New casts

Markus got his original casts removed, his feet stretched and new casts put on. 

Old casts

New casts (and Grandpa)

I did not get to pick the color. :)  Reagan was hoping for HER favorite color...pink!  Mac goes back in 5 weeks to have these casts removed and smaller ones put on. 

He saw his new pediatrician today and it went GREAT!  So glad I found a nice office, staff and doctor....finally!  He got two shots and will start an RX for his vomiting at night.  He had a good checkup! 

Randy took Nolan and his cousin Thad to work out.  Here are a couple of pictures.  They had Denny's for dinner afterwards.  I think that cancels the workout. lol



TGIM

It's Monday!  And things are getting back to normal.  Markus is doing GREAT!  He is starting to crawl a little, although not far and he gets frustrated, he is trying!  He goes for new casting on Wednesday.  I'm hoping for smaller, lighter casts, but I really have no clue what he will get.  He spent Friday with his birth father's family, that was really nice.  He went to church on Sunday and did great.  They are assigning him his own attendant each week so will be well cared for.  Here are some silly pictures of Mac eating popcorn this evening.  It's ridiculous, how many pictures we take of him!  But it can't be helped!  This was so amusing to me because I've never seen him eat ANYTHING out of a bowl!  He always dumps it. 

Reagan went for full allergy testing on Friday but didn't have it done.  One of the medicines she takes for adhd messes with the allergy screening.  So she will have blood work done instead.  She goes back in two weeks to hear the plan.  I missed Reagan's first soccer game of the season. :(  Her Granny was nice enough to stand in for me.  I was coaching Karrigan's first softball game.  Here are some pictures.

Our niece Bryne, meeting Markus for the first time.

Mac

Precious baby Lauren

Shayli and Karrigan

Karrigan and Lauren

The other kids are great!  Staying healthy and just being kids. 

Thanks for reading!  Have a great night!

Outting

Markus had a long night.  He cried a lot.  And there wasn't much I could do for him. :(  Today I took him to Walmart in his stroller, thinking he may like to get out of the house.  Um.....not so much. lol  He fussed pretty much the entire time.  He is napping now, thank goodness.  I think we may make him fat. lol  We offer him snacks all day, to keep him happy.  We need to find something else!  He had his first sponge bath this morning, he didn't care for that either.  Poor Mac!

Randy's sister and her family are coming in town this weekend.  The kids are looking forward to seeing their cousins, but especially Kennedy!!  Kennedy loves, loves her girl cousins and misses them.  This will be the first time they have seen Randy wrestle.  He is tickled about that.  I will have to miss my first show. :(  Markus doesn't care for the shows in the first place, but will NOT tolerate it right now, in his grumpy state.

All for now, have to get Reagan to her weekly appointment.  Have a terrific day!

Post op!

There is something deeply satisfying, when a person's true character is revealed, when the mask finally comes off.  Especially when THEY reveal it!  And then it's clear that YOU were the one who was misjudged.  I suppose it is also sad, because then it's "out" and can no longer be covered up or denied.  I'm just sayin...    lol

We are officially "post op".  We are home and everything is going well.  Markus seems to be feeling pretty good and is taking his lack of mobility well for now.  Here are some pictures.

Feet before surgery

Waiting....  we did a lot of that!

Made it to the OR waiting area!

This is "drunk" Markus, click to play it.  I'm easily amused, ok?

He would say "hi" to every person that even entered his line of sight!

Back in his room

A wagon ride, his first time out of bed.

Having a snack

Wednesday morning, all changed and ready for the day!

The plan for now, is to return to the hospital on Tuesday, get the pins taken out of his feet and get recasted.  If the doctor is happy with the position of the feet, Mac will keep the casts for 5 weeks.  If not, we get recasted again in a week, until the doctor is happy with the positioning.  After 5 weeks, the casts come off and he will be fitted for AFOs (ankle foot orthotics, small leg braces).  He will be casted again, this time below the knee, for another 6 weeks.  After that, he will begin wearing his AFOs to help him stand.  

The other kids are doing very well.  You did know I have 4 other children, didn't you? lol  They have been very gracious about having to take a back seat!  Karrigan has a choir performance this evening and Reagan has soccer practice.  This Saturday is our first softball game.  I believe our first soccer game is the week after that.  Good times! 

My Grandpa is doing great.  He doesn't have any lasting effects from his "incident" last week. lol  In fact, he was at the hospital with me all day Monday.  He is just the sweetest, kindest man ever.  Ya know, when Kennedy was little she had a lot of surgeries and hospital stays.  My Grandparents were always there.  Just there.  Not always talking or DOING anything, just there for us.  They always wanted Kennedy to know they were there and wanted to help however they could.  I always assumed that it was Grandma's idea, to hang out in a hospital waiting room all day.  Most men would rather do ANYthing else.  But now Grandpa does it.  He just wants you to know he is THERE. 

Today is the one year anniversary of my Grandma's passing.  I know Grandpa misses her.  We all do. 

Here are a few pictures I took at the zoo last Thursday, before the paramedics had to be called! lol  You have to laugh or you'll cry! :)  It was St. Patty's day, hence the green shirts.

Kennedy and Reagan

Markus

I loved watching this!  Fascinating!

Karrigan, Reagan and Kennedy

Kennedy, Markus and Grandpa

Karrigan and Nolan

Karrigan sitting at the window by a kimono dragon, cool.

Clubbed feet

Markus has his surgery on Monday.  I planned on updating the blog tonight, when I came home to stay with the older kids.  But as it turns out, I am home tonight WITH MARKUS.  He was doing so well, that he was released this afternoon.  I am glad to get home!!  But I am worried about keeping him happy and comfortable.  He was irritable this evening, but is asleep in his crib now.  I am hoping he sleeps through the night.

His surgery took longer and was more complicated than expected.  But Markus did great.  He had great doctors and nurses.  Our time at Scottish Rite was wonderful.  He has to go back in a week to be recasted.  I will add pictures tomorrow and elaborate.  I am soooo tired right now.  Randy has done a great job, taking care of the kids and the house!  I am blessed to have a husband who is dedicated to his family. 

What a week!

I refuse to say this has been a bad week!  I like to think of it as a challenging week! :)  So often we wonder "why".  I know I do.  Why does God let bad things happen....Why does God let good people die....Why doesn't God intervene when we ask....etc, etc.   I believe that God is not punishing us with challenges.  He is not angry with us.  I think He gives us challenges to allow us to improve ourselves.  Maybe it is to strengthen our character.  Maybe it's to show us something we have been blind to.  Maybe it's to expose us to a person or situation we would not have known otherwise.  Maybe it is so that we may recognize something within ourselves that we haven't tuned in to.  I don't know.  It's just random thinking.  I guess it's how we handle the challenges....what we do with what we've learned....how we treat those around us when we are down...that's what matters, I think.  I don't think we should dwell on the bad things.  Life is BEAUTIFUL if we CHOSE to see it.   

We got word on Wednesday that our friend Phil had passed away very unexpectedly.  He left behind two boys that he was raising alone.  It is still very hard to believe!!  He will be missed!!   

Thursday we had plans with the Banks family to go to the Ft Worth Zoo.  Both Robbi and Shayli (mother and daughter) woke up sick Thursday and had to cancel.  Randy was also (VERY) sick Thursday and missed work.  So the kids and I ventured out to the zoo by ourselves.  At the very last SECOND, I called my Grandpa to see if he'd like to join us.  He said yes!!  I was thrilled!  After a lot of walking Grandpa didn't feel well.  He was overdressed for a warm day, everyone thought he may just have overheated.  Long story short, he was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he immediately went to for a heart cath.  He did not need any additional stents and was basically ok.  He spent the night and next day in ICU.  I think the final theory is that he overworked his very weak heart. :(  What an "adventure" that was for the kids! lol  Honestly, they were TERRIFIC during the whole ordeal.  My super, fantastic, unbelievably kind friend, Robbi drove in downtown, rush hour traffic through two major cities to pick up the kids and deliver them home.  Grandpa is now home and is feeling great.  He APOLOGIZED for cutting our day short!!  I felt I owed HIM an apology for not taking better care of him!!  I love him soooo much.  I want to be with him and share things with him.  I guess now that I know, without a doubt, how fragile he is, I will just take EXTRA extra precautions to keep him healthy.  I would really like to take him back to the zoo.  He was enjoying himself and so were we.  I hope he will say yes.  Kennedy has an electric wheelchair he can use if we can transport it, or the zoo rents scooters for $25.  He deserves to see it all. 

Friday Markus had pre-op at the Scottish Rite Hospital.  It took SIX HOURS.  His birth father Robert spent the day there with us.  Again, the kids were really good, considering what we were doing.  Markus is scheduled for surgery on Monday, the 21st at 9am.  He is expected to stay in the hospital until Wednesday or Thursday, depending on how he does.  I will be updating the blog as often as I can.  It will probably be the best source of information, since email doesn't reach as many people.  So check back often.  Visitor stuff-  Markus  will be on the third floor.  Visiting hours end at 8pm.  If you are sick or think you're sick, please stay home and visit him later.  No latex balloons!  You are asked to clean your hands when you come and when you leave his room. 

I added some pictures to the last blog entry and will add some to this one later.  Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!

Spring Break

It's Spring Break week and we have been making the most of it!  We took a road trip to San Antonio with our friends,  the Banks family.  We had a super time.  Here are LOTS of pictures.  

Hittin the road!

Eating at my new favorite bbq place, Rudy's!

They all look so serious about their food.

YUMMO

This mess Markus left at lunch.

In the car

Watching a dvd

Made it to the hotel!  Time to relax!

Me with my girl, Shayli, headed to the riverwalk.

Let's go, I'm hungry!

Riverwalk

Reagan and Nolan, waiting for dinner.

Kennedy

Markus

Randy and me

We made it to Sea World!

Shayli and Reagan, waiting for a show.

Me with one of my favorite people ever, Garry!

You can't see 'em, but take my word for it, Karrigan, Shayli, Kennedy and Reagan are on this ride!

Proud of herself!

Reagan loved Karrigan!  And Karrigan was nice to her. :)

Us

Them

Reagan, Shayli, Karrigan and Nolan, sitting in the "splash zone" at the Shamu show.

Sweet Kennedy, checking the map.

umm..... hello.....it's SHAMU!

Guess Kennedy didn't sit far enough back! :D  She got soaked.

Nolan knew what he was getting in to!

The penguin exhibit

Hard to take pics through the window, but SUPER cool!!

Is Karrigan in a hurry??

Sweet Reagan!

Karrigan and Shayli

Mommy and Reagan

A picture can't show you how beautiful it really was.

Kennedy and Shayli, showing you how BIG the aquarium was!  This was just one window.

Karrigan and Nolan and JAWS!

Karrigan and Shayli

Carly and Shayli

Markus looking at the fish.

This place SEEMED like a good idea at the time.

The kids liked the snake farm but the adults could see it was not a nice place for animals to live. :(

Carmel apple snack break at the outlet mall in San Marcos.

Karrigan found a quarter and put it to good use.

Riding in the car is hard WORK for kids!

Dinner at Kerby's Cafe in Austin. 

Tomorrow we are going to the Ft Worth Zoo.  I will have pictures to share from that. 

Markus has surgery scheduled for Monday!  He will be in the hospital for 2-3 days.  I am excited but very anxious.  He is having his clubbed feet repaired and will be casted for 8 weeks.  I will get some before pictures up soon and keep the blog updated on his progress. 

Blessings to you!!!