Monday, June 10, 2013

Of Poop and Ponies

We've all had those parenting days where it seems that one thing after another just doesn't go our way.  Well, tonight my wife had one of those nights.  After a difficult end of school year, the first Monday after the students moved out was not an auspicious beginning to her summer.

H needed a bath tonight and since I was cooking dinner (Lemon Chicken Breasts with Roasted Asparagus!) she was giving him one.  While pulling dinner out of the oven, I hear a frantic "Brit!  Brit!" coming from the bathroom.  As I ran into the bathroom, I tried to fool myself into thinking I had no idea what awaited me.  Oh but I did.  I have heard that frantic tone before during bathroom and it could only mean one thing:  poop.  Yep.  That's right.  My poor wife hardly knew what to do.

Now WW pooped in the tub many times by the time he was H's age, but alas, I think this may have been one of the first times for H.  But H didn't just poop in the tub, he then attempted to play with it.  When W scooped him up out of the tub he then promptly contaminated her Drink with it.  How dare he!?  Well, H was removed from the situation and I proceeded to decontaminate the bathroom.  Sadly, the Drink did not make it.

After dealing with that incident, W offered to get WW into his jammies.  He was thrilled by her offer of leap-frogging into the bathroom and gleefully proceeded to get down on the floor so she could leap frog over him.  But, alas, tonight was just not my wife's night.  After about 2 leap frogs over WW, her knee unfortunately (and ever so slightly) brushed against the back of WW's head.  Well, for any tired and worn-out 3 year old that is quite an event.  WW immediately jumped into my lap and tearily asked if I could put on his jammies.  How could I refuse?

As he started to calm down and, but still in between sobs, he asked if I could give him a pony-ride.  Of course!  So off we rode into the bathroom. . .

While W may not have had the best of nights with our boys, we've all been there; where no matter what we do just doesn't work and we have to rely on our spouse.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

We Made It!

Well, despite a very stressful day we all managed to get through H's surgery!  It was a longer procedure than expected, but everything went very well.  We spent one night in the PICU and then two nights on the regular neurosurgery ward.  I'm so grateful and thankful for the wonderful nurses and doctors at A. I. duPont; they are truly amazing.

I'm also amazed by the incredible support we have received from our family and friends.  It really does take a village and we are lucky to be surrounded by such fantastic people.

H and I came home on Sunday and I feel like I've been trying to catch up on my sleep ever since then.  Of course it doesn't help when WW gets up at 5:15 am!

My running got put on a brief hiatus, but I'm hoping to start up again either today or tomorrow.  I'm also hoping that my training has not suffered too much.

My Dad has been in town since Friday.  He and WW have been having such a wonderful time!  I love that they are getting this time to bond and hang out.  It's funny because I can't tell who is wearing out whom more!

Monday, May 27, 2013

A Very Long Time. . .

So, the last time I posted, I don't think H was even born!  Bad blogger!  I am going to try to make a renewed effort to post weekly, but we'll see. . .

H was born last July just a few short days before his big brother's birthday (since I'm on my iPad I'll post pictures later).  The Wife did a fantastic job birthing him!  She was a pro.  He is a peanut compared to his older brother!  However, he is the happiest kid I've ever seen!  He is constantly smiling, giggling and cooing.  Although those coos are beginning to sound more and more like words.  He has opinions about what he eats (or at least what he eats first).

WW is a fantastic big brother!  He loves his little brother to bits.  While he continues to tower over everyone his age, he also has the biggest heart.  He is doing great at Oak Lane and continues to be very interested in music.

In the last year, I have turned into a runner.  While I swore I never would run, I needed to do something to get back into shape, so I started running.  I have run 3 5K's since November and am currently training for my first half-marathon (eeekkkk)!!  I've lost 20 lbs of fat and gained 6 lbs of lean muscle!  Much of that is due to my amazing trainer at Next Step Personal Training.

At the office, I am now Director of Compliance which is a position I really enjoy.

The Wife is doing fantastic!

While everything sounds like it is going on swimmingly, the biggest news is that on Thursday, May 30th, H will be headed in for surgery on his skull.  He was born with a birth defect in which two of his skull plates fused prematurely.  This condition is known as craniosynostosis.  Luckily, our pediatrician caught it at H's one-month check-up and immediately referred us to a neurosurgeon.

The neurosurgeon has been terrific.  He, along with his colleague at surgical specialties, presented us with two options for initially handling H's condition.  The first option was a minimally invasive arthroscopic procedure whereby the surgeons would recreate the space in between the fused plates.  This procedure would require that H wear a molding helmet for 15 - 18 months.  The second option, called a frontal orbital advancement, is much more invasive and really akin to a reconstructive surgery the fused part of the skull.

We chose the first option.

Unfortunately, that was not as successful as the surgeons had hoped, so now we go back for the second option.  The more invasive surgery.  The good news is that H hasn't had to wear his helmet and won't have to wear another one!  The bad news is this surgery is much more invasive and quite a bit longer.  So that's what we're dealing with.

I hope to post more later in the week.