The Ugly, The Bad and The Good

Our first cleft palate surgery was held on May 13, 2008. The title of this post kind of speaks for itself. There have been the ugly times, the bad times and the good times throughout the whole cleft surgery experience thus far. The ugly (worst) time was seeing Mason-Kate in the recovery room just moments after surgery. To say she was miserable is putting it lightly. Ryan and I both felt very helpless as there was really nothing that we could do to soothe her. The nurse kept giving her morphine after morphine dose to the point that she had to call the dr. to approve more. I will say that for MK, having the nurses and the doctors and all of the other hospital affiliated people around her was a great deal of the problem. As out of it as MK was, she was constantly looking around to see where the next person in scrubs was standing in relation to her. She did not trust anyone who was within her eyesight except mommy and daddy. That being said, I spent a lot to time in the hospital thinking about how horrible it must have been for Mason-Kate when she had her lip repaired in China. Was there anyone to hold her? to comfort her? was she in a lot of pain? To let my mind go there was upsetting. So, onto the "bad" part of our experience thus far....I would have to say that the bad part was having all of the extra stuff attached to MK. She had her tongue stitched down (to provide an airway should they had needed one)....Ryan and I were sure that her tongue was going to come out at any moment due to the fact that the string hung from her mouth and was constantly in our way while we were cuddling her. Then we had the "no-nos" to contend with....they make her arms stick straight out. When an unhappy child is flailing her non bending arms around, someone is going to get hit in the face by them, Murphy's Law. Then we had the IV....holding her or lying beside her or dressing her was a challenge with the IV as you had to make sure that it was not in danger of coming out. Then we had the oxygen canula in her nose....she did require oxygen until later Tuesday evening. They had it all taped to her face and then the one nurse decided she didn't need it anymore and chose to take it off right then and there....I was a little upset by this decision as MK was actually sleeping....never should you wake a sleeping child, especially a sick, sleeping child! Now, onto the "good" part of all of this....I am thankful that we have one surgery under our belts. We had an amazing surgeon with great skill. He is very upfront with us and does not sugar coat anything to get our hopes up. I like this. Our nurses (except for the canula one) were very attentive and made sure that we had everything to make our stay as comfortable as possible. Mason-Kate was in pain but we were able to console her once we got settled into our room. We managed to get 3 hours of sleep. A friend brought us pizza....pizza makes for a great 3:00am snack :) Mason-Kate was smiling by 3:00am. So, now that we have been home for a day....we soundly slept for 7 hours last night, yippee! MK can only have pure liquids...yum! So, we went on a hunt for soups and yogurts that she can drink from a cup. She became a little houdini last night and managed somehow to get one of the "no-nos" off while we all slept. She is only taking regular Tylenol which seems to be working for the most part. We will keep you updated on her progress. We go back to the surgeon for a follow-up visit next Friday.

These were taken just after we moved from recovery to a regular room:

Yes, mom put a bow in my hair....everybody here thought I was a boy. And a rare moment of sleep.

G-mom and MK going for a walk; Leaving MCG, going home!

Now that I'm at home I can rest...anywhere I want!

Quick Update

Wanted to write a quick update on Mason-Kate....the surgery went well although the surgeon told us that she was in the top 5% worst case scenarios that he has seen....not exactly what we wanted to hear but onward we will go! We were reluctantly discharged about 2 hours ago....Mason-Kate is not taking in the amount of fluids that they would prefer but we are going to continue to work with her.....she has smiled today, waved to friends and even kissed the boys!

Living Loud

Our church family is very special to us. Our pastor and his wife are incredible people whom we have known for at least 10 years now. The congregation is filled with friends who have supported us through our struggles to add another child to our family. The congregation also consists of people whom we have never met that have prayed for our family's well being. The band (yes, awesome band - we are a UMC with a contemporary service) and it's members bring smiles to all of our faces every Sunday morning with the music that they choose to play during worship - the boys sit mesmerized, watching intently on what is being played, then they come home, run upstairs and play their version of the band's music. Church, for us, feels like a loving home for our family. On Sunday, May 11, we officially introduced Mason-Kate to our church family. Mason-Kate was baptized and everyone, including our many family and friends, promised to teach her about our loving God. Well, I wish I could say that it all went smoothly....it did, for awhile, seem that all was well. We arrived at church early (rarely does that happen), we said our hellos, got our donuts (a must as they are still warm when we arrive) and took our seats. Mason-Kate did so well.....UNTIL....the baptism was to be held at the end of the service and as the service went on, MK grew agitated with life in general. Then, the most horrible thing occurred....Ryan (who was feeding her a donut to lull her through the remainder of the service) took the donut away! The screams began, the breathholding occurred, the blue lips appeared and this all took place until we heard our song "Mighty To Save" being played after the baptism. At that point, the dancing began once again and life was good. Thus, we are living loud!

Here are some other highlights from our week:

• Pryce decided early in the week that he would like to attend a neighborhood swim team practice. After attending, and participating, he decided that he would like to join the swim team. We are so proud of him! Well, lo and behold, Colin got wind of Pryce's new sport and decided that he would like to join as well! They are both wonderful swimmers and we look forward to watching their progress throughout the season.


• Colin scored the winning goal at his soccer game on Saturday!


• Mason-Kate has decided to agree to disagree when it comes to hairbows. Her compromise is this....I put the hairbow in when she gets dressed, she takes it out when we get into the VAN (still can't believe we have one of those - enjoying it though), I park the car, open her door and she promptly gives me the hairbow and leans her head down for me to put the bow into her head once again.


• All three children are thrilled that the neighborhood pool has opened for the season....the boys are water boys and MK seems to love it as well :)

I also want to share with you all a family event that takes place daily in our house....prayer. The boys and I pray on the way to school together, Ryan prays with them at night and we pray as a family at dinnertime. We have been teaching Mason-Kate to "fix pretty hands" when we say our dinnertime prayers. When we started this weeks ago with her, I would take her hands in mine and hold them there while we said our prayers. This week, I began just telling her to "fix pretty hands" without putting mine around hers....her response? Well, wouldn't you know that I think she thinks I don't know how to do my own pretty hands....now when I say "fix pretty hands" she insists on taking my two hands and puts them inside hers to pray! And on this prayer note, please take a minute tomorrow to "fix pretty hands" and say a little prayer for Mason-Kate, Dr. Yu (the surgeon), the boys, Ryan and I. Thank you! We will post an update as soon as possible....hope you all have a wonderful week!

MK's baptism...before........and during

The boys and MK after church; Taking a ride



Colin's amazing soccer skills

Pryce and Colin swimming some laps in the pool

MK says "Fix pretty hands!"

Surgery

Sorry, no pictures for now. I am just writing this to let everyone who is following along know that Mason-Kate's first palate surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday, May 13 at 11am. If you have a moment and are interested, take a look at the site www.bringingmeihome.blogspot.com This little girl just had her surgery a week or so ago and the site provides some pretty detailed pictures of what our little MK will endure come Tuesday. UGH! We know that the surgery is needed and is for her benefit but the thought of her being in pain is heartbreaking. The procedure will take anywhere from 3-4 hours. 15 minutes of that will include putting in her ear tubes. She will then have to spend at least one night in the hospital but it is very possible that she will spend more time there (i have followed along on three cleft surgery blogs and 2 out of the 3 girls had to spend 2 nights in the hospital). After her surgery, she will have to wear "no-no's" for up to six weeks..."no-no's" are arm restraints that will prevent her from putting things into her mouth and damaging the repair. She will also have to eat a soft food/liquid diet for several weeks following surgery. So, please say an extra little prayer for miss priss!
**during the pre-op call yesterday with the nurse she was explaining that MK would be given some "calming meds" upon arrival at the hospital....i jokingly asked if the parents would get those as well....i mean, really, this is going to be tough on all of the above emotionally!
***and I will post pictures with an update by Monday....we are having a great week with a lot of excitement....plus, MK will be baptized on Sunday....very special.

Out With The Old, In With The New

The highlights of the week....

• Happy birthday to Pryce! What a wonderful little boy we have! He was so excited to have "his" time....he partied with his friends at Monkey Joes, sat in the Monkey Joe throne, had a popsicle party with friends on the school playground, Gran came over so that mommy could spend time with him at school, he indulged in birthday cake for breakfast (a family tradition here), he went to the beach with one of his favorite friends for the weekend, toured Charleston, SC, swam in the ocean, swam in the pool, and topped it all off with a cookout at G-Mom and G-Dad's house. We had such a good time with our little man! We are so thankful for Pryce and the joy he brings us everyday! My favorite gift suggestion he had this year was when he asked for "credit cards". He simply stated that he wanted some so that it would be easier for him to spend money on the toys he wanted to purchase. I finally figured out that he was referring to "gift cards".


• The boys are always quick to include Mason-Kate when they are playing. This week they chose for her to be a truck driver in their fleet of many 18 wheelers. She was the "Pop Tarts" truck driver and I am told that she is the only female driver they have allowed to join their company. Later in the week, I went in to check on everyone and found MK playing in the toy kitchen. The boys explained that she had "quit" the truck driving business. They offered her a job in the kitchen as their personal chef and she willingly accepted.


• Colin was chosen by his teachers to be a part of his school's Academic Bowl. As part of the Academic Bowl, the students had to sit behind tables with buzzers and they were asked many questions pertaining to the Olympic games. Colin proudly answered several questions and his team was honored to receive the Silver medal in this event.


• Ryan and I (mostly me) are slowly learning "never to say never"....we made the decision during our car ride home from China that our beloved 4Runner was not the car for our family of 5. Much to the boys dismay, we (again, mostly me) have always said "NO" to purchasing a minivan. Well, on Friday we purchased a minivan....and we LOVE it! It just makes sense to have it....you all must know that growing up I always said, among other things, that I wanted a husband and a large family. The obstacle that I never thought about during my dreams was how in the world I was going to transport my large family....


• Mason-Kate visited the beach for the very first time. We spent the weekend at Seabrook Island. MK wasn't all that impressed by the beach itself. However, she quickly decided that the pool was a fun thing to be a part of. Yes, this is the baby girl who screamed to the point of not breathing during her bathtime for the first month that we had her....less than two months later, she is testing the limits on just how wet she can get in the pool....and I must add that the water was COLD! She giggled and splashed and even put her face in. This is a very good thing!

We hope that all is well with those who continue to follow our blog. We continue to appreciate everyone's prayers for our family! The support that we have received has been more than we could ever have imagined! For that, we are grateful. Until next week.....

Happy 6th Birthday, Pryce!!; Our three cannonballs

The pineapple fountain in Charleston; Pryce and good friend Matthew

Standing....but not yet walking; Looking pretty in the flowers

Hating the beach........Loving the pool



Colin's silver metal; MK in her bunny towel

Breaking MK In

This week was a busy one! Of course, if MK could talk, she would probably tell you that all weeks are "busy ones". If you asked her to tell you her address, I am sure she would say she lives in the car! Monday we started off our week with our first playgroup. There is a group of families who have adopted from China and Guatemaula that meets every Monday for lunch. We were thrilled to be invited and it was a lot of fun to hear their stories of adoption. Monday night at tennis, Ryan got MK to walk to him....of course, we made a huge deal over this and we were all so excited....now, she just refuses to do it again. Tuesday, Finley had to go have his "dog surgery"....the boys were most upset that he had to spend the night at the vet. I thought all day about how upset/worried the boys were about the dog and I thought that maybe I should tell them now about Mason-Kate's upcoming surgery.....bad idea. Colin just looked at me and said "Great, first we lose Finley for the night and now we are going to lose Mason-Kate too....what is next?!" MK had her first hearing evaluation....she CAN hear! Yippee for that! It was one of those things where we knew she could hear but it was nice to have it confirmed by the actual test. You know, there are those moments when she totally ignores you and then you just wonder if those little ears are working. She does have fluid in both ears so they will insert tubes (as expected) during her cleft surgery....this will even help her hearing that much more. MK continues to grow emotionally attached to our family. This week she has decided that maybe she likes mommy after all and that it isn't always fun to be away from her....this is especially the case at naptime! I knew that the day would come when she would realize that crying was what most one year olds do when they have to go to sleep in the middle of the day. So, on Tuesday she began. Instead of cuddling her little blankie up against her lips like she has always done, she promptly tossed her blankie on the floor as I walked out of her room....then came the tears. What does one do?! Well, this one, called daddy and asked his opinion....so, do you think I am going to cause her bonding issues if I don't go pick her up OR is this just normal one year old behavior that needs to be addressed by going in, seeing if everything is ok, giving her blankie back, a hug, a kiss, a pat on the back and walk out - no picking up? Daddy says the latter of the two. So, I go in, lay her down, give her the blankie, say I love you, and leave.....a minute later, there is silence and SLEEP! On Wednesday Mason-Kate decided the stairs looked fun and up she went....she got caught of course! Saturday Gran had a "Meet and Greet MK" party....so much fun to see many of the adults and friends who influenced my life growing up. Mason-Kate took it all in stride and even performed her latest trick....dancing, she loves it! Sunday we went to visit Nannie. Nannie is my grandmother and we thoroughly enjoyed our day with her. So, in a nutshell, we continue to adjust and enjoy our new family of 5!

"We have to get in the car again?!"

"You caught me!"

Nannie taking MK for a walk on her walker; MK and Nannie Tisdale

Colin, Nannie, MK, & Pryce

"Normal"

After 3 weeks of being home, "normal" has entered our home....if there is a "normal". This week was a big week for us. We started off the week with a party for Mason-Kate given by Ryan's family. Mason-Kate marveled in all of the attention she received. She has gotten pretty comfortable in social situations but still prefers mom or dad to hold her while she performs for the crowds. Early in the week we were able to schedule MK's first palate surgery. It will be held on May 13. Of course, I am not a fan of the number 13 but we are thankful that she is scheduled. She will possibly have another surgery at the age of 3 (we are hopeful that this won't be the case), then she will definitely have another surgery at the age of 6/7, and then finally one at the age of 13ish. ANYWAY, on a happier note, we celebrated our one month GOTCHA DAY anniversary on Thursday....WOW! It is so hard to believe that we have only had her one month! Ryan says that the dog was harder to adjust to! Speaking of the dog, MK loves him! Finley has become quite the playmate while the brothers are away at school....Mason-Kate will meander her way over to him and just pat him and laugh....of course, then there are the times that she will hit him with her toys (not aggressively but in a typical one year old fashion) and he just sits there....the cutest thing though is when we come home - Finley stays in his crate in the garage while we are out - MK will immediately start waving to him and babbling, laughing at him....she just loves him! I can honestly say that so far our biggest obstacle has been the car - there just isn't enough room for one huge carseat, one booster seat, one 8 year old, a 5 year old and a one year old who throws things in the backseat of a Toyota 4Runner - it works ok until MK decides she is done with whatever she is holding and launches it in an aimless direction - unfortunately, it is normally Colin who gets the brunt of her throws and he ends up hurt in the eye or his head or his feelings.....other than that minor detail, things are continuing to go well. I spent sometime on Thursday just thinking about GOTCHA DAY and how far we have come....I looked through some of our pictures that were taken on that day and it is amazing to see the fear that was in her eyes. Poor baby girl! I am not sure that any of us really acknowledged that fear because we were just so over the moon to finally have her. Now when I look at her she just seems so happy and it is so confirmed when I hold her and she lays her little head on my shoulder or when she offers up some of her wet kisses. She is really truly a blessing to our family! The boys are even asking when we are going back to get another sister! I know they love her but I am just wondering if they really want a sister or if, instead, they are really wanting to get back on a 747 - that was, for them, probably the highlight of their trip....of course, next time, Colin says he is flying First Class - we have told him the money involved and he has stated that he will simply work in a grocery store to earn the money needed to fly on top of the 747! If he only knew :) Lastly, MK had her first professional photo shoot on Friday....she did so good! Our wonderful Mr. Mike and Ms. Tanner performed quite a bit for her and got some terrific shots of MK all dressed up....the part she was not too fond of was when we decided to take her clothes off and place her in the clawfoot bathtub for photos....we saw some tears but then the laughter began as well and she even threw in a few poses! Until next week....

Here's the whole Drafts clan, minus Jordan & Lauren....

MK and G-mom; MK and Finley doing a little bonding

MK enjoying a pretty afternoon in her backyard swing