Back from Unintentional Hiatus

It's been a while since I've updated the Blog. The week at Children's was very overwhelming, we've been busy with Ryan and it's been pretty chaotic at work - so hopping right into updating the blog hasn't been at the top of my list when spare time rolls around. We've spent most of our social time on Facebook, so I'll do a quick update for those who have been wondering where the updates are - but I warn you, there isn't much to talk about these days except for poop...I guess this is what my life has become. (How boring I must be... I really need to get out)

We've been spending most of our time at home since Ryan was discharged from the hospital. Ryan's body is getting used to the new bowel situation. Until Ryan's body gets used to the new "piping" - he will have frequent stooling. Because of this, he has developed an insane diaper rash that has not gone away in a couple of weeks now. The rash been very painful for Ryan. We ONLY rinse his bottom in the sink - never with wipes - to cause as little irritation to the open, bleeding sores on his bottom. (As you can imagine, this is very limiting on our time outside the home) Ryan's doctor assures us that the rash is normal after such a procedure and the situation will continue to improve as the frequency of bowel movements slow.

There were a few days that Ryan would cry each time that he started to stool. He was in so much discomfort - that he would wake up in the middle of a dead sleep. He'd cry and kick his legs until we could get him changed. Sometimes we'd barely get his diaper back on before the next movement. We were changing his diaper up to 30+ times a day just to keep him dry. This was horrible for all of us - but mostly him. He was tired and he was not comfortable. Because of this, I bowed out of Supercross in San Diego on Valentines Day with the family. Jeff and Dylan went ahead and went to the Event - and Ryan and I stayed with the comforts of home. As a precaution, I took Ryan to the ER at Children's to make sure that he was okay. After a couple of X-Rays and an exam by the surgical team, he checked out to be just fine. His symptoms have been better since Saturday. I feel like he may be finally improving!

Now that Ryan has had his surgery, we have been able to to feed him stage 1 foods. So far we've given him rice cereal, bananas and sweet potatoes. He LOVES the sweet potatoes. In addition to the nutritional benefits and the developmental milestone, the food helps to thicken Ryan's stool - which will slow down the frequency of dirty diapers. The doctor also suggested giving Ryan Soy formula to help thicken the stool... Ryan loves it... I think it stinks!! Needless to say, I just bought 2 tubs of it at Costco.

Other events that don't involve poop - -

My company had it's second round of lay-offs in one year. I luckily survived (again). Although I have a job, I have taken on much more responsibility. In addition to working on Ford, I now work on Lincoln-Mercury - and my territory was expanded from just California and Hawaii to the "Western Region" - which picks up Seattle, Portland, Montana, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. It's been a learning curve getting up to speed on the Lincoln-Mercury brand and my new markets. I can't complain, though, because I am still employed in this bad economy.

Dylan got his first place trophy for Best of the West. We did not go to the banquet ceremony yesterday - but we are so very proud of his accomplishment. It's kind of sad to think that he doesn't want to race this year. He worked all of last year to ride the Best of the West series - and in addition to his #1 BOTW ranking, he got the #17 plate in his 250cc class.

We've had some uncharacteristic California weather lately. Lots of rain - and it's been very cold (c'mon, we're spoiled... we like our 80 degree weather, that's why we live here). I was actually supposed to be in Pebble Beach today - for a Ford meeting tomorrow morning. My plan was to drive up this morning and come home tomorrow night - but I woke up to news this morning that the Grapevine was closed due to snow - and the 101 (my alternate route) was flagged with flash flood warning for the entire route. After calling my co-workers, it was decided that it just was not worth my making the drive given the inclement weather. The good news with all of this cold weather and rain is that our local mountains get loaded with snow. It makes for such a gorgeous view.

Photos:
Ryan with Family on 2/8
The view of the mountains on my way home 2/13 (pretty snow, ugly holiday traffic)
Ryan and I at Children's on 2/14

Video:
Ryan babbling away in the ER - tries to eat my camera!

CHLA - Day Five (The Final Day)

Besides the midnight feeding of the Pedialyte last night, I didn't do the regular wake-ups to give Ryan the Pedialyte... I was much to tired, and he wasn't complaining.

I came to realize (again) the different levels of involvement from parents. Jeff and I are both very involved and participatory. We make sure that we are constantly attending to Ryan's needs and don't rely on the nurses for all of his care. When his machines are beeping, we know how to silence them and know when to call in a nurse for assistance. The beeping machines can be quite obnoxious when you just leave them alone. (They do not stop beeping on their own).

Our new roommate last night was an infant (3 months old) with a respiratory issue going on. She had accelerated breathing - especially when she would cry. When the mother first got there, I tried to explain to her where the silence button was on the machine and that she could make the machine stop beeping - but would need to call the nurse in (She was not fluent in English, so this was somewhat difficult). I went out to get her nurse. They located her call button and I assumed this would fix the situation. It didn't. Then, the Mom went to sleep and just let her baby cry and the machines go off all night. I had to keep calling her nurses so that I could get on with my rest. As it turns out, the nurses took care of the baby all night - but most of the crying was resolved by feeding the baby.
- Where is that social worker when you need her?
I digress.

Ryan had a very good night. Despite all of the noise, he slept very well. I noticed that he was stirring more in the night - and I got a kick out of his arm hanging out the side of the crib rails in the night. At some point in the night I heard him crying when the nurse was in. I believe she was there checking his vitals but had woke him up in the process. I saw that the nurse was using her flashlight to look all over the place but didn't quite get what she was doing. I realized later (as Ryan was still crying) that she was looking for his pacifier.

During this hospital stay, Ryan has become quite reliant upon his pacifier. It has been very soothing for him and we've noticed that it has been soothing for him around the time he is going to go to sleep. The nurse was concerned that he was having gas pain and it was causing him to cry, but when I had located a pacifier (not the original one he went to sleep with...that one was found later in the morning on the floor) - he quieted as soon as I put it in his mouth and fell right back to sleep. I'm curious how his pacifier will play a role once we return home.

The surgical team made their rounds at about 7a. They said that they would be moving him to oral pain medication and IV and that Ryan could eat as much as he wanted today. If he sustained on his own, he was free to go home today. This sounds too easy, right? The rest of the day just flew by:
- The Pain Management team arrived a couple hours later. They agreed that Ryan looked great and would suspend the continuous Morphine drip.
- Ryan then got a sponge bath - and we removed all that was hooked up to him except the IV needle (just in case they needed to re-connect fluids later) and his catheter.
- Ryan steadily increased his intake of milk
- Orders then came in that he could have his catheter removed and we were told that he would be able to get discharged once he could produce a wet diaper.
- By 4p - we were told that Ryan would be discharged. All was good. He was eating good throughout the day, his body was functioning as it should, he was in little discomfort - and I'm sure that someone was waiting for his bed! ...so the discharge process began.

Thinking that Ryan had a fever, I was struggling with whether or not I should tell the surgeon on the floor about it. I figured that if I said something, we could end up staying another night or two. If I didn't say anything, and he got an infection, we'd just be back in the hospital. I couldn't be selfish. We currently had a bed in the hospital and if we came back, we'd just end up packed into their emergency room. The right thing was to address it while we were already admitted. As it turned out, Ryan was NOT running a temperature (I still think he felt too warm) - but great for us!

We happily said our goodbyes and headed to the hotel to pack up and check out. We arrived home at about 8p.

Hooray.

CHLA - Day 4

After updating the Day 3 blog last night, I went straight to bed. With no set alarm, I slept until almost 9a. I sooooooo needed that sleep. Jeff held down the fort back at CHLA. Overnight, Ryan's blood count improved and the fever that he had when I left had subsided.

When I had arrived to Ryan's room today, I was so excited to see him! He was awake and looking right at me as I walked up to his crib. I had been immediately introduced to a social worker who had just arrived. Her first question: "Was Ryan born vaginal or c-section?" Taken aback... I had to ask her what she could possibly gain by having that information. I was very irritated. Was this more important than a visit with my child? Hoping that the remaining questions were to be quick and RELEVANT... her next was inquiring about who the child lived with and the next was whether or not friends and family members knew we were here at CHLA. After letting her know that just about everyone we knew was aware - I, sarcastically let her know that I had a family blog and could provide her with the website if she so needed. At that point, I think she realized she wasn't going to get much further and then left the room.

Jeff says, "Boy, she caught you at a bad time".

Here's the deal. The social worker had no foundation to have any conversation with me or Jeff. I wasn't going to go down the road of the questions like "what is the highest level of education you have" and "are there other children in the household" or "do you work full time". We have answered these questions in the past and they never do anything with the answers they get from us. They are simply irrelevant. If she would exhaust her energy in finding out when the Surgical team will be making their next rounds - or better yet - when Ryan can eat - she will get a better response from me. Rest assured if there is someone in this hospital who would like to assume that we are not good parents- bring 'em on! They will not win against this Mother Bear.

We had a few visitors today. Pat came by to visit on his way home from a dealer visit. Although he didn't stay long, it sure was nice that he stopped by. My Aunts and Uncles (and Jenni) all came by this evening as well. They got to spend some time with Ryan and we got to have some conversation outside the medical world!

Ryan is becoming more and more alert and he is feeling better with each day. I actually got to hold him today for a little while. I could tell that he was uncomfortable in my arms. I will begin holding him more frequently in the next couple of days as his pain subsides. Ryan also passed some stool today. This is great news because it means he is starting to function again and with this he can begin to take in fluids besides the IV he has been getting. (Remember, he last had fluids on Monday)

Tonight, Ryan gets to start drinking small amounts of Pedialyte. With increased dosages we will watch to see that he is not having any difficulty with intake and will hopefully get to give him milk soon. I'm sure these will be our milestones tomorrow.

CHLA - Day Three

What a long 24 hours.

So.

I stayed my turn in the hospital with Ryan last night (Jeff stayed the night before). I was prepared and brought my pajamas with me so that I could get comfortable in the lousy convertible chair that was in the room. We keep a pillow and blanket in the room for whoever stays each night.

Ryan is in the room with 3 other patients. Ryan slept pretty solid through the night but would wake up in brief moments moaning in discomfort. I was awake for each of those moans but also because one of his alarms was going off, or one of the roommates alarms was going off. Then one patient would make a sound that would trigger noises from one of the other patients in the room. Nurses came in, came out - cleaning crews came in, came out. Holy Moly. One of the poor boys diagonal from where Ryan was had hallucinations in the middle of the night and though he was bleeding to death. He woke up screaming to his dad about "all the blood" - and the Dad, coming out of a dead sleep, didn't quite get what was going on at first... so that was pretty interesting. While I had complete passion for the kids in the room - I was still quite irritated with the level of noise and chaos.

Jeff arrived about 9:30a. Ryan still hadn't been awake since he came out of surgery. There were a couple times earlier this morning that Ryan had opened his eyes - but he wasn't looking "at" me - - he was looking "through" me... so I knew he was still pretty groggy. It wasn't until later in the afternoon when he started to become more alert. He would stay awake for longer periods of time but then just fade back into sleepiness.

We requested a room change and were able to be put into a smaller room but one that only had one other patient. It was nice because the room stayed vacant until about 5:30p. Jeff, Ryan and I had a lot of peace and quiet. We needed that.

Ryan hasn't fussed much at all today. He's pretty comfortable and content. It's been 48 hours since he's had any liquid, 72 since he's had formula - and he's holding out pretty good. He has been playing with some of his toys and allowed me to read a few books to him. He's really quiet. He looks at us, but still won't express any emotion unless he's in pain or agitated.

The morphine has been making his face itchy. He's got some scratches and redness on his face. He gets a dose of Benadryl in his IV every 4 hours to help out with that side affect.

He started running a fever tonight - which is normal after surgery. They collected blood from him and found that he is slightly anemic - which could be a sign of internal bleeding - or just from the medications he's been given through IV. He also had a pinch in his catheter which caused some swelling - so who knows if maybe that wasn't causing the issue. With no blood coming from the rectum or showing up in the urine, it's probably not any internal bleeding (stay positive). They will draw blood from him in the morning to make sure that his blood count hasn't dropped - and we'll go from there.

I'm pooped. I'll be getting my good nights rest in the quiet hotel room tonight and then will head back over in the morning.

CHLA - Day Two - Part Deux

(Continued from Below)

While I did some work, Jeff was able to get in a power nap and a quick shower. We walked over to Hollywood/Highland center for a quick CPK lunch then we took the train back to the hospital. We checked in with the surgery department around 1p. Ryan was not yet out of surgery. We waited in Ryan's room and got the call to come back down around 2p.

When we arrived, they took us into a consult room where we waited for Dr. Sherman. When he came in, he sat down with a smile on his face and said the surgery went well. All in all, it was about a 4 hour procedure.

Ryan had a blockage in his bowel that was somewhere between the size of an orange and grapefruit (WAY bigger then a 5-month old's bowel should be). While not unexpected, the doctor said that he had to decide whether to remove 6 inches of bowel or give Ryan a temporary colostomy. By removing the 6 inches, the surgeon felt he could achieve a 95% clean procedure. He let us know that the 6 inches was not critical to the function of the large intestine. So basically, they went in through the abdomen, located the obstruction, removed the portion of the colon that was affected by blockage and/or stenosis and attached back to healthy intestine.

The thing he was not able to address were the cysts that showed in the MRI. He did locate one, but felt that trying to remove the cyst created a greater risk than leaving it in. I don't remember all of the verbiage... something about risking muscular function.... Anyways - his recommendation was to re-visit in the next year. He did confirm, though, that the cyst was not attached to the sacrum.

The doctor said that Ryan can start eating once as he starts to pass gas and stool....which we found could take a couple of days. We were then taken back to see Ryan. He never woke up for us. After he was stable, he was wheeled back to his room. I think we got up there about 4:00.

Jeff and I waited for Ryan to come to. With a couple hours since passed, we decided to seize an opportunity to run out to get a quick bite to eat at a little Mexican food joint down the street (Los Burritos - It's awesome!). When we got back, Ryan still had not woken up.

Jeff and i just wanted to see our little guy wake up, focus on us and give us his trademark heart-melting smile. Instead, he would wake up, fuss a bit, then go back to sleep. He did wake up one time very agitated. We all guessed he had some pain (how do you know exactly on a 5-month old?). The nurse provided a booster to the continuous drip of morphine he was already receiving - and that seemed to relax him.

Jeff waited until the last possible moment to leave the hospital. He caught the 11:11 train back to the hotel and was able to get this blog drafted (I've since gone in and made some edits... I get particular about my blog!!)

CHLA - Day Two

I got in a few hours of sleep last night and headed over to the hospital at 7a to see how the boys were holding up. I got to Ryan's room just in time for the nurses rounds. Jeff gave me the update from the night:
- Ryan had a complete meltdown after Jeff and I left last night. He was "unconsulable". This is when he pulled the NG out of his nose.
- Regular enemas were given to Ryan throughout the night - but Ryan was a trouper and slept well for most of the night. Dad, on the other hand, slept poorly and is completely wiped out today.

After I arrived, Ryan was able to get the NG permanently removed from his nose. I spent time with him reading, playing with toys and walking him around while Jeff got in about an hour of sleep. Right when I laid Ryan down to sleep, the crew came to bring Ryan down to surgery - 10a.

We had the Chaplain in the room to pray for Ryan. - and then we went down to the surgical floor. I carried Ryan down instead of putting him on the gurney. It wasn't long before they took him back. Ryan, in typical form, was happy, smiling and being flirty. We kissed him goodbye in the hallway and off he went.

Jeff and I came back to the hotel room for some rest. (He's snoring while I type this). We'll head back in about an hour or so to check up on him.

CHLA - Day One

Jeff, Ryan and I checked into our hotel at about 10:30 last night. This was Ryan's second time away from home (the first was in our Motor Home). Ryan did really well. We ALL did very well. We were able to keep Ryan up later than his usual 9p bedtime and get a good last feeding into him.

As of this morning we switched to a clear liquid diet. We've been unsuccessful with Pedialyte feedings in the past, so we came well stocked with Grape, Bubble Gum, Apple and Unflavored varieties. The Unflavored did not go over so well, so we tried the Grape. It was new to Ryan, but he seemed to take a little interest in it - so we stuck with it.

We drove over to Children's and got Ryan admitted. Like the last time we went through this, there was no available bed so - we ventured out into Hollywood to kill time. (We learned our lesson last time and came prepared to explore OUTSIDE the hospital during the long wait.)

First we had had breakfast at a local Denny's restaurant. Then we decided that we would head over to a local Toyota dealership. Jeff and I have long deciding my next vehicle since my Lexus lease is ending soon. We have been holding off on placing my new vehicle order because we really needed to get "in" to the two different trim levels - but we just haven't had the time to do this. Jeff called up the General Manager (Don ...who will never forgive Jeff for a rough hit during a football game in DC. He brings that story up every time we see him...and the tale keeps getting bigger/better every time I hear it). We were given the full tour of my prospective car. It was really nice to have access to the cars side-by-side without the hard-sell. Car seat in, car seat out, seats back, seats forward. In the end, however, I am decided and look forward to my next car "the Ryanmobile".

After a nice visit with Don, we headed over to Hollywood and Highland and walked around for a couple hours. Ryan didn't need a car seat to sit in his stroller. He was sitting up like a big boy!! He really enjoyed taking in all of the sights - and particularly loved the water fountain. I think all of the action really took his mind off the fact that he wasn't eating anything.

We realized that we did not bring a camera with us this week (we only have FIVE at home). We headed over to a near-by Best Buy to pick one up - and while doing so - got the phone call from Children's that a bed was ready. It had been 5 hours.

We kept Ryan entertained for a couple hours in the center - - and by this time he was drinking the Grape Pedialyte willingly, soaking a bib with every feeding (we usually use only 2 bibs a day - I hope we brought enough bibs!). We set his crib up with the comforts of home - hanging his mobile, giving him his familiar toys and keeping him comfy with his blankets. By 7p, he had been set up with his IV, his NG and began his bowel prep.

Ryan fell asleep around 9:30p. Since this was the time I knew Ryan would most likely stay asleep for the remainder of the night, Jeff and I contemplated about who would be staying overnight (Jeff) and we made plans to get me back to the hotel. Jeff and I took the Red Line from the hospital back to our hotel (my first trip on a subway train in LA). It's much cheaper to keep the car at the hospital for overnight parking than to pay the valet at the Marriott. The subway fare is only $1.25 each way. After I was settled in the hotel, Jeff headed back to the hospital to be with Ryan for the night.

As I type this, I've already been getting updates. Ryan pulled the NG out of his nose...and they moved us into another room. I know that there will be much more going on, but I will need to save that update for tomorrow or I'll never get some rest.

Ryan is scheduled for surgery at 7:30a tomorrow. On one hand I am so scared to put him through this procedure. I hope that there are no complications (short or long term) that this angel of a child will have to endure. On the other hand, I am looking forward to having him truly healthy and being able to just enjoy him! Every day for the past 5 months we have been worried about Ryan. Somehow we've kept it all balanced with everything else in our lives.

Tomorrow is the first step towards allowing Ryan to enjoy being the wonderful baby that he is.
Thanks to everyone who has prayed for Ryan. Please keep him in your prayers.

Sorry... no pictures. I'll probably have to post them after we get home.

Moving Forward

With Ryan scheduled to have surgery this week, my Nana was here to help hold down the fort since we were going to be gone all week. Since Ryan's surgery is going to be rescheduled and Jeff and I will be returning to work, Nana will head home.

I'm glad that she got to spend a couple days here with Ryan. She doesn't get to see him very often - only when she signs on the blog for updated photos and stories.

We had the chance to get Ryan into the Pediatrician today. He was given antibiotics, Albuterol (to open the lungs) and Prednisolone (for inflamation). We'll be following up next week to make sure Ryan is again rid of his bronchial issues.

We'll be getting in touch with the surgeon tomorrow about rescheduling the surgery.

Ryan ALMOST Has Surgery

It's been a totally crazy week. After we found out last Tuesday that Ryan did indeed have Rectal Stenosis, Jeff and I spent the remainder of the week finalizing work projects and scheduling surgery at Children's Hospital.

Over the weekend, Ryan started getting a cold. We tried so hard to keep him healthy. We called his surgeon Sunday night to let him know that Ryan had come down with some sort of cold but were given the go-ahead to head to Children's for evaluation. If Ryan was evaluated and deemed in good health, we would be moving forward as planned.

Ryan was scheduled to be admitted today. We were told to arrive by 8a because we would need to wait for an available bed at the hospital. Once we had a bed, then Ryan would need to go through a bowel prep prior to his surgery on Tuesday morning.

Jeff and I arrived at 8a. We waited 5 hours before we were called about a bed becoming available. We hung out in the lobby until lunch and then decided to go on a walk. Of course during this time is when the hospital was looking for us!

After we got Ryan's room assignment (great view, by the way, of Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign) the nurses and Anesthesiologist came in and gave him an evaluation. Hearing the wheezing in his chest, they got him set up for routine blood work, but also ordered a chest x-ray. It was decided that Ryan would NOT be cleared for surgery tomorrow and we began his discharge.

Because we had hotel reservations for the week, Jeff made quick cancellations. This is when we found out that his friend Pat (and Kaylyn) were trying to surprise us with a personally-delivered gift basket to our hotel room. (Of course we hadn't yet checked in) When they were going to make arrangements to have the gift dropped of at the hospital, we let them know that we were in the process of checking out. Pat and Kaylyn met us in the lobby when we were on our way out. It was nice to see friendly faces after such a long exhausting day.

We all decided to have dinner together before heading back home (Pat lives near us in La Verne and it was rush hour)

Tomorrow we will get Ryan treated by his pediatrician to knock down what ever illness he is fighting and then we will circle back with his surgeon to get re-scheduled for surgery.

I'm so tired as I write this blog.. I hope I captured everything.
All in all, Ryan was so good today. Despite the fact that he was on a clear liquid diet (no milk!) that he rejected - he only drank about 2 oz of Pedialyte all day - he was in great spirits and slept frequently throughout the day. He fussed terribly with the IV (to be expected) and with the x-ray - but the kid HATES to be restrained! As usual, he flirted with all of the nurses and stole their hearts.

Although I am not pleased with the admitting process, I am thankful that the nurses had the foresight to have him determined healthy for surgery prior to putting him through the bowel prep.

Jeff and I are bummed to have to prepare ourselves to go through this again in the future - but we know that it's best for Ryan to be as healthy as he can be with such a major surgery. I think this overall process may be harder on the two of us than it is on Ryan!!


Ryan talking (but I like to think he's "fussing" the hospital for making us wait so long!!)

I'm Getting So Big!

Ryan in his new highchair!

2009 ... A New Year

Well, it's been a while since I've been on the blog to post any updates. We've actually stayed pretty busy.

Our newest guilty pleasure has been Facebook. We spend a lot of time on that social site. Jeff and I can get pretty wrapped up in a competitive game of Pathwords, Scramble or Sodoku. (It's amazing how fast Ryan's nap time ends once we get focused playing a game).

Jeff and I both had the time between Christmas and New Years off. Sitting here tonight, I can't believe that we have to go back to work tomorrow. It just seems like the time went by so fast. We stayed very busy during the break.

Ryan had and MRI on the 23rd. When we heard back from his doctor on the 30th, we learned that the results were not what the doctor was looking for and we re-did Ryan's MRI on the 31st.

It was heartbreaking to know that we had to have Ryan sedated again for the procedure. I know, however, that having the right diagnosis is very important - so it's best to make sure that the MRI is done properly. We should know the results on the 6th. I'm crossing my fingers that we will get some positive news.

During 5 days of the break, our kitchen floors and backslpash FINALLY got done. While we were decided on the floor, getting to a final decision on the backsplash was a nightmare. I was bringing home tile the DAY OF installation. We decided on travertine tiles with a oil-rubbed bronze insert. (Sounds so simple, doesn't it?) It really came out gorgeous (I'll post photos in a later blog). It's hard to believe it was so difficult to get to a seemingly simple layout. I have determined that design is not in my make up. After about 8 round trips to the tile store - if I never have to go to Anaheim again, that is just fine with me! I thank God that our neighbor (who owns the tile/granite store) was so lenient. We had a lot of luxuries that most consumers would never have been allowed - bringing home travertine layouts, marble flooring, sample tile boards, etc. - then returning them when we decided it was not the right stone. Anyone else would have had to live with their purchase decision. In the end, though, everything came out as I could have hoped. With exception to a few wrap-up tasks, the kitchen is complete.

During one of my trips down to Anaheim, I was able to surprise my Nana and Papa with a visit. I was only miles away from their house - - and I knew that Nana wanted to see "Sam" *(aka Ryan) so badly. I'm glad that it worked out and they were both home!

Jeff spent a lot of time over the break getting our rental property ready for the new tenants. After sitting for nearly 3 months, we are happy to have renters in our La Verne house. It's a little stressful having to carry two mortgages!

Dylan spent some time with his Grandparents (Dad, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins) in Tehachapi over the break. Although it did not snow when he was there, there was plenty of snow for the family to play in while they were there to visit. Dennis and Linda (his Grandpa and Grandma) brought Dylan home and we had some time to visit with them. We don't get to see them as often as we would like, so it was nice to spend some time with them. Dylan had a good time and enjoyed seeing family.

I had the usual fortune of getting sick over the break. I had a cold/flu that wiped me out for about 5 days of the break. I guess I'm glad that I got it over with, but I am baffled that I always get sick when I have time off!! Unfortunately I was sick on New Years Eve. Our neighbors invited us over for their annual bash - and I didn't stay more than an hour before I had to get out of there and into bed!! I was looking forward to having a great Mediterranean meal and a few drinks. I had neither. Jeff was able to stay, though. He had a couple drinks and smoked a cigar while other party-goers started smoking the hooka. He was home just after midnight. (The party ended sometime after 4a)

Jeff and Dylan went to Supercross last night. Together they will attend all 3 Anaheim shows and the show in San Diego. I'm undecided on attending San Diego. I guess (at minimum) I can go up in the Motorhome to San Diego and just not go into stadium with Ryan for the races. We'll see. Funny how decisions change once there is a baby in the mix! Suddenly sitting out in the cold to watch a motorcycle race is no longer appealing.

In just the past 2 days, Ryan has become very vocal. He lets out long sounds all day long. I try to get him to say "Mama" every day! Quite honestly, I think there is a better chance he'll say "Parker" first. (He is so intrigued with that dog!) Ryan has been staying awake longer during the day - leaving even less time for me to get anything done. He continues, though, to be such a good baby. He's so lovable. He has a gleam in his eye when he smiles that just brings out a sparkle. It's to die for! Jeff and I just melt. In other Ryan news... he's up to 17 pounds. He's doubled his birth weight. I'm getting some pretty strong arms toting that kid around!

Okay. Post complete. Jeff and I both have to be up in a few hours - - and I know he's been waiting to read what I post! The good news is that Jeff doesn't have to take Dylan to school at 6:30a... tomorrow will be Dylan's first day driving himself to school! (The bad news is that having to get Dylan to school on time was Jeff's motivation to leaving the house on time!)

The Norton's 2008 Christmas Photo

I am pretty excited. We actually got Christmas cards out on December 26th this year. We usually have them ready and never send them -- or just don't ever get around to sending them at all. Now that people are already starting to receive them at home, I went ahead and just posted the photo on the blog.

Merry Christmas to our friends and family!

Merrrrrrrrrry Christmasssssss

Baby's First Christmas.
Not a care in the world. He has no idea what's even going on. He's not even old enough to be interested in the wrapping paper! Ryan was just fine being entertained by his Aunt Wendy right on top of the dining room table.

We gathered at Jeff's parents house this morning for breakfast. I will have to say that it was probably one of the more "tame" events. (It can get pretty ugly over a meal at the Norton's house). We hung around for a little while after Wendy and Shelley left. Then came back and exchanged gifts with Dylan.

Since Dylan can drive now, we got him gift cards for the local fast food establishments: Chipotle, Starbucks, McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Golden Spoon, Del Taco and In N Out. He should be set for a while. We reminded him that this was not to take the place of his lunch money, however, to be a resource for the nights that he wants to go "hang out". He was pretty excited.

Jeff and I did not exchange gifts this year. He and I are both very hard to shop for - and we typically just buy what we really want, anyways. It's almost been a blessing to be in a recession. I feel that for the first time in many years, Christmas was actually about "family" and focused on gifting to only the kids in the family.

There will be so much that will challenge us in the upcoming year. I just want to always remember this time.

Ho Ho Ho - - Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve 2008

Since we would be spending Christmas with Jeff's parents, we gathered tonight with my Aunt Dorothy, Uncle Jim & Cousins Jenni and Justin. We would not be joining them in Malibu with the rest of the family over the next couple of days, so it was the only time we could get together.

Given the tough economic conditions, we decided it best to focus on gifting only to the kids this Christmas. (i like that idea!) Ryan got his highchair and a cute ladybug book. Dylan got some clothing and a "mystery" gift. (Aunt Nadia forgot to put it in his gift bag for him) I guess he'll have to wait to see what it is next time we see them!

As usual, we had a great time with them. After dinner we played a couple games: A dice game called Left, Right, Center and a card game called Apples to Apples. Both were games that we had never played before so it was a lot of fun.

We didn't get home until after 11p. We're pooped!

Ryan's MRI - Children's Hospital LA

Today was Ryan's MRI appointment at Children's Hospital.

He was scheduled for a 9:30 MRI. He was allowed to have milk until midnight and Pedialyte until 7a. We fed him as much as he would take before he went to bed. Jeff and I contemplated whether or not we should wake him up at midnight to feed him. Since we had to wake up at 5:30a, I thought it would be best to chance it in the event he would sleep through the night and not disrupt his (and my) sleep.

Ryan woke up at 2:30a and took quickly to the Pedialyte - until he and I both figured out that there was a slow nipple on the bottle. Although I went downstairs to get the faster flow nipple, it was too late. His frustration already set in. He spent the next 35 minutes crying. He was so mad that he scratched his cheek and then tried to scratch me, too! I walked him back and forth the upstairs hallway until he started to doze. I felt like the walking dead. I couldn't have been any more tired.

Lucky for us, Ryan isn't much of a morning eater - so not feeding him right away wasn't a big deal.

We were just leaving the house at 7a and stopped at Starbucks for my much needed coffee before we headed up to LA. While I got the coffee, Jeff tried to give Ryan his last chance at Pedialyte. Ryan didn't take too much.

We arrived at Children's hospital with plenty of time to spare. Lucky for us, there was not much traffic because of the holiday season. Children's Hospital is a beautiful facility. It really offers a great kid environment for those who will be treated there. I will say, though, that Jeff and I are sadly reminded that Ryan's condition is a blessing compared to the other children visiting the hospital.

After about an hour of checking in, Ryan was called back to the "holding area". This is where they took his vitals, introduced us to his Anesthesiologist and where we put him into his hospital gown. We were also notified that just one of us would be allowed to go in with him for a few minutes into the MRI. Jeff graciously allowed me to be "the one".

We then went into the Radiology room where Ryan would be given his IV for the anesthesia. Up until this point, Ryan was happy and smiling and just full of his typical personality. That was until the nurses tried viciously to find a vein on Ryan. His poor chunky arms and legs made it difficult for them to find a vein. Ryan screamed irritably as the tourniquet was put on each arm and each leg - multiple times. He was red in the face and whimpering as they finally found a vein at the top of his hand that they would go after. Although only one prick, it took a few maneuvers once in the skin to penetrate the vein. They got it! Poor guy.

The time came where I walked him into the procedure room. The Anesthesiologist gave him his sedative while I held Ryan in my arms. Within a few short seconds, Ryan went completely limp. It's a good thing that I could still hear him breathe. I had an awful vision of his body being lifeless. I didn't like that at all. I held him for just a short while. He was still whimpering from all the crying - even in his sleep. I laid him down on the MRI table and gave him a kiss on his forehead before I had to go.

Jeff and I waited about an hour-and-a-half before we were allowed to come see him in recovery. Ryan did very well. We were told that he woke right up after coming out of the anesthesia and he was even smiling at the nurses before we got in. We were able to immediately give him some Pedialyte and within the hour after that were able to give him some milk. We spent the rest of the day hanging out with him. We were notified that he would spend a lot of the day sleeping off the anesthesia. I don't think he slept any more than a regular day - but I did think he was a little more "needy" than usual.

Ryan's doctor is on vacation until the 29th. We will not know any results until at least that day. I would figure we will have news by the end of next week for sure.

We pray for positive results. Until then...

It was a BIG day!

Ryan Laughed & Dylan got his drivers license

Drivers Beware!
Dylan passed his driving test today and is now licensed to drive. Dylan performed his test in the pouring rain out in Rancho Cucamonga (we were told the testing was "easier" out there). He only got 3 points marked against him (15 were allowed in order to pass). Each point was for not allowing enough space (1.5 car lengths) at stops. He's very excited and very eager to drive to/from school. He is not allowed to drive after 11p and is not allowed to have another passenger in the car under the age of 25 until he is 18. (Hmmmmmm, how is it that he's been going to lunch for the past couple of years?)

Ha Ha Ha Ha
I had just got home from my hair appointment. I was holding Ryan while trying to eat some pizza. I had Ryan on my leg - his back to my chest - and he was watching Parker. Parker was sitting (lazy, of course) with his tongue hanging out (hoping for some pizza). I think maybe Ryan thought Parker looked funny - and started laughing. It was great! He laughed out loud a few times and then it was all over. I can't wait to hear him laugh again. :)

Next Week is Christmas??

Holy S**** - Next week is Christmas? How did that happen?

Life with a baby is busy. Especially when he is not feeling well.

Just over a week ago, we took Ryan in for a cough and he had bronchial asthma - most likely from the dust created from the kitchen construction. He was put on antibiotics and asthma medicine - we were told to keep him out of the environment (which we already were as much as possible) and that he was to be seen again in one week for follow up.


Last Friday we took him back in and all was great again. He got his 3rd round of immunizations - which caused some fussiness through Saturday. At some point Saturday everything changed. Ryan was not pooping - and more importantly, Ryan stopped eating. He was really crying - I mean REALLY crying. I felt so bad for him.

When the sitter told me today that he only took one bottle, hadn't pooped and had been unhappy all day - I knew I had to take him to his pediatric surgeon ASAP.




Coming from Santa Monica at 2:45p - on a rainy day - I knew I had a challenging commute ahead of me to be in West Covina by 5p. I called Jeff and wasn't able to get ahold of him until I was to downtown LA. Jeff left work at about 3:30 and we agreed we would keep each other posted on our commute progress. Who ever could get to Ryan first would pick him up and the other would meet up at the doctor's office. With the rain causing havok all over the 10, 60 and 605 freeways (my only freeway opportunities home) - I took sidestreets. I don't know how I did it, but I made it from work to Ryan's daycare in 1 hr 20 minutes (and I made a bathroom stop). Jeff only beat me to the Dr's office by about 10 minutes.




Ryan's little belly was so swollen from not having a bowel movement. The doctor simply dilated him to help relieve some of the pressure. Luckily this was enough to relieve the discomfort Ryan was feeling. I was a little surprised that there was nothing more to be done. We were already dilating at home. I guess it's better to let the doctor step up the dilation than assume we can do it on our own.

Ryan's MRI is next week. We'll know what his diagnosis really is - and how to treat him for good. It will be nice to relieve ourselves from "poop watch".

At home, the kitchen is still not finished. Because Ryan was not feeling so well, I didn't go out much over the weekend. I think, though, that we have decided on the tile we are going to use. But at this point I have just stopped caring about the floor. I just want to be done with the kitchen. It's been too long!



Meanwhile, I have given up on any hope to get our Christmas lights up or our Christmas decorations put out. With only 10 days to go... why bother. It's only more mess to deal with. BUT.... we did take our Christmas photo tonight - and I'm hopeful that Christmas cards may actually go out this year (we haven't sent out cards in 3 years).

Ahhh... the holidays.

Ryan is growing up so fast. He's already wearing 6 mo clothes. He's loving his activity center. He is trying so hard to hold things in his hands. I keep waiting (any day now) for him to laugh out loud. It's hard to believe how fast time has passed. I know someday I'll look back and wonder where time went - like I do with Dylan. I'm glad to have this blog to keep track of the memories.

Cooking 101

Well, the kitchen is 99% in - so I've been eager to use it this week. Last night I made my yummy tacos and tonight I kept it simple: Roast a chicken and bake some sliced potatoes. About 30 minutes into the cook time for the chicken, I noticed that the house was a little smokey - realizing that it was a little too close to the oven burners, I pulled the chicken out - set it down by the sink - added some water to the bottom of the pan and put it back in the oven.

Dylan was famished, so he was hovering by the oven asking, "Is it ready yet" and "when will it be done". While I fed Ryan, I had Dylan check to see if the oven was still smokey. It was - a little. A few minutes later I came to check on the chicken. I opened the oven and noticed the smoke - - then I noticed the white melted, sizzling goo all over the oven rack. It took me about 5 seconds - - and then it hit me.

THE CUTTING BOARD!

Apparently when I set the roasting pan on the counter - I set it on the acrylic cutting board. It went unnoticed as it stuck to the bottom of the pan. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? As I calmly cussed every word in the book, I tried to figure out how to get this mess out of the oven. Simultaneously I'm trying to figure out if the chicken is edible at this point.
It's only been in there 10 minutes - how bad can it really be?

I took the pan out and held it out for Dylan to take. He stood there with his hands up in defense and reminded me that he couldn't just take the pan - - he had bare hands. Oh, yeah. Good point! So I put the pan down, and grabbed a spatula to scrape the acrylic off the bottom of the oven. I got out what I could.

By this time, the smell of the acrylic was overcoming the kitchen. Think Melissa, Think. Okay. Put the chicken in the bottom oven with the potatoes until it's finished cooking. I pulled the potatoes out, popped in the chicken and continued to manage the melting issues going on.
(Set top oven to "clean" and incinerate the acrylic off the bottom of the oven... ya... that sounds like a good idea)

Mmmm potatoes - let's try a bite.... the chicken is going to be a little while longer.
- - Too salty! Yikes... the excessive season salt just about sucked all the moisture out of my mouth. Toxic chicken and a salt lick. Arrrrrrgh!
Hell, do I just suck it up and make the Taco Bell run now? No - that makes too much sense.

Not being able to get the chicken to cook properly at this point, I figured my only way out of this mess that I am now fully committed to was for me to cut it up and pan cook it - piece by piece.

What a disaster.

The worst part was that it took me twice as long to clean up the mess that I made trying to cook my "simple" dinner. So fully exhausted from a marathon cleaning session - I figured this was definitely a tale for the good ol' blog!

The oven is still self cleaning. Hopefully there will be no evidence left in the morning. We'll have to figure out a way to safely melt the remaining piece of cutting board off my oven rack!

....and then I remember the important things....

Another Boring Kitchen Update

I know... you thought you'd sign in to see if there were new pictures of Ryan.

SORRY.

Instead, you get to see the seemingly little progress that has been made in the kitchen. Since I am still undecided in backsplash and floor tile, we made a lot of progress in getting things in our home back in order.

Jeff hauled all of the construction trash to the dump, we washed all of the dishes that have been out in our entry way and put them away in their new cabinet space. The twelve layers of dust were all wiped off the living furniture. The countertop trinkets were all wiped down and put into place. Slowly our kitchen is evolving and taking shape.

I made a trip on both Saturday and Sunday to the tile store in Anaheim with hopes to make a final decision. I think I have decided on a tumbled travertine tile for the backsplash, but I am not decided on flooring. Hopefully I can decide on something this week

Then we'll move on to wiping the 12 layers of dust from every wall in the house!! I'm glad that this was the biggest contruction project that this house will probably ever see! I can't imagine having to go through this mess again.

I will say, though, that I am very happy that we decided to put in the instant-hot system. It has been great for Ryan's bottles. It's a nice little luxury.

Jeff already has many projects lined up to take the place of our kitchen work. Will we ever get a break?

We're sooooooo close. It kind of reminds me of those final days before Ryan was born. You knew the end was near... but it couldn't have come any slower!
- Tile
- Finish Island (custom pieces and drawer fronts
- Get glass for corner cabinets
- Install lighting above desk and in cabinets
- Install can light in pantry area
- Touch up paint the ceiling
- Re-paint kitchen

Granite is Installed

Our granite counter tops went in today. The granite looks great! The Ogee edges really add elegance to the kitchen.

It's amazing, though, that colors can change. The cast iron sink - which I believed to be a perfect color match to the cabinets - looks "pink" under the granite. How does this happen?!!! I'm a little freaked out about it - - and I hope that the fix is as easy as changing the light above the sink and perhaps even the wall color. The sink is permanently set - there's no going back.

I am thinking twice now about the flooring. I'm afraid that it is not the right color to go with the granite we selected. I'd rather return every box we have BEFORE installation than to hate it all once it's in. I know for sure that the backsplash I wanted will not work... it's the same color as the sink - - and I don't want a "pink" (biscuit) backsplash!

Ugh, why does this have to be so hard?!! Does anyone know an interior designer that can help me through this color mess?? (For free, of course)