While waiting in pre-op last week Caleb and I realized that neuro would once again be shaving Bryce's head. So I did what I needed to do in order to have some semblance of control over the situation - I had Caleb get a pair of scissors from the nurse's desk and a plastic bag. Then I snipped it off myself.
He had the cutest little tuft of comb-over you've ever seen growing from his last shunt incision. It was dark like my hair while the rest is light like his Daddy's.
I had to cut it off in an OR waiting room with big red hospital scissors and tuck into yet another Bio-Hazard bag.
I couldn't help but stop for a second to imagine Bryce some day, perhaps at 11 or 12, asking why all of his baby mementos are in clear plastic Bio-Hazard bags.
And par for the course, neuro only shaved half of the comb over off. So now it's partly shaved and partly mommy-hacked. And now Caleb wants me to cut the other "crazy" scar hairs - we'll see.
Friday, June 4
Sunday, May 30
Oh, Bryce!
He keeps us on our toes.
Last Wednesday morning Bryce woke up as happy as ever, slept a little more that day but was happy to partake in swim class. He was even the model swim student, showing off to all the big babies who were scared to try floating on their backs while Bryce did it like he'd been sunbathing (HA, have you seen how pale this boy it?!) for years.
That same evening, only a couple of hours later, Bryce awoke from sleep (unusual) with an alarming cry. We tried to appease him, we tried Tylenol but six hours later - at 4:30 a.m. - we were driving back into the familiar Dell parking lot.
It's been months but it's still so odd to be bringing Bryce there and not going there to see him. I wonder if that feeling will ever go away.
As we pulled in I was all at once anxiety ridden and reminiscent. It feels wrong to be reminiscent of such a trying part of my life, but hindsight lets me see that it was also comforting to know he was in a place that could handle an emergency immediately. Unlike home.
Bryce had of course though fallen asleep in the car ride over - either because any car ride immediately renders him sleepy or because he had worn himself out screaming at us for hours. I'm so sorry I didn't immediately rush him in, after an hour of super-grump. But Bryce is such a laid back guy that I guess I figured I was due my fair share of insolent baby.
As we checked in at the ER desk, complaining of an inconsolable baby while holding a perfectly sleeping baby, we were triaged almost immediately because we were lucky enough to arrive during a lull in ER traffic. During triage Bryce woke up, relaxed from his nap I suppose. The nurses all looked at us as if we were crazy but took him to a room because one happened to be available. The ER doc made his way in and noted he just looked like a sleepy baby but since he has the shunt let's do the usual head CT and shunt X-ray series. And so we did.
I last complained about going to the ER because we had realized Bryce would always have to endure these such tests, no matter what was wrong with him, because no doctor wants to be the one who missed a shunt malfunction. Bryce has a broken finger, "Let's check his shunt," I imagine the doctors declaring.
Well, I'm sure glad they checked his shunt because as we were literally packing up to take him home the doctor comes back and says that both ventricles are very enlarged and neurosurgery had already been called, they were on their way. Only minutes later our old friends, the "the Neuro team" were walking back into our lives.
Bryce was immediately scheduled for emergency surgery and at 12 noon I was once again walking out of the surgery unit without my baby. This time I was forced to actually hand him over and then turn and walk away. Why that was harder than leaving him in his isolette with them I don't know, maybe because for so long that isolette was his safe little home.
to be continued...
Last Wednesday morning Bryce woke up as happy as ever, slept a little more that day but was happy to partake in swim class. He was even the model swim student, showing off to all the big babies who were scared to try floating on their backs while Bryce did it like he'd been sunbathing (HA, have you seen how pale this boy it?!) for years.
That same evening, only a couple of hours later, Bryce awoke from sleep (unusual) with an alarming cry. We tried to appease him, we tried Tylenol but six hours later - at 4:30 a.m. - we were driving back into the familiar Dell parking lot.
It's been months but it's still so odd to be bringing Bryce there and not going there to see him. I wonder if that feeling will ever go away.
As we pulled in I was all at once anxiety ridden and reminiscent. It feels wrong to be reminiscent of such a trying part of my life, but hindsight lets me see that it was also comforting to know he was in a place that could handle an emergency immediately. Unlike home.
Bryce had of course though fallen asleep in the car ride over - either because any car ride immediately renders him sleepy or because he had worn himself out screaming at us for hours. I'm so sorry I didn't immediately rush him in, after an hour of super-grump. But Bryce is such a laid back guy that I guess I figured I was due my fair share of insolent baby.
As we checked in at the ER desk, complaining of an inconsolable baby while holding a perfectly sleeping baby, we were triaged almost immediately because we were lucky enough to arrive during a lull in ER traffic. During triage Bryce woke up, relaxed from his nap I suppose. The nurses all looked at us as if we were crazy but took him to a room because one happened to be available. The ER doc made his way in and noted he just looked like a sleepy baby but since he has the shunt let's do the usual head CT and shunt X-ray series. And so we did.
I last complained about going to the ER because we had realized Bryce would always have to endure these such tests, no matter what was wrong with him, because no doctor wants to be the one who missed a shunt malfunction. Bryce has a broken finger, "Let's check his shunt," I imagine the doctors declaring.
Well, I'm sure glad they checked his shunt because as we were literally packing up to take him home the doctor comes back and says that both ventricles are very enlarged and neurosurgery had already been called, they were on their way. Only minutes later our old friends, the "the Neuro team" were walking back into our lives.
Bryce was immediately scheduled for emergency surgery and at 12 noon I was once again walking out of the surgery unit without my baby. This time I was forced to actually hand him over and then turn and walk away. Why that was harder than leaving him in his isolette with them I don't know, maybe because for so long that isolette was his safe little home.
to be continued...
Thursday, May 27
Birthday Planning Fun!
Bryce's first birthday is so close it's officially begun showing up as a countdown in my Blackberry calendar, my iCal calendar and my old school leather bound weekly calendar. It's time to get my butt in gear!
In case you don't live near or are just stalking us here is a copy of the invitation so you can see how cute they came out:
Front:
Back:
And that picture up at the top I had printed in little round stickers that I used to seal the envelopes with. I'm having way too much fun, I know!
We've also got a Dr. Seuss pinata, goodie bags for the kiddos and a daunting food preparation list already in the works.
I've you have ANY Dr. Seuss birthday ideas I'm all ears!! hint, hint
Wednesday, May 26
Precious Baby
Bryce has to be the best wake up call ever! I've never been a morning person and 6:45 a.m. might as well be the middle of the night as far as I'm concerned (proof is in the pudding - I'm writing this at 12:23 a.m. while everyone else is quietly settled in for the night).
But when I here Bryce moving and babbling I'm happy to rise and shine.
I'd been wanting to change the pictures above our couch from some I took on our trip to Europe a couple of years ago to some of Bryce. I figured he always makes me smile so what better to take up such large acreage in wall space smack in the middle of our home.
So I took the opportunity to seize on one of Bryce's endlessly happy, ridiculously early mornings last week to try to get something worthy of 12" x 12" prints in ever larger frames, museum matted in the living room.
This is what I captured...
Just try not to love him - I double dog dare ya!
But when I here Bryce moving and babbling I'm happy to rise and shine.
I'd been wanting to change the pictures above our couch from some I took on our trip to Europe a couple of years ago to some of Bryce. I figured he always makes me smile so what better to take up such large acreage in wall space smack in the middle of our home.
So I took the opportunity to seize on one of Bryce's endlessly happy, ridiculously early mornings last week to try to get something worthy of 12" x 12" prints in ever larger frames, museum matted in the living room.
This is what I captured...
Just try not to love him - I double dog dare ya!
Monday, May 24
Swim Class
Today, Monday May 24th, marked a new adventure for our little family - swim class! It's just 30 minutes, four days a week for two weeks but it's still a little daunting. Bryce is both the smallest and the youngest in the class for kiddos from six month old all the way up to three years.
But what he lacks in size and stature he makes up for in tenacity and plain old cuteness!
Here are some picks I took of the two of us just after class. Taking pictures of Bryce in the water just wasn't feasible, since it was just the two of us. This is a beginner class after all.
Bryce is a generally happy go lucky kind of guy but there are two things he just doesn't like: sun and wind. Not a great combination for Texas boy but he's laid back and takes it all in stride.
Our first class wasn't lacking in either department so Bryce compensated by keeping his head down and his eyes closed for the majority of the class. A couple of times I was able to turn his face away from the sun and despite the cold water he not only never fussed or cried but seemed to be hiding a little enjoyment even.
And as soon as class was over he was the happiest baby in the pool (if not the only baby in the pool). He smiled and babbled and tried to eat his towel with the best of 'em.
Wednesday is class number 3 and Daddy's turn to take him. I'm hoping my boys will fair well and bring me home some more pictures to share!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)