Success-we hope...

Dr S said Alex's surgery went really well yesterday.

Yeah!!

She said as soon as she nicked his achilles tendon, the heel dropped right down where it's supposed to be.  She's hoping we'll only have to do the 2 weeks of casts but we'll know for sure after they come off. 

He woke up very badly from the anesthesia, we don't think he was in any pain but just seriously pissed that he couldn't move his legs!  And they put the IV, pulse ox, etc... on the hand of his "sucking fingers".  He fought and fought for almost an hour, drank a little juice and ate some Popsicle but didn't start calming down until they took all the junk off his hand and his fingers could pop back in his mouth.

We've just been alternating ibuprofen and acetaminophen because he doesn't seem to be in pain at all.  He's having a tough time getting around and wants to be carried everywhere.  He weighs a ton now!  I'm hoping he'll figure out how to crawl again soon :-)

Feeling a little stoned before surgery!

He started feeling pretty happy though!

I really hope it works this time...

Surgery, that is.

After we saw Alex's dr in September, she was recommending a surgery that we weren't quite on board with.  So I contacted insurance to see if we could see a specialist for a second opinion and insurance said "Sure, no problem.  The visit will be covered!"  I requested the referral to be done, I scheduled an appointment, I booked hotels and planned activities for driving 15 hours with a 2 year old by myself.

Then I got the call that insurance would NOT cover the visit.  After a lot of phone calls and letter writing for an appeal, the visit would still not be covered.  

Fast forward to mid-December we saw Alex's dr and again, after voicing our concern about the recommended surgery, she contacted another specialist in Iowa to get his take on what she was recommending.  Now why this couldn't have been done the first time, I don't know.  Don't get me wrong, I love this dr!  I think she may just not be used to dealing with a parent that is well informed about different club foot treatments.  I'm a bit fanatical when it comes to researching what would be best for my kid :-)

Anyway, the Iowa dr agreed with me :-)  He did not recommend the more extreme procedure, but said to do another tenotomy with more casting.  It may have taken 4 months to get everything straightened out, but I'm glad I stayed firm on not doing the original surgery suggested.  I think in the long run, Alex would have had more problems and more pain with the Valpius/Strayer surgery.  

I am not looking forward to more casts, the boy is a chunk and I have no idea how I'm going to carry him around!  He's going to be so mad to not be able to move, he fidgets non stop-even when he sleeps.  But I figure he'll adapt better than I will. 

I just want this to work and his beautiful little feet to be healthy and pain free.

My baby is 9...

We almost always celebrate Syd's birthday three times.

One celebration on her actual birthday.

One combo celebration for me, James and Syd with the grandparents.

She's not a fan of cake so she asked for cream puffs (well, really eclairs but I couldn't find the ones she likes) and chocolate covered strawberries.  My kiddo has good taste!

And then she gets a birthday party with her buds.  This year she had a couple of friends over to make little pizzas, whoopie pies and play WII games.  Nice and mostly peaceful :-)

Happy birthday x 3, we love you Syd!!!

Gung Hay Fat Choy with some birthday's thrown in...

We'll start with the birthday's or at least one official one.

You see, my birthday was this past Thursday, Syd's birthday is this coming Thursday and James' birthday is next Thursday.

All exactly a week apart.

I'm really glad Alex's birthday isn't until March.

My dear friends dropped off some beautiful flowers and this delicious cake on my birthday.

Today the grandparents came over for chocolate covered strawberries and cream puffs.  Syd's not really into cake and ice cream.  We'll celebrate more on her actual birthday and have a couple of her friends over next weekend for a pizza/WII party.  

Then it's James' birthday--the big 50!  Not sure yet what we'll do to celebrate that one :-)

Onto Chinese New Year.

Colorado Springs always has a pretty good celebration that we go to every year. 

 

 

This is pretty much what he looked like during the entire Lion Dance, he didn't like the music.

 This year for Chinese New Year, Syd wanted to make a home made Chinese meal.  We went to the Asian Market and got all the ingredients for spring rolls, fried rice and lo mein noodles.  We got started on some of it today and she did a great job on the spring rolls!

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Like I need more stress...

Life has been a bit on the stressful side lately.

Our 2 1/2 week Christmas break was a whilrlwind of company and traveling to visit family, all super fun but crazy!

My dad has been in the hospital/rehab since the day after Thanksgiving.  He's been sick on and off for years but recently, it's been more on than off.  We thought we were going to lose him this time and it's been so hard.  Taking the kids to the hospital to see him when he couldn't move or talk on Christmas day was one of the toughest things I've had to do.  He is getting better but most likely won't be able to go home again unless things change drastically.  So that means helping my mom find a long term care facility for him.  No matter what you call it, it's a nursing home.  

I try to help as much as I can but having an almost 3 year old little boy and an almost 9 year old daughter is a different kind of crazy!  Syd was an easy "terrible three" compared to Alex, she would have a few temper tantrums a day, throw herself to the floor, spin around.  I'd make sure she couldn't hurt herself and then ignore the rest! 

Mr Man is EXHAUSTING!!!  

A lot of giggling and laughing happens as he runs through the parking lot or throws rocks at cars or smacks someone or kicks his sister or says NEVER every time you ask him to do something.  And the boy never stops talking!  It's tough to be an only child used to silence and never having any :-)

We have an appointment with his ortho on Thursday to find out when his next surgery will be and what all will involved.  The thought of Alex being in casts again for maybe 2 months is soooo hard.  

But my latest thing to stress about is something WONDERFUL!!!!  

Syd and I are going to China this summer!!!  

Our adoption agency has planned a heritage tour that will be going to Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu (we'll get to hold a baby panda!!) and then to Maoming, where she spent the first year of her life.  We had been talking about going over Christmas break 2013, but this opportunity is too good to pass up.

So now it's time for a look at finances and cutting back so we don't charge up the old credit card.  But that is a stress I can handle,  my baby is so excited to go to China and have the focus be on just me and her having a girls adventure! 

Our tiny little peanut...

Eight years ago today, this tiny little peanut was placed in our arms.  We were excited, relieved, thankful, tired and scared at the same time.  And I'll admit, I still feel all those emotions often. 

It's a tough job, being a mom :-)

More pics from our trip...

Mom, great aunt April and the newest Levers, Allie!

Yeah!! Toys!!

The kids with their 3rd cousin.  And yes, that is a Bronco's jersey in a Steeler house :-)

Foolin' around.

I think it's been a while since mom's held a baby that tiny!