My Little Rock Star

I am so glad winter is coming. I love the changing seasons and having an excuse to stay inside and read a good book (although its not as easy anymore :). Will looks so grown up in his little hat, I love it! I am so in love with him!!

Better the 2nd Time

PS I promise I didn't wake up at 3am just to watch the trailer........or did I?

Safety Dance

We too have decided to go private with our blog. We have had many friends go private lately and it got us thinking about the risks associated with blogging. Click here to see KSL's report on the dangers of blogging.

So we know its a pain but we too feel it is necessary to be safe and go private. If you would still like to view our blog please message me or send me your email address to my new email at jamie.leigh.21@gmail.com. I am trying to kill two birds here and update my contacts list so that's why I am requesting you send your email to my new one (even if you think Mike or I have it).

Ideal

As Michol and I look back over the past 6 months, we would definitely say a lot of situations could be considered less than ideal. Will coming early was such a shock and all that he went through was such a crazy experience. In hind sight though we are so grateful for the strength we gained as a little family. Not a day goes by that we are not thankful to be together and be supported by such great friends and family. We seriously love you guys!

We cant believe Will is already 6 months old! He is such a strong little man and is growing up so fast. He is our little tank and we love every minute of being his parents. We had a check up on Tuesday and our Doctor was so happy he didn't see us in between his 4 month check up to now, GOOD JOB WILL! Not only did he make it through Sept without any hospital stays but Oct too, keep it going little guy!

Will is doing sooo amazing though and I just have to brag a little bit. That's what these blogs are all about right? Will is right on track with his development and is still showing no effects from being in the hospital for a month and a 1/2 of his life. He can roll over (when he wants too, such a stubborn little kid), and scoots around on his tummy to get his toys, but mainly just enjoys standing. We are working on balance right now because his little head usually tips him over when sitting or standing. He still LOVES baby food and so far only refuses pea's and shows no signs of food allergies. Since we started baby food he has slept through the night and usually wakes up with a big smile on his face. I love it!

The ideal weight for Will's age is 17.7 lbs and height is 26.5 inches. Will is coming in strong at 20.56 lbs and 28.25 inches! The interesting part is that for his length the ideal weight is 20.5 lbs. So Will is 101% of his ideal weight for height. Crazy huh? I guess I didn't need a Doctor to tell me how IDEAL our little tank was, I already knew :) He also had a bunch of shots and as usual only cried for about 30 seconds and then was over it. It amazes me how resilient he is.



If you sent me your address be watching your mailbox for something fun! And there are 2 sides so be sure you flip it over and look on the back :)

That Mom

Yep I am officially "THAT" Mom!

I have definitely caught the Mommy bug. I just had to post some cute pics of Will in his Giraffe costume! He looks so adorable :) I am finding myself doing more and more things lately that I SWORE I would never do as a Mommy. I am posting pics of Halloween costumes, I have bought a swing, and I even broke down and got one of those those stupid shopping cart cover things the other day. I know, I know, lame! At least the shopping cart cover is black with skulls on it. (less lame anyone?) Next thing you know I will be posting about the cool new kid leash I got for Will (ya know those back pack things that parents strap on their kids and drag them around on). Oh well, count me in I guess!

I have so much to catch up since I was in IF! Will and I had such a blast! We are also happy to report that Mike survived his "fun" work trip to Chicago! Be watching for new posts, I will try not bombard you all at once :)

Abominable Snowman

You might be wondering what Will and I do all day now that things are finally normal. My days usually consist of trying to find something to do to entertain both Will and I. This is what I came up with the other day:I love it! I was actually going through Will's emergency kit and seeing what still fits and both Mike and I couldn't stop laughing at this! Will's puffy suit is actually one of the most practical gifts ever but we couldn't help feeling like we were torturing the poor kid. Does the movie The Christmas Story come to anyone else's mind? Man I love being a Mom!

Boating

A few weeks ago we braved taking Will boating for his first time. He did amazing! We thought for sure he would sleep the whole time but no not this little boy! He just sat wide eyed the whole time looking around. It was so fun. He fought the life jacket in the beginning but soon relaxed and forgot he was even wearing it. We cant wait for next summer!

The Korver Cheer Squad

It is my best friend Ashley's birthday this week and I was able to surprise her last Thursday with Jazz tickets! Let me preface by saying what a HUGE Jazz fan Ashley is. She knows all the players by name (even the newbies), stats (old and new), and any miscellaneous info you would ever need to know. Seriously, she has a big coffee table book full of Jazz info and she has it memorized from front to back. It's amazing!

We both also share a love for Kyle Korver! Go #26!!! If you don't know who Korver is your definitely missing out! The Jazz traded back in December and Utah has been in love with Korver ever since. He is one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA and not to mention kinda HOT! We were yelling like crazy the whole game and snapping pics right and left of Korver and we thought other players too. We did manage to get a few of Shaq from the opposing Suns which was pretty cool. It wasn't until the end when we asked the guy behind us to snap our pic did we realize how obvious our obsession was. He said "Sure, I would love to get a pic of the Korver Cheer Squad"! Haha it was classic :) Love ya Ash! Thanks for being such a good friend!

So that's our new official title "The Korver Cheer Squad". Let us know if you want to join!

Not Again!

Hey everyone, I promise this is the last time I will ask for addresses. Okay probably not but I have found so many old friends on here and I need to get things updated! Email me at jamie_leigh_21@hotmail.com. Thanks!

Really?

I know, crazy huh? It started raining/snowing last night and this is what we woke up to today! At first I was sad because I feel like we didn't even have a summer but the more it keeps snowing today the happier I get :) I am so excited for ski season this year and already have my ski's out ready to get tuned up! Last year was torture because I was preggers and couldn't ski, so naturally Utah had the best ski season ever. Yay! I love winter! What's your favorite part about winter?

Bella and her Brother

When I first got pregnant we were concerned about how our spoiled Lola Bella would react to a baby brother in her little world. When we adopted her they told us she was not good around small kids so we were unsure how she was going to adapt. When Will was born we brought home his clothes everyday and let Bella sniff them to try to get her used to the idea. After 3 weeks of her seeming completely disinterested we hoped for the best! We both agreed if she was naughty we would give her up :( Let me sum up how her life is now:

She LOVES her baby brother soooo much! She sits patiently while Will kicks and pulls at her and seems to enjoy every second of it. She is so protective of him and always has to be right by him. When Will starts crying she always rushes in to see whats wrong and gets really mad at us if we are unable to consul him quickly. If he is in his crib she stands guard right in front as if to say "You better not hurt my brother, arrrggggg". It is so adorable. She is such a good doggie!

About a month ago she stole a little toy stuffed animal off of Will's baby papasan chair and quickly hid it so we couldn't find it. Let me back up by explaining that all the toys we give Bella she DEMOLISHES in just a few hours, seriously. Its so funny because the only toys that last are the ugly industrial ones for big dogs. So when we found that Will's was missing we figured Bella had devoured it and didn't think much about it.

When we were playing one night she was running around jumping all over the place and bolted under the bed. Mike and I looked at each other confused..........then Bella resurfaced with the stuffed animal in her mouth. The amazing part was that it was still in one piece! Bella is so proud of her "baby" and takes it everywhere. It is cute because when I take Will from room to room I tell her to get her baby too and she does! Its so sweet. It amazes us most that it is still in one piece! How can you not love this pic, Bella with her Baby!!!!!

There's No Place Like Home

Yep, you guessed it! I am heading home to Idaho Falls in a few weeks. I am so excited. I love getting to spend time with my family and being reminded how awesome they are. My sister FINALLY moved back a few months ago so I get to hang out with my awesome nieces and nephew again I have missed them so much! I DID miss my Aimee and Justin too, just a little, until I found out they bought BYU season football tickets upon their return..........GO UTES! Ha ha just kidding guys I love you even if you are cheering for the wrong team.

I am trying to plan a little more in advance than last time so I can actually meet up with some old friends so let me know if you want to meet up! I am planning to be in IF from Oct 24-30 and don't have much planned yet. Email me with your info if you are interested and we will plan something, jamie_leigh_21@hotmail.com. I will be staying at my sisters the 24 and 25 and then will be at my Mom's there after.

Yay, I cant wait to see you guys!

Man Tag

1. Where did you meet? In Provo which is funny because neither one of us were going to BYU. I was actually set up with his best friend Dave and Mike was tagging along with my roommate (his cousin). As soon as they walked in I saw Mike and thought "Oh I hope he is my date!" It sounds cliche but from the beginning I knew something was different.

2. How long did you date before you were married? Engaged after 4 months, Married at 7 months.

3. How long have you been married? 4 years in December

4. What does he do that surprises you? Everything! He knows so much about everything and something always comes up that I didn't know before.

5. What is your favorite feature of his? His amazing smile. I am a sucker for those cute little dimples!

6. What is your favorite quality of his? He is always thinking outside the box and working for something new. I love it! I joke that he is ADD but I love that he is constantly coming up with fun business ideas and is not afraid to think differently. My fav is still the daddy long leg business called "Who's Your Daddy". Love ya babe!

7. Does he have a Nickname for you? I cant think of any

8. What is his favorite color? I am a horrible wifey for not knowing this......Mike what is it?

9. What is his Favorite food? Sushi and fondant cake's, not together.....well maybe together :)

10. What is his favorite sport? Lacrosse and Jazz games, Go Jazz Go

11. When and where was your first kiss? Ha, Mike loves this one because I kissed him first and he loves telling everyone. It was at my fabulous apartment in Provo. After the awkwardness of watching 3 movies and wanting to kiss each other through all 3, I decided to just go for it. Seriously how many more movies could I sit through with my hot little man next to me! Mike was so cute because he had just got home from the mish and was all apologetic because he hadn't kissed a girl for a while and didn't know if he was doing it right. Needless to say I gave him lots of practice :)

12. Favorite thing to do as a couple? Travel, hike, and cuddle up and watch a movie.

13. Do yo have any Children? Our amazing little boy Will 5 months old, and our adorable doggie Lola Bella 4 years

14. Does he have a hidden talent? He is an amazing writer. He seriously should write a book.

15. How old is he? Soon to be 27 on Halloween

16. Who said I love you first? Me. I knew but it took Mike a while to admit it. Nothing like telling someone you love them and not hearing it back for a while...........

17. What is his favorite type of music? He is a total hard rock junkie, picture a ratty old Led Zeppelin shirt and an electric guitar, yep that's Mike! Surprising huh?

18. What do you admire most about him? He can have a conversation with anyone. Seriously anyone. I laugh when I pick him up from the airport and he introduces me to his new friend from the flight.

19. Do you think he will read this? Of course he loves our blog!

I tag anyone that takes the time to read this!

I Did It!

Yay! Will did it! He made it through the whole month of September without any hospital stays. It was overall a pretty normal month (note that there are no "" around normal this time:) and we look forward to many more non-eventful months just like them. We cant help but take a big breath of relief now that Will finally broke the routine. That's gotta count for something!

We are so thankful that Will was so strong throughout everything. He is seriously one tough little boy. I am amazed when I stop and think about everything that has happened in the past 5 months. It has been the hardest thing I have ever been put through. Most of all I cant believe he is still a happy baby! I am so in love with his smile (thanks daddy), his adorable birth mark above his bum, his chubby legs, his big hands and feet, his round little head, his blue eyes (thanks grandpa), and his determination in ALL things. What a handsome little man!

The Final Countdown

Before you start reading this, scroll down so that the music starts. It will make you laugh!

I am so anxious to get through today. I cant believe how close Will is. I know he is a tough little man and is going to make it, one way or another. I wake up everyday thankful to be Will's Mom and glad he is MY little boy. I always new I wanted to be a Mom but I had no idea how much it changes you. Every aspect of my life is different now. Not just my daily routine but my whole outlook on life is different, its way BETTER! It is amazing to experience and I wouldn't change a thing over the past 5 months. The good, the bad, and the ugly have all made us what we are today, STRONG. We are much closer as a family and realize how lucky we are to be together. Not a day goes by that we aren't thankful to have Will here.

48 hours

We are anxiously awaiting the October 1st to finally get here. If Will makes it through the next 48 hours it will be the first month of his life WITHOUT any hospital stays. We are keeping are fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

I have been experiencing some not so fun dreams the past week and hope that they go away soon. I keep having the same dream, in one way or another, that Will is sick again and in the hospital. No matter how hard I try I cannot get to my little boy and be with him. I keep getting lost, confused, or distracted in some way or another. The elevator will not stop on floor 4 where Will is at and I cant find the stairs. Everyone I come in contact with goes out of their way to be mean and refuse to help me. I wake up sobbing every time and cry even thinking about them.

I am not sure why I keep having this dream and hope its not a sign of things to come. Maybe its to prepare me to be strong, or to remind me how blessed I am. I am not sure which one. But either way sleep is not looking so good lately.

One Small Correction

We got Will's birth certificate the other day in the mail and I just had to laugh. Our little Will was actually born at 6lbs 2oz. It's funny because right after Will was born Mike swore it was 6lbs 6oz and I thought I heard 6lbs 2oz. Stressed and worried we assumed it was 6lbs 6oz and went on with life. I know its such a small difference but it is crazy to think about especially now that Will is getting so big! In the pic he is in a Preemie diaper and its huge on him, now he is in a size 3 diaper! I am so thankful to have such a big healthy boy! He may be a tank now but he sure is a cutie!

Oprah's New Best Friend

I have exciting news! It looks like my sister-in-law Whitni is heading to the South Chicago Mission and Spanish speaking! We are so excited for all of the fun new experiences Whit is going to have and the impact she will have in her area. Whitni is such an amazing person and has a special way of touching every one's hearts. I know there is someone just waiting for her to help them change their life. Whitni has so many wonderful qualities about her that you can't help but adore her. She is the most loving and sincere person I have ever known and has a way of making everyone in her presence relax and be themselves. She is never judgemental, hurtful, or gossipy and I love all these things about her! Whitni is also the best at making conversation and handling those incredibly awkward social situations so she is well prepared for the mish.

Whitni leaves for the MTC on December 3rd and we will miss her so much. We will miss her amazing cooking, her amazing vegan cupcakes, her crafty expertise, her contagious laugh, and everything about her. Although we will miss her we are so excited for Whitni to share the gospel and grow in so many different ways. I am so glad its only for a year and a half though, I am going to miss my personal stylist most of all! I am happy to report that Whitni will NOT be a frumpy Sister Missionary! She will definitely add a little bit of personality to her area. We love you Whitni and are so proud of you and your choices in life that have lead you to this next phase of your life. You are going to do great!

CHUNKO!

We cannot believe how much Will is growing! I am really starting to wonder were our little baby went. At our final lab draw yesterday the Nurse said, "Oh what a cutie! How old is he? A year?" Okay seriously he is getting big but not that big crazy lady. As annoying as it is, I am so thankful for such a strong and big boy we have on our hands. He is so tough and I would much rather have a big healthy boy to keep me busy! Labs went good and Will's white count is FINALLY in the normal range. That means his body has bounced back from all the med's and sickness and he should be done with hospitals and labs for a while. Will also had his hearing rechecked yesterday and we are happy to report he passed! So everything appears to be normal and on track. We are so excited to have things be "normal" again.


Will is changing so fast and its hard for me to keep up! He still hates tummy time but is now rolling over and is discovering how fun it is to stand (with our help) and check out everything. He has been on solids now for 3 weeks (don't worry our Doc said its okay :) and boy can the little guy eat! He loves butternut squash, banana's, and avocado's but isn't a big fan of carrots or surprisingly rice cereal. I spend most of my day trying to entertain Will as he has inherited Mike's A.D.D. It is so funny the things I come up with. Will's latest fav is lying under the bunk bed and looking up at the 80's retro mattress. Its awesome! It keeps Will busy for a whole 15 minutes! Will has also started teething. He started pretty much the day after his PICC was removed. Crazy but true. He is doing pretty good so far though, what a tough little guy! I am so glad things appear to be over and we can finally move on with "normal" life. I still am kind of living in fear but am hopeful Will is done. Seriously how much more can the little guy go though. He is such a stud and makes me laugh every day. I love being a Mom and am so in love with my little boy!

Little Will

Here is a video I put together of some of my favorite pics of Will from the last 4 months. It is crazy when we stop and think about everything he has been through so far in his short life. I hope this helps capture some of our emotions throughout all Will's struggles. Be sure you stop our music at the bottom left of our blog before you start the video.

Don't Jinx It

So I am NOT going to repeat my same mistake as last time and say how healthy little Will is. We had our follow up with Infectious Disease yesterday and they said everything is looking good! They want to redo labs in a few weeks to make sure his white count continues to go up (just a precaution) and also suggest we have Will's hearing rechecked. Not only is there a possibility of fluid build up from all the meds and fluids he has been given so far in his short little life, but also the one antibiotic's (Gentamicin) can cause long term hearing problems. We are staying optimistic though and just happy to have William............you know the thing I cant say right now :) They removed the PICC line and this makes both Will and Mom very happy. Finally (after waiting 24 hours after removal) Will gets to have normal baths again! He is such a tough little guy and I am amazed every day at his determination to get better. If your curious like me about what exactly a PICC line is I took a pic to show everyone. It is really amazing to see what it is exactly and I am so grateful for the advancements in medicine today. I am also posting the video of the PICC removal. This time when we left Primary's we made sure to have a little talk with Will and asked him to wait a while before heading back to flirt with the nurses. Hopefully he listens this time! The past 4 months have flown by and Will is getting so big. I am wondering where my little baby boy went!

Thanksgiving in August?

After looking back over my last few posts, I have decided enough of the Debbie Downer here. Sorry everyone! Instead of being so concerned about what goes wrong I NEED to focus on the positive. This week has been a really good week and I am so thankful when things stay non eventful! On Tuesday we were instructed to stop Will's meds due to his constantly low white count and are optimistic because this also means they are confident they have killed all the yuckies! We just have to flush the PICC line once a day and then hopefully at our follow up with Infectious Disease next Tuesday they will remove the line and send us on our way.

I am so lucky to have little William in my life and he has really showed me the important things in life. I have experienced so many raw emotions over the last 4 months and it has truly made me such a stronger person. I cannot imagine going through this without Michol and I am so glad life led us to each other. Looking back on different situations in life I can truly say the man upstairs was preparing me for Mike. Making sure I had to go through some tough things to truly appreciate such an amazing guy. Mike always has way too much to deal with and yet always seems to put our little family first. It amazes me every day.

Not to get all churchy but I have to express my gratitude for the guidance we have both received through all of Will's struggles. I am so unbelievable grateful for the priesthood and the true power that it can have. It has been so invaluable in little Will's life so far. It not only aided in keeping Will strong but it showed us the signs when he was getting sick both times. All the Doctors sat back in amazement at how fast "we" caught things and I know there was something more powerful helping us protect William. It scares me to think of what could have happened without the priesthood in our home. Every day I thank Heavenly Father for trusting us with William and giving us the opportunity to be his parents. I cant imagine anything more important to do in my life! Sorry y'all, you know I get irritated with people that always talk churchy but I just had to share a little with everyone.

Most of all thank you to YOU! If you are reading this you are a true friend and your love and support is more than words can ever express. We know we didn't always handle things perfect the last 4 months and are sure we offended some people but we just had to worry about us. Thanks for sticking it out with us. We love you and need you in our lives!

Why not make a quick stop at Primary's?

As if my day wasn't exciting enough on Friday, it only got better at Will's doctor appointment. As our Doctor went through all the basics and did his usual poking and prodding, we discussed any new concerns with little Will's health.
Let me back up and explain a little of what has been happening with Will. Last week Will started having some really strange and scary breathing episodes. He will be breathing fine and then all of a sudden he starts sucking in air really hard and fast (kinda like when they have been crying for a long time and are trying to catch their breath). Being kinda used to scary stuff by now I watch and observe Will and see that he really isn't struggling for air (not turning blue etc) but I call anyway and explain everything. They tell me to continue watching and if it gets worse to bring him back in asap. He continued to do this strange breathing once or twice a day but it didn't seem to be getting a lot worse. So I wait it out until our appointment Friday.

So at our appointment I again reiterate my concerns with William's breathing. With thorough discussion Doctor Allred decides it probably wouldn't hurt to do a chest x ray to check the placement of Will's PICC line. At this point I am pretty calm and not too worried about things. So I immediately head downstairs to the lab. The way they do a chest x ray on a awake baby is much harder than when he is sedated and drugged up. It is well worth explaining so you can understand my roller coaster of emotions. Stay with me people!

They have this little cart thing with a wood slab cut with a round hole with a little bicycle seat in the middle for the kids to "sit" on (probably not as difficult with an older child than with a baby). So I place Will on the little seat and try to sit him up as upright as possible. Then there are curved plastic pieces that they try to wrap around his body from each side and clip into place. Meanwhile I am trying to hold his arms above his head, support his head, and keep my arms out of x ray all at the same time. Sounds easy right?! The tech kept pushing his little body around and giving him nice plastic burns and pinches from trying to position the pieces correctly. The clips kept popping out of place and his PICC line arm is so scrunched against the plastic things he is screaming. So she finally gets the x ray and I head back upstairs slightly traumatized.

Doctor Allred pulls up the x ray and we check things out. I am getting pretty knowledgeable and can tell something just isn't right with the placement. Doctor Allred explains it looks a little "off" and says we might need to head up to Primary's and have them pull the PICC out a little. At this point I am starting to get a little worried but realize it probably isn't a big deal. So I wait while Doctor Allred calls up to Primary's. He gets the specialist on the phone and has him pull up the x ray. I am close enough to Doctor Allred's office that I can hear the whole conversation on speaker phone.

The specialist says things definitely don't look right and it appears the PICC has migrated in (which apparently never happens, we are really doing good with statistics lately) into the right atrium of William's heart and is pushing against the wall of his heart. So here is where I start to panic a bit. Then the specialist proceeds to say that it can severely damage the wall if not puncture it altogether. Ok so now I am really freaking out. Surprisingly still able to fight back tears though. The specialist says to repeat the x ray this time with his arms to his sides since this is normally how PICC placement is checked (not with arms above). So we head downstairs again.

This next x ray was by far much worse the second time around in the little contraption thing. Trying to pin his arms down and keep him sitting up means his little face and nose gets smushed into the front of the thing. Again the clips wont hold the plastic things in place and Will gets even more fun plastic burns and pinches. The tech decides to switch out the plastic things for a bigger size and we attempt again. Keep in mind the whole time Will is SCREAMING. We try again and in our struggles one of the plastic things pops off and hits the floor sending a dozen pieces flying everywhere. At this point I grab Will and say that's enough, there has to be another way to get this x ray. The tech decides to lay him down and get a nurse to help hold his arms down (why didn't we try this earlier) and surprise, it works perfectly. So we head back upstairs.

I wait while Doctor Allred tends to other patients and try to keep it together (as I am sure he is getting tired of seeing me have a meltdown every time we come in). We pull up the new x ray and get the specialist on the phone to check it out as well. To my relief, false alarm!! Everything looks good with the placement when the correct position is used for the x ray (thanks for the scare little techy). So all in all things are ok and no need to head to Primary's. We are still unsure what Will's new breathing is being caused by but are watching closely to keep him safe. Man I cant wait for things to be "normal".

Home Health 101

Ok so let me vent a little of my weeks frustration with the wonderful folks at Home Health. Here is how my week went down. Monday was the normal day for labs to be drawn and Will's PICC dressing to be changed. It was no big surprise when our Nurse called to say she would be late again. Not really a surprise since every week she is at LEAST 15-30 min late. She then called back to say she would not be able to make it since her car broke down. Ok I'll give her that one. So instead she sent another wonderful Nurse. This Nurse was at least way more efficient in drawing labs (its bad when we can pick apart everything they do wrong) but had some major difficulties changing the PICC dressing. Granted she doesn't usually work with Pediatrics but she left without the dressing even being pushed down and adhering to Will's little arm. Humm, so if I remember correctly that's a BAD thing in lieu of preventing air/germs/icky stuff from getting sent straight into Will's body and getting pumped all throughout him. Call me crazy but I just wasn't going to let this fly. I tape it down and wrap it up and called our normal Nurse first thing Tuesday morning (per her instructions if there were any problems with the dressing change). She of course didn't answer so I left her a message. My amazing nursing skills were holding up pretty well so I wait patiently for her to call me back. Finally Wednesday afternoon she calls me and lets me know she will come Thursday between 1030-1100am. I ask her if I should call the scheduling department and she says no, she will just take care of it. Ok no biggie, whats another day right? So we wait. And wait. And why not wait some more. With our nurses track record I plan on her being late so by the time 1130am rolls around I am a little annoyed. I call her up and she politely tells me she forgot and will not be able to make it. So now I am really getting upset. She explains that she will have the Nurse Friday come and change it. Ok so really, whats ANOTHER day? I told her Will had a check up at 2 so they needed be here in the morning. So this morning I wake up and wait, and wait, and wait. At 1100am I wise up and decided to call scheduling and double check things. To my surprise a Nurse WAS scheduling to come see us (yeah for something being done right) and they paged the Nurse to have her call me. I was a little less than ecstatic when Nurse #2 (the incompetent dressing change one) calls me back. She then proceeds to tell me to pretty much just put a band aid on it, wrap it up, and wait till Monday. Easy for her to say right? It's not her little baby that's sick. So instead of arguing to have her come and "attempt" another dressing change, I hang up and bust into tears. Seriously what are these people thinking? As if things aren't hard enough lets throw this in the mix too. It is frustrating that people cant just do their job. Ya know the job we are paying them to do. So Mike is going to "take care of things" and hopefully chew some peoples butts out along the way. Until the Will and I wait, trying to be patient.

Tech Savvy, or not

Ok so if you are looking at our blog before Mike gets a chance to fix my booboo's sorry. I thought I had our page updated and looking cute but I somehow messed things up a bit! Hehe, good thing for brainy husbands.


Oh and if your looking at our blog and it looks perfect, disregard the above note. I did it perfect in the first place :)

Cabin Fever

The toughest part about Will's IV therapy PICC line is our limited contact with the outside world. We are instructed to stay away from places like the grocery store, anywhere with lots of kids, and church (wohoo) in order to be as cautious as we can for little Will. As you can imagine this results in some intense cabin fever for BOTH me and Will. Luckily we have amazing friends to help get us out of the house and keep us sane! Last weekend we headed up to the Uinta's for some great fishing and fun. We love you Clark and Ashley!

Party On Rock Star

Last Friday was Aunt Whitni's fabulous 21st birthday! We had so much fun watching her open gifts and eating her amazing strawberry shortcake. We had a sleep over and got ready to go boating. Mike was generous enough to stay behind with Will (I think a little bit of guilt from the PS3 purchase the night before helped a bit:) and we headed to the lake. We had so much fun testing out our tubing skills and swimming around all afternoon. We were just getting ready to brave attempting to water ski when a huge storm rolled in. It was the worst hail storm I have ever seen! The little pellets stung so bad when the pegged your bare skin and it was pretty intense to be out on the lake. We still had so much fun though!

Mister Bones

Life seems to get so busy when we make it out of the hospital and don't have the wonderful nurses to help out. Sorry for the delayed post! Little Will is doing good and adapting well to being home again. We got released late Saturday August 2nd and it is so nice to be home. We are back acting like doctors again and get to administer Will's meds via his PICC line once a day instead of every 6 hours like last time. It is much easier on Mom to say the least! On last Wednesday Will went back into PCMC for a Bone Scan which was a little scary because of the need to be sedated again. Will was so tough and didn't fuss too much despite not being able to eat for many hours before. Will did great and came out of the sedation much happier than he did after his PICC line. I am sure it was due to a lot less pain! Will and I got to spend the next 12 hours yet again in another wing of the hospital. This time we had free snacks though! Will was watched carefully until given the ok to be released at 2am Thursday morning. We were both a little tired and ready for our comfy beds waiting at home with Daddy.

So the results are in. The bone scan and the immune deficiency tests came back completely normal! So its a relief and a frustration all in one. We are so thankful it is neither of them but we still have no idea what caused the relapse. I am trying not to be super paranoid over every little whimper Will makes but it scary considering all that has happened. It is turning out to be rather difficult. This time the Infectious Disease Doctors at PCMC are monitoring Will VERY closely and running labs every week to check his progress. The Ear Nose and Throat specialists advise that if Will should ever have another neck infection that surgery is necessary to check out what's going on inside. We also get to see our Pediatrician once a week and its a good thing we love him so much!

We wanted to say thank you to our families and friends who have supported us so much throughout all of our ups and downs the past few months. We couldn't have made it without all of the many prayers and fasts in our behalf. We recognize the sacrifice and we just want you to know how much strength we received from them. We pray this is the last of the struggles for little Will for a while and are thankful every day that we have him in our life!

Cerberus

Mythology has always been a great interest of mine. I love the stories, the symbolism and noticing artifacts of these stories in our modern society. In Greek Mythology Cerberus was the guardian of the gates to the underworld. Today we view underworld as meaning hell, however to the Greeks it was simply the afterlife. Heaven and hell existed in the same realm; just those living in hell couldn't enter heaven; however those in heaven could pass through hell and even had to in order to reach heaven.

As I was taking pictures of William our ferocious hound Bella decided she needed to guard her family. Somehow I must have appeared like a threat (must've been the extra slice of pizza). As she snarled and growled at me I was able to capture this humorous moment which I just had to share. Only afterwards did I think about Cerberus and how to some extent this picture does represent that entire process. Our little guy has had to pass through hell to once again be held in the loving arms of his mother. This I would say is the closest thing to heaven in this boy’s life right now. In reality it's the closest thing Jamie and I have to heaven as well.

A Friend in Need is a...

I apologize for the delayed update from Jamie and I, things are hectic; but if you are at all aware or have read any of our previous post before today I am sure you are aware of this. While many of you may already know Will came home on Saturday. He still has his PICC line and is on heaps of antibiotics. No one really knows what is causing this to keep relapsing and thus we get to get blood drawn every Monday and follow up with the pediatrician weekly. On Wednesday we get to do a bone scan to determine if his bones are infected and if any are Will can enjoy a lifetime of enjoyment through metal detectors. It is highly unlikely though that this will happen.

The good news is we administer the antibiotics only once a day at 3:00 PM. This is much better than the every six hours we were previously on. This will continue for a month so please enjoy pictures for a while until he gets the PICC line out and everything is clear.

It is funny how in comparison to last time this time I find myself much less grateful to the Doctors that worked on Will. It wasn't that they did a poor job, they performed excellently, rather I think it is that we are just so burned out from everything. I have mentioned to Jamie numerous times that it is interesting to me how many analogies can be drawn from this experience and comparing it to our relationship with God. For me at least it has been an incredibly insightful journey into understanding how our Father must feel for all of us while we go through our own struggles in life. While the analogies are many and quite personal let me summarize by saying it has been nice to know that Will has at least two fathers by his side helping him along; just like the rest of us if we will but ask.