One of the best days of our lives

I know I haven't updated since we went to Cincinnati for little M2's Airway Reconstruction Surgery follow up. Life got in the way and I just haven't had time.

Hubby and M2 watching TV in pre-op.

Basically for the follow up he is taken back into the OR and a camera/scope is put into his mouth and down his airway to see if the surgery worked and how it is healing.

M2's reconstruction surgery was a complete success!! His trach was switched out in the OR to the smallest size possible and a cap has been put on the end of it forcing him to use his NEW airway!!

M2 in his room on the Complex Airway Unit after his followup procedure. He has a capped trach, and is eating his dinner while talking on his phone!!

They did keep him overnight to monitor him with his capped trach and he did GREAT!! We were discharged in less than 24 hours!!

Hubby and I were told in December that their was nothing the doctors could do for M2, that he would live his whole life with this trach. That wasn't good enough for us, so we found a new dr in Cincinnati. I completely broke down in the consultation room after we got the good news. I think the NP even started crying. It was Pure Joy.

M2 having M&M's (his favorite)

He has to go back for one more procedure, a swallow study. He has to do the procedure with his trach capped so the doctors can see how he does using his NEW airway. If all goes well from his swallow study he will be admitted and have his trach removed. He will be monitored for 48 hours and then will be sent home, TRACHLESS!! (Is that a word??) He was aspirating a good bit at first after the reconstruction surgery so I understand the need for the swallow study, although over the last 3-4 weeks he's been doing fine and not aspirating at all.
M2 is even starting to talk and babble as a 'normal' baby would. It is a FANTASTIC Sound! Thank you Dr Cotton, and the whole Cincinnati Team. You have truly changed our lives. And for that we will forever be grateful to you.

Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho, it's off to Cincinnati we go!

I know I haven't updated in a while since little M2's surgery, but he is doing just fine. After his surgery and stay in the Complex Airway Unit at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, he came home to recover. And did so, wonderfully. Dr Cotton had said after the surgery that he wanted to see M2 back in no less than 6 weeks, and true to their scheduling M2 is headed back to Cincinnati tomorrow morning, 6 weeks to the day of his Airway Reconstruction Surgery.

Waiting in Pre-Op for a new airway.
M2 had a bit of a hard time at first, having a new airway means learning how to breathe, eat, drink and talk all over again. He did fine with the breathing, and not to bad with the eating, but the drinking and talking was a different story. When we were discharged M2 hadn't even tried to form a word, let alone try to speak one. We were told that was normal and to let him heal, he would start talking again when he felt safe doing it. And true to their word, M2 started talking, laughing and even crying again about 1 1/2-2 weeks ago.
He came home on 'thickened' liquids, meaning we put Simply Thick into anything he drank so that he won't aspirate on his liquids. When he first starting drinking again (about 3 days after surgery) every time he took a drink it came back out of his trach. So when we first came home we were putting 2 packets of thickener in every cup of milk. We've slowly stepped it down aver the last 6 weeks, and last week he was back to drinking regular fluids with no aspirating!!!

Playing in his bed in the Complex Airway Unit after his airway surgery.

So tomorrow we are going back to Cincinnati, Dr Cotton will take M2 back into the OR put a scope down his airway and look around. If everything looks like it's healing well M2 will go to a room and his trach will be capped! Which basically means he will have to learn to breathe, eat, drink and talk again!!

Hubby buckling M2 into his car seat to come home after the last surgery. Do you see that he is clapping his hands??

If he can do all of those things and keep his oxygen stats up he will come home with a capped trach! Which means we are one more step closer to getting rid of the trach!!

So hopefully we are home by the weekend with a happy little boy with a capped trach and he can continue doing what he does best. Playing and bringing smiles to the faces of the people who love him!!

Well....

I would like to update you on how things in the Complex Airway Unit at Cincinnati Children's Hospital are, but I don't know how they are. M2 isn't there.

I would like to tell you he is at home in his bed sleeping comfortably but he's not there either.

He is however at home, running around the living room like a crazy little boy, playing with all his new toys while watching Noggin and eating fish crackers and drinking milk!!

I guess that means he has recovered from surgery?!?!?

We got home around 3pm M does seem to be doing just fine. He is on modified liquids but is allowed to have any types of solids. He goes back to Cincinnati on Sept 30 for his follow up.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. So far so good

A New Airway

Things here in the Complex Airway Unit at Cincinnati Children's have finally calmed down and M2 is finally asleep. Finally!!

After a 2 hour car ride M2's surgery was pushed back over an hour because the surgeon was tied up. M2 held up well with no food or drink and went into surgery in pretty good spirits. His surgery took about 3 hours and he was in the recovery room for over 2 hours. He did struggle while in the PACU (recovery), I have to admit, I was a little scared. They just couldn't get him to stabilize He had a very hard time coming out of the anesthesia and couldn't keep his pulse ox up.

He was transferred straight to a 'floor room' with no ICU stops and was never on a ventilator. He was on oxygen for a little while but it was at a very low percentage and he was weened off that over night. All very good things.

He did eat some pudding overnight and did keep that down but so far is not really interested in eating too much. Although that is strange for him (he IS an eater) I'm sure he has a VERY sore throat and just isn't interested in making it feel worse. All in all he is doing very well, the doctors and the nurses are all very impressed with him. The surgery appears to have worked although we won't know for sure until everything has healed and tests are run in 6 weeks.

M2 certainly has a NEW airway.

But all in all, I think he did very well, and will be just fine. As always M2 has proven that he is a strong little boy and can get through anything. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate all the support.

It's Surgery Day!!

This is a scheduled post.
Well the day is finally here. Surgery Day. 1 day shy of exactly 17 months old and M2 is having surgery. He’s had several surgeries, we’ve done this before, we know the drill.

But this surgery is different from all others. This isn’t the surgery that he was taken to the OR from the NICU and back, this isn’t outpatient surgery either. This is the BIG surgery. The check in and stay awhile surgery. Today, August 19th, my Precious Little Sweetie gets a NEW AIRWAY! We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.
When M2 was first born we were given hope that although he was born with vocal cord paralysis, he might grow out of it quickly. When he was 5 weeks old we were told he wasn’t growing out of it as fast as the drs thought he would and that we should have the trach surgery and go home to live a ‘normal’ life. We were told that as he grew his vocal cords might start working and he would be just fine. But he needed a trach to leave the hospital.


In December of 2008, when he was just 9 months old, those hopes were dashed and we were told there was nothing the drs could do, his cords just weren’t moving and he would live with a trach his whole life.
In March of 2009, just 2 weeks before his first birthday, we found a new surgeon at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital who told us he could perform a surgery so that M2 could have his trach removed. We were told that he might lose part of his voice, and he might get winded easily, and he might have to have some speech and occupational therapy as a result of the surgery but the trach would be out. But he was too young for the surgery. This dr wanted to see him back when he was 16 months old.
On July 20, when M2 was exactly 16 months old we went back to Cincinnati. M2 was old enough, healthy enough, big enough and strong enough. Surgery was scheduled for today, Aug 19. 8 years and 1 day after Hubby and I were married, 1 day before M2 turns 17 months old. Today is the day that changes everything, not only for M2 but for our entire family.

As you can see M2 is the happiest baby in the world. He’s my little lover. He hugs and kisses everything. He smiles and waves and blows kisses at everyone he sees. He lets his Mommy (he can say Mama, ‘around’ his trach by the way) cuddle him and hug him and kiss him constantly. If he walks past me and I’m doing something he almost always stops and hugs my leg quickly and then moves on. He makes me a better Mommy.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t remember the time he spent in the NICU, or the PCIU, or all the procedures he’s gone through, or that terrifying ride in the squad. All of those memories flood my mind everyday. And everyday I am brought to tears to think about how my sweet little baby has spent the last 17 months of his life. And then I realize that he doesn’t know, or care about any of these things, all he cares about is that he is loved. And he is. More than I ever thought it possible to love someone. M2 brings joy and laughter and smiles to our loves daily. I could sit and watch him dance for hours. I love to watch him eat. He has the cutest mannerisms I’ve ever seen. And no matter what he’s doing he is laughing or smiling. And those smiles carry over to everyone that sees him. He just has that effect on people.

He loves to play in the bathtub, and the sand box. Stuffed animals and pull toys are his favorite things to play with. He sleeps with 3-4 stuffed animals every night. He carries them around with him and hugs them constantly. He is way too attached to his pacifier, he takes it out to eat or drink and then puts it right back in.

He loves to ride on his rocking horse and his bull dozer ride-on. He thinks his brother’s toy kitchen is one of the best toys on the planet, and he loves all of our pets. And he LIVES in his crocs.

So today, ‘My Little Sweetie’, my little M2; with the name bigger than he is, gets a new airway. I will be the Mommy sitting in the waiting room, a nervous wreck during this 3 hour surgery, and then I will be the Mommy sitting in the rocking chair cuddling her baby with the new airway.
Please keep my Little Sweetie in your thoughts today, this is going to be a pretty big surgery. I can't wait for this to all be over and for that trach to COME OUT!

What NOT to do...

The things children with trachs should not do.

1. Do not bath in a bath tub, or with other children.

Check

2. Do not where clothes that cover the trach such as, turtlenecks, button up shirts, or ties.

Check

3. Do not play in the sand, beach or sandbox.

Check

4. Do not where plastic bibs or bibs that can cover the trach and airway.

Check

5. Avoid fuzzy or stuffed toys, as well as blankets.

(yes, I know, he is too old to have a bottle, I agree, but it makes him happy. He only has it at night, and I don't want to take it from him completely until after his surgery, b/c they will give him a bottle at the hospital)

Check

6. Avoid animals with fine hair or that shed excessively.

Check

7. No contact sports or rough-housing.

Check

8. No swimming.

Yep, It's confirmed, I am so up for mother of the year!

***Please keep in mind that M2 was in NO danger at all during these activities. The swimming, baths and sand are the things we have to be the most careful of. He wears a cloth bib over his trach when in the sand box, and he is only allowed in it if an adult is sitting right there. Also he is not allowed in the sandbox if anyone else besides his brother is in it. Same rules go with the pool and bath time. Plus in the pool and bath he sits in the baby bath seat. The drs told us to keep our lives as normal as possible and that is exactly what we do, and all of these things are normal activities for our family!!!***

Hello Blog World

Long Time No See!!!! Oh, how I have missed you! The last 2.5 weeks has just been crazy!! Here's a recap...

2.5 weeks ago I had surgery for this, this and this. Apparently the surgery took about 3 hours, my septum looked more like a 'c' and it should have looked like a 'l'. I don't remember much about the day at all. I remember being in pre-op with Hubby, and I remember him handing me my chapstick and saying, 'last chance', and I remember getting and Ice Cap from Tim's (I am in LOVE with them) on the way home, and then I basically remember waking up 5 days later! I know I talked to a couple friends, and my boss, and someone from church but that's about all I remember. I don't even remember what we talked about. The dr kept me pretty full of drugs, and I literally slept for 5 days. I guess that's good b/c I didn't really have much pain, just a headache, and some slight discomfort from the splints and packing. I still have my stitches and some packing now, I go back tomorrow to get those out, but the splints are out. The second week I was pretty nauseous from the drainage but the dr had send home anti nausea pills as well, so that helped. I was off work for 2 full weeks. After sleeping through the first week, we took full advantage of the second week off!!

Last week M2 had his follow up appointment with Dr Cotton in Cincinnati. Surgery is set for August 19. We are so excited. He is expected to be in the hospital for about a week, then home for 4 weeks for recovery, then back to the hospital for monitoring. If all goes well his trach should come out then. So we are basically looking at 2 more months with a trach, and we couldn't be happier. August 18 is our Wedding Anniversary so we are going to Cincinnati then with M2 for dinner and then just staying there over night and then checking into the hospital on the 19th.

While in Cincinnati for the appointment we took the M's on a Duck Ride, we had so much fun.

The Captain of the Duck even let the boys 'drive'. They were both pretty excited!!

The boys were clearly exhausted after the hospital stop and Ducks trip, this was the scene on the way home...My Mom and her friend took M2 and myself to The Homestead for a day of shopping. It also was great fun. I got some decorating ideas along with some more pottery.

M2 and Mamaw...

In the middle of all the madness I made a Birthday Cake for a friend's daughter. We went to the party as well, and the boys had a fabulous time.
Here is the cake with the actual invitation. My friend made the invitations, so I made the cake to match! The paw prints in the corners are pink chocolate!


We even made a stop at the Zoo last week! Here are the boys, ready to go in and visit the animals.

Hubby started his new job at The Ohio State University this week. So far he really likes it.

Now this week is Vacation Bible School. I'm the Crafts Director, and M1 is in his second year of VBS, M2 also attended last night and had the time.of.his.life. I'm sure he'll go again tonight too. Pictures of VBS to come!!

I'm as giddy as a school girl!!

Hubby got a new job!! Yep, he sure did, and I couldn't be more happy, proud, ecstatic, thrilled, excited, etc. He just got the call this afternoon, after 3 rounds of interviews, the second consisting of 5 different interviewers, he was unanimously picked as the final candidate, out of more than 150 candidates.

Did I mention I am proud of him?

Hubby has always worked for a non-profit organization, he truly does enjoy working there. He likes the people, he likes the work, he has a good heart and I think he feels like he makes a difference there. The problem is, it's non-profit, which means non-paying. Ok, they pay, just not very much. He was at the top, manager, can go no higher, will never make a higher salary. It was time to move on! And move on he is. He hasn't given his notice yet, so I can't say where he is going, or where he is leaving, but I can say it is a BIG DEAL. I don't think I have ever been more proud of him. It truly is a big deal to land a job where he did. I think anyone would feel both honored and accomplished to get a job where he is going.

What's that, you want a hint as to where he is going? Um...ok, it has the word The in the title!!

He has some theories about his current job, they were looking at ways to cut some costs so he is going to present some ideas to them that include letting him work part time, evenings and weekends, still doing what he does, but obviously for less money, which will be good for the organization, plus it will give us extra money. Although his salary and benefits at his new job are AMAZING, we are pretty far behind financially, and I hate having debt.

Did I mention how proud I am of my big hearted Hubby? Or that I am GIDDY!?!?! I'm currently doing the happy dance.!!

I don't have many pictures of Hubby, most of my pictures are of the M's. But here is a family picture of us last year at Brutus on Parade, at The Ohio State University. We are huge Buckeye fans. I think our whole family bleeds scarlet and gray. In fact, if you ask M1 what state he lives in he answers 'Go Bucks'. Yes M1, that's the state we live in alright!

And in other news, I mailed the very last payment to Children's Hospital today for (not-so) little M2. He is finally paid for, 15 months after he was born, and 13 months after he came home he is paid for. (kinda makes him sound like a car, huh?) Children's in Columbus is paid off, one month before we head to Children's in Cincinnati. Then, I'm sure a whole new round of payments will begin!Yes M2, it is time to put your arms in the air (and wave 'em like you just don't care) and cheer.

Do you want to do the happy dance with me?

15 Months

This little guy is 15 Months old. It just doesn't seem possible!! M2 and Eeyore leaving the drs office.

He had a well child visit this morning, he's 24pds 10oz and 31 3/4in long. Yep, he's a big boy. After going through 6 months of the RSV shots he doesn't really like to go to the dr. For those of you that's never had to take a baby to have RSV shots, the shots are huge. I don't know the equations used to figure the dosage but I do know it goes by weight. The first 4 months that he got the shots he had two huge syringes, the last two months it went to 3 syringes. They aren't the little syringes like what the Hep and Dtap are in, they are the big guys!!

As soon as we got to the elevator he knew where we were. I was holding him and his grip tightened before we even got to the office. As soon as he saw the nurse he started whimpering and crying. Hubby and the nurse had to pry him off of me just to get his height and weight. He did ok when Dr. F came in, but screamed and cried when she started the exam. Hubby had to hold him down for most of it. I felt so bad for him, he was sooo upset. I really think the RSV shots put him over the edge!

Anyway, she said he looks fine and he's growing well. She asked what his favorite food is. I told her he loves green beans, pizza and oyster crackers, and he hates hot dogs and apples.

She asked how he communicated with us, and if we have ran into any difficulty. I told her I had a sign language book and that I tried that but he didn't seem interested. She wasn't concerned. I told her we always know what he wants and that he can say some words by talking 'around' his trach. Some of the words he can say are: Mama, Dada, hi, bye, Papaw and Hailey (our old dog). I think he can say his nickname too (he won't be able to say his name for a while, M1 still can't say M2's name very well)!! She seemed impressed and said he's able to say almost as much as a 'normal' 15 month old. I do think he is trying to say other things that we just can't understand yet, and he imitates a lot of different sounds.

As I told the dr. these are some of the other ways he communicates to us as well:

~For a drink of milk: hits front of fridge

~For a drink of water: hits front of kitchen sink

~For a meal: hits high chair

~For a snack: goes into pantry, usually points or brings out the oyster cracker container

~For a diaper change, brings the diaper to us (I think he will be potty trained why sooner than his brother was!!)

~If he wants to go outside: he brings his crocs to us.

~If he's tired and wants to go to bed: pulls the sides of his hair

~If he wants picked up: reaches to us.

~If he wants to watch tv: he brings the remote to us.

So for the time being, even if he can't talk to us, he can still communicate to us. It's a 'normal' for us.

Wordless Wenesday

Following Daddy....
For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom and Kati.

Wordless Wednesday

I AM a Rock Star.....

And in case you didn't already know, Chicks Dig Me.

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom and Kati.