter's grandma got down on the ground and chased him around on her hands and knees.  At one point Carter rushed over to me and was so excited about her coming up to him he was laughing and shaking from excitement.  It was the cutest!  After dinner Ty's best friend, Brian, came over to visit after dinner with his new fiance, Annie!  After 10 years of dating they just got engaged!

Carter posing with Gus the Gorilla.

Eating his first cookie.

 

This morning great grandma and grandpa came for breakfast and we enjoyed time together before the KU game.  Soon after they left it was time for us to hit the road so we could take off at naptime.  Carter napped for an hour and a half and then woke up and played in his car seat.  He did a great job on the ride home!  We were very pleased with Carter's traveling during this trip and are excited to make the trip again soon!  Carter's ear tub surgery is tomorrow.  We have to arrive at the hospital at 5:45 am and his surgery is scheduled for 7 am.  Please send thoughts and hugs our way!  I will update tomorrow letting you know how everything goes!  Hopefully by 10 am we will be home snuggling and recovering!

Spring Break Picture Recap

I skipped Wordless Wednesday this week because I wanted to share information about our follow-up appointment with the doctor so everyone would be in the loop.  So here are some pictures that didn't fit with other posts I would have put together for Wordless Wednesday.  Our spring break has been a blast and I am definitely not ready for it to come to an end!  Thankfully next week begins 4th quarter which means I only have about 9 weeks left before I'm home with Carter FULL TIME!!!!  I feel so fortunate and love Ty more every time I think about it!

This week we enjoyed morning snuggles which turned into me rocking while holding a sleeping baby most days.  He is starting to get a little bit big for me to hold him during naps, but that doesn't phase him.  He loves it and will wiggle around to get comfortable!  I am so fortunate to have such a snuggly baby!  I will skip just about anything for an hour holding my sleeping boy!

Getting his finger nails clipped.  Daddy's done it exclusively since Carter was about 3 months old!

Taking a break to check out the tv with daddy.

When we pulled out the St. Patrick's Day decorations Carter quickly found a string of green beads.  He's played with it all week and we are thinking we'll have to leave them out for him.  He loves to practice putting them on and then taking them off again.  I've been amazed by how much entertainment the beads have provided!

The weather has been wonderful all week with chilly mornings but great temperatures in the afternoon.  We've spent at least a little bit of time outside every day.  He enjoyed playing on his cars, with his wagon, and had to go up into Harper's look-out corner of the yard to check out what she does up there!  He also loves to walk up and down the little hill in your yard.

Checkin out the view from Harper's look out corner.

Picking out his wagon at the store with grammy and grampy.

Grammy trying out the wagon after daddy put it together.

When my parents came down my mom finished up the curtains for Carter's big boy room.  We've been working on the room a little bit at a time.  We are going with a storybook character theme.  We will use the Skippyjon Jones quilt my mom's friend made for Carter along with the Skippyjon Jones painting Thomas made.  Thomas is making three character paintings for the room The Pigeon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and The Lorax.  His toy box Ty and I made him for Christmas will work perfectly and I've put his Curious George basket on the floor filled with board books for easy access!  We just started on the room a couple months ago, coming up with ideas and I'm amazed at how quickly it is coming together!  It's definitely still a work in progress, but the walls are painted, we've been playing around with furniture, switched the queen bed out for a twin bed, and moved everything out of the closet.  I'll do a post on his big boy room when it's finished.

The front of his toy box.

Checking out his curtains!

Waiting for food at restaurants is so hard!!!!

Our Miscarriage Follow-Up Appointment

I woke up feeling much better today but I had been dreading today since I called to make the appointment last week.  It was our follow-up visit with my OB/Gyn.  Unfortunately our appointment wasn't until 3:30 so I had all day to worry and fret about it.  I hoped it would be warm enough in the morning to take Carter to the zoo.  I figured getting out of the house would help keep my mind off it.  Unfortunately it was a cold morning.  I tried not to let the appointment loom over me like a dark rain cloud all day and was successful until about 1:00.  I started feeling sick to my stomach and felt like I could break down crying at any moment, so I packed Carter up and we headed out for a run.  It helped a bit, but not as much as I had hoped.

Reading a photo book one of my mom's friends made us from when Carter was born.

My parents had decided to come visit to help Jeremy get his washer and dryer hooked up.  They arrived around 2:00 and before I knew it, it was time to leave for our appointment.  On the way there I caught myself picking at my cuticles, a horrible nervous habit of mine.  Ty beat me there and it was such a relief to see him.  The receptionist handed me paperwork to fill out and I got busy.  There were questions about pregnancy on the papers and I started to get teared up.  After I finished the paperwork I looked around the room.  Of course it was filled with women of varying degrees of pregnant.  I had been unsure of how I would feel seeing a pregnant woman, but it still made me happy.  Every time I see a pregnant woman I smile because I think of how much I loved being pregnant and how much joy having a baby brought into my life.  I was relieved this experience didn't take that response away from me.

The nurse came out to get us and I was so ready to get the whole thing over with.  While we waited for the doctor to come in, Ty tried to keep my mind off things, but I was struggling.  I glanced at the ultrasound machine and so many memories of happiness and excitement were brought to mind.  I thought about seeing Carter on that screen for the first time and hearing his heart beating away.  So much of me still wished that was what we were there for.  To see our baby and hear it's heart beat for the first time.  Last week I had secretly wished we would come to this appointment and my doctor would do an ultrasound to reveal a fetal pole and we would laugh that they had gotten it all wrong at the hospital.  But then one night as I was getting ready for bed I saw the sac in the toilet and I knew it was all over.  Still sitting in the room with the equipment next to me and remembering how it had been before, I longed for what could have been.  For what we would have been doing on this day had last week never happened.


When the doctor walked in I had tears in my eyes and pulled it together.  He did a quick ultrasound which revealed an empty uterus which calmed most of my nerves.  I'm so ready to put this whole thing behind me and didn't want it to be carried on by a D&C or any follow-up appointments.  My hope that everything would be back to normal in my body was my reality and I was so grateful.  As he always does our doctor took the time to chat with us and answer questions.  After talking with a few people I became worried that I miscarried due to getting pregnant right after going off birth control.  He assured me that was not the case and actually right after going off birth control is a great time to get pregnant because your hormones have been suppressed and your body realizes it can now make a baby.  My second fear was calmed!  I had read that the percentage of likelihood for miscarriage goes down after you've had one and he said that your chances of having a second miscarriage is about 4%.  That made me feel even better.  He told us we could start trying to get pregnant again as soon as we are ready.  As he walked out of the room he said, see you in a couple months.  He is such an amazing doctor.  I went from teary eyed before he came in to laughing after he left.  I am feeling up beat and positive and I am so thankful for our doctor!  Now I can put this behind me, be thankful that my body took care of what was needed, and look forward to the future!   

Carter has been all about rubbing food in his hair lately.

Trying to be a red head like his grandpa!