Pictures and Pre-school

Here are a few more pictures from Grady's birthday party. Hope you all enjoy! We have been gearing up for Elle to start pre-school this week. Her first day is actually next Tuesday, but she had open house Monday morning where we got to meet her teacher and see her room. Then Tuesday morning was orientation. She stayed with her class for a little over an hour while the parents were in the sanctuary. And yes, I did tear up a little when they were talking about them saying the pledge of allegience in the mornings. Grady was in another nursery room (without a morning nap, mind you). I really like her teacher and think she will be great. Elle, as always, doesn't cry when I leave her, but when I come to pick her up because she doesn't want to leave. She opened the door to her classroom Tuesday morning and didn't take a second glance back at me?! I think it's safe to say she is ready for school, at least the two-days-a-week-half-a-day level. A fun highlight was running in to Melanie (a friend from Briarwood who I haven't seen in a couple of years who is also a nurse) and learning that her son is in Elle's class! Honestly, how old am I and how old are my kids already? Grady is one and Elle is starting school?! What?!

Happy Birthday Grady!

Grady turned one on Saturday. We had a small family party here at the house. Both Elle and Grady had a blast and I'm pretty sure the grandparents and aunts did too. He got a lot of new toys and clothes, although he hasn't gotten to play with his toys much. Elle is just making sure they get broken in right. Thanks to everybody who drove to spend the day with us. We are so thankful for Grady and his life. It is so hard to believe a year has passed. We pray God blesses him with many more years full of abundant life loving God and loving people. More pictures to come!

The gold for best stomach bug

Let me just say that Thursday night's events were just a small precursor to what was to come for the Salter household. Apparently, it was not the pain medicine, but a stomach bug that dear Grady picked up and over the course of a few days, spread it to Steven and Elle. He had the worst dirty diapers all weekend (I almost would take throw-up over these!). Late Sunday night, he woke crying. I went in and immediately knew there would be some diaper changing to do. As I am getting him cleaned up and putting the neosporin around his surgical site, he proceeds to pee all over everything. I get him all cleaned up, new pajamas, new diaper, new changing pad, settled back down and back to bed. Around 5 AM Monday morning, I awake to the deepest, loudest breathing coming from Steven. He says he is feeling nauseated. At about the same time, I feel the place under my nose on my upper lip beginning to explode in it's favorite stress-induced fever blister. Great. Thirty minutes later, Steven runs to the bathroom and starts his heaving-from-the-bottom-of-my-toes throwing up. Grady begins to cry. I am welcomed by the same smell as I enter his room. I get him cleaned up, change pajamas, and fix a bottle of Pedialyte to see if he will drink some. As I start to sit down in the rocker, I hear Elle start screaming. I run to her door, fling it open and she is lying on the floor at the door. "What it is Elle?" "I'm throwing up."

Seriously. Steven is puking in our bathroom. Grady just blew out his diaper and pajamas and is in my arms. Elle is lying on the floor in her room throwing up. My face is burning from the fever blister explosion. It is 5:30 AM Monday morning. I laugh.

Both Steven and Elle had about three more episodes that day. Steven did not get out of the bed (except to puke) until about 5:30 that night. Nobody slept at the same time. Elle threw up one time and I couldn't get her to the bathroom in time. The problem was that Grady was awake and I was trying to hold Elle over the toilet while somehow making sure that Grady was not in the hall playing in throw-up. Needless to say, the whole family was exhausted. Everyone is doing better now. Steven went to work on Tuesday, a little weak, but feeling better. Elle has been tired and had little appetite, of course. And Grady's bowels are getting back to normal. We are trying to gear up for Grady's birthday on Saturday and his first birthday party. Hopefully, I can get the house disinfected before all the family arrives. Sorry to disappoint, but there are no pictures this time.

Definitions by Elle

Getting in to the car after running a few errands yesterday, I ask, "Are you guys hot back there?" (As if I think Grady is going to respond too?!) To which Elle replies, "Yes!" Then she proceeds with this deep thought:

"Hot means when you want to be cold, and cold means when you want to be hot."

Hmmm... Profound, isn't it?

Two Kinds of Showers

Just a few months ago, I wrote about Elle being sick and throwing up on both of us. I think the Lord did not want Grady and Steven to miss out on the fun, so last night, Daddy took one for the team. Grady had no appetite all day yesterday which is incredibly strange for him, but I chalked it up to just feeling weird a couple days after surgery (Now, looking back, I should have known what was coming. This is the way Elle always does). He ate a cracker and a half for dinner last night and then pushed his bottle away after only a few ounces at bedtime. I put him down just a little after 7 PM. He was still making some noises about 45 minutes later when we were getting Elle ready for bed. Steven offered to go hold him for a little while since he got home after Grady was already in bed. I am in the bed with Elle reading and Steven knocks on the door, then flings it open and says, "Grady is throwing up." This is what Steven looked like. It's very graphic for those with weak stomachs, but we were so amazed that we had to take a picture.



After getting everybody cleaned up and wiping up the throw up all over the hallway, Grady seemed fine and went back to sleep. I did call the pediatric urologist and he said he thought it might be from the pain medicine since he was not running fever, his pp looked fine and it was two days since the procedure. I think that's probably what it was too, although I had only given the medicine to him at noon and at bedtime and only half of the dosage he could have. Needless to say, he will not be getting any more of the strong stuff. He hasn't thrown up again but has been a little out of sorts this morning (fussy, clingy and very sleepy). Hopefully, it will be an isolated incident and Grady will be back to normal soon.


Meanwhile, we have been letting Elle take showers in hopes of getting her used to her head and face being wet. This has been a huge barrier to her learning to swim and even being comfortable in the water, which is one reason we have only been to the pool twice this summer. Both times have been quite comical as I try to corral Grady, who will sit in his float for about 3 minutes and then wants to run around on the concrete, while trying to make sure Elle (who has on a life vest) doesn't drown after going in to hysterics because her face got a little water on it. It is more than one mom can bear.

Successful Surgery

Grady usually has his last bottle around 7 PM, goes to bed and sleeps until 6:30 or 7 in the morning. Last night we had to give him a bottle of formula at 11:30 and then a bottle of diluted juice at 4:30 AM since he couldn't eat or drink anything past 5 AM and so he wouldn't be dehydrated. He did great and went right back to sleep each time--although he had massively wet diapers and soaked pajama pants?! We headed to the outpatient clinic at 6:30 this morning. And we were home by 10:00. Grady did wonderfully and charmed all the nurses. He basically slept from the time they brought him back to me until lunch (they had given him Demerol!). It was kind of funny and weird at the same time to see him be "drugged-up". He had crazy, sleepy eyes. The doctor gave him a prescription for Lortab so he should be good to go. Hopefully, the next few days will be pain free (thanks to the Lortab) and he will heal quickly. We will go back in four weeks for his post-op check-up. Thank you to those who prayed for us. The Lord answered graciously as always.

My Sweet Boy

Grady is having outpatient surgery on Tuesday morning. I have hesitated to even share because of so many mixed emotions. And because it is of a sensitive nature, I will refer in code so as not to offend those of you who can't take using correct anatomical terms without blushing and just in case blogger thinks I am trying to post something crude in nature. He basically has to get re-circumcised. The skin adhered closer than where it should. I have felt guilty and embarrassed that it is all my fault ("I can't even take care of my son's pp. I knew I should have had just girls!"). I have felt angry and wanted to blame the pediatrician who did not examine him closely at 2, 4, or 6 months. Only when I changed doctors at 9 months did I learn there was even remotely a concern. I've also thought a little of the fault could rest with the OB (who I think the greatest of and used to work for) who did the original circumcision. Maybe he was too cautious and didn't quite trim away what he should? We had an appointment with a urologist at Children's Hospital a couple weeks ago and he scheduled us for surgery. I'm finally at the place where I realize that this was in the Lord's plan for Grady and the "what if's" and "if only's" and blaming don't help anything. I also have found out that this is somewhat common--there are four other procedures on Tuesday morning besides Grady--which makes me feel a little better too. The scary thing is that he will be intubated and under general anesthesia. They say that he has more risk of something happening in a car than with this. But even so, all the fears creep in. Steven is taking the day off to stay with Elle and to be here when we get home. The whole procedure should take between 20-30 minutes but I'm sure we will be there for at least half a day. Please pray for us, for my heart and mind, and for a quick recovery. Thanks friends.