Gavin's Day Take 4

Wednesday, Gavin and I had our weekly date.  We started out with therapy at the park.  Miss Melissa asked us to meet her at Fortress of Fun in Newburgh.  We hadn't been there in two years.  There was only one other kid there with her dad, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.  It also wasn't too hot yet since it was 8:00am!  Gavin did great, but wore himself out.  He didn't want to slow down though.  By the time therapy was over, he was filthy!  Good thing I had a change of clothes in the car.  I cleaned him up a bit and we headed to the library for story time.  Gavin picked out 2 movies and 4 books.  Then, I had to run him out to the car because he needed a diaper change.  We went back in and played with blocks and puzzles until it was time to start.  Once again, Gavin played shy guy.  Thankfully, the class was small and he eventually warmed up a bit.  He also made an adorable Uncle Sam mask. 
After the library, we met Grandpa at Hacienda for lunch.  Next up was nap!  After nap, Gavin helped me do a few chores around the house.  Then, we headed to his appointment at Riverside Orthodics.  Gavin was doing pretty well, despite the fact that the appt wasn't until 5:00!  He was doing fine until a man walked in with his dog.  Gavin started freaking out!  The man was trying to be nice and kept saying that he asked if he could bring the dog because he didn't want to leave her in the car.  I understood, but Gavin was not a happy camper.  When the receptionist realized that Gavin was scared, she moved us to another waiting area.  I was very thankful!  When we finally got to meet with Tom, we didn't really accomplish much.  He basically just told me that we need the shoes first.  I've been holding off on buying him new tennis shoes until I found out more.  He said that we need to go to Riecken (sp?) and described what kind of shoes to look for.  He said that we then need to come back in and that it won't take him long to get the right lift at all.  I was also thrilled to find out that it would only cost around $10!  We were initally told it may be closer to $200, so that was a huge relief!  It was funny, because Tom watched him take two steps and said that he could definitely see the "drop" and the difference.  Well, Gavin and I had a great day

Gavin Funny

On Sunday, when we were running several errands with Gavin, we went to the bank.  We tried to go to the bank we usually go to, but the atm wasn't working.  Later in the day, we went to a different location.  On the way there, Gavin said, "Hey daddy...hey daddy...hey daddy...did you move the bank?"  It was hilarious because he knew we were going somewhere different. 

Today during nap, Gavin came in and said, "I did something to myself."  I asked him what he did and he said, "I fell out of my bed."  After a few kisses, I sent him on his way.  That kid cracks me up!

Jibber Jabber

I forgot to mention, over the weekend Lilah's babbling started including consonant sounds!  Of course, she started with "dadadada".  This girl has a lot to say!  I love listening to her talk.  Who knows what's going on in that mind of hers!

6 Month Check Up

This morning, I took Lilah in to see Dr. Voyles for her 6 month check up.  She weighs 18 pounds (80th percentile) and is 25 inches long (20th percentile).  Lilah was a happy girl and the visit went well.  Her ears looked good and so did her labial adhesion.  He said to finish off the antibiotic and hold on to the cream in case we needed it down the road.  Dr. V was impressed with how strong Lilah is!  He did say that we have to stop feeding her at night and let her cry it out.  I know that's what she needs, but it will be easier said than done.  The next few nights are going to be rough!  The hardest part is that Lilah shares a room with Gavin.  Wish us luck!  After visiting with Dr. V, Lilah got her shots. Fun, fun!  I scheduled her next appointment for a day I have off school. Score! I'm trying to get as many appointments as I can outside of school hours because I always end up missing way too much school. 
While I was there with Lilah, I was able to ask a few questions about Gavin.  I found out that they got the whole insurance mix up taken care of.  I also asked where I should get his lift.  Dr. Voyles said to call the rehab center.  I did and they said to call Riverside Orthodics.  I also asked Miss Melissa, so hopefully we will figure something out soon.
Normally, Tuesdays are Macie's day, but I switched them this week because of Lilah's appointment.  We've spent the rest of the day trying to visit my aunt who had surgery and hanging out.  I've also made lots of phone calls.  Poor Lilah!

Visiting Papaw

Last Friday, we found out that Papaw had pneumonia and was in the hospital.  The kids and I met Brian at work and headed to Madisonville.  He wasn't doing well and we wanted to make sure we went to see him.  We got to Brian's work a bit early so that I could feed the kids in the van.  We went to the hospital and the kids were a little leery.  Papaw had an oxygen mask on and they honestly don't go to the hospital that often.  Nanny was thrilled to see them though!  Macie wouldn't get in a picture because she was trying to figure out what was going on, but overall the kids did pretty well.  The room was tiny and Gavin was getting a little wild, but we managed.  Aunt Jackie and Uncle Randy also came for a visit so it was nice to see them.  They hadn't seen Lilah yet.  Aunt Jackie asked to take pictures of the kids on her phone and before long, they were posing and asking her to take their pictures!  After our visit, we stopped for some Mexican food.  Brian and I were really hungry.  It was already 6:30, so I was worried about the kids.  We knew what we wanted right away, so it didn't really take long.  Plus, the kids each got their own bowl of salsa, so they were set!  They actually did better than I did.  The restaurant was so hot I was miserable and the waitress was horrible.  I took most of my food home and ate it the next day.  Once were in the van, we changed the kids into pjs and headed home.
It was nice to see Nanny and Papaw, but I hate that we keep seeing him in the hospital.  Thankfully, today he was moved back to the nursing home.  He is still on antibiotics, but is doing better.



Rock+Foot=Ouchie Wawa!

Tonight, I heard a thud followed by crying.  Not good!  Come to find out, Gavin had been playing with our large Colt's rock and dropped it on his foot.  He was crying and limping, so I started taking off his pjs.  His foot was already swelling up.  I sat him on the couch with his foot propped up.  We put an ice pack on it. He wasn't thrilled out it, but it helped a bit.  I think that he will have a bruise, but after a little TLC from Mommy and Macie, he was back to his normal self!

Meeting Dr. Loder

We got up bright and early this morning.  In fact, I was awake at 2:30 am, but didn't get out of bed until a little after 3.  By four, we were all loaded up and headed to Indy.  Gavin had an appointment with Dr. Loder at 8:30 Evansville time and they wanted him there at least 30 minutes early.  The ride there went super well, especially since there was no traffic on the road! 

Dr. Haggstrom (Gavin's dermatologist) referred Gavin to see Dr. Loder (a Pediatric Orthopedic doctor).  I have to start this by saying, Riley is an amazing place!  Everyone there is just so nice and kid friendly. Yes, the place is all about kids, but they really make it a point to care for not only your child, but also the parents.  We got checked in early and were called back early. We met Dr. Loder.  He was super nice and very calming.  Gavin warmed up to him right away!  After checking him out a bit and asking us a few questions, he sent us down the hall for x-rays.  Gavin is such a brave boy and a great patient!  He was so good for the x-rays and laid as still as he could.  The lady was super impressed with him.  After x-rays, we went back to meet with Dr. Loder.  He told us that Gavin's right leg is 9 millimeters longer than the left leg.  He prescribed a lift to put in his shoe.  He said that should be OK for now.  The plan is to see him again in a year.  He will basically do the same thing.  Another x-ray and measurement.  Based on that, he may readjust the lift.  I was happy to find out that the lift will fit in any shoe.  He said we could get it there, but that he recommends getting it in Evansville so it is closer to home. 

As far as future treatments, that is still to be determined.  He said it will take several years and a few more x-rays to see his growth pattern.  Down the road, he may do a simple surgical procedure that would stop the growth.  Because of his vascular lesion, this procedure may be more complicated, but we are just going to have to wait and see.  There are a lot more extreme measures that he may take, but he's hoping he doesn't have to go that route. 

Brian and I left there feeling relieved that the difference was closer to 1 centimeter and not 2, and also realizing once again, that we still have a long road ahead of us. 

There were only a few things about the appointment that I was frustrated with.  First, Miss Melissa (Gavin's PT), wrote a letter.  I, stupidly, left it at home.  I had it on my email on my phone and tried to give it to them that way.  They said that I wasn't able to do that.  The other thing had to do with insurance.  When Dr. L's office called the insurance company, they said that an authorization had to go through Dr. Voyles.  They called Dr. V's office and they didn't know anything about it.  I hadn't said anything to them because we were referred by Dr. H.  They said they were going to get it all worked out, but we found out that everything we do has to go through Dr. V.  I take Lilah to Dr. V tomorrow, so I'm going to say something about it then.  I'm also going to ask him where we should get the lift.

The ride home went well, but was super long.  We had to go pick up the girls and we were all wiped.  Our next Indy trip will be to Dr. H's team of docs.  I just have to keep taking things one day at a time! 

Daddy Time

We took the girls to Sturgis for the night because Gavin had an early morning appointment.  Gavin was sad to leave his "best friend", but he also loved his time with Mommy and Daddy.  We ran several errands and then settled in for an early night.  I wondered where my boys went and this is what I found...

 They were laying on the vent!

I love these boys!



Saturday at Grandma and Grandpa's

This morning, Brian had a few errands to run, so he took Macie and Gavin with him.  They haven't gotten as much time with him lately.  When they got home, we had a hodge podge lunch where we cleaned out the fridge.  Then it was time for naps and Brian to get ready to go bartend.  He had to be there pretty early so he was gone all day.  I packed our bag and cleaned up the house while they slept.  Gavin slept for a little over two hours which was nice.  When they woke up, we headed to my parents' house.  The kids played in the water and had a great time.  My Aunt Alice stopped by and ended up staying for dinner.  We had a great visit and come home just in time to put the kids to bed.  They were a little wound up and Gavin kept getting out of bed (and issue we need to work on), but once they were all asleep I was able to unpack, water the garden, and eventually sit down to watch tv and blog.  

 Dancing in the "rain"

 Gavin loved to play with this big stick!

Roly Poly

Lilah is rolling all over the place!  She can now roll from her back to her belly!  Friday morning, I put her on a blanket on the floor and left the room for a minute.  When I came back, I found her all of the way across the room.  Later, I caught her rolling over from her back.  I was so excited and she was so proud of herself!  Also, every time she rolls onto her belly, she gets up on all fours and starts rocking.  She ends up scooting backwards, but I feel like she is well on her way to crawling.  Now that she is more mobile, I'm going to have to keep an eye on her.  Yes, I have two other small children, but they pretty much know the boundaries and I'm not too worried about them getting into stuff.  Lilah was underneath the laptop table and I freaked because I was worried she would grab onto the cords.  Here we go again!

Ha Ha Haha Ha

Macie and Gavin often are hateful to each other.  Not that they don't come up with any ideas on their own, but a lot of the time they see something at daycare from the "mean girls", as I call them, and then repeat it at home.  The latest thing that is driving me crazy is them saying, "ha ha haha ha" to each other.  They rub stuff in each other's faces.  I want no part of that nonsense and nothing seemed to get through to them.  I finally had enough and told them that every time I hear it, I am going to take a penny out of their piggy banks.  Yes, it is only a penny but it has a big effect on them!  I've only had to do it once.  Friday morning, I heard Gavin saying it during breakfast so I went straight to his bank to pull out a penny.  He was devastated...just the reaction I wanted!  Neither one has said it since!

Blocks

Lilah's Day Take 2

Lilah and I had a nice relaxing day at home.  I was able to get several things done as well as spend time with my littlest love.  We played, cuddled, and practiced sitting.  Going places with the other two is lots of fun, but I also love my low key days with LJ!

Gavin's Day Take 3

Gavin's day started out with therapy as usual.  He was unusually shy though.  It took him a long time to warm up and he wore out quickly.  Miss Melissa decided that next week we should meet at a park.  Maybe that will help him get out of his shell.  After therapy, we headed to Chuck-E-Cheese to meet Parker, Aunt Beth, and Aunt Katie.  It was Parker's first time, so Gavin had to show him around.  He was still a little shy, but the boys had a great time.  We don't get to see Parker very often because he's been so sick so it was great to spend time with him.  After Chuck-E-Cheese, we went to the mall.  I took the boys to the play area while Aunt Katie and Aunt Beth did a little shopping.  Once again, it was Parker's first time.  Our next stop was Pizza Hut for some lunch.  We ate the buffet and it was a yummy lunch.  Gavin ate more than his fair share.  We went home and took a nap.  I slept too because I had a horrible headache.  After Gavin woke up, we went to pick up the girls.  Another great day with my handsome boy!

The boys played this game over and over!

 This was so cute...they rode in this car and Parker grabbed on to Gavin's hand when it started moving