Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Children are amazing

Brennyn is doing so well. You would never know she had surgery 5 days ago. She's been running around, trying to wrestle her sister, jumping off stairs (I think she's trying give her mother a heart attack).
I had to force her to watch Treehouse Sunday, just to get her to relax on the couch. Even then she said "no sleep on couch, it's not night-night time mommy".

The only sign that Brennyn is in any discomfort is her odd bout of crankiness. Oh, and she has been going to bed by 6:30 every night. Not by her choice, but she is asleep in seconds.

Her skin graft is starting to cause discomfort, but only because it is so itchy. Brennyn keeps telling me that she is so itchy. The surgical bandage comes off tonight and the surgical tape underneath will eventually fall off.

We go back to sick kids next week and the cast comes off. Blair and I decided to take Avery out of school that day so we can make it a family day. There is enough to do at Sick Kids that Avery will be entertained while we wait, and wait for the doctor to remove the cast.

I've mentioned this before, but I need to say it again, Sick Kids is an amazing hospital. It really is the best of the best, and I feel so comfortable and relieved that Brennyn is seeing a surgeon at that facility. Yes, unfortunately it takes so long to have surgeries done but at least you know they have so much experience working with children.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Brave little girl



Home again! First surgery done (first in Canada anyway).

I am so proud of Brennyn and am in awe. She was fantastic. I don't think an adult would have handled her situation better. Oh, and she won the nursing staff over in seconds! One of the nurses even ran out and got her a new doll!
My baby had her last bite of food at 6:30 Wednesday evening. Her surgery was booked for 2:00pm on Thursday, but was delayed until 5:00. She did not even ask me for food until after 3:00, and did not whine or cry once. She just said "mommy I'm hungry". Blair and I felt so bad for her and did not eat in solidarity (okay, we did have breakfast while she was still sleeping that morning).
She did exactly what the nurses and doctors said to do. Finally, when the surgical nurse came to get her, Brennyn just said "bye mommy and daddy". We watched her walk down the hall and she yelled "see you later alligator". Blair turned to me and said "are you crying". Of course, I said "umm, no, my eyes are just itchy" (I was bawling, but Brennyn didn't see).

Just over 21/2 hours later, we were called to recovery and the surgery was finished. Still, Brennyn did not complain. She looked at us, closed her eyes and went back to sleep (after the nurse gave her some morphine).
We went back to her room, read a story and Brennyn slept for the rest of the night. Blair and I squished ourselves onto the daybed and slept on and off.

By the time we got home, Brennyn was acting like her normal self. I had to make her watch tv (only way to keep her resting and not jumping around, damaging her hand).

She is very sleepy tonight, so I'm hoping her hand doesn't hurt her too much. She said it doesn't hurt, but I don't know how it could not hurt. She has a cast from her fingertips to her shoulder, that will come off Dec. 7th. She also had some skin taken from her leg for a skin graft.

So, surgery 1 is done, only 3 (or 4) more to go!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

surgery

We're going down to sick kids tomorrow anyway. The anesthetist has the final say and there are no other surgeries booked. They said to come down and hopefully if her cold isn't too bad, they will go ahead.
I'm crossing my fingers and toes.
Poor Brennyn can't eat anything after midnight tonight but her surgery is not until 2:00pm.
We'll be staying overnight with her.
I'm so nervous for my little girl. We've tried to explain everything, but how much does a 3 year old really understand about surgery, and not getting to eat for a day, and pain.

bad timing

We finally got the call from Sick Kids today for Brennyn's hand surgery. Unfortunately, Brennyn has a runny nose so they may not be able to proceed until January.
They don't want to risk any kind of infection, which I totally understand. I'm just so disappointed about the timing. We've been waiting for this call for 8 months.

Stupid cold germs, ughhhhhhhhhh.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

I really need to figure out how to post video's on the blog. Avery has been arriving home from school each day with new songs. Of course, when you ask her what she did at school, she always answers with "nothing". An hour or so later, she'll be belting out a song I've never heard before, so cute.
I need to get her on video singing "peace like a river". The first time she sang it, actions and all, I almost fell off my chair. It was so funny, and super cute (I'm biased, I know).

Brennyn also is learning a few tunes at Teddy Bear school. Her favourites right now are Bumblebee, and twinkle twinkle little star.
Speaking of Miss Brennyn, I have noticed at school (while I am spying through the parent view window) that she still goes from big buddy to big buddy. She doesn't like to sit still at story time and just wanders from person to person. The buddies tell me "oh, I'm her favourite today".
She has come so far in a year, but obviously, we still have concerns that we are working with.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Bad blogger

Once again, I don't know where the time goes. I get up in the morning with grand plans of getting things done (cleaning, laundry, blogging) but before I know it, I'm back in bed and it's 10:00 at night.
Between school, gymnastics, soccer and working (the odd shift) my days fly. I'm kind of debating the whole working thing to be honest. It's very difficult when my husband has a second job that seems to be more involved than we initially thought. Thank goodness Nana lives around the corner, because we have shamelessly been using her services far too much these days.
I guess I just feel rushed and worry that I may be missing some time with my girls. I just took a bag full of toddler clothes to the local salvation army the other day. We don't need them anymore. Brennyn wears the same size as Avery (size 4 and 5). My babies are growing up so quickly.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Not much time to post these days. In fact, I don't know where the time goes.
Avery's busy with school, and Brennyn is just busy in general. I don't know why I took up running, keeping up with Miss Brennyn keeps me in shape!

Here is an example of how my girls are so different:
I missed a step on the stairs the other evening and wiped out. Avery was walking behind me and proceeded to laugh like a maniac. She was laughing so hard that I swear tears were coming down her face. My loving (advance care paramedic) husband was too busy getting ready for work to see what the loud bang was. Oh, he did say after that "I didn't hear any crying so I figured it was you that fell and not the kids". Thanks for the concern darling husband.
My sweet Brennyn did run to the top of the stairs and yell "what happened, you okay mommy". She's still in the will, the other two may have to be cut!

As an aside, I was okay. It's amazing how quickly a fall happens though, and I can see why elderly people break bones, etc.

Avery did stop laughing enough to say "you're so funny mommy, adults don't fall down". Guess she doesn't know her mommy that well, I am known to be on the klutzy side.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Pictures




Celebrated Avery's day with a cake. Poppa came over and had a piece.
Spent the next day with friends, celebrating the day we met our girls. Avery picked out matching necklaces and bracelets for her "best friend" (that's what Avery calls her, and they actually play together). I still find it so hard to believe that we met our daughter's 4 years ago, in a hot, crowded hotel conference room. I think M and J were one of the first to get their daughter, while we were almost the last. Now, the girls are both in their first year of school.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Avery



Happy Avery Day, my sweet little girl. Four years ago today, our lives changed forever. I will never forget the first moment I saw you, or the instant you were placed in my arms. We both cried, me tears of happiness, you tears of terror and anger. You were the most beautiful baby and today are such a beautiful, intelligent girl. You are such a Daddies girl, much to your Dad's delight.

How quickly these last 4 years have gone.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Four years ago, in China, two people were anxiously counting down the hours until the next morning. Not much sleep would be had that night, but it didn't matter. All we could think about was meeting our daughter. We were nervous, excited, a little scared, and happy. After years of waiting and wanting to have a family, we were about to meet our daughter.

4 years, it's hard to believe how fast the time has gone. It's hard to remember what life was like before that moment we first saw you and held you. I know that I will never forget that night, 4 years ago.

Monday, November 1, 2010





Pictures from the festivities! Brennyn didn't last too long, but I don't blame her. It was freezing this year, and there may have been a few flakes of snow. Blair and Avery made it another 45 minutes after Brennyn and I gave up on the trick or treating. The girls had a great time and Avery was very sad to hear, this morning, that Halloween was over.