Maybe obsessed?

Any time I look away, Deegan is on the Wii. When I mentioned previously that my kids love Super Mario Bros., I don't think that Deegan had really had any time to play this game on his own. He sneaks and plays forever...sun up to sun down if I let him! Routinely, I walk up the stairs and he has the volume turned down all the way (FYI Deegan: the remotes still makes sounds!) and as soon as he sees or hears me, he runs and turns off the tv and turns to just stare at me with the remote right there in his hand. I may not be a genius, but I am not stupid!

He's been grounded from the Wii for his disobedience and...let's call them "reactions" to my pleadings. I have hidden the remotes in my room and finally had to put them at the top of my closet. Shockingly, he was able to climb and get them down anyway, so I changed the location in my closet thinking that without anything to climb on I had beaten him at his own game. Let's just say that unless I can lock this stuff behind closed doors or duct tape it to the ceiling, nothing will stop him!

He dumped out my rubbermaids and made his own stairs right up to the stash! He is very clever and I am learning EVERY day that he is smarter than any of us have given him credit for! It's a good thing this kiddo is a cute one!

The incredible, EDIBLE (by DEEGAN) egg:

Dear Eggnog, and scrambled eggs-with salt and pepper. Deegan REEEAAALLY likes you!

After nearly 4 hours at the allergist Monday morning, Deegan is free and clear of his egg allergy. He is still allergic to peanuts, but the Dr. is really hopeful that we are seeing good progress. We started by scrambling an egg in the microwave at the Dr.'s office and the nurse brought in maybe the amount of a teaspoon. She rubbed around the "pricker" in the egg to be poked on his forearm, and he had the scrambled egg rubbed on the outside and inside of his lips. Then he was supposed to chew it and spit it out. He got a little excited and ate some...immediately requesting more, with salt and pepper, PLEASE!

He got his wish (thankfully Mommy brought s&p from home since remembering this test last year). He started slow and worked his way to a larger portion every 15 minutes. He was just as amazing a little boy as I could have asked him to be. It's a good thing he's been desiring eggs for the last couple months. He just kept begging for more. When we were done, Deegan said, "I need more eggs."

What better way to celebrate than with a yummy cup of eggnog? Deegan's response..."MMMM! THAT. IS. GOOOOOD!" Our family has decided that Deegan must next try Cream Puffs, Angel Food cake, French Toast, omlettes, fried eggs, fried egg sandwiches, deviled eggs, and who knows what else! This is such a relief to our little man. He has not been able to eat ranch dressing, most salad dressings, mayo, miracle whip and on and on the list went! Not anymore. This makes our family so excited for Deegan. Even if he never outgrows peanuts, I feel like his world just got so much bigger! Looking at this list of food makes me realized that all those tears every time we told him "No" were really because he was honestly being tortured. Welcome to our world little guy-You're going to LOVE it!

Deegan's "SHOW" and "TELL":

Deegan has been very excited about HIS own "baby bi-oh-lin" since I got mine for Christmas. He has always been over-the-top-obsessed with LITTLE EINSTEINS and I sware to you he can pick out any melody that they have ever featured on that show...he has them all memorized! He has been able to name instruments and pick them out of a song on the radio (yeah, I love to drive around listening to classical music! It calms me and the kiddos.) Anyway, I started to consider whether or not he would really be able to take lessons yet, and Ryan and I decided to give it a go...My (OUR) teacher is affordable, and I was able to pick this violin up on e-bay for a whoppin' $25.50...I got it for $10.50, but my s/h was $15. Still a good deal! Supposedly, it is a $500 violin, so we are VERY careful with it because who knows if I could replace it for that cost later? Anyway, he has wanted to take his baby violin everywhere we go, so we arranged to take it to school for show and tell. He starts lessons on Tuesday, so cut the beginner some slack...he'll get better-promise!

I showed Deegan a bunch of you-tubes of 3 year-olds playing violin and he just kept saying "Me too! Me too!", so we figure he really wants to do it, plus we have all his Dr.'s saying no contact sports, so if this is going to be his "thing", why not get started? I'll keep you posted on his progress.





(Notice Ashlyn's feet? I think she's made of rubber...)

Deegan is home and well

Before: with his new "friends" and After: vegging out to Sponge Bob.

What a day! Deegan never went back to sleep until we were about 10 minutes away from the hospital. It turned out OK that he stayed awake. He never had any problems not eating. I made him some lemon jello and that was quite a treat for him. Ashlyn didn't seem to mind it either.

I got Deegan there and I settled in to wait 2 hours and next thing I knew, they were flying through the process. The admitting lady gave Deegan 2 stuffed animals and when the next nurse met him, she gave him one too. They all thought Deegan was adorable.

When the surgeon came in to talk to me, I pointed out a "bump" that only can be seen when Deegan laughs or sits up. It was fingerprint size, about an inch above the belly button, but barely noticeable. Turns out he had an epigastric hernia as well. So, we got two for the price of one and were able to add on to our surgery...Lucky Deegan!

Deegan was given Versed to help him become loopy enough to prep for surgery. I tried to give it to him myself, but he got a taste of it and that started the war! 2 nurses and myself held Deegan down while the other nurse tried to squirt the Versed into his mouth. Let's just say that Deegan does not trust any liquid medications now. He actually spit it straight up like a geyser right into the unsuspecting nurse’s glasses and all over her face (the one who gave him a stuffed animal and thought he was so cute!) Plugging his nose didn't work and nothing else would either. They said he is a fighter and very strong...really? He seemed to respond how was expected to the drug so it seems he got enough.

He was funny as they wheeled him down the hall to the O.R. and he kept raising both hands in the air and squealing like he was on a roller coaster.

They were able to take him back 30 minutes early, so Ryan came over from work and we waited together. It took about an hour. When they called us back to see him it was really hard for me. He looked swollen in the eyes and lips. His lips were actually crooked to me. He wasn't out of the anesthesia yet and I was surprised to see a nurse restraining my little man. He was thrashing all over the bed, just a little at a time. He would throw a punch or kick a leg, or his head would fly at the bed rail. He looked like he was possessed and he'd go from laying to a full on sit-up and then he would fall back down. The nurse said she was just trying to keep him safe. She was very good and patient with him.

We decided that maybe if Ryan or I held Deegan, snuggled in his “off-get” (soft blanket), that he would respond better. The weird thing was that every time we would touch him or talked to him, or there was a loud noise, he would start going crazy again. It was very hard for even Ryan to hold him, so they gave him more Demerol and Versed to slow his “coming to”. He crashed in Ryan’s arms and snored for about 30 minutes. Finally, we got a more gentle awakening. He still wasn’t himself as he didn’t care for a Popsicle or juice. That was all he had to do and he could go home.

Well, he kept fighting the juice thing and wanted to go home and have his IV taken out but refused the juice and Popsicle. He stood up on the bed and his upper incision started to bleed. This was 15 minutes before we were supposed to go home at 3:45pm. The anesthesiologist ended up turning his car around and came back to the hospital and the hematology office sent someone over too. We had to wait until 6pm before all felt he was safe to go home. He wants nothing to do with his pain medication because it is liquid.

It is the next morning now. We made it through the night and Deegan is well. He wants to snuggle nonstop which is just fine by me. I am tired from yesterday and didn’t sleep all that well. Deegan doesn’t want me to close my eyes though, so he is on my lap as I type the rest of this.

Thanks for all the prayers and concern for Deegan. Thanks to "Pops" for coming to the hospital to be with Deegan too. We love Pops! Deegan is doing great and even responded that he is feeling “better” when I gave him the choice of hurt or better. Yeah!

Surgery Day

So, I was reminded that things you dread come much quicker than things you just can't wait for. Christmas never comes fast enough for little ones and this surgery is banging my door down, so to speak. All in all, I am ready to just be done and move on for Deegan's sake.

Today's surgery will be at 2pm, so if you remember, say a prayer for us. Mostly, I am only anxious for myself because of nerves. Deegan will have no clue until they will come at him with a little needle and he doesn't have any idea what will happen after that.

The hardest part today probably will be that he can't eat past 6am. He came to our room at 4am and we (Deegan and I) jumped out of bed and headed to the kitchen. He had a bowl of oatmeal and then we watched Little Einsteins for a bit. Then at 5, Ashlyn decided to join us...who knew we were having a party this morning. So, I pulled out the griddle and we made some pancakes. I will be feeding him right up until the last minute as I can't bear the fight I can imagine my later morning turning into. I prayed fervently last night that this fasting thing for Deegan would go smoothly and I am so thankful that Deegan woke up at 4 instead of my planned 5:30. This way, he ate more and he will take an early nap and sleep instead of starve. I know Heavenly Father is always aware of me and my family. I know he always knows better and that he helped me see a better way at 4am rather than me and my beloved heating blanket having to part bitter ways on a grumpier term. Who doesn't love waking up to happy kids anyway?

Deegan will be able to have clear liquids until 11am, so maybe if he wakes up starving we will take a field trip to the store and buy some Popsicles to fool him into thinking he is eating.

I'll update after his surgery. Thanks for all who have been so kind to offer help with the other kiddos, meals, prayers and blessings with this. We have the best family and friends!

Deegan update

I got a call from Deegan's pediatrician yesterday confirming he indeed has VonWillabrand's. This is just a bleeding disorder that is a cousin to hemophilia. That, of course, sounds very scary, but really it is not that bad. In simple English, it means that he is a bleeder and a bruiser. Since he will be having surgery, they will most likely just want to give him a drug called Desmopresin(DDAVP). At least that is what they give me when I have babies to just make sure that I will clot faster and it reduces the risk of hemorrhaging. All will go well, I am sure. Please just pray that I will be able to stomach all this. I am hoping he won't have some gross incision that I have to clean and get all grossed out as it heals. Ask my mom, I can barely handle circumcisions and umbilical cords!