Jessica sent us our first pictures of Cousin Jack. Unfortunately, I am not able to copy and paste them into a post here. But here is a link to his electronic birth announcement and first pictures:
http://www.yahoo.americangreetings.com/view.pd?i=275230008&m=8896&rr=y&source=yahoo999
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Happy 2nd Birtday Evan!
To our very dear, sweet boy:
Evan, I hope someday when you are grown up, you will be able to look back and know how special you are to us and to the many other people who's lives you have touched. Your father and I love you more than anything, and are so proud of all that you have accomplished in your short little life. We wish you a happy day today, and a great year full of all sorts of amazing accomplishments.
Love,
mom & dad
PS Here is a link to a slide-show of pictures from Evan's party this afternoon
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Welcome Cousin Jack!
Jack Cameron Wagner finally arrived yesterday afternoon--Friday the 13th. He weighed in at 9 lbs 12 oz! Mom and Jack are doing well. I will post a picture as soon as I get one.
When I say finally, I'm being a little sarcastic...Jack came before his due date on the 18th. But that was his older brother, Nathan's, due date also (Nathan was born on the 1st). Boys, July birthdays, and arriving ahead of schedule all evidently run in the family...
We are excited to see both Jack and Nathan next week, on our way down to the CHARGE conference.
When I say finally, I'm being a little sarcastic...Jack came before his due date on the 18th. But that was his older brother, Nathan's, due date also (Nathan was born on the 1st). Boys, July birthdays, and arriving ahead of schedule all evidently run in the family...
We are excited to see both Jack and Nathan next week, on our way down to the CHARGE conference.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Not so fast, guys...
First, an update on Evan's friend. ENT was able to scope him as soon as he arrived, and remove the obstruction (half of a peanut). He was extubated mid-day yesterday slept most of the day. The plan was to keep him overnight for observation, and most likely they will come home today. I guess the floor is full right now, so he'll be discharged straight from the PICU.
Evan's recover has been a little bit rocky. His nose is full of extra secretions--to the point that the CPAP isn't really helping him much at night (mouth breathing is more effective). He has been getting albuterol treatments, lots of tylenol, and suctioning (glad we didn't sent the machine back yet, as a few months ago we were considering because he was doing so well). We have touched base with Dr. Oldham, and he felt this was all the right things we should be doing. He expected Evan might be this way for 3-5 days. Jeremy is planning on cancelling his therapy visits for the rest of the week so Evan can rest at hom.
We are hopeful Evan's feeling much better by Sunday, for his 2nd B-day party!
Evan's recover has been a little bit rocky. His nose is full of extra secretions--to the point that the CPAP isn't really helping him much at night (mouth breathing is more effective). He has been getting albuterol treatments, lots of tylenol, and suctioning (glad we didn't sent the machine back yet, as a few months ago we were considering because he was doing so well). We have touched base with Dr. Oldham, and he felt this was all the right things we should be doing. He expected Evan might be this way for 3-5 days. Jeremy is planning on cancelling his therapy visits for the rest of the week so Evan can rest at hom.
We are hopeful Evan's feeling much better by Sunday, for his 2nd B-day party!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Prayers for Evan's Little Friend
Please keep one of Evan's friends in your thoughts and prayers. He had to be air-lifted to Children's tonight because he choked on part of a peanut around 11:30 am today.
He coughed up what looked like all of the nut right after it happened, but the rest of the day he wouldn't eat anything or drink much and his mom noted he just wasn't acting like himself. I came over at 6 tonight to watch him while his mom went to a Stamping-up class. She was torn about whether to even go or take him to the ER for a chest x-ray. To me, he didn't seem to be acting that much different than normal (he just turned 2, and has some mommy-separation issues). I encouraged her to go out to her class and have fun. He was fine the hour I watched him. When she came back (early!), she decided to take him in just to get the reassurance everything was OK. Since her husband is out of town on a job, I went along for moral support.
The nurses got him checked in to the ER, and they put a pulse oximeter on him to check vitals. He just went crazy and threw a big fit. Afterwards, he started looking a little bluish, and his sats were in the mid 70s-low 80s (they should be 96%+). The started him on oxygen and took an chest x-ray. Evidently the nut was still down there, and got dislodged when he started crying. It occluded the airway of the entire left lung. Because he couldn't keep his sats up (and because they were going to have to airlift him to Children's), he ended up getting sedated and intubated. I left the hospital shortly after the helicopter landed. His oxygen levels were much better. As soon as he gets to Children's, a room and an ENT are waiting in the PICU. The ENT is confident they can scope him and remove the obstruction at the bedside (our local hospital doesn't have the specialists or the proper equipment). Dr. Oldham (Evan's pediatrician) was there in the ER.
It was an incredibly scary experience. I have to commend my friend on her bravery--she only broke down a couple of times and was very strong for her son. I also have to admire her for following her gut instinct--she knew something wasn't right. Had she not brough him in to the ER tonight, the obstruction could have happened in his sleep.
Evan's little friend is a tough, healthy kiddo. I feel in my heart he is going to pull through this just fine. But a few extra prayers never hurt anyone...
PS Evan came through his surgery with flying colors. He has a new set of tubes and some clean pearly whites.
He coughed up what looked like all of the nut right after it happened, but the rest of the day he wouldn't eat anything or drink much and his mom noted he just wasn't acting like himself. I came over at 6 tonight to watch him while his mom went to a Stamping-up class. She was torn about whether to even go or take him to the ER for a chest x-ray. To me, he didn't seem to be acting that much different than normal (he just turned 2, and has some mommy-separation issues). I encouraged her to go out to her class and have fun. He was fine the hour I watched him. When she came back (early!), she decided to take him in just to get the reassurance everything was OK. Since her husband is out of town on a job, I went along for moral support.
The nurses got him checked in to the ER, and they put a pulse oximeter on him to check vitals. He just went crazy and threw a big fit. Afterwards, he started looking a little bluish, and his sats were in the mid 70s-low 80s (they should be 96%+). The started him on oxygen and took an chest x-ray. Evidently the nut was still down there, and got dislodged when he started crying. It occluded the airway of the entire left lung. Because he couldn't keep his sats up (and because they were going to have to airlift him to Children's), he ended up getting sedated and intubated. I left the hospital shortly after the helicopter landed. His oxygen levels were much better. As soon as he gets to Children's, a room and an ENT are waiting in the PICU. The ENT is confident they can scope him and remove the obstruction at the bedside (our local hospital doesn't have the specialists or the proper equipment). Dr. Oldham (Evan's pediatrician) was there in the ER.
It was an incredibly scary experience. I have to commend my friend on her bravery--she only broke down a couple of times and was very strong for her son. I also have to admire her for following her gut instinct--she knew something wasn't right. Had she not brough him in to the ER tonight, the obstruction could have happened in his sleep.
Evan's little friend is a tough, healthy kiddo. I feel in my heart he is going to pull through this just fine. But a few extra prayers never hurt anyone...
PS Evan came through his surgery with flying colors. He has a new set of tubes and some clean pearly whites.
Procedure Day
Please keep Evan in your thoughts & prayers today. He is going under general anesthetic to have new ear tubes put in, and also have some dental procedures done (x-rays, teeth cleaning). He and Jeremy have to check in at 1:15. I just spoke with Jeremy about 20 minutes ago, and they were in the parking lot at Children's. The procedures themselves are minor, but having general for a kiddo with respiratory issues like Evan is always a huge deal. That's why we try our best to combine procedures and have as many things done as possible with each anesthesia.
The last couple of times, Evan has done fine with general anesthetic. In fact, the only time he had difficulty was the first time he was supposed to have his cleft palate repaired. He couldn't keep his oxygen levels up. Even then, he still had most of his procedures completed that day, just not the palate repair (there was concern Evan might not be able to be extubated easily, and if the endotracheal tube is pushing on the surgery area, it can cause the repair to fail).
The one thing that is really different for us this time, is that this is really going to be an out-patient procedure...Evan is coming home tonight! No room in the PICU or floor has been reserved for him (having said that, I am sure room would be made for him if he needed it). Before, Evan has been sent to the PICU post-op, even for procedures that most kids could go home afterwards.
The last couple of times, Evan has done fine with general anesthetic. In fact, the only time he had difficulty was the first time he was supposed to have his cleft palate repaired. He couldn't keep his oxygen levels up. Even then, he still had most of his procedures completed that day, just not the palate repair (there was concern Evan might not be able to be extubated easily, and if the endotracheal tube is pushing on the surgery area, it can cause the repair to fail).
The one thing that is really different for us this time, is that this is really going to be an out-patient procedure...Evan is coming home tonight! No room in the PICU or floor has been reserved for him (having said that, I am sure room would be made for him if he needed it). Before, Evan has been sent to the PICU post-op, even for procedures that most kids could go home afterwards.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Evan's Hugs
I know I've mentioned Evan giving us hugs before... I just think it's so great that I can't stop talking about it! Here is a picture of him giving his mommy a big hug. We LOVE you too, Evan!
You Are Special
I wanted to share this story by Max Lucado.
I first saw this book at our pediatrician's office, when we were waiting in the exam room for an appointment. Reading it the first time brought a tear to my eye. I found the "board book" version this past weekend, and I bought it as a Birthday present for Evan next week. I hope that when he is older, he will be able to appreciate the message of this story. Our world would be better if more people in general appreciated the message in the story...
You Are Special
The Wemmicks were small wooden people carved by a woodworker named Eli.
Each Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short.
Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and gray dot stickers. The wooden people went around the village sticking stars or dots on one another.
The pretty ones got stars. Wemmicks with rough wood or chipped paint got dots.
The talented ones got stars, too. Some could jump over tall boxes or sing pretty songs. Others, though, could do very little. They got dots.
Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like others, but he always fell. So the Wemmicks would give him dots.
When he tried to explain why he fell, he would say something silly, so the Wemmicks would give him more dots.
"He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would say. After awhile, Punchinello believed them. "I guess I'm not a good Wemmick," he decided. So he stayed inside most of the time.
When he did go outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had lots of dots. He felt better around them.
One day he met a different kind of Wemmick named Lucia. She had no dots or stars.
The Wemmicks admired Lucia for having no dots, so they would give her a star. But it would fall off. Others would give her a dot for having no stars. But it wouldn't stay either.
That's the way I want to be, thought Punchinello. So he asked her how she did it.
"It's easy," she replied. "Every day I go visit Eli the woodcarver."
"Why?"
"You'll find out if you go and see him." Then Lucia turned and skipped away.
"But will he want to see me?" Punchinello wondered. Later, at home, he sat and watched the wooden people give each other stars and dots. "It's not right," he muttered to himself. And he decided to go see Eli.
Punchinello walked up the narrow path and stepped into Eli's shop. His eyes grew big. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on tip-toe to see the top of the workbench.
Punchinello swallowed hard. "I'm not staying here!" Then he heard his name. "Punchinello?" The voice was deep and strong. "How good to see you. Come--let me have a look at you."
Punchinello looked up. "You know my name?"
"Of course, I made you."
Eli picked him up and set him on the bench. "Looks like you have been given some bad marks," said the maker.
"I didn't mean to, Eli. I really tried hard."
"Punchinello, I don't care what the other Wemmicks think."
"You don't?"
"No. You shouldn't either. What they think doesn't matter. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special."
Punchinello laughed. "Me, special? Why? I'm not very talented and my paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"
Eli spoke very slowly. "Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me."
Punchinello didn't know what to say.
"Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained.
"I came because I met Lucia," said Punchinello. "Why don't the stickers stay on her?"
The maker spoke softly. "Because she has decide that what I think is more important than what others think. The stickers only stick if you let them."
"What?"
"The stickers only stick if they matter to you. Them more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers."
"I'm not sure I understand."
Eli smiled. "You will, but it will take time. For now, come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care."
Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground.
"Remember," Eli said as Punchinello was leaving, "you are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."
Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, I think he really means it.
And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.
I first saw this book at our pediatrician's office, when we were waiting in the exam room for an appointment. Reading it the first time brought a tear to my eye. I found the "board book" version this past weekend, and I bought it as a Birthday present for Evan next week. I hope that when he is older, he will be able to appreciate the message of this story. Our world would be better if more people in general appreciated the message in the story...
You Are Special
The Wemmicks were small wooden people carved by a woodworker named Eli.
Each Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short.
Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and gray dot stickers. The wooden people went around the village sticking stars or dots on one another.
The pretty ones got stars. Wemmicks with rough wood or chipped paint got dots.
The talented ones got stars, too. Some could jump over tall boxes or sing pretty songs. Others, though, could do very little. They got dots.
Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like others, but he always fell. So the Wemmicks would give him dots.
When he tried to explain why he fell, he would say something silly, so the Wemmicks would give him more dots.
"He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would say. After awhile, Punchinello believed them. "I guess I'm not a good Wemmick," he decided. So he stayed inside most of the time.
When he did go outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had lots of dots. He felt better around them.
One day he met a different kind of Wemmick named Lucia. She had no dots or stars.
The Wemmicks admired Lucia for having no dots, so they would give her a star. But it would fall off. Others would give her a dot for having no stars. But it wouldn't stay either.
That's the way I want to be, thought Punchinello. So he asked her how she did it.
"It's easy," she replied. "Every day I go visit Eli the woodcarver."
"Why?"
"You'll find out if you go and see him." Then Lucia turned and skipped away.
"But will he want to see me?" Punchinello wondered. Later, at home, he sat and watched the wooden people give each other stars and dots. "It's not right," he muttered to himself. And he decided to go see Eli.
Punchinello walked up the narrow path and stepped into Eli's shop. His eyes grew big. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on tip-toe to see the top of the workbench.
Punchinello swallowed hard. "I'm not staying here!" Then he heard his name. "Punchinello?" The voice was deep and strong. "How good to see you. Come--let me have a look at you."
Punchinello looked up. "You know my name?"
"Of course, I made you."
Eli picked him up and set him on the bench. "Looks like you have been given some bad marks," said the maker.
"I didn't mean to, Eli. I really tried hard."
"Punchinello, I don't care what the other Wemmicks think."
"You don't?"
"No. You shouldn't either. What they think doesn't matter. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special."
Punchinello laughed. "Me, special? Why? I'm not very talented and my paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"
Eli spoke very slowly. "Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me."
Punchinello didn't know what to say.
"Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained.
"I came because I met Lucia," said Punchinello. "Why don't the stickers stay on her?"
The maker spoke softly. "Because she has decide that what I think is more important than what others think. The stickers only stick if you let them."
"What?"
"The stickers only stick if they matter to you. Them more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers."
"I'm not sure I understand."
Eli smiled. "You will, but it will take time. For now, come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care."
Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground.
"Remember," Eli said as Punchinello was leaving, "you are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."
Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, I think he really means it.
And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.
We're Back...
After a few months back on the old baby site, we are back to blogger. Welcome back, to all of Evan's fans!
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