Noah's Leg Brace

.Noah got his leg brace ....

Upper G.I.

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In preparation of surgery Nathan needed an Upper G.I. done to make sure everything was A-Ok ... all his anatomy was fine, etc and so on........

We had to get up before the butt crack of dawn to be there ....  Someone was super tired, and couldn't eat or drink....

When we got to the clinic, he wanted to sign for himself .... so he did :)

He was messing around on the tablet and decided to play on the Wii - he even got Mom to play, and Mom doesn't play ...

Check out my new outfit!

Pictures of his belly!!!  He said everything looked great - other than the fact that he does have Reflux ... which we kinda new, but ....

And as soon as he was done - he wanted to eat ..... and his eyes were WAY bigger than his stomach... lol...

Goodbye Seattle .... funny saying that around 10am ...  usually that's when we're saying hello ....

Appointment with the G-Tube Surgeon

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Today we had an appointment with the surgeon who is doing Nathan's G-Tube surgery.   Now, let me back up a minute.  We got a call awhile back from Dr. C ...  and he told us that the G-Tube Surgeon didn't want to even DO the surgery on Nathan until he has some NG Tube time.

I was like, um... no.........

We've been there - done that .... not going back.   He came home on the NG Tube and it was not an easy process.  I realize he understands *more* now and may not do the following... however........ he learned how to pull that thing out at a month old and that if he kept pulling it out ....   it was just ... not fun.

We are trying to make this whole process a POSITIVE thing.  The surgery, I realize, is not going to be positive.  But any parent who has dealt with an NG tube knows how uncomfortable, and traumatizing it can be.  Nathan is a very sensitive creature.  If we can keep a positive spin on this, the more likely this will work.  The surgery won't be fun but I won't have to shove a tube down his nose/throat every day or couple days.

Anyway ..... so we went there prepared to stand our ground....   We got there early and the kids were horsing around.......

I didn't read a page.....

 So he comes in ..... and sure enough, he starts talking NG Tube, and we told him we weren't going to do that.  Explained all of our reasons, including the one where we feel it will traumatize him and make this whole thing a failure...

So he tells us that he'll do the surgery, but he feels that Nathan shouldn't use the tube for two weeks because he doesn't think he should work on recovery and have to "figure out" how to feed him too.  

We'll talk to Dr. C about it ... or the nutritionist.  I realize that that's his position on the fact, but I'm going to wait and see how Nathan is doing and then bring it up with someone other than him because he won't be handling that part anyway.

This is the feeding tube.....  the part under my fingers will go inside him, the balloon is what will hold it in place.  The part above my fingers is what will be outside - that we'll use to feed him.

Right now we're going to focus on night feeding and go from there.   Also be able to give him his "fiber" through there so he doesn't detect it and it might help his poor constipation issues.  

I'm so nervous.  Since making this decision, I know it's the right one.  I have worked really really hard to get this kid to eat though.

Corey's Day on the Farm 2014 - Part 2

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Continuation of the first part .......

So after lunch we decided to go and catch us some cows!!   Here is Nathan doing his best at ropin' (with help)

And then he got his button :)

Here is Kaedyn doing his best at ropin' (with help)

Daddy pinning on his ropin pin ...

Nathan was screwing around and then was like "OMG MY HANDS ARE DIRTY" ....  shakes my head....

During the ropin' we were trying to talk Kaedyn into getting on a horse and .....  managed to actually convince him (with a lot of bribing!) .....

 After he was done .... he goes "I liked it, it was fun!"  So I said... want to do it again?   He goes.... "NO."  Humph.....   I think someone is trying to make his Momma think she was right.....  just to shut her up.

Nathan's FOURTH Horsey ride of the day was on Sage with one of the Rodeo Princesses!

They stopped and gave Bailey a pet .....

Had ANOTHER Sno Cone.....

 Kaedyn really wanted to ride on the Green Tractor one ...    so I told him after we did the Horse Drawn carriage ...  The horse drawn one is always a long line and we were first in line which meant that the boys would be able to sit right up front with the guy who has the reins....

So here is the Horse Drawn Carriage .....

The boys got on and that little girl next to Nathan wouldn't get off.  We found out later that she was basically lost.....  and there were no parents, no teachers there to claim her... along with another little boy.   :/     So Nathan got to ride up front but not Kaedyn....

I didn't ride ....  but when they came back - they actually decided no more Hay/Tractor Rides - they were closing down ....  and so Kaedyn didn't get to ride on the John Deere one... but the silly horses were going around every which way in the street .... LOL.... Kaedyn got a turn to sit up front too....

Before leaving we had to stop and see Diablo.  We looooooooove Diablo.  Diablo is the Deputy Sheriff's horse.  He comes every year and lets kids sit on Diablo with him ...... The boys were petting Diablo while the Sheriff was talking to a few other folks.....

 And then the Deputy Sheriff said Nathan could sit on Diablo all by himself.  Wah!!!   WOW... what an honor :)

We stopped for ONE LAST (fifth of the day) horsey ride .....  this was on George :)

On our way out - we took a few more pictures....  we didn't get pictures to take home this year, ours got lost or something....  but that's okay.  Mommy takes a ton of pictures.....

On the way home, Kaedyn fell asleep almost right away ....

Surprisingly ... Nathan did not.....

Corey's Day on the Farm 2014 ~ Part 1

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We look forward to this day all year.  This is up there with the major holidays with us!

Each year a family has been putting on a show for kids with medical issues ....  it's a year of equality for all those who fight hard and struggle all year long with their health, with learning disabilities, etc.  It's a chance for these kids to get out, and get access to fun - therapeutic - things ....like horse back riding, hay/tractor rides, horse drawn carriage, petting zoo, all sorts of things that can be done on a farm :)

This year .... we were all ready to go and Noah said he just wasn't feeling well enough to ...  which stinks because he was really looking forward to it :(

So it was Kaedyn & Nathan ....

They had an area this year to make tiles......

Nathan in his Corey's Day gear ....

First horse ride of the season was with Blu (or Blue...we'll go with Blu though) ....

Kaedyn waits for Nathan and watches - been trying to convince him to get on for three years now, one year he did but he cried the WHOLE TIME......

Sno Cones!!  Rainbow Sno Cones ......

First Tractor Ride  :)

Second Horse Ride of the year was with Twister

A little behind the scenes .......  He's floating on air!  LOL

Third horsey ride of the year with Zee ....

We stopped at the Petting Zoo before lunch ...

Then it was lunch time!

Why yes........ that is my son picking all the skin off his hot dog.......

There is a part two!!  :)