Cameronmism

Cam: Dad it's hot as an oven...a microwave oven and we're the popcorn.

*Background--we had gone down to Salt Lake for my 6-month follow-up exam & Tysabri appointment (P.S. my MRI last week showed, "no new lesions in the brain, cervical spinal cord and thoracic spinal cord.  Great news!"...my exam was great and here's to another year of 'clean' scans/check-ups).  After my exam it was time for my infusion so Scott took the boys and went elsewhere, he was on his way back from Trolley when Von ran out of gas...oops!  Scott called his brother, who was kind enough to come bail him out (for the second time...) Von had shut off completely and so my boys sat in the heat waiting for uncle Brent to come and that is where the Cameronism came from.   ;)

a new crazy in my life

The big boys started school yesterday, this comprised of getting Jorden up and ready, then going to the school with him for "Back to School Morning", which equals a whole lot of papers that will go in my blue recycling can.  I felt like a loser because I didn't follow the correct itinerary, since Jorden is in the 4th grade, I was supposed to go into his classroom to meet his teacher (Mr. Johnson) and then go into the big gym for the Principle/PTA schpiel, I did it backwards and ended going into Jorden's classroom just as the other parents were finishing and all the kids were coming back in from recess, *doh*...after that I went home to get Cam ready for his first day of kindergarten, he has afternoon with Mrs. Erickson, we went to his classroom, his teacher gave us her schpiel and then read a story to the kids while we filled out papers--this lasted a half hour then we went home.
The boys' teachers seem very nice and first impressions were favorable.  I had a mini breakdown as I tried to figure out in my head how I was going to manage two children in school and help them both with homework and volunteering.  There were tears shed in the shower as I got ready for work--I got a call asking for help yesterday and after telling them, "yes, I can help." I added to my mini breakdown guilt for working on the boys' first day of school...I failed miserably in the 'sane mom department' today.
Today is a new day though, Jorden got up and got ready, ate breakfast and then woke me up to sign a paper for school.  Love him, he is such a good kid!  Cam doesn't start regular classes until next week so he got to sleep in.  Garrett graced me with a smile and hug this morning, it made my day!

Perhaps I can do this after all...

I was speechless and flattered...

There has been a little bit of stress in the Messel household and I tend to get a little down on myself and believe there is never anything good about myself....Last Wednesday, before I went into work, I got an email from Scott with a link to this video.  I KNOW this is how Scott feels about me, I often disregard his compliments and never believe it when he tells me I am beautiful, but REALLY, I know I mean the world to this man that married me for forever.  And he loves every inch of me...and I LOVE him!

Thanks for enduring my cheese...because this was very cheesy!  :)

The Book of Mormon...

Garrett's owie...

Back in June, Garrett developed a fast-growing lump on his neck (looked like a prematurely forming Adam's Apple) his pediatrician referred us to an ENT (ear, nose & throat) doctor, so off we went to see Dr. Kelly. He ordered a CT scan (Gare needed both Versed and Ketamine to help him hold still for the short scan--p.s. very funny, fast-acting effects) and put him on antibiotics, which incidentally didn't do a thing to resolve the issue. Our follow-up involved making an appointment to schedule surgery @ Primary Children's Medical Center to remove the lump, a.k.a Thyroglossal Duct Cyst and "if" things went well to also remove Garrett's "gills"--his Branchial Tract Remnants. Incidentally, our ENT has never seen these two phenomena's on the same patient, both are congenital, but not related. (I am still wondering if having an emergency appendectomy at 6 weeks pregnant with Garrett wasn't responsible.)

Tuesday, August 9th we spent the morning making sure Garrett only had clear liquids--poor thing wanted Honey Nut Cheerios so bad. At 10:30 we had to withhold all food and liquid--while I was getting ready he managed to raid a practically empty box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I found him with the contraband morsels and proceeded to gag the poor child. We made it to PCMC at noon and checked-in, Garrett was issued some regulation hospital jammies with broken snaps and played with toys until about 2 p.m. when the nice anesthesiologist came to get him, he had had his oral Versed and was laying down in a wagon with his beloved blankie. She wheeled him away and Scott and I went down to the cafe to spend way too much money on food for only 2 people. The surgery lasted about 2 hours, they only had to make one incision and removed the 2 lumps, but could not tackle the "gills"--too much swelling from the first part of the surgery. We got to spend the night in a little, 23-hour observation room. Uncle Brent, Aunt Emily & Baby Oliver came to see us and came bearing gifts for Garrett and dinner for us, Thank You!!! Grammie & Grandpa Sorensen also came to see us and brought a Dr. outfit for Gare's bear. Our dear friend, Evy Smyth also came to visit us, convenient as she works at PCMC.

Our night went okay, I stayed with Gare and Scott went home to sleep, since there was only room for one parent. Garrett woke up once around midnight disoriented, staring at the monitor, it wasn't until I crawled into his bed and told him stories about a little boy that went on an adventure that he finally fell back to sleep. We were woken up by Dr. Kelly at 7 a.m. for follow-up and a dressing change. The goal was to make sure Garrett could drink adequately before they discharged us. It took a bag of Cheetos to encourage the kid. One Cheeto per good swallow of chocolate milk. We left at about 11 and went to pick-up the big boys from Aunt Erin's house and went home.

Our little man has been a trooper and is doing well now, thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers while we sent our little boy to have his throat cut ;)