When Life Burns Your Shortcake...

...you make yourself a blizzard.  Things have not been going well.  Okay, they've been  okay but for me they have not been well.  Michael's surgery started off on the wrong note.  They didn't tell us when the surgery was.... they told us they would call.  We kept calling them and calling them and calling them and they still didn't know.  I called at 7:30 the day of and they still didn't know.  The doctors had mentioned that at the earliest it would be at 10 a.m.  So with that being said I went back to bed... only to miss the vibration of my phone at 8:15..... and they started surgery 10 minutes later... not enough time to get down  there... and we didn't plan on my mom arriving until 9:15... so crazy.

We get there and find out that during his surgery the balloon popped.  The balloon is on the inside of his stomach helping to hold the g-tube in place.  So they had to re-cut his stomach and place a new tube and balloon and then reclose him.  They gave  him some morphine later that day.... which led to a massive apnic episode (stopped breathing) and they had to resuscitate him... the same thing happened the next day... only they didn't have to use chest compressions that time (how comforting).... okay, I better stop oozing with sarcasm.

I am thankful that God has continued to spare Michael's life time and time again.  I am also stressed out, frazzled, exhausted and overwhelmed.  I didn't realize how often I say, "Jesus, help me!" until I caught Libby saying it the other day.  Again and again my dependence is on Him.

Michael is supposed to come home on Friday or Saturday.  They are continuing to up his feeds (increase the amount).  We are getting the feeding pump tomorrow and training for the monitor later this week.  We're also doing a "room-in" situation where I will stay with Michael for 6-8 hours and make sure I can handle caring for him.  Unfortunately, I'm not bringing the other 3 kids with me so I don't know if it will really feel like home :)  The good thing though is if there is a crisis there are nurses and doctors right there to help me.  I'm planning on bringing a good book and chilling out while holding him.

Ian had his 2 month appt. today.  He's gone from his birth weight and height of 5 lbs. 3 oz. and 17 and 1/4 inches to 9 lbs!  20 1/2 inches!  That's some serious growth in 2 months!  Dr. Scott prescribed Zantac to help him with reflux that he's been having.  Dr. Scott also suggested I bring Libby in to get her checked out for allergies and nocturnal asthma.  Samuel is going to get set up to see a GI (Gastro-Intestinal) specialist, ENT (ear, nose, throat), and OT (occupational therapy-with eating), and the special dentist re: malocclusion.  Michael will come home on a feeding tube/pump, an apnea  monitor and will need special therapy and medicine and care... his surgery for the cleft repair will be scheduled sometime when he's around 6 months.

So, there's the update.  The shortcake was turned into crispy critters tonight.  So we whipped out some reese's cups and made blizzards.  Don't let Satan rob you of joy.   Take hope.  God is faithful.  He will not fail us.  Thank God for that.