Bedlam

Today is the day family loyalty means nothing. They are either with your team or against you. The state of Oklahoma is divided. You wear either crimson red or the other colour. Some of your friends become your enemies on this day.

You earn bragging rights for a year.

The bell is at stake.

The University of Oklahoma and their rival, the other team from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State.

And where do our loyalties lie?

Puh - lease!

How was your Thanksgiving? We hope everyone got to have a ton of fun eating and spending time with family.

Yesterday, Thanksgiving, Aiden decided to take his nap 30 minutes before we had to leave, even though I put him in his bed an hour and a half before. He was tired, his eyes were red, but he wanted to play. I'm not sure how the child confused nap time with play time.

On the way to Grandma Susan's house, he didn't want to sleep either.

But he was cranky...

If he was on the floor playing, within 3 minutes he was screaming.

Chris showed up maybe 15 minutes of us being there and me unloading Aiden, the mashed potatoes and equipment for those Kodak moments.

Aiden was ready to eat, but Cousin David had other plans.. PLAYING. Put a toy in front of a child and the child forgets anything else around him even exists.

So, the sweet potato casserole I was attempting to feed Aiden is smeared on his shoes and the carpet. I'm pretty sure that the dogs were happy.

Then we left to go to Grandma Nise's house. Guess who decided to fall asleep in the recliner carseat not even 10 minutes from our destination? Meaning when we pull into the driveway and put the Jeep in park he automatically wakes up and doesn't want anyone to touch him.

(And Grandma Nise has dogs too. Only hers are little ankle biters who bark if you move a muscle. We hardly ever hear Hound bark, when he does bark I have to double check that he is actually the one doing the barking.)

Grandpa JC decided Aiden could share his Diet Pepsi. Only Aiden didn't want the cup, he wanted the entire 2 liter bottle and got mad when the lid went back on. So Aiden had to make due with a cup.

Being the mommy I am, I made sure to take Aiden's jammies with me. I knew he would fall asleep on the way home, and he did half way. I didn't want to have to wake him up from being sound asleep ( and he was really asleep ) by putting on his jammies and trying to put him in bed.

He stayed asleep for 2 hours. While Chris and I were planning my Black Friday shopping strategy, Aiden woke up. And Aiden wanted to cuddle.

Here are pictures from Aiden's Thanksgiving:

Aiden stayed asleep the rest of the night, well until 3:39 this morning.

My alarm was set to go off at 4 am. I had to be in line at Wal-Mart for presents.

So, I quickly got Aiden a bottle and took him to bed with me. When my alarm went off 20 minutes later, Aiden was still sound asleep and he was holding on to that bottle for dear life. I wasn't about to remove the bottle and risk waking him up. That would classify me as being insane.

Black Friday shopping was over and done with at 5:35am. I was back home and didn't have to knock anyone out. I have worked a Black Friday sale at Wal-Mart. I have seen the fights. I have been physically pushed out of the way. People get down right mean on this day. And over something as frivolous as a 98 cent Hot Wheel toy.

I got everything that was on the list, except for the Cars toys I wanted for Aiden and the DVDs Chris wanted. I'm not too sure our Wal-Mart even bought out the Cars stuff. There was no sign of them at all. And the DVDs were strung out from hell to high water and I was not going to sift through the mess. I am not that patient.

When I got home, Grandma Nise was calling to see if I had picked up the lap top that Chelsea so insanely thinks she needs. Uhhh, nope. There was only one of me and the electronics department was not even mentally accessible. I avoid any department where people are crammed in there like sardines.

So, Grandma Nise went to another Wal-Mart to see if they still had any. Fortunately they did. And the same time Aiden woke up. So I got Aiden dressed and we made the trek 30 minutes, avoided the mall traffic, didn't hit anyone and got the lap top. Chelsea knows she is getting it, but she will have to suffer until Christmas Day. It did not come home with me, so she will not be able to talk her dad into letting her have it for her birthday, which is next Wednesday.

And Aiden was a good boy while shopping this morning. He picked out his presents from Grandma Nise, except for the Little People NASCAR track - he doesn't know he is getting that.

Happy Thanksgiving

I know, I know.. I haven't been the best bloggy person at all this week. Even Aiden's EI Speech Therapist said so. She has been on maternity leave so she has been reading up on Aiden.

This week has just been busy. Chris is home Monday and Tuesdays. Aiden decided that 5 am is a good time to wake up. Yes, really. Dispite trying to get him to go back to sleep for 30 minutes, we were out of bed at 5:30. Which really was kind of good, I got all of our laundry done, folded and/or hung up. I even got to wash all the sheets and flip the mattress.

Tuesday, Aiden had another runny nose and that resulted in a bad mood. We canceled his weekly speech therapy. Chris wanted a smoked ham for Thanksgiving dinner, so a trip to the store, a trip to Grandma Susan's to drop off said ham, a trip to Chris's work to pick up equipment, and a trip to the salon. We all needed hair cuts. Chris sat down first, he's the quickest. Then Aiden.

Aiden did not want my stylist coming anywhere near his head. He kept putting his arms up to cover his head and yelling 'no' at her. I swear it took 20 minutes to cut his hair. She tried scissors, she tried the clippers. He wasn't having any part of it. However, we finally won the battle and his hair is somewhat shorter than it was going in and not as crazy. Oh, and I think his hair is finally starting to lay down. Bye-bye spikey doo.

The tree is also decorated. This year we went with a black and silver theme. Originally I thought I wanted black and gold. But I didn't like the black and gold decorations. They were ugly.

And Aiden has been relatively good with the tree. RELATIVELY, being the key word. It has fallen victim to Hurricane Aiden only 3 times. Which, as I said, is relatively good. LOL! He's fascinated with the black sparkly balls. Aiden's EI PT was over yesterday and she gave me an idea for a future tree... A Down syndrome tree.. blue and yellow... The wheels are already spinning.

Grandma Nise called last night and had to hint at an early Christmas prestent. Apparently Oprah did her holiday show with favourite holiday music. And the music was available for download on the website. So I went to the Oprah website. Normally I stay away from there. I don't like Oprah.

So I spent less than a minute downloading the 8 songs. Then spent another 30 minutes trying to put them on CD. iTunes apparently didn't like the songs and didn't want to burn them to disc. I had to go through Nero, which I don't ever use. She'll get the disc today so she can listen to it before Christmas.

Coping With a Child Who Has Special Needs

I stole this from another mom on CafeMom. Many of our blogs have newly diagnosed moms searching for answers and stumble upon us, so I encourage you to share this also.

If you or someone you know has a child with Down syndrome we're here to help. Dealing with something of this magnitude can literally change every aspect of someone's life and those around them. It's like a whirlwind of emotions sweeping across you day in and day out. We understand that turning to a friend or family member can sometimes be hard when it has to do with your child. So, we're here to pass along some great information about coping with a child who has Down syndrome.

Dealing with the Emotions

When it comes to an issue like Down syndrome, the best thing to do is seek out experts. They can give you the proper education on what Down syndrome is and what you can do to deal with it. Most importantly, all the myths will be explained. For instance if you've heard about your child possibly having to go to a special school it's not true. Think they'll have to be put in an institution when they get older? Not true. There are many misconceptions related to Down syndrome so be sure to keep an open mind about the situation.

Get Into Support Groups

This is one of the hardest decisions to make for any family dealing with Down syndrome. Why? Well, if your doctor has given you a pre-diagnosis from tests and analysis it's easy to go into denial. We aren't telling you this to upset you in any way, but the realization is that it's very common. When you first go to a support group there is a sense that you are giving in to all the speculation and admitting your child has Down syndrome. However, this is a crucial step for anyone wanting better ways to cope.

Support groups can offer you the opportunity to converse and build relationships with others who understand what you are dealing with on a daily basis. Discussions will revolve around different actions you can take to put your mind at ease. There are also many groups that pass around phone numbers. This way if you are having a tough day you can call someone and explain your situation. They may be able to give you sound advice on what routes to take to make it better.

There are several benefits to being involved with support groups. In the end you will make several new friends built around your children and their future. You never know, your child may grow up having several friends that come from the support groups as well. While things may be different in society for them, having others by their side in the future will be a monumental accomplishment.

Explaining the Situation to Your Family

When it's all said and done family members are the most difficult to tell. While they will want to support you whole heartedly, the lack of knowledge about Down syndrome can be hard for you to explain to them. It's very common for several questions to be thrust your way and all this does is create more stress on you. Answering the same things over and over again becomes overwhelming and it's not good for your current situation.

One of the best ways to handle family members is by telling them you don't want to talk about it. In addition, be sure to tell them why. If they are planning to learn more about Down syndrome to help you then offer them places to go for information. If you're up to it ask them to go along with you to a support group meeting. This way they can get a feel for what others have been dealing with for years.

The Most Important Coping Method

If you take one thing from this article, just remember to have patience. Don't sell you or your child short on all the things that life has to offer. Remember that there are going to be frustrating days ahead, but nothing is impossible. You have a loving child right there to hold, teach, and be a parent to forever. The only difference is you have to take a different route to get there. We wish you the best of luck and hope you pass along this information to anyone that needs it. They'll thank you for it later.

He's Not a 2 Year Old

Aiden is no longer a 2 year old, he is a category 2 hurricane.

Hurricane Aiden.

He can demolish any room in under 3 minutes. The living room must be picked up at least 6 times a day. The contents of my purse are scattered throughout the living room in this picture.

And this is the quiet after the storm:

As you can tell in the first picture, the Christmas tree is up. However we haven't decorated it yet. That task will be done slowly this year. Aiden is fascinated with the tree. He discovered that the tree rotates and he wants to play with it. So I want him to get the fascination out of his system before the decorations go on.

We have also decided that no presents will be going under said tree UNTIL Christmas Eve night. Last year, Aiden unwrapped more than 50% of the gifts - those not belonging to him - early.

Aiden also no longer wants to chase the vacuum around. He runs from it. He can hear it and he doesn't like it. He's fine with it as long as it's not turned on and he wants to push it. But the second that it is turned on, he can't get to his corner fast enough.

Oh, speaking of hearing - Wednesday we went for our follow up with Dr. ENT. They started with a hearing screening. The only thing Aiden didn't respond to was the "white noise". But Aiden hears "white noise" all the time with the fish tank. The tubes are still in his ears and open, so there is no fluid in his tiny little canals. However, Aiden doesn't want anyone coming near his ears PERIOD!. **Insert "low muscle tone - MY FOOT!" here** We now have to do another ABR with his audiologist.

And more good news from the cardiologist. When we were up there, I forgot to ask about scheduling Aiden's cath lab for January. (Yeah, I was just so tickled pink about the holter monitor news that I forgot the cath lab. ) So I called Wednesday. Anyhoo, since Aiden's echos haven't changed in months, Dr. Pediatric Cardiologist said that Aiden will NOT be requiring a cath lab anytime soon. WHOOO HOOOO!!! **Insert Happy Mommy dance here**

And now for cuteness factor.. Aiden in his reindeer antlers:

Never Mind the Dog, Beware of Attack Aiden

 

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A Catch up

6 days after adenoid removal was the worst of all. Aiden felt pain. And a lot of pain. Tylenol/motrin alternating would not do squat for the little boy lying in the middle of the floor, face down, SCREAMING!

The liquid lortab had to come out. 2 cc every 6 hours. Aiden has never had lortab until now. And he was a giggly little boy. He giggled and giggled and giggled. Everything was funny to him. If he stood up, he giggled. When he sat down, he giggled. Moving his hands was cause to giggle.

The second day of liquid lortab brought sleep. He passed out from it.

Yesterday, Aiden went to school after having an extended weekend from the lortab. At 11:30, the nurse from school called and Aiden had thrown up. EVERYWHERE. So the little boy is home today and currently watching Shrek 3.

Chris is also home today so we went over his open enrollment for insurance. Aiden is going back on double coverage. Might as well save some money and add him to the insurance plan. Yes, we save money by double coverage. We meet our deductible and maximum out of pocket expenses a lot faster this way. Our deductible is met in January with the cath lab Aiden will have to have. Which also applies to the family maximum out of pocket of $3000.

Oh, we have a new word. Aiden now signs "help". Though I'm not too sure he'll be saying it around Karrie, our EI PT, anymore. Wednesday, she put him in the gait trainer - yes, he still hates it. And he signed "help". I think he was asking me to help him get out of the contraption. But it didn't quite work that way. Karrie helped him instead. Only she didn't take him out. She made him walk and she "helped" him move it across the living room 3 times. And yes, a total meltdown ensued afterwards.

I keep telling Aiden that walking is a great thing. I try telling him all the cool new stuff he will be able to do. Like walking to the bathroom for his baths. Like being able to walk into the kitchen and learning to open the refrigerator.

In all actuality, I am trying to convince myself that this is a good thing. I'm scared to death of him walking. He already knows how to open doors and he's an escape artist. I'll be following in Shannon's footsteps and getting a GPS tracking device.

OK, call me paranoid.

He's Such a Boy

I walked out of the bathroom this morning to find this:

As soon as he saw the camera, he had to make a cheesy smile.

A Good Visit with Dr. Pediatric Cardiologist

Aiden went in for his 3 month check up with Dr. Cardiologist. He laid still for the echo and the EKG. Then when Dr. Pediatric Cardiologist came in she said that there was no change in either his echo or EKG. She also said that the sotalol (Betapace) is doing it's job. So, Aiden has another appointment in 3 months, but he won't require a Holter monitor hook up.

We are going to every other check up with a Holter monitor.

At Home Hearing Test

It appears that Aiden can hear.

How do I know? We did an impromptu hearing test. Normally, Aiden wants to chase the vacuum around the house.

The water heater that is housed in our garage sprang a leak. Our garage is flooded. Everything is soaking wet. Chris brought out the shop vac to suck up some of the water in front of the washer and dryer.

Aiden SCREAMED bloody murder. He so did not like the sound of the vacuum.

Aiden also crawls up to Willy's cage when Willy decides to bark. Yes, chinchilla's bark.

This is a step in the right direction.

Another Letter to Aiden

My Dear Aiden,

Thankfully, we are finished with the much hated ear drops. No more cussing Mommy when she comes at you, okay?

Tell me if you are hearing more since your surgery. I really don't want to have to wait 2 more weeks for another ABR. Really, I don't. You do seem to be hearing more, so... I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Why are you grinding your teeth? Your poor bottom teeth are going to go away after we waited so long and patiently for them to come in. And it will require a hospital stay and another surgery to fix them. I don't think that they make mouth guards that little or that will permanently attach to your teeth (because that is what it will take for you to leave it in your mouth).

Why do you hate dogs, but you think that Willy (the chinchilla) is the coolest thing on Earth? Oh, and no, you are not supposed to wear Willy's harness and leash. You may be small, but you aren't that small.

Since when did you become a camera hog? You used to hate the fact that I had the camera in your face all the time. Remember I had to go buy a new one because you broke the other one when you threw it right before Mini Laps? Or is it that you just didn't like the old camera?

When I say no and smack your butt, this is not a good time to laugh. Mommy is serious and she's not playing.

Surgery

Chris and I took Aiden in at 6am this morning for his tubes and adenoids surgery. He did well considering he had not eaten anything since 11:30 last night. He didn't ask for anything. But he sure didn't want the "buttless gown" on. We turned the television on in the pre-op/post-op room and he watched Disney until the surgical nurse came to get him at 7:15.

We waited in the family waiting room with about 10 other families. The volunteer called our last name after about 40 minutes. It was Dr. ENT. Everything went great and there were no bradycardia episodes.

Aiden did have a lot of thick fluid in his canals and his adenoids were quite large for his face.

After another 10 minutes, we finally got to go back to recovery. Aiden was NOT a happy camper. He was hurting and cranky. He did suck down 6 oz of the dreaded Pedialyte in no time flat. He stayed in recovery a while due to his O2 levels wanting to stay in the lower 90s. Finally, we went back to our pre-op/post-op room and threw up a little of the Pedialyte.

We were discharged a little before 10am and headed to the pharmacy for antibiotics and liquid lortab. We're going to try alternating between motrin an tylenol though before breaking out the narcotics.

Once we got home, Aiden drank some Pediasure and started to play. He is now trying to take a nap.

But here is Aiden before surgery this morning, right as the versed was taking effect.

Did You?

 

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Family Pictures Fall 2008

Sunday we went to a local park and did our fall pictures. Aiden had a blast playing in the leaves.

Here is Aiden's set.

Aiden and Chris:

Aiden and Chelsea:

Aiden and Me:

Family attempts:

The camera kept moving because of the wind, so the family shots didn't come out as well as I had hoped.

Surgery Is All Set

Today started a little too early. Aiden still hasn't learned to tell time yet and woke up before 6am. I'm a little concerned with Johnny and the Sprites on the Disney channel. Yeah, that one is weird.

I then showered while Aiden watched The Micky Mouse Club. Yes, I took one by myself, no Aiden interruptions. Then it was time to wake Chris up. (He works Wednesday - Saturday, so today is one of his days off.) Everyone got dressed for flu shots. First was Chris's. Then a trip to Tulsa. Nothing in Tulsa is opened before 10am. NOTHING! We had to exchange some of Chris's birthday presents that were the wrong size.

Then we took Aiden in for his flu shot at Dr. Pediatrician's office. The nurse was about to give Aiden the first time ever shots, but I stopped her. This is Aiden's third year of getting the flu shot.

The only response from Aiden - a whimper. He was such a big boy!

We then drove the two miles to Dr. Cardiologist's office to pick up a copy of the surgical release. I lost the one we got a few weeks ago. Which Dr. Cardiologist's office is located adjacent to the hospital where we had to take Aiden for pre-op admission for his ear tube/adenoid surgery.

Anesthesia pre-op went easy. I handed her the surgical orders from cardiology, which made her job a lot easier. We skipped the "All About Anesthesiology" speech as we've been through it enough times that I can probably recite it. (LOL - but it's really not funny...)

Between anesthesiology and the nurse visit, Aiden decided to load a diaper, sending Chris out to the Jeep for the diaper bag and me holding Aiden at arm's length. Once Chris returned, Aiden and I went in search of a changing table.

Several nurses popped their heads in while we were waiting. Aiden was "talking" up a storm and everyone had to see the cutie.

Anyhow.. surgery is on for Thursday. I have to call tomorrow to get the time.

Not a Kodak Moment

Aiden was up at 6am this morning. Granted with Daylight Savings Time ending, his body thought that it was 7am. I tried telling him that mommy does not wish to get up at 6 am on a non-school day, but he didn't listen.

Shorty after receiving a bottle and diaper change, Aiden is in the living room playing. He has now figured out how to stand up and raise the arm rest of Chris's recliner to get into the cubby hole hidden in the arm of the recliner.

Aiden is sitting on the floor, playing with a manicure kit and his hair brush. There are also brown spots on the carpet, leaving me to wonder what Aiden has gotten into...

His diaper.

Yep, he has discovered finger painting with poop.

Yay, Aiden! NOT!

Can we say emergency bath at 6:30am?