Our Crazy Week

So, it's been a really crazy week.  Last Monday, Toby began acting strangely and I was convinced he was in shunt failure; he had all the typical signs - lethargy, crying, complaining of headache, loss of appetite (nausea), and he was more out of it than I'd ever seen, so we called 911 and headed to the hospital.  I wasn't comfortable driving him there myself, he was limp, pale, and let's just say it takes quite a bit to rattle me now, and I was rattled.  It wasn't his shunt, or at least we're not sure - upper respiratory infection and an ear infection seemed to be the diagnosis.  It seems kind of silly to call the squad for an ear infection, but I've never seen him that listless with just "normal" childhood illnesses.  A very dear friend called me while Toby was in the hospital and reminded me that it's possible it was the shunt, but God healed him in the middle of it - that is very possible.  I know that sometimes I forget the power of prayer.

From top left to bottom right (like you're reading a book) is what Toby looked like on Monday at 4:00 p.m., that night in the ER, during music therapy on Thursday, and at the park on Saturday.  Quite a transformation for sure.  He did have some moments of perkiness in the hospital.  We had a great PCA a few days that washed Toby's hair with these caps that have the soap and everything all in one - and they are kept warm too.  After the washing, there's no rinsing so it's a perfect way to wash hair in the hospital (I wish we had some for home - especially on those days when I really need to get out of the house quickly).

So, Toby was discharged on Thursday to find out at an ENT appt. that he has a double ear infection; after one dose of antibiotics he perked up, but I will say that he runs out of energy quickly - I noticed that even today.  Between Lon Nell (Bruce's mom) and my mom they were able to keep life flowing at home with the kids.  On Thursday night my mom asked if I wanted to start painting the kitchen.  We've had the paint for almost two months, but I just haven't had the time to do it (go figure).  Conor and Garrett were previously scheduled to spend the weekend with Aunt Lynsey, so I thought "why not, might as well end a crazy week with a crazy weekend?"  So, we did - we painted the kitchen, and I was so inspired that I went ahead on Saturday and did the red painting we had planned on in the living room (including an 18 foot wall or so).  This is the before pictures:

And after:

We did manage a walk and a trip to the park with Caris and Toby.  I wanted to go to the pool, but Toby didn't really need to be over-taxed  by the heat, so we stayed inside, and managed to host company today on Memorial Day.  Our fun was cut short, though, by a trip to the urgent care - our friends' son was going down the slip-n-slide and broke his finger.  All in all, I guess you have to laugh at the comedy of errors of the week....and through it all I keep hearing this chorus in my head by Stephen Curtis Chapman (his Beauty Will Rise CD is my latest fix for music and much encouragement):

"And I will trust You, I'll trust You; trust You God, I will.  Even when I don't understand, even then I will say again.  You are my God, and I will trust You." 

Hoping this next week is filled with much trust in God, and is a little less uneventful!!

Seizing the Moment

So, Conor had to have oral surgery yesterday.  He had two extra teeth in his mouth that he didn't need.  We found this out after having a consultation/x-ray with the orthodontist a few months ago.  I had to laugh when I called Bruce and said "You won't believe what we just found out!"  He knew exactly - remembering that he also had an extra tooth around that age that needed to surgically removed.  I know oral surgery really isn't a big deal, but it will be his 2nd surgery in 7 (almost 8) years; it's not really anything compared to others or his younger brother Toby (9 surgeries in 4 yeas), but when you expect your healthy kids to be, well...healthy - it's unexpected!!  He had eye surgery when he was 3-years old, his eyes crossed and the glasses weren't really working, so they had to move his inner eye muscles.  It was a really crazy time in our lives - Conor was 3 1/2, Garrett had just turned 2, and Toby was about 8 weeks old and in-patient at Children's (having just gotten his trach, gj-feeding tube, and needing ventilation full time).  I laugh at the irony - we had one child in-patient and one child out-patient at the same time - sort of nuts.  SOOOO...all that to say I didn't take any pictures of  Conor's first surgery.  I think I was just too overwhelmed. I  remember when he came out of surgery - his eyes were bloody.  They weren't just blood-shot - they were bloody and he refused to open his eyes for almost 6 hours.  I finally got him to open his eyes bribing him with a PB&J sandwich.
Surgery this time was much easier, and I resolved to take lots of pictures.  I take pictures of all of Toby's hospital stays, tests, and surgeries, we might as well document this event too.  So, here are some photos of Conor's mouth!! (warning - a little gross).

When I went back to see him afterwards, he was still a bit loopy from being under and had the nurse cracking up with his large vocabulary!!  He was making me laugh too because he wanted to sit up even though he was very unsteady.  Only one dose of pain meds yesterday, and doing so well he went back to school today.  I was surprised by that.  I'm really glad I took the photos - he's growing up way too fast!

Organizing

Can I just tell you that I have fallen in love with the Container Store these last few weeks?  A friend of mine got me started (so Bruce can blame Beth!) telling me about some items they had and a spring sale!!  In the last two weeks, I've been there twice purchasing containers to organize our stuff.  It has been loads of fun, reorganizing bedroom drawers, bathroom drawers, closets, and the pantry.
Here's a sample:

We've also been working on reorganizing the boys' (Conor and Garrett) bedroom, and choosing paint colors and window treatments for our kitchen and great room.  I guess we're finally settling in the new house and making it a home.
I will need to be careful, though...and see if I can: