Good-bye '09

One final Brendan story to end the year.

A couple weeks ago it was nap time. He didn’t think it was. I laid him down and all was right with the world. A few minutes later I see fingers under the door and I hear a little voice telling me “I hungry.” Knowing he didn’t eat lunch well, I thought he might really be. I let him out, gave him some cheese and a banana that he ate ever so slowly, then escorted him back to bed.

A few minutes later I see the fingers again and hear the little voice. This time it was“I pooped”. Grrrr….I go in equipped with diaper and wipes ready to conquer the mess. There was none. I was ready to kill the little con artist. I tucked him back in retreated to the living room. I heard him chattering in there to himself for awhile.

Pretty soon I hear the voice again. “I hold Owen.” He never asks to hold Owen. Never. I told him to go back to bed. He pleaded “I hold Owen. PLEASE….mommie dearest.” I continued to stand my ground and ignore him. He begged even more. “I hold Owen. Pleeeeeaaaasssseeeee.” “Pictures!!”

What the heck? The child who avoids the camera is volunteering to take pictures? While holding Owen? This can’t be. I’ll call his bluff. I set him free and told him to go sit down and I’d get Owen. I ran as fast as I could and grabbed Owen and the camera knowing this would never work. I set him down and propped Owen next to him waiting for the dreaded “All done”. It never came. He actually sat there and let me take pictures. Not great ones, but pictures nonetheless. And Owen kind of cooperated too.

I took several pictures and when I was done, Brendan asked for more. I told him we had enough for now and took him back to bed. This time after I tucked him in and snuck out I did not hear the little voice again.

These are a few of what I got that day….







Thank you for checking in regularly and letting me entertain you with pictures and stories. We’ve said before and I’ll say it again thank you, thank you, thank you for all your thoughts and prayers this past year. We can’t thank you enough.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all have a safe, happy, and healthy 2010!

Christmas smiles

Christmas Angels

After we went to my mom's house on Christmas Eve, we came home and all got into our semi-matching Xmas pj's. The boys matched. We were decked out in red and green too. However, there is not one picture of that.

All I wanted for Christmas was one picture of both kids looking at the camera with a "normal" look on their face. After many attempts, this is all I got. And yes, Brendan does have pizza sauce on his face which I didn't notice until after the fact. Nice.





I gave up. The last one is as good as it got.

When Grandpa speaks, we all listen!

Or at least we let him believe we do.

Holiday Wishes

I wanted to post this letter for those of you who did not get a Christmas card from us. This was done before Owen's appointment with the specialists and it has not been updated.

There are many people who read this blog that we owe a HUGE thank you to...

I’ve never been one to even consider including a summary of my year with a Christmas card. I suppose I never really felt we had anything important enough to say that we needed to mail it out in letter form. But as most of you know…2009 spiraled off into a far different direction than we had initially anticipated. When our second son Owen was born in July….we had no idea what trials and tribulations lie ahead of us. One second we were welcoming our newborn child into our world and the next thing we know he was being whisked away to the NICU at the Meriter hospital in Madison. We had been informed that Owen had suffered a devastating bleed in his brain and not only was his condition critical…it was life threatening. Multiple doctors confirmed that not only was his mortality in question, the chances of him making a true recovery should he survive was very slim. Over the course of the next three weeks we lived in and around the hospital. Our normal everyday life had been turned upside down and the only thing we could do was take it one day at a time and believe that Owen was here to stay. While the initial diagnosis was nothing short of grim…as the days progressed….the most miraculous recovery took place. April and I, as well as the hospital staff watched in amazement as Owen’s condition improved each day. He went from being placed in an incubator, hooked up to every device under the sun and having an oxygen tube placed down his throat to resting comfortably in a crib like your average newborn child. Doctors were much more confident that he would survive. The swelling in his head which almost insured a need for further surgical procedures slowly began to subside on its own. Additional appointments with specialists and doctors continued to substantiate that his progress has been and continues to be nothing short of remarkable. Owen will be 5 months old this month and is doing very well. He is a very happy child and is always smiley and laughing. We continue to work with him on his body tone and he is a very active little man…just on the brink of rolling over regularly on his own. The doctors are optimistic that these continued successes may ultimately prove that Owen will suffer little or no permanent side effects from what was at first a considered impossible odds.

During and after our stay in Madison we have experienced the highest degree of support from our family, friends and hospital staff. These first few months with Owen have been so hectic that we have not had an opportunity to truly express our gratitude for everything you have done. THANK YOU! Words cannot convey how truly appreciative we are for all of the prayers and positive energies, as well as many gifts, each of you have bestowed upon us. We take pride in knowing that it was that outpouring of love and faith that has allowed Owen to thrive and defy the odds the way he has. Your generosity and patience has not gone unnoticed and every time we hold our children close, we realize how incredibly blessed we are and how all of you have made our happiness possible. Owen is a bundle of joy. Brendan is nothing short of remarkable and entertains and inspires us each and every day. We are truly one happy family.

Thank you again for everything you have done and have a safe and terrific holiday season!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Hey Homies

Merry Christmas from my crib to yours.

Me and Gramps

At Maddy's birthday shindig, Owen got to hang with Gramps. I thought I fixed the red eye before I uploaded these. I didn't. I'm too lazy now, so grin and bear it.

Dear Bitchface, I hate to say I told you so...but......

It has been a while since I have posted a blog on here. I guess I did not realize that it has literally been months until I looked back at one of my older posts. April does a fantastic job of keeping the pictures updated and filling you in on the little things both the boys do....so who needs me?

In the months since Owen's birth....I have always been cautiously optimistic about his progress. I wanted to be realistic about the things he had gone through so early on in his life and understand that the chances of further complications were pretty good. Why would I not feel this way when the doctors had told us repeatedly that this would be the case? When we took Owen home from the hospital we were told that he was doing well enough to leave the NICU but further appointments and surgeries would be necessary. Dr. Elmo said that there was a 95% chance that a shunt would be necessary to drain the excess fluid and blood in his brain. The only reason they did not do it before he left the hospital was because they wanted the clots to clear up a little bit before inserting the shunt. They did not want to risk it having to be clogged and needing to redo the procedure. He certainly was not healthy by any means but he was well enough to join us in his new home.

When we visited the doctors a couple of months ago...they told us that Owen's tone was a little low but average. Dr. Elmo wanted to see a "social smile" out of him within the next couple of weeks after that appointment. He said it would be a good sign that things were going okay. Gramps Creeper (the neurosurgeon) said that the ventricles in his brain had shrunk a little smaller but they would run a scan again in a couple of months to see how things were going. So once we got him back at home...we stared at Owen obsessively waiting for any hint of a smile. This probably creeped him about a bit...but we wanted so bad for him to be "okay". Well, the smiles came like clockwork, followed by belly laughs every time we changed his clothes. He is incredibly ticklish. As time progressed....Owen settled into his personality. He is incredibly social and generally a very happy baby (wait a minute....is he the mailman's child? I am so surly and cranky at times). When birth to three showed up for their various appointments....they too were impressed with how incredible he was doing. He has met all of his milestones and is actually MORE chatty then most kids his age. When we set him on the floor...he will babble and coo. He doesn't even need constant entertainment because he entertains himself. His scrawny little frame has filled out very well. He has chubby little legs and a little belly. He finally has a butt which he seemed to be missing at birth. Even the cheeks are growing slowly but surely. All of this good news...the other shoe had to drop right? The pessimist in me reared its ugly head at me and I started evaluating Owen's little noggin. Was his head growing? Was his soft spot still soft? At his four month appointment the pediatrician seemed very content with his condition. Owen's behavior was just like your average baby.....so I demanded my skepticism to silence itself...historically it has been proven that we have a pretty durable little son.

Today Owen proved that he is every bit as durable and amazing as everyone thinks he is. We had some pretty important appointments with him today and the outcome of these meetings would really let us know how he was doing inside his head. We kicked off the morning with his first MRI in a couple of months. This was followed by an appointment with Gramps Creeper who sat down at the computer and brought up two scans. One reflecting very large ventricles filled with fluid and the other with much, much smalled ventricles. He asked us which we thought was the most recent scan. Of course we pointed to the better of the two scans and he told us we were correct. Upon evaluation of the scan he found that things were looking very good. He was very pleased with what he saw. The ventricles were small, there was no sign of any new or further trauma. The swelling of his head was not increasing. And the best news yet? He really saw no reason for us to make any further appointments with him. After viewing his current scan results, Gramps Creeper no longer saw any need for or risk of needing surgery. At this point there was very little chance of any further increased swelling and his services were no longer needed. We were elated! It was simply exhilarating to just walk out of the children's hospital without that little seed of doubt in our heads about the next appointment.

Fresh out of Gramps Creepers' office we headed over to Dr. Elmo. When he came in the room I was feeling relatively calm but slightly on edge. My tension was soon relieved when he told us that he too was extremely pleased with the MRI results. The only signs of damage to Owen's brain was the small "quiet" area on the right side of his brain. He felt that the effects of this damage would be minimal if any. He did an exam of Owen and was impressed with how happy and excitable he was. He liked seeing how alert and sturdy he was. Dr. Elmo thought all of his body movements were strong and there were no signs of any deficiency. We were told that things were going great and he would not need to see us again for a year! More good news. April and I practically ran the kids out of the exam room because we didn't want anything to spoil the moment.

Owen turned 5 months old today. When you look at this little pudgy bundle of joy you would never know what he went through upon his entrance into this world. You would be surprised to know that we almost lost him. You could never imagine that all of the doctors and specialists felt that IF he should survive the after shocks of his bleed could have caused severe brain damage. It is nothing short of a miracle that he has and continues to defy the odds....he stayed with us, he slowly but surely grew stronger and managed to be removed from each and every medical device he was hooked up to. When I think about what he has been through...I feel such a sense of pride. I remember the initial few days we spent in the NICU. All of the doctors had really painted a grim picture of his future. I recall standing by his incubator and putting my hand inside and him grabbing my finger. One of the residents was staring at him at the time and when I pointed out that he was reacting to my touch....she said that it was just a reflex...it was not a sign of being alert. Well suck it Bitch Face (the name I so lovingly dubbed this resident)...you were WRONG! He DID know I was there and that little grip was just a prelude to all of the wonderful things he had planned for the months to come. I feel so grateful to Yoko Ono for soothing our fears as we were smacked with each negative outlook delivered to us about Owen's condition.

I am not much for the holiday season....but I must admit that year I am feeling truly blessed by the energies that be. April and I have two absolutely fantastic, HEALTHY little boys. Owen is a little trooper that brightens each of our days. Brendan is so incredibly smart and witty that no matter how rough my day has been...he always manages to bring at back around with his hilarious demeanor. I don't know where he comes up with the things he does but I sure am glad that the laughs never seem to stop coming.

Thank you again for all of the positive energy and prayers that each of you bestowed upon us during the critical moments of Owen's first few weeks. There is not a doubt in my head that it was all of that love and support that encouraged him to fight the fight. How could he resist sticking around when so many people were rooting for him? Thank you, thank you, thank you and Happy Holidays!

Five Months

Five months already? Wow, where has the time gone?

We have an appointments in Madison today for an MRI followed by an appointment with the neurosurgeon(aka Gramps Creeps) then the neurologist (aka Dr. Elmo). We're hoping for a good day.

Owen continues to do very well. We'll post an update of everything as soon as we can. In the meantime, here's a picture of him cat napping. I think that's his sexy pose.

Me and my shadow

From the time that Jeremy gets up in the morning (or gets home from work) until bedtime he has a constant attachment. It's like a tumor only bigger. We call that tumor Brendan. If Jeremy opens a book, Brendan is right there. Most of the time with his own book that needs reading. Occasionally, like below, he will let Jeremy read while he reads himself. But, that doesn't last long before the attention must be diverted from the book to him.





One of his new favorite past times is coloring. Of course, his idea of coloring is for us to color while he is in charge of what colors we are allowed. Sometimes the coloring includes drawing...either with his colors or on the Aquadoodle. He barks out orders on what to draw. It usually goes something like this.

"Draw dog"

"Draw cow"

"Draw cowboy"

"Draw cowboy glasses"

"Draw fish"

"Draw fish glasses"

"Draw fish hat"

Most everything ends up with a hat and glasses. This goes on and on and on and on. He has not caught on that my horse or cow or dog or cowboy all look pretty much the same. At least with Jeremy, who can draw, you can differentiate. This is the conversation I heard the other night.

"Draw mom"

"Draw mom hair"

"Draw mom glasses"

"Draw mom Halloween" (sidenote: I learned later that draw whatever Halloween means make a scary mouth---like a Jack o lantern. You're welcome. We should all be schooled on Brendan's own little language)

"Draw mom hat"

"Draw mom boob"

Yes, after months, we are apparently back to boobs.

Sweet Potato

Owen started a couple weeks ago on some solids (cereal). We decided to take it to the next level the other night. He found sweet potatoes to be scrumptious.

I love Rock n Roll

The fact that he's rockin' to the music while wearing this shirt was pure coincidence. I dressed him and later he came to me with the headphones and wanted to listen to music.

This picture made me laugh. I think he's channeling his inner evil rock star.

Goofy Child

No pictures today. Just a funny story to share.

Last night we were watching a movie and Brendan was playing. I said to Jeremy I didn’t think the poor child had a bath all week. He reminded me that Brendan took a shower with him the night before. I made the mistake of actually muttering the B-A-T-H word out loud. Brendan perked right up and came over.

He wanted a bath. NOW. I told him he could take one later. He said “Pleeeaaassseee?”
I tried to ignore him.

When please didn’t work he tried “Por Favor?” because we all know please in Spanish seems so much sweeter. I still didn’t respond.

By this time he was looking to both of us knowing someone will cave. “Pleeease, mom. Pleeeease, dad?” I told him in a little while.

“Pretty please.” How can you resist the sweetness? I tried. Then he cranked it up a notch.

“PLEASE…..mommie…….dearest?”

Needless to say, he got a bath.

He did it again this morning while I was trying to get ready for work. He wanted to read a book. I told him after I got home from work. (Side note….the kid never wants me to read a book to him. I think he believes I’m illiterate so only Jeremy can read to him.) After I told him we’d read tonight, he begged again. “Please…..mommie…..dearest?” There is always a slight pause in between each word. We read two books before work.

And for the record, I prefer wire hangers.

Compromise?

As most of you know, Jeremy can be a bit of a Grinch when it comes to the holidays. He hates them all. Except Halloween. We were shopping a few weeks ago and I was looking at Xmas outfits for Owen. Every baby needs to be decked out in holiday attire, right? Jeremy doesn't agree. I came across this outfit and knew it was a must-have. Even Jeremy agreed. A bit of Rocker mixed with Christmas. It's all about the compromise.

Crap, KITTY!

We have a cat that we got a couple years ago when he was about two months old. He may be the sweetest cat we've ever owned. He loves Brendan. They were buddies from the start. The cat's name is Kitty. Very clever, I know. But Brendan called him that from day one because it was one of the few words that he could say. It just stuck. Kitty's downfall? He preferred by living room carpet to his litter box. Kitty found permanent residence outside last spring when we got new carpet.

Brendan is at the age where he can be our slave. Er, I mean, helper. Brendan, get me a diaper. Brendan, turn the light off. Brendan, let the dogs out (or in). That's his favorite. The problem, is that Kitty uses that task to his advantage. We often hear "Uh oh, CAT" or "Naughty Kitty" or "Crap, Kitty!" and look up to see Kitty parading thru the kitchen so proudly. Now that it's getting cold, Kitty finds new and inventive ways to sneak in. Most of the time he is caught, but there is the rare occasion where we just happen to stumble upon him.

The other day Owen was playing in his crib while I was doing something. This is what I found when I came back to get him.






Brendan woke up from a nap to find Kitty lounging in his beanbag chair. I didn't know he was there. I walked into the room to find this.




It's going to be a long winter!

Tickle my fancy

Brendan is big into tickles lately. The other night he was sitting on the bed with Jeremy asking to be tickled. "Tickle my belly." Jeremy obliged. "Tickle my toes." Jeremy obliged. "Tickle my elbow." Jeremy obliged. "Tickle my neck." Jeremy obliged. (this game goes on for what seems like hours.) "Tickle my chin." Jeremy obliged. "Tickle my booger." Huh? What? How does one tickle my booger? Needless to say, the game ended.

I didn't forget

that Brendan turned 2 and had some pictures taken. I've just been slacking on posting things because I haven't had time. So, here are a couple...