WWRT - Days 2 -7

Yes, it's been a week now since we left Texas. And yes, I'm still alive and not resenting my road trip idea. The kids have been relatively good and we haven't had any issues along the way. One week down, 2 more to go.

After leaving Texas, the kids and I drove into New Mexico, staying in Albuquerque for the night. The next day was spent driving into Arizona and seeing the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. The girls thought that was beautiful. That night, we stayed in Needles, CA. This is the home of Snoopy's brother, Spike. After staying the night, I can say that is the only neat thing about Needles, CA.










Day 3 brought us to my grandparents house in Mountain View. There is something so comforting about stepping foot in your grandparent's house. And when those people are 2 of the most amazing people around, you feel even better. The kids really got to visit with them and get to know them a little better, Hayden especially. They all played games and read, just like I did at their ages. The rest of the visit was spent at Shoreline Park, visiting Mount Diablo and Vallejo, a lunch with my brother Joel, exploring the new Academy of Sciences and seeing the Pacific Ocean near the Cliff House. All in all, we had a great time.


Today was our day to explore the Redwoods. After breakfast, I packed the car up again and off we went. We got to the Avenue of the Giants around 2 pm and enjoyed the drive through the redwoods. The kids thought driving through an actual tree was so cool. The rest of the trip up to Crescent City was beautiful. It was really worth the drive. We even got to see a big herd of elk along the way. The girls couldn't believe they were wild and weren't afraid of the people watching them. It was such a cool experience to share with them.

Wild West Road Trip - Day 1

Ah, I'm relaxing in our lovely hotel room after our first day of driving. My sweet angels are all fast asleep and I'm able to plan tomorrow's trip.




We started the day not knowing whether we'd leave today or tomorrow. Hayden was either sad because he's realizing he can't hear without his implant on or he wasn't feeling good. I still don't know. We made a solid attempt to give him his pain meds, but I'd be surprised if any actually stayed in his body. The Tylenol with codeine really tastes nasty. Jason and I agreed that if he felt better by mid-morning, we'd go. Well, he was back to normal within 30 minutes. So, we loaded up the car, made sure we had everything, and pulled out of the driveway at 11:05 am. A quick stop to the store, then gas, and we were on our way.

The kids and I haven't been to Jason's new office yet, so we decided that would be our first adventure of the trip. We stopped by, saw his office, and went to have lunch. We got to say our last goodbyes to Jason and finally, we were officially on the road at 2 pm. I planned the first day to be an easy drive, only 5 hours. Junction, TX is between San Antonio and El Paso on I10. The drive is a nice one, going through part of the Texas Hill Country. Plus, we can see most of the sites while going 80 mph! Gotta love that!

We only stopped twice between Houston and Junction. The 1st was to console Hayden after his short nap and then a potty break at a rest stop before San Antonio. I love that some rest stops are putting in play areas for kids. The only problem we had was that it was 105 so it was really to hot to play on. The kids got to run around for a minute then back to the car and AC.

All 3 kids did pretty well today. I'm hoping our drive tomorrow will go as well. The plan is to be in Albuquerque by 7ish tomorrow night. It should be doable. I've just got to have lots of opportunities for the kids to run around. Wish us luck.

Hayden is bilateral!

Today was Hayden's big surgery day. It actually started last night when we took the girls to their friends' house for a sleepover. Hayden asked for and got to have ice cream before going to bed. A real treat! We were hoping that he would sleep late, but no, he was awake and playful at 7 am. I let him play as long as I could to avoid having to say no to waffles. He couldn't eat past midnight. We were able to avoid feeding him, got dressed, and were off to the hospital a little before 9 am.

Hayden's surgery was scheduled for 12:30 and we had to be there at 10:30. We were told to be at the main hospital, but then were moved to the Clinical Care Center. That's where he had surgery last year so we were happy to move. For the next 2 hours, Hayden played and just enjoyed himself. He even decided that this was the best time to go sit on the potty. What a big boy!

The surgery was a little late, starting at 1. Right before he went back to the OR, Dr. Vrabec and Jody came back to answer any questions we had and see our little guy. He was loving on his Grover and wanted to him to get his picture taken too. Hayden told us he loved us and went with the teddy bear of an orderly back to the OR with some tears, but he was a good boy. Jason and I spent the next 2 hours reading and talking about our kiddos. Hayden's doctors came out at 2:20 to tell us he was done and everything went well. Yeah!! I was nearly in tears I was so happy!

Soon after that, we went back to recovery. Hayden was already stirring and didn't want the bandage on his head. We quickly got him in my lap and he calmed down. I knew he was uncomfortable, but he did so well. After drinking an apple juice and his entire sippy cup of water, he threw up...on me. Fortunately, I brought an extra shirt! He was just so good, I don't think Jason and I could have been more proud. It was a long day and he made it.

We all left the hospital at 5 and were home an hour later. Hayden threw up one more time in the car, but he was ready to eat when we got home. I got him changed and cleaned up while Jason made his waffle. I ran to the store and Hayden ate 2 more waffles. When the girls got home, Hayden did have moments of playful behavior. After that, he just wanted to rest with me and has been sleeping since.

It's been a long day, one we have worked towards for months now. I'm so thankful to Hayden's team of doctors for doing this surgery for him. His future is just a little brighter now that he's bilateral. He needs to heal over the next 4 weeks then will get activated. That's when the external part is turned on. He can then move on with therapy and improve his speech even more than it has already, hopefully. It's an exciting time for him!

Summer

Summer is half over and it's been busy. I feel I say that a lot, but really, we are very busy folks. The girls are finishing up the last day of VBS at church. They have had so much fun. Both girls are with friends in their groups and the message, science and water slides have been great. I hope to volunteer next year.

Since Monday of last week, at least one person in the house has seen a doctor each day. The trend continues into next week. Hayden has his Cochlear implant surgery on Monday. We have to be there at 10:30 with surgery at 12:30. He should be done between 3:30 and 4:30. An hour or so in recovery, and barring any issues, we should be able to go home after that. The girls will be with my friend Julie. She watched them last year. Her 2 oldest girls are the same age as mine and they are all good friends. For a refresher on the surgery, go here. For the surgery day pictures from last year, go here.

The next day, while Hayden is recovering, I have treatment and Sydney is getting sealants on her molars. We are supposed to leave for vacation on Wednesday, so I'm trying to get as much in before we go. If Hayden needs another day to heal, we will leave on Thursday. That's one of the perks of a road trip.

Speaking of road trips, it's going to be quite the adventure. Three weeks, 12 states, ~5700 miles, and lots of family and pictures. Three kids, 1 adult. Wait, what am I thinking! Well, I'll just say the chemo messed with my logic and reasoning. Yes, that will work. Anyway, we are going to have so much fun. I've had to cut some of my side trips out. I've got to have us home by 8/13 so I can have treatment the next day. I don't think the kids will mind though. I'll try to update along the way so everyone can see how we are doing. Jason, mom and the dogs will still be home. The kids haven't been away from Jason that long before. I think everyone will be happy once we get back.

Look for an update on Hayden on Monday night/Tuesday morning.

It's a Date!

After several calls to our implant coordinator and with the OR scheduler, we finally have a date for Hayden's cochlear implant surgery! Our original date was for July 30th, but since we are scheduled to be in the N. California Redwoods that day, we had to have it changed. There was a cancellation and now we are on for July 20th. The neat thing is this is 1 day shy of Hayden's 1st surgery last year. I'm so anxious. He just started wearing the CI behind his ear (aka BTE) and this has proven to be so much better than the body worn. It stays on better this way so he hears more.

Anna and Sydney are both done with summer camps. Anna had so much fun with the YMCA camp. I think we will try to do it again next year. Sydney will tell you she didn't like hers but she really did. They had hands on science experiments. Now, we can have a week off to do what ever we want to, then VBS the week after. Then, ROAD TRIP! Right now, we are supposed to leave on July 22nd, but I may leave the next day if Hayden needs another day to recuperate. He was great last year, but I don't want to push it to much.

Tomorrow, I'm taking the girls to see Demi Lovato in concert. It will be their first real concert and they love Demi. For those of you out of the Disney loop, she's one of the latest things and one of the few stars that can actually sing. We should have a blast.

Here are a couple of pictures from our Vegas weekend. Jason's sister, Jene, and her husband, Dan, stayed with the kids. They all had a great time as did we. Thanks guys! The meal below is the escargot that Jason and his other sister Shielah shared. I passed.