Wednesday's Post-Clinic Appt.

Hello everyone,
We were off to Children's this morning for a scheduled clinic visit with Dr. Cava. Hurray for Braden as he is no longer a "hose nose" (Grandpa Harvey's words). We're officially off of the oxygen, which means no more pulse ox, lugging around an O2 tank, and upsetting our son as he fights putting it on everynight. Speaking of nights, we have been getting more sleep these days. Braden is at that age where we can let him cry a bit before racing into his room to stuff the pacifier back in his mouth. We talked to the docs, and they said it's okay with his heart to let him cry. So, I no longer have that haggard, no-sleep look on my face :-) We also ventured to the 4th floor to visit our friends, the Slagers. They brought Sam back in on Christmas Eve due to his lack of eating. It's still not resolved. Please say a prayer for Sam - we hope they get to celebrate the New Year in the comfort of their home.

Venturing to the 4th floor also allowed us to see a few of Braden's favorite nurses. He flashed a few smiles to remind them of his charm. On our way out, we were greeted by Dr. Ghanayem and slightly scolded for not letting her know we were at CHW. She commented on how "pink" Braden looked. She was the 3rd person to tell us that today - makes us feel so good. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention....we don't have to go back to clinic for another 2 months - woo-hoo!

Well, since I'm up and writing I might as well continue with other happenings. We celebrated Christmas Day at Rich's Aunt Peg and Uncle Ray's. It was so good to see everyone as we've lived the "bubble" life for too long. Braden was a bit over-stimulated to say the least, and fussed and slept most of the time. It's expected when we introduce him to the ENTIRE family at once :-) Hopefully this spring we can venture up to the U.P. to meet all of my family.

Today marks a week until I return to work. My school has been amazingly understanding with the situation regarding Braden's health. I have had the privilege of spending all of this time with him at home (and the hospital). I was granted an extension of leave (the month of December) to care for him after his Glenn - I am forever grateful for this time.

As I close, I want to say that along our journey we have met and corresponded with so many families who have walked in our shoes and who continue to do so. It has been a network of people whom I've confided in and has allowed me to untangle some of those chaotic, stressful moments. It's amazing how differently you look at life when it's been touched by so many wonderful people.

Good Night,
Stephanie

PS....for all of the obsessive blog-aholics (you know who you are), I "snuck" this post in on you. Regular scheduled posts will be on Sunday evenings due to popular demand.