Return of the Baby Hulk

This surgery better be worth it. Garrett is miserable. I can tentatively call it successful because they were able to get both the tonsils and adenoids without anything too drastic, like a trach. But we won't know for several more weeks, when the swelling has gone down and he can have another sleep study. The real test will come this winter. Hopefully he won't spend the entirety of it sick and tired.

As expected, it was a difficult intubation. I would suggest to any parents of children with compromised airways to push for the anesthesiologists to use the Fiberoptic Endotracheal Intubation. Really push. I think this could have prevented the majority of his pain and swelling, leading to his inability to breath and even-more-severe sleep apnea.

Poor Garrett is just not good with "procedures". He fights everything. It's hard to judge his pain because he reacts to getting his temperature taken the very same way he reacts to getting an I.V. And he is so strong, it makes every fight a traumatic ordeal that doesn't end until every trace of the offense is removed. He wont drink out of the bottle that has a little sticky residue on the side from the hospital name tag. He was very cooperative and held perfectly still while the nurse unwrapped his makeshift cast that kept him from destroying his I.V., but as soon as she put on the little tiny band-aid he went ballistic. He wanted no reminders! He wanted everything gone gone gone.

A warning to parents whose children might need this operation; the nights are horrible, truly frightening. They say that a person will die if they go more than 3 days without sleep. Well, I guess 20 second naps are good enough to keep you alive. For a full week, 7 long days and nights, there was simply no way for him to sleep and breath at the same time. The swelling in his throat was so bad that the instant his muscles would relax in slumber, his airway would become completely shut off. On his tummy, on his side, sitting upright; there was no way to potition him or hold him that gave him any relief. We even ended up back in the ER after just a day of being home. I wanted to just stay at the hospital. Watching your not yet 2 year old pass out from exhaustion then just stop breathing over and over and over again, day after day, shouldn't be acceptable. But they kept telling me his oxygen levels were ok and this was normal, there wasn't anything left to do but weather it out.

Now, at one week exactly, almost to the hour, Garrett is starting to do SO much better. He is finally off the strong stuff, eating and drinking normally, his breath stopped smelling like a dumpster of dead frogs in the hot sun, and his fever broke. The apnea is about the same as it was before the surgery, he still saws some logs but over all his sleep is pretty sound. Now, Ben and I just need to catch up on our own Z's and Garrett needs to gain back all the weight he lost, then things will be better than ever. They better be.

Spring brings clear skys and sinuses!

The recent CT scan showed that Garrett's adenoids are apparently "huge", and not only will this block his already small airway, it may be contributing to his chronic sinusitis, because the obstruction disrupts the process that removes bacteria normally present in the nasal passages, and the bacteria begin to multiply and invade the lining of the sinus... the area can't drain properly. So after a winter of thick-green-discharge-clogged sinuses and sleepless nights, it wasn't hard to see the benefits of a tonsil/adenoid-ectomy. We have an appointment for March the 24th. It will only take about 20 minutes but we will be staying over night so they can monitor his post-op breathing. Just an extra precaution that I appreciate.

Until then, we're all just enjoying spring break.

Well hi there.

Garrett and Gus had their annual Craino team check-up Monday and it was nice and boring. Dr. G came in, talked to them for a sec, then said "They look great. See you in a year." That's just what I like to hear.

Garrett doesn't seem to have grown out of his jaw distraction yet, but when he gets the slightest bit of a cold , which is pretty much December through March, his sleep apnea comes back with a vengeance. We do a whole lot of torturous procedures each night to try to help his breathing, but whether the benefits outweigh the cons is questionable... I know what his nightmares are about. We're going to be getting a CT scan soon to check out his sinus cavities and make sure there are no structural blockages, preventing proper drainage of these infections. Hopefully, it's an easy fix like enlarged adenoids or tonsils.

His receptive language in pretty much on track; he understands what we're saying and can follow simple directions. And while he is learning several words and signs, his expressive language is lagging. But... who has two thumbs and couldn't care less? This girl! Why talk when you have 4 devoted servants that immediately bring you what you want at the mere twitch of an eyebrow?

So, that's our update. See you in a year.

Some Changes

You know when you're telling a story and you think it's so funny and relevant and when you're done you're the only one laughing, standing there amid a sea of cocked heads and blank stares, and you really wish you could erase the last 5 minuets? Well, with writing, you can do just that. I found myself having to refrain from posting all the little mundane pictures and silly stuff the kids are doing on a day to day basis that would really bog down this blog. So I'm keeping a separate one for our family and getting back to the original purpose of A lot of F's, Garrett's health and development. It will stay nice and easy to access without boring everyone, only posting when there is actually something to update. I'll be whittling down or removing some stuff so you may notice changes. Sorry about going off topic. I guess you just had to be there.

Dinosaur World

Last Thursday the whole family got to go with Gus' school to Dinosaur World! How perfect for our little herd of Dorkosauruses? Needless to say each of us enjoyed it a little too much. Gus got to hang out with his best buddies while gawking at giant skeletons.



We all dug for fossils and could even keep up to three.







We hiked down a wooded trail where at any turn we could come face to face with terrible lizards bigger than the bus they rode in on.





And finally we wound our way back to the themed playground with dinosaurs of a more manageable size.




The only way I could get them in the same frame was to set up the shot and be patient. I know what a wildlife photographer feels like. Gus is nothing but go go go, while Brenna likes to mix in a little make-believe coffee shop.



Next stop was right up the road at The Dinosaur Vally State Park. This is where, back in the 1940's, scientists found excellently preserved fossilized foot prints of sauropods, like a brachiosaurus, seemingly being chased by theropods, like the T-Rex. The evidence inspired a pretty revolutionary hypothesis that these cold blooded predators were very fast and hunted in packs. To get to these ancient tracks one has to cross a river. We had no idea we were going to be swimming. So in we go, fully clothed.











Nobody had a better time than Garrett. This was his first opportunity to be in cold, rushing river water and play in gritty, sticky mud and he clearly fits right in with this family.





How incredible to think he is placing his tiny hand in an impression left by a baby 'long neck', an adorable Littlefoot? In the exact same place, but separated by one hundred and thirteen million years.

It was a really fun trip, at least for this family of Dorkosauruses.

Let's Party

I start each day off with such lofty aspirations, adults plans, big time stuff. Today I'm going to tackle the 'paper box', a 75 gallon plastic tub over-flowing with junk mail to sort, forms to fill out, and *gasp* some of Garrett's straggling medical bills (it's ok, they're not the real ones printed on yellow paper, just the ones they send out as a courtesy, to RSVP the yellow ones). But Gus had planed a cereal party. He 'decorated' his castle tent with blankets, books, stuffed animals, party hats and a 'table' so we would have a place to set our cups of cereal amid hazardous waves of scrunched up blankets. We sang songs and contorted our faces, stretching our tongues, trying to pluck stuck cheerios off of our nose.







Ben and Brenna were in town grocery shopping. Garrett was napping. It's been a reprehensibly long spell since I spent some one on one time with my oldest. So the paper box can wait. and wait and wait.

Garrett has grown 4 gnarly chompers, every boobs worst nightmare. The rest of him is developing just as quickly. He's days away from walking. He hardly seems like a baby, with his scientific experiments and sophisticated humor. No silly poop jokes for him. And he has such a know-it-all grin.

Check out that mullet!

We spend a lot of time on the front porch enjoying the mid-afternoons, when the sun is high and hot. But in the shade of our home, on our breezy little hill, it feels like paradise.





Best baby sitter ever.

The Dork Days of Summer

Deep, resonating wind chimes, capriciously* harmonizing in the rich scale of A. The children quietly role-playing out a scene at their make believe pet shop. The cheery smell of real peanut butter and strawberry jam on soft, fresh, whole wheat bread. The refreshing oral sensation of Dr.Pepper so cold it’s slightly slushy. Alternating bright, then subdued light filtering in through the expansive kitchen window as puffy, pearly white clouds roll overhead on a breezy day.

As you may have noticed, I’ve recently been inspired to add two F’s to this on-line journal, Feelings and Fotos (roll with it). I’m beginning to see the value in this place being a time capsule of the kids’ childhood. A photo diary of what was, through their moms eyes. I thought about starting a separate blog, and maybe I still will. But really, why bother? I don’t think anyone is reading this that I’d mind sharing a few of my random, awkward feelings.

This might make it harder for my Treacher Collins families to get to the relevant information, so I’ll make a column to the left that will gather all the pertinent stuff, eventually.



Garrett saw his pulmonologist yesterday and mommy has a bit of a crush. The doctor had this dreamy accent, he thought I was in my early 20's!, and he said Garrett is a handsome happy little niño with a perfect heart and set of lungs. And now that he is officially one of Garrett's doctors, he can prescribe the equipment (a new torture device that sucks out the drainage from his nasal cavities) and the medication Garrett needs when he gets stopped up and can't breath at night. And even though he only has sleep apnea when sick, Dr. M still wants to run another sleep study. Not something to look forward to but the more info the better right... right?

While in the neighborhood we stopped and spent the day at the Scarborough Fair Renaissance Festival. It's a place we go every year since Gus was born... cus he loves them...yeah, er... he's such a dork. Anyway, I tried out a DSLR camera but I just don't think my skills are advanced to the point where a better camera will make a difference. I need to work on becoming a better photographer before I worry about out preforming my equipment. But I felt so supper cool carrying around that bad mama jama. And these are some of my favorites.

A mud nymph scurried by and smudged Brennas nose. She was a good sport about it.


My Robin Hood


Granna and Garrett The Great


Out of all her options; butterfly, fairy, unicorn... she wanted a fish, which she still hasn't let me wash off. Before bath-time her eyes grow big as she protectively cups her cheek and crackles "Peas not my fish. I wuv it". It will peal off scale by scale before I'll let a drop of water touch it. Believe it.


Well, it started off nice.
aaaaaawwwwwwww........................................ Gggaaahhhhhh!


And we finished the day with a grail of ale and a calm, relaxing, murderous joust.


*I didn't like using that word any more than you liked reading it, but damnit, that's exactly what they were doing! You try to find a word that better describes the way wind chimes UNrhythmically stutter and stammer, pause, ring soft, then suddenly loud, but all in a whimsical way that somehow sounds entirely on purpose.