Monday, September 28, 2009

Home Again...




Alexis is home on day 6 from Peyton Manning Children's Hospital. Amazing!!! Two days prior to her release, she had partially collasped lungs, needed some oxygen and had a slight temp. Wow!!! It's amazing what a couple of days can do!

Nicholas and Blake were thrilled to have their little sister home. They couldn't stop kissing on her. They couldn't be better brothers!!! Both boys are so careful with her and are very curious about her "boo boos"! There was great relief after finding out that when Lexi had her surgery, she was asleep and didn't feel anything. They were quite concerned about that after seeing where she had her surgery.

Alexis will have her post op checkup with the doctor next Monday. She is one amazing little girl! Do these photos look like someone who had heart surgery last Tuesday???

Friday, September 25, 2009

Moved!

Alexis smiled!!! For the first time since surgery...she smiled! It happened this afternoon after she was enough better that she was moved out of ICU to the regular unit!!! Kendra said that it is so much happier, brighter, cheerier, and right across from the nurses' station. We went LONG periods of time without seeing a nurse in the ICU (though we knew they watched her monitor every minute!). There is something about seeing the nurses' smiles that make one feel better! It was such good news! God knows we needed it today!!!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Patience Little Patient





It's so difficult being so tiny and in the hospital. Thank goodness, she won't remember any of this! She had a blood transfusion last night and it really helped her coloring and her comfort. Today she had a low temp and then it was a little higher this afternoon but Tylenol has helped that. She has a lung that isn't quite fully inflated so the doctors want her to be awake long enough for her to cry a little and breathe to help the lung but keep her pain minimal. They give her pain meds when they know she is uncomfortable but it is a fine line to keep her awake yet not in pain. She was seemingly more peaceful tonight.

PopPop Tom kept the boys this afternoon while Paula and I found our way through the maze of Peyton Manning hospital. We never did run into Peyton but we were on the lookout! Lexi wasn't feeling that good when we were there so were glad for the report tonight that she was better and her temp was lower.

Kendra came home from the hospital tonight to see her boys and hopefully get a good nights sleep. The family has had an emotional situation this week but hope that every day gets better and better.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The Healing Begins...




Alexis was doing so well that the vent came out later this afternoon! Amazing! Then Kendra was able to hold her. All of the grandparents left at 5:00 to let the parents have some quiet time with Lexi. Heaven knows they needed it after a day like today.

Tom and I headed to Paula's where we had dinner and caught up with the boys. Nicky and Blake had spent the night and day with Paula. What a gift that is!

After dinner, they were brought home to get ready for bed, stories, prayers and they were OUT by 7:45! Exhausted! Tomorrow, after picking the boys up at school, we will meet Paula at the pancake house and then Tom will come home with the boys and Paula and I will go visit Lexi. Tomorrow will be much "easier on the emotions" than today! It's been a long, long, day. So.........

Thank you Lord for everything!

TaDaaaaaaa!




It's over! The surgery took "only" 2 1/2 hours rather than 4. We were able to visit Lexi for a few minutes and she is restrained in case she wakes up. They hope to take the vent out today!!! Great news. She will be sedated until tomorrow. As far as we know, Alexis is on her way..........!!!

In the beginning....




It has begun...we kissed Alexis back in her room while she waited to head "upstairs" for surgery. Kendra and Jason just came out to the waiting room. So hard to be a parent! My heart is breaking for them right now! Now, we wait!!!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Alexis will have her several hours of pre-op tests/paperwork today beginning in about 10 minutes. My heart goes out to Kendra and Jason. Watching your baby go through this is so tough especially when the baby is so "with it" and responds so happily to the people around her. It is just the thought of people taking her to a strange room and doing surgery on that tiny heart that makes it so scary. Doesn't matter if you know that everything is going to be fine and she will be great soon.....scary is scary!!! I can't even imagine what goes through a parent's head at a time like this. I wish I could make it all go away. I do know that Kendra got only 1 hour of sleep last night. Can't blame her at all but fatigue only makes everything worse.

Jason's folks will take care of the boys today. They will stay with Paula and Ron tonight and for a couple of days. Tom and I will head down to Noblesville later today and be at the surgery (along with Connie and Jim) tomorrow. Tom has cancelled his Ivy Tech classes for tomorrow. He will be coming and going to Noblesville for a couple of weeks. Going to be a very long couple of days.

I don't have a date yet for my "teeny tiny tumors". It will be after I get back from Nobville. She should call me with a date soon. But...right now...it seems so insignificant!

Thank you dear Lord, for giving those doctors great wisdom and very steady hands. Amen!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Three Tiny Tumors....

Yes...there are 3 more tumors but I am hanging onto the word TINY! I was hoping that if Dr. Fretz found more growing, he would be able to wait for another 3 months and just take care of them then. Oh nooooo....not an option! But, still, no rush. He said to take care of Lexi's heart surgery next Tuesday and when I get back after a couple of weeks, he'll take care of it. Hopefully, I will get a call tomorrow as to the date.

The surgery can be done at River Pointe outpatient (still at the hospital) but because I am "in such excellent health", I don't have to stay at the hospital overnight and NO CATH!!! That is the best news!

Went to Bible Study tonight with my dear friends Nila and Larry App and Linda Delagrange. They are the best support group. Tuesdays are always Tom's teaching day so I had texted him of the news. We just had our talk after we both returned home. What good people!!!

Well...here we go again. Wondering how many "agains" there will be. God is in control so I guess I won't bother wondering any more. It doesn't matter does it?

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Cutie Bugs!!!


I know CUTE when I see it...and these kids are cute! I can say that since I'm their JoJo! I love being their JoJo! I love the beautiful smile on their faces when I walk in their door (quite often, I might add) and the sad face when I tell them that I am heading home to Goshen. It does a heart good.
I love that Nicholas loves Kindergarten, transformers, riding his bike, monster trucks, playing with his brother, kissing his sister and a multitude of other things.
I love that Blake is a total "pirate" lover...has been for a long, long time. He loves pretending that he is a pirate, dressing like a pirate, holding the little play school pirates in his hands and is always looking for the tiny pieces that are always lost from one of his many pirate play sets. Let him color or do a "fine motor skill activity" and you won't get him away from the table for hours. These boys play for hours and one hardly knows they are in the house. Oh...they have their moments but not often.

Well, enough said about my boys. I decided that it was time that I gave them some "blog time". They are certainly great kids. They have great parents! It will be fun watching them grow up.






Monday, September 7, 2009

Alexis...5 months today!


Alexis hit the 5 month mark! So much has happened in her little life with a heart surgery yet to come. But...all is good! What a delightful little girl! She makes your heart melt!
Today was Heather's birthday but due to not feeling well, we celebrated at Bowman's without her. Since Alexis turned 5 months today, we celebrated her!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Heart Surgery Scheduled!

Most of the 2 1/2 hours on Thursday with Kendra and Lexi were spent waiting to get Lexi's heart surgery scheduled. The cardiologist loved how Lexi looked, breathed, and smiled at him (she definitely melted HIS heart!). "But...", he said, "it is time." Her surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22. It will take about 4 hours to repair the hole in her heart. (I rescheduled my "tumor check" with Dr. Fretz for Sept 15.) Lexi will spend Monday afternoon, with her parents, at the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital for pre-op stuff and paper signing. She will then go back home to return early the next morning. Due to the swine-flu scare, there will be no outside visitors (except for me and a couple of other grandparents, I'm sure!). Hopefully, this hospital stay will be about a week instead of the 67 days for the first surgery.

We certainly hope that Alexis doesn't contract a cold, etc. before her surgery. It would mean postponing it until she was healthy.

Kindergarten has been a super experience for both Nicky (1/2 day) and Layla (full day). They both hop on the school bus in the mornings with smiles on their faces. Thank God for the wonderful teachers that allow for them to enjoy their education! Blake will begin a new year at preschool next Wednesday. He will go Monday-Wed.-Fri.) until noon. This will be his 2nd year. Marley will begin her first year of preschool (one morning a week) in a couple of weeks.

Jason just returned from a 4-day trip to Ohio for some Chrysler training. Don't know about the training but he loved the water activities that he was able to fit in in the evenings.

Tom teaches on Tuesdays again at Ivy Tech. He came down to Noblesville for a couple of days but returned for a doctor's appt. The doctor told him he was "perfect"...at least on paper! What can I say!!!

Now we are getting ready for Heather Bowman's 37th birthday on Labor Day Monday. Ohhhhh...she is getting old!