Boston Trip #3

I've been so busy with pre-Christmas activities that I haven't taken the time to update. The Boston trip went very well (December 4-6)! It was wonderful to take a direct flight from Charlotte to Boston without the layover in Newark! Rivers has really enjoyed flying. We had to be at the hospital at 6:15 on the 5th for her cast change. She was a little bit tentative about what was going to happen, but she was easily comforted. The cast change went smoothly, and then we ran down to x-ray for a CT scan. Dr. Kim is pleased with the results thus far. We'll go back to Boston the first week of January for an office visit and x-ray to see if Dr. Kim wants to remove the cast and put her in a brace or keep her in the cast until February. We also hope to meet with Dr. Kasser to discuss her knee surgery which we hope to schedule in March. We did find out that following the knee surgery, she will be in a full leg cast rather than a spica cast! PRAISE GOD! Things really are going remarkably well. Rivers has a great attitude about wearing the cast. I am so thankful to be doing this while she is young!

Mimi reading to Rivers on the plane trip to Boston.
Rivers just after having her green cast put on. They split the cast down the middle and sides so that they can remove it in the office rather than the OR at her appointment in January.


Rivers in front of Harvard Medical School as we were walking back to the T station to catch the train.

Rivers posing with "Benjamin Franklin" in the Faneuil Hall area. She was feeling so well following her cast change that we did a little bit of shopping before heading back to the hotel.

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement! It really means a lot! Even though Rivers is doing so well, it takes a lot out of Daniel and me to take care of her. We know that your prayers are helping to sustain us!

Bye-Bye Pink Cast

I cannot believe how quickly five weeks has passed! Rivers, Mom, and I leave in the morning for Boston. Rivers is getting her cast changed Friday morning at 7:30. Hopefully, this cast will be lower down on her chest so that she is able to move her upper body a little bit more. I will have the chance to talk with Dr. Kim just before they take her back, so hopefully we will get some questions answered about the timing of her knee surgery. Please pray for safe travels for us! We will return Saturday evening.

Thanksgiving and Beyond

I have just not felt like blogging lately! I have sort of been in a "funk" ever since Jackson's surgery got postponed (now it's January 12th). Regardless, we've been making the most of this time together. Jackson is changing so quickly, and even Rivers can appreciate how special it is to watch him learn how to stand on his own and take his first independent steps. She gets so excited! We've tried not to make a big deal about since she can't walk right now, but she just laughs and encourages him and doesn't think a thing about herself. It is so precious! Jackson and I got to spend the day together on the 13th, and it was nice to have some time for just the two of us. We played in his room, and I took these pictures of him:

When we finished playing, Jackson crawled down the hall to Rivers' room and played peek-a-boo with me by opening and closing the door. He is fascinated with doors and drawers right now and has had his fair share of smashed fingers!

Rivers and Jackson have really enjoyed playing together lately. The kitchen set continues to be a huge hit (last year's big Santa gift). Sometimes, Rivers gets a little frustrated that Jackson is able to get to whatever he wants when she can't reach things. Most of the time, we balance her on one knee to play kitchen.

On November 23rd, my big brother (by 15 months) Eric, celebrated the big "three-one!" Happy birthday Eric! We went out to eat at Yamato's and ate German chocolate cake. We always have a good time hanging out and catching up on his tennis and hunting stories.

On Eric's birthday, Christian (my youngest brother...too young to date) played kitchen with Rivers. How sweet! Our Thanksgiving Day picture! Hey, it's as good as it gets! Rivers wanted to have her arm around Jackson, and Jackson wanted to get down.


Rivers and I watched Santa come to town on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

We went to Daniel's parents' house for lunch and had a fabulous meal: turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings, and Rivers' favorite: lima beans! We drove to my grandparents' house in Estill while the children napped. Somehow, I managed to not take a single picture except for Daniel playing the guitar with Jackson! I'll be sure to get some pictures at Christmas! It was a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, and we are so grateful for how the Lord has blessed us this year!

Jackson's Surgery Rescheduled

Jackson's surgery has been rescheduled for Monday, January 12th at 10:00 at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte. It is a major disappointment that he wasn't able to be rescheduled sooner, but we are dealing with what we've been handed. Daniel spent most of the day yesterday looking into other hospitals given that the original reschedule date was February 4th, but thankfully they gave us an earlier time. Daniel talked with Dr. LeFaivre at length yesterday regarding the safety of putting off the surgery this long. Dr. LeFaivre said that since Jackson's surgery involves one cranial suture and not two, it should be safe to wait. We are praying for Jackson's continued protection and ask that you would as well. In the meantime, we'll be enjoying our most favorite time of the year!

Jackson's Surgery Canceled

Can you believe it? Jackson is sick just in time for his Wednesday surgery! Life is always unpredictable! Jackson started to get a little cold on Friday, and by the time he woke up Saturday, he was having trouble breathing and had a croupy cough. He saw the doctor on call who seemingly patted him on the head and said he would be fine, and then we called Dr. Cope who wrote him prescriptions later. Two days later, he is a little bit better, but not clear enough to go ahead with surgery. I called Dr. LeFaivre's office today, and after speaking with the anesthesiologist for the surgery, they decided to reschedule. His office was completely nice about rescheduling this 5 hour surgery less than 2 days before. They said that at this time of year, it can be inevitable. AND I did let them know that we have kept Jackson out of all church activities since last Sunday. I think it's really something seasonal. Anyway, it is what it is. We'll wait to hear back from them about rescheduling. Please pray that it would be SOON. This is a time sensitive surgery, and they said that it would be top priority in rescheduling. I have peace in knowing that God's will is perfect, and He has a plan for Jackson and the timing of his surgery.

Boston Trip Wrap Up

Well, we're home and settling in. I haven't gotten around to the blog yet this week with all of the acclimating that we've been doing since returning late Sunday. Last Saturday ended up being a very draining day. We actually thought through the morning hours that we may not be able to fly back until Monday because Rivers just didn't seem to be turning the corner. After they removed her epidural, though, her oxygen saturation went back to normal and she started to drink more milk and nibble at some food. In the evening, she felt well enough go downstairs to watch the ball maze, but fell asleep after about 15 minutes. She had a great night Saturday night and was ready to leave by 11:45 Sunday morning. She laid down in the taxi using a special seat belt designed for children with spica casts, and was smiling and saying, "Yippee!" as we drove along. We went straight to the airport. There wasn't a direct flight, so we went through Newark. Needless to say, we were SO HAPPY to get home! Sadly, Rivers thought that when she got home that she would put her shoes on and begin to walk again, so she was very disappointed to find out that she was still "stuck." Monday was a hard day as she got used to the idea of being held a lot and losing her independence, but she got a new chair (...a highchair...but we call it her BIG girl chair) that she can sit in so that she can eat, play, and do crafts by herself. This greatly improved her spirits as well as getting off of all of her medicine by late Tuesday. She went to children's choir last night and was so glad to see her friends and Mrs. Nancy, but I noticed that she didn't sing or do any of the hand motions the whole time. She still has a lot of adjusting to do, but she is more and more back to her old self every day. Today, she went to the zoo with Mrs. Crowson while my mother and I took Jackson to 3 pre-op appointments in Charlotte. She had a great time at the zoo, and Mrs. C said she played and was happy all day. Every day gets a little bit better!

Poor baby!

Our first picture together after Tuesday's surgery and CT scan.

Mrs. Crowson brought Rivers a beautiful Disney princess balloon to brighten her spirits on Wednesday before she and Daniel left for the airport and before Rivers' second procedure.

Thursday, Rivers dozed on and off and watched Playhouse Disney shows and Barney tapes. She's wearing the dreaded oxygen mask that irritated her until I rigged up a nebulizer mask so that the cord would stay where it was supposed to.

Dr. Kim with Rivers on Friday. He seemed very flattered that we wanted to take his picture with her. We're so thankful for all that he was able to accomplish!

Mimi and Rivers. Bless her heart! These were very long days stuck in the bed. She got to where every time the door opened, she thought a nurse was coming in, and she would start crying. She also asked us to cover her ears so that she wouldn't hear the noise from the oxygen and the beeping of the monitors.

Rivers rested before we went downstairs. She was so swollen from the IV fluids and medication that her cast began to impair her breathing and they had to cut a larger hole in the stomach of the cast, and they split the part around her chest so that she could breathe more easily.

Rivers loved getting out of her room Saturday evening and going down to look at the ball maze. We pulled up a chair after about 10 minutes, and she fell asleep watching it before we went back upstairs to have dinner.

Rivers and nurse Megan. She took care of Rivers 3 days in a row and wore pink the day we left in her honor. What a sweetheart!

Flying home to see Daddy and Jackson! Yeah!

Healing

Thursday and Friday closely mirror each other for Rivers. She is still very sleepy but wakens to talk or let me read her a book. In the middle of the day today, she stopped complaining to the nurses (after she told a student nurse this morning, "I don't like you.") We washed her hair today and got her smelling fresh and started taking GiraffE (her blanket) away except for when she slept. She still has an epidural, but they went down on it slightly tonight after she continued going up and down on her oxygen throughout the day today and yesterday. Hopefully, she will do better with it off which they will do in the morning. I hope that her pain will be able to be controlled by oral medicine in the morning. Tomorrow, I really think that she will turn the corner and be more back to herself. Without the epidural and all of the cords and wires, she'll be able to go out into the hallway and the playroom next door. Everyone has been so wonderful here, but obviously, we're ready to get back home. Rivers will get out of the hospital on Sunday morning/midday and we'll go directly to the airport. We're hoping to get a direct flight home instead of having to go through Newark. Sorry this is all jumbled, but I'm exhausted and can't get my thoughts in order.

2 Surgeries Later...

Tuesday started out great. We got to the hospital at 9:30 to prepare for what we thought was going to be an 11:00 surgery. They actually didn't get started until after 1:00. Dr. Kasser and Dr. Kim determined that it was best not to operate on Rivers' knee at this time because the position that they needed to put her in for the hip surgery would not be the best position to have her in when healing from a knee surgery. Of course we understood, but our minds began thinking ahead to returning to Boston not only for cast changes every 4-5 weeks for approximately 3 months, but to returning for more surgery and more cast changes in the spring. Nothing ever seems to go as planned, but God is sovereign and we would rather it be done the best way than the fastest way. Rivers did very well before surgery, and I got to take her into the operating room while they put her to sleep. They have a wonderful nurse liaison that keeps you updated every 2 hours or so on the surgery's progress. Dr. Kasser came out and said that things went well, and about an hour-and-a-half later, Dr. Kim came to fill us in. He said that they cut the femur bone and placed it back in the hip as planned and showed us before and after x-rays. He said that this would be the last chance to get the hip corrected and that if her femur came out again, that there are plenty of people who walk around like that, and she would just continue to walk with a limp. We knew that it could come to this, and we are hopeful but realistic at the same time concerning the future. Daniel and I went back to see her, and she immediately wanted nothing more to do with the nurses. She said, "Mommy, get me out of here! Pick me up!" and then told the nurse, "Don't touch me!" She was rightfully grumpy. Rivers had a CT scan before going to her room. Shortly after getting to her room, she said, "Get me out of here!" and then proceeded to try to lean up and realized she couldn't move. She said, "I'm stuck!" and I almost started to cry. I explained that Dr. Kim put her back in the cast that she had when she was a little girl to help her be able to walk better, and she said, "Okay." Daniel stayed with her overnight, and she did well, but couldn't even keep water down. She is still on IV fluids, so she's fine. The real surprise came when Dr. Kim came in to tell Daniel this morning that he needed to go back in to remove scar tissue that he saw on the CT scan taken late last night. He reviewed the scan and said that he thought about it all night and believes that this could be the thing preventing her femur from seating deeply into the hip and staying in place. Praise God! He said that from inside, the scar tissue looks like cartilage, and that he could only tell from the post-op CT scan that it was in fact scar tissue. Rivers went back in for surgery around 2:30, and Dr. Kim came out smiling and immediately said that this was the right thing to do and the best chance to get her hip right. He showed my mom and me the before and after of the hip, and the femur is exactly where it should be! He said that he was "hopeful" (his word) that it would stay in place. We are so excited and PRAY with HOPE that God will let this little femur stay in place as she grows! Time will tell. If it moves, we will deal with that when it comes and are so thankful that we have our little girl. Rivers is resting tonight in the hospital. After getting to her room again after another CT scan, I was showing my mom some pictures on my camera and pointing out the children in our Sunday school class. Rivers was groggy, but she said, "I want to see." She stayed awake while we looked at her friends and family and named everyone, and then she fell deep asleep and was still asleep when I left.

On another note, Daniel and his mother returned to Columbia tonight. After a series of events, Daniel was able to be at the hospital for this additional surgery. His original flight was scheduled to leave at 2:15, but because of the weather, he and his mom got to take a direct flight to Charlotte that left at 6:45! Praise God! He was so brokenhearted about leaving but knew he needed to get back to Jackson and to work.

Thank you all for your prayers and phone calls! We truly believe that you interceded on our behalf and that God heard all of our cry for Rivers! She is now in a bright pink spica cast from just below her chest to her left ankle, and to just above the right knee. We are thankful that she has her feet out to help her crawl. We will be calling her "Happy Feet" yet again. We love you all and can't wait to see you soon! We'll update as we can and hope to get pictures on the blog when I get home.

Rivers' Pre-Op Appointment

Making this quick because the technology here is not so good. Rivers had good pre-op appointments today at Children's Hospital. We were there from 10 until after 2. Rivers surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 11:00. It was scheduled for 7:30, but she got bumped because Dr. Kasser (Chief of Ortho.) is now supposed to be doing her knee surgery. He has the most experience, with knees, so we're praying that he'll be able to do it. Rivers had a great attitude today despite lots of poking and prodding, taking blood, and overhearing lots of medical talk. I think she's going to do really well. Thanks everyone for praying! We'll let ya'll know how she's doing as soon as we can!

Three More Days Until We Leave

Our plane departs Charlotte at 11:10 on Sunday. Please continue to pray for us, especially little Rivers, as we head to Boston and as she faces surgery on Tuesday, October 28th. She has pre-operative appointments on Monday for about 5 hours. I feel more troubled this time than before her other surgeries because of how she will react when she wakes up and realizes that she cannot walk again. I am trusting that the Lord will give her a peace and understanding that she can trust us when we tell her that it will be for a short time, and that her sweet little spirit will not be broken over this. I fully believe that we are doing the right thing in not telling her that she's having surgery beforehand. She is three, and it would only create anxiety for her because she can't understand what all that "surgery" entails. For those of you who may be concerned about this decision and have thought of how you would treat the situation if it were your own child, please know that we know Rivers inside and out and that she has had a very different life than most 3 year old children thus far. We have also prayed over this endlessly and discussed it with our families, pediatrician, and a Christian counselor.

One way that you could help ease the transition with Rivers coming back and facing her friends being in a body cast is to pray with your children for Rivers and to show them the pictures that we post on the blog (hopefully from Boston) so that they will be prepared for how she will look when she returns to church. You can let them know that she is having surgery to fix her hip and knee so that she can walk even better, and that she will be back up and walking again soon. I am putting some pictures below of how she looked when in her casts before. As you can see, she bounced back and was her same happy self once she got used to it. Thank you for your support and encouragement! We greatly appreciate it and love you all!

The South Carolina State Fair

We had such a wonderful time at the fair on Friday night! After our Wednesday evening plans got rained out, we prayed that Friday would be a nice afternoon and that the storms would go away, and they did! It was a beautiful evening, and Rivers was SO excited and ready to ride some rides. First, Rivers and I rode the swings. They were pretty speedy for a child's ride, but she let me hold her tight as she waved to Daddy and Jackson below.

Next, we rode the carousel. It was Jackson's first time, and he had a great time going up and down as he licked the pole! (Rivers did it too when she was little, and she turned out okay!)

Then, Rivers rode the train all by herself. I was a little scared to let her ride alone in case she decided to bail out mid-ride, but she loved it and waved at us each time it came around.

We took a little break to eat some Fiske fries, a hot dog ($7...we all shared), and lemonade, and then we headed over to the big Ferris wheel. Rivers enjoyed looking out over the fair, and Jackson loved having his hair blown back as we went around.

The big hit of the night was the Euroslide...a HUGE slide over in the "teenage" part of the fair. Rivers just met the 36" height requirement so that she could ride on my lap. We grabbed a mat and headed up at a 45 degree angle to the top which must have been about 40-50 feet in the air. We had a wonderful time zipping down the slide laughing all the way! Daniel took her next, and then I took her again. If we had found it earlier in the evening, we would have done it over and over.

Jackson was so laid back whether we held him or he was riding in the stroller. He enjoyed looking around at all of the lights and people. As we left, we grabbed another lemonade and a bag of cotton candy. Rivers LOVED it! She was holding the bag by herself initially, but then I realized that I had better ration it out or she would eat the whole bag. If it weren't so expensive just to get in the gate at the fair ($18), we would definitely go again this week. We'll have to see... It only comes once a year, and we sure did have a wonderful time together! So, what do you think, Daniel? Can we go again?

Big Boy/Big Girl Shoes

We stopped by Stride Rite today to get the kids some new shoes. The little Bobux baseball shoes that Jackson wears and the little puppy dog shoes are just not tough enough for dragging around as he crawls everywhere. Jackson is on the verge of taking his first steps. He has taken several steps along the side of the coffee table, so I thought it might be time for some real big boy shoes. We had his foot measured, and he wears a size 4. He looks so big in this picture! I love to see him grow, but it just blows my mind that I was still pregnant with him this time last year!

Even though Rivers' surgery is just a few weeks away, she really needed some play shoes. She is really hard on her little white Keds! I realized the other week how narrow-minded I am when it comes to buying shoes for Rivers when Esther told me that Millie refers to the little, white leather, t-strap Keds as "Rivers' shoes" when her mom was letting her pick out shoes for the day! How funny! White just goes with everything! I know...I'm a little too "matchy," so I broke down and bought Rivers some fun shoes (size 7.5). She loves them but wanted to watch "Maggie and the Ferocious Beast" instead of letting me take her picture in them. Thus, the quick snapshot of the shoes before she scooted back into the den to finish her show!

Country Adventures

On Friday night, October 3rd, we went to Country Adventures with other families from First Baptist. I look forward to this now annual event with our church. It feels like we're ushering fall in as we take a hayride around the beautiful property out in Blythewood, let Rivers pick out little pumpkins for herself and Jackson, stop by the petting zoo area, and eat a hot dog and s'mores supper! We had a great time and were the last ones to leave along with the Lindlers. It was just hard to stop roasting marshmallows and enjoying the beautiful, cool weather! HAPPY FALL EVERYONE!

What a Beautiful Day To Walk

Today was so nice outside! The three of us went to meet my friend Kelley and her son, Mac, at Riverfront Park this morning to go for a walk. It was a beautiful morning, but in the sunshine, it was a little bit warmer than I had expected. Jackson got fussy and Rivers started whining just in time to wrap up our walk and head home for a nap. As soon as he woke up, we headed out to the back yard to enjoy some shaded fun! Rivers wore her binoculars outside as I helped her climb up into the playhouse and swing on the "boat" (the glider). She then got the idea to get Jackson some toys from inside. She kept going in and out bringing his little Boz stuffed animal, a stringing bead bracelet, a notebook, etc. I just watched in amazement as my little girl walked on the uneven grass, stepping stones, and steps to get to the deck over and over and over. It just continues to blow my mind how far Rivers has come this year! Thank you GOD that my little girl is able to walk!

Why We Do What We Do

This morning at church, Rivers made this little card that says "GOD." It is so simple, but it clearly states so many things and has caused me to think all day about this little green card with the macaroni spelling out "GOD."

Rivers' new favorite "why?" question: "Why are we going to...Sunday school, church, Cubbies, your Bible study, children's choir, mission friends?" Rivers is very curious as to what we'll be up to each day. She loves to go to church and always asks to go there. We're usually there at least 3 days out of the week. Even though she enjoys going, she has turned going to one of her favorite places into her latest "why?" question. I have been explaining to her that we go because we love God and we want to learn more about Him and about His Son, Jesus. This is usually followed by another "why?" Tomorrow morning, I will simply state "GOD." We'll see what she says. I want to explain things to her, but I am getting exhausted. Maybe God is working to teach me to look at the root of why we do what we do. Ultimately, is it about Him?