Ask yourself, "Where been, what doing?"

My funny little son so cracks me up, he’s getting more and more verbal. I don’t know why it still surprises me sometimes with what he says and I have to sit back and say, Awesome. When I start to think about the words he puts together it is what I say, so be careful lips what you say for tender ears are listening.
I went to a seminar on Positive behavior reinforcements. I always tell J when I go somewhere, that mommy is leaving and I will be back. I get home about 9pm and he’s outside playing, I get out of my car and say, “hey dude what up?” and he says, “where been”. It was plain as day. I thought you little turkey. I picked him up, loved on him and said, “what do you mean, where been, who are you?” He started laughing and was in a really good awesome mood. I thought where did he hear them words and I though well duh, think of all the times that I’m in another room of the house or outside and Jeremy comes into the place I’m at and I will say, “Where have you been”, he will jabber and then I will say, “what have you been doing”. His next phrase may be, “what doing”
Then the thought came to my mind, how many times does GOD say them exact words, “Lora where have you been?”. I mean he knows where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing, how far I tend to wander away from his awesomeness, but he’s my father. My heavenly father who loves me even more (I can’t even imagine) than I love Jeremy. I asked myself this morning in my quiet time of prayer, “Lora, where have you been, what have you been doing?” Have I been where GOD would want me to be and am I doing what GOD wants me to be.

We have surgery dates....

OK, 7 months and 5 surgeons later we have the surgeon, plan and surgery dates. Jeremy’s 1st surgery will be on August 6, he will stay in the hospital and what I'm sure will be heavily sedated. Then he will undergo the second surgery on August 13. It is a complex, complicated surgery that involves Dr. Dan and another surgeon for the anterior surgery and then exactly one week apart, Dr. Dan and another surgeon for the spinal fusion. This will be done at the University of Missouri Children's Hospital in Columbia, MO. We will leave Okie land on Thursday, August 5 and I will be a resident of the Children's Hospital for approximately 2 weeks, while J is there I will be there. I realize Jeremy is going to be in the hospital recovering from complex surgery on his birthday, and believe me I hate this for him well actually I hate the whole entire thing for him this isn't an option surgery. I was actually considering doing his birthday party either in May or September since his birthday is August 9, school is out and no one comes except his cousins. I have to keep him strong and healthy so we can do these surgeries on these dates.

We will do our pre-op July 16 at 1pm, and see the Nurse Practitioner, then do our hospital stuff. I don't know if we will get to see the AWESOME Holly who has coordinated all of this with the physicians, filtered all my questions and has to deal with me.

Jeremy will enjoy his summer, he will attend summer school, doing normal summer fun activities. We will deal with the surgery and August when it arrives. I am trusting GOD. He has lead me all along in this whole process. I know he sent us to the right surgeon and this is what Jeremy needs. I appreciate all my friends, all the people who I don't know that have faithfully been praying for Jeremy and me as I make these decisions and for Dr. Dan. Please continue to pray...

The beginning of spring !!!!!

I notice this morning around 15 til 7 that it was already daylight outside and I could hear some chirping birds. I know living in Oklahoma there is more than a good chance we could see some more snow and temps won't stay warm for a little while longer, but you can't deny that it is the beginning of spring. WHOAAA !!!! I'm super excited that next weekend we spring forward so it will be daylight longer. Jeremy also starts his spring break next Friday, March 12. I'll get 3 days of spring break with him, and have scheduled Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I'm of course hoping for warm weather for a possible zoo trip, Arbuckle Wilderness. I'm going to see if I can talk my sisters into a night in OKC, day at the zoo, motel with an indoor pool and then next day the Omniplex. If not we have incredible pizza and Pump it up. I am not scheduling Jeremy any Dr. visits during this time.

We took full advantage of the weather today, Jeremy got out his little motorcycle we drove it across the street to the church parking lot. I thought it will be fun for him to ride it around in the big parking lot. Then he noticed the playground equipment so away we went. Here is a clip of him playing, not sure what all he was telling me but at the end you can hear is, "I want to see it"

Our plans....

Dr. Dan is going to do spinal fusion on Jeremy, this will be done in 2 surgeries like we discussed. He does his spine surgeries on Friday. The 1st Friday Jeremy will undergo the anterior, he will release the kyphosis and straighten. Jeremy will stay in the hospital, and then the next Friday he will go in and do the spinal fusion. We are looking at 2 weeks as in-patient in the hospital. Holly is currently working on coordinating everything with the other surgeons to get a surgery date. The PT will work with Jeremy while he is in the hospital so when we come home I'll understand more of that, what his limitations will be, no lifting or bending.

One day closer to answers and a plan...

We got the CT scan and echocardigram done today. I sent the CD that had the CT scans overnight to Dr. Dan, guarantee deliver by 3pm tomorrow. Dr. Dan said I would know next week what he plans for Jeremy's surgery. I will be excited to finally have an answer, the plan. It will be a closure to 5 months of searching & wondering. This will tell us what to expect with surgery, recovery in the hospital, recovery at home and some specific prayer request. We are also looking at setting the date for surgery. By next week I should have a surgery date and plan. The echo was done today since Jeremy was going to be out and we would need one before surgery. I just have to follow-up with Dr. Klewier our Pediatric Cardiologist before our Pre-op appointment.

This is a picture of Jeremy in recovery, he was precious and resting very peacefully.

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow morning at 8am, Jeremy is getting his CT scan of his spine to the specs that Dr. Dan needs. We will be there bright and early @ 6am to check in. We weren't going to be able to get the echocardigram until March 31 and I didn't want to wait that long to get the CT scan done. I was given a list of what needed to be done in priority and the CT scan is first, this is going to determine if Jeremy's spine can tolerate the equipment needed for growing rods. Once Dr. Dan gets the CT scans, reviews them, the other X-rays we did and talks to his partners we will have a surgery plan, that means a date. I was upset that we couldn't do the echo at the same time, not wanting to put Jeremy back out but thought we will deal with that. My mom is coming in to watch Jeremy when we get home and I told her, unless there is a miracle he won't do his echo tomorrow. Dr. Klewier, J's Pediatric Cardiologist called me during lunch to say she was working on it, would talk to the head of that department. Shortly thereafter Dr. Cyrus office called me and I spoke to him and he is taking care of it and said we would get the echocardigram done tomorrow, he was calling them about 8am and telling them to head to radiology... Go Dr. Cyrus !!!

Pray for us in the morning, that we in fact get to do both test this would make it so much easier on Jeremy. Jeremy knows when I put him in the car that early in his PJ's we are going somewhere and it's probably to the hospital. This is only his second procedure at our new children's hospital and he still remembers when we did the miracle child video, he got to go up and play outside and in all the playrooms. Then trying to keep him entertained from 6a - 7:30am while we are doing the check in paperwork. Then when they give him the drink to relax him, he likes to ride around the floor in a wagon and he's happy...

Pictures of our trip to Columbia...

I had some pics from our trip, some of Jeremy at the RMH and then the bridge you cross coming into Jefferson-City which was really pretty. I had mom to take pictures of the bridge while I was driving and then as we cross over I multi-tasked (don't tell anyone) and took a few. I took them to show my Aunt Betty because she hates bridges with a passion, in fact I commented to mom if Aunt Betty was with us I would have had to stop, let her out and she would have walked across the bridge.

Are you ready to see the pictures? Well there will be none, while I was busy unpacking J nabbed my camera. I didn't think he had it very long when I found him with it but when I went to download pics he obviously erased them. I've got to find a way for him to use his powers for good....