Saturday, February 19, 2011

In the Heights and In the Hospital

The two highlights of our week!!  

First though, I'll start w/ my little man Braden and what's been going on with him.  I CAN NOT believe it's been almost exactly a year since his car accident.  I can tell you that I am beyond grateful that to look at him, you would never know what he has gone through this year.  He has healed wonderfully and things are good.  After his two initial surgeries on the day of the accident he has since had one maxiofacial surgery to detach the right side of his lip from the frenulum.  The majority of the trauma to his face has been the scar tissue build up from impact (again, stuff you can't really see on the outside, thankfully) and as the scar tissue was healing inside his upper lip, it was attaching itself to the gums.  

Our other scar tissue issue, was the "caving in" of the nasal cavity causing a few other negative side effects.  AND this is what nobody sees but has been the hardest part of the recovery.  Since he fractured his nose in the accident and sustained so much pressure there has been the continual build up of scar tissue within his nose making it really hard for him to breathe and even harder to SLEEP!!!!  This little guy has not had a full night of sleep in a year b/c he is constantly waking him self up gasping for breath. Insufficient airflow through the nose causes grinding, apnea and all sorts of other issues.  So, this brought  us to our last procedure... resolving things with an Ear Nose and Throat Dr./Plastic Surgeon.  


Yesterday we made hopefully one of our last trips to the Hospital/Medical Center for one day surgery.  The doc wanted to perform a nasal endoscopy, remove the adenoids, and then once he was all the way in he was going to make the final decision on what to do with the scar tissue build up.  There were several options... the worst case being cutting through the nose and essentially scrapping/removing the tissue itself.  The only problem with that would be re-scarring and re-build up :(

LUCKILY, after finishing the first two procedures, he found out the tissue was still soft enough so he ended up injecting 4 different areas with steroids hoping to "melt" (his word) the tissue down.  Only downside to that is we will have to go back in 8 weeks for another round of steroid shots in the nose (it's outpatient/one day again... but still... it's ONE MORE THING and that means a lot to Braden).  

Amazingly today, Braden is doing GREAT!!  I mean, even yesterday as soon as we got home from the hospital, he was up and at it, doing every single craft project we could think of!!  He was extra HIGH and extra LOW at points from being on Lore-tab, but really things are going to be fine!!!  He hasn't complained of pain (Dr. said the steroid injection points would be sore) but NO COMPLAINTS... just lot's of ENERGY!!  Yeah!  I am so happy and grateful.  

I'll finish this post on another happy note.  Wednesday (after lot's of strep at our house) Blake and I finally got to go on our Valentine's Day Date!!  We got 5th row seats to "In the Heights", one of my favorite Broadway shows that I had been dying to take Blake too.  Last year, Ashlee and I won "lottery tickets" and front row seats to the show during our trip to NYC.  It also happened to be on the same night of the "car bomber in Time Square"... ring a bell?!!!  So, the show was delayed an hour and half and we were quarantined inside the theatre for the evening... but it was a FABULOUS show and a great memory (I know it sounds crazy, but it was a fun memory) and I couldn't wait to see it again.

I have to say, the tour show was just as talented and amazing!!  Blake loved it too and leaned over half way through and said, "thanks so much for bringing me".

Okay, hope everyone has a great weekend!!  We will be laying low, but happy that the recovery is going so well!!  THANK YOU for all the thoughts and prayers sent our way this week.  They are so appreciated!!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

V-DAY OR BUST!!

Hope everyone had a fabulous Valentines Day!!  We are still a bit hunkered down... I'm getting over strep, G over an ear infection... Blake caught something yesterday... all on top of getting ready for Bray's big surgery on Friday!!  Still we had a beautiful day (70 weather was gift enough!!)

I SURE LOVE MY BOYS and Valentines Day is a great way to celebrate that!!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Oooopsss! That was meant for my work Blog...

But it's too cute to erase!! I forgot to sign out of this blog first (it's late!!) Guess I'll go repeat the entire post on Hart to Hart!!  Oh Well!

Oh BABY!! Graham Newborn Session Sneak Peek {Charlotte Area Newborn Photography}

How adorable is this little Teddy Graham!!  I had the pleasure of shooting lil' Graham last week and while Newborn sessions are one of my favorite genres (do I say that about every kind?!) they can definitely be a bit unpredictable!!  This little guy was persistent... he DID NOT WANT to sleep, so we got some nice "wide-eyed" shots...

There are times however, when these little guys just don't want to be posed and folded and fiddled with.  What do you do?  I still go for the shot...

And then rely on a bit of photoshopping (still his face, just from a pose I didn't like as much)

FINAL "PRINT" shot.  What a beautiful little bundle.

I think by the end, we finally wore him out!  He collapsed into a milk coma on Mamma!!   All in a days (or 2) work!

Sunday, February 06, 2011

My "WRASTLERS"

No... it's not a typo!!  It's how Papa says it, so it's how we all say it... and wrastlin' is what they do best!!!  

We went to our nephew Tanner's High School wrestling tournament this weekend in Marion.  It was all we could do to keep these little bear cubs off the mats.  Finally when they were down to the last match and the second mat was free, B&G ran down (with head gear and all) and started wrestling up a storm.  All the attention from the stands and onlookers turned to my guys... it was sooo funny!!  People were cheering, taking pictures and video.  I didn't have my good camera, but today, someone emailed me these!!

I think we may be watching a little too much Nacho Libre around here!




Thursday, February 03, 2011

Sunday's Bridal Fair

If we're friends on facebook you may have read about my crazy SUNDAY!!  Church at the crack of dawn, Bridal Fair all day up in Concord AND THEN hosting all the Young Women and their Parents (from church) for dinner and a youth discussion.  It was a doozy!!  Thank goodness for HELP.  I had a fabulous assistant at the bridal fair (makes such a difference w/ 2 people) and of course Blake who made the entire dinner and desert and had the house clean and boys contained when I ran in the door 20 minutes before it was supposed to start.  BTW, this is a night when LST (latin-standard-time - at least 30 minutes AFTER designated start time) came in handy.  

It was actually a good day, BUT I've never been so excited to just flop myself down on the couch at the end of it.

Part of my excitement for the bridal fair was my NEW BACKDROP *squeal*.  I have been trying to get my whole "booth" look together for 3 years now.  I FINALLY decided to just splurge and buy the real deal... I mean, I loved the one Blake built me out of PVC pipe, but it was time.  It came in the mail on Tuesday and Saturday around 11p we finally had the time to put it together.


It looks complex, but really it's 15 mins tops to pop up and put together!!  SO AWESOME!

Of course, in my hurry I forgot to grab my camera.  Here's a crappy "phone picture" that doesn't do the booth justice.  You get the idea!!  Let the weddings roll in...