Sleep?!?!?

Oh, how describe the past weeek? I am really not sure. We have had our ups and downs. On Friday, May 22nd, Nathan had his first (and hopefully last) surgery.



We have spent much of the last 4 years getting the boy to sleep at night. We had created some bad habits (OOPS!) and had taken all the steps to rectify them. Nathan was going to bed by himself, following a great routine, and still getting up between 2 and 6 times a night. Greg and I were at a loss (of sleep and sanity), so we hauled him into his pediatrician (Dr. Cox is awesome) and started what would be a unique adventure. I am sure by now it is pretty darn clear that NOTHING with Nathan is ever quick or simple. Dr. Cox was really not sure what to do with his not sleeping. He had no clear or obvious medical causes, so the good Dr. recommended we see a sleep specailist and see what she had to say, so off we headed to Dr. Pfeffer. She rocks too. She listened very closely to what we had to say. Was a bit perplexed. How ca a child go to sleep so well and easily and be up anywhere from 2-5 hours later and not want anything but to be tucked in again. Greg and I felt there was something wrong with his sleep patterns, Dr. Pfeffer, was unsure and thought perhaps it could be a behavioral issue, but was not really sure about that. So she suggested a sleep study. Wholly Crap was that a process for a 4 year old. If I ever manage to get the pics off my cell phone I will post them, but needless to say he was hooked up to about 20 leds, 2 nasal canals, and chest and belly pressure bands. Plus he did not get to bed until at least an hour after bedtime, and we were in a strange place. When he finally did go to sleep, it seemed ok. He never got out of bed.....I am not sure he could have had he wanted to anyway. And a few short hours later they woke us, unhooked Nate and sent us on our way. Shortly after that we saw our pediatrician in a non-office setting and asked if he has seen or heard anything from the sleep dr. He said he had and since we would be in on Tuesday with Alex he would review it and talk to us about it then. Turns out that we got the results in the mail the very next day and talk about shocked. Turns out Greg and I have a 4 year old with sleep apnea! WHAT THE *&^%! How is that possible? Turns out that even though his tonsils and adnoids were not really large, they were causing a blockage in his breathing process, especially when he slept. So we had an appt with the sleep specailist to follow up with the sleep study and I thought she was going to jump out of her chair she was so excited to see the results. It was more than clear that Nate was have some major sleep issues and that they were medically caused. Nathan sleeps really well for the first 2 to 4-ish hours and then all hell brakes loose. His REM cycles are directly realated to his bretahing diffcilties. His legs twitch, and he really labors to breathe. Even though I was expecting a result like that when I saw on paper how bad it was, I about laughed and cried. He had something like 115 wakening episodes and of those 105 were realated to apnea with something like 90 of them directly realated to difficulty getting oxygen. I was astounded. As were both Greg and the doctor. The doctor really thought that we were probably having more behavorial problems with little intrinsic (medical) factors. And she was the first to say she was soooo wrong. But she was so excited at being able to help him. It was so nice to have her be so supportive and so willing to admit that her first impression was so wrong. So we got Nathan an appointment with the ENT and as it turned out we were able to schedule his surgery to remove his tonsil and adnoids the friday right after school ended. Greg and I tried to be really honest with him about the whole thing and answered any questions he had. Like, no they do not "pop" your head off to get your tonsils out. They put you to sleep and take them out thru your mouth. But by far one of the very best things we did was to take him up to the pre-surgery class at PCMC. Nathan is a very logical and tactile child. He loved the class, which walked him through the whole process as best as possible and he was very calm about the whole process. When we were getting him check in and changed into his "hospital pajamas" they asked if he needed the versed to calm him before surgery. So I looked at him and asked him if he wanted the medicine that made him really calm and sleepy . He looked me square in the face and said no, he wanted to go to the game and toy room and play video games. I said no he did not need the medicine, but could I maybe have a dose, to which the nurse got a good laugh. I was really not sure about how I was feeling about putting my little guy "under the knife". So the short verison is, all went well. Our ENT, Dr. Child, said it went greatand in less than a hour we were back by Nathan's bedside watching him in his groggy little haze. He woke up pretty well, but had to stay for a 4 hour observation. Nathan's nurse in the PACU was so great. Her name was Jane, and she was soo sweet to him and us. She brought him root beer slushees, and apple juice and sprite and jello and mac and cheese. Nathan was awake at first, but after drinking some slushee and some popsicle, the vast amount of sugar was too much for him and within 10 minutes of wanting it he was sick to his stomach. Luckily Dr. Child had prescribed some medicine for him, and soon he was not only was the nausea gone, but Nathan had drifted off to sleep for a long nap. During this time I ran over to the U, where my sister-in-law and nephews were, an checked in on them. When I got back Nathan was snoozing, and Greg was reading his book. It took surgery, but I finally managed to finish the book I have been reading for months. Sadly, I finished it in hour number 2 and then was left with some time to burn. We got to the hospital at 11:45 and we left at 7pm. It was a long day for all, and Nate, bless his heart, as we are strapping him in to the car, says "wait. we have to go see Aunt Keanne." We chuckeled at him and said no, he needed to go home and that Aunt Keanne would be okay without a visit from us. So now we are on the road to recovery. I have a feeling it will be a long road.

Coincidences?

Pete and KeAnne and their boys in their going home outfits

Okay for those not aware, my brother and I are only 11 months apart in age. Pete was born in November 1978, I was born in December 1977. So yes, my mom was pregnant for 2 years, nearly non-stop. We have always been pretty close. There are only 2 of us. We have spent most of our lives making each other crazy. And I love it. We have also both always been close to our cousins who are our age. But, our boys are taking it just too far. Here are the facts, as they stand today.

Nathan, Andrew, and Cooper were all born at 33 weeks (and some days). All three spent 3 weeks in the NICU. (Nate 21 days, Cooper and Andrew 20 days). All 3 boys came home from the hospital on a holiday. (Nate on Christmas 2004, Andrew and Cooper on Memorial Day 2009.), and last but not least, and this is the weird one, the holidays date was the 25th day of the month.

They are three unique little creatures. I cannot wait to see what Andrew and Cooper grow up to be like. (I am not trying to rush that at all!) Cooper looks just like Nathan...which is adorable! Andrew looks like Keanne's side of the family, so he is a darn cutie too. I am curious to see how these three bond in their lifetimes together. Hmmmmmmmmm.........

Mom Jeopordy

The Answer:

Things you never thought you would say.....

The Question:

What is "Alex stop dancing on the coffee table"
"I am so sick of seeing weiner, put on some underwear"
"If you do one more headstand on my couch you will not have a head"
"Stop chewing on your shirt"
"Yes you can have yogurt for dessert"
"Just because you are 4 and can use DAMN correctly in a sentence does not
mean you can say it"

I am sure there will be a part 2 to this. I swear that my kids do and say the strangest things.

NINE!!

Nine years ago today, I married my best friend, my love and my everything. We have been thru so very much together, but every day seems better than the last. I love everyday with you Greg. Every choice we make, good or bad, is made together. I enjoy our date nights, our giggles together, and all the fun we have. I love that you tend to make me laugh at the same moment that I want to kill you with my bare hands. You know me, and love me despite it. So today, forever and always. I love you!

4 Years Ago....

Flashbacks. They are an interesting thing. I figured that they would happen, and I had prepared myself, mentally, for them. But I was not really sure how I would handle the moment I stepped foot back in a NICU for quality time with a baby that I loved. It was a little over 4 years ago that my son was born premature. I, like my sweet sister-in-law, had no control over the situation. My doctor had to induce my labor at 33 weeks because I had incredibly high blood pressure, and it was no longer safe for me to be pregnant. For me or the baby. For me it was a very matter of fact thing. I was startled by the events, but I didn't really have time to be scared. I knew my baby was coming way too soon, and that his lungs were not ready. I could feel that in my gut, but I had no choice, I had to do what was best for both myself and my son. I remember a couple of things very clearly. First, it was December 3rd. Of course, one would assume that I would recall the day, but it was more than a day. December 3rd is MY birthday, and I was not ready to share. I looked at my wonderful doctor and said "I do not want him to be born before midnight!" with a cute little laugh, my OB informed me that the induction would take a good 12 hours. Secondly, my in-laws were a few thousand miles away getting ready to board a ship for a cruise through the Panama Canal. This is their first grandchild, and they were not here. I am not sure if I was upset by that, but I recall being a bit sad for them, strangely enough they called not long after the decision was made to induce me, and they called regularly over the next 2 weeks so we were able to give them updates on Nathan's well being. And lastly, I had to let my husband and my mom know what was going on. Those 2 phone calls were the most necessary and the least fun. I knew they would both be worried and probably freak out a bit, and they did. Not that I could really change what was happening. So, I was under way to deliver my first baby. My labor was not horrible, I was upset that the epidural won't work. I never planned on natural childbirth, but that is what I got. Lucky for me it was only 13 and a half hours long. Granted it was all night long, but I made it through and when they said I was ready I looked at the nurse and told her I had no intention of pushing for hours, so if he was not ready to not even call the Dr. She said we were good to go, and so we started pushing. I think I only pushed twice before he came out. They tried to whisk him out of the room, but I was able to stop them and at least see him, before he was off to the nursery. That was at 6:32 in the morning and had I know I was going to spend much of the next 3 hours knocked out I would have kept him there just a minute longer. With no epidural and a placenta that would not deliver, I was begging my doctor to stop trying to dig it out by hand. By the grace of God, the wonderful anesthesiologist who, despite 8 tries was unable to get the epidural to work, came to see what was going on since he knew the baby had been delivered. The last words I remember were "hand me that other bottle of versed off my cart will you" and then the pain that was worse than labor stopped. Next thing I knew I woke up some 3 hours later, and wanted to see my son. And even though I was insanely groggy and a bit dizzy I jumped into the wheelchair so I could go see him. He was insanely cute. By noon they were concerned it was taking too much effort for him to breathe, diagnosed him with RDS (respiratory distress syndrome), and they decided it was time to move him to a hospital with a NICU. So by 1:oo in the afternoon, my baby was packaged into a incubator, and loaded into a special ambulance staffed with a team whose job is to transports babies, and sent packing to a different hospital than the one I was left at. Let me say there is nothing worse than being stuck on the maternity ward without a child. I know my sweet husband was torn. He wanted to be with me, and I wanted him to be with Nathan. Nate's first visitors in the NICU were Greg, my mom and my brother Pete. Little did I know how significant that would turn out to be 4 years later. Nate had good days and bad days in the NICU. He was given surfactant when they got him there, and was able to be off all oxygen support within 24 hours of birth (thank you March of Dimes) but had to keep his little IV. It went from his hand to his head, before it was able to be completely removed by the time he was about a week old. All told we spent a full 21 days in the hospital with him. When Greg's parents got home from their trip they came straight from the airport to the hospital to see their new grandson. I don't remember being afraid of the equipment, but I know it was shocking to see it all, but I got used to it. And I knew it was taking care of my child. We could only have 6 visitors to see Nathan. Among them were my brother and sister-in-law. They both got the chance to hold him and love him while he was all hooked up. And I most certainly hope that it has made their adventures with their 2 little boys easier for them. I by no way want to take away from their experience. Every parent has their own worries and fears, but I hope that having had Nathan in the NICU and seeing him all hooked up to the oxygen and monitors and NG tube has softened the blow of having their own boys there. I got to go see Cooper and Andrew for the first time since their birth yesterday, and it was magical. I got to snuggle with Cooper and explain to him who his favorite auntie is (ME of course). And even though I teared up when I got there, I kept it together. Because I know what those 2 little munchkins are going to be like in 4 years, healthy happy little boys who are making their parents question every decision they make. And that is the very best part!

Baby Names

It is official......the boys names are Andrew Peter Hadden and Cooper Nicholl Hadden. Keanne and the boys are doing great. We went and saw her today, but not the babies. Nathan is so bummed out. He wants to meet his new cousins so bad. We showed him some pictures, but he is really ready to see them, He told us at lunch that he was really sad. Greg and I told him not to worry he would have a lot of chances to get to see them and to get to know them. But now I gotta get my butt in gear and find a new car that will hold 4 car seats at one time, cuz my sweet Saturn ain't gonna be able to pull this one off.

I am an AUNTIE!!

So we got a call from my brother this morning about 8:15 am. He said that Keanne's water broke that moring when his alarm went off for work (good grief what kind of alarm clock do you use!!) and that they were at Jordan Valley Hospital, but that because she was only 33 weeks and 3 days that they were going to stick her in a helicopter and send her to the University of Utah. Well hello!! So I ran Nate to preschool, took Alex to my in-laws, and since my mom was on her way home from Death Valley, I rushed up to the U. I was a bit of a mess. Suddenly I have a chance to think about what delivering at 33 weeks means and how truly scary it is. I didn't really have time to think about all that with Nathan when I was the one delivering, but I cried most of the way up to the hospital. My turn to freak out about it. I knew that Keanne had the steroids shots for the babies lungs, so that made me feel better, but I was still really anxious. So I get up there, find labor and delivery, and figure it is time to sit back. I thought surely she had already delivered. but NO. Right after she got there they got an emergency c-section, so they held her back. She didn't have to wait too long, but I saw how hard and fast her contractions were coming, and when the dr. decided to check her, she must have felt toes (baby "a" was breach) because her eyes got really big and she said "we are moving NOW" and away they went. They boys were born at 11:27 and 11:28 respectively and weighed in at 4 lbs 14 oz and 5 lbs even (again respectivley). All three of them are doing great. Keanne is a trooper, and I am so glad they are all well. Hopefully the boys will be able to come home soon, and then the madness will really get going. I will post some pics as soon as I can. And, I will list their names as soon as they are official. Keanne wanted to see baby "b" before she was sure of his name, and she had only seen baby "a" when I had to leave for Nathan's dr's appt.

Saw this on a friends facebook page and about fell over.....

MOTHERHOOD: the only place you can experience heaven and hell at the same time!!

Coming and goings....

I feel like I blog in bursts. Which I guess really is the case, so here is a burst...as to what is bursting that is up to you to decide.

My sweet sister-in-law has reached the 33 week mark with the BOYS! Poor Keanne has been on bedrest for about 3 weeks (maybe more I am not sure) and bless her heart she just keeps her feet up and minds her manners. I cannot put into words how amazing she is. First, she puts up with my brother. She deserves a medal for that, and now she is having TWIN BOYS! Good grief. I am going to have to loan her Alex from time to time just so there can be a little bit of estrgoen in that house. I can only imagine that much testosterone. But I am of course wildly excited for my nephews to make their apperance. Andrew and (insert name here) are going to be so loved it is pretty much gross. And with any luck, baby "B" will have a name! I know there are a couple up in the air, I have decided to not voice any further opinion either way. All I can say is glad I only had to name mine one at a time.

Nathan has sleep apnea. How in the world can a 4 yr old have sleep apnea.......seems that he had a problem with his tonsils and adnoids and after we meet with the sleep specialist on Monday, we are off to the ENT on Tuesday to see about a little surgery. I am not excited for him to have surgery, but if it needs to be done (and from the sleep study report it NEEDS to be done) I would so much rather have it done when he is still younger. It can be brutal when they get older. Nathan was a little freaked out at first, but once I explained that they will not pop his head off....his idea not mine.....and that he will get to have a few days of only eating ice cream, jello and icees, he was more than okay with the idea. You will notice I "forgot" to tell him it is probably going to hurt some too. I will come clean about that later.

Lex had her 15 mo. check up on Tuesday. She is growing well. She is in the 50% for weight and head size, and the 90+% for height. No suprise there. Nate has always been on the tall side, and since my brother is over 6 ft, and so is my father-in-law. I am not shocked to see that my kids are tall. I feel so awful for her though, because despite being fine on tuesday, she is now miserable. She has a fever and a nasty cough. I am sure it is just reaction to the shots. She has never tolerated them well, but I may have to take her to the Dr on Saturday depending on how she looks, and what her fever is up to in the morning.

I must say that I am super excited though......I am getting to go away with Greg for our anniversary. We are running to Vegas a little later in May and I am so ready. We have not been away since Lex was born and I am sure we will not be able to relax, but we are going to give it a whirl. I have a book I have been trying to read since Janurary and I am going to finish it!!! Boy NINE years has flown by.

So those are the comings and goings around here. I am currently working on my recipe blog, I hopefully will have a bunch of new recipes on there before long, so keep checking back.

Happy Weekend!