Birthdays, Digging Potatoes and Chickens

Sorry I haven't posted lately, but we have been a traveling. We finally made it to LA, after a weekend here with my parents and nieces celebrating Aidan's birthday (party #2). Aidan headed back with my family and enjoyed a week of spoiling from his g-parents without having to share them with his sisters. Needless to say he didn't want to call home and was not to pleased to see me, Adam and the girls show up at my parents house ruining his plans of never coming home.

While at my parents Aidan took up the job of feeding the chickens and collecting eggs, which he took very seriously, even foregoing a sleepover at his cousins house in order to be at maw-maw and paw-paw's house to take care of the chickens. In fact he had a plan to bring at least one home with us, that is of course if he would indeed agree to come back home with us. I think it was only the excitement of getting to fly in an airplane again that lead him to willingly come home!

Of course paw paw also took him fishing on old paw paw's boat and he now has aspirations of opening a fish restaurant, of course he has jobs for us all, Adam is to catch the fish, I am to cook it and he of course gets to drive the boat.

We also got to spend a few days with Adam's parents and to see some of our friends in Bossier City. We miss you Fenner's!

The week with my family ended with another bday party for Aidan (party # 3), Kara, and my nieces Hailee and Emma. It was so great to see everyone, especially family we haven't seen in a few years.

Ballerina Georgia

Georgia took her first ballet lessons last week, really it was more like tumbling, but of course I didn't tell her that. She loved it and it gave her an even bigger head. She know she is pretty, smart and a princess and now she knows she is a ballet dancer! She will have two more weeks of classes this summer and then will take it once a week once she starts prek3 in the fall. She is a little young for prek3, but she is potty trained and too big for her britches, she likes to be with the older kids, because she gets spoiled! I don't know where she gets that from, because I am never spoiled!

Kara is doing great, she turned one on Friday, it as been such an hectic year, that I can't believe she one already! We will have her official part at my sister's house in August when we finally head to LA to visit the family! We will also celebrate Aidan's, and my nieces Hailee and Emma's bdays as well, poor Georgia the only winter baby, she loves all of the attention, so I know she wouldn't want to share he big day!

Kara update

Kara is doing great! Sometimes I can't believe she has had open heart surgery, today is actually 3 weeks since the surgery and she is acting like nothing has happened. The only real reminder is her healing incesion site, the motrin and lasix she has to take and the fact that we still can't pick her up under her arms. Other than that there is no difference. I think she might pull up soon to standing, she is starting to try. She loves to play on the floor with her brother and sister, and they are very good at being careful with her bo-bo on her tummy!

Right now the only thing the doctor is watching is her weight gain (we finally found something she likes to drink other than breast milk, vital jr (which is like pediasure for the lactose intolerant) she will drink rice milk as well, but vital jr has twice the amount of calories. Also the doctor is keeping a close eye on any fluid retention, she does have a small pleural effusion (which is fluid accumalation around the lungs) they are not too concern with it, but they are monitoring it closely, that is why she is on the lasix to help get rid of the excess fluid.

Aidan tured 6 this week, I can't believe it, we has small party with just us and will have his big party when his maw-maw, paw-paw and cousing Hailee and Emma come to visit in July. Georgia is well Georgia, she is a little ball of attitude. She know what she wants, when she wants it and doesn't care if we think she doesn't need. It hasn't helped that has been excessively spoiled by her maw-maw Pam, then Aunt Patty and now Aunt Laurie over the past month!

Kara update (Pictures of incision site)

It is almost a week since Kara's surgery, tomorrow will be a complete week, and I can't get over how fast she is recovering. Every day she eats a little bit more, plays a little more and sleep a little bit less (during the day at least). She is already crawling again and go after her toys, she does get tired very easily, but she is laughing, crying and talking, which is all very good for her recovery.

On another note, I am sorry you received some spam from my email account, I am not sure what happened, but now I can't send any email, I may have to get a new account!

Kara update

Kara is home. She is resting in her bed, it is so great to have her home!

Kara update

Today Kara's chest tubes came out and she ate 4 ounces of rice milk. I had to bribe her by putting jar pears on the nipple of the bottle to get her to eat it, but she ate and is doing really well. We are hoping she will be able to come home tomorrow.

Today at Occupational Therapy Aidan wrote her a letter and it says "I love you Kara. Come home soon. You are a cute baby. I miss you so much. Love, Aidan"

He is so sweet and misses her so much. He asks every day to go to the hospital and see her, but they don't let kids in the PICU, well at least not as a visitor!

Kara update

Day 2 of recovery. Kara is stil doing excellent, she has moved down to the step down service, which means their is a ratio 1 nurse to 2/3 patients, so that is very good! She is not eating to great since yesterday initial bottle and jar food, she got sick after her chest xray last night from all of the moving around. She has been in some pain this morning, but they gave her some pain meds and now she is resting comfortably. I have stopped nursing, she was weaning herself before the surgery and my supply is way down. It was a hard decision, but the right one for the circumstances. Right now we are trying rice milk, but may need to put her own formulas, however this morning she hasn't wanted anything.
The on call resident said that she will probably moving services (not location) from PICU to cardiology, which is another step towards her coming home, Aidan and Georgia miss her so much, Aidan keeps asking to go see her, unfortunately they don't let people under 18 in the PICU, so he can't.
Thanks again for all of the prayers and wel wishes!