When Simi was in the hospital for his open heart surgery, after the surgery, every small procedure was a really big deal. For example, each time the nurse took out a line, I rejoiced because it meant that he was improving and was one step closer to going home.
Simi didn't see it the same way I did. To him, getting a line out meant pain. It was a BIG DEAL. He fought and cried and did everything he could to prevent the nurse from removing lines, band-aids, etc.
On the day he was released from the hospital, the nurse removed the last IV line from the back of his hand. I explained to Simi what the nurse was about to do and he cried in sheer terror. He told me that he didn't want them to remove the line and preferred that it stay in forever.
When I (Liz) was in the hospital yesterday for the version, the first thing the nurses did was take blood and insert an IV line. I'm terrified of needles, so this is a big deal to me. When the version was cancelled, my first thought was that I had a needle for no reason at all. That's a BIG DEAL.
When it came time for me to leave, the nurse moved to remove the IV line. I wanted to cry. Instead, I asked her if we could keep it in because sometime soon I'd be back to have the baby, and I'd need it then. Wouldn't it save them time, I reasoned, if the line was already in? I would rather that line stay in forever than have the nurse remove it. Nothing doing; the line came out.
I now know how Simi felt...
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Waiting for Baby
Just before my mum passed away (in 1999), I read a book in an attempt to prepare myself for the inevitable. In the book, the authors talked about how people died in the same way they lived - according to their personalities. Each chapter was a story about a different person and their end of life experience. And true to form, my mum passed away in a manner very appropriate to her personality.
I have a theory: I think people are born according to their personalities too.
In utero, Baby Sister has A LOT of personality. I'm very interested in meeting her and getting to know her and learn of the kind of person she is. Her birth is already very different from her two brothers.
A few weeks ago we learned she's transverse. That means that she's laying sideways in utero. By this point, she should be vertex, or head down. She's moving a lot - going from side-to-side - and avoiding that middle at all costs. Each time the doctor does an ultrasound, her head is either on the left or on the right. How does she do that without going to the middle?
We also learned that Baby Sister responds well to verbal threats.
Yesterday, we had an attempt to manually move her to the correct position. About 15 minutes prior to the version, the resident did an ultrasound to check her position: head left, body across, and legs and arms dangling. Doctor comes in to perform the version and checks the position via ultrasound: head center, body up - perfect vertex position. Version cancelled.
What a teaser!
These next few weeks are going to be interesting ones in terms of what Baby Sister will do. And the next 18+ years will be a blast with her in our lives if she continues the same personality she has in utero.
I have a theory: I think people are born according to their personalities too.
In utero, Baby Sister has A LOT of personality. I'm very interested in meeting her and getting to know her and learn of the kind of person she is. Her birth is already very different from her two brothers.
A few weeks ago we learned she's transverse. That means that she's laying sideways in utero. By this point, she should be vertex, or head down. She's moving a lot - going from side-to-side - and avoiding that middle at all costs. Each time the doctor does an ultrasound, her head is either on the left or on the right. How does she do that without going to the middle?
We also learned that Baby Sister responds well to verbal threats.
Yesterday, we had an attempt to manually move her to the correct position. About 15 minutes prior to the version, the resident did an ultrasound to check her position: head left, body across, and legs and arms dangling. Doctor comes in to perform the version and checks the position via ultrasound: head center, body up - perfect vertex position. Version cancelled.
What a teaser!
These next few weeks are going to be interesting ones in terms of what Baby Sister will do. And the next 18+ years will be a blast with her in our lives if she continues the same personality she has in utero.
Monday, December 26, 2005
Pressies!
Yesterday was another wonderful Christmas. In the morning, the boys woke up in their matching pajamas -- and we went downstairs to see if Santa had arrived during the night. Sure 'nough, there were presents under the tree!
Last year, Asher (who was 1 at the time) was a bit too young to enjoy presents. This year, the two of them dug into their pressies and had a blast!
Want to know the favorite toy for both of them? The Hess fire truck.
Simi and Asher are a bit luckier than most kids because we celebrate Hannukah too. That means they get pressies for Hannukah too! Lucky kids!
To all our cyber-friends, we hope this holiday season brings you happiness, joy, and love. And we hope all your dreams for 2006 come true.
Last year, Asher (who was 1 at the time) was a bit too young to enjoy presents. This year, the two of them dug into their pressies and had a blast!
Want to know the favorite toy for both of them? The Hess fire truck.
Simi and Asher are a bit luckier than most kids because we celebrate Hannukah too. That means they get pressies for Hannukah too! Lucky kids!
To all our cyber-friends, we hope this holiday season brings you happiness, joy, and love. And we hope all your dreams for 2006 come true.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Happy Holidays!
To all our friends and family who read this blog: we'd like to wish you a very wonderful holiday and a happy and healthy new year.
While I wish that I could put, as a new year's resolution, that I'd do a better job at more individual communication, with baby #3 nearly here I'm sure that resolution would never hold up. So please understand when you don't get those personal phone calls or visits that you once did receive.
While I wish that I could put, as a new year's resolution, that I'd do a better job at more individual communication, with baby #3 nearly here I'm sure that resolution would never hold up. So please understand when you don't get those personal phone calls or visits that you once did receive.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Fat Boy
Last year, we worked really hard to get a one pound weight gain on Simi. That's right - after us practically stuffing food in his mouth and feeding him Ben & Jerry's ice cream (which has the highest fat content in ice cream) nearly every night, last year Simi gained a whopping one pound. Although his height was in the 50th percentile for his age, his weight was below the 5th percentile. His weight was one of the reasons we wanted to fix his heart defect sooner rather than later.
With the hole in Simi's heart, his body had to work harder, which burned more calories, which caused him to be skinny.
Now, less than 3 months post surgery, Simi has gained 4 pounds. Can you believe it? He's gained four pounds in less than three months. Without us stuffing him at every meal or force-feeding him ice cream, the kid has gained over 12% of his total body weight in such a short timeframe. In fact, he's gained more in the last two months than he has in the last two years combined!
He now has a little bit of meat on his bones. And when he's sitting down and he bends over, he has a teeny tiny little bit of a belly.
Woo hoo!
With the hole in Simi's heart, his body had to work harder, which burned more calories, which caused him to be skinny.
Now, less than 3 months post surgery, Simi has gained 4 pounds. Can you believe it? He's gained four pounds in less than three months. Without us stuffing him at every meal or force-feeding him ice cream, the kid has gained over 12% of his total body weight in such a short timeframe. In fact, he's gained more in the last two months than he has in the last two years combined!
He now has a little bit of meat on his bones. And when he's sitting down and he bends over, he has a teeny tiny little bit of a belly.
Woo hoo!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
The Best Present
It's been very busy around here, as it probably is at your home too, what with getting ready for the holidays and all. And I think we're not playing our "you better be good or you'll get coal" card, because the boys have been SUPER rambunctious lately. Good golly, they are WOUND UP!
Today was a holiday party at Simi's classroom. It was great fun. Simi's teachers surprised each set of parents with a present that they helped the children make. It's a calendar. Each month the picture of the month is some sort of hand-print with a relevant theme for the month. It's one of the best gifts I've ever received and I want to keep it forever. One day, when Simi's all grown up, I'll pull out this old calendar and we'll marvel at how small his hand once was...
But for right now, I'll just marvel at how BIG his handprint is, because it used to be much smaller...
Today was a holiday party at Simi's classroom. It was great fun. Simi's teachers surprised each set of parents with a present that they helped the children make. It's a calendar. Each month the picture of the month is some sort of hand-print with a relevant theme for the month. It's one of the best gifts I've ever received and I want to keep it forever. One day, when Simi's all grown up, I'll pull out this old calendar and we'll marvel at how small his hand once was...
But for right now, I'll just marvel at how BIG his handprint is, because it used to be much smaller...
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Growing Up
Asher's developments are coming fast and furious lately. Seems like every day he loses a bit more of his "baby-ness" and gains a bit more of "boy-ness".
I love to hear him having conversations with Simi. I love to see him get so excited about things, like Bob-the-Builder legos and pooping in the potty. I love to have conversations with him about the latest movie he saw or what he did at school today.
Yet, at the same time, it seems like he's growing up too fast. I wish I could slow it down a little and savor the bit of "baby time" I have left with him.
I love to hear him having conversations with Simi. I love to see him get so excited about things, like Bob-the-Builder legos and pooping in the potty. I love to have conversations with him about the latest movie he saw or what he did at school today.
Yet, at the same time, it seems like he's growing up too fast. I wish I could slow it down a little and savor the bit of "baby time" I have left with him.
Best Friends
As Asher gets more "kid-like" and less "baby-like", he and Simi are getting closer and closer. Right now, I'd say they are "Best Friends". They truly love each other, love playing with each other, and love, well, simply "being" with each other. They're so supportive of each other, cheering each other on through potty training, etc.
As a parent, it's one of the sweetest things on the planet: to hear them having a conversation and watch them playing together.
I hope it lasts their life-time.
As a parent, it's one of the sweetest things on the planet: to hear them having a conversation and watch them playing together.
I hope it lasts their life-time.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Me too!
Simi just resumed soccer class this week. He has soccer class once a week after school. So one parent takes Simi to soccer while the other one picks up Asher and takes him home.
On the way home, Asher continually asked where Simi was. " At soccer practice", came the standard reply. "I want to go to soccer practice too", Asher constantly said.
When we got home, Asher went straight to the plastic golf club and soccer ball and started to hit the soccer ball around with the golf club. "See, I play soccer too", he said.
On the way home, Asher continually asked where Simi was. " At soccer practice", came the standard reply. "I want to go to soccer practice too", Asher constantly said.
When we got home, Asher went straight to the plastic golf club and soccer ball and started to hit the soccer ball around with the golf club. "See, I play soccer too", he said.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
The Star Chart
To give Simi some encouragement, we got a "star chart". That means that we write down things he should do and when he does them, he gets a star. When he accumulates a total of five stars, he gets to go to the dollar store and pick out a present. Simi's thrilled.
Asher wanted to get in the game too, so we added his name to the star chart even though he's a bit young for it. No matter; he's now eagerly doing whatever it is on his star chart so that he, too, can get stars.
We thought of putting Baby Sister's name on the chart with one activity: being born. But then we thought she's likely to zoom out of her comfortable location in the quest of obtaining a star.
The result is amazing. Both boys are moving right along and getting stars like crazy.
Sure beats nagging.
Asher wanted to get in the game too, so we added his name to the star chart even though he's a bit young for it. No matter; he's now eagerly doing whatever it is on his star chart so that he, too, can get stars.
We thought of putting Baby Sister's name on the chart with one activity: being born. But then we thought she's likely to zoom out of her comfortable location in the quest of obtaining a star.
The result is amazing. Both boys are moving right along and getting stars like crazy.
Sure beats nagging.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Update
We haven't updated in awhile; it's been tremendously busy around here lately...
Remember when we were in Boston and the boys shared a bed? Good golly, they slept great. Then they came home and slept in separate rooms and slept terribly. I think they missed each other.
At bed time, each one, individually, would ask to sleep in the other's bed. One night we decided to try it. We moved Asher's bed into Simi's room.
The end result? They're thrilled. They love sleeping in the same room. They love the company. And we all sleep a lot better at night.
Remember when we were in Boston and the boys shared a bed? Good golly, they slept great. Then they came home and slept in separate rooms and slept terribly. I think they missed each other.
At bed time, each one, individually, would ask to sleep in the other's bed. One night we decided to try it. We moved Asher's bed into Simi's room.
The end result? They're thrilled. They love sleeping in the same room. They love the company. And we all sleep a lot better at night.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Moving Up
Recently, Asher moved to a new room at day care. The new room is for 2-3 year olds. He's now in the "big kids" section of the infant day care. Next year he moves to pre-school, where Simi is.
Asher loves his new room. They have all sorts of cool work, like puzzles and building blocks. They even have stuff that it's ok for him to break, like pulling the kernels off dried corn cobs. He can even use toddler-tweezers to pick up the kernels and put them in a bowl. Then, he can count them. He's in heaven.
The daughter of a friend of ours is also in that room. Asher has met and played with her before, but now that they're spending entire days together, they've really bonded. Asher comes home constantly talking about Brianna. He loves her.
Every night, Asher asks about the teachers in his old room. The other day, I picked him up early so that he can visit his old room. But we got to the door and he refused to go in. Perhaps he thought he'd never be able to go back to his new room. That night, he talked about his old teachers again. What a kid.
Asher loves his new room. They have all sorts of cool work, like puzzles and building blocks. They even have stuff that it's ok for him to break, like pulling the kernels off dried corn cobs. He can even use toddler-tweezers to pick up the kernels and put them in a bowl. Then, he can count them. He's in heaven.
The daughter of a friend of ours is also in that room. Asher has met and played with her before, but now that they're spending entire days together, they've really bonded. Asher comes home constantly talking about Brianna. He loves her.
Every night, Asher asks about the teachers in his old room. The other day, I picked him up early so that he can visit his old room. But we got to the door and he refused to go in. Perhaps he thought he'd never be able to go back to his new room. That night, he talked about his old teachers again. What a kid.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
The Destroyer
Asher has a very special talent; he destroys everything he gets his hands on. He even manages to destroy things that are seemingly unbreakable. For example, you know those kitchen magnets - the kind you get for free from some company and place them on your refrigerator? He peals the paper off the magnet part.
Today was the first day the Polar Express DVD was released. We bought the gift pack because it had a snow globe and Brio train engine.
Within an hour after purchasing the set, Asher threw the snow globe down the stairs. The plastic globe cracked and the glittery snow and liquid within it came to a rest on the carpeted stairs.
Will he destroy things forever?
Today was the first day the Polar Express DVD was released. We bought the gift pack because it had a snow globe and Brio train engine.
Within an hour after purchasing the set, Asher threw the snow globe down the stairs. The plastic globe cracked and the glittery snow and liquid within it came to a rest on the carpeted stairs.
Will he destroy things forever?
Monday, November 14, 2005
A Word of Advice
Normally these posts are about the kids. This post is a bit of advice for the pregnant women reading this blog who need to get dressed up for a fancy affair: find a nice pantsuit.
In other words: avoid the need to wear pantyhose at all costs.
Seriously, why in the world do they even sell maternity hose when they know full well that it's darn near impossible for a woman to actually get it up on her legs when there's a great big belly in the way? And there isn't even a warning label on the packaging, something like: "Warning: attempting to wear this product is hazardous to your health and emotional well-being."
Now, if logic had entered my mind at all before I bought the hose, I would have realized that for someone who hasn't even seen the tips of her toes in months, bending down to get pantyhose rolled up the legs would be an impossible task.
Pantyhose aside, Simi and I (if you hadn't realized by now, this is Liz speaking) had a wonderful time in New York and at Nicole's Bat Mitzvah. Nicole did a great job with the service and she looked like the beautiful princess she is at the reception. Inside and out, this girl is truly beautiful.
Simi had an absolutely wonderful time with Nicole and her friends. He didn't want to leave.
In other words: avoid the need to wear pantyhose at all costs.
Seriously, why in the world do they even sell maternity hose when they know full well that it's darn near impossible for a woman to actually get it up on her legs when there's a great big belly in the way? And there isn't even a warning label on the packaging, something like: "Warning: attempting to wear this product is hazardous to your health and emotional well-being."
Now, if logic had entered my mind at all before I bought the hose, I would have realized that for someone who hasn't even seen the tips of her toes in months, bending down to get pantyhose rolled up the legs would be an impossible task.
Pantyhose aside, Simi and I (if you hadn't realized by now, this is Liz speaking) had a wonderful time in New York and at Nicole's Bat Mitzvah. Nicole did a great job with the service and she looked like the beautiful princess she is at the reception. Inside and out, this girl is truly beautiful.
Simi had an absolutely wonderful time with Nicole and her friends. He didn't want to leave.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Nicole's Bat Mitzvah
This past weekend Simi and Liz went up to NY for cousin Nicole's Bat Mitzvah. Nicole is, undoubtedly, Simi's favorite person in the world, and he got to spend a lot of time with her and her friends. Simi couldn't get enough of dancing with Nicole and her friends.
Click on each photo for a larger image.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Asher's Throne
We bought a vibrating toddler seat for the boys to sit in once Baby Sister arrives; Simi used to enjoy sitting in the baby bouncy seat when Asher was a baby even though he was too big for it, so we figured this would be better. Asher already loves to turn on the vibrations and plop himself down on his throne to watch TV, and we think it looks pretty funny.
Simi getting dressed up
Here's a picture of Simi trying out some new dressy clothes for his trip up to New York for his cousin Nicole's Bat Mitzvah. I caught him in a nice "cool" pose here that I like a lot :-)
Friday, November 11, 2005
Number 3
With all our energy going into Simi's surgery, in addition to focusing on our full-time jobs, running the household, and raising Asher (not necessarily in that order), we haven't had much time to focus on the arrival of Baby Sister. Someone recently reminded me that her arrival is imminent in about 9 weeks. HOLY CANNOLI, that's soon! She needs a name!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Terrible Twos
It looks like the "terrible twos" have overtaken our sweet, easy-going, happy, young Asher. He routinely has break-downs; he knows he really wants something, but he's not all that certain what that something is. Admittedly, it's really hard not to laugh at him when he gets himself into a fit. Although we try hard not to overtly laugh at him; it's really hard to resist.
For example, back in Boston, early one morning when he was in a sleepy daze, he got into a frenzy, clung to the apartment wall and announced, "my wall!". Both Raj and I were rolling on the floor with laughter at that one. Now, he's begun to wail, "I need (name of parent who is not there)! I need (name of something not readily available)!" Luckily, Asher gets distracted easily and forgets all about what he needs or made him mad.
The "terrible twos" hit Simi around age 12 months and lasted until he was about 3 years old. He would routinely fling himself on the ground right in front of us and pound the floor with his fists. Now THAT routine was difficult not to laugh at. Raj and I would simply step over Simi and pay him absolutely no attention. Simi would get up, fling himself in front of us again and pound his fists. Way too funny!
For example, back in Boston, early one morning when he was in a sleepy daze, he got into a frenzy, clung to the apartment wall and announced, "my wall!". Both Raj and I were rolling on the floor with laughter at that one. Now, he's begun to wail, "I need (name of parent who is not there)! I need (name of something not readily available)!" Luckily, Asher gets distracted easily and forgets all about what he needs or made him mad.
The "terrible twos" hit Simi around age 12 months and lasted until he was about 3 years old. He would routinely fling himself on the ground right in front of us and pound the floor with his fists. Now THAT routine was difficult not to laugh at. Raj and I would simply step over Simi and pay him absolutely no attention. Simi would get up, fling himself in front of us again and pound his fists. Way too funny!
Friday, November 04, 2005
Words From Our Two-Year Old
Last night, while trying to divert Asher's attention away from Simi's new car to a different car, I asked Asher if he wanted to play with the dump truck. I then proceeded to vroom the truck around in order to entice him.
Asher corrected me. "It's a cement-mixer, Mommy."
He was right, of course.
Asher corrected me. "It's a cement-mixer, Mommy."
He was right, of course.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
!
I have a confession: every time I see Simi's scar, I want to cry. I get this lump in my belly and this big rock in my throat and think that it was Raj's and my decision to hack up our child. We marred his beautiful body and gave him a permanent scar - a great big bang ! - on his chest.
When I'm with him, I act non-chalant about it; I don't want him to be self-conscious about it or think there's anything wrong with having it. I do everything I can not to draw attention to it. But it pains me to see my baby all carved up.
I knew I'd feel this way. I thought about it a lot before the surgery. I even had photos taken of him in a bathtub setting (with Asher) so we can have a permanent memory of his perfect chest. And rationally, I know we didn't have a choice - that scarring his beautiful body was the only way we can fix his heart. And fixing his heart was more important that having an unblemished chest. But there it is - right on his chest - the perfect exclamation mark. !
Well, I guess if you're gonna get a scar permanently placed on the middle of your chest, then it should be a good one - like a ! A very appropriate symbol for it's purpose. Yep!
So why does it upset me so much?
When I'm with him, I act non-chalant about it; I don't want him to be self-conscious about it or think there's anything wrong with having it. I do everything I can not to draw attention to it. But it pains me to see my baby all carved up.
I knew I'd feel this way. I thought about it a lot before the surgery. I even had photos taken of him in a bathtub setting (with Asher) so we can have a permanent memory of his perfect chest. And rationally, I know we didn't have a choice - that scarring his beautiful body was the only way we can fix his heart. And fixing his heart was more important that having an unblemished chest. But there it is - right on his chest - the perfect exclamation mark. !
Well, I guess if you're gonna get a scar permanently placed on the middle of your chest, then it should be a good one - like a ! A very appropriate symbol for it's purpose. Yep!
So why does it upset me so much?
Asher Who?
While Simi's gotten a lot happier, Asher's gotten a lot grumpier. Now, in addition to the night antics, he is giving his day care teachers a hard time too. He cries when we drop him off in the morning and is very tired and cranky by lunchtime. Deep sigh. Is he needing more attention? Or has he spent so much time with us that he doesn't want to leave our sides?
Last night, after both boys said they wanted to sleep in each other's bed, we moved Asher's bed into Simi's room. They both loved that idea. Strangely, they both fell asleep quickly and quietly (I feared a night of raucous playing). I hoped that being with Simi would keep Asher in his own bed - but that's not how it turned out. At around midnight, Asher came crying that he wanted to be with us in the big bed. Deep deep sigh.
This, too, shall pass.
Last night, after both boys said they wanted to sleep in each other's bed, we moved Asher's bed into Simi's room. They both loved that idea. Strangely, they both fell asleep quickly and quietly (I feared a night of raucous playing). I hoped that being with Simi would keep Asher in his own bed - but that's not how it turned out. At around midnight, Asher came crying that he wanted to be with us in the big bed. Deep deep sigh.
This, too, shall pass.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Simi's Finally Four!
Because of his surgery, we held Simi's formal birthday party a month early. Since having 20 four year-olds into a gym can be very physical, we chose to have Simi's party before his surgery. And since we left for surgery on October 4th, we had his party on Saturday, October 1st. That's when we started celebrating Simi's birthday.
Then, we had a small party while we were in Boston. Well, the party was actually for Simi's Grandpa Harris, but Grandpa Harris didn't want a party so we had one for Simi instead. Plus, he had just gotten out of the hospital, so it seemed like a good idea...
And, of course, we had a party at Grandma and Grandpa Singh's house to celebrate...
And I can't remember the rest right now, but I think we had a few small parties along the way...
But I do remember thinking, "is this kid ever going to turn four? Good golly, it feels like we've been celebrating for a LONG time and he's STILL not four?
Today, he finally turned four. He had an absolutely wonderful day. The first thing Simi said to me when he woke up this morning is, "Mommy, I'm four years old today!!!!!" He was VERY excited. He dressed up as Spiderman (his choice), and happily paraded around with the other Spidermen in his pre-school parade. Then, we had a small Halloween party at his pre-school (parents invited). Then, they sang "Happy Birthday" to him at lunch time. Then, we had a cake and a small party for him here at the house.
We can now FINALLY stop celebrating Simi's birthday. Phew!
Then, we had a small party while we were in Boston. Well, the party was actually for Simi's Grandpa Harris, but Grandpa Harris didn't want a party so we had one for Simi instead. Plus, he had just gotten out of the hospital, so it seemed like a good idea...
And, of course, we had a party at Grandma and Grandpa Singh's house to celebrate...
And I can't remember the rest right now, but I think we had a few small parties along the way...
But I do remember thinking, "is this kid ever going to turn four? Good golly, it feels like we've been celebrating for a LONG time and he's STILL not four?
Today, he finally turned four. He had an absolutely wonderful day. The first thing Simi said to me when he woke up this morning is, "Mommy, I'm four years old today!!!!!" He was VERY excited. He dressed up as Spiderman (his choice), and happily paraded around with the other Spidermen in his pre-school parade. Then, we had a small Halloween party at his pre-school (parents invited). Then, they sang "Happy Birthday" to him at lunch time. Then, we had a cake and a small party for him here at the house.
We can now FINALLY stop celebrating Simi's birthday. Phew!
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Asher Who?
With all this hub-bub surrounding Simi, it's easy to forget about Asher. Plus, Asher is such an incredibly easy-going kid and isn't the kind of kid who screams for attention.
Until now.
Since we've returned home, Asher has had a very difficult time sleeping. He's always liked to sleep snuggled up next to someone, so sleeping in his own room and his own bed has always been difficult for him. Now it's impossible. After two weeks at home, he's finally falling asleep in his own bed - but only if we're in the room with him. He wakes up in the middle of the night, sees that we're not still sitting in the rocker, and gets up to find us. After nearly two weeks, we've given up on trying to keep him asleep in his own bed and have reluctantly pulled him into bed with us in the middle of the night. Chronic exhaustion will do that to a parent.
Truthfully, the only time Asher has slept really well has been when sleeping with us or sleeping with Simi. So we're thinking of moving his bed into Simi's room and letting him sleep there -- but we don't want to ruin Simi's ability to sleep either. So...no hasty decisions. We'll see how it turns out..
Until now.
Since we've returned home, Asher has had a very difficult time sleeping. He's always liked to sleep snuggled up next to someone, so sleeping in his own room and his own bed has always been difficult for him. Now it's impossible. After two weeks at home, he's finally falling asleep in his own bed - but only if we're in the room with him. He wakes up in the middle of the night, sees that we're not still sitting in the rocker, and gets up to find us. After nearly two weeks, we've given up on trying to keep him asleep in his own bed and have reluctantly pulled him into bed with us in the middle of the night. Chronic exhaustion will do that to a parent.
Truthfully, the only time Asher has slept really well has been when sleeping with us or sleeping with Simi. So we're thinking of moving his bed into Simi's room and letting him sleep there -- but we don't want to ruin Simi's ability to sleep either. So...no hasty decisions. We'll see how it turns out..
Friday, October 28, 2005
A Weighty Issue
Simi's a small kid for his age. He's about average in height but he's very skinny. During the past year, he's barely gained a pound. We feed him ice cream nearly every night before bed (Ben & Jerry's, which has the highest fat content) in an effort to put some bulk on his scrawny frame. With all that we've pushed into his mouth, Simi has managed to gain a mere one pound this year. This entire year, he has managed to stay at around 29.x pounds. After a full meal, after dinner, bath, soaking wet, he'd MAYBE manage to get to 30 lbs. His lack of weight gain was one of the reasons why we wanted to have his ASD repaired sooner rather than waiting any longer. He is in the 5th percentile for weight and there was a concern that it may soon affect development of vital organs, such as the brain.
See, with his heart defect, his body had to work harder. That means that Simi's body burned more calories than other boys his age.
So now the hole is closed.
He got on the scale last week. Morning weight. Naked. Before breakfast. After potty time. 31.2 pounds. HUH? This kid, the one who managed to barely gain a pound all year, gained a pound in 2 weeks time. HUH?
This morning I weighed him again. Again, it was the first thing in the morning. Naked. Before breakfast and after potty. 32.2 pounds. HUH? He gained a pound in a week? Can that be possible?
We'll keep you posted on his progress...
See, with his heart defect, his body had to work harder. That means that Simi's body burned more calories than other boys his age.
So now the hole is closed.
He got on the scale last week. Morning weight. Naked. Before breakfast. After potty time. 31.2 pounds. HUH? This kid, the one who managed to barely gain a pound all year, gained a pound in 2 weeks time. HUH?
This morning I weighed him again. Again, it was the first thing in the morning. Naked. Before breakfast and after potty. 32.2 pounds. HUH? He gained a pound in a week? Can that be possible?
We'll keep you posted on his progress...
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Back to School
Simi returned to school full-time this past Monday. He was so excited to see all his friends and his teachers. He really missed them.
I can't believe that 2 weeks after open heart surgery and the kid is running around nothing ever happened.
Having said that, his poor teachers have the most difficult job. The kids are on the playground several times a day and they get to keep him from hurting himself. They're in an unenviable position. Every day we tell Simi when we drop him off at school, "Stay in the sandbox, Simi", and so far, he has. We'll all breathe a sigh of relief 3 weeks from now, when he's 6 weeks post-surgery and much more fully recovered.
I can't believe that 2 weeks after open heart surgery and the kid is running around nothing ever happened.
Having said that, his poor teachers have the most difficult job. The kids are on the playground several times a day and they get to keep him from hurting himself. They're in an unenviable position. Every day we tell Simi when we drop him off at school, "Stay in the sandbox, Simi", and so far, he has. We'll all breathe a sigh of relief 3 weeks from now, when he's 6 weeks post-surgery and much more fully recovered.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
A Skinned Knee
In our quest to keep Simi injury-free, we went to the zoo on Friday. It's about a 1.5 hour drive each way and we thought to take the double jogger so the boys could sit during the entire journey - perfect!
We did manage to get the boys to sit in the jogger for much of the zoo trip, but there were parts they wanted to get out and walk. At one point, while helping Simi get back into the jogger, Simi tripped on my (Liz's) foot and fell. He took a hard fall and immediately started crying. Something like this issue was exactly what we were trying to avoid! My breath was held while Raj and I examined Simi. The result? A skinned knee. There was no injury to Simi's chest at all. Phew!
Later, back home, we had to clean the skinned knee and put antibiotic ointment on it. Just the thought of cleaning the knee was enough to send Simi through the roof; he wasn't letting us anywhere near the knee. The look of fear on his face was at maximum level - at just the mere thought of anyone touching that knee.
Next step? Find a way to help Simi work through some of these residual fears.
We did manage to get the boys to sit in the jogger for much of the zoo trip, but there were parts they wanted to get out and walk. At one point, while helping Simi get back into the jogger, Simi tripped on my (Liz's) foot and fell. He took a hard fall and immediately started crying. Something like this issue was exactly what we were trying to avoid! My breath was held while Raj and I examined Simi. The result? A skinned knee. There was no injury to Simi's chest at all. Phew!
Later, back home, we had to clean the skinned knee and put antibiotic ointment on it. Just the thought of cleaning the knee was enough to send Simi through the roof; he wasn't letting us anywhere near the knee. The look of fear on his face was at maximum level - at just the mere thought of anyone touching that knee.
Next step? Find a way to help Simi work through some of these residual fears.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Running in Circles
In some ways, this recovery thing has taken a different turn.
During Simi's open heart surgery, the surgical team cut open Simi's breastbone to get to his heart. Now, he needs to give his bones time to mend. This means no falling down. Which means we need to keep him from running around so that he doesn't fall down.
Problem is, Simi has about 10x more energy than he did BEFORE the open heart surgery. Guess his body really and truly was working harder due to the defect. Anyway, today after nap time, Simi was running in circles in the living room, then jumping from the furniture onto the floor. Raj was home with him and had a heck of a time getting the kid calm (let's do a puzzle, Simi.).
These bones just can't mend fast enough!
During Simi's open heart surgery, the surgical team cut open Simi's breastbone to get to his heart. Now, he needs to give his bones time to mend. This means no falling down. Which means we need to keep him from running around so that he doesn't fall down.
Problem is, Simi has about 10x more energy than he did BEFORE the open heart surgery. Guess his body really and truly was working harder due to the defect. Anyway, today after nap time, Simi was running in circles in the living room, then jumping from the furniture onto the floor. Raj was home with him and had a heck of a time getting the kid calm (let's do a puzzle, Simi.).
These bones just can't mend fast enough!
Monday, October 17, 2005
Completely Fixed
We went to our local pediatric cardiologist for our follow-up appointment today and received surprising news: Simi never has to return. His heart defect is completely fixed!
The doctor listened and did a short ultrasound to check for fluid around the heart and/or leaks in the patch - both of which are common complications. Everything looks perfect.
Raj and I were both thrilled. Simi was excited that we can now leave the doctor's office and go pick up acorns.
We've never had a cardiology appointment where we didn't make a follow-up appointment. It seemed weird to walk out of there knowing that we won't return.
Our challenge now is to keep this increasingly energetic kid from hurting himself. It takes some time for his bones to heal and we're supposed to keep him calm. HA! This kid has more energy than ever and it's really hard to keep him from running around.
And for the curious, the size of the hole (or should I say: former hole?) is about the size of a quarter.
The doctor listened and did a short ultrasound to check for fluid around the heart and/or leaks in the patch - both of which are common complications. Everything looks perfect.
Raj and I were both thrilled. Simi was excited that we can now leave the doctor's office and go pick up acorns.
We've never had a cardiology appointment where we didn't make a follow-up appointment. It seemed weird to walk out of there knowing that we won't return.
Our challenge now is to keep this increasingly energetic kid from hurting himself. It takes some time for his bones to heal and we're supposed to keep him calm. HA! This kid has more energy than ever and it's really hard to keep him from running around.
And for the curious, the size of the hole (or should I say: former hole?) is about the size of a quarter.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
A Healthy Dose of Asher
Now that we're back at home and have gotten a bit of sleep, we can begin to tell you a bit of how Simi spent his first few post-hospital days...
Understandably so, Simi was really sad while in the hospital. Once he was released, he and Asher got to pal around together again. Asher is such a two-year-old goofball that it's hard for anyone to be sad while being around him. Plus, Simi and Asher are genuinely close, so it helped Simi a lot to be with Asher.
After just a day or so, our challenge as parents was to keep Simi and Asher from hurting Simi. Simi kept forgetting that his chest was just recently cracked open and we'd regularly see the two of them begin to wrestle or hug or do something on the physical side. And with the Boston weather as dreary as it was, we were cooped up in the apartment. Being cooped up in the apartment made it more difficult for us as parents to keep the two of them from hurting Simi.
We did a lot of sticker work (thanks, Peter and Karen, for bringing the 10,000+ stickers. I think we used them all!) We did a lot of coloring work (thanks, Trettle family, for the crayola markers. They were fun! We used them up too!) And we saw a lot of matinee movies. We went to the aquarium so often that we became members. At the aquarium, we could strap the boys in the stroller and keep them calm and contained - perfect! We could also sit in the IMAX theater and watch really cool 3D movies. (OK, only Simi thought they were really cool; Asher was terrified.) We also saw the new Wallace and Grummit animated movie. Asher got over his fear of movies while watching that one.
How's Simi doing now? Our challenge to keep Simi calm and safe is even more difficult now. Rest and regular Motrin/Tylenol doses help Simi routinely forget that his chest just got cracked open, and it's way too enticing to engage the playful Asher in a game of wrestling. Thankfully, the weather in NC is MUCH nicer than we had in Boston. We've been taking them out in the double jogger (strapped down and sitting - perfect!) for long walks since we've been home. It'll be easier to keep Simi calm once Asher returns to daycare on Monday. Then we'll probably return to doing more table work - painting, crayons, puzzles, reading, etc.
The cardiologist mentioned that Simi would be more tired than normal these first few weeks. We've noticed only the opposite. He seems to have a lot more energy now than he ever has. If this is more tired, then we're really in trouble when he gets less tired. That's good, right?
We had hoped that now that we're home and they're sleeping in separate bedrooms, that perhaps they'd sleep longer in the morning. They must have developed some sort of sibling radar because this morning Asher awoke at about 5:30 AM and Simi awoke about 10 minutes later. What's up with that?
A lot of folks have asked to see post-operative photos of Simi. Maybe in a couple of years. Seriously. Raj took a lot of photos during the trip and I (Liz) had (have?) plans to make him a photo book of the experience. We viewed the photos once while in Boston and they're so difficult to view that I bawled like a baby through the entire slide show. In other words, I think it's going to take a while before we can view them again - nevermind post one.
Alright, from now, I think the posts are going to be a lot happier. Thanks again for all your support, good wishes, cards and prayers. We appreciate every single one of them.
Understandably so, Simi was really sad while in the hospital. Once he was released, he and Asher got to pal around together again. Asher is such a two-year-old goofball that it's hard for anyone to be sad while being around him. Plus, Simi and Asher are genuinely close, so it helped Simi a lot to be with Asher.
After just a day or so, our challenge as parents was to keep Simi and Asher from hurting Simi. Simi kept forgetting that his chest was just recently cracked open and we'd regularly see the two of them begin to wrestle or hug or do something on the physical side. And with the Boston weather as dreary as it was, we were cooped up in the apartment. Being cooped up in the apartment made it more difficult for us as parents to keep the two of them from hurting Simi.
We did a lot of sticker work (thanks, Peter and Karen, for bringing the 10,000+ stickers. I think we used them all!) We did a lot of coloring work (thanks, Trettle family, for the crayola markers. They were fun! We used them up too!) And we saw a lot of matinee movies. We went to the aquarium so often that we became members. At the aquarium, we could strap the boys in the stroller and keep them calm and contained - perfect! We could also sit in the IMAX theater and watch really cool 3D movies. (OK, only Simi thought they were really cool; Asher was terrified.) We also saw the new Wallace and Grummit animated movie. Asher got over his fear of movies while watching that one.
How's Simi doing now? Our challenge to keep Simi calm and safe is even more difficult now. Rest and regular Motrin/Tylenol doses help Simi routinely forget that his chest just got cracked open, and it's way too enticing to engage the playful Asher in a game of wrestling. Thankfully, the weather in NC is MUCH nicer than we had in Boston. We've been taking them out in the double jogger (strapped down and sitting - perfect!) for long walks since we've been home. It'll be easier to keep Simi calm once Asher returns to daycare on Monday. Then we'll probably return to doing more table work - painting, crayons, puzzles, reading, etc.
The cardiologist mentioned that Simi would be more tired than normal these first few weeks. We've noticed only the opposite. He seems to have a lot more energy now than he ever has. If this is more tired, then we're really in trouble when he gets less tired. That's good, right?
We had hoped that now that we're home and they're sleeping in separate bedrooms, that perhaps they'd sleep longer in the morning. They must have developed some sort of sibling radar because this morning Asher awoke at about 5:30 AM and Simi awoke about 10 minutes later. What's up with that?
A lot of folks have asked to see post-operative photos of Simi. Maybe in a couple of years. Seriously. Raj took a lot of photos during the trip and I (Liz) had (have?) plans to make him a photo book of the experience. We viewed the photos once while in Boston and they're so difficult to view that I bawled like a baby through the entire slide show. In other words, I think it's going to take a while before we can view them again - nevermind post one.
Alright, from now, I think the posts are going to be a lot happier. Thanks again for all your support, good wishes, cards and prayers. We appreciate every single one of them.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Back in NC
We are back in sunny Carolina! Truthfully, we're exhausted, so perhaps we should blog tomorrow when we can actually type complete sentences.
Until then, here's some good news worth sharing:
Simi's back to his happy self again. It doesn't even seem to bother him that he has this nasty gash down his chest. He just calls it his "boo-boo" or his "scar" in a rather non-chalant way. He's an amazing kid.
We asked Simi to name the highlight of his Boston Adventure, part II. Immediately, he talked about picking up acorns in the park across the street from our apartment. He carried those acorns all the way back to NC, by the way. So now you know: picking up acorns ranks higher than getting a heart fixed (from a 4-year-old's perspective).
Although it may be temporary or perhaps completely unrelated to his heart, Simi's actually eating A LOT. Twice in the past few days he's even mentioned that he's hungry! The kid is nearly 4 years old and I can't ever remember a time when he's looked forward to eating or even confessed to being hungry. Regardless of the reason, it's music to our ears and we're happily feeding him.
Last, although Simi and Asher have been extremely close, I think this trip has made them even closer (if that's possible). They missed each other terribly while Simi was in the hospital. Back at the apartment, they shared a bed. From a parent perspective, it was amazingly cute to see them sleeping together. Now that we're home and they're each sleeping in their own beds, it'll be interesting to see how well they sleep without each other. (Selfishly, I hope they sleep LATE tomorrow!)
And on that note, it's now 8:15 PM and well past OUR bedtime. We'll write more about the rest of our Boston Adventure, part II tomorrow.
Until then, here's some good news worth sharing:
Simi's back to his happy self again. It doesn't even seem to bother him that he has this nasty gash down his chest. He just calls it his "boo-boo" or his "scar" in a rather non-chalant way. He's an amazing kid.
We asked Simi to name the highlight of his Boston Adventure, part II. Immediately, he talked about picking up acorns in the park across the street from our apartment. He carried those acorns all the way back to NC, by the way. So now you know: picking up acorns ranks higher than getting a heart fixed (from a 4-year-old's perspective).
Although it may be temporary or perhaps completely unrelated to his heart, Simi's actually eating A LOT. Twice in the past few days he's even mentioned that he's hungry! The kid is nearly 4 years old and I can't ever remember a time when he's looked forward to eating or even confessed to being hungry. Regardless of the reason, it's music to our ears and we're happily feeding him.
Last, although Simi and Asher have been extremely close, I think this trip has made them even closer (if that's possible). They missed each other terribly while Simi was in the hospital. Back at the apartment, they shared a bed. From a parent perspective, it was amazingly cute to see them sleeping together. Now that we're home and they're each sleeping in their own beds, it'll be interesting to see how well they sleep without each other. (Selfishly, I hope they sleep LATE tomorrow!)
And on that note, it's now 8:15 PM and well past OUR bedtime. We'll write more about the rest of our Boston Adventure, part II tomorrow.
Monday, October 10, 2005
We're all back at the apartment now. Simi is back to his normal self again, you'd never know he just got out of the hospital unless you saw his chest. He's laughing and goofing around and being silly with Asher as if nothing happened.
Yesterday Liz's brother Peter and family came down and we all had a great time together here at the apartment. They brought a bag full of birthday presents and Simi had fun opening them and then playing "Hi Ho! Cherry-O" with cousin Nicole and Aunt Karen. Peter picked up some "Legal Seafood" for dinner, and we ended the evening with a bithday cake for Simi and Grandpa Harris (whose birthday was today).
This morning the grandparents headed back home, then the rest of us walked around the mall for a while and had lunch together before Peter, Karen, and the girls headed back home.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
We're being Released!
We're nearly out of the hospital!!! Woo hoo! We're out of here just as soon as we receive the discharge papers from the nurse. We can't wait!
Simi's doing great. He'll do better and better with each passing day. And I think getting away from doctors and nurses will do him a lot of good emotionally.
OK, from here, the postings will be sparse until we return home. Thanks again for all your prayers, calls, and good wishes. We really appreciate them.
Until soon...
Simi's doing great. He'll do better and better with each passing day. And I think getting away from doctors and nurses will do him a lot of good emotionally.
OK, from here, the postings will be sparse until we return home. Thanks again for all your prayers, calls, and good wishes. We really appreciate them.
Until soon...
Boston Children's Hospital
I can't believe I've been forgetting to mention what wonderful care we're getting here at Boston Children's. I'm so incredibly glad we chose to come here to fix Simi's heart; I can't imagine a better place. The surgeon did a great job; he truly is a miracle worker. The surgical team took great care of Simi during the operation. The surgical liaisons did a great job taking care of us during the surgery. And all the nurses and doctors on the floors are just incredible. It's because of them that Simi has healed so well. I'm forever indebted to them.
Super-early, October 9th
The doctors are talking about letting Simi leave the hospital on Sunday, October 9th (today). Simi's doing a lot better now. He's up and walking around and seems to be feeling better.
This evening he gobbled down a huge amount of pizza and some ice cream sundae. Admitedly, he's getting a bit spoiled here in the hospital; he got to eat his ice cream BEFORE he ate his dinner. (It was melting and I wanted to make sure he got as much as he could before it became all liquid....)
Sunday, Uncle Peter, Aunt Karen, and the girls are planning to visit. A visit from Fun Aunt Karen is exactly what Simi needs right now; we can't wait! Plus, Monday is Grandpa Harris' birthday and it'll be really nice to have everyone together to celebrate it.
If we get sprung from here, we'll only be able to post updates via the treo - which seems to allow just a few lines of post. So...we'll post the highlights and then update once we get home (on October 14th).
This evening he gobbled down a huge amount of pizza and some ice cream sundae. Admitedly, he's getting a bit spoiled here in the hospital; he got to eat his ice cream BEFORE he ate his dinner. (It was melting and I wanted to make sure he got as much as he could before it became all liquid....)
Sunday, Uncle Peter, Aunt Karen, and the girls are planning to visit. A visit from Fun Aunt Karen is exactly what Simi needs right now; we can't wait! Plus, Monday is Grandpa Harris' birthday and it'll be really nice to have everyone together to celebrate it.
If we get sprung from here, we'll only be able to post updates via the treo - which seems to allow just a few lines of post. So...we'll post the highlights and then update once we get home (on October 14th).
Saturday, October 08, 2005
October 8 morning
Simi just woke up a little while ago, and is watching "A Bug's Life" now (the "Ants" movie as he calls it). I (Raj) spent the night with him last night and Liz spent the night with Asher. Simi's doing great, and we expect to be out tonight or tomorrow. He doesn't want to get up and walk around much yet and he need's to do some walking. We're trying to get him to walk to the nice playroom they have here, hopefully he'll be up for that later this morning.
Asher's doing great as well, G'ma & G'pa are taking great care of him at the apartment and he's having a lot of fun with them. He talked to Simi on the phone last night for a minute, just saying "Hi Simi" and Simi's face lit up it was really sweet.
That's all for now gotta run back to the room, I'm sure Liz will post more later.
Asher's doing great as well, G'ma & G'pa are taking great care of him at the apartment and he's having a lot of fun with them. He talked to Simi on the phone last night for a minute, just saying "Hi Simi" and Simi's face lit up it was really sweet.
That's all for now gotta run back to the room, I'm sure Liz will post more later.
Friday, October 07, 2005
October 7th Update
It's about 2 PM and Simi just arrived in the regular cardiac care hospital unit. That means that he is out of the cardiac intensive care unit and in the regular ward.
Simi's lovin' the new unit. He's one of the lucky few who has his own room (it was purely luck that he got his own room!) and there is a vcr in the room and a library of tapes down the hall. There are tons of books and a playroom down the hall when he's ready.
Right now he's thrilled because he gets to have all the chicken noodle soup he wants.
Simi's pain meds now are Tylenol. Incredible that one day after surgery and all he needs is Tylenol.
He went for a walk this morning (he wanted to!), but it was just a litle walk. I think it hurt him so he stopped.
On the flip side, we're dealing with some emotional stuff. Simi's sad and scared (his words). Last night, he refused to go to sleep because he was afraid that they'd hurt him again. And every time someone comes near him to do something, like to pull a line or take an x-ray, it's a really big deal. He "shut down" emotionally last night and is just now starting to perk up a bit. But every time something medical happens - even the least little bit of pain - it's a big deal for him and takes him right back to shutting down again. As a parent, it's really painful to watch. He's a part of me. Seeing him shut-down emotionally cuts right into my core being. But we'll get through this.
Asher's doing great with Grandma and Grandpa Ruben. They're doting on him and spoiling him and he's just lovin' it.
Thanks for all your thoughts and support. It means the world to us. We'll update again soon.
Simi's lovin' the new unit. He's one of the lucky few who has his own room (it was purely luck that he got his own room!) and there is a vcr in the room and a library of tapes down the hall. There are tons of books and a playroom down the hall when he's ready.
Right now he's thrilled because he gets to have all the chicken noodle soup he wants.
Simi's pain meds now are Tylenol. Incredible that one day after surgery and all he needs is Tylenol.
He went for a walk this morning (he wanted to!), but it was just a litle walk. I think it hurt him so he stopped.
On the flip side, we're dealing with some emotional stuff. Simi's sad and scared (his words). Last night, he refused to go to sleep because he was afraid that they'd hurt him again. And every time someone comes near him to do something, like to pull a line or take an x-ray, it's a really big deal. He "shut down" emotionally last night and is just now starting to perk up a bit. But every time something medical happens - even the least little bit of pain - it's a big deal for him and takes him right back to shutting down again. As a parent, it's really painful to watch. He's a part of me. Seeing him shut-down emotionally cuts right into my core being. But we'll get through this.
Asher's doing great with Grandma and Grandpa Ruben. They're doting on him and spoiling him and he's just lovin' it.
Thanks for all your thoughts and support. It means the world to us. We'll update again soon.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
October 6th Evening Update
It's 7:15 PM and Simi's snoozing...so here's a quick update.
Simi's doing incredibly great. The nurse commented that he's behaving more like he just got his tonsils removed than had open heart surgery. He's an amazing kid. It seems like he truly isn't in pain right now. He hasn't had any pain medication since he first arrived at the ICU (noonish). He's telling us that he's not in pain and his heart rate and blood pressure are confirming it. All the numbers on all the monitors are great and the Cardiologist used the following adjectives after his evaluation of Simi: wonderful and lovely.
Although it may be too early to say for certain, it's looking like the defect was closed completely (no leaks). I'm forever indebted to his surgeon, Dr. Pigula.
Simi's only complaint all day is that he's thirsty. We gave him water, then juice, then popsicles. The kid's eaten 4 popsicles already; that's a lot based on the nurses reaction.
So, assuming all continues to go well, he'll move to the regular ward sometime tomorrow.
Asher has had a wonderful time with his maternal grandparents today. It's nice that he's had a chance to have this kind of good quality time with them; we don't get to see them so frequently. I guess this is a silver lining - a nice side benefit of our "Boston Adventure".
We'll try to update again soon.
Simi's doing incredibly great. The nurse commented that he's behaving more like he just got his tonsils removed than had open heart surgery. He's an amazing kid. It seems like he truly isn't in pain right now. He hasn't had any pain medication since he first arrived at the ICU (noonish). He's telling us that he's not in pain and his heart rate and blood pressure are confirming it. All the numbers on all the monitors are great and the Cardiologist used the following adjectives after his evaluation of Simi: wonderful and lovely.
Although it may be too early to say for certain, it's looking like the defect was closed completely (no leaks). I'm forever indebted to his surgeon, Dr. Pigula.
Simi's only complaint all day is that he's thirsty. We gave him water, then juice, then popsicles. The kid's eaten 4 popsicles already; that's a lot based on the nurses reaction.
So, assuming all continues to go well, he'll move to the regular ward sometime tomorrow.
Asher has had a wonderful time with his maternal grandparents today. It's nice that he's had a chance to have this kind of good quality time with them; we don't get to see them so frequently. I guess this is a silver lining - a nice side benefit of our "Boston Adventure".
We'll try to update again soon.
Simi update
The last post got truncated, but I'm gonna try again anyway. We're with him in the ICU, he's talking and moving a bit. He's doing great!
828 Karen came back to tell us that started making the incision
10:00 We haven't heard anything yet so we asked for a status update
10:10 Karen called back for us and found that they're warming up to take him off the machi
828 Karen came back to tell us that started making the incision
10:00 We haven't heard anything yet so we asked for a status update
10:10 Karen called back for us and found that they're warming up to take him off the machi
Simi's in Surgery
Simi back to the operating room at about 7:30am. We met our liasons Sheila and Karen, who talks to nurse Kathy, who is in the operating room. They'll let us know when they make the first incision, then when they have him all hooked up to the heart-lung bypass machin
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Leaving on a Jet Plane...
This is it - the beginning of our Boston Adventure, part II. We're leaving momentarily for the airport.
Yesterday Simi was as whiny and clingy as an infant - and crying just as much. I guess it's the 3 year-old way of getting the stress out.
Today we're hoping to make it to the aquarium in Boson to have one last bit of fun. Tomorrow, a different kind of fun begins.
Yesterday Simi was as whiny and clingy as an infant - and crying just as much. I guess it's the 3 year-old way of getting the stress out.
Today we're hoping to make it to the aquarium in Boson to have one last bit of fun. Tomorrow, a different kind of fun begins.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Preparing Simi for Surgery
We've been slowly preparing Simi for his open heart surgery. Our first trip to Boston was one big step in that direction, allowing him to get acquainted with the hospital and staff, along with having a ton of fun while we were there to give him some good experiences to associate with it.
Next step in preparation was in showing him the calendar and all of the events coming up: Asher's birthday, Simi's first birthday party, open heart surgery, Simi's second birthday party, Halloween and Simi's birthday, and Christmas.
Through hearing us talk, Simi's gotten the understanding that this is a big deal and that something big is going to happen to him.
The hospital had given us a booklet to guide him through the pre-op appointment and surgery day and his stay in the hospital - to help prepare him for what to expect. Today (Sunday), Liz tried to read him the book and show him the pictures. He was very uncomfortable, even asking not to read it. In the end, we did, in fact read him the book and look at the pictures, but it was clear he didn't enjoy it. He probably understands more than we think.
Simi did remind us that it wasn't the FOUR of us going to Boston, but in fact, FIVE of us who were going: Mommy, Daddy, Simi, Asher, and puppy (his stuffed toy). Then he remembered that it was really SIX of us going, because baby sister was coming along too.
This may be the last we post before surgery. We'll do our best to update as soon as we can while we're in Boston.
Next step in preparation was in showing him the calendar and all of the events coming up: Asher's birthday, Simi's first birthday party, open heart surgery, Simi's second birthday party, Halloween and Simi's birthday, and Christmas.
Through hearing us talk, Simi's gotten the understanding that this is a big deal and that something big is going to happen to him.
The hospital had given us a booklet to guide him through the pre-op appointment and surgery day and his stay in the hospital - to help prepare him for what to expect. Today (Sunday), Liz tried to read him the book and show him the pictures. He was very uncomfortable, even asking not to read it. In the end, we did, in fact read him the book and look at the pictures, but it was clear he didn't enjoy it. He probably understands more than we think.
Simi did remind us that it wasn't the FOUR of us going to Boston, but in fact, FIVE of us who were going: Mommy, Daddy, Simi, Asher, and puppy (his stuffed toy). Then he remembered that it was really SIX of us going, because baby sister was coming along too.
This may be the last we post before surgery. We'll do our best to update as soon as we can while we're in Boston.
Simi's 4th Birthday Party, part I
Because of the impending open heart surgery, we chose to hold Simi's 4th birthday party prior to the surgery. It was this past Saturday at My Gym in Cary.
Simi was so incredibly excited. He's been waiting for this day and his birthday party for a LONG time. It was absolutely perfect. 20 energetic 4 year-olds and their siblings played hard at My Gym for 2 hours. Both Simi and Asher were so excited that they couldn't even think about napping afterwards, and they even had a difficult time going to bed that evening, despite their exhaustion.
One reason they were both too excited to sleep was because we pulled out "THE BIG" birthday present: Simi's first real bike (with training wheels). Then, we made a presentation out of Simi gifting his tricycle to Asher, who was so excited, he wanted to sleep with it that night.
Simi was so incredibly excited. He's been waiting for this day and his birthday party for a LONG time. It was absolutely perfect. 20 energetic 4 year-olds and their siblings played hard at My Gym for 2 hours. Both Simi and Asher were so excited that they couldn't even think about napping afterwards, and they even had a difficult time going to bed that evening, despite their exhaustion.
One reason they were both too excited to sleep was because we pulled out "THE BIG" birthday present: Simi's first real bike (with training wheels). Then, we made a presentation out of Simi gifting his tricycle to Asher, who was so excited, he wanted to sleep with it that night.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
The Last One Riding
Simi had "Bike Day" at school a couple of weeks ago. The kids in Children's House parade out to their bikes at the track and then ride around the track for a while while parents and teachers watch and take pictures. We missed his first Bike Day because of Asher's endoscopy but they told us he was the last one riding that time, and sure enough this time he was again.
This picture doesn't capture the sound of his classmates and the parents and teachers cheering as he came down the homestretch. Not bad for a kid with a hole in his heart :-)
Asher's Birthday Week-end
Sometimes, all the planning you do pays off; Asher had a wonderful birthday week-end.
True to form for a two-year old, Asher wasn't sure what a birthday is or why we were making such a fuss over it. He had a great time regardless and enjoyed the festivities.
The festivities began Friday afternoon with a small party at his daycare. The kids had a special afternoon snack of cupcakes and milk and sang some party songs like "Wheels on the Bus" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider".
Saturday we had swim class in the morning, but that's part of our normal routine. Thankfully, Asher fell asleep in the car on the way home from swim, so he got in a bit of a nap before his party.
Saturday afternoon was party time at the Little Gym. The Little Gym staff did a better job than we ever imagined. About 13 little ones joined in the fun and had a great time. Again, Asher wasn't sure what all the fuss was about or why he was the center of attention, but he enjoyed it just the same.
Sunday, his actual birthday. For the most part, it was a low-key day. After nap-time, we celebrated his birthday again with an allergen-free cake and pressies. Simi and Asher gave each other mini-cooper cars (we have an obsession with mini-cooper cars in this household) and Asher got a pressie from us, his parents. Then, since Raj's parents couldn't come to us, we went to them so they could say "Happy Birthday" to the birthday boy in person. By this time, Asher was really getting the hang of this birthday thing and just loved it when we sang to him.
From a mom's perspective, I got to reminisce about the day Asher was born. His birthday takes me right back to that sweet day that he came into the world.
Now on to the next birthday: Simi's.
True to form for a two-year old, Asher wasn't sure what a birthday is or why we were making such a fuss over it. He had a great time regardless and enjoyed the festivities.
The festivities began Friday afternoon with a small party at his daycare. The kids had a special afternoon snack of cupcakes and milk and sang some party songs like "Wheels on the Bus" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider".
Saturday we had swim class in the morning, but that's part of our normal routine. Thankfully, Asher fell asleep in the car on the way home from swim, so he got in a bit of a nap before his party.
Saturday afternoon was party time at the Little Gym. The Little Gym staff did a better job than we ever imagined. About 13 little ones joined in the fun and had a great time. Again, Asher wasn't sure what all the fuss was about or why he was the center of attention, but he enjoyed it just the same.
Sunday, his actual birthday. For the most part, it was a low-key day. After nap-time, we celebrated his birthday again with an allergen-free cake and pressies. Simi and Asher gave each other mini-cooper cars (we have an obsession with mini-cooper cars in this household) and Asher got a pressie from us, his parents. Then, since Raj's parents couldn't come to us, we went to them so they could say "Happy Birthday" to the birthday boy in person. By this time, Asher was really getting the hang of this birthday thing and just loved it when we sang to him.
From a mom's perspective, I got to reminisce about the day Asher was born. His birthday takes me right back to that sweet day that he came into the world.
Now on to the next birthday: Simi's.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Preparing for Asher's Birthday
Asher's birthday is Sunday (September 25th). We've been preparing his birthday bash(es) and now they're finally upon us.
Tonight we're baking the allergen-free cupcakes for the party at Asher's day care. That party will take place tomorrow afternoon at school (in place of afternoon snack). It'll be low-key: cupcakes and party songs, like "Wheels on the Bus" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and, of course, "Happy Birthday".
Saturday afternoon is the party with friends at the Little Gym. About 13 two-year olds are going to be there. Then Sunday is the party at home with family.
Next week we celebrate "phase 1" (pre-surgery phase) of Simi's birthday. Stay tuned for a list of those events....
Tonight we're baking the allergen-free cupcakes for the party at Asher's day care. That party will take place tomorrow afternoon at school (in place of afternoon snack). It'll be low-key: cupcakes and party songs, like "Wheels on the Bus" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and, of course, "Happy Birthday".
Saturday afternoon is the party with friends at the Little Gym. About 13 two-year olds are going to be there. Then Sunday is the party at home with family.
Next week we celebrate "phase 1" (pre-surgery phase) of Simi's birthday. Stay tuned for a list of those events....
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Awaiting Christmas
Lately we've been doing a lot of talking about time - particularly on when certain things are going to happen. For example, when is Asher's birthday party, when is Simi's first birthday party, when are we returning to Boston to close the hole in Simi's heart, when is Simi's birthday (and second party) and when is Christmas. Simi continually asks when "baby sister" will be born. "When Christmas has come and gone", is the usual reply.
Now Simi says that he wants Christmas to "come and go" so that "baby sister" will be here.
Does that mean we get to skip the toys?
Now Simi says that he wants Christmas to "come and go" so that "baby sister" will be here.
Does that mean we get to skip the toys?
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Tattoo Baby
One method we use during potty training is rewarding the behavior. You make a pee-pee on the potty, you get a sticker. You make a poopy on the potty, you get a tattoo. Kids seem to absolutely love the temporary tattoos and they've been a great reward.
Asher is no exception. He just loves stickers and tattoos. And he loves using the potty. Better said, he loves being just like his big brother.
So when Simi says he has to go potty and runs to the bathroom, Asher says he needs to go too. And he does. How can this kid manage to poop on command, I'll never know, but he somehow manages to do it.
Both arms are completely full of tattoos - and he's so proud to show them off to everyone he sees.
Now we're going to have to put them on his legs.
This kid is essentially potty trained and he's not yet two.
Asher is no exception. He just loves stickers and tattoos. And he loves using the potty. Better said, he loves being just like his big brother.
So when Simi says he has to go potty and runs to the bathroom, Asher says he needs to go too. And he does. How can this kid manage to poop on command, I'll never know, but he somehow manages to do it.
Both arms are completely full of tattoos - and he's so proud to show them off to everyone he sees.
Now we're going to have to put them on his legs.
This kid is essentially potty trained and he's not yet two.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Post from my Treo
I wonder if I can blog from my Treo... If you can read this then I can!
Do you know what this means? It means that we'll be able to post updates into the blog while we're in Boston for Simi's surgery.
Do you know what this means? It means that we'll be able to post updates into the blog while we're in Boston for Simi's surgery.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Simi's Bad Day
Today's Monday. Normally, that means that Liz picks Simi up from school at 4 PM (ish) to go to soccer practice. Because of the upcoming surgery and since he would only be able to attend 2 of the 7 weeks in the session, we chose not to enroll Simi in the next session of soccer. Unfortunately, we didn't tell Simi and even more unfortunately, we didn't tell his pre-school teachers. Since it was Monday, they got him all ready for soccer...and Liz didn't show up.
To make matters worse, he lost the sunglasses Liz gave him just yesterday. He was sooo proud to have sunglasses just like the ones Daddy has, that he happily and proudly wore them into school.
Now THAT's a bad day.
To make matters worse, he lost the sunglasses Liz gave him just yesterday. He was sooo proud to have sunglasses just like the ones Daddy has, that he happily and proudly wore them into school.
Now THAT's a bad day.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
The Best Part of a Fun Week-end
Our week-end was jam-packed with activities. Normally, we like to plan a bit of fun along with a bit of rest and some routine chores (i.e.: food-shopping). This week-end was an exception - there was just too much fun stuff to do.
Friday night began with a "cruise" at the swimming pool at SAS. Both boys ate a hardy meal at Wendy's before the event. Now, if you know Simi, you know that "Simi" and "eating well" are not words you normally say in the same sentence. Needless to say, it was thrilling to watch him eat so well.
Lots of fun at the pool --- and both boys fell asleep as soon as they lay down on their beds.
Saturday was equally fun-filled with swim lessons in the morning and a birthday party in the afternoon...
On Sunday, Liz and the boys went to the supermarket, while Raj did yard work, then it was off to the swimming pool after nap time.
According to the boys, want to know the MOST FUN activity this week-end? It was playing hide-and-seek with the sheets after they came out of the dryer and before we folded them.
Friday night began with a "cruise" at the swimming pool at SAS. Both boys ate a hardy meal at Wendy's before the event. Now, if you know Simi, you know that "Simi" and "eating well" are not words you normally say in the same sentence. Needless to say, it was thrilling to watch him eat so well.
Lots of fun at the pool --- and both boys fell asleep as soon as they lay down on their beds.
Saturday was equally fun-filled with swim lessons in the morning and a birthday party in the afternoon...
On Sunday, Liz and the boys went to the supermarket, while Raj did yard work, then it was off to the swimming pool after nap time.
According to the boys, want to know the MOST FUN activity this week-end? It was playing hide-and-seek with the sheets after they came out of the dryer and before we folded them.
Friday, September 09, 2005
A SpiderMan Birthday Card
We've been doing a lot of talking about birthdays lately. Asher's birthday is at the end of this month and we're having Simi's birthday party early (October 1st) before he's off to surgery. Since Asher is an incredible fiend for The Incredibles, that's what his birthday theme will be. Simi has chosen a Spiderman theme for his party.
Raj's birthday was yesterday. Upon seeing the cake and learning that it was his daddy's birthday, Simi said, earnestly and excitedly, "Daddy, you need a Spiderman birthday card! Mommy, go get him one!"
Simi got lots of hugs.
Raj's birthday was yesterday. Upon seeing the cake and learning that it was his daddy's birthday, Simi said, earnestly and excitedly, "Daddy, you need a Spiderman birthday card! Mommy, go get him one!"
Simi got lots of hugs.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Conversations with Asher
This morning, while Asher was playing outside with his daycare class, he tells the head teacher, "I'm thirsty". Bridget says, "OK, let's go inside and get you some water." To which Asher replies, "I want orange juice." Bridget replies, "Asher, we don't have orange juice." "Apple juice?", Asher asks. "No juice, Asher, we only have water right now", replies Bridget. "OK, then. Water's good." says Asher.
Quite a conversation coming from a kid who's not yet two.
Quite a conversation coming from a kid who's not yet two.
Monday, September 05, 2005
How Can We Explain It To Our Children?
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I find myself trying to answer one basic question: How do we explain what happened in New Orleans to our children?
I've been hiding the news of the storm's aftermath from both Simi and Asher. Asher is not yet two, so he's still rather oblivious to things not in his immediate world. But Simi is nearly four and is starting to understand and ask questions.
Simi hears things. He hears the news on television or on the car radio. He hears the two of us talking about the news. He hears his teachers talking. He's my son, and because of that, I want to shield him from the tragedy in New Orleans.
But what do I say if he asks?
Mommy, why did the rivers flood the city? Mommy, why did all those people and their pets die in New Orleans? Why were people forced to stay in that building - with no food or drinking water, no place to bath or poop, in the squalid, stifling air with no electricity? Why didn't anyone help them, Mommy?
How do I begin to answer his questions?
I've been hiding the news of the storm's aftermath from both Simi and Asher. Asher is not yet two, so he's still rather oblivious to things not in his immediate world. But Simi is nearly four and is starting to understand and ask questions.
Simi hears things. He hears the news on television or on the car radio. He hears the two of us talking about the news. He hears his teachers talking. He's my son, and because of that, I want to shield him from the tragedy in New Orleans.
But what do I say if he asks?
Mommy, why did the rivers flood the city? Mommy, why did all those people and their pets die in New Orleans? Why were people forced to stay in that building - with no food or drinking water, no place to bath or poop, in the squalid, stifling air with no electricity? Why didn't anyone help them, Mommy?
How do I begin to answer his questions?
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Open Heart Surgery
Simi was born with a heart defect; an Atrial Septal Defect. That means that there is a hole between the two Atrial Chambers of his heart where there should be a wall. As heart defects go, this one is the easiest one to fix. But it does mean open heart surgery. This is where they crack open his chest, stop his heart, sew a patch in the hole, restart his heart and close him up.
We hoped to be able to avoid open heart surgery and close the hole via catheterization instead. Unfortunately, the hole is too large to be closed via catheter/amplatzer device.
Simi is nearly 4 years old. We've known about this defect since he was two months old. And we've known that the day to close the hole was coming. Now, it's nearly upon us. On October 6th, Simi will have open heart surgery to close the hole.
After a lot of thought and investigation, we've chosen to go to the Children's Hospital of Boston for the repair. They're leaders in pediatric cardiology and he's in good hands there.
Now let's hope that time fast-forwards quickly to November/December so that we can have this thing behind us.
We hoped to be able to avoid open heart surgery and close the hole via catheterization instead. Unfortunately, the hole is too large to be closed via catheter/amplatzer device.
Simi is nearly 4 years old. We've known about this defect since he was two months old. And we've known that the day to close the hole was coming. Now, it's nearly upon us. On October 6th, Simi will have open heart surgery to close the hole.
After a lot of thought and investigation, we've chosen to go to the Children's Hospital of Boston for the repair. They're leaders in pediatric cardiology and he's in good hands there.
Now let's hope that time fast-forwards quickly to November/December so that we can have this thing behind us.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
A Baby Sister
And now for more news: Simi and Asher are going to get a baby sister. A baby sister! Asher is oblivious to this news; Simi is really excited about it. Us two adults are still getting used to the idea of having three, no wait THREE children.
The big event is expected in mid-January.
The big event is expected in mid-January.
Friday, August 19, 2005
August Update
We haven't written in awhile. In a way, there was a reason for it. Well, perhaps there are many reasons for it. The main reason is the overwhelming task of preparing for the repair of Simi's heart defect. But more on that later.
Our summer has been wonderful. It's been filled with t-ball and soccer and splashing in the swimming pool and sliding down the incredibly fun water slide. It's been filled with playing on the new backyard play set and our way-too-infrequent get-togethers with our friends.
Asher is talking up a storm now. His favorite phrase is: what's its name? He remembers all these new vocabulary words and uses them properly in sentences - with no help at all. He's a special kid. He's an incredibly happy kid; so full of life.
Simi, too, is growing by leaps and bounds. He's getting more "boy-like" and less "toddler-like" every day. He talks up a storm and it's fun to listen to his imagination blooming while he spits out a stream of consciousness.
We're incredibly lucky to have such wonderful kids. These kids are just amazing.
It's a good time to end this post - on such a note. We'll write about the upcoming open heart surgery in a different post.
Our summer has been wonderful. It's been filled with t-ball and soccer and splashing in the swimming pool and sliding down the incredibly fun water slide. It's been filled with playing on the new backyard play set and our way-too-infrequent get-togethers with our friends.
Asher is talking up a storm now. His favorite phrase is: what's its name? He remembers all these new vocabulary words and uses them properly in sentences - with no help at all. He's a special kid. He's an incredibly happy kid; so full of life.
Simi, too, is growing by leaps and bounds. He's getting more "boy-like" and less "toddler-like" every day. He talks up a storm and it's fun to listen to his imagination blooming while he spits out a stream of consciousness.
We're incredibly lucky to have such wonderful kids. These kids are just amazing.
It's a good time to end this post - on such a note. We'll write about the upcoming open heart surgery in a different post.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Potty Time for Asher
Our baby has just turned 21 months old. In fact, we still calculate his age in terms of months, not years. For me, that means he's still our baby.
Most kids learn to use the potty at around age 2 1/2. Girls tend to learn a little earlier, boys tend to learn a little later, so somewhere between the ages of 2 and 3 years, most kids learn to use the potty.
Not Asher.
The other day, while at daycare, Asher asked to use the potty. Then, once on the potty, he proceeded to make a pee-pee in the potty. He did that two additional times that day. Since then, he been regular about pee-peeing in the potty before his bath, when he first awakes in the morning, and when he asks during the day.
Holy Cannoli!
Our sweet baby is growing up! snif
Most kids learn to use the potty at around age 2 1/2. Girls tend to learn a little earlier, boys tend to learn a little later, so somewhere between the ages of 2 and 3 years, most kids learn to use the potty.
Not Asher.
The other day, while at daycare, Asher asked to use the potty. Then, once on the potty, he proceeded to make a pee-pee in the potty. He did that two additional times that day. Since then, he been regular about pee-peeing in the potty before his bath, when he first awakes in the morning, and when he asks during the day.
Holy Cannoli!
Our sweet baby is growing up! snif
T-ball Time
The day of Simi's first T-ball practice has FINALLY arrived. Simi was so excited about it; he has been looking forward to this day for a LONG time.
Little did we know, our first day of T-ball practice should have been long ago....
It seems like all the kids on Simi's team have already been playing t-ball. In fact, Simi seems to be one of the few players on the team not well-practiced in the art of catching with a mitt and hitting with a big, heavy bat.
Simi's lack of experience hasn't curbed his enthusiasm for the sport at all; he had a wonderful time.
Little did we know, our first day of T-ball practice should have been long ago....
It seems like all the kids on Simi's team have already been playing t-ball. In fact, Simi seems to be one of the few players on the team not well-practiced in the art of catching with a mitt and hitting with a big, heavy bat.
Simi's lack of experience hasn't curbed his enthusiasm for the sport at all; he had a wonderful time.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Magnificent Milestones
Our baby is growing up. It's a bittersweet thing, really. On one hand, I want him to stay that sweet adorable baby that he is yet on the other hand, I love to see him develop into the person he's meant to be.
In this round of developmental milestones, Asher just galloped through them.
First came the talking. He spent a week putting words to objects (hat, dog, shoe, toe), then decided to speak in whole sentences. For the most part, those sentences are still two-word sentences (my hat), but the way in which he uses them are quite funny. One day he stands on a bench and pronounces, "I'm tall".
Asher also outgrew his crib. Although he's only 20 months old, he had outgrown the crib several months ago. We finally admitted to ourselves that our baby is growing up and we got him a "big boy bed". He loves it and sleeps so much better now. We're all a lot happier, I think, except for the knowledge that our baby is turning into a boy.
Pretty soon our baby's going to go off to college - sniff.
In this round of developmental milestones, Asher just galloped through them.
First came the talking. He spent a week putting words to objects (hat, dog, shoe, toe), then decided to speak in whole sentences. For the most part, those sentences are still two-word sentences (my hat), but the way in which he uses them are quite funny. One day he stands on a bench and pronounces, "I'm tall".
Asher also outgrew his crib. Although he's only 20 months old, he had outgrown the crib several months ago. We finally admitted to ourselves that our baby is growing up and we got him a "big boy bed". He loves it and sleeps so much better now. We're all a lot happier, I think, except for the knowledge that our baby is turning into a boy.
Pretty soon our baby's going to go off to college - sniff.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Brotherly Love
Before Asher was born, people would tell us stories of sibling rivalry - the trials and tribulations of having two children of the same sex that are very close in age. In hind sight, it's probably similar to being forced to listen to the plethora of nightmarish birth stories while pregnant with your first child. (Why do people feel like they have to tell a new mother all those horrible stories, anyway?)
Now that Asher is here -- and walking and talking -- these two boys are so incredibly close. They absolutely love each other. Simi LOVES to read to Asher, teach him how to brush his teeth, and do other big boy stuff. Asher follows Simi around like a little puppy.
Sure, they have their moments. Like when our socially inept 20 month-old takes the toy right from Simi's hand while he's playing with it, Simi is sure to holler. Or when Simi pushes Asher down in his effort to be first to wash his hands before dinner, you can be certain to hear a protest from Asher. Or when the boys are playing adorably and they accidentally bonk heads, well, sometimes they both cry in pain.
Tonight, Liz drove Cecilia home while the boys sat on Raj's lap and read bedtime books. Better said, Simi read the books while Asher turned the pages. And when it was time to say good-night and go to bed, Asher had an absolute fit. He didn't want to be away from his brother.
Now that Asher is here -- and walking and talking -- these two boys are so incredibly close. They absolutely love each other. Simi LOVES to read to Asher, teach him how to brush his teeth, and do other big boy stuff. Asher follows Simi around like a little puppy.
Sure, they have their moments. Like when our socially inept 20 month-old takes the toy right from Simi's hand while he's playing with it, Simi is sure to holler. Or when Simi pushes Asher down in his effort to be first to wash his hands before dinner, you can be certain to hear a protest from Asher. Or when the boys are playing adorably and they accidentally bonk heads, well, sometimes they both cry in pain.
Tonight, Liz drove Cecilia home while the boys sat on Raj's lap and read bedtime books. Better said, Simi read the books while Asher turned the pages. And when it was time to say good-night and go to bed, Asher had an absolute fit. He didn't want to be away from his brother.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Annual Beach Trip
It's been awhile since we added an entry. We've just returned from a week at the beach. This year we went to Corolla Light, which is near Duck, NC. That's in the Outer Banks, NC.
It was a really nice trip - very fun and relaxing. The weather was beautiful - with the exception of one day. The boys had a great time. Simi's best friend Alex and his family was also there, which was great. Simi and Alex had a lot of fun playing on the beach and playing in the houses. Asher did his best kid brother routine and chased after them as best he could.
Asher seemed to have a number of developmental advances while we were at the beach. His vocabulary grows by a number of words each day and now he's even putting together two-word sentences. He's still a super funny baby and knows how to get us to really laugh. That kid's going to be a comedian when he grows up. Asher's also into the "I'll do it myself phase" - which means that I have to wait patiently while he struggles going up/down stairs, toddles to the beach or to where-ever we're going, or putting on shoes, etc.
We'll post pictures soon.
Tomorrow we're back at work/school. We need another week at the beach, I think.
---Update: Here are some pictures:
It was a really nice trip - very fun and relaxing. The weather was beautiful - with the exception of one day. The boys had a great time. Simi's best friend Alex and his family was also there, which was great. Simi and Alex had a lot of fun playing on the beach and playing in the houses. Asher did his best kid brother routine and chased after them as best he could.
Asher seemed to have a number of developmental advances while we were at the beach. His vocabulary grows by a number of words each day and now he's even putting together two-word sentences. He's still a super funny baby and knows how to get us to really laugh. That kid's going to be a comedian when he grows up. Asher's also into the "I'll do it myself phase" - which means that I have to wait patiently while he struggles going up/down stairs, toddles to the beach or to where-ever we're going, or putting on shoes, etc.
We'll post pictures soon.
Tomorrow we're back at work/school. We need another week at the beach, I think.
---Update: Here are some pictures:
 At the beach |  Simi and Alex play on the surf |  Asher at the Beach |
Friday, May 13, 2005
Simi's Cardiology Appointment
Here's an update for you on Simi's appointment with his pediatric cardiologist: We've been going annually to monitor his atrial septal defect, or hole between the two atrial chambers of his heart.
Summary:
In a nutshell, we're going to wait until this time next year before closing the defect. On May 12, 2006, we'll do another echo of the defect and talk with his Dr. about the best method of closing it. At that time, I think we'll go ahead and schedule "it" (whatever method "it" may be).
Background:
When he was under two, the Dr. said the only way to close the defect was open heart surgery, where they open his chest, break open his rib cage, stop his heart, and put him on a heart/lung bypass machine for hours, then sew a patch where the hole is. The risk of complications is 1% (amazing it's not higher), but it's highly invasive and requires a long recuperation period. Plus, being on heart/lung bypass reduces your mental capacity.
Last year, the Dr. said that he now qualified for a (much) less invasive procedure, where they can snake a catheter in through a vein in his leg and place a device (amplatzer) in the hole to close it. The reason he suddenly qualified is because there is now tissue on either side of the hole, which they need to anchor the device. Last year, the Dr. said that kids do better the bigger they are and suggested we wait a year. So we did.
More information on this visit:
This year, after doing the echo, the Dr. said that there is a 70-75% chance that they'll be able to do the amplatzer catheter procedure, but they'll only know that when they go in to place the device. (Last year, we didn't realize that there was a chance they couldn't do it.)
It's questionable just how much tissue he has on either side of the hole and they'll get a better view of it when they go into his heart. One side, in particular, has less tissue than the other side. So we could submit him for the catheterization procedure - go through the four hour procedure and its risks - only to have to submit him again for open heart surgery.
Timing (age of the child) has its factors too. The younger the child, the less they remember and the less emotionally traumatic it is. It's important to close it before the child starts school so he doesn't miss 6+ weeks of school.
While our memories can certainly fail us, both Raj and I thought there was more tissue on either side of the hole this year over last year. And the year before, there was no tissue at all on one side. So it seems like the tissue is growing. At worst, we'll still have the same odds next year that we do this year.
So we decided to wait a year - with the hope that the tissue on either side of the hole will grow and we'll have improved odds for a successful amplatzer device. Simi will be 4 1/2 then with the plan to close it before he's five.
Summary:
In a nutshell, we're going to wait until this time next year before closing the defect. On May 12, 2006, we'll do another echo of the defect and talk with his Dr. about the best method of closing it. At that time, I think we'll go ahead and schedule "it" (whatever method "it" may be).
Background:
When he was under two, the Dr. said the only way to close the defect was open heart surgery, where they open his chest, break open his rib cage, stop his heart, and put him on a heart/lung bypass machine for hours, then sew a patch where the hole is. The risk of complications is 1% (amazing it's not higher), but it's highly invasive and requires a long recuperation period. Plus, being on heart/lung bypass reduces your mental capacity.
Last year, the Dr. said that he now qualified for a (much) less invasive procedure, where they can snake a catheter in through a vein in his leg and place a device (amplatzer) in the hole to close it. The reason he suddenly qualified is because there is now tissue on either side of the hole, which they need to anchor the device. Last year, the Dr. said that kids do better the bigger they are and suggested we wait a year. So we did.
More information on this visit:
This year, after doing the echo, the Dr. said that there is a 70-75% chance that they'll be able to do the amplatzer catheter procedure, but they'll only know that when they go in to place the device. (Last year, we didn't realize that there was a chance they couldn't do it.)
It's questionable just how much tissue he has on either side of the hole and they'll get a better view of it when they go into his heart. One side, in particular, has less tissue than the other side. So we could submit him for the catheterization procedure - go through the four hour procedure and its risks - only to have to submit him again for open heart surgery.
Timing (age of the child) has its factors too. The younger the child, the less they remember and the less emotionally traumatic it is. It's important to close it before the child starts school so he doesn't miss 6+ weeks of school.
While our memories can certainly fail us, both Raj and I thought there was more tissue on either side of the hole this year over last year. And the year before, there was no tissue at all on one side. So it seems like the tissue is growing. At worst, we'll still have the same odds next year that we do this year.
So we decided to wait a year - with the hope that the tissue on either side of the hole will grow and we'll have improved odds for a successful amplatzer device. Simi will be 4 1/2 then with the plan to close it before he's five.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Asher's Test Results
The results of Asher's endoscopy and pH probe came in today (insert drum roll here....):
Biopsy results show "intense eosinophilic infiltration". If you remember from an earlier post, eosinophilic esophagitis is an allergic reaction that manifests itself in the esophagus. No wonder the reflux medication didn't help him any. His pH probe study came back normal. (Did you know that everyone refluxes at some part of the day?)
At least now we know. And now we can give him the appropriate medicine which will treat his condition.
And for all those doctors who said this thing was behavioral and not medical, I give them a great big, "TTTHHHHPPPPPFFT".
There's a moral to this story: ALWAYS believe the mom.
Biopsy results show "intense eosinophilic infiltration". If you remember from an earlier post, eosinophilic esophagitis is an allergic reaction that manifests itself in the esophagus. No wonder the reflux medication didn't help him any. His pH probe study came back normal. (Did you know that everyone refluxes at some part of the day?)
At least now we know. And now we can give him the appropriate medicine which will treat his condition.
And for all those doctors who said this thing was behavioral and not medical, I give them a great big, "TTTHHHHPPPPPFFT".
There's a moral to this story: ALWAYS believe the mom.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Funnybaby
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| AsherStar | Asher's new "hat" |
Here are some recent photos of our clown-baby to entertain you while you're awaiting Asher's test results. He's a silly baby.
Last week-end, while doing sticker work, Asher suddenly decided to put his stickers on his face. What a goofball! You can see the result in this photo.
Later that day, upon awaking from his nap and seeing Simi's new t-ball glove, he exclaimed, "my hat!" and promptly put the glove on his head. We were able to compose ourselves from our deep belly laughs enough to snap this photo.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Asher Endoscopy and pH Probe
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| Asher with pH Probe | Asher in Jail |
Asher had his Endoscopy and a pH Probe yesterday. We'll get results on Wednesday.
(we'll edit this post with more info later...)
**
It's Liz writing. I've been struggling for days with what to say about Asher's endoscopy and pH Probe. My first thought is to make it short and succinct. That thought is quickly followed by the thought to give more information for folks who may be surfing into this blog who are going to have to go through this stuff with their own child.
In some ways it was like running a marathon. Some parts were tough, but if you can stick with it, you'll make it to the finish line. Good golly, I can't tell you how many times I wanted to quit during that 24 hours. Seeing Asher suffer so much at some points really got to me. But we did prevail and made it to the 24 hour mark and now we have the data we need to know what's going on in that adorable little body of his.
So, without further ado, here goes:
The endoscopy experience was a little weird, but over with quickly. The anthesiologist was a bit lackadaisical about Asher's weight (do they not need to get his weight right for the anesthesia?), the doctor was a bit lackadaisical about getting into the room and preparing for the endoscopy, and it must have taken the Dr. a total of 5 minutes to do the actual procedure. I guess that although it's a big deal for us; it's routine for them. What's important is that we got the look and the biopsies and that Asher did fine. We'll get the results of the endoscopy on Wednesday and plan a course of action from there.
Next, the pH probe: nurse Fay inserted the probe while Asher was under anesthesia. They also taped Asher's arms to boards -- from his armpits to his fingers -- so that he wouldn't be able to pull out the pH probe.
Poor Asher, he came out from anesthesia and couldn't move his arms and was hungry and mad. Anyone seen the movie, "The Incredibles"? If so, think of Jack-Jack at the very end of the movie. Asher was so mad, I thought he'd burst into flame.
The nurse wouldn't let him eat or drink anything until they properly placed the pH probe using x-ray. I'm a big planner, so the rest of the pH probe placement drove me absolutely nuts. The nurse waited until Asher was ready to be discharged from recovery to call x-ray and have the probe placed properly. When Asher was ready for discharge, she was hard to find. Meanwhile, Asher was crying because he was hungry. Faye returned and called x-ray. Then we had to wait for x-ray to get ready. Meanwhile, Asher is screaming mad and really hungry and I wasn't allowed to feed him.
Finally, we get into x-ray. We put our precious baby in a foam basin (it keeps him in place during the x-ray) and we're told to stand behind the glass because it will only take "2 seconds" to place the probe. Minutes later, we're still waiting. Asher is crying hysterically and I'm ready to scoop him up and take him out of there. The test just about stopped before the probe was even in place! I think that was the worst part of the entire 24 hours.
After the probe was placed, we were allowed to offer Asher a bottle. He took one sip, felt the probe down his throat and started to cry. He took another sip and did the same thing. Then he cried and cried because he was hungry and there was some horrible thing going down the back of his throat. Asher cried and cried for hours. He cried so hard he became hoarse. Again, I doubted we could make it the entire 24 hours.
At about 6 PM, Asher drank his bottle. By this time he was so hungry that he drank the entire 8 oz in less than 4 minutes! Then he promptly vomited it right back up again. I was glad the nurse suggested I bring a change of clothes! I cleaned us up and changed us both and gave Asher a few extra ounces of bottle. He stopped crying and was a bit less cranky.
Asher vomited 3 or 4 more times during the night. We both ran out of clothes to wear and started to wear hospital gowns. I got about an hour sleep; Asher got about 5 hours of sleep. We did manage to get through the night. By the time 8 AM rolled around (Nurse Faye mentioned that she and Dr. Ulshen would return to remove the pH probe between 8 and 9 AM), we were doing the victory dance. We made it!!!
Poor Asher was completely traumatized by strangers. Anytime anyone came into our room he cried, turned away from them, and clung to me like crazy. I hope he forgets this experience quickly.
Next step....patiently await the results....
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Asher Update
Asher's endoscopy and pH Probe is scheduled for Thursday, April 28 and 29th. We have to be at the hospital at 8 AM Thursday. The endoscopy itself will happen at 9 AM - right after they put him under general anesthesia. After the endoscopy, they'll insert the pH Probe, do an x-ray to get perfect positioning, then bring him to the recovery room and allow him to wake up from the anesthesia. Then, we'll move to a hospital room for the next 24 hours while he has the pH Probe in place. The plan is to remove the probe at 9 AM on Friday, April 29th. Then we get to go home and recuperate.
The probe itself will be inserted through Asher's nose and into his esophagus. By measuring the acid that may be splashing into his esophagus, it will tell us if he still has reflux and, if so, how much and when he's refluxing. We then use that information to guide us in our next course of action.
They'll have to put mitts on Asher's cute little hands while the probe is in place. Since it's irritating, he'll try to pull out the probe. We get to entertain him for the 24 hours that the probe is in place so that he doesn't try to pull it out.
In preparation for Asher's pH Probe, we have had to stop giving him the medicine we've been giving him. First we had to remove the Prevacid. Today we had to stop the Reglan and Erythromycin.
Interestingly, his eating has both taken a nose dive AND improved. He's eating table food at school, but he refuses any sort of solid food at home. Plus, today and yesterday he seems to have a lot more energy and seems to be a lot happier -- at least at school. At home he's the same ol' adorable Asher.
This is really one of those times where I wish the "vulcan mind-meld" was a real thing - where we can go into Asher's adorable brain and figure out exactly what is going on with him. Guessing is REALLY hard.
So, please wish that time goes fast for us - that Friday comes quickly, and that we get some answers on what really is going on in that adorable little belly.
The probe itself will be inserted through Asher's nose and into his esophagus. By measuring the acid that may be splashing into his esophagus, it will tell us if he still has reflux and, if so, how much and when he's refluxing. We then use that information to guide us in our next course of action.
They'll have to put mitts on Asher's cute little hands while the probe is in place. Since it's irritating, he'll try to pull out the probe. We get to entertain him for the 24 hours that the probe is in place so that he doesn't try to pull it out.
In preparation for Asher's pH Probe, we have had to stop giving him the medicine we've been giving him. First we had to remove the Prevacid. Today we had to stop the Reglan and Erythromycin.
Interestingly, his eating has both taken a nose dive AND improved. He's eating table food at school, but he refuses any sort of solid food at home. Plus, today and yesterday he seems to have a lot more energy and seems to be a lot happier -- at least at school. At home he's the same ol' adorable Asher.
This is really one of those times where I wish the "vulcan mind-meld" was a real thing - where we can go into Asher's adorable brain and figure out exactly what is going on with him. Guessing is REALLY hard.
So, please wish that time goes fast for us - that Friday comes quickly, and that we get some answers on what really is going on in that adorable little belly.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Asher Update
We took Asher to UNC Pediatric Gastroenterology today for a second opinion. He's nearly 19 months old and eats only stage 2 purees and a bottle and continually vomits and we're desperately searching for a way to get him better.
It was an interesting appointment.
The Dr. listed the four possible issues that could be the cause of Asher's problem:
1. Structural: something didn't form right when he was in the womb.
2. Reflux: That spincter muscle in his stomach just isn't doing its job.
3. Allergic: This is that esosiniphial esophagitis thing I mentioned earlier.
4. Delayed gastric emptying: Where his stomach doesn't empty as quickly as it should.
We've tested for items 1 and 4. Structurally, all his parts are in the right place and they all tilt the right way. His stomach empties just fine, although two of his medicines are to make his stomach empty faster anyway (because it makes him vomit less). That leaves reflux and allergy.
Asher had an endoscopy in June 2004 that revealed inflammation due to reflux, so that's the likely culprit. Thing is, we're already treating him for reflux. The only other treatment is surgery, which has several complications a large percent of the time. Deep heavy sigh.
The Dr. suggested doing a second endoscopy to rule out item 3, because if it is that, then it's a different treatment. He also suggested doing a pH Probe, which is the definitive test for reflux. Although we're already treating for reflux, testing for it would give us the answer - definitively - if that's what's going on in Asher's adorable little stomach.
So, our second opinion confirmed our original doctor. I guess that's good.
The Dr. also told us that he sees cases like Asher regularly and we should get used to this because it's going to be our way of life forever. Deep, deep heavy sigh.
I guess there are worse things. We can teach him how to feed himself his stage 2 purees. I can get him proper nutrition via liquid and puree. His weight is fine, so he's getting calorically. And I don't have to give up searching for a cure for him....
Which leads me to the next step: endoscopy and pH Probe. We had already scheduled these tests at Duke, so we're going to move forward with them. They're scheduled for next Thursday and Friday, April 28th(?). Asher will be admitted to the hospital. They'll put him under general anesthesia, do the endoscopy and insert the pH Probe. Then we'll hang out in a little room for 24 hours and let the pH Probe do its reading. On Friday at about 9 AM, they'll remove the PHprobe and we'll get to go home.
Deep, deep, deep heavy sigh....
It was an interesting appointment.
The Dr. listed the four possible issues that could be the cause of Asher's problem:
1. Structural: something didn't form right when he was in the womb.
2. Reflux: That spincter muscle in his stomach just isn't doing its job.
3. Allergic: This is that esosiniphial esophagitis thing I mentioned earlier.
4. Delayed gastric emptying: Where his stomach doesn't empty as quickly as it should.
We've tested for items 1 and 4. Structurally, all his parts are in the right place and they all tilt the right way. His stomach empties just fine, although two of his medicines are to make his stomach empty faster anyway (because it makes him vomit less). That leaves reflux and allergy.
Asher had an endoscopy in June 2004 that revealed inflammation due to reflux, so that's the likely culprit. Thing is, we're already treating him for reflux. The only other treatment is surgery, which has several complications a large percent of the time. Deep heavy sigh.
The Dr. suggested doing a second endoscopy to rule out item 3, because if it is that, then it's a different treatment. He also suggested doing a pH Probe, which is the definitive test for reflux. Although we're already treating for reflux, testing for it would give us the answer - definitively - if that's what's going on in Asher's adorable little stomach.
So, our second opinion confirmed our original doctor. I guess that's good.
The Dr. also told us that he sees cases like Asher regularly and we should get used to this because it's going to be our way of life forever. Deep, deep heavy sigh.
I guess there are worse things. We can teach him how to feed himself his stage 2 purees. I can get him proper nutrition via liquid and puree. His weight is fine, so he's getting calorically. And I don't have to give up searching for a cure for him....
Which leads me to the next step: endoscopy and pH Probe. We had already scheduled these tests at Duke, so we're going to move forward with them. They're scheduled for next Thursday and Friday, April 28th(?). Asher will be admitted to the hospital. They'll put him under general anesthesia, do the endoscopy and insert the pH Probe. Then we'll hang out in a little room for 24 hours and let the pH Probe do its reading. On Friday at about 9 AM, they'll remove the PHprobe and we'll get to go home.
Deep, deep, deep heavy sigh....
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Verbal Asher
While Simi accomplishes his literary skills, Asher is accomplishing his own communication skills. Asher is learning to talk. He is also very proud to show anyone (well, not just ANYONE, it has to be someone he KNOWS and TRUSTS) his eyes, ears, nose (while he sticks his finger IN his nose), mouth (which he lovingly refers to as his "mouff"), and then he lifts his shirt and says, "belly" (or a word that resembles that word). The last item is said while he sticks his finger in his bellybutton and with a very proud smile on his face. If encouraged, Asher will also point down to his feet and proudly say, "toe".
Today he began saying words that have "s" in them. My guess is the day he begins saying, "Simi" is very close.
Today he began saying words that have "s" in them. My guess is the day he begins saying, "Simi" is very close.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Reader Simi
OK, proud parent boast here: my son, who has not yet turned 3 1/2, is reading!!! I'm so proud of my little reader!!! We write a simple word on the Magna Doodle and Simi sounds it out and shouts out the word. WOW!! Simi absolutely loves this game and he keeps asking to play it again and again. Raj is great at thinking up words to write. My little reader!
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Liz learning to add photos
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| Simi and Alex | Asher the clown |
Thought y'all might enjoy some recent photos of the boys. The first is of Simi and his friend Alex at fútbol practice. The second is of Asher with a half of a plastic Easter egg on his nose. We played with these eggs a lot this season and Asher had a great time making us all laugh when he put the egg on his nose. That Asher is such a clown! Every time I see this photo, I burst into laughter.
These photos are a poor substitute for the real thing; the boys are so much cuter than their photos reveal!
Click on the photos for a slightly larger image.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Simi's swimming gear
Here's two old pictures of Simi posing with his new swimming outfit. This was a couple of months ago, but it still makes me laugh. The second picture is Simi showing one of his swimming strokes, but it looks like a great bodybuilder pose!
-raj
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Update
Gosh it's been too long since the last update. Here are the highlights:
Simi had his first soccer "practice" on Wednesday. It was a miserably cold, rainy day and we were both very glad that he's playing INDOOR soccer. He and his best friend, Alex, are enrolled in soccer together and you've never seen anything as adorable as the two of them running around the field, chasing after their size 3, regulation weight soccer balls. There are about twenty 3 year-olds in the class. Graeme, the coach, did a GREAT job of coaching. We're still really amazed that he got these little toddlers to follow his directions. They played "red light, green light", where red light - you stop the ball with your foot, green light: you kick the ball, yellow light: you go SLOWLY, and BLUE light: you SIT on the ball. Then all the little toddlers lined up and kicked their ball into the goal.
The look of glee on both Simi and Alex's faces was just heart-warming. I don't think I've ever seen Simi this happy. Of course I didn't bring the camera; you better believe I won't forget it this-coming Wednesday!
Now for an Asher update (I have to take a big, deep sigh before posting. OK, another one): The good news is that he's eaten four 4 oz. jars of stage 2 veggies and chicken today -- plus a couple of Wendy's french fries. And it's only noon. In fact, I haven't even given him a bottle all day. That's the highlight of the week. In other good news, he's just tremendously, absolutely, incredibly adorable. Let's just leave it at the good news today.
This morning was the annual easter-egg hunt in our neighborhood. Both Simi and Asher had a wonderful time. Asher didn't really care much about picking up plastic eggs, but he had a great time playing on the playground. Simi had a wonderful time picking up the eggs and eating the candy treats inside them. He even got a couple of yo-yos -- woo hoo!
We'll post some photos -- just as soon as Raj teaches me how.
Until soon,
Liz
Simi had his first soccer "practice" on Wednesday. It was a miserably cold, rainy day and we were both very glad that he's playing INDOOR soccer. He and his best friend, Alex, are enrolled in soccer together and you've never seen anything as adorable as the two of them running around the field, chasing after their size 3, regulation weight soccer balls. There are about twenty 3 year-olds in the class. Graeme, the coach, did a GREAT job of coaching. We're still really amazed that he got these little toddlers to follow his directions. They played "red light, green light", where red light - you stop the ball with your foot, green light: you kick the ball, yellow light: you go SLOWLY, and BLUE light: you SIT on the ball. Then all the little toddlers lined up and kicked their ball into the goal.
The look of glee on both Simi and Alex's faces was just heart-warming. I don't think I've ever seen Simi this happy. Of course I didn't bring the camera; you better believe I won't forget it this-coming Wednesday!
Now for an Asher update (I have to take a big, deep sigh before posting. OK, another one): The good news is that he's eaten four 4 oz. jars of stage 2 veggies and chicken today -- plus a couple of Wendy's french fries. And it's only noon. In fact, I haven't even given him a bottle all day. That's the highlight of the week. In other good news, he's just tremendously, absolutely, incredibly adorable. Let's just leave it at the good news today.
This morning was the annual easter-egg hunt in our neighborhood. Both Simi and Asher had a wonderful time. Asher didn't really care much about picking up plastic eggs, but he had a great time playing on the playground. Simi had a wonderful time picking up the eggs and eating the candy treats inside them. He even got a couple of yo-yos -- woo hoo!
We'll post some photos -- just as soon as Raj teaches me how.
Until soon,
Liz
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Set-back for Asher
We learned something this week: it's probably not a food allergy that's causing Asher to vomit. The results of the allergy tests show no signs of any allergy - except for wheat which is too small to count. Plus, even with his stringent elimination diet, he's still vomiting. So, his issue is not food related.
While it's a good thing that Asher has no food allergies, we're still left with the unanswered questions: Why does Asher vomit all the time? What's going on in that adorable tummy of his that's causing all the distress?
Stay tuned while we continue to go 'round and 'round in this seemingly fruitless effort....
Meanwhile, if you have any suggestions on doctors who may help or Internet searches to read, or anything else that may help poor Asher's stomach, we're open to hearing them.
While it's a good thing that Asher has no food allergies, we're still left with the unanswered questions: Why does Asher vomit all the time? What's going on in that adorable tummy of his that's causing all the distress?
Stay tuned while we continue to go 'round and 'round in this seemingly fruitless effort....
Meanwhile, if you have any suggestions on doctors who may help or Internet searches to read, or anything else that may help poor Asher's stomach, we're open to hearing them.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Epoca de Fútbol
In addition to swimming lessons, Simi wants to play fútbol norteamericano -- otherwise known as "soccer" in this country (isn't that a weird word?). Thing is, on Saturday mornings, Simi can either play fútbol or go swimming.
The other day, Liz found a flier for an indoor soccer league. They have classes during the week at 4:30 PM -- late enough for one of us to leave work a little early and take Simi to soccer play. Simi was sooo incredibly excited -- he hounded us until we signed him up. Then, it was off to the sporting goods store to buy a ball. Simi is now the proud owner of a size 3, regulation weight soccer ball. I can't wait until I get to say my first, "GOOOOOOOLLLLLLL!"
The other day, Liz found a flier for an indoor soccer league. They have classes during the week at 4:30 PM -- late enough for one of us to leave work a little early and take Simi to soccer play. Simi was sooo incredibly excited -- he hounded us until we signed him up. Then, it was off to the sporting goods store to buy a ball. Simi is now the proud owner of a size 3, regulation weight soccer ball. I can't wait until I get to say my first, "GOOOOOOOLLLLLLL!"
Swimmingly Simi
Last September, Simi began swim lessons. He first began with a six-week session in the parent-tot class; he really enjoyed that class. The following six-week session, we put him in the 3-5 year old group lesson, which was much less enjoyable. With five boys in the class, he hardly had any practice time with the instructor. And since he's too small to reach the step they put in the water, he had to cling onto the side of the pool. With his back to the action going on in the pool, he couldn't even see what the other kids were doing. Last, since he was in the water for so long without moving, he got so cold his legs barely moved by the end of the class. He learned nothing.
When it came time to sign up for the following sessions, we asked if we could go back to parent-tot class. With a parent in the water with him, Simi can spend the entire 1/2 hour lesson learning to swim. Plus, he'll be moving around and keeping warm. With permission granted, Liz and Simi trotted off to swim class. The next six-week session, Asher and Raj joined in, now that Asher is finally old enough. The Saturday morning parent-tot swim class is now a family event.
What a difference a few weeks in parent-tot classes make! Simi is really doing great! He kicks and paddles and even puts his face in the water and blows bubbles. This past Saturday, Liz tied a noodle around his waste, and Simi motored off on his own. It was just beautiful to watch! Simi is VERY proud of his aquatic accomplishments! You can practically see his chest bursting with pride.
Asher is doing great too, considering he's been in the water exactly twice now.
Our instructor is trying to get us to move Simi up to the 3-5 year old class again; we'll resist for as long as possible :-)
When it came time to sign up for the following sessions, we asked if we could go back to parent-tot class. With a parent in the water with him, Simi can spend the entire 1/2 hour lesson learning to swim. Plus, he'll be moving around and keeping warm. With permission granted, Liz and Simi trotted off to swim class. The next six-week session, Asher and Raj joined in, now that Asher is finally old enough. The Saturday morning parent-tot swim class is now a family event.
What a difference a few weeks in parent-tot classes make! Simi is really doing great! He kicks and paddles and even puts his face in the water and blows bubbles. This past Saturday, Liz tied a noodle around his waste, and Simi motored off on his own. It was just beautiful to watch! Simi is VERY proud of his aquatic accomplishments! You can practically see his chest bursting with pride.
Asher is doing great too, considering he's been in the water exactly twice now.
Our instructor is trying to get us to move Simi up to the 3-5 year old class again; we'll resist for as long as possible :-)
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Torturing Asher
In an effort to find out what's causing Asher's gastro-intestinal distress, he has had to endure a battery of torturous medical tests over the past few days.
Asher first visited the pediatric allergist, who heard Asher's story and said it sounds like eosinophilic esophagitis. The symptoms do quite resemble Asher's symptoms. If it is this condition, it explains why Asher's vomitting isn't like reflux vomitting and why he's not improving on reflux meds. To cure him, all we'll need to do is keep him away from the foods causing the allergy.
Two vials of blood were taken from our little dude to see if we can determine what is causing the allergy (if it is, indeed, this condition). We need to go back and get his skin tested, but that's another day.
The next day was shear torture: the upper gi series. This is the test where you drink some nasty-tasting barium and lay on a table and get x-rays taken of your belly while the barium is going through the digestive tract. It's quite neat if you're into that kind of stuff, but for a 17-month old who doesn't understand what's going on, it's really really scary. They strapped him down onto a board, strapped his arms over his head, put him under this big, noisy machine, and force-fed him some nasty goop.
The good news is that he's anatomically correct -- all the parts are there and in the right position. Even better news: no sign of reflux -- even with a belly full of barium, them pushing on his belly trying to provoke the reflux, and him screaming and crying in fear. If there ever was a time when a child would reflux, it would have been then. Which gives even more credibility to the eosinophilic esophagitis theory.
So we'll continue down this path and see where it takes us. Hopefully it'll take us to a healthy happy Asher -- one who doesn't vomit so regularly and who eats age appropriately.
We'll post his progress.
Asher first visited the pediatric allergist, who heard Asher's story and said it sounds like eosinophilic esophagitis. The symptoms do quite resemble Asher's symptoms. If it is this condition, it explains why Asher's vomitting isn't like reflux vomitting and why he's not improving on reflux meds. To cure him, all we'll need to do is keep him away from the foods causing the allergy.
Two vials of blood were taken from our little dude to see if we can determine what is causing the allergy (if it is, indeed, this condition). We need to go back and get his skin tested, but that's another day.
The next day was shear torture: the upper gi series. This is the test where you drink some nasty-tasting barium and lay on a table and get x-rays taken of your belly while the barium is going through the digestive tract. It's quite neat if you're into that kind of stuff, but for a 17-month old who doesn't understand what's going on, it's really really scary. They strapped him down onto a board, strapped his arms over his head, put him under this big, noisy machine, and force-fed him some nasty goop.
The good news is that he's anatomically correct -- all the parts are there and in the right position. Even better news: no sign of reflux -- even with a belly full of barium, them pushing on his belly trying to provoke the reflux, and him screaming and crying in fear. If there ever was a time when a child would reflux, it would have been then. Which gives even more credibility to the eosinophilic esophagitis theory.
So we'll continue down this path and see where it takes us. Hopefully it'll take us to a healthy happy Asher -- one who doesn't vomit so regularly and who eats age appropriately.
We'll post his progress.
Put in-Take out
Asher has another game: the put-in-take-out game. I think you can get an idea of how it goes: you put something into a box, then take it back out. Except Asher's game has a twist to it: he puts a toy into the garbage can, then walks away before you notice him doing it. We have inadvertently thrown away a lot of stuff.
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Adorable Asher
Asher has a new game. While we're in the kitchen fixing a meal, he toddles into the adjoining dining room and hides behind the wall separating the two rooms. Just before he hides, he smiles, waves, and says, "bye-bye". A moment later, he reappears laughing.
If we're too busy and don't play the game with him, he continues to say "bye-bye", each time getting louder and longer until we pay attention to him and play. If we play the game with him, he laughs hysterically.
We love the game too.
If we're too busy and don't play the game with him, he continues to say "bye-bye", each time getting louder and longer until we pay attention to him and play. If we play the game with him, he laughs hysterically.
We love the game too.
Monday, February 14, 2005
The Greatest Show on Earth!
Simi and I went to the Circus today. What a blast! Before the show they let people in an hour early to go down to the floor and watch some warmup stuff, and that was a lot of fun. Simi loved the show, especially the animals (elephants, horses, lions, and even a zebra!), the motorcycles, and the popcorn. And he got a new motorcycle to vroom!
We had excellent seats, 4th row, so we got a great view of everything, though taking pictures in the dark is tough. Simi enjoyed every minute of it (except he got a little bored waiting in line for popcorn). Hopefully next year we can take Asher as well.
-raj
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Babysitter
We went out on a date, actually got a babysitter and went out to a nice restaraunt. Cecelia came over at 6:30, and Asher started crying when we left as we expected. We were nervous the entire time that he wouldn't stop crying or would throw up, but were delighted to hear both boys giggling when we got back home. Next time we'll be able to enjoy the night more not worrying about the boys, though we still had a good time.
We went to Backus, on Ninth St, a very nice Tapas place. It took a while to get noticed and seated at the bar, and the "about 15 minutes for a table" became "nevermind the table", but the food was very good, as was the Sangria, and it was a beautiful place. Next time we'll make reservations.
-raj
Friday, February 11, 2005
Acupuncture
Asher's ear infection/sinus infection and vomiting didn't seem to be getting better, so a few weeks ago we took Asher to see an acupuncturist. Dr. Chen came very highly recommended, and I had listened to him give a talk a couple of years ago when we were thinking of taking Simi. He only used the needles briefly because of Asher's age (though Dr. Chen said he'd never seen a baby take the needles so well), and focused on Acupressure and teaching us a few things to do a few times a day.
Dr. Chen was very optomistic we'd see immediate results, and we were slightly disappointed when Asher vomitted that afternoon as he had pretty much every day for quite a while, but he hasn't thrown up since. We went back a week after the initial appointment for a followup, and will only go back as needed now. Perhaps it's a coincidence, maybe the meds finally kicked in or his body fought it off, but we certainly are gaining more faith in it.
-raj
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
King for the Day!
Simi was "King for the Day" today. One of the moms from his class brough in a cake (something to do with Lent) and Simi got the lucky piece with a baby on it. He got to make a nice crown and wear it in class and take it home.
The boys look especially cute wearing matching shirts, Simi picked it out before he Asher, pure coincidence but awfully cute.
-raj
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Saturday, January 22, 2005
First post
Hello World! This is our first blog entry on our new blogger site. We'll start by posting a photo of the most adorable boys on the planet: our sons.
OK, forget it. We can't do pictures yet. Harumpf! We'll just start with text.
Ciao World!
OK, forget it. We can't do pictures yet. Harumpf! We'll just start with text.
Ciao World!
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