Vacation in the Hills

We recently got to take our only vacation of the summer. We went to see some friends in Virginia. I had planned many times to go up there my self or me and the kids, but things just never really worked out. Well, Bryan and Amy outsmarted us (or at least Chester). They had come down to see family and happened to be heading home at the same time we were in Atlanta at one of Riley's doctor appts. We met and had lunch as they were going through Atlanta and by the end of lunch they were taking Regan with them with the plans of us returning home to get Tate and traveling to Virginia the next day. Pretty clever - kidnap Regan and then we have to go. Well, we had a really good time. We visited the church Bryan pastors (it is such a sweet place), the kids played, we went to see Despicable Me, the kids played, we went to the arcade, the kids played, and generally just relaxed and had a good time. (Did I mention the kids played?) The countryside is absolutely beautiful there, but I hate to report that the time we were there it was just as hot and humid as back home.

Bryan and Amy have joked many times that they lived in the middle of nowhere, well, they weren't kidding. It takes 30-45 minutes to get to a town of any size. We rode over to Middlesboro through Cumberland Gap National Park to watch the movie one day while we were there. While in Middlesboro it poured rain. Amy said that it might not even be raining on the other side of the mountain. Amy and I went to Pennington the next day and shopped at Family Dollar and Food City - aren't we the last of the big spenders! Also, FYI if Bryan or Amy have ever told you they didn't get your call on their phone they really didn't b/c they have absolutely ZERO CELL PHONE SERVICE. My freshly charged phone went dead the first night b/c it spent all night trying to find a signal. We had to leave our phones near the window just so they wouldn't go dead. Also, the only way they get Internet is by holding their laptop just right while sitting on the couch. We have made numerous jokes about our vacation in the hills, but the people are nice (although a little different), the land is beautiful, and the company could not have been better! We love our hillbilly friends!!!

Were you aware they had buffalo in Virginia? I wasn't, but they do.

Are we there yet?

Found out how to get Talmadge to sit still - tell him you'll take his picture!

Tate, Regan, Talmadge, Maddie, and Riley just before going to bed.

The view from the back porch

Regan doing a cheer

Maddie is pretty good at golf!

I know my golf ball is around here somewhere

Another view from the back porch

The girls are smiling pretty - the boys are showing us their multicolored mouths from the last candy they devoured.

Cheer Camp 2010

Regan has wanted to go to Cheer Camp ever since she heard about it last year. Literally this girl has asked about Cheer Camp every few weeks for that past year!! You see, her cousin Kodi is a cheerleader and Regan thinks anything Kodi does is wonderful (her aunt and uncle kinda think that too) so she just had to go to Cheer Camp. Well, her time finally came. She was so excited!!!!

One day they got to take pictures with the mascot, one day they dressed up like the 50's, and of course the last day they performed for the parents and wore their spirit shirts. She really had a good time and now Chester, Riley, and I are cheerleaders in training (whether we wanted to be or not) because she is constantly doing her cheers and requesting (read - demanding, whining til we give in)everyone do them with her. She is really a mess, but it is so cute.

My niece Kodi leading her group

The obligatory picture with brother - he's so excited. Can you tell???

She's wore out after performing.

Regan with her group - she is standing almost in the center behind the cheerleader holding the little girl.

Tate's 1st Big Boy Bath

My baby boy finely got to have a regular bath. Mind you he's been bathed these last 8 months, but just not like a big boy in the tub by himself. He came here so big (1olbs 2 oz - thank you very much) that he has always been too big for the infant tub (read- feet hanging over and head going above the cushion) but I still just couldn't bring myself to put him in the big tub. So, I tried a little bit of everything else - infant tub in the big tub, baby sling tub in the big tub, in the big tub with Regan, etc. Nothing seemed to really work for me, so I just gave him sponge baths like we have to do with Riley since he can't be submerged right now. Well once he was sitting up good on his own I decided it was time. I let the boy have a bath alone.....

and he L O V E D it!! What was I thinking? I should've done this a long time ago. Doesn't he look soooo happy? Oh well live and learn.

Our 4th of July - Lots of pictures!

Ok so this is a little late, but at least I'm getting it done.

The 4th of July is kinda special to us for more than the obvious reasons - it was the first holiday we had together after Riley got out of the NICU. So, we try to do stuff to make it special every year. Since the 4th fell on Sunday this year we celebrated on Saturday and Monday! On Saturday we grilled out and me and the kids made patriotic cupcakes (and also a plain cake with no sprinkles for Daddy -party pooper). We really had a good day - just relaxing. On Monday we went to a fireworks display. We actually ended up watching with some friends that happened to have parked in the same parking lot. The fireworks were really good and I think we all enjoyed them - except for Riley. He LOST HIS MIND. He does not like fireworks. We had hoped he had outgrown this, but maybe better luck next year. We fully intend to subject him to fireworks until he gives in. ;)

COULD IT BE?...BOBBY FLAY.......No, just Daddy setting the burgers a blaze!

The smoke has cleared - the Iron Chef has everything under control!

Burgers, baked beans, and chips - dinner of champions!

Hey Mom the cupcakes are good, baby! (He actually said this!)

All American boy

Riley and Bro. Bobby

The skydiver with the American Flag

Jonathan is keeping Tate happy

I really was there I just don't like being in pictures!

Riley Update - Warning He's Half Naked

I realize my last post was pretty pitiful and it is definitely time for an update on Riley's situation. He is doing much better. He is eating well now, however he still has a lot of weight to put back on.(Wish I could give him some of mine.) His first question after any meal is what we are having for the next, so I think I'll take that as a good sign. ;) We went back to Atlanta last week for a follow up appointment. The ride up was miserable for him. He kept saying his tail hurt and he had a really boney butt bone before he lost weight and it's even worse now, so we just assumed that was the problem and kept adding pillows to his carseat. Well, by the time we got to Atlanta and stopped to eat he was just crying and didn't want to eat. He just laid down on the bench with his head in my lap. When we got to Ronald McDonald house he didn't want to sit or stand the only way he was comfortable was laying down. We determined after much questioning and hair pulling (mine of course) that it wasn't his tailbone, but actually in his abdomen that was hurting. We finally called the urologists office to see what they thought. Thankfully Riley's uro was the one on call. He said it sounded like bladder spasms to him and asked us if we had been giving him the Ditropan for it. HUH? What Ditropan? We never got that prescription. Anyway he told us to give Riley some Tylenol since he was comfortable laying down and he would see us in the morning. Well, after a pathetic nights sleep we went to the appt and had Riley's staples removed, and the doc looked Riley over. It went fairly well. There was some drama with the staples, and we found out why when we tried to flush one of the tubes we are supposed to flush everyday that the water just shot back out at us - the resident that stitched the tube in place stitched through the tube so there was a hole in it! We also got the Ditropan and things are much much better. One wonderful side effect is that it may cause drowsiness, so we had a very quiet ride home. Also, Riley had bloodwork done using his new port. (See pictures below)We go back next week to have the one tube removed and to begin cathing Riley's bladder. I'm both excited and nervous for this next step. It gets us one step closer to normal though. His personality (and attitude) have mostly returned. He wants so bad to have no tubes and go swimming. Soon enough my little man!

He's cuttin' a rug. The tube that comes out next week is taped to his right leg. The other tube has a bag on it and is secured to his left leg. They really seem to slow him down!

Here his old catheter is gone. No more dressing changes!

Here's a reminder of his old catheter. We don't miss it!

Please Pray

We've all been home since Tuesday from Riley's surgery and to be honest with you I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I have cried each day. He looks so weak and frail right now. I was so proud a few weeks ago when we got to take his feeding tube button out and right now I'd love to have it back. He's eating just fine, but he lost sooo much weight while he was in the hospital. He looks like someone from a third world country. It just makes me so sad to see him this way. He's just not himself either. This surgery really seemed to take something out of him and it's just not coming back like it usually does. Maybe it's just b/c he's bigger and understands more now, but I just want Riley back...my once chubby, happy-go-lucky Riley. I've never had one of his surgeries hit me this hard either. Maybe I'm just on the verge of losing my mind.

Jacksonville Dialysis

Ya know I never thought I would miss the place. Oh I knew I'd miss the people, but I never thought I'd miss the ride or the exhausting effort it took just to get Riley there three times a week. But oh how I miss it! I miss feeling like I had a job, a purpose, a goal to accomplish. I feel I lost my job - I got fired from a job I complained about alot. I know, I know I have the most important job on Earth - being a mom, but I just want to have something more. Is that selfish of me? I hope not, I'm just sharing my heart. Now don't get me wrong I'm very appreciatative for the gift of a new kidney (so much so that sometimes I feel guilty), but I just miss getting out, having a routine, a schedule. It feels impossible lately with a 7 month old. I know it will come. After all, Riley and Regan start school in August and Tate will settle into a routine at some point. I hope you understand these are just the ramblings of an overstressed mom who desperately wants to be with her oldest boy.

Anyway, we went to visit last Friday before Riley's surgery b/c we hadn't been in a while and I wanted to share some pictures.

Riley, Ms. Cindi doesn't have cooties - she just left you for the 6th floor!

Riley still loves him some Ms. Donna lovin'! Mama sure appreciates her allowing me to have a few meltdowns especially when I found out I was pregnant!

Gettin' smooches with Ms. Celine. Sorry, there's no more milk belly to tickle.

Checkin' out pictures on Ms. Lisa's phone - probably of Logan and Morgan

Riley's Wall of Growth - yes they really marked his height right on the wall - don't tell the administration!

Look What's Missing & an Update

(Other than his pants)....He doesn't have a feeding tube anymore! (Notice the little brown looking hole on the right side) Since he is eating so well now and we don't use it for formula and he doesn't have to take the one yucky medicine we were giving him by tube the docs said we could take it out. Yeah a new milestone for Riley (and Mommy).

Now the update...

Riley had surgery this past Tuesday to enlarge his bladder and build a mitrofanoff (tube from his bladder to abdominal wall) that we will use to cath his bladder. It was quite an extensive surgery - lasted more than 7 hours. He also had his central line catheter (the blue and red catheter in the above picture) removed and an under the skin port put in it's place, so now he can go swimming at the beach or a pool, take showers, and his most exciting realization the night before surgery..."Mama I'll be able to lay down and blow bubbles in the tub like Regan!" The surgery went well-they were able to do everything they had planned. Riley was really sore and in a lot of pain. We've had a few bumps in the road and up and down days, but all and all he's OK (Mama, not so much). My original plan was to stay up there at the Ronald McDonald house until discharge, but doing that with Regan and Tate was just impossible, even with my niece there to help. So, we came home on Wednesday. I've been loosing my mind ever since. I don't like this role. When he had his transplant I was there in the beginning, but then I had Tate and well obviously couldn't be with Riley. Now I want to be there! I'm supposed to be there! Please just pray for my sanity and peace. I'm really struggling lately - even before Riley's surgery.