I am writing early on this rainy Wednesday morning. Brennen and Tim are still sleeping. In a few minutes I'll need to wake them up to get ready to go to the hospital. We have a short day at the hospital today and then it's back to the RMH to finish cleaning and loading up the car to come home.
Lots to do before we can enjoy the weekend!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! We have lots to be thankful for as I'm sure you do as well.
p.s. I'll try and post this weekend to let you know how Brennen's first Thanksgiving meal went.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Pictures
Hi everyone.....daddy here. Well, here it is. Chrissy and I put this slideshow together last night, it's a glimpse into some of the happier moments over the last 2 months, and gives everyone a chance to meet all the wonderful people that helped Brennen get back on track with his eating.
You'll notice him smiling in a lot of the photos, but please don't think that this entire time was full of joy. There was just as much heartache, tears, frustration and hopelessness. We're grateful that the good times have outweighed the bad times lately, but know that there's still a lot of obstacles to overcome....and losing the everyday support of the feeding team will present another challenge.
Again, Chrissy and I are just so grateful to all our family and friends, it's been a long last few months, but we think everyone is stronger for it, and most importantly, Brennen is on the right track with his eating.
God is good, ALL the time.
Grab your popcorn and enjoy the slideshow. The song you'll hear is "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North.
-Tim
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009
Brennen is doing very well today with eating. He continues to make the nurses laugh everyday.
Yesterday he was goofing around during his feeding time and I told him that I was going to have to hold his hands if he doesn't take his bite. Ms. Cheryl came into the room to help and then we realized that he had already eaten his required amount of protein for that feed so he didn't have to take any more bites of chicken. Brennen replied, "Whew! That was close!" I thought Cheryl was going to lose it! She started laughing and then I was laughing. She gets a big kick out of him and the stuff he says.
I think they are going to miss him!
Tonight Tim is coming up to spend the night at the RM House with us. Miss Sophia will be getting spoiled at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We will begin packing and cleaning the room to be able to check out tomorrow afternoon. Yay!!
On Wednesday we have a half-day of therapy and then we can return to RM House to finish cleaning and check out. I am so excited to be able to spend the long weekend with BOTH of my kiddos!
We can do this!! We have a grand total of 2 1/2 days of in-patient therapy to go!
Yesterday he was goofing around during his feeding time and I told him that I was going to have to hold his hands if he doesn't take his bite. Ms. Cheryl came into the room to help and then we realized that he had already eaten his required amount of protein for that feed so he didn't have to take any more bites of chicken. Brennen replied, "Whew! That was close!" I thought Cheryl was going to lose it! She started laughing and then I was laughing. She gets a big kick out of him and the stuff he says.
I think they are going to miss him!
Tonight Tim is coming up to spend the night at the RM House with us. Miss Sophia will be getting spoiled at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We will begin packing and cleaning the room to be able to check out tomorrow afternoon. Yay!!
On Wednesday we have a half-day of therapy and then we can return to RM House to finish cleaning and check out. I am so excited to be able to spend the long weekend with BOTH of my kiddos!
We can do this!! We have a grand total of 2 1/2 days of in-patient therapy to go!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, Nov. 23, 2009
This is my last Monday post - Wow!! Very hard to believe we are at this point. It feels as though it has gone fast, although I must say that I am more than ready to be done.
I do have some reflections of our little journey:
First concerning Cleveland Traffic:
*Cleveland drivers are a mechanics dream - drive fast then brake hard. Auto repair shops must make a killing in Cleveland.
*Red lights are but a mere suggestion.
*You better have your foot ready on the gas for when that light turns green or you'll get honked at!
And last, but not least...
And certainly more importantly...
*The Lord answers prayer. A mother knows when something isn't quite right with her child and it is so important to keep pursuing to find the help you know your child needs.
We could not have come this far without the help we have received here at the hospital. They have been so thorough with Brennen's care. Nothing was overlooked. Our medical bills are beginning to roll in at this point and it really has been worth every cent.
Today in feeding, Brennen gagged on some carrots that were not quite smooth enough and then ended up vomitting. That was the first time he has done that in awhile. He recovered though and ate his peaches and drank some milk. He's so sweet..after he threw up, he asked, "Mommy, what happened to me?".
I am ready to be completed with this part of our therapy. But, part of me hates to lose the support at the same time. It is nice being here because feeding difficulties are the norm. No one questions the fact that Brennen is almost 4 and is eating pureed foods. It isn't seen as being anything out of the ordinary.
I will miss the nurses and the kitchen staff who purees all of Brennen's meals and packages them into neat and organized little containers.
Well, if nothing else, we have taught everyone (and ourselves) a little more about Celiac Disease and hypersensitivities.
Thanks for following along everyone.. I am working on a slide of some pictures to show of all of the wonderful people who have helped us during our stay. Well, to be fair, it will actually be Tim who will be working on the slide show. I just took the pictures!
I will post more tomorrow!
I do have some reflections of our little journey:
First concerning Cleveland Traffic:
*Cleveland drivers are a mechanics dream - drive fast then brake hard. Auto repair shops must make a killing in Cleveland.
*Red lights are but a mere suggestion.
*You better have your foot ready on the gas for when that light turns green or you'll get honked at!
And last, but not least...
And certainly more importantly...
*The Lord answers prayer. A mother knows when something isn't quite right with her child and it is so important to keep pursuing to find the help you know your child needs.
We could not have come this far without the help we have received here at the hospital. They have been so thorough with Brennen's care. Nothing was overlooked. Our medical bills are beginning to roll in at this point and it really has been worth every cent.
Today in feeding, Brennen gagged on some carrots that were not quite smooth enough and then ended up vomitting. That was the first time he has done that in awhile. He recovered though and ate his peaches and drank some milk. He's so sweet..after he threw up, he asked, "Mommy, what happened to me?".
I am ready to be completed with this part of our therapy. But, part of me hates to lose the support at the same time. It is nice being here because feeding difficulties are the norm. No one questions the fact that Brennen is almost 4 and is eating pureed foods. It isn't seen as being anything out of the ordinary.
I will miss the nurses and the kitchen staff who purees all of Brennen's meals and packages them into neat and organized little containers.
Well, if nothing else, we have taught everyone (and ourselves) a little more about Celiac Disease and hypersensitivities.
Thanks for following along everyone.. I am working on a slide of some pictures to show of all of the wonderful people who have helped us during our stay. Well, to be fair, it will actually be Tim who will be working on the slide show. I just took the pictures!
I will post more tomorrow!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Friday, Nov. 20, 2009
It's Friday!! Woo-hoo!!
I am back at the RM House getting things packed up for the weekend. I just picked up my last weekly schedule of meals and activities for the Ronald Mcdonald House for next week.
Next week is filled with meals and special Thanksgiving activities. So very special for the families who are staying here. Lucky for us, our time here is nearly over. Next week is a short week for us..we will be checking out on Wednesday.
I am looking forward to spending time with my family at home this weekend and knowing that this will be our last weekend where we have to hurry back up here on Sunday afternoon. That Sunday is always the hardest!! For the first week of December, we will just drive the two days of therapy.
I began taking my fall decorations down from our room and putting them in a box to go home. As I was placing them in the box, I thought to myself, the next time I get these out, Brennen will be nearly five and I wondered what he would be eating at that time. I am hoping it doesn't involve my processor!!
Brennen had another great day and he is taking a nap back at the Day Hospital. He ate broccoli with cheese today. Little man..so proud of him!
Well, back to packing and loading up the car. Have a good weekend everyone!!
I am back at the RM House getting things packed up for the weekend. I just picked up my last weekly schedule of meals and activities for the Ronald Mcdonald House for next week.
Next week is filled with meals and special Thanksgiving activities. So very special for the families who are staying here. Lucky for us, our time here is nearly over. Next week is a short week for us..we will be checking out on Wednesday.
I am looking forward to spending time with my family at home this weekend and knowing that this will be our last weekend where we have to hurry back up here on Sunday afternoon. That Sunday is always the hardest!! For the first week of December, we will just drive the two days of therapy.
I began taking my fall decorations down from our room and putting them in a box to go home. As I was placing them in the box, I thought to myself, the next time I get these out, Brennen will be nearly five and I wondered what he would be eating at that time. I am hoping it doesn't involve my processor!!
Brennen had another great day and he is taking a nap back at the Day Hospital. He ate broccoli with cheese today. Little man..so proud of him!
Well, back to packing and loading up the car. Have a good weekend everyone!!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thursday, Nov, 19, 2009
Today is a great day for a nap...the rainy weather just screams, "Nap Time!". This is what Brennen is doing right now. If there was an extra bed, I would probably be doing the same thing.
I had my parent meeting today and the feeding team is very pleased with Brennen's progress with eating and his weight gain. He was 33 lbs when we entered the program. He is now a little over 35 lbs; A very typical weight for his age group.
We made a "real-life" eating schedule in our meeting and discussed how on next Wednesday we get to leave at 12:00! Yay!! That will give us the afternoon to get checked out of our room and be on our way to go enjoy the Holiday weekend.
My heart is full and happy! Brennen will be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner in comparison to last year's meal of baby rice cereal!
I think I will go find an empty chair somewhere, curl up and watch some tv...not quite the same thing as a bed but it will have to do.
I will post more tomorrow!
I had my parent meeting today and the feeding team is very pleased with Brennen's progress with eating and his weight gain. He was 33 lbs when we entered the program. He is now a little over 35 lbs; A very typical weight for his age group.
We made a "real-life" eating schedule in our meeting and discussed how on next Wednesday we get to leave at 12:00! Yay!! That will give us the afternoon to get checked out of our room and be on our way to go enjoy the Holiday weekend.
My heart is full and happy! Brennen will be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner in comparison to last year's meal of baby rice cereal!
I think I will go find an empty chair somewhere, curl up and watch some tv...not quite the same thing as a bed but it will have to do.
I will post more tomorrow!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009
Brennen ate 8 ounces of food for lunch today! Amazing!! His meal consisted of: 3 oz of peaches,
2 oz of turkey, 2 oz of sweet potatoes, and 1 oz of green beans.
I was talking with Nurse Barbara today about how good he ate and she said jokingly, "He's cured!". In a way I feel like that too. He has come along way from where we started. He still has a ways to go before we transition to solid foods, but Wow!
Next week, at this time we will be checking out of the Ronald Mcdonald House; Our home away from home. I was thinking about all of the people we have met during our stay. We have met families from Illinois, Georgia, California, Marlyand and Kuwait.
When you go through an experience like this, you pay alot more attention to the little donation boxes in Mcdonald's for the Ronald Mcdonald House Charities. It really makes a huge difference to be able to stay in this house and have your meals provided and just have a comfortable place to land.
Tim and Sophia are coming up to visit for our last Wednesday visit! We're almost done!!
2 oz of turkey, 2 oz of sweet potatoes, and 1 oz of green beans.
I was talking with Nurse Barbara today about how good he ate and she said jokingly, "He's cured!". In a way I feel like that too. He has come along way from where we started. He still has a ways to go before we transition to solid foods, but Wow!
Next week, at this time we will be checking out of the Ronald Mcdonald House; Our home away from home. I was thinking about all of the people we have met during our stay. We have met families from Illinois, Georgia, California, Marlyand and Kuwait.
When you go through an experience like this, you pay alot more attention to the little donation boxes in Mcdonald's for the Ronald Mcdonald House Charities. It really makes a huge difference to be able to stay in this house and have your meals provided and just have a comfortable place to land.
Tim and Sophia are coming up to visit for our last Wednesday visit! We're almost done!!
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