Tag Archive | Alexander

Completing to Change Focus Fully

December 5-8

Here I am writing about Thanksgiving well into Advent but this year the two were so close together! Trinity and Emanuel had their coffee filtre turkeys to finish with Daddy after all. You can make one  yourself thanks to Peapod Labs HERE.101_5424

We brought out our Little People Nativity set. Echo is enamoured with the angel. Apparently this one is ready to ride!101_5425

Of course we had our advent calendar and a craft to add to the fun! What we can do with markers, popsicle sticks, paper and glue!!! I think Trinity did a great job.101_5428

Then the boys had the exciting completion of their Minnesota lapbook plus extras. Only took FOREVER for us to get it done and together. Of course I saved the resources in a separate blog entry HERE. We did a mini lapbook and then went from there. I hope the little nuggets of facts and truths we found will stick in our minds for at least a little time. It was fun learning more about the state we now call home.101_5426

We have also started using Trinity’s daily reading as family story time. Every time we read one of her Christmas themed books (or watch a Christmas movie) we draw a group picture that will go in our Christmas binder!101_5429

101_5435We ended our school week with a paper craft that I picked up last year at an absolute steal. This was making a fancy paper gingerbread house with accessories.101_5431

It was the first Saturday of the month so of course the kids headed over to Home Depot for free craft time. Ken also signed them up for a special extra craft on the 21st.101_5434

Emanuel drew a wonderful Christmas themed dinosaur page to send up north to a special someone.

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Of  course Sunday brought Sunday School. Cold Cold Cold.101_5437

And then Baba and Ken put up the yard decoration that Nana found at Fleet Farm. Very pretty.101_5440

Later in the evening we had Facetime with Aunty Xinny, Alex, Izaac and Isabella. It was WILD!!!101_5443

We ended our evening with decorating the new 8 foot tall tree. The ornaments this year are from our stash. Not ALL of them but soe many memories and old favourites. The kids had a blast showing them to Nana and Baba.101_5449

101_5452101_5457Christmas is very apparent in the house now. And after a busy weekend it feels so much more real101_5455

This entry was posted on 21/12/2013, in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

As We Head Home

Friday marked the end of our hospital saga. I lucked out and our nurse took Echo out to snuggle around 5am instead of waking me (did I ever need sleep) and from then on she started to perk up more and more. She could not stand or walk of course with the iv in her foot but sometime the night before they closed off her iv so that it was not connected to fluids and medications giving us more freedom to hold and snuggle her as well as in the morning removed her from the monitors. The left the stickers and such on as they were needed for the Echocardiogram we had to have before leaving the hospital.

Ken and I had agreed to meeting up back at Echo’s room at 7am Friday morning, I didn’t wake up until 7:30 and Ken required me using the phone in the shared area of our ward that allowed local calls! His timing was rather amazing, he came in right behind the nurse who was there to take us to our x-ray. The first stage of us going home. 

I hate the xrays… Ken and I both were quick to go behind the shield and not look. It is hard to deal with! But the techs are compassionate and they even gave us the option NOT to go with… but in for a penny in for a pound! She got to ride down there in a stroller and everything. 

Ready to x-ray

Then it was back to hurry up and wait… well breakfast for our Echo. The night before the nurse had helped me give her a sponge bath for her head, neck and face so she was at least a little fresh. I had to go back to the kitchenette to fill out her meal as she didn’t like most of what was there but it was a good meal. She had finally started drinking again too… they were a little concerned about that. She didn’t drink much at all the day/night before, but with all the iv fluids she just wasn’t feeling it. 

We had time to sit up a bit… no crawling of course and to start fussing… and wait wait wait for those last two steps – the echocardiogram and the meeting with the surgeon. 

I had time for a shower in the room… time to bring out blocks from the toy room for Echo to keep busy… time to enjoy our littlest angel becoming more herself again! 

Blocks

Then it was rush off to the echo-cardiogram where Echo AND Daddy fell asleep with Baby Einstein playing. The doctor had to see the results so the tech sneaked out and let Echo sleep. She had a really hard time napping in the hospital, she was either too busy people watching out her door of her room or checking to ensure that myself or Ken did not leave her bedside.

At that point it was time to wait for the surgeon. Once we chatted with him, went over the post op instructions AGAIN and were made aware that we had to come back in a month for a follow up all that was left was the nurse coming to remove the last of Echo’s hook ups, check us out and see us off.

Taking the iv out was a bit traumatic. The nurses in surgery really taped it on, but she was so excited to be free! Then there was the chest stickers (those didn’t hurt, and I saved them) and then FINALLY clothing!! Ken went to get the vehicle and between the nurse and myself we packed us up and readied Echo to go home. The nurses were able to give me the left over bottle of the antibiotics so we don’t need to purchase the prescription which is great as we don’t have coverage for that right now. She gave me the nurse’s instructions and the doctor’s write up. The nurse’s version is MUCH easier to read! Basically we walked through what to look for with her incisions (swelling, bleeding, etc etc) and a reminder as to how to deal with the aspirin (once a day, crush and add to small amounts of yogurt etc if needed)… she also gave me enough syringes that I don’t have to worry about how many doses, just run out of syringes on the antibiotic!

I stopped off at the cardiology office to check on the scheduling of our 1 month follow up. They are to call us with a date. And we were off! Time to pack the car up and head back to the den Otter’s to get the rest of our things. We visited Izaac, Alexander and their grandma for a little while to let Echo stretch and gather everything off and then it was FINALLY time to go home! Time to reunite our little family! 

Nekky baby to end the entry

This entry was posted on 27/03/2012, in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

A Wednesday Full of Hurry Up and Wait!

And then came Wednesday… at 6am I called (Ken was exhausted from being up late into the night working using the netbook and worried that her surgery would be forced to the following week and we would be WITHOUT sitters) the number Alan left us (I had called the night before and left a message but with something so important we did not want to wait until the 8am time Alan was quoted that she would call back) and confirmed our changes. Thank goodness Thursday WAS an option AND we were scheduled as the FIRST surgery of the day. This meant the chances of being bumped due to ANOTHER emergency was slim to nil (though we in turn had bumped someone else… there were only 2 surgeries scheduled for Thursday). 

So that changed our rules for feeding her. Amazingly enough – still no food past midnight, but now we had to be at the hospital by 6 am for admitting (of course not AT admitting as the main hospital admitting office is not open that early but to the pre-op office we went to on Tuesday) for a 7am surgery. She was allowed breastmilk until 3 am and clear liquid until 4. We were given (on Tuesday) two jars of sugar water to give her as well… of course with our juice free lifestyle for the little one that was a no go! 

This left us with a day with nothing planned… and of course the need to call EVERYONE involved with the kids so that we had everyone in the know about our extra day in the city. Thankfully (she) Chris was able to take the Friday off and Karyn and Lauralee had already taken Emanuel and Trinity to the library program Tuesday night. Karyn was willing to take the twins to her place for a visit as well! They had been asking to see her place for some time now! 

With a day free Ken had to contact his contracts to alert them to the change in his days away from the computer and take advantage of the free time to do some of the work that needs to be done anyway. We had texts to make, a few phone calls and then… well Alan and Xinny were at work, Isabella sick (and sequestered AWAY from Echo) so that left Alexander, Izaac and Xinny’s mom (she is a lovely lady though does not speak much English). A nice and quiet home. 

Sean, who is still off work after breaking his foot (his walking boot is off but it is still not 100%) contacted us and offered to take us out for lunch and some fresh air. That sounded MUCH better than sitting in the house worrying about the surgery the next day! Once Ken finished up a tiny bit of work we packed up, said good bye to Alexander (who was going for his usual half day of school soon) and his grandma and headed out to Denny’s.

At Denny's

After Denny’s we stopped a grocery store and then back to the den Otter’s where Sean hung out for the afternoon as we rested up, napped Echo (and myself) and Ken continued getting work done. Alan had to work late but Xinny came home before supper. She made ribs and Ken made mashed potatoes. Ken also ran out to get Alan when he was finally done so that he would not have to take the lengthy bus ride. 

Cuddle time with Uncle Sean

The evening was also quiet, with Ken and myself both on pins and needles and watching how Echo was coughing and behaving. She nursed at midnight and then that was it (again sugar water NO GO). I actually headed to bed (cell in hand to text with a few friends to calm my nerves) a little early and plugged everything in that needed charging. After all… Thursday was going to be EARLY! We figured I had to be up by 4:30 and Ken by 5 at the latest so we could get out the door by 5:15 and on our way to the hospital with LOTS of time to spare! 

Echo and Izaac