Tubes

Marion got her tubes this morning and it went as well as could be expected. We arrived at the surgery center at 6:30a.m.
She was the youngest on the schedule, so she went first! She was surprisingly agreeable even though she hadn't had any food or drink since the night before.
The procedure was over very quickly... and then she wasn't so happy. She cried on and off for about 30-40 minutes until it was time for us to leave. She then cried the whole way home. She must have been exhausted and felt awful, right? Well, as soon as we got home, she was a ball of energy and ready to play.

My littlest patient relaxing on the sofa. How cute is her hospital gown?!


Thank you Mrs.Laurie and Mandi for all of your help! Love y'all!!!

Goodbye Sweet Grandma

Well, we didn't make it to see Grandma today, she passed away last night. I'll miss her so much, as she was one of the sweetest, most trustworthy, and most sincere people that I've ever known. There were plenty of tears in our home last night! This is the first death Grace has really been aware of, and she's taken it hard. I didn't seem to be the best consoler, since everything I said just made her cry harder. I tried to explain that heaven was a happy place, and that she was now with Paw Paw Benton, but that just sent her into misery over never meeting Paw Paw Benton. It ended with her crying herself to sleep in bed. She woke up happy this morning, has had a few sad moments, but was mostly good. Nana and Paw Paw returned from Asheville today and visited on their way home, so she went to sleep happy tonight. Saturday we will be in New Orleans for her funeral at St.Philip Neri with Father Saloy. I am happy to be going back to her church. I have many memories of going with her as a child and know how very important it was to her. Although it will be a very sad day, I am looking forward to seeing all of my extended family that I don't see often.

With so much going on, I decided to cancel our trip next week. We will actually be going again next month, same beach, same hotel... so I'm not too worried about it. A big contributer to that decision was Marion's surgery. She is now getting tubes THIS TUESDAY!!! I am thrilled that Dr.H's sweet nurse was able to put her on the schedule so soon.

Grace's asthma seems to have improved too... she didn't even have a breathing treatment today. I'm feeling more calm and at peace today with everything... missing my sweet Grandma, but knowing she's happy where she is o:)

Ramblings...

My nerves are shot, I have 100 worries on my mind and it's only Tuesday... at least it's 5 o'clock, I'll start pouring the wine now! The first worry that came along is one I know well... asthma. Grace started her all-too-familiar, nonproductive cough this morning. I gave her a breathing treatment and dropped her off at St.T for vacation bible school. During VBS, she had a small nosebleed, something that usually seems to come along with her asthma, although the ENT doesn't think it's related. The day has gone on, she's had a couple more breathing treatments, and she seems to be fine. Although, always in the back of my mind is the fear that we may end up in the ER again. She seems fine now though!

I've also been terribly sad all day, thinking about my sweet 92 year old grandmother, Lil, whose health is fading fast. When I heard that she was doing badly today, I wanted to pack up the kids and head to New Orleans. Problem was, as usual, we were booked to the hilt around here. So, a trip to the city is planned for tomorrow... after vacation bible school and Marion's speech therapy. I hope we are able to see her one last time. Sweet Grace saw me crying today and asked what was wrong. When I told her I was sad because Grandma was very old and very sick, she burst into tears of her own :(

This afternoon's agenda included Marion's ENT appointment that I had been waiting weeks for... After one and a half hours with two kids in a doctor's office, we left with an appointment for tubes and a set of tiny, MayMay-sized earplugs. The fluid was still there and still as thick as ever. He told me tubes were coming before he even looked in the left ear. So, I got my wish, I wanted the tubes. Problem is, I wanted them last week, and her appointment is three weeks from today. I was so excited when Dr.H said "I'm getting her tubes, and we're gonna get it done fast!" He left the room and in came his nurse with the calendar. He does surgery on Tuesday and Friday mornings. This Friday was booked, followed by a week that we'll be on vacation, which was followed by a week he'll be on vacation. Ahh, just plain bad luck on a day that my sanity needed some good luck! I hate that Marion will be hearing the world underwater for three more weeks. I also wonder if it has been affecting her balance. Three. More. Weeks. Ugh!!!

So yes, a vacation with a beach and a pool is in my future. A week in Fort Lauderdale, where Jeremy will be taking a class at a maritime school. Beside the perks of the beach, I also enjoy hotel living... no dishes, and that 100 square foot hotel room is way easier to keep clean that my house :)

Nana and Paw Paw

This week we celebrated Father's Day and it was also my mom's birthday. Grace drew pictures of both Paw Paw and Nana...

Uh oh dad, she's noticed your bald spot! Grace has the attention for detail! She didn't ask how to spell Nana or Poppa... smart girl!

Nana got a rather glamorous off the shoulder dress, of course in her favorite color :)

And yes, that's snow in both pictures... she said it was Christmas time, I think she just likes to draw snow.

This is a drawing she left to try to appease "The Clean Up Fairy" who swiped a few of her toys earlier in the week that she left out overnight ;)

MARION WALKS!!!

YES!!! It's true!!! At 16 months old, Marion has taken her first steps! I had to hold her to get her started and video at the same time, so it's a little close up and not the best angle. She was bribed with Nerds candy on the coffee table :)

Click on the videos to play them.

She takes 6 or 7 steps in this one!

This video shows her feet some... really, a one woman camera crew and mom makes for a tough video!

I am SO PROUD of sweet Marion!!! :)

Slowly but Surely

Marion is 16 months old now. She isn't walking yet, but she is getting more and more stable. She continues physical therapy once a week and just last week she began speech therapy. I know some of you are reading this and thinking I'm rather crazy, and I've already heard it. I even heard it from the ENT I brought her to see last week, who said, "She's 16 months old, what the heck do you want her to say?!" Although he did poke fun a bit, he also saw thick "glue-like" fluid in both of Marion's ears. Neither ear was infected, but we are going back on the twenty-second of this month for a recheck. There is no way to tell how long it has been there, so he would like to give it a chance to go away on it's own. So now I wait, and HOPE that my sweet baby has to undergo a small surgery. You see, draining the fluid from her ears offers a great chance that her balance will improve and her speech will also improve, since she'll be able to hear better. I'll take any help I can get at this point!
Marion walks behind push toys and pulls up and cruises around everywhere. She also has gotten pretty good at climbing, she's even scared me a couple times! She can walk side by side with me holding onto one of my hands for a short distance.

Such a sweet girl!

Dexter... immortalized

This is Dexter, pictured in my mom's office - his usual hangout spot. I got him as a kitten way back in junior high school, when my friend Allison's cat had kittens. When I went away to college, he stayed behind. He is currently summering in Asheville :)

Dexter isn't the most kid-friend cat, but Grace likes him anyway. He was the inspiration for her painting today.