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We are home. Got released late yesterday afternoon. Jon is really, really happy to be out of the hospital and he is doing really well. Still some recovering to do but he is much, much better. More later.

SATURDAY 11:20 a:m

Still waiting for the Doc to come and check on Jonathon but looks like he is doing well enough to be released for certain today. Still has quite a bit of recovery to do at home but very, very grateful for God's blessings upon him and us and for dear friends and loved ones who have been praying for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love you all.

MUCH BETTER THANK YOU

Jonathon is enough better this morning (it's a little after 3 a.m.) that I think they will let us go home this morning when the doctor comes in. This does not mean Jonathon is completely well--he still has a ways to go until he is over the RSV and Bronchiolitis but he will be able to be cared for at home. We will just have to be very careful and be sure everything and everyone is sterile (just kidding!) Wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Anyway, looks like good news. We will have lots to do at home to take care of him but we will be HOME SWEET HOME. HAPPINESS!

A SHORT UPDATE

This will be short. It's way too early in the a.m. and I'm exhausted. I believe Jonathon is doing a bit better at the moment, although the doctor warned me this morning that he would do better to begin with and then slide downhill again before actually getting better. I guess that is the nature of this beast. I haven't had a child with RSV before and he has RSV and Bronchiolitis. Anyway, his fever is down and his breathing is better. He is still on oxygen and breathing treatments but he sounds better. That's where we are.

Rob did get back this evening about 8:00 p. m. so that was a relief. Jonathon was happy to see him, too. I will post again tomorrow to update you. Thanks so much for your love and prayers. Love, Nancy

OUR LITTLE GUY NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS

Jonathon has had a really hard time breathing for the last several days and has had a cough to go along with it. We have been giving him breathing treatments and suctioning his nose and everything else we could think to do. He has been terribly congested but that is fairly normal. Every time we take him to the doctor with these symptoms they diagnose him with the Rhino virus and send us home to doctor him. Well, not this time. This time the symptoms got more severe and Jonathon is in the hospital. They didn't even let me go home from the doctor's office. They sent us straight to the hospital.

They got the tests back after a couple of hours and it is RSV this time. Even with oxygen and breathing treatments his breathing is very labored and he is having a tough time. They think he will have to be here a minimum of 2-3 days and a maximum of a week. We could really use your prayers for Jonathon right now. He's a tough little guy but he can use all the help he can get.

We love you and will keep you posted.

THE BEST LAID PLANS

I tried to get Carly to do her cute dancing for you today. Well, she didn't know that. But she caught me aiming the camera at her and got both shy and cranky. She got shy because that's what she does when she notices me filming her. She got cranky because I wouldn't let her take the pictures. I managed to catch her crankiness on film. Since I didn't get the dancing I planned to share with you, I figured the least I could do was share a shot of her crankiness with you. This is her Royal Highness Miss Terrible Two. It's a face I get to see at least once a day if not ten times. I love this little face. I just love to see it so much better when she has her beautiful smile on it. She is a little crack up, though. She can go from sunshine to stormy skies in 2 seconds flat! Enjoy!

NEWS OF THE DAY

It's been one of "Those" days, i.e., not enough sleep, migraine, screaming children, finding out you made dumb mistakes that come back to haunt you--you know one of T H O S E days. It's almost time to fall asleep and I'm hoping for some sweet dreams and kids in better moods tomorrow.

I did forget to mention last night that I talked to my friend Jane on the phone whom I haven't talked to in at least six months and had a really nice conversation. I like having friends where no matter how long its been since you have seen each other or spoken you can just pick up where you left off. In fact, the day before that, my friend Taylor called and it had been a couple of months since we talked and it was the same. It's nice to be able to do that. It's like being completely at home with someone. That's a great feeling.

Mom went to her PT today. I guess she's having that 3 times a week. They worked her over pretty good but she seemed no worse for wear. Hopefully, it will help her foot. Dad actually seemed a little better to me tonight. Rob and Steve gave him a blessing. That was nice.

Well, not much else going on here--at least worth mentioning. Take care ya'll.

GOOD TO KNOW

I feel a little better knowing that not long before I was born my big sister Susan apparently loved the word "No" too. My mom told me she remembers Susan, who was not yet two, screaming "No" at her quite a bit! Susan and I are only 18 months apart so Mom thinks maybe Susan entered the terrible two's a little early as well. I guess that means there is hope for Carly coming through this phase soon!

Jonathon turned five months old on Saturday. I can't believe how fast it's gone and how much he's grown! He's so amazing. We are so blessed to have him in our family. He wants to stand up a lot now--with us holding his hands, of course. He's also starting to teethe--the slobbering and chewing on his hands part. He can and does put his whole fist in his mouth at times. Although, he usually is just chewing on two or three fingers at once. He also knows his name and will turn and smile if you call him. He is so darn sweet! Wish you could all meet him and hold him!

We had an uneventful day today--which is good. Dad's still not doing great. His pain level is pretty high and he isn't moving well. Please keep him and mom in your prayers. This is pretty rough going for them. Mom's health is good but I think they both can use all the support, love and prayers they can get. We are all really thankful for your friendship and concern. We just wish his surgery date wasn't so far away still. It's at the end of February but that seems like forever when he needs a working leg. Well, that's all for now. Please keep us in your thoughts . . .

NO ONE TOLD ME . . .

As soon as they start to talk they start to talk back! Wow! Carly's favorite word is 'No" and I never knew it could have so many syllables or so many decibel levels! She is now learning the meaning of the words "time out". Those are not her favorite words. Go figure. Keep in mind, she are still a month away from turning two. She's one smart Chicka. Gadfrey!

SAME OL' SAME OL' ROUND HERE

One day Carly is blowing bubbles from the bubble cannister and the next they are coming out of her nose. That's right--she has a cold again. Poor child. We just can't seem to stay away from the Winter colds and flus around here. Darn. Other than that, things are pretty good.

Mom went to her first physical therapy today. I have to retract something here. I said before that the doctor ordered the PT on her arm. That wasn't correct. It was the specialist we went to for her foot who ordered the PT. So that's what she went to do today. She came back with new exercises to do and one of those dark green stretchy things which Carly immediately claimed. Grandpa has a couple a yellow stretchy thingy she thinks is hers, too. Sometimes we humor her and sometimes we just say "no."

For Mom's arm that she hurt, the doc is just having her try exercises for awhile and if those don't help then they will do an MRI. It didn't look like she had done any major damage from an X-ray and exam--so the exercises will tell us whether or not it will get better on it's own.

Dad continues to have home health care--PT and occupational therapy. I have started to worry some because he doesn't have a lot of stamina. I will be glad when he feels strong enough to go outside or even to move around the house more. We are installing a stair lift so that should help.

Hope things are good wherever you are. :O

BEAUTIFUL CARLY

Bought this adorable cap from Taylor Joelle and I've been trying to figure out how to do Carly's hair for it. I have her hair pulled really tightly into a pony close to her head with the cap over it for these photos. I think it really shows off her eyes. Isn't she gorgeous? I sure think so! No proud Momma here.

CARLY LOVES BUBBLES!

I love her laugh! When she's happy, she's ecstatic! Enjoy!

JUST A FEW THINGS

We went snow tubing today. It was a lot of fun and ended up being a really good day to do it. The temperature was pretty good so we didn't freeze. Grandma and Grandpa watched the wee ones since they are way too young to go. Carly actually napped the entire time we were gone and I think Jonathon talked their ears off. He's becoming quite the little jabber jaw!

Wow! I just heard three more people were pulled out of the rubble in Haiti today, a full week after the earthquake. Apparently, another college student was found yesterday after 6 days when she was able to text a message that she was trapped in the rubble. Wow! What miracles! I know these are such small numbers of people but the fact that they are finding anyone alive at all this long after the quake is amazing.

I heard some of you tried to leave comments yesterday and had trouble. I did set it up to be fairly easy but I guess there are still a few steps to it. I just checked it out and here's what you do:

Click on the word "Comment" at the end of the blog you want to comment on. It will take you to a comment section. Write your comment in that section. Then below you need to:

Choose an identity. Click on the one that identifies you. The choices will be:


A. Your Name (If you have a Google Account) – use this if you have a google account

B. OpenID --Don't know what this is--just skip it!

C. Name/URL Name (Use this if you just want to use your name.)

D. Anonymous (Use this if you don't want to put your personal info in.)

When you are done you can Preview your Comment or just Publish it.

It will make you put in a series of numbers or letters to prove you are a human being and not a computer which has nothing to do with the comment before it lets you publish. It's really not as hard as it sounds.

Good luck. Hope it works next time. :)

SEE, WAS THAT SO HARD?

Seriously, thanks to those of you who let me know you were reading this. It is nice to hear from you once in a while. If you ever want to comment directly on the blog all you have to do is click on the small print word "comment" directly beneath the specific blog you want to comment on and it will take you to a comment screen. I've made it as simple as possible. If not, just say "hey" once in a while some other way.

Today was not a real productive day for me. Jonathon was up about every hour and a half last night which makes for one tired Mommy. Luckily, Julie is out of school for two days this week and she was here to let me sleep in a little--OK, maybe alot.

Rob is taking a day off tomorrow and we are going snow tubing. It's an annual family event. It's pretty fun--mostly because unlike when you go sledding and you have to walk back up hill, there is a tube lift that tows you and your tube back up the steep hill so you can slide down again. Now that's my kind of down hill sport! Yep!
It's pretty darn fun! Somehow we can't talk Grandpa into it. Go figure. LOL! Just kidding.

Speaking of Grandpa, he's doing really good with his physical therapy. His pain level is even down a little in his leg. Now we have to get Grandma's physical therapy in her arm started. That's next week, I believe.

Jonathon is doing better, too. Oh and Rob's cold is much better as well. Stay tuned for more medical updates on As The Stomach Turns. LOL!

OKAY FRIENDS LET ME 'SPLAIN SOMETHING . . .

I love that you read my blog but it doesn't mean you have had a conversation with me. I don't know how many people have told me they haven't called me or written for a VERY LONG TIME because they feel like they have talked to me since they read my blog. Keep in mind unless you make a comment once in a while or drop me an email, I don't even know you're reading it! I love to hear from you--I even love you! So, write me, call me, text me--but please be in touch from time to time. Pretty please.

Grandpa is doing about the same. He is up and around a bit downstairs but we don't try to have him climb the stairs. We are looking into the possibility of getting a stairlift to make it easier to get him up and down. Grandma made a yummy supper tonight. It was a new recipe with chicken, wild rice, cranberries, mushrooms, cheese and heavy cream. Rob and I got an afternoon nap after church. That was yummy, too.
All in all it was a terrific Sunday.

We are praying for the people in Haiti. It is hard to see the images coming in from there and imagine the suffering they are going through. God bless them.

THE CUTEST BOY EVER!

MY LOVEY, CUDDLY, LITTLE BOY

Today I decided I was going to get stuff done--laundry, cleaning, maybe even a little cooking. It was not to be. Jonathon had his own list of things for me to do and really it just had one thing on it: Hold and cuddle me. Yep, that was it. He didn't even want to take a nap. Everytime I got him to sleep he would cat nap for like ten minutes and the second I would lay him down his eyes would pop right back open! He was in a wonderful mood. He cooed and smiled the whole day as long as I was holding him. He continued this way into the evening. He's been awake most of the day so it should be a fairly easy night. Julie has him tonight per my birthday gift!

So, I was finally able to finish laundry this evening with some extra hands around. But I decided to enjoy him most of the day and try not to worry TOO MUCH about the dust and clutter. He will only be this little and this cuddly for so long. He is awfully sweet and such an adorable baby. We are so blessed to have him. I am so grateful to be a mom!

Jonathon and I took Grandma to her foot doctor appointment today. We've been thinking Grandma had a torn tendon that would need surgery but we actually got some better news. This doctor doesn't think it's torn and thinks physical therapy could help it quite a bit. He still needs to look at some of her tests but wants her to try the PT and see how it goes.

Jonathon seems to be recovered from his day at the hospital. Rob's cold is even better today. I would love to have everyone in the house well at the same time for a whole week. Wouldn't that be great?! What are the odds? Yah, you're right--too stiff for me too! I can hope, but I won't hold my breath . . . O.K.?

IT'S A MIRACLE . . . SORT OF

It really almost is. We got Grandpa out of the house today and it was no easy task. He has not been able to walk for a few weeks now. The last few days he's been able to take a few steps with his walker but it's really been hard for him to get around. He hasn't been upstairs for a couple of weeks. We had a doctor appointment to get him to today and we made a plan last night that involved him taking the fewest steps possible and using the wheelchair. It also involved us lifting him in the wheelchair up a few steps and it actually worked. Yay! We even got him to a barber today while we had him out. It was a good day. :)
Grandpa was pretty darned worn out when we got him home but I think it did him good to get out and about for a bit. It can't be good to be so cooped up for so long.

Jonathon also had a pretty good day. He is recovering quickly from his day of scopes and punctures. I had to give him a bit of tylenol here and there today but he seems OK otherwise. He's a real trooper and such a sweet little guy.

Grandma told me Carly came downstairs last night and grabbed their phone book from home (which is tiny) and opened it like a song book and started singing really loudly and leading with the other hand. Don't know what she was singing - it's usually some language she has made up. But she is pretty good at the leading thing. Pretty funny, eh? She is something else!

ALL IS WELL

Thanks so much for your prayers. Jonathon is doing really well now that his surgery is over.

He had four different procedures today. The first was because he did not pass his hearing test for his left ear at birth or more recently and the docs thought he might have water in his ears so they did an auditory brain response test for his hearing. They also checked his ears to see if there was water behind his ear drums and were going to put in tubes if needed. They didn't find any water but ended up piercing both ear drums looking for the water so he is going to be sore for a few days. He did not end up needing tubes which was good.

Jonathon has severe Reflux and is being treated for it but he has also been having some difficulty breathing for some time now. He is very congested and sometimes it sounds as if it is coming from his nose and other times it feels as if it is coming from his chest. So, they also went in and scoped out his nose and his throat to see if there were any blockages (i.e. folds of skin or flaps)that are keeping him from breathing well. They did not find anything that appeared to be causing his breathing difficulties. So, their best guess is that the Reflux is causing him to ingest part of what is coming back up or to aspirate it and then making it difficult to breathe. If so, this is usually something children grow out of so we are hopeful. There is also the slight possibility that he is pre-asthmatic but we won't know that for awhile. There really isn't a test to tell us that answer, it's just a wait and see game.

Anyway, we are just very grateful he made it through the surgeries today without any complications. Thank you so much for your prayers and your friendship. Love you, Nancy

OUR LITTLE GUY HAS TO GO THROUGH SOME BIG THINGS

Tomorrow (Tuesday) Jonathon has to have some outpatient exploratory surgery. He is actually going to have four procedures. He hasn't been able to pass his hearing test for his left ear and they think the problem is water in his ears so they are going to go in and check for the water and possibly insert tubes. Then they will do the hearing test while he is under since he has been too squirmy to test it well while he is awake. The doctor decided that while they have him under they may as well try to figure out what is really going on with his noisy breathing. He has had some serious congestion and they don't know if it is coming from the reflux problem or being caused by something else so he is going to have his nose and throat scoped too.

These are pretty big procedures for such a little boy. My biggest worry is the anesthesia. We would sure appreciate your prayers for Jonathon and us while all this is going on. I will post something as soon as he is out of surgery. Love you all. Nancy

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES!

My Mom and I ran some errands on Saturday morning and we took Carly with us. One of the stops we made was the bank. The lobby was closed so we went through the drive through and the teller noticed we had a little girl in the vehicle and sent a sucker out for her. Carly loves suckers. I unwrapped it and handed it to her and she partook for a few minutes and then excitedly exclaimed from the backseat "Mommy, I suck!"

Grandma and I had quite a good chuckle over that one. Oh, the innocence of our little ones. So, so cute! I love my little girl!

HAD SOME LOVELY VISITORS TODAY

Aunt Maren and Aunt Tammie came to see us today. Silly me, I didn't think to get the camera out until they were leaving. Didn't get any of them with Jonathon. That was so dumb! That tells you I'm not feeling good for sure. Anyway, we had a very nice visit with them. Carly wanted to leave with Maren and was so sad when she actually had to come back inside.

MORE SICKEES

Well finally Rob and I both have the gomboo. It took a while and we staved it off as long as we could but we both caught it--me first, then Rob. Cough, cough, hack, hack. It's so miserable and of course, there isn't anything you can do for it since it's just the common cold gone wrong. Finally, you get the kids feeling a little better and you feel like dog poo. Woof.

FUMES

As in running on them. Sorry I didn't blog yesterday. I collapsed into bed around 6 or 7 p.m. and let hubby run the show. Then when he came to bed around 11 p.m. I got up and helped him with Jonathon who of course decided it was time to wake up and be bright and cheery right at bedtime.

I was still in the same dreary, tired fog most of the day today but my little ones didn't care to hear about it. No excuses. Just show up Mom and on time, please! They don't accept i.o.u.'s. I might have been in a mommy coma but I was functioning. Wow, am I running on fumes!

Grandpa still isn't walking very well but has more physical therapy tomorrow. I think it is just going to take time. I will keep you posted though. Well, I need to get some zzzzzzzzz's.

AN UPDATE AND PRAYER REQUEST

So, my Dad's polio leg is still pretty weak. He still isn't able to use it to get around on very well but he is starting physical therapy on it Monday. Between that leg, his other knee and his shoulders he has been in quite a bit of pain. We are hoping physical therapy will give him back the use of this leg and alleviate some of his pain. Boy, this complication sure blindsided us--we just were not expecting problems with this other leg. We would definitely appreciate any prayers you could ask on behalf of my father. Thanks so much!

OUR GIRLS GOOFING AROUND AT CHRISTMAS

JONATHON IS GETTING BIGGER

Just a couple of recent photos of Jonathon. He's 14 pounds now and growing. He loves to chatter. He especially likes to talk to Grandpa. When Grandpa talks to him he smiles really big and just chatters as loud as he can get. He really loves his Grandpa!