Our Family Blog: Beginning of May update!

I never seem to have time to blog anymore! Either I'm at the hospital where this site is blocked, or I'm at RMH, where I'm either busy or the internet is down. They seem to shut down the internet at night or something. They claim they don't know, but it's been this way since I was here last time!

Tyler has had a rough go of things, he's been in and out of the PICU and Dawson has been with us as well. Dan went home for a couple days and then brought my cousin Becky back to be with us. She's been such a relief!! She cares for Dawson from the time he wakes up until he goes to bed. I do get him breakfast if I'm up, but if I'm caring for Gabriel, she does it. She stayed with Dawson at RMH for the first week. We all ended up getting Rotovirus. First Gabriel and I, then Dawson, then Becky. Thankfully we're all better this week and we were able to go back to see Tyler.

Dawson missed Tyler so much. He had some crying episodes while I was away at the hospital, even though he has lots of toys here to entertain him. He talks about Tyler all the time, cries when I leave and says he wants to go see Tyler. I'm hearing more complex sentences from him lately. His speech has not regressed at all, but it seems that his behavior has some. He's been licking his hand when he's frustrated. He puts his hand in his diaper when he's poopy and other things like that.

Since we couldn't see Tyler anyway, we went home over the weekend and I helped Dan move some. That was hard work! I mostly unpacked and arranged things, but I did help move some big things, like the chest freezer and the Tempurpedic mattress. So heavy! I also did a lot of little things, like the whole kitchen, our bedroom closet and some misc things. The most that has to be moved still is the living room, some of our bedroom, kitchen table and some other things. Plus the garage, which will be a lot of work too! Dan is hoping to get the moving done this week so he can get back to work. I think he'll be cutting it close! I'm thinking of going home this weekend again to help out.

Dawson was a bit confused, but not too concerned when he came home to find his entire bedroom missing! We showed him right away when we got to the new place and he grinned and went up into his bed. I layed Gabriel on Tyler's bed for someplace to lay while I arranged. Dawson freaked out, saying it was Tyler's bed. He seemed upset, like I was trying to replace Tyler or something. The whole weekend he kep mentioning Tyler, like he wanted to go back and bring him home too. I wish!!

This is when I had the boys by myself. Dawson just wanted to play in the sink. I figured, why not, so I gave him a bath toy to play with in the sink. :) Gabriel was pretty content in the swing.

Tyler was feeling pretty miserable. This was shortly before going to the PICU.

Just back from the PICU! He rode up in Gabriel's bassinet. I figured since it had to come back up anyway, Gabriel was in the stroller, so it would save space to put Tyler in there so we didn't have to wheel the crib up. There was one in his room already anyway.

Cheese balls! He ate 2 bowls. Unfortunately this was the last time he was allowed to have them. He's been having diahrrea from the C-Diff, so they stopped giving him food since his diaper rash was becoming bad and he wasn't holding in any food anyway. He did get some today though, which made him super happy. Dawson got them out of the cupboard and gave him a few. Tyler was very grateful.

Feeling a little better than he was the day before, but still not so great. He was pretty tired, this was about as perky as he got.

Tyler getting his EEG. He was having weird seizure-like behavior. His pupils were dilating funny and he was shaking and having some moments of blank stares. Turned out it was all just from the huge amount of pain he was in from the chemo, steroids and everything. Poor baby. :( They put him on constant morphine and that eventually stopped his shaking. He has now been weaned off the morphine and the steroids too, no shaking has started but he still feels cold. He seems to be having poor circulation, his body and head are very warm but his limbs are cold.

Gabriel sleeping in his carseat at the hospital.

Tyler cuddling with Daddy. He was so happy to see Daddy come back, he loves to cuddle!

Tyler not feeling well. He has a few bruises from low platelets and he's pretty pale too.

You can tell by his face that he was in pain, but he was determined to stand.

All that wispy extra hair is now gone. He mostly just has a layer of short baby hair now

Tyler's legs were kinda purple and mottled when his legs were cold. He also had a few lines to keep from stepping on!

Gabriel sleeping on my lap

Yay! I'm so excited. :)

Tyler not feeling good. He was very tired and he's just been quiet and solomn for quite a while now.

Finally! He's off the steroids, they weaned him off the morphine and he's back to feeling a little better. He was strong enough to stand up in his crib and even kneel on his own. Last week he couldn't hardly sit up by himself.