Surgery Buddies!

Brennan's best buddy, Chris, is scheduled for the same Medpor ear reconstructive surgery 2 days after Brennan!!! This is great news because this means they can go through the whole recovery process together! They will be able to go to their numerous post-op appointments and be able to learn how to take care of their new ears together! Not only is this great for Brennan and Chris, it's also such a blessing to have Chris' parents, Susan and CJ, to go through this journey with.
Brennan's ear reconstructive surgery is scheduled on October 12 at Cedars Hospital and Chris' surgery is scheduled on October 14 at CHLA... by the same doctor!!! Chris has to get cleared by his heart doctor and gain some more weight in order to be able to have the surgery done in October. Please keep this little guy in your prayers. Pray that Chris can gain the weight needed and that his heart doctor gives the ok.

December fun

A few things we have been doing this week...

Decorating the Christmas tree

Brennan wanting to taste the apple ornament

Trying to taste the pickle ornament

Adding ornaments with mommy

Kisses from my little Santa

B and Daddy

Another picture of my two favorite boys

Making a gingerbread house

Enjoying the candy!

being so very careful with it :)

Our sweet little P-nut

PJ's on and ready to go driving around town looking at Christmas lights

Time at Knotts

Poor Faith wasn't feeling well, having a hard time with teething

B loved this ride and giggled the whole time

The caboose on the train

Hangin in the stroller

B loved the "slide" on the ride

We all had a blast at Knotts.

A few more work days for Joel then it's off to Arizona for Christmas...

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

On the calendar

May 27 and October 12... Two VERY important dates in 2010. As of now, these are the surgery dates for Brennan.

May 27: Atresia Repair- creating an ear canal and ear drum (to help with hearing and sound localization).

October 12: Medpor Ear Reconstruction- the surgical attachment of a plastic porous material and use of a skin graft to create an ear.

We are excited to get this process started but at the same time terrified to put our little guy through these very serious surgeries. We are at peace that God has planned this for Brennan even before he was born and rest in the fact that our Lord God will be watching over Brennan through everything. We are confindent we are making the best decisions for Brennan and that it will greatly benefit him in the future. We appreciate continued prayers from everyone.

1st Time

Joel and I haven't been to Disneyland in almost 3 years and I have to admit, it's a WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE with kids. It was Brennan's first time! He loved it. He just had a hard time with the "waiting in line" thing :) We got season passes so I think the more we go, the more he will get used to it. Faith was great the whole time. She took great naps in the stroller and hung out in the sling most of the day. We had a great time and can't wait to go again. Brennan keeps talking about his favorite ride: Buzz Lightyear, he says he wants to "shoot the monsters" again :)

Qualifies!

We got our CT Scan results today. Brennan qualifies for the ear canal surgery, other wise known as atresia surgery. We have lots to do within the next 6 months to schedule it. In the meantime, we will be researching the surgery as much as possible and try to get in contact with families who have been through this before. We would love to talk with parents whose children have had it done and find out about how the surgery has improved the hearing in their children. We also have lots to work out with insurance...that's when the fun begins :)

We will probably schedule the surgery right after Brennan turns 3. The doctor is a brain surgeon up north in the Stanford area. It's an out-patient surgery that involves drilling a hole through the skull creating an ear canal and using a skin-graft to create an ear drum. The surgery will help Brennan hear from his left ear and help him with sound localization.

Thank you for all your prayers and we will keep you updated!

A Long Day

Well, we did it. Brennan's CT Scan is complete. Let's just say we are so glad it's over. We left for Children's Hospital in LA at 5:30am to get there for our 7:00am appt. Overall things went pretty smooth. We filled out paperwork and were in the prep room by 7:30. Brennan started screaming and crying when they were simply trying to weigh him, so we knew this was going to be a difficult process. It was obvious he knew something was up. Thankfully Joel's mom came along to take care of Faith so Joel and I could both be there for Brennan. Brennan's audiologist, Naomi Smith, from the Early Start Program came to lend her support and be there for us. It was truly a blessing to have her there with us to help through this emotional time. Once he was in the prep room, they attempted to do the IV in his hand...twice. It was difficult for Joel and I emotionally because we had to hold him down as he was screaming and crying. He just kept yelling, "All done!" and "Daddy, I don't want to!" After what seemed like an eternity, the IV was in. It took a while for B to calm down and relax so we sang songs, showed him pictures and talked with him about things he loves as we were waiting for his turn in the CT scan room. Once it was ready, Joel carried B into the room and I went back to the waiting area. Joel was there when they put the "white liquid" into the IV and B went limp. Joel came back to the waiting area and we sat and waited with our pager. It was only 20 minutes but the longest 20 minutes of our lives. We were finally able to go into the recovery room and be there when he woke up. He was groggy and hungry, but he didn't cry and was back to his usual self within minutes. We left with two CD's of the scan and immediately sent one up north to his Dr. We should be getting the results by next week.

Thank you for all of your prayers. Going through this has prepared us more for the next stage in Brennan's surgery process. We are learning more about trusting God through all of this and growing closer as a family.

Lastly, walking the halls of the children's hospital has again opened our eyes more to how truly blessed we are for our children's health and our own.


In the car at 5:30am...still in his pj's, he has no idea what is going on



Walking in with Grandma

Our little P-nut, along for the ride

In the waiting room

Still waiting...

He wasn't digging it at all

Not too happy

Not too sure why we are here

Putting on the gown

Going into the prep room

After the IV was put into his right arm and a few minutes of screaming and crying... now just waiting for the next step

Listening to Bible songs on my phone and singing them to Brennan, trying to calm him down

All done!!! After he woke up from 20 minutes of sedation and sharing juice with his monkey

Wed, Nov. 11th

Tomorrow, November 11th, we go in for Brennan's CT scan. We have to be at Children's Hospital in LA by 7:00am. We have been waiting a long time for this day. We are not looking forward to Brennan being starved of food past midnight and sedated for the test, but we are looking forward to getting it over with and finding out the results. It is the first big step into deciding what we will do next: hearing aid or surgery and reconstructive surgeries in the future. We will be sending the CT scan CD to a Dr. up north and we will hopefully have the results within days. We will update with the news.
Thank you for your prayers.

Bath Buds

Finally, they can take a bath together now!!! It's so fun for them and easier for me!
Few interesting things happen though...not too fun when the little one decides to poop in the tub (B doesn't understand why I rush them out, save all they toys, clean out the tub, then fill it back up again and start over) or when B says "where sissas pee pee go?"...hmmm...how to explain that to a 2 1/2 year old...... oh the great memories we are creating :)

I'm Special

I'm Special

On my way from Heaven,

God delayed my trip that day.

He said that I was special,

and then sent me on my way.

But not before he kissed me,

Right upon my ear

He left his blessed mark

to carry with me here.

He whispered in my ear right then,

that He loved me without doubt,

and then He closed my ear up tight,

so the whisper won't get out.

He told me both my legs were strong

and would help me stand up tall.

He told me both my arms would work

to catch me if I fall.

My eyes would catch my memories

to store within the pages of my mind,

My heart would fill with all the things I would love,

so many things, I would find.

He told me I could fall asleep

to my Daddy's bedtime tales,

and listen while my Mother sings

of seas and boats with sails.

One ear, He told me, could hear the sounds

that little birdies make.

The other ear was His gift to me,

a blessing for my sake.

For when I'm feeling sad, He said,

my other ear would hear,

His whispered words of eternal love,

left waiting for me there.

(Author Unknown)

CT Scan

We have a CT scan set for Brennan!!! It's been 2 1/2 years of waiting and praying for this very meaningful day. It's set for November 11 at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles so if you could please continue your prayers, we would really appreciate it.

The day Brennan was born we knew he would have a few surgeries in his near future. One of the first things that needed to be done early in the process was a CT scan. We quickly learned that the best time for him to have a CT scan would be at 2 1/2 years old. The inner ear structures are more developed at this age and show a more clear picture of the inner structures of his ear. It seemed so far away then but after several hearing tests, speech evaluations, therapy sessions and visits to various doctors who specialize in his condition, the fun begins. As a result of God's goodness, it appears as though Brennan has not been affected at all by the little ear (and hearing loss) he was born with. He continues to impress his teachers, doctors and family with his vocabulary, speech clarity and yes, if you know him too, his personality.

Ultimately, the CT scan will determine if he qualifies for atresia repair surgery, otherwise known as making an ear canal (ear hole) and an ear drum. If he qualifies, he will most likely have the surgery around 3 years old (in 6 months). If he doesn't qualify, we will start the process for a hearing aid. We are also beginning the process for his ear reconstructive surgery that will take place when Brennan is around 3 1/2.

This process is something we have been researching, praying about and waiting for. Now that the time is near, we are almost dreading it. Surgery, especially for a 2-3 year old, is a delicate and fragile process. Atresia repair is also a very risky procedure. Of course we want to help Brennan hear better and help his "little ear," we just dread watching our little guy going through the surgeries. Please keep our family and the doctors in your prayers. More updates to follow...

Our life and the Fair

Mini "nutshell" update of our lives:
* It's been over a week since B has been going 'pee pee' in the potty a few times a day. He still goes in his diapers, but if I ask him... he will go in the potty!!! So, I know this is just the beginning of probably a long road of potty training, but it is exciting that it is starting. He gets his candy (1 m&m) and puts a sticker on his chart (when it fills up, he gets a toy). It's been working great! Oh, the first few times he went, he got an m&m and I took a picture on my phone to send to Joel. Now B insists that I take a picture everytime :) So that's the routine: pee pee, candy, picture, and sticker chart.
*B is FINALLY starting on his 2 year molars. He has been drooling a ton and getting a rash on his chin too. I looked in his mouth and low and behold... 1/2 a molar coming in... poor guy (that might be a reason for his 'no-nap days')
*NO MORE PACI for B!!! He used to have it for naps and bedtime, but not anymore!!! Big guy!
*Faith's horrible colic stage has passed... but now for the teething! She has 2 bottom teeth making their way through... poor thing.
*Faith is still eating every 2 hours during the day and sometimes going up to 4 hours at night. The usual routine is 8pm, 12am, 4 am, 7am... and every 2 hours throughout the day. I am looking forward to the day she sleeps longer and goes longer during the day!
*Joel is FINALLY not working the entire weekend! He has Saturdays off! So, Saturdays is now officially family day. We start the day with B's soccer class bright and early, followed by getting some breakfast together. Then, we do errands or hang out home for family nap time... usually Joel and I take turns with the kids while the other naps for a while. Next, we get to go to church! It is great to finally go to church as a family!
*B still has class on Wednesday and Friday mornings and I have started going to a Bible study at church on Tuesday mornings. It's a women's study that I love so much. The kids are in the nursery, which gives me a little break (except I get called in at least once each time for Faith :)
*We are in the process of scheduling B's CT scan with Children's Hospital. This is the beginning of the long road ahead for us and our little guy. We have been waiting for this CT scan for 2 1/2 years and now the time has come. We are hoping and praying to have it done in November. The CT scan will determine which surgeries B will have and when we can start scheduling them. We would really appreciate your prayers as we start this long process.

Here are some pictures of the LA County Fair when we were able to go to. Of course, it was the hottest day (105)... but lots of fun!

Faith did awesome the whole day. Despite the heat, she was just as happy as could be!



B's favorite ride!



B and daddy got to ride a train!



Checking out "HUGE" trains! B LOVED this!



He seems so little compared to the train



Finally, a picture with my little man

B checking out the mini train station/town

B's first time on a ride by himself!