still progressing & a list of things I am thankful for

Wesley is eating more all the time! He is getting better with chewing and being willing to eat, and God-willing we hope to get the tube removed maybe as early as next spring!! We had a follow-up with the surgeon this week, and he couldn't get over how much Wes has grown since mid-summer. Wesley will have another follow-up appointment in February to have a swallow study and we are going to work on getting him off the tube feedings by then. If Wes eats enough by mouth, the doctor will reevaluate Wes in April and take the g-tube out then if he continues to grow and maintain weight in those two months. I am really not sure if it will happen, but I am already praying for it.

Another point of good news is that Wesley has continued to gain weight since going down to 2 cans of Pediasure a day.

I had an MRI done on my knee the other day and it turns out that I have a sprain and a small tear in my MCL. There is also likely a tear in the meniscus, but the doctor couldn't be sure from the MRI. I will likely have surgery sometime after the first of the year to make the repairs. Once that is done, I hope that my knee feels good as new. We'll see...

The big OSU Michigan game is tomorrow and you know who we're rooting for!!!

If I don't post before, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! Take time to remember all that the Lord has blessed you with - a caring husband, a wonderful family who you know would do anything for you, friends who make you laugh and look out for you, a child who couldn't be more like you and your husband if you gave birth to him, our health, "furry" children (aka Duke and Katie), a roof over your head, food on your table, employment, good books, clean laundry, fresh water, Sesame Street to keep your two year old occupied for a few minutes of quiet, enjoyable music, a comfortable bed to get a good night's rest, facebook to keep up with old friends, a big purse to hold anything you could want to carry, silly tv shows to make you laugh (like "The Office"), my contacts to be able to see, Ohio State and Bengals football (we are hard-core fans in this house), long showers, clothes that fit just right, but most of all I am thankful that Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior came to this earth and died to forgive my sins!!!!

Have a good weekend!

visit to the nutritionist & feeding therapy

I took Wes to the nutritionist on Wednesday morning. She looked at the feeding "diary" we've been keeping of what food Wes eats by mouth and when and was pleased with his progress. She said that we could cut down Wesley's tube feeding from 5.5 cans per day to 2 cans. Of course I was happy to hear that, but we've still got a way to go.

Feeding therapy this week did not go much better than the last time. I was thankful that he didn't scream and cry the whole time, but by saying that though, I am not implying that he ate. We are going to try one more face-to-face meeting, but if he won't eat in front of her, then we're just going to do phone conversations. He is learning to eat and chew, so the goal is being achieved.

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I typed those last paragraphs over a week ago, and I went in the next day and finished with a big ol' long post. Somehow though, it wouldn't post and I lost the whole thing. I have been mad at blogspot, so I haven't gotten on here to type again.

Now I cannot remember what I was blogging about...On Election Day, a local issue I spent many hours on was defeated two to one. I'm not upset any more, but I spent the two days after very depressed. I think now that the voters weren't quite sure how the issue would affect them, but I guess it's a learning experience. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to experience disappointing circumstances, but then I wouldn't realize how great the rewarding experiences are. God knows what He's doing.

Wesley is continuing to eat well. He loves for me to get a piece of fried chicken from the grocery deli and tear it apart for him. He's gotten over being afraid to eat chicken because it will "peck his hand." He also is quite the fan of brisket (or "cow" as he calls it), but we really don't have that very often unless we go to City Barbecue - YUM. Mommy and Daddy like it a lot too!

My knee has been getting worse (louder grinding, more swelling, even bruising from the swelling), so I have an MRI scheduled for Wednesday. I meet with the doctor on Friday to get the results. We'll know for sure soon, but it looks like my meniscus might be torn. I am praying that it is just one side and not both. If both sides are torn, they could be fixed with one surgery, but recovery will be longer.

40 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS

We've already started our Christmas shopping. Last year I waited too long, but I'm already getting in the spirit, so I figured why not? When I went grocery shopping this morning, they were playing Christmas music in the store and the workers were wearing Santa hats. Might just be a little too early for the hats...Even though Wesley is already talking about going to see Santa. Last year he was terrified of Santa, but a few weeks ago we were in a shop and Wes yelled out "Santa." He was pointing at a little figurine of the big guy, and I was shocked he even remembered who he was.

Happy Birthday, Damon!!!

Hopefully your Buckeyes pull out a win for you today...

Here are a few more Halloween pictures. I love the one where Wes is walking with Damon and looking back at me. He was upset that I wasn't taking him, but they only went to a few houses. I then took him to a few as well. All he talked about though is raccoons scaring him (don't know what that's about, but it probably has to do with some sort of mask) and a hand scaring him. Damon told him to stick his hand in a bowl where a hand grabs you as soon as you touch the candy. Hopefully he' not scarred for life.

family picture (dogs included)

eggs and chicken today

Look at me posting two days in a row, but this will be a quick one...

Wesley ate eggs with us this morning! Then we had chicken at lunch and he had some too!! Obviously they were very small pieces of each, but he chewed them and swallowed. He is just coming so far so quickly that I couldn't ask for more!

My Aunt Donna came down to visit and Wes was so excited to get to spend some time with her. Here's a picture of him playing in the leaves with Doda and Donna. Thanks for the pictures, Donna!!!

eating more food every day

I just want to clarify that Wesley is eating more food every day, while Damon and I try to eat less. Yesterday he at 36 ounces!! This is HUGE! I remember just a few weeks ago when he would only eat about 2 ounces a feeding, now we're over 10. I've started keeping track of all his feedings in a journal, so if I feel discouraged, I can look back and see how far he's come.

Due to the fact that Wes is eating more each day, I called the nutritionist and she suggested we meet again and review his caloric intake. The way I figure it, we should be able to decrease from 5.5 cans per day (which we haven't been giving him) to probably around 2. I was thinking yesterday (only happens once a week or so) that he has to be getting at least the same amount of calories in the meals we feed him as he does from the cans of PediaSure.

So I went grocery shopping yesterday and it was a different type of shopping trip than I've ever had before because I was buying food specifically for Wes. I usually buy yogurt for myself and Damon, but I buy the Yoplait light 100 calorie cups. When I was looking for yogurt for Wes, I tried to find the yogurt with the highest amount of fat and calories. I also tried to buy other varieties that I wouldn't normally buy because I don't like them. I have to remember that just because I don't like it doesn't mean that Wes doesn't like it. I tend to be a picky eater (my Mom is laughing because I am a VERY picky eater) and I have to remember that he will probably like a wider variety of foods than I do.

When Wesley had his esophagus repair surgery in April, I told Damon that I would be so happy if we were able to have the g-tube removed next summer. Just six weeks ago I thought that goal was completely out of reach, but I am just know beginning to realize that it is entirely possible. Which leads me to...Matthew 19:26 - "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.' " I really believe that after the surgery we relied too much on ourselves and trying to make Wesley eat. Obviously that just caused him to fight us even harder and we all just ended up frustrated and feeling defeated. It was so freeing to me when I finally gave up on using my own "power" and trusted that God could take care of the eating on His own. And he did it without my help :)

Wesley with Daddy before going to a "Trunk or Treat" with his grandparents at a local church.

Who else would he dress up as? That kid LOVES Elmo!!!

Wes had his first "real" food today!

While Wesley was napping, I baked a pot pie (not from scratch, of course). I then pureed it in a little Magic Bullet blender (generic, of course) and separated out a few servings. I could hardly wait for him to get up so he could eat, which is not something I normally look forward to. When he woke up, I told him that I had a surprise for him to eat. Big surprise here...he wasn't excited.

I sat him down in his chair and started feeding him. He wasn't loving it (at least I don't think he was), but he didn't fight it. He ate 4.5 ounces of it, then another 3 ounces of applesauce. So I would say that it was a good first attempt at regular food. Tomorrow we're going to puree some chicken and noodles that my mom made me since I've been sick with flu symptoms (feeling MUCH better now and it wasn't the pig flu).

Has anyone seen the movie "Gran Torino"? Damon got it from the library the other day, and it's a weird movie!! Clint Eastwood plays a strange character. We haven't finished it yet, but it has made me laugh quite a few times.

Here's an old school picture of me from a college friend of mine...look at that long hair!! I got it cut off in college and have never wanted to grow it back.

Wes at 10 ounces yesterday

Yesterday Wesley ate 10 ounces of food before lying down for his nap!! Of course I was excited, but only 90 minutes earlier he had the most awful temper tantrum at feeding therapy. We're talking the type of tantrum that we've only see about three times in the last year. He sobbed for 35 of the 50 minute therapy session, and I thought I might die of embarrassment. Good news though, I was able to talk to the therapist and get ideas on things to try. I am also happy that the crying and fit-throwing is now something we have to put up with every time we feed Wesley. The therapist said that she has families that have to deal with that EVERY time they try to feed their child. I am so thankful we don't have those issues in addition to the not eating.

We're starting to work on transitioning Wes to food that Damon and I are eating. This means we'll have to puree it or mash it up enough that he can eat it. We've been spoiled up until this point because we haven't had to pay to feed Wes because our insurance covered the cost of his PediaSure. I'll probably have to start going to the grocery more often and planning out meals a little better than I have been...

We went to a local pumpkin patch/farm, and here are a few pictures. Of course my camera died about 10 minutes after we got there, but then I could eat my caramel apple and not have to hold a camera instead!

Wes ate 6 ounces of food this morning!

We were able to get Wesley to eat 6 ounces of food this morning and another 1.5 ounces of milk! YAY!! I was feeding him and he got a little tired of eating toward the end, but he kept on going. We go to feeding therapy this week, so I am excited to hear what she has to say. In my non-professional opinion, he has made great strides these last few weeks. He was only eating about 2.5 ounces of food and 1 ounce of milk, so he has more than doubled his oral intake. Wes is also working on chewing, but he won't chew foods like baby pasta meals. He is more interested in hard breadsticks, french fries, and cheetos. I can't blame him though because I would much rather eat that food too :)

We have also stepped up the potty training efforts. Except for naps and through the night, Wes is wearing his big boy "unnerwear." He had one accident as soon as we first put them on him, but he's done well since then.

The three of us at Waynesville's Sauerkraut Festival (Who knew a town could have such a festival? Personally, I do not like sauerkraut, but Damon loves it. They have sauerkraut pizza, sauerkrat cookies, sauerkraut balls, sauerkraut ice cream, sauerkraut doughnuts, sauerkraut sundaes (pork, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut), and more. I ate a corn dog (without kraut) and a funnel cake (also without kraut). And yes - you could smell the stink of sauerkraut everywhere!!)

Damon and I at the Sauerkraut Festival

We also went to a Homecoming parade, and Wes was able to see fire trucks up close. He was excited, then scared, then excited again. The sirens scared him because they kept them on the whole time.

climbing onto my soap box

Tonight I went to a program at the local library called "every child ready to read." It's a program that is supposed to teach you things to do with your child to help them get ready to read. The idea is to promote print awareness, vocabulary, etc so when it is time for your child to read they have the foundation to help them with reading. Now it's not likely that a parent would spend 90 minutes in this session if you were not at all concerned about your child's future education - am I wrong? So why is there inevitably one mother who has to talk about how much her child loves to read and how smart she is as though every other child pales in comparison to hers? This woman started talking during the time for questions and didn't ask a question at the end of her speech. Then the woman next to me just kept saying "oh how wonderful," " what a smart little girl," "you must be so proud," etc. I must admit that the woman's little girl did sound smart, but "being smart" isn't the be all and end all to life. Now I would love for Wesley to be smart and to do well in school, but more than that, I want him to be a wonderful, kind person who loves the Lord with all his heart and works to serve Him.

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I don't fault the woman for wanting to brag on her daughter because who doesn't brag on their kids occasionally? I just think that as parents we have to avoid getting too caught up in what the world says we have to be as parents and who our kids have to be to be successful. I'm saying this as much for myself as anyone because I need reminded of this often!! I sometimes worry that Wes isn't as talkative or coordinated or social or well behaved as someone else's child, but I just have to remember that God chose Damon and me to raise and teach him. He is being used to teach us about ourselves, our attitude, and our faith and trust in Jesus.

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Now I'm climbing down off my soap box and going to bed. Good night!

feeding going well

I just had to post - Wesley ate his first whole jar of food yesterday!! He had 4 ounces of food and 1 ounce of milk. I was so excited that I nearly cried!! I remember when we could not get him to eat more than 0.50 ounces...I've been taking him to feeding therapy once a week, and I think it's helping. The therapist has really been trying to get Wes to chew food, but I just didn't think it was working. He was fighting it so hard, and it was such a stress for me and Damon. One night Damon and I were talking and we decided to focus on quantity right now and deal with chewing later. Since then Wes has quit fighting us so much, so I think the chewing will come. I figure that we can puree anything. We don't go back to the therapist for two weeks, so I'm excited to tell her his progress.

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I do wish that we were able to get Wes to consistently chew, but he won't want to eat baby food forever. He is starting to be more interested in food and what we are eating. He asks to try everything that I eat, so that is great. I don't know if it's the therapy or what, but I'll take it!! I think that part of the change is because Wes has decided that he doesn't want to be fed in his stomach tube. I told him that he has to eat in his mouth or we feed him in his tube, and maybe he is getting old enough to understand it is one or the other. He wants to be a big boy, and since big boys eat with their mouth, he wants to as well.

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Other than the feeding, we aren't up to much. We have started the efforts at potty training. It's tough to focus on feeding and pottying, but we're doing it. I don't know if he's quite ready for potty training, but Wes wants to wear "unnerwear" like a big boy so we're trying it.

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I go to an orthpedic surgeon on Friday about my knee pain. I don't know what is wrong, but it locks when extended and grinds when bent. Going up and down the stairs in our house is a little rough, so I try to go up and down as little as possible. I am hoping not to need surgery, but who knows? Our friend who is a physical therapist said that I might have to have a knee scope, but I hope not.

Happy birthday to me

Today is my 31st birthday! I don't exactly feel any older, but I do have a pretty bad cold so I feel out of it. I also wanted to say that I don't know why my last post stated that it was done on August 29th, but I think it was just last week. I may have started the post and not finished it until last week. Strange...

GO BUCKEYES!!

Wesley has been home one year!

I know it's been a LONG time since my last update, but I didn't let myself update the blog until I finished the annual update to the Ukrainian government. I think I'm going to start writing shorter updates more often. The problem is that I procrastinate so long that it's a daunting task to even start. But here we go...

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Wesley has started feeding therapy at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. We've only been twice, but the therapist has given us good suggestions to try. We are working on stage 3 foods right now, and I can assure you - it's a struggle. Wes does okay unless he realizes that the food is more than just pureed mush. He immediately spits out anything of substance, but I've been trying to get him to attack it with his teeth. So far it's not really working. The therapist though is really optimistic that Wes is going to "catch on" to eating without too much trouble. She pointed out that Wes letting us put the spoon in his mouth with food on it is really an accomplishment. She also stated that his ability drinking from a straw is a good indicator of his oral abilities - who knew?

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It's starting to get cooler here, and I normally love autumn but I'm not quite ready yet this year. I think it's that Wes loves playing outside so much, and when it gets cold, we'll have to find a way to amuse him inside. The mall near our house has a small play area, but I think that will get old fast. We are outside at least 2 hours a day, and he wears himself out! I am just really not sure what we are going to do because Wes NEEDS physical activity. Any suggestions?

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I'm trying to think what else has been going on...work has been going well for me, but I'm feeling a little burnt out. I thought that working from home part of the time (and the rest of the time in the office to get to full time) would be a dream, but it really is more difficult than you'd think. I feel that work is always hanging over my head when I'm at home, and when I'm at work I think about home. I love my job, but it's a difficult balance, so I would appreciate your prayers.

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What else? Damon and I have been working on completing our basement, so that's exciting for us. We bought a new leather sectional, and it's so fun for all five of us (Damon, Wes, the two dogs and me) to sit on it together and watch Elmo.

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Nothing else going on that I can think of, but I do promise to write updates more often.

Damon, Pawpaw (Staci's Dad), and our friend Rob put up a new swing set in our backyard. Wes playing on the new tire swing - he quickly moved to the swings, then the slide, then the stairs.

going down the slide

Wesley was messing around with Damon's recliner and somehow got grease all over his face and hands. For the life of me I cannot tell where he got it off the chair, but I can't think of anywhere else he would have gotten it. Thankfully it wasn't on the tan fabric chair anywhere!

Kids can ride the pony at Meijer for $0.01!

Wesley was so excited to go on an airplane. This picture was taken at 4:00 in the morning.

Wes took a 90 minute nap in the airport!!

Wes and Daddy in the airport on the way to Maine

What kid doesn't love a sheepskin hat??

Camden, Maine port

family picture

The view from our hotel porch. What a wonderful sight to wake up to!

a sculpture in the museum lot in Rockland, Maine (I'm not sure of the artist...)

sitting in the seaweed in a cove on the Atlantic Ocean

Wesley loved picking up anything and throwing it in the water.

crawling in the seaweed

Not sure what this look is, but we get it all the time. I think it's the look of annoyance and boredom.

Wesley got to touch the lobster before it was cooked. The lobster was alive and Wes tried to take off the rubber bands around the lobster's claws!!

Wesley's look of fascination

Wesley kissed the lobster before we ate it. He didn't eat any of it, but he told people he did. What he really said was "Wesley eat lob-stah"

family picture

the beautiful view from the state park in Camden, Maine

at Cappy's Chowder House in Camden, Maine

on the coast in Rockland, Maine

You know how I love pictures of food...my caprese salad at the Three Dogs Cafe in Rockport, Maine. If you are anywhere near this restaurant in Main - EAT THERE!!! I love a dessert, and they had over 4 cases of desserts to choose from. I didn't get a picture of the dessert because I ate it too fast :)

Wesley sitting at the Three Dogs Cafe playing with his airplane.

Wesley riding a pony at the fair. Personally these little horses broke my heart because they looked so sad, but Wesley desperately wanted to ride one.

Wesley enjoyed gnawing on an apple after his first fair experience. He loved the animals, but a set of goats scared him. He was right outside their pen when a loud goat bleated (or whatever you call the noise they make) right in his face. Wesley's eyes got HUGE, then he started crying and had trouble stopping. We couldn't go near the goats again. Maybe next year...

Wesley loves horses!

Wesley with Doda and Pawpaw

Brian and Laura's first dance as a married couple!

Wes sitting quietly during the ceremony (and I do mean quiet because he didn't make a peep the whole time!!) Doda and Pawpaw bought him a little plush Grimace from McDonald's, so he played with it during the ceremony.

We live near a great public park with water fountains for kids to play in - Wes loves it! He will even put his face in front of one until it sprays him in the face.

Wes was messing around at City BBQ and almost bit through his tongue - talk about a bloody mess!! I think he is going to have a permanent scar on his tongue because this happened about 5 weeks ago, and his tongue is still cut open.

Wesley and "Great Pawpaw"

Wes riding on Pawpaw's back in the pool

one year ago today...

One year ago today we met Wesley for the first time! In some ways it seems like a lifetime ago and in others it feels like yesterday. We haven't been able to get any feeding therapy yet, but we're working on it. I pray that this time next year I can say that he is mostly eating on his own...
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Here's a few pictures for comparison on what a difference a year can make. The one thing that strikes me is how much taller he is! Wes has grown over 8 inches and put on 17 pounds (doubling his weight), which is a lot for one year.

at the Kharkov Orphanage in Ukraine - July 30, 2008

sitting on the stairs of his forever home - July 27, 2009

Happy Independence Day!

I hope everyone had a wonderful July 4th! I've always been fairly patriotic and enjoyed the 4th, but this year I am much more sentimental about it than in years past. I think it has to do with the fact that it is Wesley's first Independence Day as an American citizen. I know he doesn't understand right now, but in the future I hope he comes to realize that the freedoms we have as Americans are unlike anywhere else in the world! I also want him to be thankful for those who fought (and continue to fight) to preserve that freedom that we so often take for granted. So to everyone out there - Happy 4th of July!!

FINALLY - a written update!

As you can see - Wesley is continuing to grow like a weed. Now I've always found that phrase a bit odd. As someone with a child who grows about an inch a month and weeds that grow about ten inches per month, I can now relate. Wesley has gone from being between the 1st and 2nd percentiles to the 65th percentile in height. For weight be was basically at the negative twentieth percentile (if there were such a thing) to the 65th percentile. Honestly though, Wes was between the zero and the 1st percentile for weight. The doctors were concerned about his weight, but needless to say, that's a problem of the past!! He has more than recovered physically from his surgery.

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We are struggling with eating by mouth, but that has more to do with the tube feedings. We recently went on vacation, and as soon as we got to the cottage, his tube came out. Thankfully we had a spare to put in, but it was the small mic-key button, not the long tube like he had before. The problem was that Wes couldn't be on the pump at night anymore because the button connector to the pump tubing sticks about 6 inches straight out of his stomach. Try and get a two year-old to sleep attached to that thing!! It ended up coming out of his stomach and soaking his bed with Pediasure about 3:00am after a rough half-night's sleep. So Damon and I decided to just feed him during the day to avoid the night feeding problems. Doing that though, we cannot get him to eat much during the day. He is getting five 8 oz. cans of Pediasure each day, so that doesn't allow him enough time to get hungry! And since he hasn't figured out that you can eat even when you aren't hungry, he won't eat. We go in a little more than two weeks though for a swallow test and to meet with the therapist and the surgeon, so we'll know more then.

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We went on our first family vacation to a cabin in Michigan with my family. I also realized that a vacation with a small child is not the same as a vacation without a small child. We had a great time, but it went by too quickly. I was so thankful to have so much of our family there because Wes wanted to go all the time - walking, playing, jumping. As you could see from the pictures, Wes did not like the sand between his toes! He loved playing in the water and drinking it (yuck, yuck, yuck). It wasn't easy to sleep in the same room with him though! We are used to him waking up slowly and talking to himself for a few minutes before we go in and get him up. But when we are all in the same room, he can just get out of bed and come stick his fingers in my eye sockets so I wake up!! Talk about an unpleasant awakening...

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We have stepped up the potty training efforts. Wes does great when we are at home, but things don't go so well when we are out of the house. As I came out of the bathroom earlier today, Wes was there to greet me and cheer "YAY!! Mama went potty!" Then he told me to go and get a sticker (a "goga" as he calls it that he receives when he goes on the potty). I am struggling with how hard to push him to be potty trained and when to just let him be an untrained two year-old. Any advice?

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I am sure there is more that I am forgetting, but I'll post when I remember!

FINALLY - an picture update!

I will post a written update soon, but I figure that you probably enjoy the pictures more than my words :)

first professional photograph -

Staci's parent's favorite picture

my favorite picture


Wesley blowing dandelions (yes, he did stick them in his mouth - yuck!!)

family picture -

Damon, Staci, Doda (Staci's Mom), Pawpaw (Staci's Dad), Wesley, Uncle Scott, Emily (Scott's girlfriend)

Wesley and Uncle Scott in front of a bear at Legs Inn restaurant

family picture at Legs Inn overlooking Lake Michigan

tee pee in front of the Legs Inn restaurant in Cross Village, Michigan. Damon loves this restaurant that serves Polish food!

Wesley was SOAKING WET! I would have taken off his t-shirt, but I didn't think he would go all the way into the water. I thought he would play in the sand...

Wesley showing determination to climb onto the dock from in the water

Wesley LOVED the water!

What could taste better than a little lake water?

running up and down the dock

still hating the sand between his toes

Wesley HATED the sand on the beach at the lake. Once he got used to it, he was fine.

Wesley was wide awake as we left home for vacation (it was 3:30am)

riding his new car in the garage as I packed the truck for vacation

sitting patiently (sort of) during dinner

family picture at the reception (I think the photographer's finger was in front of the flash)

waiting for the reception to start (we tried to run him around outside to burn off some energy)

the first wedding that Wesley attended (congratulations, Jessica and Colin) - Wesley did sit with us through the ceremony, and he only spoke out loud during the minister's prayer when he said his own prayer.

waiting for the ceremony to start

he put his sunglasses on all by himself

mowing the lawn just like Daddy with the hat and everything

Wesley and his buddy Duke

telling me he was "all done" at the emergency room (his stomach tube came out, so we had to go to emergency room to have it replaced. I was not happy because I had to pay $150 copay for a doctor to do what I could have done myself with a new tube in about 3 minutes - not 3 hours!!)

drinking water outside

the new "unhappy" look
because strong men just pick up their lawnmowers to move them

I will post an update soon (I promise)

Thank you to everyone who has been checking for an update! I promise to post one in the next few days. We are all doing well, and Wesley is healthier than he's ever been! Eating is an issue though, but I'll post about that later.

Thanks!!

Staci

two weeks home (tomorrow night)

It still feels wonderful to be home! The last time I was this happy to be at home was after returning from Ukraine!! We're back to work and back into the swing of things. I am always surprised how much work piles up when you are out of the office for even a few days. I am getting caught up now though.
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Wesley has been eating (even though it is not nearly as much as Damon and I would like). I think the reason is because he never has the chance to experience "hunger" and food filling that hunger. I tried to turn off his pump an hour or so before we tried to feed him by mouth, but that doesn't seem to make a big difference. We have also learned that Wes will not eat by mouth when other people are around. I am not sure what's up with that, but I figure that the distraction may be too much to handle. It isn't like eating actually holds his attention, so it's not too difficult to distract him.

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Wes goes to the doctor Tuesday. I pray that the doctor tells us that we can begin bolus feedings (this would be feeding with a syringe, using gravity to get the food into his stomach as we were doing before surgery). This would allow us to feed him only as much as needed through the stomach tube, as we work on getting oral feedings to be the main source of nutrition. I wouldn't mind if he were on the pump at night, but the daytime pump has to go (and I'll tell the doctor that too). I'll update as soon as we know more.

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Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks...

Wesley was learning how to ride the bike he got for his birthday (I did have to keep him from riding down the driveway on it though)

Wesley was "helping" Daddy mow the lawn

Wesley hanging out on the front porch (he only sat down for a minute)

Wesley and his Daddy

This was the look Wes gave me the last few days in the hospital - to me it means "seriously, how long do I have to be here?"

Wesley watching television with Duke

look at those beautiful blue eyes - I love them!

Wesley helping Mom and Dad with yard work

Wesley "smiling" (even though it looks more like a sneer)

I thought this shot showed how well Wesley has been healing. The incision on his stomach still has the surgical tape on it, but it is starting to fall off.

we arrived home

We arrived home yesterday about 7:00pm. It was great to sleep in our own beds, but I'm sure you already knew I would say that! I'll post more once I've had a chance to rest and get some work done for work.

Wesley has NO LEAKS!!

This is just going to be a quick update, but doctors tested today and Wesley does not have any leaks in the connections for his esophagus or colon!! This means that he is able to eat and drink by mouth now. About 2 hours after the test, Wesley was given a sippy cup with Pedialyte, and he's been nursing it ever since. He isn't drinking a lot, but we are so thankful that he is drinking at all!! The rest of the tubes come out tomorrow, and God-willing, we will all be sleeping at home by Sunday night.

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Thank you for the prayers. Please continue to pray that Wesley continues to improve and that he begins to love to eat and drink.

hanging out in a hospital room (day 8)

Wesley was moved out of ICU yesterday afternoon - Praise the Lord!! He is looking and acting so much more like himself that's it isn't easy to keep him occupied. I mean - there is only so much for a two year-old to do in bed for over a week, but television seems to work wonders. Now I do feel a little bit bad about letting him watch so much television and videos, but if I were in the hospital after a major surgery, what would I do? Probably watch television, and maybe read a book. Since Wesley's reading skills are right up there with his age, we're left with tv.

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Wesley was able to get out his femoral line and the right side chest drain tube today. Tomorrow he has the contrast study/dye test to determine if there are any leaks in the connections of his digestive tract. Please pray that all has healed as it should. If there are no leaks, then Wesley will slowly be able to eat and drink!!! If there are leaks, then he has to wait until those heal closed on their own. I will update as soon as I know anything.

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I was able to sleep at home last night, and I feel like a new person! I had forgotten how great it was to sleep in a nice king size bed without monitors beeping and nurses coming in every hour. I felt a little guilty about leaving Wes here, but I thought it was probably best for all our sakes for me to get some decent sleep. I am back here now, and I have a feeling that the little baby across the hall crying is going to keep me up tonight (just like it kept Damon up last night)...

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Yesterday afternoon I was able to meet fellow blogger Connie and her daughter Sydnee here at Cincinnati Children's. Connie and her husband adopted two children from Ukraine six years ago. They weren't able to meet Wes as he had just fallen asleep (FINALLY!), but since they come to Cincinnati often, I hope we can meet up again. Her blog is http://toukraineandback.blogspot.com/

Staci

smiling at Doda (Grandma) and Pawpaw (Grandpa)

kicked back watching Elmo

off the vent & doing wonderfully

Wesley was taken off the ventilator this morning and has continued to improve since then. Once they stopped the sedation medicine, it didn't take Wes long to wake up at all! He has been fighting the sedation the whole time though, so I wasn't surprised. The nurse just took off the oxygen tube in his nose, so he is very happy!

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I think the doctors will probably move Wes to the floor tomorrow and out of ICU. While I prefer him to be in ICU with the wonderful, attentive nurses, I feel better about him leaving ICU this time. He is in much better shape than he was on Saturday, and I have a much better idea what to look for as far as signs of trouble or distress for him.

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Thank you so much for your prayers - I know the Lord has heard and answered them! Please continue to pray for no infection, continued improvement and health.

Wesley on the ventilator and sedated (I couldn't bring myself to post a picture of him on the ventilator until he was off of it.)

Wesley just hanging out this evening - look at those beautiful blue eyes!! I don't think he wanted me to take his picture though.

back in ICU, but doing better

Wes was moved back to ICU less than 8 hours after being sent to the floor. Long story short - the fluid on his lungs isn't permitting them to expand as they should, so he had to be put on a ventilator. This sounds bad, but it allows his incisions to heal and fluid to drain off. He has been resting comfortably since then, so we feel much safer with him in ICU than out on the floor.

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Please continue to pray for Wes and his recovery. I pray that this is just a small setback and he continues to improve each day. I will update when we know more. Damon and I are doing well - we are able to rest better with him here since we can see what great care he is receiving.

Staci

out of ICU, still doing well

Wes was taken out of ICU this afternoon. He is resting comfortably here in his "regular" room. Damon went home for the night, but so far, so good.

Thank you for your prayers!

Staci

Wesley's head is the little tan spot to the left of Elmo on the bed.

Doesn't he look so tiny and pitiful?

out of surgery & resting well

Wesley is out of surgery and resting here in ICU. He is pretty much out of it, but he calls out for "Mama" here and there. The surgery took a little more than five hours, so it was shorter than we thought it might be (we had been told five to twelve hours). According to the doctors, everything went as planned. They closed up the spit fistula, moved the g-tube to a better location (slightly lower on his abdomen), and took out a 15cm section of colon and placed that where his esophagus should be. Wes bled very little, so a blood transfusion wasn't needed. He started talking as soon as the tube was removed, so his vocal cords are okay.

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The doctors said that the surgery could not have gone any better than it did, so Damon and I are so thankful!! The head doctor said that on a scale of one to ten with ten being the most difficult, Wesley's surgery was easily a one!! Wesley did not have much scaring and his tissues were all healthy with good blood flow, so that had a lot to do with the "ease" of the surgery.

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Here's my first cute story about Wes from today - after he was given the sedative and taken to the intubation room (I think that's what you call is), he asked a nurse to help him sit up from lying down. She did, and Wes thanked her and kissed her hand. I am so glad to hear that he isn't just polite when I am around reminding him to say please and thank you. I will say though Wesley is quite good with his manners - he thanks people for everything and sometimes nothing at all, he just says it for no reason.

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Speaking of Wesley talking...I don't know if I've mentioned this, but since coming home Wesley has become quite the talker. Sometimes when he and I are in the car and it's been a long day for me, I institute a 3 minute quiet time. It doesn't ever last the entire three minutes (unless he would happen to fall asleep which never happens anymore), but it does give me a break. Anyway...as Wes was brought into his room in ICU, he woke up slightly. Apparently he started calling for "Duke" (not Mom and Dad, of course). No one here knew what or who Duke was, so a nurse came out and asked us in the waiting room. Duke is our wild dog at home, but that's not what he was asking for. We wouldn't have known what Wes was asking for except that yesterday one of the nurses asked him what his blanket dog's name was, and Wes told her it was Duke. I have always just called the cute dog head blanket body "your dog" (such as "I'll get your dog"), but Wes has had a name for him all along - I just never asked. I'll have to post a picture of the newest Duke - he was a gift from one of my Mom's friends, and Wes absolutely loves him. He is always there when Wes sleeps, so he must be a comfort to him!

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Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading, posting, and praying for us! Our God is a God of amazing things and answered prayers, which of themselves are amazing things. Thank you also to my parents who came here early to the hospital and also came up yesterday afternoon to visit Wes! They were such a help when Wes started to get whiny from not having food for two days (to clean out the colon for use in surgery).

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I will try to post pictures later - it's amazing how many little tubes and machines Wes is hooked up to! He is resting comfortably now, so Damon and I are going to step out of his room to get something to eat.

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Have a great weekend!!

Love - Staci