Photos

Curly Toes

Playing Wii with Dad

Such a pretty dress!

I took all of the above photos with my phone and uploaded them onto my computer. Feeling pretty tech-savy!

The combine that made it all worth it

Bulky soft dressings

Curly Toes

I've spent the better part of the week preparing the Boy for surgery. He has, what the surgeon called, curly toes. The third toes on both feet crossed under the second. For some kids it's no big deal, but this kid has woken crying that his toes hurt and keeping the nails short was essential to keeping them from cutting into the toes. We saw two surgeons who had differing opinions on both the problem and the solution. One stated nothing needed to be done and the other recommended a tendon release on the third toe.

We bought movies and games. We talked about surgery. We discussed the hospital. I'll confess, we played it up a little.

Yesterday was surgery day. He woke up once we parked underground, totally stoked for surgery. He enjoyed putting on the blue and white striped gown and asked if he was beautiful in his dress. We discussed casts and the nurse told him he could pick whatever color he wanted. Even pink! He and daddy played video games. He's so sucked into those things. I'm definitely not buying one!

The surgeon came and marked his toes. The anesthetist came and let him pick his flavor of gas - bubble gum, strawberry, orange, or root beer. He saw the power cars beyond the doors to the OR and got excited about driving one. The nurse came and took him from me. He went willingly. First he tried the Hummer. It scared him when he realized it actually drove. So the nurse offered him the Corvette. He didn't actually want to drive it but went along happily when she offered to join him. We were told they would start his IV after he was sleeping and that he would be sleeping about one minute after he left our arms. OR time was booked for 2 hours.

We went for a quick breakfast and made a few phone calls. We came back early to wait in the post op waiting room. Just over an hour after he was taken in the surgeon came out and told us that everything went well. She did a simple tendon release and his feet had straightened out nicely. She opted for bulky dressings and didn't need casts at all!

Shortly after we were called to the recovery room. They warned us that he was upset before we saw him. I saw a nurse holding him on the bed and he was screaming. He was so upset. I think he was pretty ticked. It wasn't actually fun. He wanted to go home RIGHT NOW and get his "socks" off and his IV out. I held him and put his blanket over his head. Once he got his thumb in his mouth and settled down he fell asleep.

A little while later we transferred to the ward and watched some TV. After he ate a popsicle they took out his IV and let us go. We were out of there by 1130. Now the dressings stay on for 10 days. No weight bearing for a week. No running and no jumping for a month. Sounds impossible!

Yesterday we used a lot of Tylenol and Advil. Today he's feeling much better. In fact, he's scooting around on his knees like a pro. You'd think he had never learned to walk.

Now for some time off, lots of couch time, movies, and snuggles. I'm so glad to have this over with.

I know he's Small

I knew I had misplaced him somewhere...

Movies

Yesterday I went on a bit of a spree. I purchased more movies in half an hour than I ever have in my life. You see, the Boy is having surgery on his toes next Friday. I'm a little anxious, it's true. Instead of renting movies daily I just bought them. I'm afraid we'll be couch bound while he has casts on both feet and well, I guess this is like entertainment insurance.

Here is my list:

Horton Hears a Who
The Bee Movie
James and the Giant Peach
Shrek
Shrek 2
Shrek 3
Christmas Shrek (what? it was a four pack!)
Milo and Otis
Happy Feet
Cars
Dragon Hunters

Now, who is coming to join us on our movie marathon?

Best Parts

The best part of my day yesterday? Flowers from my Husband! For no "real" reason. Extra points for having them delivered to my workplace and making all my colleagues jealous.


Today? Getting back to the gym following a month of illness between myself and the Boy. Even better, a hot stone massage after. The gift cert was a gift from my Hubby for Christmas.

Wow! You should all be jealous of a husband such as mine.

Back to "Normal"

I gotta say, this work stuff is stressin' me out. Post-bump, I had to bump someone. In a department I didn't want to work. With 12 hr shifts. Not ideal. So I sent out resumes. Applied for terms.

I had one interview and it went great! I got the job offer. Which means I'm still batting 10/10 for getting the jobs I interview for. But then I got another offer. Seriously, on the same day! A term back in Day Surgery til the end of June. I weighed the pros and cons and took offer number 2.

So for now life stays the same. We'll see what time brings. I'm feeling happier and much more settled now that I'm the one choosing where I go.

On a positive note - the days are getting longer and warmer! Spring can't come soon enough.

Recap and Looking Ahead

Simply put, 2010 was a year of stability for us.

I have the same job, same house, same vehicles, same Husband, and same Boy. I can't explain exactly how good this feels. I've lived years of chaos in the past. I've lived years of changes. Good and bad. Not this year. This year things just kind of stayed the same.

The Husband decided to work on his Counseling degree and started taking courses. Otherwise things around here remained status quo. The Boy remains undisputed in his place as sole Apple of our eyes despite our best efforts. Maybe this year will bring competition. We hope so.

He had a big year though. Moved from a crib to a toddler bed and mastered potty training in no time flat! His language skills amaze us daily. He's becoming more independent and is thriving in his day care. He expanded his list of favorite movies from Baby Einstein to include all the Mighty Machines series and his first full length feature, Up. He became passionate about guitars and farming. His immune system figured itself out and we landed up in ER only once with no hospitalizations.

We hit the road to Calgary in May to meet a very special addition to our extended family. Baby Rachel was born May 21 and has impacted all of our lives deeply. She and her family amaze and inspire me daily.

2011 promises to have more change in store. Next week I start my new position in ER. Quite honestly, I'm not thrilled about it. I'll do my best there and learn and grow in my career, but I'll miss my home in Day Surgery. Bentley, our faithful pooch, is getting his leg fixed. Here's hoping next year he's much more active! He is so in tune with me and my emotions. The Boy will be getting those curly toes of his straightened. The Husband will likely return to General Patrol, which means both him and I will be doing shift work again.

I always want to be stronger this year than I was the last. Stronger in body, mind, and spirit. I want to get to know my Husband better. We spent most of last year passing each other by. I want to find a job I'm excited about. I want to be more open minded and optimistic. I'd love to add to the family.

In reality, our control is so minimal. I can make great choices for myself and my family and end up with events that turn my world upside down. Peace and the ability to hold what I have in an open hand.... that's all I would really ask for.