Day One

It's been a long day. Not going to bed til 2ish, getting up at 4:45, a little catnap around 10... I am ready to drop. I am sitting on a bed at the Best Western next to Children's, hoping to get more sleep that if I was laying on the little bench behind Brady's twelve beeping machines. Completely zonked until tomorrow, the little boy doesn't even realize that I am gone, which is of course the only reason why I am here, and not there.

The day started pretty well - not too much traffic driving in, then Brady crashed pretty quickly on the sedative they gave him. By 7:45ish he was whisked off to be prepped. By 9:25 they had made their first incision. Not too long later he was on the bypass machine, then at 10:50 the surgeon was walking out to meet us. Things had gone very smoothly to repair Brady's supravalvular aortic stenosis. They also removed a flap that was over the coronary artery, which, apparently, is common with WS kids. And since they were hanging out around the heart anyway, they repaired his little VSD.

He's been pretty much plowed since then; in fact they decided a short time ago to wait to excabate him until tomorrow so he can continue to be sedated. The docs like their patients to be awake to be excabated, but then they would have sedated him again to rest and they didn't want to put him through that back and forth. Brady tends NOT just lay down and chill out, so I think it is a good plan.

So here I sit, with a borrowed laptop (Thanks, Lisa K!!) and a help figuring it out how to work it (Thanks Lisa R.!). I will be able to keep up with everyone over the next week while we are here. Thanks especially to Nanci for all the advice- I am using it all!! And once again, thanks to everyone for their prayers, gifts, Michael-sitting, and dinners... I know the BEST people!

Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the big day - open heart surgery for Brady. We need to get to Children's by 6:30 a.m. and they will start the sedative and be ready by 7:30... wow!

Pre-op went well. He still has a runny nose, but no fever. His white blood cell count was high, but they said it was probably because he had been fighting the virus. As long as he doesn't have a fever, we are good to go.

I have had so many good wishes and prayers, gifts and food come my way -- THANK YOU ALL!! It is a relief to to worry about anything at home, it is all taken care of. Brady is on about five church prayer lists, plus Tom's father's cousin's nunnery - can't beat them! They've got the closest conversations to The Big Man!

I will have a laptop (again, another generous friend) so I will update while I am hospital bound. I will also be on Facebook too.

Thanks again to ALL of you!! Talk soon~~

Random Thoughts

The countdown is on - less than a week now until Brady's surgery next Monday. Funny, time doesn't stop for you to catch up and get everything done when there is something big on the horizon. Luckily, I have had numerous friends and family offer their help in terms of watching Michael, the dog and feeding Tom, and I appreciate them ALL ... I'm taking people up on them as well! Heck, I'm even asking people who didn't offer just because it made sense depending on timing and the fact that Michael wants to play with their child. :) Shy? Nope, not me!

Brady got a runny nose this past week, so I kept him out of school earlier than I planned, but I was able to bring him in so he could pass out his Valentines on Tuesday. He had gone to his FIRST non-relative/non-Mom's friend birthday party from a girl in his class a few weeks ago. He had gone barreling in to the play area with his walker and the kids were all, "Brady! Brady! Brady!" Once they entered the bouncy-filled room, they quickly sped off, but for the first 15 minutes he was the center of attention. :) It was fabulous!

I was lucky enough to see Teresa, pre-Violet's entrance into the world, and meet another WS mom, Tammy. Her son is the same age as Brady and their issues are very similar, so it was great to compare notes and get some advice. I am so glad I got to spend time with them, especially since I missed the January meeting of the WS moms at Laura's (due to trying to get everything done and poor timing) and sickness has kept away Coleman's and Lucien's families.

I am getting a lot of helpful advice from other WS moms whose children have gone through heart operations, and it has been such a blessing. I've been asked if I am nervous, but I honestly haven't had time to think about being nervous. I plan on staying with Brady at the hospital, which means an 8-10 day stay, so trying to get everything organized and done before I take off is all I have been doing. I am borrowing a laptop so I can keep the updates going and continue my ever-growing obsession on Facebook. :)

Amidst all this, we have also had some hard times. My Aunt Sadie passed away on February 1, and it's so hard to think she is no longer with us. She is in our prayers, and I know she is looking out for Brady as well.

I am confident this surgery will do wonders for my little man... I think he will really take off once he has the energy. He already has the drive, it is obvious just keeping him home these past few days. With no fever, no aches, just a runny nose, he was definitely going full speed. How is he going to top this?? I can't wait to see!

Woo hoo!

Even with Brady's sickness for two weeks, he gained SIX OUNCES this past month - he is now at 22 lbs. 1 oz. I was certain he would have lost... man, I wonder how much he would have gained had he not been sick?

I beat him, of course - I gained back all my sickness weight lost :) Oh well....

Kids Bunco

Once a month a group of overtired, kid-free, husband-free, anxiously-going-out mothers gather to play Bunco, a fun dice game that you need not pay too much attention to play. This is great so that we can chat, eat and drink and still play - I highly recommend it to everyone!

One mother suggested getting the kids together for a Bunco night of their own, since many times they are trying to sneak in to play at ours. Everyone turned in $5 and the kids played for dollar-store type prizes. They had a blast.

The mother who organized it suggested giving the $60 raised to the WSA in Brady's name. She is always present at Brady's Walks and visited us in the hospital when Brady was born. Her daughter is just a month younger than Brady and was his first playdate at two months old :)

Thanks, to everyone who came to Kids Bunco and supporting the WSA - and thanks to Shari for putting it all together!

Surgery Update

Brady's surgery has been slated for Monday, February 9; plus we get the added bonus of spending all day Friday, February 6 at the hospital (7:30 a.m. start time!) for pre-op. I also added a Genetics appointment for that day, switched it from January since we were going to be there anyway.

I have to call the cardiologist and ask him a few questions, because I am being asked questions I don't have the answer to! It was a surgery we knew was going to happen, he told us we were having it, so I was all set. We got our summary letter he always sends and there's a few more things they are "concerned" about that I don't recall talking about... or perhaps we did.... even with my mother there it's all info way over my head. Brady has his weight check on Wednesday so I may even ask her a few questions.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! It has been a whirlwind this past month, as I am sure it has been for everyone else. On top of our regular holiday activities, Brady set off a week of sickness beginning Christmas Eve that spread to everyone in our house, plus my parents, my sister, my brother, my father-in-law, two of my sister-in-laws, and my brother-in-law. Now, while we can't be certain that Brady was the original culprit (it IS December in New England, germs are everywhere!) there is a lot of finger pointing at the two-and-a-half foot tall cutie. Everyone is on the mend now, and after going a little cabin fever we are moving into the new year with open arms.

We're always talking about what to give the kids for gifts - I have to say we did well with Brady this year. He didn't need a lot of clothes, but he did get a few outfits that are adorable and pajamas and socks that he did need. He received music CDs and a Veggie Tales Silly Songs DVD that is a hit (with Michael too - he loves "Oh where, is my hairbrush?"). He received Pampers, wipes, Easie Eaters (bent forks and spoons so he can feed himself easier), a few toys but nothing insane. A new backpack for school. The Wiggles toy car (see in pic), a wave drum (loves!), puzzles with big handles (by Melissa & Doug - found cheapest at AC Moore) a music table, a new swing for the swingset and a trampoline that we played with at the WSA Christmas party that he LOVED. Tom did not love putting it together, but I know Brady will love it and it will be good for him.

A friend and I were discussing how Christmas was pared down this year with the economy the way it is and all. She noted that she gave her son just a couple of the items on his list and he was extremely pleased with them and didn't mind that he didn't get the entire list. She said, "I realized right then that we've been doing too much; he was happy with what he got." Something to remember and stick too, even if the economy turns around. I am sure that we're all being taught a lesson by someone above because it seems we all seem to overkill. I think I have a good head on my shoulders, but I know places where we can cut back that would be good for our minds, never mind our wallet.

OK, soapbox #1 is over! Here's a toast to my fellow WS moms and friends out there to a fabulous and healthy New Year -- clink, clink!