Ben is Fine

These pictures were taken two days after his surgery. This is Benny at his finest. He is just fine everyone! Thank you so much for the prayers and well wishes!

A Tough Week

Whew. What a whirlwind of a week. Last Saturday, after a bout with a little cold, I noticed the previously diagnosed cyst on Ben's neck was larger, and the skin around it inflamed, and swollen. So, I immediately called his pediatrician, and he got us in that day. He diagnosed it as a brancial cleft cyst. He said it was abcessed, and needed to come out right away. We got he name of a good ENT surgeon, and he sent us on our way.

Unfortunately, it took us two days and yet another referral to get seen by a surgeon. Wednesday morning, I took Holly and Ben in to the office, and Dr. Riddle checked him out. Upon examination, he agreed with the pediatrician, and decided to admit Ben for a CT Scan, and surgery the next day.

Once getting settled, the nursing team attempted to start an IV line, and due to dehydration and reactive veins, they were unsuccessful. They poked him three times and decided to leave him be until the pediatric anesthesiologist team could get to him. When they were able to come up, they gave him something up his nose to make him drowsy and assured me that he would be too loopy to care about getting an IV, and he wouldn't remember it. Well, not so much. I heard him screaming from across the hall, and behind two doors. I literally had to leave the hallway, and find a bathroom so that I wouldn't throw up on the floor. Luckily, Ted was brave enough to stay with him. After they finally got the IV line in, he was so exhausted and spent he laid perfectly still for the CT and they didn't have to sedate him. After fitful night's sleep he was wheeled into surgery at 7 am the next day.

Here he is, slightly awake after being wheeled back from recovery:
Then he slept:
As soon as the nurses got his cords situated, and he seemed to be stable enough, they let me hold him. He woke up briefly for a couple pictures.
After sleeping off the general anesthesia, he began to wake up, and Daddy got him to smile.
And, after two hours of waking, and keeping down some jello and juice, he was able to go home. They don't wheel kids out in wheelchairs. They roll them down in little red wagons! Ben got a kick out this!
When he got into the car, he asked me if we were going to see another doctor, with tears in his eyes. I started to cry , and said "No baby, we're done with doctors." He nodded his head, and said "Good."

Little Ben was so charming. Everyone loved him. All the nurses said they wished he could stay longer, but were so glad he was better.

And I, as his mother, feel like I could sleep for a week. There is nothing more painful than watching your child be put through pain. I would take his place in a heartbeat if I could. While it was a scary experience, I am so grateful for the wonderful, proactive doctors in our area. They took such good care of him, and were so kind and sweet with him.

Ben is home, and seems to be recovering well. He's eating, and my biggest worry now is keeping him down so that he doesn't overdo it! I am so thankful to Heavenly Father for providing us comfort, and being with our boy during surgery, and his doctors as well. Here's to hoping this is the last major health hurdle with Ben, he's had more than his fair share in his short life.

Holly's One!

I can't believe my baby is one! Our little Holly has brought us so much joy. You know, I have had a very spiritual experience with each of my children during pregnancy, and I didn't with Holly. I had wondered about that very topic, and Heavenly Father gave me a very special witness. You see, we lost three babies before we had her. Every time the doctor turned on that ultrasound machine, and there was no heartbeat, I felt more and more hopeless. I have never prayed more fervently for anything in my whole life. I began to think that the Lord was not listening, or didn't think I was a good enough mother for just one more baby.

Finally, one day, I knelt in my closet, and out of sheer desperation, poured my heart out to the Lord, and ended by saying "Here am I! Thy will be done!"

And we found out three weeks later we were going to have a baby.

When she was born, I was given a witness that this child was an answer to my prayers. Not that she had some divine mission, or was given to me to test me, or make me a better person, or go on to perform some miracle of faith. No, I was given witness that she was there as a gift to show me Heavenly Father's tender mercy. She was here simply because we wanted her.

Oh how we wanted her.

Happy birthday precious baby Holly! Thank you for giving us so much joy!

Sunday was a beautiful day, and after church we decided to take the kids out to do something fun. Of course, I had to take them to one of my childhood haunts. Bridal Veil Falls is a little waterfall off the highway in Provo Canyon, and it was a neat little place to visit when I was little. Of course, over time, and because of landslides, the landscape has changed. But it still seemed to thrill the kids. Jacob searched the soil for anything that would stick to a magnet, because he is an aspiring gold prospector. He didn't wind up taking any soil samples. Ben had fun throwing rocks into the water. And a nice couple offered to take our picture right at the bottom of the Falls. All in all, it was a good day.

Please Bear With Me

I am learning a bunch of new things, trying figure out how to pretty this place up. It's a work in progress, and it's 12:30 am. I am going to bed before it is finished. Check back for a new look.

A Whole New World

Since I took a five month break from blogging, a lot has happened. The biggest thing is that the Sam's Club in Nampa was closed. Ted's boss arranged for him to take the Provo club, and so we were spared the fate of so many others in this tough economy. The upside? We live in Springville, UT, among the beautiful mountains I used to call home. The downside? Well there's the moving the kiddos to a new school, which has proven to be a real challenge. And of course there's the selling of the house. Another real challenge. Short sale, anyone? Things are sort of up in the air and scary and.... well, I really don't want to talk about it. But the above pictures are of our lovely new townhome. I am happy to be blogging again. Thanks for reading.

K So I Lied.

Busy busy busy. And a camera with no batteries. I will post I promise, just not yet. I will put it on my priority list tho, I promise!!