Today was yours, even if you didn't want it.

7:00 am- You woke up today needing a bath from your regular morning puke.
8:00 am- We took your older brothers to school and then headed home to finish the morning routine.
Medicine.
Your tube is quite handy in administering it.

9:15- We arrived at Methodist Hospital and found radiology to get an upper GI for you. Here you are in the waiting room. All the adults love you, except the ones that decide to stare with that confused expression.

You don't smile at those ones.

Neither do I.

9:30- They had the best toys for you to play with while waiting for the radiologist, and you looked smokin in the peach nightgown.

It was a good time until they held you down for the x-rays.

You hate being held down.

After awhile you tired out and relaxed.

It didn't take long and everything looked great.

10:00- The nurse sent us up to Dr. Irish (a pediatric surgeon). He sat and talked to us about putting a g-tube into you. Your dad and I discussed the pros and cons of each one and decided on the mic key. We made that choice because it was the less painful to change out. It feels like the right choice for you.

We also decided to do the surgery this Wednesday. You'll be in the hospital for 3-4 days. They'll put you to sleep in the morning and make an incision into your belly button where a camera will go and direct them where to insert the mic key. Afterwards you'll get all your drinks through an IV for 48 hours until we can feed you with your new tube. I think you'll like it a lot, it won't be nearly as annoying as your nose tube is.

After our decision we noticed that your nose tube was pulled out quite a bit. So dad had to put it back in. You hated that and screamed until dad rocked you to sleep on his shoulder. You really like him, even though he's the one that puts the tube in.

11:45 - We went and picked up Collin from Lisa's house. You slept the whole way. You slept for a long time, cause we drove out to Sam's Club afterwards and you never woke up once, unless you opened up your left eye slightly to glare at me. Then I would take my finger and gently close it and you'd be back to sleep. It was an exhausting morning.

2:00 - Once we were home for a break you snuggled up with dad and Collin on the couch for a bit. I snuck away upstairs to play spider solitaire and contemplate the organization of babysitters I'll have to figure out for next week. I also just zoned out for a bit and thought of nothing. Sometimes your mom needs that.

2:55 - Break over I packed you back into your car seat, which is becoming your second home, and we drove to Methodist Hospital again to see Dr. Boonstra for your pre-op physical. He checked you out and gagged you while trying to look inside your mouth. You then spent the next five minutes gagging repeatedly and throwing up on all their rough little blankets they lent.

Then you were given a flu shot.

You hated that, and were so sad.

4:30 - Where did our day together go? Once home you helped me make dinner. I put on the sling and set you on my hip (thank goodness for big hips eh?).

5:15 - After dinner we helped Talin with his homework and practiced spelling words, and then we went through Collin's school book with him and talked about his classroom. Then dad had to leave for the night so you helped me bathe the big brothers. You laughed and giggled at their splashing until it got too loud and we had to take off your hearing aide.
You thought it was very exciting to watch me rub lotion all over Talin for his eczema. Unfortunately you have the same skin as your oldest brother and will have to endure nightly lotioning as well.

6:30 - You laid on the floor and rolled around your big brother's room as we read scriptures and said prayers.

7:00 - Then we read stories. That was your favorite part.

7:30 - And after hugging and kissing everyone goodnight with me, I took you in my arms and kissed on you for awhile. I think you needed extra loving after your long day.

And then I gave you your nightly dose of medicine.

7:45 - And after singing you your lullaby I laid you in your crib for the night.

Tomorrow we don't have one appointment to go to. Just you and me. I promise I'll only put you in the car seat three times, just to drop off your brothers, pick up Collin and pick up Talin. Then the four of us can spend the afternoon playing at the park and I'll put you in the baby swing with your backpack and you'll think you're a big boy. It's going to be great.