Birthday Celebration Re-cap

Wow - what a truly wonderful fun 6th Birthday the boys had! It all started Friday at school. Brett and I headed to their classes for some parties. Cody's class was first. We walked in and everybody was waiting. Cody in his birthday hat. The teacher had a new idea to try out. All the kids got in a circle and Cody in the middle. Cody was to choose 6 friends to be his "candles". After he picked them - the "candle" kids all knelt with their hands stretched above their head. All the kids sang Happy Birthday and at the end Cody blew each "candle" out. Then they sat down and it was time for some chocolate chip cookie cake. Brett passed out supplies with the help of Cody and I cut. The kids were "starving" (or so they said). Cody had a smile pasted ear to ear! We left and all the kids thanked "Mr & Mrs Luckey"...to cute! Cody and Mrs. Cluck!

Then we headed down the hall to Dylan's room. The kids were waiting for us too and Dylan had his birthday hat on. Mrs. Matyas pulled him upfront with her and all the kids sang. After they were done, it's her tradition to give the bday kid "high 5's", one for each year and then pinches (on the shoulder) to grown an inch. We took the same role as in Cody's class. Dylan's class was a little more wilder but the kids had so much fun. Dylan was so embarrassed when the kids sang but it was so cute. He tries to play Mr. Macho to much. Dylan giving High 5's to Mrs. Matyas

Friday night Kevin, Kristie and Jack arrived. They stayed with us (something that they haven't done since having Jack) and it was fun to have some time with them. Brett cooked us a good dinner and then the boys played some Wii. Cody and Dylan were getting excited that when they woke up it would be their birthday!

Saturday morning came and the fun began. We headed to Karly's basketball game early. Only got to see 2 cheers but the girls looked great. It's still so neat to see her on the court. After that we headed back home. Coming with us were my Dad and Uncle Ken to hang out with for the day. Brett cooked us a yummy breakfast and the boys were getting excited for their friends to come. To bad this was about 11am and the friends weren't coming till 4. Shortly after my mom arrived and then my sister and crew. Grandpa Jim (Brett's dad) got there about 2:30 and we had a house full. It was so much fun though to have everybody together (only wish Brett's mom could of joined us to celebrate) and the boys took it all in. Next came presents to pass the time. They got new bikes, Wii game and accessories, some cash/gift cards and then their presents from us.

Dylan first opened his present from Tyler. Tyler wanted to get Dyl a new monster truck. Then Dylan opened 2 more monster trucks from us. First was Grave Digger (his favorite) and Iron Warrior. The picture above shows him holding a cool card and a ticket (blurry camera, I know). The ticket is for him and us to go to PA to see a real Monster Jam show. He freaked! Just as Brett said he would. The show is 2/20 and we can't wait. He will get to see his favorite driver and truck in person. You guess it...pictures to come! Another blurry picture (love my camera)............Cody wanted a DS. Thankfully I got a great deal and couldn't pass it up. He loves it!!!! He's busy growing his new zoo. Karly and him were sitting for the afternoon raising their animals.

Finally 4pm came and their friends showed up. We all ate and then had cake. In our tradition with twins...we sing to them separately. I made their cakes...ok, let me rephrase that...Brett made their cakes and I decorated them. Happy Bakuday Cody.......get it Bakugan - Bakuday! :)Happy Diggerday Dylan...........Grave Digger......Digger......you see where I am going with this! :)

Then it was finally time to head to the hockey game! What a fun night. It was also Star Wars night so the kids got to see clone troopers and get a group picture with Darth Vader. Then we found our seats. Now not sure if these were the best seats in the house but for a birthday party with 7 kids - it was perfect. We were 3 rows off the ice. We sat right as the Senators came in/out of their dressing room onto the ice. The kids got "high 5's" all night long. At the end of the first period....Karly was getting her hand slapped and one of the players gave her the game puck. Totally made her day! Then the end of the second period - Cody also got a game puck given by #5. Max the mascot came to hand out the treat bags and we got another photo. There were lots of fights. I mean drop sticks, take off gloves, punch until the refs pulled em apart. Plus the Senators won! 5-2. yeah! So much fun! I think we all enjoyed them turning 6.

Continued.....

I got out of recovery and headed to my room. By this time the family had seen the babies and were watching them through the nursery windows as they cried out about having to be weighed and such. It wasn't long and they brought them into me. My first moment "really" seeing my boys. I didn't know what to think. I was numb - I was excited but this is NOT what I thought I would be feeling like. I looked at Cody and his lip that was pushed up into his nose and honestly had no idea what our future held. Would he even live? Nurses were coming in, my family there and Brett and I just looking at each other. Everybody was telling us the same thing..... "he's going to be OK...they can fix that". 6 years ago I felt like everybody was lying to me. I am almost ashamed to write it but I took to Dylan first. I held him, fed him and just looked at his little round face. Brett took Cody...he held him, feed him and learned first how to feed him. I really really remember the whole hospital stay and I felt very numb.

The next couple of days I went through the motions. We changed the first dirty diaper, we fed them lots, took them for their first picture....by the time of dis-charge I had gotten angry with my nurses for not showing me how to work Cody's bottles. That's when I started to take the bull by the horn. My sister had printed me out information about cleft lip and palate and I read that a little. I knew that we were going to make it.


So..... fast forward and my babies are now 6. Cody and Brett and I have gone through such a growing stage. We've gone through stuff that some parents never will. We've met some parents walking the same shoes. We've dealt with the people that think once his lip/palate surgery was over - that he is all fixed. Only wish it was that simple. He's had to grow up a little quicker. He is the best little patient and we don't sugar coat it much for him. He's taught me that no matter what you look like...you are still a person and need to be treated that way. He really will never know what he has taught me. He has a smile that will brighten a room. And the biggest eye lashes that will make any girl jealous. He's caring and understanding. Dylan is the best big brother ever. Or maybe is it little brother seeing as though Cody is a minute older and trust me that does come up! :) Dylan is our teddy bear. He is rough and tumble one minute and sittin on my lap, cuddling the next. He is his daddy through and through. I love his little dimple when he smiles. He has a love for the out-doors that I'm thinking he didn't get from his parents. Both of them are amazing! Their likes, dis-likes, at times they are so much alike and at time they are completely different from each other.

Happy 6th Birthday to our boys!

Getting ready......

This time 6 years ago, I was settling in on the couch for my last night of rest being pregnant with twins. I had watched them grow on the screen, I had felt them twist, turn, hiccup, flop inside my belly. A feeling I LOVED with all my heart. A feeling I longed for after they were born. That closeness is amazing. I had planned what they were going to wear home, we planned what we would do if Brett was off reffing a basketball game, the due date game was complete and I honestly don't know who won it now but it was fun then. We knew our life was about to change - we were getting 2 babies and not just 1 (like normal people). Bottles were washed, clothes hung, crib made, the list goes on.

What I didn't know when I went to bed that night is that when I woke up on that Friday morning, I would have my water break. Only I didn't know it. It wasn't like the lifetime movies that I had grown to watch in my board em where the water broke and there was instant pain and labor. So I went back to sleep, got up and ate some cereal and then called my sister. When I told her what was up she nicely told me that she was hanging up with me and to call the doctor. So I did! They told me to "get to the hospital". I called Brett at work, the receptionist had been awaiting my call. They were all excited. I hung up from telling Brett to come home, that "it is time" and I went and took a shower, did my makeup and my hair. I was standing in the closet looking for something to wear when he rushed through the door. He ushered me along!

We got checked in and I got all hooked up to monitors. A little more equipment because of 2 babies and the fact I was only 35 weeks along. We called my parents and they quickly got in the car and made it out here in time. They were lucky though - because of that cereal I ate and having a c-section (because baby A was breach) I had to wait.... With that waiting I got to feel labor pains. They weren't fun! I have more vivid labor pain memories from when Tyler was born. Brett got suited up and off I went to the OR. The family went to waiting room. (Here is where I should insert what they were thinking...maybe my sister will write that) Things started to move along quickly. I got on the table, my spinal done and all of a sudden I couldn't feel my legs. Blue drapes everywhere. Lots of people in and out. Brett at my head - neither of us talking as we were both so nervous and excited. The doctor tells me he has made his cut. I wait......I wait for that first cry....it didn't come.....baby A was out and out of the room he went. We had agreed that Baby A was to be named Cody James. We did know that the babies would be taken out of the room to go to their own little team of NICU staff to check them over and make sure they were doing OK. So I got past the "no cry" and waited to hear of Baby B out - he cried! Out of the room he went. Baby B was to be named Dylan Thomas. A few seconds/minutes went by and they came to get Brett. He left. I was a little jealous he was seeing them first. What I didn't know was that he got "the news" before me and all by himself. The babies were both doing great. Breathing on their own and they looked good.......except......Baby A was born with a cleft lip and palate. WHAT?!?! He went to see them and shed a tear or two for his sons. Then he wheeled them into me.....Cody in front/Dylan behind him........."what is wrong with his lip". Gosh, I'll never forget those words. Brett told me what was wrong.....I cried....I looked away and I threw up. I went to recovery to be by myself...wish I didn't have to be....I had no idea what was happening with them......Brett walked with them down the hall to our family waiting.......

Here they come....

Dylan.....Cody

To be continued......

Isn't he cute!?!?

Here he is sporting his brace. He smiles for everything. When the girl was taking x-rays a couple days ago she said told him to say "cheese" when she took the picture - so he did! Yah, my kids are used to cameras in their faces!
He got this on Friday. Friday night he had a rough night. On and off during the day on Saturday he complained of it hurting and then again Saturday night he had a really rough night. It's so hard to see your kids cry about something that you have no idea what it feels like for them and then to not be able to take the pain away. Sunday was a good day though. I stuck to the motrin every 6 hours and Sunday night he slept all night - like a baby! So.....we just watch it and pray for a good night every night.

Tyler's mystery....Updates!!!!

As if Brett's surgery hasn't given me enough to think about - Tyler decided I needed more. Monday night, Brett took Tyler to his bed. He woke up and started to cry and told Brett his hand hurt and that he wanted tylenol. The rest of the night he was very restless. Tuesday as we were up very early to get to the hospital, Tyler woke as well. He was crying and said his hand hurt. He got more tylenol and I told my mom I would check in after we got to the hospital. Throughout the day he seemed fine. Using it some, sometimes favoring it, nothing was consistent. I called back later in the day and he had another rough wake up from his nap so I called the doctor. Since I was at the hospital with Brett, we made a late appointment. I dropped Brett off and picked up Tyler. Dr. M checked him all over and didn't really see anything. Tyler at that point wasn't saying it was hurting. Weird! So he said to watch it and let him know how the night went. Well......the night didn't go as well as I hoped. Started about 12:30 and he woke up crying. We did tylenol and I slept with him. He tossed, turned, moaned, cried, grabbed his hand, I held him for 2 hours and that seemed to help. So this morning, I called the office and they said we should have x-rays. We went to the hospital and he did awesome! Totally turned the charm on for the tech. Sat perfectly still and she got her pictures and then he got lots of cool toys - including a tattoo! The scans were ordered stat so we sat and waited to talk with the doctor. Good news - no break! Bad news is that we have no idea why his hand hurts. Doctor said it could be a hair line fracture that the x-ray didn't pick up. It would in about 2 weeks with the growth of new bone but I'm just hoping that's not it. He said to see how tonight goes and if we have a repeat of a bad night that tomorrow we can do blood work to test for an inflammation somewhere.

So....time will tell!

I just want my boys healthy again. We have 10 days till 2 little boys turn 6~~~~ and we need to P.A.R.T.Y!!!!!

UPDATE
I called the doctor's office this morning and wouldn't you know our doctor wasn't working today. I explained to the nice lady at the desk our "issue" and she said...Dr. M will be in on Tuesday. UM yah, you must not of heard me - I am NOT waiting till Tuesday. So she said she would pull the chart and I stressed to her to call Dr. M. or have another doctor review it.

I called back about 1:30 and got the same "nice girl" (are you sensing my sarcasm just yet) and she says "oh darn it, Dr. M never did come in. Yah I was pretty sure he wasn't coming in this morning. I politely informed her that I was not waiting. The doctor and I had talked our next step was blood work and that's what I was doing. I gave her 20 minutes and told her I needed a call back as I was leaving work.

They called and as I thought - the other doctor followed Dr. M's order for blood work. So back to the hospital Tyler and I went this afternoon. I am slightly ticked we just didn't do this yesterday. He should of ordered x-rays and blood work - hoping that one of them will let us know what is going on. Tyler has never had blood work so this was a first. He did fantastic. He cried for a quick second but the girls taking the blood were excellent with him. They gave him his own glove to wear and then he got to hold the vial of blood as they changed them. (he had to have 5 vials taken). Then he got stickers and we were done. We should hear something back tomorrow. Just hoping for a peaceful night of sleep. It's the worst feeling not being able to help them.

UPDATE:
The doctor called us back this morning and went over the blood work. All blood work came back OK. They tested his white blood cells, tested for inflammation, thyroid (his TSH level did come back a little high at 4.54 - but normal range is .4-4 so it's just over), one other test not due back till Monday - but all in all - the blood work didn't give us the clue we were looking for. Now we are all kind of stumped. He had another long night of discomfort (this has been going on since Monday night). Her next thought would be sending him for a bone scan or an MRI. But instead they decided it was time for us to go see an orthopedist. Thankfully we got an appointment today.

Met with a great orthopedist. He was super nice towards Tyler and really helped take the edge off. He examined his thumb area and just said that the x-rays looked fine. He didn't see any break. He too said that there still could be a hair line fracture that we aren't seeing. He mentioned that there is a lot of cartilage in the hand and that it's possible that he tore some of it. So he recommended a brace to help stabilize the wrist/hand. Wants him in that for 2 weeks and then wants us back for x-rays. We see him on 1/28.

So after we left that office we headed back across town to the health supply store. I walked up to the counter and gave my script and the lady asks "do you have an appointment".....um no, didn't know I needed one. She asked "do you want one"....yah - right now! Duh!!! Well you might have to wait - whatever - I am not leaving here without a brace. So we sat and waited - no big deal. They had crayons and a cool water cooler that helped to fill Tyler's bladder. :) They fitted him for a brace and home we came. I have pictures that I will post. He looks so cute in it - but then again he looks so cute in anything.

All of this good work at the doctor's got him a new toy - he picked a matchbox car!

Brett's surgery

Can I just say how different it is to send an adult into surgery instead of a child. I don't think I like either of them. I told Brett before his surgery that it was going to be very weird to go through this myself. For the past 6 years and several surgeries he's been at my side. To see him lying on the bed was very different. In our, ummm, 15 years together.....this was a first.

We went through all the normal admission stuff. He loved the gowns (haha). The nurses came in to take his history, annestia came in to discuss, at one point it was suggested not to have jewelry on. So he gave me his wedding ring. I slid it on my finger..ok, that was weird. I mean he's taken it off before for refing and such but to give it to me as he's heading into surgery and I'm hormonal and my mind thinks WAY TO MUCH.....if your a girl, you are getting this about now! :) It's time for him to go down stairs to the OR. I walk with him. We get to the doors and the kid starts showing me where the waiting room was. I didn't know what to do - I thought I got to back and wait. Oh wait - that's just when it's for kids! :) So, I kissed him by and off I went. I decided food would be good at this point. I ate quick cause I thought surgery was about an hour. I got back to the waiting room and settled in. Little did I know I was going to get to watch Dr. Phil, Rachel Ray and the Prices Right. All the while I am checking the board to see what on earth is taking so long. These shows are each an hour long! I'm trying very hard to tell the little voice in my head to SHUT UP, he's fine, the doctor is just doing a good job.

Finally, the doctor came into the room and we went to have our conference. I think I jumped from the chair. We love this doctor. He has performed Tyler's 2 surgeries and I trust him with everything. He talked to me at length and had pictures. He admitted it took longer than he thought. Brett has a very small mouth, small jaw and not much of an opening to work with. He cleaned him out - removed the tonsils and adenoids and shaved down the uvula. He didn't loose a lot of blood and did really well. By the time he got to recovery he was breathing through his nose. So I went back to my chair and sat. The phone rang - it was recovery to say he's in a little bit more pain and they were keeping him longer. So I sat longer and finally they came to get me.

I was very happy to see him on that stretcher coming towards me. He wasn't smiling but he was breathing. We got back to his room and he slept lots. This time I let him. See when it's the kids - Brett sleeps too cause he said hospitals make him tired. I got some lunch and we got him drinking more and eating some popsicles. By this time, he wanted more pain meds but wasn't due. We were ready to come home. Finally at 3:30 we were leaving. Yeah! It was just a long long day. We are both very happy this surgery is over. He will enjoy two weeks of recovery and we will enjoy having him home for two weeks with us at night.

Welcoming 2010....

I have no idea what she has in store for us - but I am excited to find out........

We had a great New Years weekend. I told the boys they could stay up but nobody made it. Brett woke up long enough to see the ball drop. After I watched some of the show - I made my way to bed. We were going to get together with my sister - who was also home, doing nothing - but with us both having kids neither of us wanted to go out in the cold after midnight. Boring, I know! Then my Dad reminded me that there was years where he couldn't keep me home on New Years....guess that is what kids do to you. I did tape the ball drop to show the boys and out of Dylan's mouth came "that's it....that was boring!"

On New Years Day I took Dylan to BCC to go ice skating. We also went with my sister. Shaun can skate and so can Karly so the 3 of them took to the ice. Dylan LOVED IT! It was his first time and he had a blast. Thanks to Uncle Shaun for showing him how to skate. He used the bar for support and did really well. Wants to go again. So now I'm checking into skate classes as he wants to get into hockey next year. Then we had a great dinner and when the kids went out to play in the snow - us adults had some Wii time! :)

I can't forget too that Cody finally lost his bottom right tooth on New Years day. It was in his mouth when he woke up. Finally it fell out. So the tooth fairy came and he's sporting a new smile!
Saturday we were off to Karly's first basketball game. She is cheering for St. Anthony's and she loves it. Can I just say how weird it is to see her on the court. I remembered back to when it was me. I loved cheering. She did great and they have a great coach and I can't wait for their competition.
Then Sunday came the day of getting my house back to normal. Our toy room looks like a mini toys-r-us anyways and then add new toys from Christmas and I felt like I was tripping. With the tree down, the room opened back up and we feel "put together". Very anxious to get the toy boxes that my dad is making. My lights are still up outside but those are going to wait for warmer weather.

Next up......Brett has surgery on the 12th to have his tonsils and adenoids removed. Plus they are shaving his uvula and trenching his palate. Yah, he's gonna be sore. But even bigger, Cody and Dylan turn 6 in less than 3 weeks. I have NO Idea where that time has gone. So we are busy planning a party and they are super excited.