TUBES!

Greetings! Today was the day the kids went in for their very first surgery!
We woke them up at 5:45 am, dressed them, had them pee and drove 35 minutes to the Chilliwack Hospital where we were greeted by their nurses, Janny and Brenda. Still groggy from the early waking and lack of liquids and solids, the kids slowly answered the nurses questions and mommy and daddy dressed them in their pretty hospital gowns.

They got special stickers on their hands covered by Pooh Bear and Princesses to numb the skin for their injection. Then they got special bracelets marked with their allergies and their names and were sent off to play in the BIG plastic castle in the surgical waiting room. Decked out with a TV playing the Magic School Bus and filled with toys, Promise and Toby were in hospital heaven! They perked up and were in very good spirits. Thank you, Jesus!

Then it came time for Toby to head into the anesthesiologist's room with Daddy. He gave me BIG kisses and while they prepped, Promise and I played castle/dragon/princess games.

Then they called for Promise. We had a quick pee and headed down the hall. We got special hats that looked like shower caps and little booties to put on. Then we talked to the anesthesiologist explain to us about the special mask that Promise would wear to fall asleep. I translated for her. :) She seemed to understand that she got to wear the special mask that would give her special air to breathe so she could go to dreamland. :)

Once on the operating table, they tucked her in a heated blanket and held the mask out for her to wear. She stared at me while I talked to her about what was happening, prayed with her, and said "I love you" lots....then her eyes rolled back (which made me get very teary-eyed...it's scary to see your baby's eye roll back into their head in a forced sleep!!) and she went to sleep.

I sat in the waiting room meeting Tim there. He said Toby was NOT a fan of the mask and screamed and squirmed until passing out. :( Promise was a pro with that! We waited a bit longer and I passed Toby's bottle and blankie to Tim when he was called to meet Toby in the recovery room just 20 minutes later!

Shortly thereafter, they called me to meet Promise in recovery, as she was just starting to stir. I walked in to find a VERY dazed Toby in Tim's arms with goo draining from his ears and an even more "out-of-it" Promise gazing at Toby. A little creepy, I must say! But I was so thankful they were both out, happy and okay. Their "stickers" were taken off and they were wheeled into their own room where they were given some Advil/Tylenol and we were given a prescription for antibiotic drops for the ears and a list of dos and don'ts.

Within about 20 minutes or so, they were drinking juice and munching cereal balls talking about how their ears were sore and how much they wanted to go. :)

We changed them and took one last visit to the "castle" in the play waiting room and headed for the car.

Tim and I were thrilled at how well they did....not one issue, difficulty, tantrum or incident! We thanked the Lord over and over again for protecting our precious ones.

Promise's main focus was...."It's time to buy a FISH!" We promised her that after her surgery, she and Toby could pick a fish (partially for her Birthday present, too)....so all she really cared about was getting to the pet store as fast as possible to pick out a fish.

Once there, it took what felt like decades for her to pick a fish only to find out that the one(s) she wanted (while only between $0.41 and $2.29) needed to be put in aquariums designed strictly for tropical fish (a total bill of well over $50 for all that!) so we decided to distract with a Betta fish. Yeah, right. After much explaining about the sicknesses that tropical fish may endure without their $50 tanks and their need for light, plants and rocks, Promise finally decided that "Goldie" (the name of her potential fish) could be a Betta. She picked a lovely ugly duckling of a fish. While the bright red and blue ones sparkled in the water, Promise chose a brown male with slightly golden fins. I had to laugh.

We brought Goldie home and set up his bowl complete with some rocks and a cardboard background for ambiance and he blended into his world well....not to mention the kids were sufficiently distracted while I cooked breakfast and Tim managed fish time.

We had a great day together and I was so grateful Tim was able to take the day off to join us....I don't think I would have been able to do all that AND keep things peaceful without him. God is faithful.

Thank you for your prayers. At bedtime tonight, we put in their drops, gave them their tylenol and placed Goldie in Promise's room....all is quiet now. I am so thankful for God's gracious provision...and health insurance....their meds cost less than her fish!

Be blessed!

Adventure?

 Isn't my 'almost-4-year-old' beautiful? She is just lovely. Just a few more weeks and she will be the BIG 4! And with that comes a host of responsibility....she will now have to put her own dishes in the dishwasher, take her own clothes to the dirty clothes hamper and put them away when washed, and a few other grown-up chores. :) She seems pretty excited about the concept of growing up, though with the new baby coming, she still wants to eat on mommy's lap and occasionally be fed by mommy's hand...that will definitely have to stop once baby comes! I can't spoon feed THREE children at once!


This weekend was a "civic holiday" weekend, but Tim had to work on Saturday, so we spent Sunday and Monday sinking in as much "vacation" time together as possible. :) We're trying to pay off debt and save money so our outings have been more creative than your usual summer vacations. There have been A LOT of trips to the Library, McDonald's Play Place visits only buying a small fry, trips to the "free" local dairy barn to see the cows, goats, turkeys, pigs, and horses, trips to the "train park" (also known as Mill Lake Park, and this weekend....? A trip up our "mountain" for a hike.

Tim had a great idea to drive to the top of our mountain (Eagle Mountain) where all the MASSIVE houses are and travel the trails where housing development has only just begun. Though I know we're not supposed to play in construction sites, this area has been abandoned until the massive houses below are sold. So we adventured!

 So we found a dirt/gravel trail up the mountain and began to "climb". We found LOTS of concrete blocks, piping, and empty drains.....

 And a lovely view of the United States and our city!

 We climbed all over the concrete....saw pretty wild flowers, chased grasshoppers and butterflies, and threw rocks.

 Toby found a tube!

 And another vantage point!

 Then the kids got tired and Daddy gave them a ride.....

We took a break in some piping avoiding the sun....

And had a really great time just 3 minutes from our house! Who knew such adventures awaited us so very close!?

This week will be another adventure...though one of a different sort. On Thursday, the kids go in for their very first surgery. They are getting tubes put in their ears to help with their frequent sinus/ear infections. I am hoping it will also help with Toby's lack of balance (he falls all the time) and difficulty hearing certain letters. For Promise, I am praying it will keep her from all those pesky ear aches and irritable outbursts from not being able to hear! If you think of them, please pray for them on Thursday morning. Two kids under general anesthesia waking with ear aches may not be fun for anyone.....but thankfully since Tim worked Saturday, he can come with me on Thursday to the hospital! Thank you, Jesus!
Be blessed.