Wednesday, December 30, 2009
mamma mia!
While watching Corey eat pizza today, Nonna said to Emery, "say pizza!" to which he replied, "piii-za". His first two syllable word and his new favorite food! Needless to say, he got a big bite after all that hard work.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Daddy's special day
Happy Birthday to the man that makes Emery smile the biggest. We love you!
p.s. Big birthday hugs to Aunt Holly, too...
Monday, September 14, 2009
life
Like it
or not,
Emery's going to be a big brother.
We're all a little hesitant
and a tad unsure of what's to come,
but excited beyond measure!
15 weeks and counting.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Little Gymnist
Although he doesn't look too excited, Emery went to his first Little Gym class with Nate and I this morning. He was NOT interested in the group opening, mainly because it entailed sitting still in daddy's lap. He was much more happy to roam around the gym and climb on everything and tackle the other children. He decided to start participating when they brought out all the balls. He also enjoyed the hula hoops and bubbles. By the end, he didn't want to leave.
We were happy to meet another little guy at the class, whose middle name is Emery. Nate was talking to his parents and they told him they were worried about how small he is-- Emery was by far a head taller, although 2 months younger. Not a second later, I was horrified to see Emery grab this little one by both shoulders and then flat out tackle him, ending up pinning him to the ground and squealing with delight. I know he was just ecstatic to find another friend, but it didn't look that way... the parents were very gracious and said not to worry.
I still worry. We've got a sweet little bruiser on our hands. Nate is hoping it is foreshadowing Emery's future football career. I would like to think it's just a sign he'll be an aggressive post player on the hardwood. Only time will tell.
We were happy to meet another little guy at the class, whose middle name is Emery. Nate was talking to his parents and they told him they were worried about how small he is-- Emery was by far a head taller, although 2 months younger. Not a second later, I was horrified to see Emery grab this little one by both shoulders and then flat out tackle him, ending up pinning him to the ground and squealing with delight. I know he was just ecstatic to find another friend, but it didn't look that way... the parents were very gracious and said not to worry.
I still worry. We've got a sweet little bruiser on our hands. Nate is hoping it is foreshadowing Emery's future football career. I would like to think it's just a sign he'll be an aggressive post player on the hardwood. Only time will tell.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Septemberfest
With Nate off for Labor Day, we headed up to Snowbird for Oktoberfest. We were happy to get out of the house after being cooped up with a recovering Emery. It was his first day without lortab and it was a good one!
We were joined by the lovely Donna, who enjoyed a brat with sauerkraut.
Emery was entertained by the plastic utensils.
And Nate was sweet on the spaetzle.
Most notable was our happy baby boy, who thoroughly enjoyed the sun and canyon breeze.
He got to ride on a bus and had his first taste of potato pancakes (although he enjoyed the applesauce topping the most). He apparently really digs polka music and didn't even mind the band-aid to keep the sun off his surgery scar. And Nate was pleased that someone told us how tough our little guy looked with his war wound.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
the surgery
It was a long day, to say the least. After a restless night for mom and dad, we left the house at 5am and arrived at Primary Children's just before 6 to check into same day surgery. Emery was in heaven, even at that early hour, as the room started filling with children and their parents.
He loved playing with the toys and got right in with the big kids. It was great, as he hadn't been allowed to eat or drink since the night before and I was panicked that he would start asking for his bottle.
There was a little scare initially, as they only had his eye surgery on the schedule at the check in counter. We had to wait until we went back in to the exam room to find out that things were set for both surgeries.
Around 6:45, he was given a routine exam to check his health and was not very happy about it. He had been diagnosed with an ear infection on Sunday and was given an antibiotic shot that day, one Monday, and another Tuesday-- all to make sure he was in fighting shape for today's events. The second he saw the nurse walk towards him, he let it be known that he wasn't going to take it.
It even took a bit of coaxing for us to get his diaper changed and his surgery "scrubs" put on. Good thing he had his favorite Cookie and Elmo to comfort him. They would stay by his side, literally, the entire day.
The early wake-up call was starting to show as we left the exam room and headed to the pre-surgery play area.
Emery loved the kitchen, just like he does at home. And yes, gross that he was putting the cup in his mouth, but I couldn't stop him fast enough!
It was during this 30 minutes of fun that Nate and I decided Santa will be getting him his own kitchen for Christmas.
At 7:15, a nurse came out and administered an anti-anxiety drug that helped him relax. He slowed down over the next 15 minutes and was in my arms by 7:30 when the eye doctor and anesthesiologist came out. The eye doctor, Dr. Dries, assured us that he would take extra special care of our little one and because Dr. Patel was not there yet, Dr. Dries drew dots around Emery's forehead where the cyst was to be removed. He left to prep and the anesthesiologist explained what would happen in detail with the surgery. She was a wonderfully kind 60 something grandma who I immediately trusted. She told us she had a grandson Emery's age and that she would make sure he was safe and comfortable during the surgery. She let me hold him as we walked toward the operating room, right to the double doors where we had to hand him to her. Luckily the medicine had worked and the moment I dreaded was over in an instant. Nate and I gave him a kiss and I handed our baby to her. And that was that.
We waited in the parents surgery waiting room with other anxious adults and numbingly watched the Today show for 2 hours. Dr. Dries came in first and said the eye surgery had gone extremely well. He told us that Dr. Patel was finishing up and that we would be reunited with Emery shortly. We were given some instructions and were able to ask a couple of questions. About a half hour later, Dr. Patel came with the same great news. Relief was an understatement.
15 minutes later, my name was called and the nurse in the waiting room gave me a slip of paper and told me to follow the kites on the floor to the big blue doors. Nate couldn't come for another half hour while Emery was still coming out of the anesthesia. I have never walked so quickly in my life.
I found him in the post surgery room with a dozen other children, each in their own little bed. His eyes were closed and he was feverishly sucking down sugar water from a bottle that a nurse was holding and his vitals were being checked by another nurse. They let me hold the bottle and stroke his hair as he started to wake up. His picc line was still in and his other hand was tightly grasping his beloved Cookie. The nurse told me that they had tried to give him a sippy cup, but he wouldn't take it and so they tried the bottle and he was on his second one by the time I arrived. When he started to stir and cry, they let me take him out of the bed and rock him. I sang him his favorite songs and he continued to drink from the bottle. It was disconcerting, as there were several children screaming for their moms and sobbing. We had been warned that some children come out of the anesthesia without much fuss and others have a hard time. Unfortunately, Emery was the latter. There were lots of bloody tears, which we had also been told could happen but I was still not prepared for, and crying.
In order to move into the recovery room and ultimately go home, he had to pass several tests, including drinking something and breathing on his own with a high enough saturation of oxygen. I was told that when he is in pain, he holds his breath, so the oxygen level wasn't as high as it should have been. As I rocked him, I had to hold an oxygen mask over his mouth to help with that. They took out his picc line and got blood everywhere (I threw away my shirt when we got home, as it was covered) and Emery was in a lot of pain.
At that point, I was able to carry him into the recovery room and they called Nathan to come in. We had two rocking chairs next to his bed and the nurse would come in periodically to monitor him and check him stats. It was a horrible hour and a half, but Emery made it through.
As soon as he heard Nate's voice, he cried out for him. At that point, he still wasn't opening his eyes. We were told it felt like sandpaper and it took him a long time to keep them open.
After about an hour, he was much more alert. All he wanted was apple juice, but they were worried he had already had so much (about 8 4 oz. bottles by that point!). We tried a popsicle, but he didn't much care for it.
He still wanted the bottle.
His eyes were swollen and looked bruised. The area where the cyst was removed seemed much better-- just a small butterfly bandage to cover the stitches.
After another dose of lortab kicked in, he seemed much more himself. He sat on his own, kept his eyes open, and was easily distracted with toys and other items on his bed. By 11:15am, the nurse told us we could take him home.
We changed him and got his discharge papers and then headed to the pharmacy to pick up his antibiotic eye drops and lortab. He had to wear arm braces because he kept rubbing his eyes, which he wasn't supposed to touch.
We were home by 1pm and all three of us collapsed in bed. Emery and I slept 3 hours straight. He woke up happy but annoyed with the arm braces.
With the lortab, he was comfortable and got lots of rest. We learned that the cyst removal was not too uncomfortable. Had that been the only surgery, he would have been sent home with a recommendation to take Motrin for the next 24 hours. It was the eye surgery that caused so much pain and discomfort.
At first, I wasn't going to list the day's events in such detail, but I want to remember what it felt like and I want to be able to recall the tender feelings of love I have for my son.
Nathan told me he hadn't known how much he loved Emery until he watched him be taken to the OR. It's been a very difficult experience, but one that has reminded us of what is truly meaningful. I'm grateful for my slice of heaven on earth-- my family is the most important thing to me.
He loved playing with the toys and got right in with the big kids. It was great, as he hadn't been allowed to eat or drink since the night before and I was panicked that he would start asking for his bottle.
There was a little scare initially, as they only had his eye surgery on the schedule at the check in counter. We had to wait until we went back in to the exam room to find out that things were set for both surgeries.
Around 6:45, he was given a routine exam to check his health and was not very happy about it. He had been diagnosed with an ear infection on Sunday and was given an antibiotic shot that day, one Monday, and another Tuesday-- all to make sure he was in fighting shape for today's events. The second he saw the nurse walk towards him, he let it be known that he wasn't going to take it.
It even took a bit of coaxing for us to get his diaper changed and his surgery "scrubs" put on. Good thing he had his favorite Cookie and Elmo to comfort him. They would stay by his side, literally, the entire day.
The early wake-up call was starting to show as we left the exam room and headed to the pre-surgery play area.
Emery loved the kitchen, just like he does at home. And yes, gross that he was putting the cup in his mouth, but I couldn't stop him fast enough!
It was during this 30 minutes of fun that Nate and I decided Santa will be getting him his own kitchen for Christmas.
At 7:15, a nurse came out and administered an anti-anxiety drug that helped him relax. He slowed down over the next 15 minutes and was in my arms by 7:30 when the eye doctor and anesthesiologist came out. The eye doctor, Dr. Dries, assured us that he would take extra special care of our little one and because Dr. Patel was not there yet, Dr. Dries drew dots around Emery's forehead where the cyst was to be removed. He left to prep and the anesthesiologist explained what would happen in detail with the surgery. She was a wonderfully kind 60 something grandma who I immediately trusted. She told us she had a grandson Emery's age and that she would make sure he was safe and comfortable during the surgery. She let me hold him as we walked toward the operating room, right to the double doors where we had to hand him to her. Luckily the medicine had worked and the moment I dreaded was over in an instant. Nate and I gave him a kiss and I handed our baby to her. And that was that.
We waited in the parents surgery waiting room with other anxious adults and numbingly watched the Today show for 2 hours. Dr. Dries came in first and said the eye surgery had gone extremely well. He told us that Dr. Patel was finishing up and that we would be reunited with Emery shortly. We were given some instructions and were able to ask a couple of questions. About a half hour later, Dr. Patel came with the same great news. Relief was an understatement.
15 minutes later, my name was called and the nurse in the waiting room gave me a slip of paper and told me to follow the kites on the floor to the big blue doors. Nate couldn't come for another half hour while Emery was still coming out of the anesthesia. I have never walked so quickly in my life.
I found him in the post surgery room with a dozen other children, each in their own little bed. His eyes were closed and he was feverishly sucking down sugar water from a bottle that a nurse was holding and his vitals were being checked by another nurse. They let me hold the bottle and stroke his hair as he started to wake up. His picc line was still in and his other hand was tightly grasping his beloved Cookie. The nurse told me that they had tried to give him a sippy cup, but he wouldn't take it and so they tried the bottle and he was on his second one by the time I arrived. When he started to stir and cry, they let me take him out of the bed and rock him. I sang him his favorite songs and he continued to drink from the bottle. It was disconcerting, as there were several children screaming for their moms and sobbing. We had been warned that some children come out of the anesthesia without much fuss and others have a hard time. Unfortunately, Emery was the latter. There were lots of bloody tears, which we had also been told could happen but I was still not prepared for, and crying.
In order to move into the recovery room and ultimately go home, he had to pass several tests, including drinking something and breathing on his own with a high enough saturation of oxygen. I was told that when he is in pain, he holds his breath, so the oxygen level wasn't as high as it should have been. As I rocked him, I had to hold an oxygen mask over his mouth to help with that. They took out his picc line and got blood everywhere (I threw away my shirt when we got home, as it was covered) and Emery was in a lot of pain.
At that point, I was able to carry him into the recovery room and they called Nathan to come in. We had two rocking chairs next to his bed and the nurse would come in periodically to monitor him and check him stats. It was a horrible hour and a half, but Emery made it through.
As soon as he heard Nate's voice, he cried out for him. At that point, he still wasn't opening his eyes. We were told it felt like sandpaper and it took him a long time to keep them open.
After about an hour, he was much more alert. All he wanted was apple juice, but they were worried he had already had so much (about 8 4 oz. bottles by that point!). We tried a popsicle, but he didn't much care for it.
He still wanted the bottle.
His eyes were swollen and looked bruised. The area where the cyst was removed seemed much better-- just a small butterfly bandage to cover the stitches.
After another dose of lortab kicked in, he seemed much more himself. He sat on his own, kept his eyes open, and was easily distracted with toys and other items on his bed. By 11:15am, the nurse told us we could take him home.
We changed him and got his discharge papers and then headed to the pharmacy to pick up his antibiotic eye drops and lortab. He had to wear arm braces because he kept rubbing his eyes, which he wasn't supposed to touch.
We were home by 1pm and all three of us collapsed in bed. Emery and I slept 3 hours straight. He woke up happy but annoyed with the arm braces.
With the lortab, he was comfortable and got lots of rest. We learned that the cyst removal was not too uncomfortable. Had that been the only surgery, he would have been sent home with a recommendation to take Motrin for the next 24 hours. It was the eye surgery that caused so much pain and discomfort.
At first, I wasn't going to list the day's events in such detail, but I want to remember what it felt like and I want to be able to recall the tender feelings of love I have for my son.
Nathan told me he hadn't known how much he loved Emery until he watched him be taken to the OR. It's been a very difficult experience, but one that has reminded us of what is truly meaningful. I'm grateful for my slice of heaven on earth-- my family is the most important thing to me.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
major milestone for mom.
I'm not sure what traumatic experience occurred in the bathtub, but Emery refuses to be bathed anywhere but the kitchen sink. So as he sat contently playing with plastic Elmo and a wooden spoon this afternoon, I decided to cut his hair for the first time. He's usually so active, it was actually the easiest place to do it. I tried to leave the cute curls/wings behind his ears, but the mullet look he was starting to sport looked a little too 1984 and something had to be done!
The end result wasn't too shabby.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
We're BAAAACK.
It's been a crazy summer, but here's hoping we're back to a somewhat normal routine!
Much has transpired...
-- we moved into our cute "new" old farmhouse (built in 1899!) at the end of June
-- Emery and I went down under with the koalas and kangaroos at the end of July
-- we had fun at Nate's family reunion at the beginning of August
-- Emery has started saying quite a few words and knows how to bark like a dog
-- he's decided he might want to start walking sometime soon
-- he has dealt with 4 ear infections, a bout of pneumonia, and a severe cold in the past 2 months
-- after several consults, on September 2nd, Emery is scheduled for eye surgery, along with the surgery to remove the dermoid cyst on his forehead
We've been busy! More to come, especially LOADS of pictures.
More to come.
bagels and lox
Fun day. Emery and I got to meet one of our favorite red heads for lunch, Miss Donna. Emery had his first peanut butter and grape jelly bagel, albeit he got more on his face than in his bocca.
Then we joined our other favorite red head at the aquarium.
The boys lounged..
while Susannah and Erin pet the sting rays.
One of Emery's most enjoyable moments was a push from his favorite 3 year old.
Fancy fake canoe rides are something to smile about.
Lucky for mom, the tired boy fell asleep the second our car hit the road.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
oops!
I realized tonight it's been a LONG time since my last post. My mom sent me another pic from the summerfest that Emery attended in early JUNE.
So much as happened. We sold these:
and Nate shed a tear or two.
We packed LOTS of boxes and moved 10 minutes south to our new old home. Emery has been sick, sick, sick going on three weeks. His latest diagnosis: ear infection. Yuck. He's spent most nights like this:
Said picture was taken at 3am with my cell phone, 2 minutes after he had finally fallen asleep. We're ALL tired lately.
We also found out that Emery will have to have two surgeries next month-- one to remove his dermoid cyst and one to correct his esotropia. It seems both can be done during the same round of anesthesia, so we're grateful that the risk will be minimal.
And big thanks to my parents for helping with the little one this weekend. They were out of town for 2 weeks and it is wonderful to have them back. While Nate and I went to dinner, they let Emery have a little naked bum time, much to his enjoyment:
Many more posts to come, as soon as we unpack the box with the camera cords and I find a little energy... moving stinks.
So much as happened. We sold these:
and Nate shed a tear or two.
We packed LOTS of boxes and moved 10 minutes south to our new old home. Emery has been sick, sick, sick going on three weeks. His latest diagnosis: ear infection. Yuck. He's spent most nights like this:
Said picture was taken at 3am with my cell phone, 2 minutes after he had finally fallen asleep. We're ALL tired lately.
We also found out that Emery will have to have two surgeries next month-- one to remove his dermoid cyst and one to correct his esotropia. It seems both can be done during the same round of anesthesia, so we're grateful that the risk will be minimal.
And big thanks to my parents for helping with the little one this weekend. They were out of town for 2 weeks and it is wonderful to have them back. While Nate and I went to dinner, they let Emery have a little naked bum time, much to his enjoyment:
Many more posts to come, as soon as we unpack the box with the camera cords and I find a little energy... moving stinks.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
thanks!
Emery got to hang out at the Orem Festival with Brooklyn, Chloe, and Grandma and Grandpa this afternoon while I packed for our move next week.
He got sleepy and took a snooze before lunch.
He got sleepy and took a snooze before lunch.
And then had a lot of fun sitting with Grandpa watching all the people and rides. His love of carnies was discovered today.
Thanks to Grandpa for the pics and to Grandma for the sanity.
Moving is hard with a one year old!!
Following in Obama's footsteps, he even got to eat a grilled cheese at Five Guys!
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