The End Of Summer…

 

The end of summer means two things around the Gardner house…

Macie’s Birthday and the County Fair.

I already posted about celebrating with Trevor’s family, so here are some pics from my side’s celebration with cousins Brandon and Sydney…

  

 

Despite some rain, fun was had by all and the kid’s loved all their gifts---thanks everyone, it was great seeing you!

 

 

As far as the fair, I think I already talked about the parade, so here are some pics of the kids having fun on the rides.  I didn’t get any pictures of them leading the cows…hopefully I’ll get copies from grandma and then I will share.

 

  

 

 

 

Broxton stayed on the train for over half an hour the last night---

once it started raining, and it got after 9:00, it was walk on any ride and the kids had a blast!

 

 

Dailee’s nephew---what a handsome guy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

  

 

The “crazy ride”---I got sick just watching! 

I don’t know how they did it, Gunnar and Macie even rode the StarShip 3000!

 

And, the following Monday…

First day of Kindergarten.

(Gunnar didn’t want his pic taken)

It was a cold one!

 

A Little Update, and A Rant

Here is where Brinnlie is as of last night:

Weighs 9 lbs. Nitric Oxide weaned down from 20 ppm to 4ppm, will be down to 2 ppm by tonight with an echo scheduled for tomorrow. If it looks good, they will wean the nitric down .5 every 12 hours until it's gone all while still doing echos to check the gradient. Her feeding went from an NG tube to having an NJ tube, which bypasses her stomach completely. The reason being that, according to some nurses and staff, Brinnlie had been "throwing up" her feeds, so with some GI testing all coming back normal, they will begin to "figure it out" when her PH is stable. What does this mean? They don't have a clue...she is allowed 10 cc every 3 hours and has done well taking this and wants more. She still spits up if not burped well and has reflux...so, this "throwing up" that some have claimed, I feel is just reflux, and not to mention that her oldest brother could launch it real good back in the day, so maybe she's taking after him in this way too? I don't know, what I do know is that I long for her to be home. I hate that the drive to see her is longer than the actual time I get to spend with her. I hate that she knows her nurses better than me. I hate that when I explain others that it hurts inside to bring it up so many times. I hate that every new little one I see, makes me smile, but then my heart aches to have mine home. I hate that 200 days in the NICU have come and passed. I hate that I have to find a babysitter for my kids to go see my other one. I hate that every other entry in our bank statement is either a fast food place or gas fill-up. I hate that sometimes I can't control my emotions and that simple things trigger the tears. I hate making others feel bad if they see me cry, wondering if they may have said something. I hate that my thoughts stray from what I know and believe. I hate that my Johnson temper is very short at times and that I let the stress overcome me. I hate that it seems like everyone else has it made and that I wonder "if" sometimes. But, most of all , I hate that I KNOW I am truly blessed and loved, but that I still feel all of the above.

I hate that I still have to blog about all this stuff...

The Gate Game

Our plans for last night included that of going to a neighbor’s viewing, then heading to PCMC to visit Brinnlie.  While I was getting ready around 5:00, Gunnar and Macie were outside playing with the neighbor girl; Broxton was asleep.  I had the window open a crack to hear the kids in the backyard, and in an instant their laughter turned to horrible, pain-wrenching screaming and crying…I dropped the flat iron and headed around the corner to the living room, meeting Gunnar as he came through the door.  Holding his hand, blood dripping, my first response, what happened?  With no explanation, and first glance at the wound, my adrenaline rushed through me---I hurried for the phone.

The Gate Game is that of Gunnar and Macie climbing up on and holding to the fence gate as the neighbor girl pushed them back and forth; then, they would push her.  Fun times, until this time.  Gunnar had his hand at the point where the latch to the gate is, and when the gate was pushed, the latch fell just as it got to the post…slicing his thumb right in two from the tip to just above his joint.  It was pretty gruesome.

After calming a minute, I got a hold of Trevor who was baling on the furthest field away, but he was coming…I got a hold of Logan and he came to sit with the other kids, and i called the clinic and told them we were coming.  Putting a damp cloth over his thumb, Macie caught a glance and lost it!  Thankfully, Michelle came up too and comforted them all---we were on our way…

…Long story short, the clinic couldn’t do anything and called the orthopedist on call, who was in Tremonton, and took an x-ray, then sent us that way.  We checked in the ER, and they took care of it, with 7 stitches…since the bone fracture didn’t affect the joint, no surgery necessary, just tightly bandaged for a week.

 

We got home just after 10, and we all hit the sack.  I’m sure this is just our first visit of many to the ER for this kind of stuff as the kids get older and more daring…just reinforces the fact that plans can change in instant!

As for the Gate Game, it’s no longer on the list of games to be played.