Happy Thanksgiving

On this fine day of eating pumpkin pie I thought I would just let you think about where they really come from....

A Scary Day, Even for October...

Yesterday I left the boys at my parents while at an eye appointment. When I was almost back my dad calls and says "Where are you?"
"I just pulled into the Checker by your house to pick up some brake lights for my car."
He says "Okay. Just hurry."
I could hear Jackson crying in the background, but he had been asleep when I left and I thought he must have just woken up. Nothing they couldn't handle for 5 minutes. So I go about my business and buy the light bulbs and then go back out to the car and start over to my parents. My mom calls. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"Van Winkle and 9th East, be there in about 5 minutes."
"Hurry! I'm not sure if he needs to go to the hospital or not."
"Uhhhh, What?" (applying pressure to right foot)
"Jack fell and hit his head and his face is swelling. I'm not sure if he broke the bone or not." Just what I wanted to hear. I went in and my mom pulled the ice pack off of his face and all I could say was "Oh! Okay, lets go." His check looked like he has somehow managed to put an orange cut in half in his check to save for later. I wish I had pictures! It was huge. However, I am not unused to head swelling. My kids get goose eggs with the best of them. The thing that had me really worried is that he was like a sack of potatoes. Totally limp. I would talk to him and he wouldn't even look at me. When I asked where his eyes are he pointed to his nose. And he hadn't said a single word since it happened. After a couple of hours he slowly started moving and then he finally said a word. They ordered the CT just to be sure there was nothing else and found his bone was broken, some bleeding, but not in his brain:) that was causing swelling... Really? I didn't need the CT to tell me there was swelling. Not bad, but broken. Since it wasn't depressed into his skull they won't have to do surgery. Brings new meaning to the words "Lucky Break". Anyway, this is what he looks like today... Still a tiny bit swollen, but NOTHING like what it was. Hard to see in the photo's. As you can see he's handling it better than I would expect. He even went to his dentist appointment today. He is acting totally normal... which is making me crazy because Jackson's normal is crazy and it's not uncommon for him to trip. As proven by this post.

ps. Might I just add to dad... Maybe next time my kids face is swollen say something like, Jack is hurt and then maybe I won't go in the store...

One of the Many Unblogged Events of this Summer

My Grandma died earlier this year and I was going through my photos and realized I didn't blog anything about it. Not that a funeral is a hot topic or anything, but it happened and here it is. I am sort of at a loss as to what to say about it. For the past few (quite a few) years, my grandmother and I have been shall we say, at odds. It was actually really nice to go to the funeral and listen to Michelle talk about her. It was really just random memories, but they weren't the ones I always think of when I think of her. It was nice have someone elses thoughts floating around in my head, rather than my own. She would have been 100 years old this fall, it's hard to imagine all the change she saw in her life time.

The boys actually had a good time. They didn't really know her, so it was really just a good get together with cousins for them.

They all found gravestones with their names on them, Parker actually hung out with his for a while.

I have also decided that I want a black and silver casket... not for a while, I hope.

There was actually a really funny moment when Bus leaned in to giver her a kiss before they closed the casket and just about knocked it over. I don't think I have ever seen comic relief work so well as it did on my dad at that moment.

Come to think of it, I guess the kids aren't the only ones that had a good get together.

RSVP

Just so you know Saturday Riley is getting baptized.... the date was changed kind of last minute and haven't had time to really invite anyone... so if you would like to come please send me an email or call me and I will let you know where and when.

A Funny

Since Rob's surgery we have heard most of the pig jokes out there.... from swine flu to canabalism, to oinking, sweating like a pig, etc. This is however my favorite so far. From my mom.

Ah, School...AKA Audio Relief

I am so happy that Parker is in all day school this year. I absolutely HATED having to go to the school 3 times a day. Granted, I only cut out one trip, but it was the one that broke up my day and made it impossible to really get anything done. So school has started, the boys like their teachers, and me and Jack are spending LOTS of time together... He likes playing with Riley and Parker better. His favorite time of day is when we go pick them up and still insists everyday that he has to take his backpack in the car too. He still has 3 more years until he is in kindergarten! I don't think I like fall birthdays.

Before school started and before Rob went back to work (he was very

excited to get out of the house and go back to work!) we took the boys camping. It was only for one night, but that was enough. They got to fish and I got to read. When we went to bed it was freezing and they both decided that all they wanted was to sleep in their warm, soft cozy beds the next night. It was fun but we were glad to get home.

Oh, I almost forgot! We finally got the piano from my mom's house (thanks for all who helped!) and I refinished it. If you didn't see it before this won't mean much, but it's tons better. Rob's sister even came out and tuned it. Me and the boys have started taking lessons (also from Rob's sister) and can already play a few songs. I think I like it more than the boys though.

Home Sweet Home

So after what seems like a really long time I am home and can update you on the gimp and show a few photo's of the progress.  This first one is the first walk he went on after the surgery.  You can see all the crap they had him hooked up to, well almost all of it.   Some of it they left in the room and just hooked him back up when he finished.  This only shows the 4 IV's (still 3 more hanging on the bed) his catheter and oxygen.  It doesn't show the heart monitors... there were a few.  They had to put him on this cool blood pressure monitor thing that was actually inside his vein in his arm.  It would show what his pressure was with every beat.  They had to keep a close watch over his pressures (obviously), but especially because the heart/lung bi-pass machine chewed up his aorta a bit and they had to put a patch on it. 

He spent 2 days and 1 night in the SICU (surgical intensive care unit). Stewart was his nurse... so good.  If you have to spend some time in SICU I totally recommend him.  Then they moved him up to the 4th floor.

  The boys were finally able to come up and visit for a few minutes.  They were so excited to give Rob the pictures they made him.  Apparently they were all afraid that Rob would forget Chewy, because that is what they all drew.  Jack's is a little abstract.  I love it. 

We came home this morning.  This is what he has been doing since then.  

Here is a close up of his chest along with notes.  

Big thanks to everyone for helping us out so much!!!  (Especially Jodi for letting me crash in her hospital room.)