Madelyn's 2nd Surgery

Remember this from about 2 years ago??

I do! And even though it wasn't that terrible I told myself and everyone around that I hoped we'd never have to go through that again. Madelyn was about 4 months shy of turning 7.

 Earlier this year I noticed that some of Madelyn's original symptoms seemed to be returning. She started snoring again, complained she didn't sleep good and had a hard time breathing out of her nose. Being it was allergy season and we were living our 1st Spring surrounded by Alfalfa fields, fresh hay, dirt roads and farm animals of every kind I kind of just assumed that all of these factors were playing with her allergies. During the Summer, her Aunt Camille asked if she was still struggling from her Adenoid removal as she sounded nasally to her. I'll admit I was a bit irritated with the question because I had wondered the same thing but really didn't want to be bothered with it. I didn't want to awknowledge that her adenoids may have grown back and we had another surgery on the horizon.  So life moved on... I had baby Kylie, Emily broke her leg, school started for me and the kids, Kylie's shoulder was popped out of it's socket, Kory's shift at work changed, etc., etc.

Once my classes for the semester had ended and my life slowed down I realized that Madelyn's breathing problems had progressively gotten worse. Pour girl couldn't even chew with her mouth closed. So I googled Adenoids and learned that generally speaking Adenoids removed from a toddler do have a slight chance of re-growth but if removed after the age of 5 they very rarely re-grow to be big enough to cause problems. Madelyn had  been 6 1/2! So I broke down and made an appt. with Dr. Chase (same doctor). At her appt. the nurse came in and asked why we were there. I told her that I had thought Madelyn's adenoids had re-grown. She looked right at me and said, "Noooo, Adenoids don't grow back!"  I said O.K but she sure has the same symptoms she had had before they were removed the first time. The nurse just kinda chuckled and informed me that Dr. Chase would be in to talk with us. So several minutes go by and in walks Dr. Chase. Apparently the nurse has informed him of my self diagnosis and he is quick to tell me that generally speaking adenoids don't grow back. Back in the time this did occur quite often but with the newest and latest technology now day's it really doesn't happen! So he pulls out his little tools and looks in her mouth, up her nose, etc. He sits back in his chair and looks right at me and says,"WOW! Mom, your self diagnosis is correct. This girls Adenoids have grown back. This is his 1st patient of 12+ years that this has happened. On top of her adenoid issue her tonsils were twice the size they should have been. Her tonsils were larger than most adults. In the end we decided to have her adenoids removed once more along with her tonsils. Knowing that the end of the year was quickly approaching and knowing we had already met our deductible we took what appt. we could. One week before Christmas Day.

Madelyn was a bit nervous of course but than so was I!

 About 15 minutes before she was wheeled away from me she was given a "sleepy" drink. This calms the nerves, and makes her tired. Due to her age her IV was placed after she was knocked out.

 Madelyn did not wake up very happy! She had a much harder time coming out of the anesthesia than she did last time. But we made it through and before to long we were back at Grandma's. We stayed at Grandma's for 2 days before heading home. She ate lots of ice chips!

 She really struggled that first week at home. She fought us on her pain meds and refused to eat. She lost about 10 pounds that week.  At times she would come to the kitchen to help (something she loves) but within minutes she would be sitting at the island just watching or had fallen asleep.

 Christmas Day was day 7, after surgery, which I had been warned could be the worse day of recovery. Christmas morning she came down the stairs in tears and in pain. I really felt for her. After a mini battle of taking her pain meds she decided she was ready to see what Santa had brought but not to many smiles were seen that day. Madelyn had recently played Clue at a friends house and that's all we heard her say she wanted. She certainly didn't act to excited about it that day but I've lost count the amount of times we've played this game with her over the past few weeks!

 Madelyn spent almost the rest of the week on the couch. She wasn't reading, or coloring or playing with anything. She'd just sit/lay down on the couch in her own little world and drift in and out of consciousness.

 I was told that the recovery  time would be about 3 full weeks. That was pretty accurate for this girl. After the 2nd week she started to eat things like banana's, bottled pears, yoghurt, etc. There were many moments that I didn't think we'd survive this experience but somehow we managed. Once she started to eat I think she started to feel better despite what she say's. The girl was just starving herself. She refused to eat anything but ice chips in fear that it would hurt. We tried jello, pudding, apple juice, chicken noodle soup, ice cream, smoothies, yoghurt's, mashed potato's, etc, but she wouldn't eat any of it. It's no wonder she had no energy, didn't feel good and slept most of the time. She was on a diet of ice chips for about 10 day's. Finally I got mad and I'll admit lost my temper with her and told she was going to sit and eat whatever it was I had placed in front of her or I'd spoon feed her. It took her more than 30 minutes to eat 1/3 cup but she did eat it and I started making her eat every couple of hours with the threat hanging over her head! It worked and we started to see the recovery happening. Madelyn had her follow up recently and everything's looks great. She is healing nicely. Tonsils don't grow back, EVER! And hopefully her adenoids are good and gone this time. I really really really don't ever want to go through that again!

Christmas Day

My son is 9 years old soon to be 10. I can't believe how time flies. This year Hunter asked Santa for a BB Gun OR the Skylander's game with figures for the WII. I prefer that Santa bring my children NON electronic toys. This left us with the BB Gun. Being only 9 I was not/am not ready to have my child have a gun. Hunter is a responsible kid and I trust him to use his head around guns but really???? Just not ready. After talking to my mom who informed me both my brother's received their bb guns around the same age and many friends and other family member's received their bb guns at this same age I relented  and told Santa the BB Gun would be fine. Despite his silly look he was beyond thrilled with this gift. He knew I was against it and really didn't think he'd get this.  

 Over the past few months Brayden has discovered Super Heroes. His favorite is Spider Man and Captain America. He told Santa all he wanted was a Spider Man house. Despite his face he was thrilled. He loved this new toy so much that he refused to open any other gifts until later that day when was done playing with this one.

 Santa won the heart of Emily this year. All she wanted was her very own camera. I kept telling her that I didn't think she was old enough to have her own camera. She begged me over and over to tell Santa when he called that it was O.K for her to have her very own camera. I never would tell her what I told Santa so she was thrilled to see this.

 Madelyn still recovering from her tonsillectomy was pleased to see that Santa brought her what she asked for too.

 Miss Kylie slept beyond the 6:30 am wake up call the rest of us had so opened her gifts a little later. Santa brought her, her very 1st baby doll! This year when our kiddo's exchanged names with each other we decided that our theme this year was homemade gifts (last year was food storage). Hunter drew out Kylie's name and with some help he decided to make her some towel bibs. I drew the circle on the towel to be cut out and helped him pin the ribbing but he did the rest with me watching over his shoulder. He did a great job!  Mom and Dad gave Kylie a few new toys and slipper's. I

 Each year I try to make my kids some sort of a homemade gift. As they get older it has become more and more difficult. Sometimes I succeed and well.... sometimes I don't. This year I succeeded with her and was able to made an indoor hop scotch. Being it's been in the 20-35 degree weather lately this has been a great indoor energy release. All Madelyn wanted this year was more baking stuff. So I filled a box with more cake mixes, brownie mixes, muffin pouches, frosting, sprinkles and the such. We also gave her some more drawing/crafty fashion books. Brayden drew his big sister's name and I helped him make her some new bracelets for his homemade gift.

 Brayden this year was pretty easy for us. We gave him more puzzles. I made him a homemade gift which was the super hero cape with mask. One side is Superman and the other Captain America. Madelyn had Brayden this year and decided to make him some more play dough which is something he really enjoys playing with.

 Emily scored this year according to her pictures. Santa brought the girls several years ago a Barbie house and asked mom to provide the furniture. I made the majority of it using cardboard boxes and the such. After several years of abuse the furniture was needing to be replaced. So... wanting the furniture to last a bit longer this time I bit the bullet and scored a few deals when it came to the barbie furniture.  I was going to make Emily some dress ups as her homemade gift from me but in the end I took advantage of some 80-90% off Halloween costumes instead. Kylie drew Emily's name to exchange this year so Mom helped out by making Emily some LPS necklaces.

Hunter this year was quite difficult. He will soon be 10 and wanted expensive electronics along with most of his friends. You know things like his very own Ipod or the newest WII system, an X Box 360 or a DS. All things that weren't exactly on mom and dad's list. My brother in law several weeks ago taught him how to play Battleship. This is all he's talked about. Now he has his own and mom and dad have tried to play the game every time we've been asked. Hunter also read the Percy Jackson series and LOVED it! The library has had a hard time keeping the next little series that goes along with it on their shelves. So... we gave him that too. What kind of a homemade gift can you get a 9 year old boy???  I was able to come up with something after all. We bought him a football and then I made 10 belts and 10 blue/red pieces of fabric that attached to the belts for his own game of flag football. He was a bit disappointed  that we couldn't go out and play in the 2 feet of snow we've got but we were able to play a good game later that weekend with several Aunts, Uncles, Grandpa and cousins down in Hurricane. Emily drew Hunter's name and was able to talk her dad into helping her build him a night stand to hold all his books that were currently all over his dresser and pushed under his bed. He was thrilled and Emily was thrilled to spend some alone time with her dad building this together.

Emily was having a hard time figuring out her new camera so big sister sat and helped her figure it out. I love their looks of concentration. 

 Emily loved her new dress ups. All day long every time we saw her she was dressed up as something new. This was her favorite dress to wear.

 I think Kylie enjoyed the extra love and attention she received. We stayed in our P.J's almost the whole day (something we never do) and just played and played and played.

At the beginning of Christmas week we thought we would have most of Kory's sibling's over for a big dinner and a few other families that weren't able to make it home this year. We were expecting a total of 9 families. Christmas Eve, thanks to some major sickness going around we were down to 5 families. About an hour before our big dinner the phone began to ring and we learned the sickness had spread. In the end it was just us and Kory's sister, Harmony's family. We had PLENTY of food that lasted several day's but it was a great day. After dinner we sent the little kids upstairs to play and set up an extra table for the bigger kids. The adults played games on one table and the bigger kids played games on the other table. We had a great time.

Christmas Eve Tradition

Growing up Kory's family had a tradition of being able to open up one gift. It was a gift that Mom and Dad chose. In that gift it was always a new pair of pajama's, sometimes matching sometimes not. We've carried that tradition on with our family. This year it was quite comical to listen to the three oldest (9,8 &6) talk about the gift they were going to open. The three agreed that this was a terrible tradition because they already knew what was inside! Why did Mom, even bother to wrap them up. Kory laughed and laughed. He told the kids he remember's saying some of the same things to his parents. Regardless of what my children think I love the tradition and will continue to carry it on. I've told my bigger kids that when they are the mom or dad they can choose to torture their kids in the same way or start the tradition of opening all the gifts Christmas Eve as Hunter said he's going to do. Can't wait to see what his future wife thinks about that plan!

Here's Brayden waiting so patiently for everyone to come down so he can finally open one of his gifts. Despite the numerous conversations of the new pajama's he was still pretty clueless as to what was inside.

 Kylie being almost 7 months old loved the box as most babies do.

 Hunter trying to act thrilled about opening a gift, NOT of his choosing. 

 This kid makes us laugh. It has become quite difficult to get a good picture of him. He see's the camera and starts pulling all sorts of faces. In the end he was excited to see some Angry Birds P.J's.

 Madelyn was not feeling well. Almost got a smile from her!

 Having 5 kids I've realized how EXTREMELY DIFFICULT it can be to get just ONE pict. of everyone looking at the camera. I don't know if I'll ever succeed at this. But regardless, here they are all excited for the big night that has finally come. 

 Emily is 6 and still LOVES baby doll's. She was thrilled that her pajama's once again came with a matching one for her baby doll.

 Miss Kylie's nightie has been passed down to each of my girls. Grandma Heaton made it for Madelyn when she was a baby for her Christmas gift. She was 6 months old at the time. I packed it up and saved it for our future baby girls to use. Emily was then born and even though she was only 3 mo. old at the time I used it for her pajama gift too. Miss Kylie hit her 7 month mark just after Christmas and we used it once again. Makes me sad to think this little tradition is now complete. No more of my babies will be sleeping in this gown again.  I think I'll hang on to it and pass it to my girls when they are married and start having their own babies. I'll let them decide if they want to use it with their girls.