Friday, October 29, 2010

I want to be a cowboy baby!


This has to be one of my favorite photos from our Mommy and Me trip to Valentine this year. We walked around a pasture, drank out of a windmill, rode a horse, explored a barn, rode on several tractors, and hiked to Fort Falls.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Wake me up...when September ends.

Sooo.....we were going to head down to Texas for Labor day weekend. My dad was taking Emma down a few days early and we were following after work on Thursday. That's where the planning endith.
Tuesday:
Emma and my dad started heading down to Texas on the way she was not keeping fluid/food down, so they got to the state line of Oklahoma and dad stopped for the evening and see if she was just getting carsick(she has never been carsick). She was up that whole night asking him for water and then not keeping it down so the next morning I told him to take her to the closest hospital in Blackwell, Oklahoma(thank you google). Ben and I QUICKLY left Omaha and headed that way(to Blackwell OK). They ran tests...put a NG tube in her nose and determined that she would need to be transported to Wichita to a hospital to have a scope to see why she was not able to hold down anything. We met them in Witchita (her, the ambulance, and my dad) and waited another 36 hours or so of Emma not getting anything by mouth...
Thursday:
that evening we found out that she 1)had part of her stomach and intestine in her CHEST CAVITY and 2) they wanted to cut her open in less than 2 hours. (we saw this on the x-ray/scan)
So Emma has emergency abdominal surgery to "fix" a herniated diaphragm......the surgeon said 2 hours...(thank you Kim for translating surgeon time for us) 2 hours and 45 minutes later she comes out and states that the diaphragm was not herniated it was completely detached on the left side of her body, so it took longer than thought to stitch the diaphragm to her bottom rib.
Friday: PICU
Saturday: PICU
Sunday: Pediatric floor
Monday: checkout after lunch!

Then a week...week and a half later Sadie the dog breaks her toe (they think) Emma and I take her in to the vet and it's infected, and smelly, and both of her ears are infected. So I'm at the vet in a small room, with those smells, the vet, 2 vet techs, and...... Emma is screaming because 1)she is scared of anyone in a white coat now and 2) she did not want the vet touching her or Sadie-lady as she calls her.....

Luckily both are mended because I don't think I could have taken anymore.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

First off....before the September update....a Thank you!

A BIG, HUGE, and HEARTFELT thank you to...

Grammpa Griffiths- because he had to first deal with the puke in his peekup, he had to take Emma to the first hospital and be there with her during the tests, he had to deal with me on the phone and had to follow the ambulance. Because he stayed with us in Wichita and helped out with the hotel, gave us breaks, made sure we ate, and helped with the medical professionals when we were just to tired to listen anymore. He had no idea that the start of his vacation would turn into something much, much different.

Gramma and Grampa Larson- because you drove down and helped us with the hospital rotations, you got her a tiara and pretties. Thank you for canceling other plans and helping us with Emma the rest of the weekend.

David Cooper- because you emailed and asked if we needed anything and did exactly what we needed you to do and that was to start prayer chains and send down your wonderful spouse.

Kim Cooper- because you drove down....at the exact time I/we would need you. You told me the good, the bad, and prepped me for things that would have never crossed my mind...ever. You knew what it was like to be in my shoes and showed me how to get through :)

Jamie-Thank you for letting me call and vent....thank you for sending Emma gifts...both before surgery and when we got home :)

Kristen-Thank you for the wonderfully soft and cuddly Elephant...it arrived while we were in the PICU. Perfect timing.

Nana and Papa Ray- Thank you for coming to Omaha and spending several days cooking, cleaning, laundry, and watching Emma so that we could try to get back on schedule.

I know the nurses and doctors will never read this but most of them were awesome....from the doctor who first thought that she heard stomach noises in Emma's chest to our wonderful PICU nurse who got us a quieter room and let us stay a bit longer, they made our "experience" more manageable.

August Update




So....August was good. Mommy went back to work (part-time of course), Gracie (Emma's bestie) started coming over every other day, Emma got her big-girl bed, and she got her own peppa shaker and a harley tie-dyed shirt.

Monday, October 4, 2010

First Haircut!


On 10.01.10 Emma got her first haircut, she did great!