There is only one occasion that sleeping in a hospital is for a purely positive reason- when your baby is born. For me, tonight is the exception. It is a virtual flashback of December 24, the night Max [1.0] was born. Tonight David, Max, and I will sleep in a hospital room together for the second time and I am 100% positive that everything will be ok.
Despite having his face sliced, diced, and stitched less then 12 hours ago, Max ate carrots for dinner, polished off a bottle, and took a stroll around the hospital hallway before lights out, at his traditional, self-imposed bedtime, of 7:00pm.
The past several hours with Max before surgery have been wonderful. After being snatched from his crib this morning at 5:00am he cooed peaceful the entire drive to Baltimore. Upon our arrival he immediately became the center of attention in the pre-op area. Every nurse came by to see "those eyes that everyone has been talking about". He flirtatiously batted his baby blues at staff (to lure them in so he could eat their ID badges) and went for a wagon ride before I carried him into the operating room.
Max has not shed a tear since 7:00pm last night when the unthinkable happened- I put on his pajamas. It seems that he has truly had an enjoyable morning. I may have used a few tissues, but only because I am so very proud of my brave little Max.
Max entertained the whole floor during his pre-op smile parade (8.23.12)
The nurses said they have never seen such a happy baby. I believe them. (8.23.12)
Max will undergo his second surgery tomorrow at 8:45am. During this procedure, formally known as a "lip repair", the surgeon will re-open Max's mouth and nose and shape the skin to make both more symmetrical. The procedure will take approximately two hours. Those are the only two hours that David and I are not worried about. After all, we aren't doing the surgery, and luckily we are 100% confident in the doctor who is. The challenge for us will be between 2:45am until the time of surgery. Max cannot eat or drink during that time; unfortunately he is not old enough to reason with (or bribe). The roughest period, as I have learned through my vast surgical experience, will be the recovery. For the next three weeks, Max, one of the most active and curious babies in the world (anyone who has met him can attest to this fact) must wear arm restraints to prevent him from touching his mouth and potentially tampering with his surgeon's fine work. Our goal is to remove the restraints as much as possible and allow him to crawl, play, and mow the lawn. This will require that someone is within inches of Max at all times. We are fortunate to have an army of family and friends lined up to help keep an eye (or dozens of eyes and hands) on Mr. Max.
Max's friends came by this afternoon to wish him well. Although many of them do not even know what "surgery" means, the next time they see their friend he will have a whole new mouth.
Essentially, tomorrow is baby's first rhinoplasty, but David put it best when he said, "How can anyone make this kid look more handsome?".
Max's current pastime of choice is anything that involves books- mostly eating them and being read to. He also enjoys a good book toss, similar to a rousing game of 52 pick-up. In preparation for the upcoming fall school year David started reading Tom Sawyer to Max. He may have a few years before that is on his assigned summer reading list, but I have a feeling that his dad will make sure he is well prepared.
I wish Max would fit in mommy's school bag (8.19.12)
Max started the week with a weigh-in at the pediatrician. Unlike any female beyond adolescence, the goal for an infant is to actually gain weight, so I was excited when Max tipped the scales at 18.5 pounds, 28.5 inches long. Despite a mild ear infection, he crawled around the house all week, pulling up on to furniture, and pulling down whatever he could reach. The pictures truly do speak a thousand words; the video, a thousand laughs.
David is on the mend and should be recovered by next week. His doctor appointment today was completed in record time which was a huge feat in itself.
On Monday my "maternity leave" will officially end. Max was born on December 24, 2011 and the first time I ever left him was on February 1, 2012- the day after David was diagnosed and had surgery. Since then I have left Max for dozens of doctors appointments, surgeries, and yes, the occasional trip to the gym, but that first day apart has always stuck with me. I suspect Monday will too.
The past several days have been spent at home, with Max entertaining the family, while David recuperates from surgery. It was a huge relief when David was released from the hospital so soon, but as the nerve blockers and anesthesia wore off, his discomfort and pain set in. His first two surgeries largely impacted his lower body, such as his ability to walk and stand up straight. This surgery, however, has made breathing and speaking painful; we are dealing with a bit of a pain management learning curve. Such as with all surgical recoveries, each day only gets better.
The week ahead will close a scary chapter in our family's life and open a new one. David has a post-op appointment- the last step in his successful treatment. He will then be under "surveillance", meaning he will have scans and blood work several times a year for five years. Max also has a doctor appointment this week- a pre-op check-up for his second surgery on August 23. His beautiful, dimpled smile reminds me each day to be thankful for so much, but at this moment I am mostly thankful that he has no idea what lies ahead for him.
Trying to sneak upstairs (8.12.12)
Trying to make a break for it (8.12.12)
Max loves to show off his crawling skills (8.12.12)
Four years- the time it takes to earn a high school diploma, the number of victories needed to win the World Series, and the years that David and I have been married as of today. We have our health and our Max and those are things we can celebrate all year round.
Apparently patient beds are impossible to come by, but as it turns out that is not such a bad thing. After laying in the recovery unit for nine hours David finally got a room. His own room. In our house (where we do get the YES network)! While his nurse was attentive, it was impossible for David to sleep or relax in the brightly lit, noisy, and chaotic environment of the recovery unit. After an examination (by the doctor), practice coughs (by the patient), and some additional pain monitoring, David's surgeon agreed to send him home tonight and kindly armed me with a pain medicine prescription and her cell phone number.
David will sleep at home tonight with a single black stitch tied in a bow on the side of his chest. Like a string that Ernie would tie around his finger, the bow is a reminder that he is finally cured.
David has become an expert surgical patient, and I his faithful assistant. Upon check-in at the hospital this morning at 5:30am, David automatically recited his date of birth and I stated my name, relationship (to David), and cell phone number without being prompted. This was not our first rodeo, but thankfully it is David's last.
The surgery is complete and was successful. David is in the recovery area now and I should be able to see him in about an hour when he is transferred to a room. Apparently there is a shortage of patient beds so he might stay in recovery longer until something opens up. Perhaps the hospital rooms are rent controlled, but on the bright side he gets more individual attention from nurses in the recovery unit. Unfortunately they probably cannot help with his last request to me as he was rolled away this morning: to watch the Yankee game tonight. I doubt they get the YES network.
(8.6.12)
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Accidentally got woken up to say goodbye to daddy before surgery (8.8.12)
No wonder the tooth fairy brings money to kids when their baby teeth fall out. It is probably to make up for how much the teeth hurt coming in. Max has two teeth en route and the tooth fairy will definitely make sure he is compensated for his pain and suffering someday.
Since David has surgery this Wednesday, we went out for an adult pre-surgery/pre-anniversary dinner last night. Max slept the whole time we were out, but the babysitters could see that Max is an active nugget, even when he is not awake. He sleep-scoots laps around his crib like he is training for the baby Olympics, which makes for great entertainment in the video monitor.
