Instead of trying to write about everything we've done this year, I've taken a bunch of pictures and set them to music. Enjoy!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
A pirate, a witch and a monster cow. Oh My!
I think this is a case where the pictures can tell the story.
Happy Halloween!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Pros and Cons of School Starting Again
Pros:
1. We are back on a routine. Because the kids have to get up for school the next day, Jason and I have gotten much better at putting the kids to bed at night. In order to be ready for bed at the appointed hour (8:30), that means homework needs to be done, piano practiced, the dog fed and watered, supper over and the dishes done. Well, maybe not the dishes done. Who am I kidding?
2. Janica is in kindergarten and is gone half the day. She loves it!
She feels like one of the big kids. On her first day of school, she was so excited, she had her backpack on 2 1/2 hours before we needed to leave! When she comes home everyday, she loves telling me about the stories they read, the songs they sang and the new friends she is making.
3. Tegan is old enough to walk to and from school. Not only does it give him exercise, it also means I don't have to plan my day around getting to the school in time to wait with all the other parents. Plus, Janica walks home from school with Tegan. They are so good about walking home that I can set my watch by when they will get home. 3:45 every day. It is great!
4. The children are excited about learning. Especially Tegan. He wants to learn about history and is also showing great interest in math. Tegan is a fantastic reader and speller. He loves the new books to read and really loves his teacher.
Cons:
1. I have to get up earlier in the morning. Yes this really is a con! I wasn't worried about getting anywhere at any particular time. It was so nice to be able to sleep in!
2. Poor Kierra is bored. When Janica goes to school, Kierra doesn't cry, but she sure misses her playmate! She wanders around the house, mopey. Poor girl. Once we are back from our big trip, I will be checking for story time and other things we can do in the afternoon.
So thats it. Four pros and two cons. Even with having to get up earlier every morning, it seems like school starting again is a good thing.
1. We are back on a routine. Because the kids have to get up for school the next day, Jason and I have gotten much better at putting the kids to bed at night. In order to be ready for bed at the appointed hour (8:30), that means homework needs to be done, piano practiced, the dog fed and watered, supper over and the dishes done. Well, maybe not the dishes done. Who am I kidding?
2. Janica is in kindergarten and is gone half the day. She loves it!
She feels like one of the big kids. On her first day of school, she was so excited, she had her backpack on 2 1/2 hours before we needed to leave! When she comes home everyday, she loves telling me about the stories they read, the songs they sang and the new friends she is making.
3. Tegan is old enough to walk to and from school. Not only does it give him exercise, it also means I don't have to plan my day around getting to the school in time to wait with all the other parents. Plus, Janica walks home from school with Tegan. They are so good about walking home that I can set my watch by when they will get home. 3:45 every day. It is great!
4. The children are excited about learning. Especially Tegan. He wants to learn about history and is also showing great interest in math. Tegan is a fantastic reader and speller. He loves the new books to read and really loves his teacher.
Cons:
1. I have to get up earlier in the morning. Yes this really is a con! I wasn't worried about getting anywhere at any particular time. It was so nice to be able to sleep in!
2. Poor Kierra is bored. When Janica goes to school, Kierra doesn't cry, but she sure misses her playmate! She wanders around the house, mopey. Poor girl. Once we are back from our big trip, I will be checking for story time and other things we can do in the afternoon.
So thats it. Four pros and two cons. Even with having to get up earlier every morning, it seems like school starting again is a good thing.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Snakes On a Plane
I flew to Charlotte NC late Monday night with my Dad, to get my nephews and niece so they could spend a month in Utah with their grandparents. So we got there Tuesday morning, went to my brother Cortney and his wife Misty's house and crashed for a couple of hours. After a short bite to eat, it was time to go back to the airport to fly back to SLC. We arrived back at the SLC airport right before midnight Tuesday night, about 24 hours after we left it.
I gotta tell you, I had a great time with my nephews and niece! I have never really had opportunity to spend much time with them while they lived in Utah and of course once they moved away, they might as well have been on another planet. Well they were very forthcoming with information while we were at the airport waiting for our flights, as well as once we were on the plane. Be warned Cortney and Misty! I have plenty of blackmail ammunition now! :)
I think my favorite part of the trip was when Parker (who is seven), told me that he wanted to sit by me on the plane. That was nice. Or maybe my favorite part was when Quinlee (age four), was looking at the pictures in the emergency instructions as though she was reading a comic book. It was awesome! Cashton (the oldest at age ten), was so helpful! Although I wasn't able to sit right next to him on either flight, he gave me many suggestions to help his siblings be more comfortable. He was the best!
Now don't get me wrong, I had a fun time with my nephews and niece and I hope to be able to continue to know them better. I just have no intention of doing the crazy one day flight again in July when they go back home! I am too old for that kind of insanity! I will let my parents do it instead.
So why the title Snakes On a Plane for this post? It got you reading it all the way to the end, didn't it? ;)
I gotta tell you, I had a great time with my nephews and niece! I have never really had opportunity to spend much time with them while they lived in Utah and of course once they moved away, they might as well have been on another planet. Well they were very forthcoming with information while we were at the airport waiting for our flights, as well as once we were on the plane. Be warned Cortney and Misty! I have plenty of blackmail ammunition now! :)
I think my favorite part of the trip was when Parker (who is seven), told me that he wanted to sit by me on the plane. That was nice. Or maybe my favorite part was when Quinlee (age four), was looking at the pictures in the emergency instructions as though she was reading a comic book. It was awesome! Cashton (the oldest at age ten), was so helpful! Although I wasn't able to sit right next to him on either flight, he gave me many suggestions to help his siblings be more comfortable. He was the best!
Now don't get me wrong, I had a fun time with my nephews and niece and I hope to be able to continue to know them better. I just have no intention of doing the crazy one day flight again in July when they go back home! I am too old for that kind of insanity! I will let my parents do it instead.
So why the title Snakes On a Plane for this post? It got you reading it all the way to the end, didn't it? ;)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
At Least it Was Free, Right?
On Monday and Tuesday of this week, I got to watch my nephews Roderic (age 5) and Hyrum (age 2), so my sister Malauna could take her daughter Sabrina (age 10) to Suzuki violin camp. I think it is great that Sabrina has this opportunity to improve her violin playing skills and I want my children to know their cousins, so I was happy to have Roderic and Hyrum come visit. It was great for many reasons:
1. Because Janica is now old enough to attend a city summer recreation in the program with Tegan, Kierra is really bored. With Roderic and Hyrum here, she had playmates.
2. Roderic and Hyrum love playing with our toy trains. There is a rule in our house that the trains can't come out unless the family room is clean. Keeping the boys entertained was fantastic incentive for us to clean the family room so they could play with the trains.
3. Going to Disney's A Christmas Carol train tour. It was a free tour at the Ogden Union Station. Since Roderic and Hyrum love trains, we decided to take them to the tour so they could see the train and get really excited.
So the rest of this post is about the train tour. I didn't think it was very publicized and didn't think there would be many people there. Ha! Boy was I wrong!
We were in this line for 2 1/2 hours! Fortunately, it was at the train station and there were trains to entertain the kids.
We finally made it onto the train and learned a bit about how the movie was made. It was definitely more interesting to me than to the children.
I was wondering what Hyrum and Kierra found so fascinating here...
until I saw they were looking at their own reflections.
I sure was glad when Jason showed up!
And here we are at the conclusion of the tour.
Was it worth the 2 1/2 hour wait? I'd really rather not answer that, if you don't mind. I was reading an article about the tour in the newspaper today and one of the Disney employees on the tour was quoted as saying that they were bringing a taste of Disneyland with them. Hmm, the only taste I got was of the long line - and there was no fast pass! However, all five of the kids were exhausted by the time we got back and my three fell right into bed. That can't be bad!
1. Because Janica is now old enough to attend a city summer recreation in the program with Tegan, Kierra is really bored. With Roderic and Hyrum here, she had playmates.
2. Roderic and Hyrum love playing with our toy trains. There is a rule in our house that the trains can't come out unless the family room is clean. Keeping the boys entertained was fantastic incentive for us to clean the family room so they could play with the trains.
3. Going to Disney's A Christmas Carol train tour. It was a free tour at the Ogden Union Station. Since Roderic and Hyrum love trains, we decided to take them to the tour so they could see the train and get really excited.
So the rest of this post is about the train tour. I didn't think it was very publicized and didn't think there would be many people there. Ha! Boy was I wrong!
We were in this line for 2 1/2 hours! Fortunately, it was at the train station and there were trains to entertain the kids.
My brother Carson was kind enough to come with me and help me with the five kids. Jason met us there after he got off work, which was after we had already been in line for an hour.
Children sure are good at entertaining themselves if given a chance, wouldn't you say?
Why is Kierra poking her head around the sign? I have no idea.
For all concerned parties, Janica is tickling Hyrum (the child on the ground) and he is laughing, NOT crying.
I just thought this picture of Janica and Roderic was cute.
We finally made it onto the train and learned a bit about how the movie was made. It was definitely more interesting to me than to the children.
I was wondering what Hyrum and Kierra found so fascinating here...
until I saw they were looking at their own reflections.
I sure was glad when Jason showed up!
And here we are at the conclusion of the tour.
Was it worth the 2 1/2 hour wait? I'd really rather not answer that, if you don't mind. I was reading an article about the tour in the newspaper today and one of the Disney employees on the tour was quoted as saying that they were bringing a taste of Disneyland with them. Hmm, the only taste I got was of the long line - and there was no fast pass! However, all five of the kids were exhausted by the time we got back and my three fell right into bed. That can't be bad!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Am I really ready for this?
Today marks the end of a very important time in my life. Today is Tegan's last day of school. That means I have my three children with me all summer. Am I complaining? Actually, no. Having Tegan around all day means he can help entertain his sisters. Because we don't have a fenced yard, I don't let the girls go outside without their big brother. With him home, they can go. Tegan home also means I don't have to get up and take him to school every morning. Since I work until 11:30 at night, not having to get up so early in the morning will be great! The best part of having school out for the summer is that now we can do some of the great summer activities we've been talking about. Drive in movies, camping in the yard, hikes and whatnot. I love summer! Of course maybe the best part will be in September when school starts again and Janica will be in kindergarten. That girl of mine is a bundle of creativity and energy. It will be nice to give her another outlet. An outlet other than dumping full bottles of strawberry and chocolate syrup on the living room floor.
Speaking of Janica, today I took her back down to Primary Childrens to see a urologist for her many accidents. The urologist told me that enough time hasn't passed since her surgery for the nerves to reconnect and that the best thing we can do now is wait. Patience having never been one of my virtues, waiting wasn't really the answer I wanted, but I would rather wait and let her body heal itself than interfere and cause some real damage. It was a very interesting experience, sitting in the waiting room with the parents whose children have spina bifida. Janica has a very mild form of it. So mild they are barely in the same family, but close enough that we went to the spina bifida clinic today because many of those children have the same symptoms. So there I sat, with my very healthy and precocious five year old, while other parents sat with their equally adorable children who couldn't walk and were confined to wheelchairs. We saw one little girl, who couldn't have been much over a year old, scooting herself across the floor using just her arms. Fine then, I can do more laundry and clean up after her. She is perfect just the way she is!
Speaking of Janica, today I took her back down to Primary Childrens to see a urologist for her many accidents. The urologist told me that enough time hasn't passed since her surgery for the nerves to reconnect and that the best thing we can do now is wait. Patience having never been one of my virtues, waiting wasn't really the answer I wanted, but I would rather wait and let her body heal itself than interfere and cause some real damage. It was a very interesting experience, sitting in the waiting room with the parents whose children have spina bifida. Janica has a very mild form of it. So mild they are barely in the same family, but close enough that we went to the spina bifida clinic today because many of those children have the same symptoms. So there I sat, with my very healthy and precocious five year old, while other parents sat with their equally adorable children who couldn't walk and were confined to wheelchairs. We saw one little girl, who couldn't have been much over a year old, scooting herself across the floor using just her arms. Fine then, I can do more laundry and clean up after her. She is perfect just the way she is!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Memorialize this!
Memorial Day 2009 was fantastic! We went down to Richfield with my parents to put flowers on my grandparents graves. It might be a new family tradition. We really enjoyed it.
After Richfield, we went to Bryce Canyon. Jason and I had never been there before and neither had our children, so it was a new experience for us. It was also breathtaking, both literally and figuratively. The views were amazing and the vistas gorgeous. The hikes were tougher than I thought and I'm not at all in shape. All in all, breathtaking.
See what I mean? Gorgeous!
This is Kierra and me walking past some hoodoos. Yes that is really what they're called!
Here are Tegan and Janica in some kind of cave.
I have never been so envious of Kierra. I wanted someone to carry me!
This is pretty much how we all felt at the end of the day. It was a fantastic day!
After Richfield, we went to Bryce Canyon. Jason and I had never been there before and neither had our children, so it was a new experience for us. It was also breathtaking, both literally and figuratively. The views were amazing and the vistas gorgeous. The hikes were tougher than I thought and I'm not at all in shape. All in all, breathtaking.
See what I mean? Gorgeous!
This is Kierra and me walking past some hoodoos. Yes that is really what they're called!
Here are Tegan and Janica in some kind of cave.
I have never been so envious of Kierra. I wanted someone to carry me!
This is pretty much how we all felt at the end of the day. It was a fantastic day!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Happy Birthday to My Dear Sweet Kierra
Kierra is very determined when she knows what she wants. Yes, I know that is typical of a three year old. The thing is, she has been this determined since before she was born! You see, I went into labor with Kierra in the morning of March 8, 2006. My labors don't last more than 7-8 hours typically, so once I went into labor, I knew that would be the day! Well, Kierra had other plans. Apparently she wanted to be born on March 9th and have that as her birthday. My labor stalled, slowed down, stopped, started again, and went slow all day. Then, at ten that night, it started up again. Finally the contractions were progressing! I went to the hospital at 11:15 pm, and one hour later at 12:15 am on March 9 2006, my Kierra was born. See what I mean? When she knows what she wants, she is VERY determined! Truth be told, I really love her for it.
Yes, today my baby turned three. When did she get so big? I don't know. I just know that she is big. So what do we do for our big girl for her birthday? We took her to Arctic Circle of course! She loves playing at their playground, as do her brother and sister, so we thought it would be a great place for a birthday party!
Here is Kierra, enjoying the slide.
We decided to go with cupcakes instead of cake, so here are the cupcakes, and then the mess Kierra made when she was reaching for a cupcake!
Next came present time! Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Christensen and thank you to Papa Ludlow!
Kierra loves princesses! Here is the one princess set that we didn't already have making a mess of the girl's room: Beauty and the Beast!
The party capped off will Kierra, Janica and Tegan deciding it would be more fun to wear their cupcakes than eat them!
It was a fun party and a fun day. Grandma and Grandpa Christensen came to the party and although they didn't go down the slides, they seemed to enjoy themselves all the same. Happy Birthday my little Princess!
Yes, today my baby turned three. When did she get so big? I don't know. I just know that she is big. So what do we do for our big girl for her birthday? We took her to Arctic Circle of course! She loves playing at their playground, as do her brother and sister, so we thought it would be a great place for a birthday party!
Here is Kierra, enjoying the slide.
We decided to go with cupcakes instead of cake, so here are the cupcakes, and then the mess Kierra made when she was reaching for a cupcake!
Next came present time! Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Christensen and thank you to Papa Ludlow!
Kierra loves princesses! Here is the one princess set that we didn't already have making a mess of the girl's room: Beauty and the Beast!
The party capped off will Kierra, Janica and Tegan deciding it would be more fun to wear their cupcakes than eat them!
It was a fun party and a fun day. Grandma and Grandpa Christensen came to the party and although they didn't go down the slides, they seemed to enjoy themselves all the same. Happy Birthday my little Princess!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
An Ode to My Big Sister
On this day in 1970, my big sister Milaka was born. Isn't she so cute? 
Here's Milaka on her second birthday. What beautiful big blue eyes! I have to confess, as the little sister, I idolized my big sister! She always kept her room so much neater than mine. Her toys were always nicer than mine too. While we're on the subject, have you seen her handwriting? I know she says her handwriting is so perfect because she spends time working on it. Well I'm impressed that she spent the time! It really is perfect!
I played soccer because Milaka did. I started playing the flute because Milaka did. Any guesses as to why I was in the choir in high school? Yep, because Milaka was! There was a time when I was a sophomore in high school that a couple of my friends were the little sisters of Milaka's friends. Thanks for putting up with me Milaka! I know it must have been annoying to have your little sister follow you around everywhere!
Right now, Milaka lives in Oregon, attending chiropractic school. Have I mentioned that my sister is amazing? She often said that science wasn't her best subject, and yet she passed all kinds of science classes to fulfill her dream. She is the mother of three wonderful children, and even as a full-time student, still has time for them. Amazing! She sings in a barbershop choir (and is very good at it!) and fulfills her calling at church. How can she do it? As her very biased little sister, I say that she can do it because she is Milaka, and my big sister can do anything!
Happy Birthday to you Milaka! I know today will be a very busy day for you so maybe you won't have time to read this ode today, but when you do, please enjoy it and know that I mean every word! I love you!
Friday, February 27, 2009
There and Back Again, a Janica's Tale
Although we were there two days longer than we thought, today we were able to bring Janica home safe and sound. Yippee!! It was just in time too because Janica was getting lazy and a little complacent, not wanting to get out of bed.
Here is exhibit A, after Jason forced Janica out of bed to take a walk. Ah, what can I say? She is her mother's daughter!
Here is a picture from when Tegan and Kierra went to visit on Wednesday
Originally we had hoped to take Janica home on Wednesday and while she didn't seem to be in too much pain from the incision from surgery, she was having problems emptying her bowels and bladder. We agreed with the doctor that we didn't want Janica home until she was continent. Her drinks were laced with laxatives on Wednesday and Thursday, and finally on Thursday evening after I left to go home, success! Her bowels finally emptied and relieved most of the pain she was in.
Her bladder is another story. There is no laxative for bladders. We tried all the tricks in the books. We had her sit on the toilet listening to running water, I put her hand in warm water, but nothing worked! We were told by the neurosurgeon that her bladder not contracting is actually very normal with the type of surgery that Janica had. If you think about it, her bladder hasn't been working very well for a few years now, and the surgery set it back a little further. Since there is no physical therapy for bladders, now we wait for her newly untethered nerves to communicate with her bladder. In the meantime, we use a straight catheter to empty her bladder. If you're really curious about how that works, ask me privately and I'm happy to tell you.
So today, when I went to the hospital, I brought Tegan and Kierra with me so we could bring Janica home! We were all very excited! Of course hospitals move at their own timetables, so we had time to wait once we got there. While we were waiting, we decided to go for a walk together and look around a little bit. Primary Children's has been a difficult place for Jason to visit in the past because of the time his brother Nathan spent there being treated for his leukemia. Nathan passed away 13 years ago at age 17. Jason was responsible for getting Nathan to Primary Children's for treatment and spent time waiting for the treatment to finish. So with the time we had to walk around, Jason showed us a few places he remembered from his time there before.
Here is a picture of Janica posing next to a statue. There is a picture of Nathan next to the same statue.
We then took the kids to the playroom. Tegan and Kierra had a lot of fun playing with all the toys. Janica enjoyed herself too, but she got tired easily - especially after a week of inactivity and her body working so hard recovering from surgery.
After a week of complaining about being lonely, she chooses to play by herself!
Here is Kierra rocking out. What a rockstar!
Both Tegan and Jason loved playing fooseball.
Janica loves playing most any game with her dad!
Finally the three of them find a toy they all enjoy playing together!
Once we were all done with our playing, it was time to go back to the room for our care instructions to take care of Janica at home. Her mobility is only limited by her comfort level and she will be able to go back to school in a week.
So here we are, safe and sound at home. Wonderful Relief Society sisters have brought us dinner, so I can spend more time working on my blog, obviously! ;) Janica is in my room, on my bed resting. I think tomorrow she'll be back on her feet.
Thanks again for all of your prayers and well wishes on our behalf. We have felt very loved through this whole experience, and it would have been much harder without all of you!
Here is exhibit A, after Jason forced Janica out of bed to take a walk. Ah, what can I say? She is her mother's daughter!
Here is a picture from when Tegan and Kierra went to visit on Wednesday
Originally we had hoped to take Janica home on Wednesday and while she didn't seem to be in too much pain from the incision from surgery, she was having problems emptying her bowels and bladder. We agreed with the doctor that we didn't want Janica home until she was continent. Her drinks were laced with laxatives on Wednesday and Thursday, and finally on Thursday evening after I left to go home, success! Her bowels finally emptied and relieved most of the pain she was in.
Her bladder is another story. There is no laxative for bladders. We tried all the tricks in the books. We had her sit on the toilet listening to running water, I put her hand in warm water, but nothing worked! We were told by the neurosurgeon that her bladder not contracting is actually very normal with the type of surgery that Janica had. If you think about it, her bladder hasn't been working very well for a few years now, and the surgery set it back a little further. Since there is no physical therapy for bladders, now we wait for her newly untethered nerves to communicate with her bladder. In the meantime, we use a straight catheter to empty her bladder. If you're really curious about how that works, ask me privately and I'm happy to tell you.
So today, when I went to the hospital, I brought Tegan and Kierra with me so we could bring Janica home! We were all very excited! Of course hospitals move at their own timetables, so we had time to wait once we got there. While we were waiting, we decided to go for a walk together and look around a little bit. Primary Children's has been a difficult place for Jason to visit in the past because of the time his brother Nathan spent there being treated for his leukemia. Nathan passed away 13 years ago at age 17. Jason was responsible for getting Nathan to Primary Children's for treatment and spent time waiting for the treatment to finish. So with the time we had to walk around, Jason showed us a few places he remembered from his time there before.
Here is a picture of Janica posing next to a statue. There is a picture of Nathan next to the same statue.
We then took the kids to the playroom. Tegan and Kierra had a lot of fun playing with all the toys. Janica enjoyed herself too, but she got tired easily - especially after a week of inactivity and her body working so hard recovering from surgery.
After a week of complaining about being lonely, she chooses to play by herself!
Here is Kierra rocking out. What a rockstar!
Both Tegan and Jason loved playing fooseball.
Janica loves playing most any game with her dad!
Finally the three of them find a toy they all enjoy playing together!
Once we were all done with our playing, it was time to go back to the room for our care instructions to take care of Janica at home. Her mobility is only limited by her comfort level and she will be able to go back to school in a week.
So here we are, safe and sound at home. Wonderful Relief Society sisters have brought us dinner, so I can spend more time working on my blog, obviously! ;) Janica is in my room, on my bed resting. I think tomorrow she'll be back on her feet.
Thanks again for all of your prayers and well wishes on our behalf. We have felt very loved through this whole experience, and it would have been much harder without all of you!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Oh What a Night becomes Here Comes the Sun
I'll cut through the preamble and introduction to assure one and all that my little Janica is just fine. She is making it through recovery, being her usual spirited self. So now to the story.
Hospitals are not conducive to sleep. Not for the patient, and certainly not for the patients mother. Janica actually slept quite a bit better than I did. For the most part, she had the drugs to keep her asleep. I, on the other hand, was sensitive to every sound and every movement. When her monitor beeped, when the nurse came in every four hours to check her stats, and most especially when Janica started crying around 4 am because her pain meds had worn off. It took longer than I would have liked for the meds to start working. The final straw came at 7:30 when the resident doctor came in to check Janica's incision. I decided to stop trying fighting what was clearly a losing battle.
Janica slept most of the day on Tuesday. She seemed to wake up long enough to get more pain meds, and then she was back to sleep. Dr Brockmeyer came in to see her Tuesday morning. Although we originally took her to see him because of her lack of bladder control, he told us that the surgery wouldn't guarantee better control. The main purpose for the surgery was to untether her nerves, so she wouldn't have permanent nerve damage. In fact, it is very possible that she will need surgery again in another few years. While not an ideal situation, we would rather future surgery, than Janica have permanent nerve damage.
Last night I went home and got a good night's sleep, while Jason stayed in the hospital with Janica. Wouldn't you know that she had problems with her catheter after I left and things were a bit traumatic for her for a while. When Jason told me about it, I was ready to hop in the car and trade places with him immediately, but he was able to talk me down. It was probably for the best too, because I really needed the sleep.
I came back to the hospital this morning and found that all was well. In fact, Janica was doing great. She was eating and drinking no problem, and her biggest complaint was that she couldn't get off her back and she was bored. Today our goal was to do something about that. So this afternoon, we took out the catheter and the epidural. We unhooked her from all the wires and tubes, and then she was able to walk by herself! We walked down the hallway and back. By the time we got back to the room, Janica was pretty tired and ready for a rest. Even then, she wouldn't get back into bed. She was sick of lying down! She sat on a chair or stood by her bed, but we couldn't coax her back in. The highlight of the day for all of us was when my dad brought Tegan and Kierra down to the hospital to see their sister. All three of them were very excited to see each other. They have a very close bond. Tegan and Kierra stayed long enough to eat dinner and watch Cinderella, and then it was time for them to head home.
So now I prepare myself for what I hope will be a more pleasant night. Janica took a late nap and is still very awake. I think I'm coming down with a cold and of course I don't have any decongestants or anything. Oh well. On the plus side, I am very tired, so that should help me sleep through the night.
Jason will be coming back in the morning, but he will wait until the doctor comes in the morning and tells us if Janica can go home tomorrow or not. If she can, then Jason will come down with Tegan and Kierra and we will all go home together. Tonight, after listening to Janica cry about how she wants to go home, I really hope that will be the case.
Hospitals are not conducive to sleep. Not for the patient, and certainly not for the patients mother. Janica actually slept quite a bit better than I did. For the most part, she had the drugs to keep her asleep. I, on the other hand, was sensitive to every sound and every movement. When her monitor beeped, when the nurse came in every four hours to check her stats, and most especially when Janica started crying around 4 am because her pain meds had worn off. It took longer than I would have liked for the meds to start working. The final straw came at 7:30 when the resident doctor came in to check Janica's incision. I decided to stop trying fighting what was clearly a losing battle.
Janica slept most of the day on Tuesday. She seemed to wake up long enough to get more pain meds, and then she was back to sleep. Dr Brockmeyer came in to see her Tuesday morning. Although we originally took her to see him because of her lack of bladder control, he told us that the surgery wouldn't guarantee better control. The main purpose for the surgery was to untether her nerves, so she wouldn't have permanent nerve damage. In fact, it is very possible that she will need surgery again in another few years. While not an ideal situation, we would rather future surgery, than Janica have permanent nerve damage.
Last night I went home and got a good night's sleep, while Jason stayed in the hospital with Janica. Wouldn't you know that she had problems with her catheter after I left and things were a bit traumatic for her for a while. When Jason told me about it, I was ready to hop in the car and trade places with him immediately, but he was able to talk me down. It was probably for the best too, because I really needed the sleep.
I came back to the hospital this morning and found that all was well. In fact, Janica was doing great. She was eating and drinking no problem, and her biggest complaint was that she couldn't get off her back and she was bored. Today our goal was to do something about that. So this afternoon, we took out the catheter and the epidural. We unhooked her from all the wires and tubes, and then she was able to walk by herself! We walked down the hallway and back. By the time we got back to the room, Janica was pretty tired and ready for a rest. Even then, she wouldn't get back into bed. She was sick of lying down! She sat on a chair or stood by her bed, but we couldn't coax her back in. The highlight of the day for all of us was when my dad brought Tegan and Kierra down to the hospital to see their sister. All three of them were very excited to see each other. They have a very close bond. Tegan and Kierra stayed long enough to eat dinner and watch Cinderella, and then it was time for them to head home.
So now I prepare myself for what I hope will be a more pleasant night. Janica took a late nap and is still very awake. I think I'm coming down with a cold and of course I don't have any decongestants or anything. Oh well. On the plus side, I am very tired, so that should help me sleep through the night.
Jason will be coming back in the morning, but he will wait until the doctor comes in the morning and tells us if Janica can go home tomorrow or not. If she can, then Jason will come down with Tegan and Kierra and we will all go home together. Tonight, after listening to Janica cry about how she wants to go home, I really hope that will be the case.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Janica's Anatomy
So today was it, the big day. For the first time in many months, I set my alarm for 6 am and actually got up that early! Jason and I got clothes for the kids for the week, packed an overnight bag for me, got the kids up, had a family prayer, and off we went. Our first stop was to our next-door-neighbors, the Leas, to drop off Tegan. They kindly let him stay at their house, until it was time for him to go to school. Next stop was my parent's house, to drop off Kierra with my sister Keturah for the day. Kierra was a little shy, but she is a good sport and we were able to leave no problem.
Then all too soon, we were at the hospital, checking-in to same day surgery. Janica was a very good sport, cheerful through the whole thing. She patiently endured being measured, weighed, poked, prodded and anything else the did, in order to proclaim her in good enough health for her surgery. We put her in hospital pajamas, and then it was time to wait. Fortunately, the waiting room was full of toys, so Janica really enjoyed herself.
They gave her more medication that helped her relax and she sure was relaxed! You know after watching her, I could have used some medication to help me relax too, but I guess it was for the best that they only gave it to the children having surgery. Sigh. Once she got the drug, she had to stay in the wagon so she wouldn't fall down. She got pretty loopy, so the wagon was a great idea.
Janica's surgery was supposed to start at 10:15, but they came and got her closer to 10:45. Again, the waiting didn't bother Janica, but it didn't help my nerves any! After they took her back to the OR, Jason and I went to the Surgery waiting room. Not a cheerful place. Imagine, a room full of anxious parents, waiting for their children's surgeons to come in and give them either good or bad news. No, it wasn't pleasant. Well,that was until my dear friend Jennifer showed up. She claimed that she happened to be in the area (yeah right), and it just so happened that she was there to talk to Jason and me and help keep us distracted while we waited. Truly a godsend!
The surgery was supposed to last about two hours, but it was more than 2 1/2 hours before Dr. Brockmeyer, the neurosurgeon came to talk to us. The surgery was a success! He said that the untethering was much harder than he thought it would be, but that he was also able to do more than he thought he would. He told us that he was able to untether all of the nerves for her bladder and that he was also able to untether most of the other nerves. He was very pleased with how it turned out. Now the one comment he made was that Janica has an "interesting anatomy." Turns out that her nerves don't go to her left leg in the regular way. He was concerned about her left leg, until we told him that she hasn't had any problems and that it functions just fine. We'll still keep an eye on it.
Once the surgery was over, it was off to recovery. Because of all the medication Janica had received, she was in no hurry to wake up. No hurry at all. We shook her, tickled her, talked loudly to her, and all to no avail. Well at one point she did wake up long enough to open her eye and say "It's supposed to be four days!" In explaining to her what was going to happen this week, Jason and I told her that she would be in the hospital for four days. I guess she thought she would be able to sleep that whole time! It was pretty cute, and I knew that once she woke up, she would still be my Janica.
I guess that pretty well takes us to now. We are in her room in the neurosurgery wing. Janica has woken up and has done well enough on clear liquids that they let her eat solids. She was very pleased with this development, since she hadn't eaten since 6:30 last night.
We've watched Dumbo, Cinderella, and now we're watching Return to Neverland. Jason went home to get Tegan and Kierra from my parents and put them to bed. He'll be back in the morning, after he takes Tegan to school. I will be very happy when he is back!
Thank you for all of your prayers, love and support. I have felt the power of your prayers and my testimony has been strengthened. Much love to you all!
Then all too soon, we were at the hospital, checking-in to same day surgery. Janica was a very good sport, cheerful through the whole thing. She patiently endured being measured, weighed, poked, prodded and anything else the did, in order to proclaim her in good enough health for her surgery. We put her in hospital pajamas, and then it was time to wait. Fortunately, the waiting room was full of toys, so Janica really enjoyed herself.
They gave her more medication that helped her relax and she sure was relaxed! You know after watching her, I could have used some medication to help me relax too, but I guess it was for the best that they only gave it to the children having surgery. Sigh. Once she got the drug, she had to stay in the wagon so she wouldn't fall down. She got pretty loopy, so the wagon was a great idea.
Janica's surgery was supposed to start at 10:15, but they came and got her closer to 10:45. Again, the waiting didn't bother Janica, but it didn't help my nerves any! After they took her back to the OR, Jason and I went to the Surgery waiting room. Not a cheerful place. Imagine, a room full of anxious parents, waiting for their children's surgeons to come in and give them either good or bad news. No, it wasn't pleasant. Well,that was until my dear friend Jennifer showed up. She claimed that she happened to be in the area (yeah right), and it just so happened that she was there to talk to Jason and me and help keep us distracted while we waited. Truly a godsend!
The surgery was supposed to last about two hours, but it was more than 2 1/2 hours before Dr. Brockmeyer, the neurosurgeon came to talk to us. The surgery was a success! He said that the untethering was much harder than he thought it would be, but that he was also able to do more than he thought he would. He told us that he was able to untether all of the nerves for her bladder and that he was also able to untether most of the other nerves. He was very pleased with how it turned out. Now the one comment he made was that Janica has an "interesting anatomy." Turns out that her nerves don't go to her left leg in the regular way. He was concerned about her left leg, until we told him that she hasn't had any problems and that it functions just fine. We'll still keep an eye on it.
Once the surgery was over, it was off to recovery. Because of all the medication Janica had received, she was in no hurry to wake up. No hurry at all. We shook her, tickled her, talked loudly to her, and all to no avail. Well at one point she did wake up long enough to open her eye and say "It's supposed to be four days!" In explaining to her what was going to happen this week, Jason and I told her that she would be in the hospital for four days. I guess she thought she would be able to sleep that whole time! It was pretty cute, and I knew that once she woke up, she would still be my Janica.
I guess that pretty well takes us to now. We are in her room in the neurosurgery wing. Janica has woken up and has done well enough on clear liquids that they let her eat solids. She was very pleased with this development, since she hadn't eaten since 6:30 last night.
We've watched Dumbo, Cinderella, and now we're watching Return to Neverland. Jason went home to get Tegan and Kierra from my parents and put them to bed. He'll be back in the morning, after he takes Tegan to school. I will be very happy when he is back!
Thank you for all of your prayers, love and support. I have felt the power of your prayers and my testimony has been strengthened. Much love to you all!
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