Eli Strong (+ He Lost a TOOTH!)

(This post has been in my "edit" folder for a long time.  When I was first writing it Eli was doing great, then he got a wet cough and it really worried me!  But it cleared up over Thanksgiving break, and nothing major ever came of it.  I'll just never stop worrying about this child!)

There are few things I am more grateful for than Eli's overall health.  I do not know why Eli is so well built, but for whatever the reason I feel that Eli is truly blessed with it.

(When we would go to Primary Children's Medical Center, the PICU nurses would marvel at how "big" Eli was for a heart child.  "What do you do to help him be so big?" they would ask.  I'd answer, "Um… Well… He likes hot dogs and cottage cheese… ??")

It's no secret to the boys that if Eli is the one mad at you, you best be watching your back.  His physical ability to move in such a coordinated fashion is really a marvel.  I'll be sitting on the ottoman, and Eli will jump off the couch, land on my neck, wrap in legs around my neck, and swing down, and bring us both tumbling to the ground.  It's scary good.  And it hurts, to tell the truth.

So....... Eli recently had his annual heart check-up.  Oh, it went wonderful, and he still looking great.  (He weighed 47 pounds and was 45 inches tall.  A solid square, man.)

AND THEN ELI LOST A TOOTH!  I know, right?!
And he lost it in the middle of church, haha.  He started biting on carrots and crackers really hard, and his tooth just *popped* down.  Matt hastily took Eli to the bathroom and 5 minutes later Eli came back one-tooth-less.  It was awesome.  I started to cry a little bit.  Just sometimes it really takes me off guard that he is really growing up!  And that he is hitting the miles stones which when he was born I didn't really allow myself to think about.  (Dramatic, right?  Yeah... I know.)

Anyway.... Just love this boy.  He's crazy.  But it's awesome crazy.
Loves fashion.  Loves to dance.  Loves food.  Loves to roll up into a Transformer.

Titus' Check-up… (FYI, He's Tiny)

Titus had a his check-up at the beginning of September.  This check-up was needed for his preK screening.  In GA to legally enter preK and above, a child has to have this specific check-up… And sadly, he also needed shots.

He passed his ear and eye and dental exam from the doctor with great ease.  His weight was 34 pounds and his height 43 inches… he didn't place on the percentile chart in weight (with his age, height, and weight considered).  Teeny tiny skinny boy!  The doctor asked me if he eats well, and I told her that he typically eats more than his brothers!
 
I was very honest with him when he went to get his two shots, letting him know that will with hurt for just a pinch but be over in a few seconds.  And you know?  I don't think he even shed a tear!  The nurse was so impressed with his bravery that she gave him two sticks… Which he promptly put on his legs once in the car without my notice! (And they stuck on his legs for close to three days, haha.)

And when I dropped Titus off to preK after the doctor's appointment, I saw this sign out side his door, saying, "I want to be Spiderman."  Gosh, I'm not surprised!  There were a few other favorites, like, "I want to be a dinosaur."  I love how little ones dream. 

Update on my Dad

His stroke was in the beginning of May, and it's been a miraculous recovery.

He has now been cleared to drive, has gone back to work, and continues to work hard on his physical strength and balance.

We are all so grateful.  Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers. 

Dentist for 3

When I scheduled the dentist appointment for the boys, I thought the three would be seen all at the same time.  Not one after another.
When I scheduled the dentist appointment for the boys, I thought we'd be at the office for maybe 45 minutes.  Not 2 hours.
When I scheduled the dentist appointment for the boys, I thought that it'd be a nice Spring day.  Not a torrential down pour--effectively soaking me to the bone when I got all the kids out of the vehicle.


All considered though, it went really well.
Titus was seen first and was so well in the chair!  3 cavities were found, which really surprises me.  He's been the only kid to never take a drink to bed, switched from bottle to cup easily, and drinks water like a champ.
Titus' teeth are also really smushed together, with really no room between his baby teeth.  Making one question: "How will his adult teeth come down?"
He also has an almost under-bite, almost like an open-bite.  So that should be fun to correct in the future.

Eli was next.  He had x-rays, a cleaning, and also did great in the chair.
His teeth happen to be perfect!  NO cavities.  Perfect teeth spacing.  No bite problems.  Thank you!  Finally a break for Eli!
(He took antibiotics 30 min before his appointment.  It's what heart patiences do.  The mouth is a nasty place, and can easily effect the heart if something gets in the blood.)

Isaac was last.
It was more bad news than good news.  There are no cavities on his adult teeth, but a few of his baby teeth have issues  (all my fault for letting his take bottles to bed till he was almost 3.  Totally ruined his baby teeth's enamel).  He also doesn't have a lot of room for his adult teeth to come down.  We will probably be seeing an orthodontist next year.

In June, Isaac and Titus will be seeing a pediatric dentist to fix their cavities.  

My Dad had a Stroke

If you've been keeping up with me via FB or IG, I'm sure you've picked up on that my dad had a stroke last week.

It.  Was.  Unnerving.  To say the least.

I didn't know how critical it all was till I arrived at the hospital on Friday.  My mom had been talking about how sick Dad was all week--all of us thinking that it was an inner ear infection, with an extreme case of vertigo.

I talked to my mom on Thursday morning.  She had taken Dad to the ER for the second time that week.  His speech was funny, he had fallen in the middle of the night, and he couldn't remember facts about his life.
After lunch my sister called and said that she just talked to Mom, and that Dad was suffering with a stroke and that he was being life-flighted to another hospital.

It was settled then that I was going to Bama for the weekend.
I left early Friday morning from coastal GA and arrived at the Birmingham AL hospital right at lunch… It was then that I realized that Dad had been having a stroke since Monday night.  And that it wasn't vertigo at all.  I was under the impression that the fall in the middle of the night Wednesday morn had prompted the stroke.

The facts about Dad's stroke:
-  It was in the cerebellum, the area under the brain that affects balance.
-  He did not have the typical signs of a stroke because of the area it was in.  That's why it was really hard to diagnose.
-  It was a clot stroke, not a bleeding stroke.
-  He was not at risk for a stroke, so it is thought that his sometimes abnormal heart rhythm caused the clot.  (If the heart doesn't pump correctly, the blood will spin, making a clot.)
-  He will be on blood thinner the rest of his life.
-  He has a shunt in his head to drain the excess brain fluid.

The three days that I was there me and Mom spent a majority of the time at the hospital.   Since my dad is in the ICU, there are only certain visiting hours.  So we'd visit for an hour, then go get something to eat and catch everyone up, then go visit again.  Like a 3 hour cycle.
We slept at my parents' home.

At the moment my dad is still in the ICU, but he should be moved to his own room soon.  (Kind of hoping today.  He just needs the shunt removed and his blood pressure to remain low.)  He is doing remarkably well!
He can eat by himself.
He can stand without weakness on either side.
It's pretty miraculous, actually!

My parents are well, well loved.  They have had a lot of support: during the week that Dad was so ill, and at the hospital.   Many friends have shown up, and his sister has even driven down from Pittsburg to be with him this week.

I don't know when I'm going back to Bama.  We had planned on going during memorial weekend, but I may go next week with the boys.  (Matt took the boys solo this last weekend while I was gone.)

It's Been Some Kind of Day

Lemme just tell you, I was ready for a nap at 10:30 and call it quits.
Traffic to get to Home Depot is crazy long (had to get a air-vent filter), Titus is whinny in Target, story time at the library is fun but long, and the soft play-area in the mall is filled with screaming children.  "Just let me and Titus get home and watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, please!!"

This, however, did NOT happen.

Instead I am able to schedule a same-day dentist appointment for Isaac who needs to get a sore looked at (the said sore has been bothering him for days… thought it would be better safe than sorry).
So Titus and I rushed home from the mall's soft play area, are able to get home and get something quick to eat, then go to the schools check out Isaac and Eli.  Isaac's appointment is at 2pm, and I am able to find a sitter for the two littles.

I haven't been too concerned with Isaac's sore, cause he really didn't complain about it much.  And when I look at it before going to the appointment I actually thought it had disappeared:  swelling gone, white areas gone, no longer any pain.   But the dentist takes one look, orders a simple x-ray, and pronounces an abscess.

Abscess:  basically infected tissue on the body.  

Isaac's abscess is in and around the gum line on a baby tooth which had had a filling a year ago.  This tooth apparently died, then got infected.  Pretty concerning since the enamel of adult tooth about to come in could be affected by the abscess.

The dentist's office calls a specialized pediatric dentist in Savannah and they say, "Yup, send him over… we have an appointment open at 3:30."  Okay… So Basically that means I have less than an hour to go get my boys, get snacks packed, and get us all back into Savannah and on time to the appointment.   **ALSO Isaac would probably have his tooth removed at this appointment, too.**

So I'm able to do what I need to do to get us all back into Savannah.  We survive the trip.  And Isaac is seen fairly quickly.  I'm told that the infection is pretty bad and he will be having his tooth removed.  Isaac at this time is pretty worried.  He's not talking, but there are tears in his eyes.  I keep reminding him of his previous dentist appointment--getting his fillings, getting his tooth cap, "Do you remember anything bad from those appointments?"  I ask.
"No," he says.
"Isaac, you're going to be okay.  You are not going to feel any pain, just like before."
Seems to help.

Isaac, sitting worried in the waiting room.
Yes, they're all wearing camo shirt… just can't fight it some days. 

He's called back, and I stay in the waiting area with the two littles.  (They are entertained by Despicable Me 2.)  30 minutes later Isaac is finished!  Happy and with a face half numb!

We start are journey back to home.  Of course we need to stop to get food, since I didn't have that much food on us.  So we do a drive-thru at Chick-Fil-A (the Beyonce of fast food).   Isaac doesn't eat much, just kind of munches on soft waffle fries.  Mainly the boys are thirsty, and down their drinks.

In the rush-hour traffic we slowly make it back home.  Stop and go traffic for a good 40 minutes before the flow goes to normal speeds.  I guess the one good thing about slow traffic is the ability of the boys to unbuckle, pull their pants down, and pee into empty cups.  Because that happens.  Often.

We make it home, even before Matt gets home.  I had a moment of almost complete freak out when a cup full of pee spills in the center console!  However it all caught in the removable cup holder, so it was a quick clean up.

Once Matt is home the next hour and half is filled with play and food and drinks and cleaning up and bedtime.


Can I just say, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…..hhh..h…. h..."  So tired.  What a day.
I'm just gonna stay in my pjs tomorrow.

Eli Heart Update:

Eli healing from his third open heart surgery, Aug 2011, at age 2. 

I've been thinking about Eli and his heart adventure quite a bit.  I'm surprised by this, for I thought once his last surgery was done, and his healing finished, my mind about this business would be at peace.  However I find myself always wondering, hoping, and worrying about this little man.  

5 years ago is when we found out about his heart defect, during a 21 week ultrasound.  The week before, at the 20 week ultrasound, the technician mentioned she could not see the other side of baby boy's heart.  We set up a more another ultrasound with specialized doctor and technician "just to be sure everything is there," just for precaution.  At this 21 week ultrasound, at a different doctor's office, we were told that yes, our baby boy did have a severe heart defect.   I'm continually grateful that we had this amazing blessing: having the defect caught and identified early in the pregnancy.  We were put on the right path of healing from the earliest point possible.  Made an amazing difference for Eli. 

(If the defect wasn't caught till after birth, he would have seemed a healthy baby and we would have taken him home.  After a week or two he would have started showing signs of heart failure--tugging of breath into the chest, unable to eat, pail and sweaty--and hopefully we would have gotten him to the right doctor in time.  If not, the pressure of blood to his lungs would have destroyed the lungs by 4 to 6 weeks of life, causing death. ) 

We are in a new area, with new doctors, and we are starting to realize how blessed Eli has been.  These Savannah, GA cardiologists are amazing by Eli's insides--how well and clean the surgeries and procedures look.  Recently we found out that Eli's surgeon, who performed all three surgeries on him at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, has been hired in the Boston.  Being a heart surgeon in Boston is a BIG. DEAL.  Yeah, he is THAT good.    

So at this last appointment was really, really good.  Eli is doing well.  Looks like nothing needs to be done in the future.  Even his minor leaking mitral valve is minimized to almost nothing!  Yay!  He only has one valve, so it's pretty important.  

-- Basically the only heart related affects we deal with now is Eli's amazing ability to bruise and bleed.  He's been on an aspirin regiment since 4 months old, so his blood is really thin.  (He takes a baby aspirin every night).  He gets hit and BAM a bruise.  He gets cut and BAM a gallon of blood.
He fell on a rock one after noon.  The pinky finger got smashed, and the tip of that finger was rock solid with blood for an hour or two.  It finally started to drain, but then an amazing bruise stuck around for like a week or so.  He's a colorful dude!
-- Still very sweaty when he exercises.
-- Also I worry when he gets in contact with someone with a throat infection.  That infection could be Strep Throat.  And the actual strain of bacteria for Strep Throat, if untreated, attacks the lining of the heart.  Kind of a big deal.

SO that's my update for possibly a year!  For the doctor told us he looks so good we no longer need to do 6 month appointments, just yearly.  Yay!  Hooray!  Shout for joy!  

Eli at the Doc's, Eli in a Box

Eli had a cardio appointment on Tuesday with his new doctor, and it went really smooth!  Titus came along, he did well.  I brought a charged iPad (which hardly ever happens), some books, and some snacks.  We all survived!

Eli was really calm, stayed still for the EKG and hear echo, and pretty much enjoyed having a lot of attention.

The best part is the good news:  Eli's heart and body are doing exceptionally well.  Yay!
I really like our new doctor, too.  He's very kind, willing to talk and answer questions, and is pretty personable.  He was especially impressed with the repair and work done on Eli, saying it was all really top notch.  I came away from the appointment, once again, in deep gratitude for the care we received at Primary Childrens Medical Center in Salt Lake City.  I've always loved our surgeon, and for good reason.

We are truly blessed.

When he was just a babe, the EKG would cover his whole chest!  It was a bit overwhelming.
Now look at my 40 pound "heart baby" :)

Heart echo while sitting up--that's a first.  He was watching CARS.  Happy boy. 

Eli started to take pictures.  He was pretty obsessed with this BumbleBee poster.
 He took like 20 pics of it in a row! 

Eli put himself in a box last weekend.  It screamed "photo op."  We enjoyed this 5 minutes (my mom helped Eli in and out of the box).