to smile!

Jillian & oatmeal...

Hooray for oatmeal!!!

She makes me smile :o)

another update...

Today is post-op day 6!

YAY! We are almost half way! The doctor said 14 days of recovery which encompasses light activity and monitored diet. Eli continues to do really pretty good about every other day. I think that is due to maybe eating more and just plain over-doing it on those good days. He is SOOO ready to be better so he can run, jump, growl, yell, etc. - everything boys are made to do! It is really difficult to keep trying to restrict him but I know I need to.

Trent has his tonsils out about 2 years ago and on day 10, in the evening, he changed his breaks on his car. (I know, probably not a great idea, but like the current situation, how much can you restrict a boy/man from doing boy/man things!) We went to bed and then around 1:30a.m. I was woken up to my husband puking up blood in the bathroom sink! Maybe a little too much info for some of you, but that's what happened!! I called the ENT on call and we went into the ER. Trent had to go back in for surgery to stop the bleeding because it was so bad. Eli has the same surgeon and not a single appointment goes by without the doctor commenting on how terrible Trent's situation was. Doctor said "that was probably the worst one ever!"

Needless to say, I'm a little uptight about what "light activity" means. Who wouldn't be!

Eli has been waking up, from naps & in the morning, crying :( We haven't been waking him up in the night for meds and drinks because that was going horribly and I figured he needed his sleep. I think he's crying because his throat hurts. I feel terrible but when I would wake him up, he'd cry more which would just dry out his throat. So, I was not only drying out his throat more but I was interrupting his sleep! One had to give. We go to the pediatrician on Wednesday for well-child checks and the following week we have Eli's follow-up appointment with the ENT. I hope all goes well in between :)

No rain in the forecast for this week so hopefully we will get outside and do some fun "light activity". 

Have a great Monday!! :o)

update

Today is post-op day 2:

Yesterday was a good day. Eli ate pretty good - pancakes, ramen noodles, jell-o, pudding. He also drank fairly good. We were told that he should drink 2-3 times more than he usually does.....we didn't meet that. I didn't attempt to wake him up in the middle of the night since he doesn't normally accept that very well. At 5:30 Trent went up to have him drink and take some Tylenol. He refused a couple of times and then gave in.

Today, he isn't eating so well. I made him pancakes and eggs for breakfast and he only picked at it a little. Then mac-n-cheese for lunch and he only took about 3 bites :( Drinking hasn't been going so well either. I think he's about around 10 ounces! UGH! He should be at like 30!!! His pain is under control with the Tylenol. Today was also the last day for his ear drops - thank God because he doesn't really like those. (We had a bad experience with eye drops so when I say ear drops he freaks a little and is quickly reminded of the eye drops. I reassure him its for his EARS and that it doesn't hurt...it just kind of tickles...but I don't even really know). Right now he is eating string cheese. He doesn't really go for the really cold stuff so it's hard to entice him with ice cream and yogurt and mr. freeze pops...so hopefully he gets hungry enough here that he'll eat supper! Overall, he's doing pretty good and in good spirits. He woke up from his nap and said "Mommy I'm starting to feel much better....can I have some candy?"

Molly and I made homemade play dough today. Molly wanted purple but it turned out more of a mauve color and we made blue for Eli. It kind of feels weird, but it works and it says it should last 6 months!

Well, that's my update. Not much other than that going on around here. Just enjoying the fall-like weather :) Perfect for a little boy who can't really do a whole lot of running around.

Have a wonderful evening!!!

Check back for more updates & hopefully I'll have some fun posts soon!! 

Eli had surgery....hopefully his last!

Hello again!

Today Eli had his tonsils removed and had his 3rd set of tubes placed. I thought I'd keep a journal/update going on his progress. Just like I like to listen to other parents talk about how their child did with surgery, I'm sure I would have read a blog/journal/update about a child's recovery. So, here we go!

Let's start with a brief history...

Eli Daniel Thomas 3/4/2008 7# 10oz. 

Not a happy camper. This should have given us some insight as to what our next several months looked like. Okay, so it looked like this picture above....except it got bigger (as babies generally do).

November 2008

Eli had a "plugged tear duct" starting from about 1 month until 9 or 10 months. (the really yucky picture I have was possibly too yucky for some...this picture actually isn't too bad). I was always told it was plugged. It would ooze green goo and he'd get a runny nose, but it was still diagnosed as plugged. He was treated for his 1st (diagnosed) ear infection around July 2008. He was a fussy boy until he was on antibiotics - his attitude would be better while on the antibiotics (until about the 3rd day off), and his eye would clear up. Could it have possibly been a really bad ear infection that was just oozing out his eye because it had no other place to go? Maybe. 

July 10, 2008

Eli's 1st set of tubes. It went really good! We were expecting that he'd freak out when they came to take him back to the operating room, but he didn't! They brought a warm blanket in our room, wrapped it around his shoulders, and the anesthesiologist took him back. We were transferred to the recovery room and barely got settled in and the doctor came to chat with us. My heart sank! I thought there was NO WAY it was done. Something had to be wrong! CHILL-OUT AMANDA! We got a great report! The surgery was in fact done (approximately 15 minutes) and it had needed to be done because he was full of puss! EEEWWW! Note: at his check-up with the surgeon about 5 days before the surgery, I was told that the ear that was full of puss "looked clear"! Oops! Yes it's possible that it developed in that 5 days....but I just think it was so deep that the infection couldn't actually be seen by the otoscope. By the end of surgery day, he seemed like his normal healthy self  :)

 July 13, 2010

Just before Eli's 2nd set of tubes. This time, his adenoids went! Same thing. I thought he was going to spaz when the anesthesiologist came to get him....but he didn't! YAY! He kissed us and off he went....telling some story about his little monkey. This surgery went a little longer - maybe 30 minutes or so - due to the adenoids. Everything went as planned in the O.R. He came back to us with an IV and had to drink around 8 ounces of fluids before we left. He was pretty groggy, but didn't fuss much. He drank his fluids, his IV came out, and we headed home. Recovery was great. He was to be careful when blowing his nose, but otherwise it was pretty simple restriction-wise.

Prior to this surgery he was on Omnicef. After surgery we were advised to finish out the antibiotic +1 day...which turned out to be 11 days. 3 days after the antibiotic was finished (7 days post-op) we got this:

 Head to toe hives! UGH! It was concluded that Eli is probably allergic to Omnicef. The chiropractor says it was probably his body reacting to the stress from the surgery (which I tend to believe - having had a previous experience with stress induced hives). Everyone else ( among the health care providers that we see) says it was most likely the Omnicef. It took a couple of days to clear up. It actually started out on his torso and spread all over the rest of his body over the course of 3 days. On the 2nd day, we gave him Benadryl and it seemed to help quite a bit! By day 3 it was nearly gone.

In between each surgery, his tubes fell out and he had around 5 ear infections (between each set of tubes).

Which brings us to today...

June 21, 2011

Before surgery:

After surgery:

3rd set of tubes and no more tonsils! His surgery lasted around 30 minutes or maybe a little longer. The doctor said his tonsils definitely needed to come out. They apparently were HUGE! He was crying as he was starting to wake up, so they calmed him down a bit and then brought him to us. He was definitely NOT a happy little boy! He was crying :( and just looked so helpless! I felt TERRIBLE! He said he was going to throw up (which is normal), but thank God, he didn't! The nurse said that Eli had to consume 10 ounces of fluids before his IV could come out and if he was stable, we could leave shortly after that. We thought 1-2 hours, tops! WRONG! Surgery started at 7a.m. and we left around 1:30p.m.

Eli didn't want to drink. Understandable. He wanted his IV out. Understandable. He was tired. Also, understandable. And, he just wanted to go home... .ME TOO! Poor little guy! He was given some medicine to help with the nausea, and some pain meds to control his pain.

He drank a little of everything, ate some jell-o, watched some cartoons, slept a bit, read some books, and drank some more. Finally, he met the requirements and we headed home. 

He gets a little fussy as the medicine gets close to wearing off...so we are trying to keep on top of that. He ate pancakes, jell-o, and pudding tonight. Healthy, I know! Powerade and water have been his drinks-of-choice. Whatever works! 

We were told to wake him up in the night, every 4 hours, to drink and take Tylenol. I just attempted. I got him to drink, but he totally refused his medicine. So, I guess I'll either try to slip a little in while he is sleeping or not, and let Trent try again at 4:30. Overall, I feel like he's doing pretty good considering what he's been through. Thank You, Lord, for bringing us this far!!!

Please, if you have taken the time to read this, take just a little more time and pray for Eli.....and all of us....

Thanks! I hope to continue giving updates on his progress. Maybe this will help ease the mind of an anxious mom, or just give someone a general idea of what this entire process sort of looks like....I don't know.... 

Anyway, it'll be here. :o)

Adios!  

Okay, so it appears that I'm on somewhat of a blogger-break. I've got a ton of information zipping around in my head from the NICHE conference, it seems we are constantly filling up our calendar, and then of course are the normal household chores - grocery shopping, laundry, showering/bathing everyone, etc. You get it! Due to project overload, "It's a great day..." is getting put on the back burner - which is TOTALLY fine! Or I could just leave you in great suspense and say "I've got something brewing....it's gonna be good....stay tuned!!!" How does that make you feel?? Excited...right?

Truth: The first part. :o)

Since I'm here typing....and since you've come to visit my blog, I guess I could share a little tip or something....

OH! Got it! At the conference I went to a seminar about saving time or it may have been the one on saving money....anyway.... The speaker was talking about doing laundry. She has/had 8 daughters! so you could imagine the piles!!! When it came down to socks, it was just too much! So, she bought the lingerie mesh wash bags ($.97 @ WalMart) and tied a colored ribbon to each one (basically color-coded the kids) and when the kids took off their dirty socks, they'd go into their assigned bags. When the bags were full enough, the bag would go directly into the washer and then into the dryer....and then into their perspective laundry piles! NO MORE SORTING SOCKS! AWESOME!

There you go. There's my nugget for the day :o) Take it and run with it!!!

Have a great day!
xo Amanda

This has been a great week! Tuesday, June 7th, was my BiRtHdAy! I spent my day in town with my Mom and kiddos. First, we ate lunch at Red Lobster...YUMMY!!! During our meal, Trent showed up :) He cleaned off our plates, hung out a bit, then headed back to work.

After our delicious seafood meal we headed over to the mall to meet up with my sister and the little boy she takes care of. The kids rode the carousel (so did I :) ) and then played in the play-place while I did a little shopping - ALL BY MYSELF! Thanks Mom!! :)

When I returned to the play area that was totally hopping with kids when I left, I found Eli covered in sweat, passed out on the bench....the once child-infested, circle of fun was now barely crawling with a measly 5(ish) over-tired kids, a couple parents, and my smiling Mom. She's so great!

So, then we strolled back through the mall, grabbed a Milkshake from Chick-fil-a, popcorn from Target, and headed out to the van. When I turned the van on, my thermometer read "101"!!!!! It was HOT! Shortly after that, the temperature regulated and read "97".... still, it was hot! The kids zonked out on the way home. I pulled into the garage and opened the back door or the van....both Molly and Eli were dripping sweat! Once we all got into the house and settled down for a movie, Molly said "I don't ever want to go out there again, until it's winter!" Ha!!! Possibly a little too warm for her.

That night we had a little cook-out. My parents, my sister and her husband, and my sis-in-law and my 2 nieces joined us. The kids got soaked in the little pool, they made me a cake out of Little Debbie brownies & cool whip, we ate Trent's wonderful hamburgers, I opened presents, and we just had a great time. Happy Birthday to me :)

Wednesday we just stayed home. After Trent got home, we called a good friend to come help with the garden. He brought over 2 of his kids and a bunch of seeds. The kids and the dads worked together and got our little garden planted :) We're a little late.....but, better late than never!
Last night, we made sock puppets!

We really had fun. It was a little late and Trent was VERY tired, but it was fun :)
Today, packing, cleaning, laundry, movies (since it's supposed to rain all day), & baking! I haven't done much baking lately. Pumpkin pie for my brother's graduation party, pumpkin bars, & chewy bars. Oh, and pizza crust in the bread machine. YUM!

This weekend Trent and I are attending NICHE (Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators) for the first time. I'll fill you in on all that after we get back from the conference.

Have a great weekend!
xo Amanda

it's just another MESSY MONDAY!

Hello! Yes, it's MESSY MONDAY!!! I don't have a mess to feature...ya right! It's all a mess!

EVERYTHING!

When we first got married, I knew that keeping a house "in order" was going to take a little work. I figured we'd have our messy moments and then we'd get it straightened up in no time! I've never been an ultra-tidy person, but I thought "I can definitely do this!" One child, then two children, and now three children have come into our lives and have have completely thrown "I can definitely do this!" out the window! Seriously! Books, toys, movies, dolls, cars, baby-appropriate toys, Polly pockets, puzzles, papers, coloring books, dress-up clothes, Lego's (big ones PRAISE THE LORD), and the list goes on and on. On top of this is our mail, my "junk", and Trent's "junk", etc. WOW! 

I confessed something to Trent the other day....and now to you. When a storm is coming, or there are tornadoes in the area, or while the sirens are going off....it has often crossed my mind "I should clean up because if a tornado hit our house our "junk" is going to be EVERYWHERE....and I don't want to have to claim it all!" I know....pathetic! Don't worry, I don't dwell on it or actually even start cleaning. I think those thoughts while I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing (ie, seeking shelter). It simply just crosses my mind.

I don't want to be spending my days constantly picking stuff up, or trying to figure out where it should go. It could be a full-time job! I want to be playing with my kids, teaching them something new, blessing someone else, or just anything other than stressing about the stack of newspapers here and the pile of stuff in the entry way.

So, here's my goal:

ORGANIZATION!

Is it do-able? Is this something that I can actually wrap my head around and accomplish? I think so. Everyone may have a different idea of organization....so, I want my kind of organization. I don't know exactly what that is but when I get there, I'm sure I'll know :)  
This is where YOU come in! Share your knowledge! Share your ideas! Share, share, share!!!
What is your most prized organizing tip?

Food Friday!

FOOD ON THE GRILL

Yum!

This is just one of the beauties of summer. I get to plan the meals, and when I don't feel like cooking inside....Trent grills. :) I know how to grill, but it's kind of a man thing to stand over the hot coals & listen to the sizzle of raw/cold meat on the hot grill rack. Besides, our grilling tools all have CRAFTSMAN handles. Manly.

Trent makes AWESOME burgers. I think there was cilantro, tomatoes, cheese, and some seasonings in these burgers. He used to stuff the middle of the burger and now he just mixes everything together, creating a perfect bite every time. It's very delicious! 

I'd like to try grilled pizza! If you have a good recipe, share!! I'd love to have Trent give it a try :)

Have a FABULOUS weekend!!!

~amanda~

"My brethren, count it a joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (endurance or perseverance)." -James 1:2-3

I have joked around before saying "I used to pray for patience, and then I got Eli." What I mean to say, in all seriousness, is that "I prayed for patience and God gifted me Eli!" I truly believe:
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." - James 1:17

Patience:
-the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complain, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
-an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay
-quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence

When Eli is acting like a sloth, I say "be a cheetah!" It's time to go somewhere and we need to put shoes on, you'll much too often hear the words come flying out of my mouth: "Come on! Let's go! Hurry up and get your shoes on!" Oh, another good one..... waiting in line anywhere: "Be patient. Wait your turn."

I don't know why I'm in such a hurry most of the time! Why ask, no pray, for patience and push it aside just to beat the clock? So what if we're late. What's the worst thing that could happen? I might just have to practice patience and wait in a waiting room a little longer than I expected. Or, even reschedule an appointment with an even-tempered, quiet attitude - counting it all as a joy.

God wants my faith in Him to grow (expand; gain)! Growth is a result of trials. Trials test faith. Faith produces patience.

I, like many others, want a "giant neon sign from God" so I know what He wants me to do. I'm pretty sure I've got it....except it's not neon....it's not sucking electricity....and it's not only visible to me as I'm driving down the road. It's with me every single day! I trip over it often. It steps on my heels. It's in my house. It can be extremely loud. It follows me to the bathroom. Sometimes it even wakes me up in the night because of a bad dream or because something hurts. "It" is the good and perfect gifts that God has blessed me with. "It" is our children! My "giant neon sign" just happens to need help wiping, needs to be fed, climbs all over me, talks, humbles me, brings me to my knees, and loves me. 

Okay, so maybe I don't need an actual neon sign. I just need to recognize God's constant working in my life and let Him work through me.