Monday, December 28, 2009

Chloe's Surgery

Chloe had her surgery on December 17th. Exactly 1 week and 1 day until Christmas.

We woke up Thursday morning at 5am so we could be at the surgery center by 630. Chloe was calm, cool, and totally collected for a 3 year old that was about to go under the knife. I on the other hand was nervous, anxious, and terrified for my little ones. I knew that Chloe would be fine thanks to a blessing her uncle gave her.. I wasn't sure about me though. I should have asked for a blessing just for my nerves!!
We stopped at Aunt Ellen's house on our way. She would be there for support, more for me I think then Chloe. We made it to the surgery center with time to spare. Once inside Chloe was excited to see that there were other children there that would be having surgery too. Lilo and Stitch was on the television, there were crayons and coloring pages, and books and stuffed animals from home. She was content and I was shaking on the inside.

After she was registered we sat and talked. We sat there patiently waiting our turn for what was 2 hours but only seemed like minutes. When they called Chloe's name they told us that only 1 person other then myself could go back with Chloe in the pre-op area. Bobby went first while Ellen stayed behind.

We walked into a small room with a giant blue dentist like chair (without all the scary instruments) and 2 maroon chairs. The walls and cabinets were decorated in a "ocean" theme. There were dolphins, lots and lots of brightly colored fish, and other sea creatures stuck to the walls.
The nurses were nice and tried very hard to help me keep the now panicking 3 year old calm. If you didn't know Chloe you would think she was having an ADHD episode, but Chloe gets overly anxious and hyper in nervous situations and the nurses were very calm and patient with her. They gave us a gown with clowns on it, a hair net hat, bright forest green socks, and a dish to put her earring's in. Chloe was fine with the gown, and thought that the clowns were funny (have I ever told you I am scared of clowns!!!) but refused the socks and hair net. I didn't force them on her.. I was choosing my battles carefully and I knew there would be a bigger one soon enough.

Bobby started to get nervous, and Bobby is the type that lets anger show instead of fear. So when he noticed his face was starting to turn red (which didn't take very long), he went and traded with Aunt Ellen so she could have a turn with Chloe. Aunt Ellen has a special charisma about her. She is wonderful with Chloe. Shes actually wonderful with everyone. We took turns reading to Chloe, counting the dolphins and different schools of fish, we played the "I spy" game and did a pretty good job of keeping her distracted.

Doctor Rizzo was in and out in seconds. The OR nurse and Anesthesiologist came in next. The Anesthesiologist asked if I had any questions about the anesthesia. I said no, I didn't want to know how they were going to do it. I was afraid that I would get more nervous if I had to think of them putting my little angel to sleep. Chloe wasn't afraid of the Anesthesiologist, he reminded her of her Uncle Nathan. He had the same dark skin and similar features. She felt safe and confident in the fact that he looked familiar. The nurse started talking about going back and giving me the general surgery information that Dr. Rizzo had just went over. My little Chloe said excuse me to the nurse, to almost didn't hear her faint plea for attention. When she was finally acknowledged by the nurse, she asked when she would get her Popsicles. The nurse took Chloe's hand and started to walk towards the door and told Chloe that she could have any color Popsicle she wanted just after she talked to the doctor.

Before I realised it she was already gone and down the hallway. I didn't get to kiss her or tell her how much I love her and what a brave little girl she being. But I knew that it would be okay. I was happy that she left the room happy and distracted. I would have hated if I prolonged the good-bye and she really got nervous and I had to listen to them drag her down the hall..

When Ellen and I got out front Bobby was standing there pacing.. Unsure of what to expect or how long we would have to just sit and wait. Bobby needed a distraction, so we sent him to QT to get drinks. By the time he got back to the surgery center we had already been waiting about 15 minutes. Bobby was past his angry/nervous stage and had moved on to his more "relaxed" nervous stage which is stupid "worse case scenario" jokes. Yea, no thanks!
Finally the nurse came out and got us. Only 2 at a time so Bobby and I went first. Chloe was crying. I was so sad for her. My eyes teared up and it was taking all of my strength to be strong for my little girl. I walked behind the curtain and she cried for me to hold her. As I made my way around the hospital bed to the chair, my eye were glued on Chloe. Her hair was a mess, her gown was tangled up around her, a pink bandage was trying its best to hold her IV in her little hand, her face red and full of tears. I know she just had her tonsils removed but for some reason my brain wouldn't register that fact. I examined her, I counted fingers and toes, made sure her nose was still symmetric with her face, made sure her eyes were still blue. Maybe to you it sounds silly, and maybe it is. I know, I know, I know it was just her tonsils for crying out loud, but for some reason I thought she would look different, altered, like you would be able to look at her and know that this little girl just had a surgery and they removed a little part of her. But there she was in my arms crying her heart out as she came out of anesthesia looking just like my beautiful little girl.
As I held her she cried and asked my why I let her go with the "mean" doctor. I asked her why the doctor was mean and without a beat, through her alligator tears she told me how that mean doctor made her stop breathing. My heart melted for her. She cried for me to hold her, but I already was. The nurse came over to me and put her arms around me in an affectionate I know how you're feeling kind of way, and I just sat there and rocked my little girl. Bobby was starting to get anxious again. She was crying, coughing, hysterical really and there was nothing he could do. The nurse gave Bobby a Popsicle to try to feed to Chloe, but she wouldn't have it. He tried apple juice and water and she refused both of them. So he did the only thing he could, went and got Ellen.
We sat in the recovery area for about a half hour. We all kept trying to push the fluids. We weren't allowed to leave until she swallowed something. When she finally calmed down enough to speak coherently she asked for water. She drank about 5 sips which made the nurse happy. We struggled to get Chloe dressed and to the car. The more the anesthesia wore off, the calmer she became. Although, she couldn't figure out why her throat hurt. It didn't hurt before she went inside and now she cant swallow, and it hurts to talk.
She spent the next 4 days sleeping it off. Day 5 was Sophie's birthday and I tried really hard to get her up and moving with only 2 days left until Christmas. I started to see a little bit of Chloe coming out of her by Christmas eve, and by Christmas she wasn't back to her old self but she was more then half way there. Finally 9 days after her surgery she is back to her old self. Eating, drinking, playing, screaming, being a happy confident 3 year old going on 30.




Sunday, November 1, 2009

Halloween 2009 -picture post.

H a l l o w e e n 2 0 0 9




Chloe as a Lady Bug



Sophie as Dorothy




Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Surgery.

We took Chloe to the ENT yesterday. He feels that the best thing for her OSA is to have a tonsil and adenoidectomy. Most doctors wont even do the surgery to kids that are under 4, but he really feels that this is the best thing for her. So we are going to do it. Really this isnt T H A T scary its like a 10 min procedure but it still scares the crap out of me! I mean they have to put her under, and it is still a S U R G E R Y !!!!!! Be strong Sarah!
I started to talk to Chloe about it a little yesterday. Nothing to dramatic or scary. Just that the doctor is going to make her throat better so she can sleep at night and wont choke. She asked me how, I said "magic". Ha. Any ideas on how to tell her or how much she should know??

<3

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

1993

This is a video that my uncle sent me from his vacation to Phoenix in 1993. I was 8 and Summer was 4!! You can't really hear what we are saying because we were driving BUT you can see my HUGE gap teeth!! haha

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Summer Vacation Part III







THE BEACH


  1. Never go to the beach before noon.

  2. Always have a back up parking plan.
  3. Bring lots of wet wash clothes / water bottles.

  4. NEVER bring home a live clam!!

After spending the entire vacation being asked by Chloe "when are we going to the ocean" , it was finally time! I was very fortunate to sleep in this morning. The children woke up early like usual but great grandma came and got them from the room and allowed me to sleep in an extra 30 minutes before Sophie came in and woke me up! Another great breakfast and we were preparing for the beach. Chloe was super excited!! All she could talk about was seeing Ariel, Flounder and Sebastian because they live in the ocean! I didn't have the heart to tell her they wouldnt be there.




We spent most of our time playing in the sand making sand castles for Ariel to live in, searching for sand crabs... because Sebastian is a sand crab didn't you know that! Chloe and I walked the beach in search of the perfect seashell but had little luck. So we kicked around in the water for a little bit. I was up to my knees and chloe was waist deep. She LOVED it, I on the other hand was freezing... My legs were NUMB!!!! Sophie was terified of the water. Everytime a wave came to shore she would run for dry land! As I sat in the wet sand playing with the children Bobby had the easy job of taking pictures... Apparently we should have switched jobs!!! After about 3 min he declared the camera was "dead". Good thing I brough 2 extra sets of batteries with us!! But they were dead too??? They were litteraly BRAND NEW! I had just purchased them the day before. I was very upset that we werent going to be able to capture Sophies first beach trip, or Chloes 3rd!! I will survive afterall the mental pictures can't be deleted!





It was about 1:30 when the girls decided that they were hungry enough to leave the water for just one minute (according to chloe). So we walked back to the van to add time to our meter and we decided that we should clean up all the sand before we headed down the beach for lunch. So Like stated aboue you deffinitly need water and washclothes to get the sand out of there diaper area! Luckily we had the water and we had to use baby wipes so we were okay. After we were cleaned up we walked over to our favorite little pizza place called Ray's. So yummy! After we ate we went to take the girls back to my grandmas so Bobby and I could go back to the beach and have some fun time of our own!

We got to grandmas and both girls were past out! Sun + Fun = NAPS! So Bobby laid the girls in bed and my grandma had the table set for us for lunch! We were already soooo full. I didn't have the heart to tell her that we had already eaten so Bobby and I forced our selves to eat a little bit! After we were done and the kitchen was cleaned I sat on the couch next to Bobby and with one glance we were both thinking the same thing. The beach will have to wait. We would have to go back next summer. We were just too tired and way to full!! So we lounged around and watched movies until the girls woke up. They were sad that we weren't going back to the beach. So instead we filled the pool with water and let them play outside. I went with Grandma to get stuff to make ice cream sundays!

We were sooo exhausted by the long day, and all the sun that I was just useless. I fell asleep on the couch and Bobby and my grandma chased after my children. Finally Bobby woke me up and took me to bed. We had to wake up at 5:30am the next morning.

The alarm went off, I hit the snuzz buttom. They alarm went off again at a quarter til. I jumped out of bed, woke up Bobby and the girls. We quietly finished packing and getting ready so that we wouldn't wake anyone in the house. We walked quietly out of the room and everyone was awake and waiting for us at the kitchen table with breakfast. So yummy!

Then it was time for goodbyes. I HATE goodbyes. Everyone crys. We never have enough time there. I wish that I could just stay with her in California forever!!

Love <3















Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Summer Vacation Part II

The 4th of July


Saturday we woke up early. Really early. My children have a built in alarm system. Not like you forget where you park so you hit the panic button, but more like its the crack of dawn (5am) and its ow time to wake up and wake mom and dad too! So I get up with my wide eyed children and we make our way to the living room where great grandma is rocking away in her chair and just waiting anxiously for us to awake, well at least the children. Great grandpa was awake by 6, and Bobby was lucky enough to sleep in until 9! And like the previous morning my grandma made us the most delicious breakfast ever!! Did I mention she likes to spoil us?! So good! After Breakfast Chloe and I made 4th of July cupcakes!


I gave my children a bath and took a very well desired shower and we all got dressed. Chloe decided that she couldn't live another minute without cartoons in her life. So my grandma put them on in her bedroom and Chloe spent most of the early afternoon in there. Her favorite cartoons right now in case you are wondering are Dora, Yo Gabba Gabba, Wonder Pets, and Sponge Bob.

While Chloe watched cartoons Sophie was ready to explore! Sophie and I headed out on our own for a walk.

And then daddy came out and decided to explore with us!

After our walk Sophie was exhausted! So it was nap time for her. Just as she feel asleep Chloe woke up and decided that she was STARVING and needed to eat wunch (lunch).

After lunch she NEEDED a RED cupcake. This was the after effect!

After Lunch and cupcakes Chloe watched another episode of Dora and waited very patiently for Sophie to wake up so they could go swimming. While Chloe was waiting, my grandma and I decided that we would have a Ceveche cook off. I totally won. My grandma on the other hand chooses to believe that she won. But the facts are in, everyone ate mine and no one ate hers!! Sophie woke up and it was time for the pool, again.

While the children were swimming I owned the BBQ and grilled some delicious RIBS and Hot Dogs! Yumm!! While I was grilling my grandma made the best baked beans ever, pasta salad, and corn on the cob!! Best BBQ ever!

Notice my grandpa's plate, HUGE!

Chloe had 2 helpings of baked beans and pasta salad!

After dinner everyone needed to relax. Some of us more then others...

While everyone rested I cleaned up the dinner dishes and handed out cupcakes. So yummy! After the kitchen was cleaned I changed the girls into there PJ's and we waited for the sun to set so we could do fireworks!! The girls were a little anxious so we went and sat outside a little early!

Eventually the sun set and it was time for firworks! First were the SPARKLERS!

Bobby was in DANGER with the sparklers!

The noise from the fireworks scared the kids, so they climbed into the back of the van and stole glances of the fireworks, and were mesmerized by the bright flickering colors and loud noises!

After the noise started to settle down, the decided to come and sit with me on the lawn and watch the fireworks that were in the distance. Occasionally Sophie would get scared and hide her head in my chest. Overall it was an amazing 4th of July! We had a great time! Thanks Grandma!!