Life Is Good: That Was Totally Unexpected

Thursday, April 30, 2009

That Was Totally Unexpected

Okay....Ryan is two! I realize that two year olds have scrapes, scratches, bumps and bruises. He seems to be getting a new one every day. For the March for Babies Walk this weekend Ryan now has at least 3 noticeable bruises on his head and 1 black eye. This kid...I swear. At least it is going to be cool enough for him to wear long pants because I don't even want to discuss his legs (think dogs, cement, sticks, playing outside in shorts, clumsy). I was having a discussion with my hairdresser today about kids and accidents. It's so sad that in today's society you almost have to question whether or not someone will think your kid is being abused when they go around looking like my sweet boy with all his bruises. I promise...every one of the bruises was by his own doing. I guess it can also be a good thing, too. With this new heightened awareness of abuse perhaps more children are being *saved* from their abusers. I hope. Oh...and yes...I did get my hair cut today.

Ryan did something new today, and although I thoroughly enjoy most of his new things this new thing was totally unexpected and not so much of a good thing. Since Ryan turned 2 he has introduced us to the concept of TEMPER TANTRUMS. Those were totally expected...and most of the time I find them to be quite comical. I just have to make sure he is on the carpet before thrusting himself to the ground in a good, lung-enhancing scream. They don't annoy me. I realize that he is trying to develop his independence and when things don't go quite like he expected he gets very frustrated. For example he wants to drive his truck between the chair and the table and he or it won't fit. When I get frustrated I sometimes want to scream (sometimes I do), so the fact that his frustration brings about a meltdown doesn't bother me one bit. The only tantrums I don't allow to go undisciplined are those where he is mad because he isn't getting his way. For example he wants another cookie and I said "no". Those are a first-class ticket to his room. I don't want to watch a bratty fit. The ones that ensue because Ryan hasn't learned all the laws of Physics...those are the ones I find myself chuckling at.

Well...tonight Ryan wanted to play with the Mr. Potato Head. Mr. Potato Head has sooooo many pieces and I had already picked them up at least one or two times earlier in the day and it was almost bedtime and I was watching a show and it was almost time for bed and I didn't want to pick up all the pieces again and we already had plenty of stuff strung out that would need to be picked up before bedtime and it was almost time for bed and I was watching one of my favorite shows. (Hey...I only have about 2 shows I thoroughly enjoy which equals to about 2 hours total during the entire week that I just want to be left alone to really, really watch tv.) Ryan tried to open Mr. Potato Head (the hat unscrews so all the many pieces can be freed). He was unsucessful. He got very frustrated. He then started banging his head on the floor...repeatedly. Not just a tap on the floor or a tap on the toy causing the frustration as he has been known to do in the past but an all out BANGING HIS HEAD ON THE FLOOR. He will probably have a new bruise on the middle of his forehead to add to the ones he was already collecting. That was totally unexpected. I had to physically pick him up and bear hug him to get him to settle down. He bear hugged right back as though he was saying "Thanks mom. Do you still love me? Am I going to be okay?" I just held him tight and rocked him until he felt calm enough to get down and play again. That was the most severe meltdown he has ever had.

Oh my...what do I do with this one? Is this concerning or is this just another new normal 2-year-old thing?

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Brandy Danielle

Brandy is our firstborn, our precious angel baby girl. Her entry into this world wasn't without excitement. At 26 weeks I started preterm labor with contractions 5 minutes apart. With 10 weeks of strict bedrest, most of which were in the hospital, she made it to 36 weeks.
Brandy was diagnosed with "possible/probable" heart defect around 28-30 weeks gestation. After her birth she was whisked away to the NICU for monitoring and after a few days her defect was formally diagnosed and labeled...atrial septal defect and a cleft mitral valve.
Brandy, upon indications of failure to thrive and pulmonary hypertension, underwent her first of 2 open-heart surgeries at 4 months of age. A week after her surgery on the day of her anticipated discharge home Brandy coded for 13 minutes...a stoke.
From that point on Brandy's life was full of doctor's visits, endless crying, pain and suffering. She underwent another heart surgery, fundoplication and g-tube surgery, treatment for infantile spasms, and a mountain of tests and procedures. Her brain damage was extensive.
Upon counseling of our wonderful, most amazing heart surgeon, Dr. Christopher Knott-Craig, and many hours of prayer, we finally called in hospice and called off all of the extensive medical interventions and surgery needs that would prolong her suffering while possibly prolonging her life. Brandy, our precious baby girl...our angel...passed out of our arms and into the arms of her Saviour, Jesus at the tender age of 17 months.

Ryan Andrew

Ryan, our micro-preemie miracle, is a ball of life. After nearly a year of trying to conceive imagine our delight when we finally knew he was on the way. My pregnancy with Ryan was uneventful at first. It seemed perfect and with all of the precautions for preterm labor being taken and monitored we entered this pregnancy with cautious anticipation covered over by a whole love of naive excitement.
At 20 weeks we discovered our "Baby Peanut" was going to be a little boy. We began to make plans and began dreaming about the day we would meet our son.
Almost 2 weeks later everything changed in our lives. It wa a whirlwind of fear and emtions as I began to bleed, was sent for monitoring in L&D and eventually had an appointment with my OB only to find out that it was serious. I had incompetent cervix with hourglassing membranes. The doctor admitted me to the hospital immediately and an emergency cerclage was placed. The statistics were grim, but the hope was to keep our son inside for at least 10 more weeks. We only made it 10 more days.
Early in the evening of February 11, 2007 our son, Ryan, came into this world in emergency fashion at only 23 weeks 5 days gestation. He weighed 1 pound 8 ounces and was 12 ½ inches long. He was so tiny. All I could think of was “oh my goodness is he really that tiny? And is there any way he could actually make it?” I tried to hold on to hope, but in all honesty I had never met anyone with a baby born that early and that small that ever made it.
Ryan did make it! It was a long, hard road, but in the end he spent 90 days in the NICU. He was on a ventilator for 2 months. Finally on one fine glorious day in May we bundled up our 4 pound 4 ounce baby boy and went home...May 11, 2007.
Ryan is now a spunky, lively, strong-willed little boy. His laughter is contagious and his spirit is compelling. He is our miracle. There are no words strong enough to share our delight and joy that God has blessed us with this little boy.

Evan Alexander