Monkey See, Monkey Do

The Zoo

2009-08-30T07:08:00.002-05:00

Wes loves to take pictures!

I on the other hand do not - so here is one with me!

My boys "patiently" waiting to get into the dinosaur exhibit.

They loved the carousel.

SNAKES!

A Trip to the Park

2009-08-30T03:21:00.001-05:00

Child Labor

2009-08-30T03:14:00.001-05:00

Wesley's First Day of School

2009-08-30T03:08:00.003-05:00

Wes started kindergarten at St. Joseph. He is excited that they are in the new building. He was very nervous, but after the first week decided that he wanted to stay at St Joe forever.

Silly Boys

2009-08-30T03:03:00.001-05:00

LSU casts

2009-08-30T02:58:00.001-05:00

We had to put his casts back on right before school started. He debated between going with St Joe colors or LSU colors. He decided to go with LSU. He loved how everyone so so jealous of him.

Groupies

2009-08-30T02:55:00.002-05:00

Our friends, Shannon, is in a band, Rock Bottom. We went to t-Nicks for a nice night out.

3rd Birthday

2009-08-27T05:27:00.005-05:00

Alex and Aiden's third birthday was a construction theme. They love trucks right now. Of course, we had to include pools since they have a July birthday. It would be too hot without.

We made a dirt cake for their birthday cake. It was a hit!

Everyone had a ton of fun, but we were all exhausted after. We did have to quickly clean up as we had the missionaries from the church coming after the party. 8-10 teenagers and adults would come shower at the house every afternoon. We were grateful we could help with this part, and they boys loved the extra attention.

Play Date

2009-08-16T19:31:00.003-05:00

A few (more or less) girls from school got together with the kids at Jump N Jive. We had a blast. The kids played and we were able to visit a bit!

Girl's Day Out

2009-08-16T19:24:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed a nice lunch with the girls at Houma's House.

We're back!!

2009-08-16T19:22:00.003-05:00

Sorry we have been gone so long - over a month! This summer was non-stop with taking 3 hours and my internship (nearly 200 hours in 7 weeks). I still have 2 classes left till I finish my masters, but hopefully this semester will be a little calmer.

Swimming Lessons

2009-06-27T12:39:00.006-05:00

Wes took swimming lessons last week. He did a great job and had lots of fun.

School's In

2009-06-27T12:36:00.002-05:00

for me at least. My classes began while on vacation, but since they are online, I was able to keep up. I am taking 3 classes (9hours) this summer. One of these classes is my internship so I am pretty much working near full time this summer - yeah! After, I will only have 2 more classes in the fall and I will graduate with my masters in Ed Tech Leadership.

Orange Beach

2009-06-27T08:26:00.004-05:00

Here is a slideshow of our vacation. Notice the last picture . . . the boys were so upset to leave.

More Vacation Pictures

2009-06-15T15:50:00.004-05:00

Orange Beach, AL

2009-06-13T08:26:00.006-05:00

Late Saturday morning Mom called for us to go up a day early - how could we resist! We left about 1 and arrived just a little after the LSU game started - surprised that LSU is involved on our vacation.

PawPaw and Uncle Bryon helping the boys eat supper.
Cutie Patutie:
Aunt Gerry
PawPaw and Uncle Bryon
Gulf view from the balcony. The two blue tents on the bottom right are ours. We kept them up all week and had a great cool spot for the boys to play.
View of lazy river and the other 2 pools. The opposite side of the lazy river had the large slide the boys loved.
After the first night, it was near impossible to get the boys to stop for a picture.

Off to Crocodile Dock

2009-06-13T08:10:00.002-05:00

Wes had so much fun at Vacation Bible School. Unfortunately, he was not able to attend the mass Sunday since we left Saturday for vacation in Alabama. VBS had a little slide show and presentation on Friday. He was so proud.

Let's Go Crabbing

2009-06-13T07:43:00.003-05:00

We decided to take the boys crabbing for the first time. Since Granny and PawPaw were babysitting Glenn, all 4 boys came along with Aunt Gerry and Uncle Bryon.

We left very early - 4:30 - so we could be there before dawn. The boys were great. They slept the whole way home and took a great nap when we got in.

The boys had so much fun pulling up the crabs. We caught 9 1/2 dozens. Then we had a crab boil to help celebrate my birthday! What a great birthday present!

Wesley

2009-05-29T08:36:00.003-05:00

Wes finished his last week of school at Gramercy Elementary. I will miss him being there so much. He is officially a student of St. Joseph Elementary now.

His last week at school included a field trip to the zoo, Splash Day (a fun day for good behavior students), and the Spring Play. Wes worked hard practicing his part in the play. He was the only speaking part except for 6th graders - yes he is spoiled and runs the school - and worked hard on it. Don't watch the whole video - he only says, "They're Off." Everyone loved his spiked hair as a porcupine!

Update!!

2009-05-29T08:13:00.002-05:00

Mother's Day at MawMaw's:

Stitches Again . . .

2009-04-19T22:06:00.004-05:00

Not exactly stitches, but staples.

Daniel was playing with the boys outside, when Wes fell off the swing. He blames it on Daniel. Wes wanted him to push him higher, and he did -
hahah. Well, he fell off and rolled into the fence. I was in Houma shopping and did not believe Daniel when he called. After he calmed down, Daniel and PawPaw figured he would need stitches, so they left to Urgent Care in Thibodaux where Granny and I met them.

He was a little scared, but very brave for a 5 year old. I had to hold medicine on his head for a while to numb it, then he received 3 staples in his head to close the cut.

Urgent Care was great - highly recommended if you are in Thibodaux.

Chuck E Cheese

2009-04-19T21:52:00.004-05:00

We took the boys to Chuck E Cheese Saturday morning. They had a blast (as you can see ) and were well behaved.

Riding a Two Wheel Bike

2009-04-19T21:46:00.002-05:00

Wes began practicing riding his two wheel bike. He has a lot to go before he really gets it, though.

Abby loves her Easter gift from her Parrain (Daniel) - can't you tell from the expression on her face. Perfect for the pool.

Relaxing on the Lake

2009-04-19T21:37:00.004-05:00

We took the boys ride on the lake last week! They loved the boat. Aiden was getting a little too brave for me. He wanted to sit by himself.

The boys enjoyed "driving" the boat. While we were out in the lake, PawPaw let them turn the wheel. We went in circles.

Wes was dissappointed because he did not see any alligators. I saw a small one, but he missed it. We did see a couple of snakes though.

Easter 2009

2009-04-16T12:45:00.005-05:00

We had a great Easter! The boys were so excited with all of their toys from the Easter Bunny. Alex and Aiden each have a new scooter. And the Easter Bunny left Wes a letter that he is able to go pick out a brand new bike after he learns to ride his two wheel bike. I guess we will have to start practicing!!

Abby loved swinging high. The strong winds made it even more fun!

Flying kites was quite a challenge. The wind was turing the kites into missles trying to attack us. It was lots of fun though.

Madison and Kaci

Bubbles were a hit as always!

1st Lost Tooth

2009-04-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

Wes lost is first tooth Wed (April 8th). He came to my classroom at lunch because it was bleeding. After he went rinse out his mouth, he went back to lunch. A few minutes later, he came show me that it fell out as he was eating. He was so excited. On the way home he called everyone to tell them. He also had to stop to show Granny at work.

St Joseph Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-09T21:26:00.003-05:00

Daniel and I took the boys to the annual Easter Egg Hunt at St. Joe. Wes was excited to be at his new school. Notice the boys playing with Aunt Keena, Cam, and Brody. They had a great time and were pretty well behaved. Alex throuh a fit after the hunt because he wanted more candy, but otherwise, all went smooth.

Aiden liked the bunny ears - Alex did not want them on his head at all!

Winning prizes at the bunny hop.

Wes helping Brody hop along the path.

Baby Cole is sooo cute!

Taking a break to swing (and then throw the black rubber uner the swings.)

Aiden would not let me go - Alex looked up for the real picture. Keena took this one while she waited for her picture.

Aiden loves to color.

Wes gave the Easter Bunny a cute picture.

Camden and Brody's Birthday Party

2009-04-08T21:14:00.001-05:00

The Camp

2009-04-06T21:08:00.001-05:00

Remodeling

2009-04-06T20:57:00.003-05:00

We began what we thought was a small project - we removed the popcorn ceiling in the living room and hallway and painted. We are also putting in wood floors. It ended up being a whole lot more work than we thought. We are almost finished now - just painting the trim and floors are coming April 24th.

A Day at the Park

2009-04-06T20:27:00.004-05:00

These pictures are from the end of Feb. when Keena and I took the kids to the park to play for a little whle. We were slightly worried that we might be overwhelmed, but they did great!

Update

2009-04-06T17:16:00.001-05:00

Okay - I promise I am working on updating the blog. This is the longest I have ever gone, but we are so busy right now. This little remodeling project has taken up every last minute I have.

Lundi Gras

2009-02-23T19:21:00.003-06:00

We are still fighting off sickness here, so we spend Lundi Gras at home. We had a great time though. The boys let me do some painting (day 2), but we also got in lots of fun. We created books for each of the boys and made a batch of cookies.

Playdate

2009-02-23T19:15:00.003-06:00

we had a great time with Aunt Keena and the boys! Brody was brave to jump with the boys. They can be pretty rough, but he held his own! All the boys get along so well. I can't wait to see them when they are a little older.

Yummy Breakfast

2009-02-23T19:08:00.003-06:00

We are enjoying our Mardi Gras Holidays. The boys had French toast, one of their favorites. I think it is because of the sugar.

Renovating

2009-02-23T18:33:00.003-06:00

We are putting in new floors in a couple of weeks. Before doing so, we took down the old entertainment center which was left here from the previous owners. I am also painting.

Fun at NoNo's

2009-02-08T17:07:00.000-06:00

Alex, Aiden and Abby eating lunch - they missed out; we had crabs!

And the kids LOVED the horses!!! They fed them grass and bread. Alex even tried to get in with them.

Brushing Teeth

2009-02-02T17:03:00.000-06:00

Me and the boys

2009-02-01T16:53:00.001-06:00

Fun Shots

2009-01-30T17:43:00.004-06:00

The twins are 30 months old now (2 1/2 years).

Signs of Improvement

2009-01-29T21:55:00.005-06:00

We took down the ramp last week. Daniel is doing so well. He walks only with a cane right now. He will have one more surgery next week on his left wrist, but it is very minor. The boys loved helping with the drill and moving the wood.

Playdate!!

2009-01-29T21:52:00.002-06:00

Aiden comes to school

2009-01-29T21:45:00.004-06:00

The boys' babysitter had to take a day off last week to go to a doctor, so I was blessed to have Nana and NoNo each take a boy so I could still go to school - I will owe them the rest of my life for all they have done for us these past few months!!! Anyway, Aiden had so much fun playing in my room!!

Report Card

2009-01-29T21:39:00.002-06:00

Wes had a great report card the 2nd nine weeks - and great report from my parent-teacher conference (despite his little mishap last week - see the post below - hehe). He is doing very well and loves school. Hopefully he continues. He can spell short vowel words and sound out many words too. He is even learning sight words. In math he is adding one digit numbers!!

Sorry for the poor quality, but I did not have time to scan it. I just took a picture.

Gearing Up For Valentines

2009-01-29T21:24:00.003-06:00

Well as were are getting closer to Valentine's Day, I have one who is getting more into the spirit than ever before. Anyone that knows Wes knows how he always has girlfriends - yes, more than one. But this year he has had a very strong attatchement to an adorable blond. They are best friends and are lost without each other.

Well, last week Wes' teacher had to come get me from class to tell me that he got in a little trouble. He turned around in line and kissed her!!! He was really embarrassed and asked his teacher for one more chance - which he got since he never gets in trouble (thank God).

At my lunch, about 20 minutes later, I went talk with him. He was so embarrassed that he could not even tell me what happened at first. He had huge alligator tears. I am pretty confident he will not be doing that again soon (fingers crossed). But the best part came after I talked with him. I gave him a huge and told him to wipe his face so he could go back to class. He said, "But Mommy, I did not know that (the teacher) was standing behind me." WWHHAAT - typical boy I guess. He was embarrassed cause he got caught. Of course, PawPaw said, "That's my boy!" but I am not ready for this yet. No kissing until you graduate - or longer!

I'm Back

2009-01-11T21:58:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the prolonged absence, but you can tell, we have been quite busy.

Daniel began working again this past week. He is working only days, light duty, and a desk type job. He is glad to be back though.

We have been in and out of the hospital with Dad having an allergy to something unknown. He figured we had already paid for a room of the hospital renovations, why not pay for the whole wing. MawMaw thought it was a good idea, so she joined in twice also. Okay, if I cannot joke about everyone being in the hospital all the time, we would get a little depressed, so excuse the humor. Kirby is becoming best friends with Greg Stock now!

We have had our share of excitement and fun over the holiday, but we are all so grateful to be together!

Here's to a quiet, or the way things have started, a not-so-quiet 2009.

And What You Have All Been Waiting to See . . .

2009-01-11T21:32:00.004-06:00

Wednesday afternoon, I took Wesley to his dental appointment, so we did not get home until about 5pm. At 5:20, I heard a horrible scream. Wes had gone into the bathroom to start getting undressed for a bath - I know we do baths pretty early with it getting dark so early. The twins, as always, followed him. According to Wes, Aiden was giving him a big bear hug behind him, and he playfully leaned back, as we often do. Aiden just happened to fall the right, or wrong, way and hit his head. The moment I walked in I knew it would be stitches. I usually have to call someone to confirm, but not this time - I knew. we could not calm down Aiden or Wes. Wes felt it was all his fault. I finally talked Wes down. The moment Aiden stopped screaming, Alex touched the cut (-trying to investigate, not being mean. He started all over again. I had already called Dad to come with the other 2 boys. I put Aiden in the car watching Bob the Builder which calmed him down more. The bleeding pretty much stopped at this point, but it was wide open. I finished getting the bag together with Daniel's help. As soon as Dad got there, off we went.

But we did not get too far. There was an accident blocking the way to Thibodaux. I called Keena to have her mom call and see if we could get through. She works for the sheriff (Side note - I did not think I could call 911 for this, but apparently that is precisely what I should have done. It was an emergency that we could not get there - just for future notes). They were just starting to let traffic through on a major pile up on the road, so we waited instead of turning around and going to St. James Hospital.

Thibodaux regional was great. We were seen very quickly. Aiden hates, let me repeat, hates doctors, nurses, anyone that looks like they might be anything like one of these. So, the moment he saw the nurse and she tried to get his oxygen level, he began screaming again. We never did get that oxygen level.

And, just as we were getting there, Mom's neighbor showed up with her little boy, Guy. Guy is only about a month behind the boys. He had his tonsils removed this week and would not eat or take meds, so the doctor told her to come to ER for IV fluids.

We were taken to the back and Guy ended up next to us in the trauma room. That helped the night go by much quicker.

They gave Aiden a shot to help calm him down and make him a little sleepy. After about 2 hours, they realized it did not work. I told the nurse they might want to knock him out totally cause the moment they would try to start, he would be screaming, but they rather not. They gave him another shot and very soon after he started swaying. He was so happy this whole time though. He played with Nemo on my phone and looked at my stack of wallet side pictures.

We had to wrap him to hold him down, but they underestimated his strength (I told you to put him to sleep). It took 3 nurses and me to hold down this 2 year old who was already tightly swaddled in a large sheet. I was hurting after.

The way home was awful. The meds made him so sick. He was vomiting until about 11 that night. Good thing he had not eaten since lunch.

I stayed home with him Thursday. He was still acting drunk Thursday morning, and poor baby, was so cranky all day. After Thursday, you would never know anything had happened. He was so happy.

Not so happy when we got there(look at that lip):

After 1st shot - happy:

After stitches - exhausted from fighting:

Bunk Beds

2009-01-11T21:28:00.002-06:00

The boys' beds came in a little after Christmas. The ladder is temporarily put away so they cannot climb. They are having so much fun with their new beds.

Granny's Birthday

2009-01-11T21:24:00.002-06:00

We threw Granny a "surprise" party for her birthday! Wes had fun at least. According to Wes, Granny is 23 year old! Happy Birthday! (NoNo made the cake - it is topped with Caramel. Her New Years' Resolution is to get cake decorating lessons from Nana - it tasted delicious!)

Christmas Day

2009-01-11T20:33:00.004-06:00

Christmas day was one of the most relaxing in a long time. We did not have any plans until 4pm, so we slowly opened presents in the morning and simply relaxed most of the day.

that afternoon we went over to Mom and Dad's for the other Gravois family Christmas. I love that we still get together with the whole family for Christmas. It is so nice to have such a close big family. It was a part of Christmas I always cherished, and I love that my kids can have the big family felling as well.

Nanny Jill and Alex

Hali (getting so big already)
Christopher just made 1 as well)

Singing Happy Birthday to Jesus! (The twins were around too, but did not stay still for the picture - Aiden's new favorite song, besides Barney, is Happy Birthday since we had to practice for 2 birthday parties, Jesus's birthday, and Granny's birthday!)

Trying to get the kids in a picture together - yeah right!

Hali and Christopher again!

These cute dresses are a reason I might momentarily in a minute of insanity think of having another to have a girl - ok, reality strikes, no thank you!

FIREWORKS! A new word for the twins. Every time they hear a pop they run to find firewords now!

The Wii

2009-01-11T20:28:00.002-06:00

Granny and PawPaw gave Wesley a Wii for Christmas. I thought at first he might have been a little too young for it, but he is better than most of us. He loves bowling. We are sticking to Wii Sports for a little while so he can learn to use the remotes, but he did receive Mario Kart from his nanny and Little League from his parrain.

Santa Came!!!

2009-01-11T19:40:00.006-06:00

I heard Wes wake up about 4am to go to the restroom. Of course, he needed to get a sip of water too. He took a little while, but then peeked in our room - we were still sleeping, of course, so he went back to bed.

When he woke up later (still early), he came into our room to tell us that Santa passed. Santa left so many toys this year. I guess the boys were pretty good!

The faves: Wes got a real tool set to help fix things and help PawPaw at the camp and Parrain on his trailor. The twins got car sets and train sets. The car set has been a hit for quite a while. They also got a toy Handy Manny tool set that they love to play with. Also, Granny and PawPaw got them their bunk beds, so we got them sheets to go on them. These have to be the softest sheets I have ever felt. They are made of micro-fleece and are so warm. I decided against a comforter for now, so I wanted sheets that were a little warmer. These are wonderful.

The before picture:

still a little too tired to join in (not for long)

Wes has a clock to go in his room - it projects on the wall! Oooh! Aaah!

My tools!!!

The car set!!

A tool set for me too!

LSU hats for all the boys!

The after picture (includes toys from the night before as well):

Christmas Eve X 2

2009-01-11T17:47:00.006-06:00

Our next stop was at MawMaw Maggie's. Every year, we get together with the whole Gravois family. Santa always finds time in his busy schedule to make a stop and help hand out special presents. The twins were frightened at first, but Alex gained the courage to give him 5 and then a hug before he left. Aiden waved from my lap and told him bye and he loved him, but would not get any closer.

Aiden was content hiding behind my legs while Santa was there (until the end). Notice how he is using the binoculars backwards. I think that made Santa seem farther away.

Alex got a little courage up right as Santa was leaving.

He was still a little scared here.

More Pictures from Christmas Eve at the Templets

2009-01-11T17:33:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve

2009-01-11T16:28:00.004-06:00

We started off in Labadieville. We had a nice, simple lunch and the boys enjoyed opening all of their presents! They enjoyed seeing Aunt Kristen again. She enjoyed it too and decided to stay a couple of more days (thank goodness cause we needed her help one night.)

Pictures Coming Soon

2009-01-08T21:11:00.003-06:00

I have "temporarily" misplaced my cord to attach my camera to the computer. I will look better this weekend. I will be updating the blog also. With a busy holiday and more craziness in our lives, I set aside the blog a couple of weeks, but I promise to update soon!

Christmas at Granny & PawPaw's

2008-12-24T16:28:00.005-06:00

We had our Christmas at Granny and PawPaw's Sunday afternoon. Alex walked in and sat on PawPaw and within 2 minutes was out cold. We tried to wake him for presents a little later, but it was no good.

The twins each got a small puppy that follows them around (toy).

We gave Glenn a little 4 wheeler - he might be a little small for it now, but he will grow into it by spring.

Kirby and Shannon got a patio set for their new house.

And Wes got a Wii!! HE absolutely loves it!

Alex finally woke up.

And the twins will also have their bunk beds delivered next week.

Thanks for a great Christmas!

Christmas Party

2008-12-19T16:21:00.003-06:00

Wesley had his school Christmas party Friday. Santa made a special appearance and even brought presents!!

Kris Kringle

2008-12-14T16:04:00.000-06:00

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

2008-12-11T20:55:00.003-06:00

Yes - we had school today, but we had to let the kids out to play in the snow! I am so lucky to have Wesley at GES. I was able to go out with his class for a little while and play with him in the snow. It was the second best thing to being home and playing with all the boys in the snow.

Kris Kringle

2008-12-11T20:27:00.005-06:00

Christmas starts early around here - my mom loves Christmas! She has us over every Sunday (as if we are not there most nights - ha) for Kris Kringle. She loves to spoil her little boys. This past week, the boys each received a train set. The boys have been totally into trains the past few weeks! They went crazy with the train set.

Playing Catch Up

2008-11-26T21:56:00.002-06:00

Yes, we are still here. Here is what has been going on the past 2 weeks:

1st: GREAT NEWS! I passed National Boards. For those of you out of the education field, this has to be one of the highest honors/achievements a teacher can get. It took me all of last year to complete this process. This was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. Only about 30% of those that try for National Board make it their first year. I was lucky to have Keena working with me - she passed also.

Thank you to all of you, especially my parents, who helped watch the kids as I worked. After this summer I should be done with my masters as well - then a long break!

Aiden Moves to a Toddler Bed

2008-11-26T21:55:00.003-06:00

We lucked out that the boys had stopped trying to climb out of their bed and were therfore able to keep them in their baby beds. Well, Aiden started climbing again, and there was no stopping him this time. We took the front off the bed to make it a toddler bed.

Since Wes had just put the casts on at this point, Mom and Dad kept Alex a little while as we were getting adjusted to helping him. Aiden cried and cried the first couple of days. I gave in out of exhaustion and let him fall asleep in my bed but then brought him back into his. The next couple of days, he fell asleep in his bed, but after a long while of playing. As Alex came back at night, it has been an all out play-fest.

Alex has not been able to get out of his bed yet, but as long as they are laying down, I have let him try to sleep either on the floor or in the bed with Aiden - they actually get along sometimes - hehe.

The first night Aiden climbout out of his bed, he ran to the living room. I put him back in his bed. He got out again and ran to sit on Daniel's lap, after all, he could not go put him back. I put him back again. The third time he ran straight to my room, went in the bed, and fell asleep. I did not check on him until I knew he was sleeping - about 3 minutes later.

This picture is from tonight. Alex wanted to sleep with Aiden. They were sleeping in the same bed, but obviously that was a little too cozy for Aiden tonight. He got out of bed and left the bed for Alex. When I opened the door to check on them, Alex opened his eyes. When he saw the camera he said, "Cheese." Too cute! And yes, that is a Noonie in his mouth. He found one and has been asking for it all of a sudden. The only time he ever really took them before was when he did a breathing treatment, but as he has been taking them now, I don't give one to him. I will hide this one in the morning - I did not have the energy to take it away tonight. I think he only wants them cause I take them away.

Alex Try 3

2008-11-26T21:54:00.005-06:00

1st surgery cancelled because of illness. 2nd cancelled because of Hurricane Gustav. 3rd time's a charm.

He wanted Buddy with him. They even put a medical bracelet on Buddy. He could not wake up. The only time he did is when he heard a baby crying. He popped his eyes open and said "Aiden crying." As we would tease him to wake him up, he would say "No" - rather mouth no and not use his voice. HE had to be able to drink before we left, so we kept pushing for him to drink, but he would fall asleep only after a sip.

Wesley's Last Soccer Game

2008-11-26T21:54:00.004-06:00

Wes did play this week, mainly because we had a few team members absent, a few that did not want to play, and one sick. He played the entire game and ran around like a pro. He was slower than usual of course, but did kick the ball a few times. As much as he likes soccer, I am glad to get my Saturdays back!

Wesley's Doctor's Visit

2008-11-12T15:39:00.002-06:00

Wes went to Children's Hospital today to meet with the children's orthopedic specialist. She thinks that he will benefit most from a series of casts. His Achilles Tendons are shortened/tight. They have to be stretched over time. The casts on now will help to stretch the tendons so they are at a 90% angle. In 3-4 weeks we go back and get another cast.

Congratulations Trosclair Family

2008-11-12T15:35:00.003-06:00

Camden and Brody welcomed their new baby brother Cole Ryan in the world Tuesday, November 11. Everyone is doing well.

What else?!?!?

2008-11-06T22:18:00.002-06:00

To begin, one of my main reasons for having this blog is a personal journal to remember the daily activities in our lives as my boys are little - for those days when they are teenagers and I want to scream. Of course, I always like to use it to help family and friends keep up to date too, but this entry is more to help me remember the past week before it becomes a blur.

When I start to think, "This is about all I can handle," something else happens. Saturday night Aiden started with a fever. He went to sleep okay, but woke up Sunday with a fever. He kept it on and off during the morning, but that afternoon, you could tell he was not feeling well at all. He only wanted to be held. Daniel said he had not sat on him that long for 2 months. He slept in my room and was tossing and turning all night. So I stayed home with him Monday. By lunch, his personality started to change, and he was happier after his afternoon nap.

Monday afternoon I took Wes for his 5 yr check up. Wes is still walking on his toes and after his exam, the dr thinks he may have shortened achilles tendens. We will have to go to Children's Hospital to meet with a prediatric orthepedic doctor to see if this is what he has and what to do about it - surgery? braces? casts? physical therapy?

Tuesday - election day - no school. I told Daniel that after I was on the phone all day with Children's Hospital setting up Wesley's appointment, and Thibodaux Regional setting up Alex's surgery, I really don't think I could handle much more. We have had to have had our share - right?

Wednesday morning - 3:35am. I wake up a little nausiated. The boys woke up very early talking with each other in bed, but pretty quiet, and then started to go back to sleep. At 4:30 I finally pushed myself out of bed to shower and start feeling better. After standing about 5 minutes in the shower, it hit me - the stomach virus - or so I thought. I called mom to come get the boys as I was too sick to do much, and Daniel - well you know. I started calling for dr appts about 8am, but no one could see me until the afternoon. I could not wait. I know that sounds crazy, but I had a horrible pain in my back and was so sick. Mom was at an eye doctor appt. When she ccame in I had her bring me to ER. I could not get over how fast we were seen. I was already starting to think there was more to this back pain, but still unsure. When I checked in I told the nurse I had a history of kidney stones, but it did not feel like this and my history was 10 years ago, but then again, I know the pain could be causing me to be so sick as well. I was truly hunched over in pain. I was taken to the back very quickly. Right away the doctor said it looked like kidny stones. He put me on an IV and gave me pain meds. WOW. 10-15 minutes later, I was feeling much better. I needed to stay for test results. Of course, my first test was a pregancy test. I passed that test with flying colors (NOT pregnant). Blood work did not show low blood count indicating a virus, but the culture showed possible small infection. No true sign of stones in the culture, but he thought that it was totally obstructing my kidney. So off to CT scan. I do have a stone in my left kidney (not the one giving me extreme pain), but he thinks I passed the one on my right. Often when pain meds are given, the muscles can relax and let the stone pass. I also have a 2 1/2 inch cyst on my right overy -another reason I may have had some pain. That will be checked out soon as well. They pumped me up with fluids to help the stone continue to pass through without pain. And home.

After I got home I pain meds started wearing off and I realized how tense I was all morning. My legs hurt, my back hurt, I hurt everywhere. I took Tylenol and went to bed.

I went to school today cause I have been missing so much with everything going on. By lunch, I was definitely feeling better. So I've had my share, right?

Wrong!

I got home to find that Alex started with the stomach virus. He has been throwing up all afternoon. I am almost out of clothes - it seems. He is finally sleeping by my bed with a small garbage can next to him cause I am sure he will wake up.

So I am making a plea - can tomorrow be Jan. 1, 2009? Maybe just starting a new year will help out.

Again this entry is to go back and one day laugh at - one day - We are all relatively healthy and all very much alive and happy. We could not ask for much more.

Daniel's Surgery

2008-11-01T19:17:00.002-05:00

Daniel had carpal tunnel surgery Tuesday (right hand). Everything went really well. He has been very sore on his left side because he has had to rely on that side more than before. His right hand is doing really good. He said he can already tell a difference. We have opted to hold off on the surgery on his left had for a few weeks with so much happening right now, and not wanting to put off Daniel's rehab longer than absolutely necessary.

The boys have been doing so good. They are starting to talk so much more. They are both starting to put 3 words together, such as "Juice please Momma." They were too cute this morning. Aiden was in my bed and Alex was trying to get up but couldn't. Alex said, "Help Aiden." Aiden was pulling and pulling at him to help him up. Later when Alex was trying to go down the slide an Granny's, he lost his footing. Before Granny could get there, Aiden went under and pushed him enough to put his foot back on the ladder. I guess they have their moments!

Wes has been having a wonderful time at school. He is a leader in his class his teacher tells me. At our Fall Fest Thursday, one mom had to come see me cause her daughter always talks about Wesley. I really think that we are going to be in trouble with girls in the future. He has also made some wonderful friends this year in his class. At his game, he forgot about playing cause he was talking with one of the boys on the other team (I think that was their strategy to win, but we tied.)

I can't wait for election day (only cause we are off.)

6 Weeks

2008-10-23T16:49:00.002-05:00

We are now 6 weeks past the accident (as of Tuesday, that is). We saw Dr. Morvant yesterday. He said everything is healing pretty well, but still has a way to go. He does not want any weight on his leg or arm for another month. We were really hoping for an "OK, " but instead were told we were goign to have two surgeries first. Daniel needs surgery for carpal tunnel on each hand. He will have his first surgery on Tuesday. This is be for the right hand. Two weeks later, he goes in for the left hand. He is expecing Daniel to make as full of a recovery as possible with the extent of his injuries, but it will take 6 months to a year of healing and therapy.

The blood drive is this Saturday from 7:30-12:00. Thanks for all of you who already gave and those of you who are planning to come.

Wesley's Birthday

2008-10-23T06:17:00.004-05:00

We had Wes's 5th birthday party Sunday! We kept it rather small, but he had loads of fun!

One Month

2008-10-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

I know I have been a blog slacker - not that I have a reason or anything. Actually, to say that one month has past since the accident, we are much better off than I thought we might have been. Daniel is doing very well. He is still receiving therapy daily through home health. He is feeling pretty good and taking pain medicine less frequently than before (always a good sign).

He is trying to get out as much as possible, even coming to Wesley's game today. Our other outings are usually around doctor's appointments, though. We did get to go see April and Heath and their new baby Harrison as we went for an appointment in the hospital (sorry I forgot my camera for this one). Congrats on your third.

He went to Dr. Cowen this week. He has a moderately severe case of carpel tunnel in each hand and damage to his ulnar nerve in his elbow. Hopefully the last will get better on his own, but he will have to have surgery for the carpel tunnel.

The boys are all sleeping at the house tonight. It is easier for them to all be home on the weekends since we are not so rushed to get up and go. We may try starting to let one of the twins sleep this week (switching nights between the two boys). Having them here over the weekend reminds me of how much it will be, but I am ready to get back to a "normal routine."

Below are pictures from the past week. Enjoy!

Saturday Night

2008-10-11T20:55:00.004-05:00

Game #2

2008-10-11T20:38:00.003-05:00

Camden went out for the "coin toss."

Go Wes!!! He kicked the ball all the way to the goal, but it was blocked.
Wes is number two, but the blond hair is probably easier to spot.
By all means, he wanted to play goalie, but the ball never came by him, and he got pretty bored.

Last Saturday night with the boys

2008-10-11T20:15:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday the boys all spent the day as Aunt Kristen came visit (sorry I don't have a better picture-I didn't take too many with any of us in it). She is moving to Tampa with the Air Force.

Mom was coming get the boys after taking MawMaw eat out, but a quick phone call changed that. Dad, Kirby, and Unclu Bryon went to the camp. Unclu Bryon was thrown off the 4-wheeler and an abulance had to come get him and bring him to Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, an hour away. After a few scary hours, things began to improve. He is now home awaiting neck surgery in a week and a half.

So of course the joke came that these things always happen in three's; what would it be? We had forotten about alex coming to emergancy. Well, Glenn, baby Glenn that is, was rushed to emergancy Tuesday night. A stool had fallen on his toe and he needed stitches. So I think we are well over our share for now.

Last Week's Soccer Game

2008-10-11T20:10:00.001-05:00

Blood Drive

2008-10-07T21:25:00.002-05:00

It is almost a month since Daniel's accident. In so many ways it seems like yesterday, but then in other ways it seems longer. I would not have thought he would have been doing this well by this point. We go to Dr. Morvant in 2 weeks and will see if he will be able to start using his arm.

We do FINALLY have the blood drive set up. It was hard scheduling. Actually, my mom did it all - thank you!

When? Saturday, October 25 (morning)

Where? Glenn and Becky's house (my parents)

for directions call or email me

This will go to replace the blood that Daniel took. If you know anyone in the area, please ask them to come and give!

Week 3 Update

2008-09-30T16:48:00.006-05:00

I can't believe that today makes 3 weeks since the accident. It seems like it was forever ago that I received that call. Daniel is doing so well since he came home. He is getting home health about 4 times a week - 2 from a physical therapist and 2 from an occupational therapist. He will continue with this through Oct 22, when he sees Dr. Morvant again.

He did go to Dr Donepudi yesterday and everything is looking really good. Since he is the family doctor, the check up did not give much information. It was more to check his pressure and make sure the medicines are working for him. More appointments this week and next, but he is handling them all well.

We did get out a little this weekend. We made it to Glenn's birthday party. It was nice to be out, for us both. The boys had lots of fun as well.

Happy Birthday Glenn. For those of you that don't know, his birthday was Sept 5, but the hurricane parties interrupted his birthday party. This was his "rescheduled due to bad weather party." He received so many cute gifts.

Home, Sweet, Home (but not without chaos first)

2008-09-24T13:01:00.005-05:00

Let's start with Monday. I met with the case manager and therapist first. We ordered the hadicapped items needed to bring Daniel home. That afternoon, we decided to take it somewhat easy. I went pick up supper around 6:oo so we could watch some of the new episodes on TV that night. When I came back, one of the nurses stopped me to talk about going home. When I walked back in the room, the tech was taking his pressure and pulse. This is when everything started going crazy again.

Daniel's pulse was racing at 178 beats per minute. The is equivilant to someone running a marathon. Since he was in bed not moving, his heart rate should have been 60 -80 beats per minute. After an EKG, the doctors decided to admit him back into the hospital
(rehab is a different admit, so he had to be discharged from rehab and admitted into the regular hosiptal). By the time they moving him down - this al took place in about 10 minutes - his heart rate had already dropped. The main reason for the move was that the medicine that they would have to give him to lower his heart rate must be given in ICU. We definitely did not want to go back there.

Daniel, of course, was very stressed. After a night in the step down unit, 3 EKGs, 2 rounds of blood tests, and an echo cardiogram, Daniel was diagnosed with SVT. This has to do with the electrical signal of the heart that causes rapid heart beat. This last only a few minutes for Daniel. It is a non-life threatening condition that we would have never known about if it were not for the tech coming in a the right (or according to Daniel, the wrong) time.

So, now on to Tuesday. After running the remainder of the tests ordered, we were seen by all doctors and discharged about 1:00. It is so nice to be home. There are definite challenges being home, but the idea of being home overcomes those challenges. We are racking up on doctor appointments already. Home health is supposed to meet with us today to schedule therapy for the upcoming week(s). We will then be going to out-patient rehab.

Here are some pictures of the last few days in the hospital. If it were not for the arm and leg, you may not even know he was in such a bad accident.

(OK, for those of you who have just beung reading this blog, it is so hard to get each individually with cute smiles. Aiden got the cute smile award today, but other days, I do put more pictures of the others rather than Aiden, depending on who is camera shy that day.)

The newly installed ramp in front the house:

Sunday Morning

2008-09-21T12:35:00.002-05:00

We have been doing very well the past couple of days. I went to work Thursday and Friday while Daniel was in rehab. He is doing better each day.

He will be discharged Tuesday after therapy. From there he will have home health and/or outpatient physical rehab. Dr. Morvant said that it will take about 6 weeks for his arm to heal enough to start therapy. After he has strength back in his arm, then we can start his leg. All in all, we are looking at at least a 6 month process.

Yesterday, Uncle Blaise, BJ, my dad, and Kirby came to the house to build a ramp. Thank you!

We also set up everything around the house to be handicapped accessible. We had to move a bit of furniture around. We will still need to install handicapped bars in the bathroom and a different shower head so he will have an easier time taking a shower. A shower seat is also ordered to help him in the shower.

The kids are doing great as well. They have adjust well sleeping different places. It looks like they will be doing this a couple more weeks as Daniel regains some strength and is not in so much pain. It is hard for them to be away, but I have also come to realize I cannot help Daniel like he needs if the kids are around for me to bath, feed, dress, put to sleep, etc. There are just not enough hours in the day when I will be working as well.

Thanks to all who have gone give blood so far (I think about 7-10 people) and many of you are planning to give when the bus comes to Vacherie. Thanks!

We all received a cute goody pack from Jennifer. The boys got a couple of toys, coloring books and colors, and we received a couple of magazine and a Sudoku book. Thanks Jennifer, Scott, and Jack!

Our friends sent us some beautiful flowers! And we have received many prayer cards. Thanks! We are touched by your thoughts and generosity.

Early Thursday Morning

2008-09-18T05:07:00.003-05:00

I am updating early this morning since I am heading to school today. Daniel has made remarkable improvements. Yesterday I attended therapy with him.

We started with a shower in the morning. This left him tired and sweating even before true therapy started, but he said it felt really good. Then, he got in and out of the van, but that was extremely hard and tiring. He also attempted getting into and out of a bed, but again very tough. This is so he does not need a hospital bed. He worked really hard and was very tired afterwards. The therapists said they are hoping he can stay at least until Tuesday of next week to gain some of the strength he needs for when he comes home. It is somewhat of an insurance game though. Every task is a major chore right now.

So I am trying to come to work today and tomorrow because I know that one day next week I will need to take of so I can take him home, and doctor appointments will also be coming up.

He is really improving, but it will take a lot of time. I can't get over how quickly he is doing so much of what he is though.

Tuesday Update

2008-09-16T10:16:00.002-05:00

We are doing well still. Daniel moved up to the rehab floor yesterday afternoon. Here he will learn how to manage with putting no weight on this left arm or leg. He will learn to transfer from one seat to another. We are not sure if we will need to get a hospital bed and handicap accessible things for the bathroom. We know he will be in a wheel chair for a while. This means building a ramp and making sure our doors are wide enough to put a wheel chair in. All of this will come in time. We have a case manager to help with all of this.

He did well this morning with getting out the bed for the first time. He was definitely in pain, but that is to be expected. He will be working every morning from 9 till about 2 with lunch in the middle. At 2 he comes back to the room to put a machine on his bad leg for 6 hours. So pretty much he is working all day. Although a little scared, he is doing so much better than they could have imagined at this point. Each day should get better from now.

We were warned again of his high risk of blood clots. That risk actually increases as he starts moving, but then will begin to go down. This is his reason for still being in the hospital. He could not go home right now with this high risk.

Thanks again for the prayers, cards, and support.

Long Update

2008-09-14T12:37:00.002-05:00

Since we have moved into the older part of the hospital, e do not have Internet access, so I will update as possible.

Saturday :
We moved into a room about noon on Saturday. That afternoon, the Morphine starting getting to his - he was having a few trips. He was restless, hot , and itchy. All are from the morphine. He took his last dose of morphine at 4. Great sign to show how he is improving. I will leave out lots of the funny hallucinations as to not embarrass him. He can share those later if he would like.

He took an ambian to help him sleep last night. At 2 this morning, the sleep medicine made him do nearly the same. He did not know where he was or what was happening. I guess he just does not have good luck with medicines. About 6 am he really started coming out of it all and doing well.

Sunday:
Dr. Morvant came check on him. He was doing wonderful. He decided to send him back down to surgery to close up some more wounds. When I say he is going great, it is in comparison with the other days. Daniel is still hurting a lot. This is the reason they decided to give him anaesthesia to close these wounds.

He is off oxygen now. He only receives the IV for antibiotics and fluid as needed, such as for surgery this morning). He did say that he is still not out of the woods. He continues to have a high risk of clotting, so we must be careful.

Dr. Donepudi also came in and said that his lungs are doing great - really clearing up.

He is still hurting and a little uncomfortable today. We were going to bring the boys to see him, but decided against it until a little later.

NOW FOR THE FUN PART:

My Saturday night was full of excitement as Alex got hives all over his face Saturday afternoon. When Benadryl did not help, Mom and dad called to say they had to bring him to ER. Sorry no pictures cause of the circumstances (no camera). He was put on a steroid for 3 days and is now doing great. Luckily, Daniel's parents were with us in the room at the time, so I could easily leave to take care of Alex.

AND FINALLY:
Thanks for all of who who have contacted us about donating blood. I cannot get over the family and friends who have contacted their families to help out. The support is more than we could have ever imagined!!!

Thanks for all the flowers, cards, prayers, and help! We cannot express how much it means to us.
We love you all.

Moving on up!!

2008-09-13T11:22:00.002-05:00

Daniel will be moving to room 312 in about an hour. His chest x-rays and oxygen levels are improving. His blood count was a little low, but they will run another test in the morning before deciding to give him more blood.

YEAH!!!!

Saturday Morning Update

2008-09-13T11:16:00.005-05:00

Daniel had a pretty rough night last night. He was agitated from being in pain and not being able to sleep. He also had to wear the oxygen mask instead of the nose piece. In other words, he was extremely uncomfortable.

His veins where the IVs are placed are also starting to fail, so they had to put a port in his neck.

Power went out at 10:00 last night. We did not even notice since the lights had been blinking a few times the last couple of days. Also cable went out. This had to be aggrivating to Daniel since he could not sleep.

He did settle down and began to rest. That is what he needs the most right now. His pain is definitely getting better, but it will take some time.

Friday night

2008-09-12T22:11:00.002-05:00

We went back at 8:00 for the last visit tonight. He is looking much better than after surgery. He is still in a bit of pain but all of his vitals are looking really good. We are hoping everything stays really good so we can move to a room tomorrow. That beats these chairs in the waiting room to sleep on.

We meet with the doctors in the morning again. Until then . . .

Post Recovery

2008-09-12T16:56:00.003-05:00

Well Daniel always like to make things interesting.

When they let us in after recovery, his oxygen level was low and kept dropping. He was in extreme pain, but because of his oxygen level, they had to take away his morphine pump. His blood pressure rose very high as well. Then his resperatory rate dropped really low. It seemed as if alarms just kept going off and he just wanted medicine for the pain.

About 1 1/2 hours later, he has finally calmed down. His oxygen level is back up not with the mask. All other levels seemed to be much better. His blood pressure is still a bit high, but that could be because of the pain. We will monitor it over the night and check with Dr. Donepudi in the morning if it continues on the high side.

He is taking a little nap right now, but we will go in to see him soon.

They let me stay in to try to keep him calm, but unfortunately everyone else had to leave. I hated them leaving without being able to update them. I snuck on the side the bed to text an update, but felt like I was breaking rules.

Thanks for the prayers and support today. I will try to update one more time tonight if I have a chance.

Surgery Update

2008-09-12T13:43:00.003-05:00

Daniel came out of surgery about 12:30. The surgery lasted about 4 1/2 to 5 hours. Everything seemed to go well. He has plates and screws supporting all of the broken bones. He has fluid in his lungs now, so we will have to watch that. He said his bones were strong and his age helps to know that it will all heal well.

Again, Dr. Morvant warned that he is still at high risk for clots, which could be fatal. He is still far from being clear. Typically, each day he has a better and better chance, but he had to get through this surgery first. I thought it was just the first 48 hours, but apparently, it is still very serious right now too.

He also received more blood today with the possiblities of more tomorrow.

He is moving to recovery and then back to ICU until tomorrow or Sunday.

Surgery Started

2008-09-12T09:12:00.003-05:00

Daniel went down into the surgery room about 6:30. At 8:00 we got word that they had begun and all looked well. The nurse just came again (9:15) and said he is doing well and they are still working.

We are lucky that we know many of the nurses that are back there with him. One told us that she would call me often to update since she knows we are worried.

I heard from many of you about your rayers this morning - Thanks!

What? Another Hurricane?

2008-09-11T22:50:00.003-05:00

Can't believe it! Keena called me tonight to tell me good and bad news. Good: No School tomorrow (I don't have to use a sick day) and Bad: No School tomorrow (I need a babysitter for Wes). Of course her first words after that were that he could stay with her, but she has done so much for the the past few days I will never be able to repay her. She needs a day off to rest.

IT just so happens that the twins' babysitter also could not babysit tomorrow because her AC went out with Hurricane Gustav and tomorrow they will replace it. Mom had already set up Michelle and Maci to come watch the boys at the house, so Wes can go there too.

Again, I cannot get over the support from everyone! The boys are all doing so well with going from place to place. Somehow it seems that they are better with everyone else than with us. What is that telling me:) hehe:)

We should only be getting tropical storm strength winds tomorrow, no real bad danger. I guess the worse is that so much debris is still around and some still do not have power. The winds were definitely strong today. As we were eating in the little open foyer area, the wind took my plate. The lights also blinked quite a few times here.

Hopefully my next update will be around lunch time when he finishes with surgery. He goes in at 7, so please say a prayer or 2.

Oh, and sorry no pictures lately, but I know it is for obvious reasons. Daniel can pose when he looks and feels better. Mrs. Hattie said that she did bring her camera for the "party" tomorrow. We have so many that want to come tomorrow to give their best for the surgery - thanks and we appreciate it! It is so great to have such wonderful family and friends. We are truly blessed.

Thursday Afternoon

2008-09-11T19:12:00.003-05:00

I know my titles are a little bland - sorry!

His day went well. We saw Dr. Saal for the broken bones in his face. Yes I said bones. He has more fractures than we knew about. First, he has a broken nose (we found this out last night). We thought he had one break in his cheek bone, but he actually has quite a few fractures in many bones on the left side of his face. Each of these are small fractures, but they are bothering the way his jaw lines up.

Good news: for now, we will not do surgery on his face. The jaw may feel this way because of swelling in the joints, or the fracture in the top jaw bone, or the impact and other fractures may have caused his bone to bend slightly. Dr. Saal said to think about if a piece of paper or small piece of food gets caught in you tooth. Even though very small, it causes discomfort. These little fractures may have just caused his teeth to move ever so slightly, but he notices it. Again, it could also be from the swelling which will correct itself in a few weeks.

We are going to see him in 4 weeks after swelling has gone down. Daniel can then see if he is still uncomfortable with the way his jaw falls. At that point a decision can be made. If he does something now, he would have to break a bone first in order to reposition it. I think we all agree that waiting to see if it heals on its own is better than another broken bone!

Daniel lucked out for lunch today. He was sent seafood gumbo with lots of okra. Those of you that know Daniel know he would not eat that!! So he called up his brother at Flanagans to send over some food. Boy are we getting spoiled!!!

Wesley came visit this afternoon. They enjoyed seeing each other, but it was short lived. We took the oxygen off for the visit so Wes did not have to see that. We also covered up one of his burns/cuts on his face with a bandaide. I was also amazed at how good he looked after that. That oxygen tube always makes someone look so sick. He wants to come back tomorrow, so we will see how things are going. He said he really misses his daddy.

We are getting people to donate blood. It may take about 10 donors to get credit for one pint that he uses. I know insurance will cover this, but we feel that it really is a good cause. So many want to help out, and this is one way we can take you all up on it.

Donating Blood

2008-09-11T11:20:00.004-05:00

Here is the informaion of donating blood if you are in Thibodaux:

United Blood Services

2000 Audubon Ave. Suite E

Thibodaux, La

985-625-5433

Hours:

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 11am-7pm

Mondays and Fridays 8am-1pm

You need to give Daniel's name and his birthdate (June 26). You will also need your ID. Please let us know if you are planning on going so we can keep track of how much is donated. Daniel is a member of the KC who also does a blood drive so we are looking into that as well.

Thanks for the support.

Thursday Morning Update

2008-09-11T10:56:00.002-05:00

I saw both doctors today. Everything is looking good with his previous surgery. He is scheduled for 7am tomorrow (please light a candle and say a prayer). There will be 3 surgeons in on this surgery. He has 4 major breaks and all near major nerves. It will be a long complicated surgery. He can move his fingers now, but Dr. Morvant said this is a complicated surgery, and he can have complications.

His blood pressure was really low and a low blood count, so they are pumping him with more blood. I will post more info on where those around here can donate. Their blood supply is low because of the hurricane. This will help replenish what he used and he will be given credit for the donations.

He ran a little fever last night as well, but he has been on antibiotics since he came in to prevent infection.

Otherwise he is doing well still. The medicine definitely is helping the pain.

He is starting physical therapy on his knee and hip today. The therapy is very low key right now, but they want him to start moving so he is not so soar afterwards.

Our next visit is at noon.

Wednesday Night Update

2008-09-11T06:04:00.002-05:00

I was able to stay in ICU with Daniel last night (sh! I was snuck in by the nurse). He has still been in pain, so the nurse called in for an additional medicine for pain. The medicine is similar to a prescription strength Motrin, or taking 4 Motrin at once. He also is taking another medicine before his bath, when they change is dressing and clean his cuts, or whenever they move him a lot. This medicine puts him in la-la land, and he does not remember much for the hour afterwards.

He slept alright until about 3 pm, but was then pretty restless. The extra medicines definitely seem to be helping as well.

The blood work taken during the night showed that his blood count is low, and he may need more blood. We are waiting for the doctors to come in for more information.

Wednesday morning update

2008-09-10T11:03:00.004-05:00

This morning we saw both Dr. Morvant who did the surgery yesterday and Dr. Donepudi who is our regular doctor. They are still amazed that he looks so good.

Everything from the surgery looks great. He still has swelling, so they may have to make more little cuts to relieve the pressure. He has a pin in his hip, along rod in the bone from his hip to his knee, a few screws by his knee, and a brace on the bone under his knee (sorry for the lack of technical terms).

He is still in pain even though he only says it hurts a little. He is on a high dose of morphine for now. He is very alert. He doesn't remember any of the accident.

The surgery for his arm looks like it will be Friday.

Thanks for the continued prayers. I am telling him every person that calls, texts, or emails. He looks forward to visitors.

The boys are wonderful. We are so luck to have such wonderful family that has taken over taking care of the kids.

We realize how serious this is and could have been. Yesterday was really a "fog." I don't really know how else to describe it. I just went with the motions. We are so lucky to be where we are and to be so loved. Thanks again for the calls, emails, visits, help, prayers, and thoughts.

Update on Daniel

2008-09-10T02:26:00.003-05:00

Well I guess this blog will serve a little different of a purpose for the next few weeks. From looking at the live feed, it seems that some of you were looking for an update on Daniel here. The hospital does have wireless access, so hopefully I will be able to update nightly (but no promises).

Here's the story:

A little before 7am Tuesday morning, Daniel got in an accident about 3 minutes away from home. He hit a large truck that was being used from debris pickup from the hurricane (from what I understand). It is the type of garbage truck that loads the large dumpsters.

I received a call probably about 7:05-7:10. I was told that he was pinned in but okay and talking. I quickly loaded the boys to drop off at the babysitters and Wes at my grandma's. Shane met me at mom's to drive me. Traffic was extremely backed-up, so we parked and ran. My mom was about 1 minute ahead of us. As I told Shane to run ahead to check on him, Uncle Blaise ran with me. The police officer and my mom met me well before the scene. They would not let me go near and instead send me to the hospital to wait. It took 1 1/2 hours to remove him from the vehicle. Due to the horrible fog and other circumstance, Air Med was not yet at the scene. The decision was made to put him in the ambulance instead to get him care as soon as possible.

He has extensive injuries on his left side. He underwent surgery on his hip, femur bone (thigh area), and tibula (right under his knee). This is giving him the most pain right now.

As of now, he is scheduled from surgery Friday for his left arm. His 3 bones (the one above the elbow and 2 in the lower arm) are broken and elbow fractured/broken. He also has a bone in his face (cheek bone I guess) that is fractured. I am not sure the extent right now.

He will be in ICU for a few days. They are concerned about blood clots and fragments or other things that may travel. He had so many bones broken.

I am still a little unsure about everything as yesterday was such a blur. So much happened so quickly, but yet not quickly enough. Everyone's prayers helped. He was lucky. Bones can be fixed; it just takes time. He will have a long road ahead with probably 2 weeks in the hospital and then move up to the rehab unit.

I have had a lot of questions about calls. Please feel free to call me. If I am unable to answer, I will try to call you back. I am communicating this way since I am not able to tap into my hotmail account using this wireless service.

I have had so many offers about the boys (obviously they do not know the twins hit terrible twos!) I know they are in great hands which is a relief. We are so lucky to have such large families and plenty great friends. I don't know how I could handle this alone!

Again, it will be a long road, but he is doing great. He made it through surgery wonderfully! I am telling him about everyone calling and coming by. I think he was really moved by the amount of people that love him so much (I will leave jokes for later).

Please continue praying. Leave messages here or email me at my school account as I cannot check hotmail. Also call. So much time alone in ICU will drive him nuts but letting him know who has been here has made him feel better!

I love you all and will try to update sometime today/tonight.

Aiden

2008-09-08T12:45:00.009-05:00

Pictures from Tennessee

2008-09-08T09:59:00.007-05:00

The condos in Gatlinburg were very nice, and the view was breathtaking! We spent only one day in Gatlinburg, and much of that was stuck to the TV and phones (when we could get through), but it is a beautiful place.

We went to Ober Gatlinburg which had the large lift over the mountains. It was gorgeous! I have more pictures on a disposable cameras since mine broke. I will get those on a CD as soon as possible.

Update

2008-09-08T09:53:00.002-05:00

We do now have power, but cable is down, which also means, for me at least, internet is down. I am actually able to tap into a neighbor's wireless right now, but it is a poor connection, and I am not able to always connect.

With the exception of a few singles lost, we faired pretty well. Other family members lost a lot more off their roof, but we were all lucky.

We're Back

2008-09-08T08:51:00.003-05:00

It was a long trip to Tennessee, but after seeing the aftermath of Gustav, I am glad we went.

The trip there took 19 hours. Traffic was back to back as 2 million people decided to evacuate this storm. In any other conditions, Gatlinburg would have been a beautiful place to stay. We are actually thinking of it for a vacation soon, but under different circumstances.

We traveled with a huge group:

The 5 of us
Mom and Dad
Kirby, Shannon, Glenn, Brandon, and Shannon's mom
Keena, Camden, Brody, Aunt Tana, Becky, and Zack
Aunt Tana's parents and her sisters and their families
Aunt Brenda, BooBoy, Aunt Bee's parents and 2 nefews
Brad, Tiffany, Christopher

We were nearly 40 total.

Pictures of our trip will follow soon, although I do not have as many as I wished since my camera broke on the trip. But I did want to share the reason we left:

This video was taken near our home. You can see how strong the winds were. This storm hit as a category 3 but dropped down instantly to a 2. I am hearing over and over from those that stayed that they will not stay again for something like this (and it was supposed to be so much worse!)

http://www.sky-chaser.com/gustav08.htm