Gavin's Surgery

I wanted to get a quick update out there so everyone knew the surgery went well.  We had Poppa Steve drive over to our house before the rooster crows arriving just before 6:30 this morning.  We wanted Quinny to keep his routine so they spent the morning together so we could get off to the hospital.  Carrie, Gavin and I arrived around 7 am complete with valet parking.  Wow.  Valet parking at the hospital.  Now we're talking.  We met with all the doctors, anesthesiologist, surgeon and a handful of nurses and got all the questions and answers we needed. 

We got him dressed in his surgery gown complete with Badger red socks.  Gavin was so happy this morning, making me feel ultra guilty. It was just like when we dropped the dog off to get neutered.  The Luckster was so happy to be going for a ride.  Next thing he knows he's half the man he used to be.  Gavin was goofing around, smiling, laughing and entertaining the nurses.  He was hamming it up and then he was on his way.

We said goodbye and they took him back.  We really liked the doctor, Dr. Carpenter.  He was great and everyone we interacted with made sure we were comfortable with everything that was happening and about to happen.  We went back to the waiting room and within 20 minutes it was all over. 

We went to see him and he wasn't crying.  Everyone was preparing us for a very crabby child and shortly after we got back there he started crying for the next 30 minutes or so but it wasn't too bad.  He was really out of it, just groggy.  Everything went fine and 20 minutes after that we were in the car on the way home.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.  We should have a child that can officially hear!

Happy Birthday Gavin!

Happy first birthday to Gavin!  He celebrated his first with family last weekend and we had a nice “Look Hoo’s turning one” party.  You know complete with hooting owl.  It’s the newest rage.  C’mon you haven’t heard?  You must not be rolling with a posse of one year olds.  We had three great grandparents in attendance (hooty hoo!), all four grandparents, some uncles, cousins and friends.  Both boys had a great time and Quinny scored some gifts as well so he wouldn't get too jealous of the birthday boy.  Gavin was fortunate enough to receive some sweet Badger gear, a sit and scoot that can transfer into a scooter when he gets older, some music, sweet fireman PJs, books, a talking dog, some toys, and a Badger pillow pet.  Too much!  Gavin wanted me to thank everyone for attending and for all the wonder gifts. 

The cake, oh do the boys love the cake.  Quinny loves parties and was talking about digging into the cake weeks before it happened.   You should see him buzz.  We came to the realization this morning that our oldest son might have a problem, a sugar problem.  Here is the morning routine.  Now before you read on remember we’re not judging your parenting.  Well, at least not to your face so keep that in mind.  Quinny gets up between 6:30-7.  Yup, it got dark out and our kids rise and fall asleep with the sun.  I wonder what would happen if we moved to Alaska?  Would the kids sleep 20 hours a day?  Hmmmm.  I hear there are great tax incentives and non-stop Palin entertainment.  “I can see Russia from my hot tub!”  He gets up, hopefully dry, uses the restroom, finds his way to the kitchen, lobbies for a bag of fruit snacks (we generally deny him), gets a juice box, grabs a yogurt and plops into our bed.  He then gets cozy under the blankets, asks politely for Mickey Mouse Club conveniently on at 7 and starts chowing away.  Approximately 5 minutes later he’s a crazy sugar maniac.  It didn’t really dawn on me that it was sugar.  I thought it was simply crazy two year old but this morning we started wondering; is it too much sugar?

We shall see but tomorrow we start to wean him off.  If he gets the chills and starts throwing up due to the tremendous headaches we’ll keep you posted.  “Hi, my name is Quinny and I have a sugar problem.”  Pause for round of applause.  “It all started back when I was two and my parents used sugar to potty train me.  Although, effective, it’s been a lifelong burden of snorting pixi sticks in back alleys, shoving ho-ho’s two at a time in my gullet when no one is looking at the office and occasionally, if it’s really bad, slamming straight sugar packets in my mouth one delicious spoonful at a time.  It was my childhood, my parents.  Oh, my parents…”

Please forgive us son for we know not what we do.  Gavin is headed to surgery.  It’s been on, scheduled, doctor canceled, we bowed out, he got sick, back on again.  So, officially the big day is this Thursday.  Think about our little guy.  I think the procedure itself will go fine and we think he’ll be much better off in the long run.  He’s got a flight coming up and I am hopeful this will make it tolerable.  I’m only concerned about the anesthesia.  He could be allergic or you might get someone that can’t do math and he'll get the wrong dosage.  That’s the only part I think we need to be worried about.  He’s only under for 5-10 minutes so it should be short.  If all goes according to plan we’ll be home by lunch time on Thursday.  We’ll keep you posted.

For his pre-op physical/one year check up he weighed in only a half pound behind big brother Q so he’s going to be a big boy too.  He’s in the 95^th percentile for height.  This family will be a force if they decide to play sports.  They could be on the same varsity teams.  We’ve been practicing catching footballs lately.  We’ve been playing some golf too.  He’s not walking yet but we think before Thanksgiving. He’s moving around a lot and loves getting into mischief.  Oh, to have boys. 

Quinny’s going to the pumpkin patch on a field trip tomorrow so more blogs to follow.  We’ll keep you posted on that, the surgery and a couple of big ticket items.  Cheers.

I can pedal!

Had a nice weekend of chilly temps and rain.  Fall has arrived as fast as summer came and disappeared again.  Time just moves too fast.  Both the Packers and the Badgers are undefeated and the Brewers look destined to win their first division crown since 1982.  I was 6!  The leaves are starting to turn their autumn colors and it's getting dark all too soon.  The house has turned to talk of going to the apple orchard, pumpkin patch and deciding what to be for Halloween.  Justin Bieber?  Too much?  Quinny does have the sweet hair.

While enjoying the temps outside Carrie and I were hanging out in the front yard after work discussing how Quinny never learned how to ride his bike we gave him for his 2nd birthday.  His bike is stationed horizontal like a big wheel instead of a more traditional tricycle that sits high.  I thought maybe this was why he was having trouble mastering the pedal action.  The trikes they make these days sit that way so kids don't have as far to fall if they bite the dust.  As we were literally talking about it, our big boy busts out his bike and decides he's going to ride it down the hill.  Sounds good to me.  I know, but he doesn't think I do, that he's going to test the waters and see how close he can get to the street before he gets in trouble.  You can see it in his face.  I wonder where he gets that defiant attitude? And then, bam!, out of nowhere the kid turns the corner and is pedaling like he's riding a chromed out hog through the neighborhood.  Our jaws drop.  We are literally sitting there discussing it and he walks into the garage, almost to prove he heard us, and just starts riding that puppy.  So, one more thing for Quinny to cross of his bucket list - learn how to pedal - check.

While Quinny was learning how to pedal in secret, son number two is starting his own little, but less fun, adventure.  Gavin was practically born with an ear infection. He's been on antibiotics maybe six or seven times so we made the visit to the ENT today.  He was a hit.  I know I've been to an ENT before but not for a while.  In case you haven't been lately the average age in this place was approximately 107.  You can imagine the effect the cute lil' G had on the patients as well as the nurses.  When the nurse comes out it's GAVIN! IS THERE A GAVIN HERE!?  Yup, we're not deaf and we're over here.  I bet the jokes in that place never get old.  "Did ya hear the one about the...no, I guess you didn't. Ha!  Now, I can't hear in my left ear, had plenty of my own ear infections and from about 20 on have been consistently dizzy due to an inner ear issue they can't quite fix for me so I'm actually pretty concerned for our little turkey.

He starts off with a hearing test, which he can't hear very well due to the fluid in his ear.  The doc described it as listening while under water or Charlie Brown's teacher.  Click here for Miss Offmore's voice demo.  In the short term this will cause him to speak a bit later.  Carrie did some research and said it would even out by the time he was 3-4 but we're not ones to start from behind the pack.  They recommended we put some tubes in so I think we are going to do that in the next couple of weeks.  It's a fairly big deal because he gets a general anesthetic and goes completely under for roughly five minutes.  They puncture the ear drum and throw a little tube in there until his Eustachian tube grows a little bigger allowing fluid to drain easier.  It should do away with ear infections altogether because the ear can drain excess fluid automatically through the tube.  In the rare case he does get an ear infection you can treat it with a direct ear drop antibiotic that, according to Dr. Ear, is 400 times more potent/effective than taking an oral medication.  He will get through any ear infection in 3 days and no more doctor visits - hurray!  We'll let you know if we go through with it.

We asked what it would be like for Gavin and he said it will hurt like hell and he'll wake up screaming so at least we know we can trust the doctor.  I can't recall too many doctors telling me to sit down and grip the table because this is going to hurt like hell.  So I feel good about the doctor.  Iowa - you really can't beat how nice people are.  Even the bedside manner is top notch.  He said after 20 minutes of screaming while coming out of the drug induced haze he'll realize mom and dad are there and relax a bit and calm down.  He'll be fine once the pressure equalizes and he realizes he can hear for the first time since birth.  Wait until he realizes how loud he's been screaming this whole time.  I wonder if we have a shot at peace and quiet?  You're totally right, we shouldn't be getting so greedy.  And yes we're still getting up every day around 4:45 am.