Update on the Little Patient

***Update Sunday: Landon isn't going home today - hopefully tomorrow - He is feeling MUCH better, but he still has to make it through the night without oxygen, and it didn't happen last night. He did get his IV disconnected - the stint is still in place, but no more IV tube to trip us up***

Thank you SO much for the thoughts and prayers.

The other grandparents stayed with him last night so that we could catch up on sleep - It's been tough, days a blur - but the toughest time has of course been had by Landon.

We spoke this morning with The other grandfather - Landon is off of oxygen, which is GREAT news - what they need to see is him going through the night without the oxygen, and then that extending through his waking hours - so far, so good. He was still on IV Fluids - but when we left last night he was drinking juice and was more himself than he's been in a few days - fiesty enough to wreak a tangled havoc on all of the tubes...

Anytime a new unknown person walked into his room yesterday. he burst into tears - certain that they were coming to "hurt" him, I guess... the only treatments that he seems to like are the breathing treatments and the "percussions" when a respitory therapist pounds on his back with a little soft cuppy thing to help break up mucous.  The first time we saw that, it was like "Holy Cow! Now they have to beat him, too!" - lol - it looks and sounds like he's getting some stout blows... but the PT took my arm and pounded it with the "precussor" and, yeah, very soft. Whew.

Read more »

Landon Is In the Hospital

Just a quick update. We took Landon to the ER last night at 9pm... he has been diagnosed with RSV... A very nasty virus I knew little about until yesterday.

He was admitted and got to ride in an ambulance to the Pediatric Unit of another Dallas Hospital at 2am.. Poor little guy. He's been poked and prodded (5-6 blown IV's) and the saddest thing of all is we just can't explain why to him. He's sleeping now, Thankfully.

Everyone is working together for Landon, I am so pleased to report. Please keep him in thoughts and prayers...

I call her an Angel

Sometimes someone else says it all so well - Here it is -

What a Junkie Mom Misses

Thanks and Bless you, Fractal Mom, for the difference you make in your granddaughters' lives

Read more »

About a Boy and his Pacy

Landon was greeted by us eagerly and was happy to see us - and his pacy. "Mean grampy" (Cheri, I think you get credit for that one - lol) wasn't there... but that wasn't the point, really - He can take it or leave it as far as we are concerned. The baby, that is. That's the thing - there are plenty of no-no's and rules and they are very important because of safety. Then there are rules that we teach by example - sharing, playing nice, no hitting, respecting others, the golden rule, etc etc... We're not going to just make them up so we can be in control - sigh.

I want to say that I got an email from Landon's paternal Aunt, K, and we talked a good while. She would like readers of this blog to know that:

"As the daughter of the "mean" grandpa, being sober my entire life, the mother of 3 beautiful boys, friend of the author of this blog, and aunt of "Baby Landon" as my boys call him, I would like to share that I have not seen a pacifier in Landon's mouth for several months. I personally only allowed my children to have a pacifier until the age of three months because I offered them the comfort they needed and refused to have to pay for the dental problems that may occur because of long term use. He is not under stress or dismay at my parents' house, in fact we spend many days as a family going to the park, shopping, playing outside, playing peek-a-boo, visiting family members in the area, watching "Winn Dixie", and many other family oriented activities. My parents are moral, ethical, CHRISTIAN, people ... We are not horrible people, just on the other side of the fence...."

I would just like to re-iterate one more time then let it rest: What he did in yanking the pacifier out of Landon's mouth and how he did it and what he said and why was wrong. It happened. It's wrong for anyone to act that way. Clearly we disagree with their family view point on pacifiers, but not "just because" ... a member of their family works in a dentist's office, so maybe, just maybe, they will take the time to read and share what American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has to say about pacifiers.

It's not really about what we grandparents think about pacifiers.

Read more »

Babies suck sometimes...and so do adults

So far, a routine in all of our lives for over a year has been the regular meetings with the other grand-parents to exchange Landon for their visitations... every 1st 3rd and 5th weekend.  I really believe it's been harder on us than on Landon... but the last few times he's seemed a bit like "uh, wait..." - just a flicker of concern. Maybe my imagination.  In any event, we make it as easy on him as possible - we act positive and matter of fact, and all goes pretty smoothly.

Well, the last time, not so much. Landon had had a hard week, a schedule disrupted by holiday travel, new childcare arrangements, and the day before the "exchange", 3 shots on a well-baby visit. He was in a pretty good mood though, as we drove the 30 minutes to the McDonald's that is the 1/2 way point where we meet the other grand-parents.

The other grand-father walked over to the door of our van where Norm was getting him out of his car seat. Norm lifted him out and was making polite small talk, and about to hand Landon over when the other grand-father reached up and yanked Landon's pacifier violently out of his mouth and threw it into our van, with some comment about "that damned thing out of his mouth..." - I was in shock. Landon's face crumpled and he started wailing... and the other grand-father took him from Norm and walked away to his car. It took great restraint on our part not to react, which would have only made the situation harder for Landon.

I hope that Landon got over it quickly - I know that we did not. It was a senseless and cruel thing to do, and blatantly disrespectful to Landon and to us.

We had heard that they do not allow Landon to have a pacifier when he is with them - we heard third hand, of course, they have never discussed it with us... so far there have been no issues about it. But what he did really pissed me off. It wasn't too hard to imagine him telling Landon gruffly to quit acting like a baby and be a man.

Read more »

Quick update

In a letter today, learned that my daughter has had a sonogram and she is healthy and the baby is healthy as well. She is 25 weeks, and the baby is a girl.

I don't know much more than that - she has spoken with a lawyer and is keeping her hopes up that she will be released before the baby is born, but I don't think that is realistic. She does seem to want us involved, either way.

Her due date is February 26, but a c-section is scheduled for Feb 19th, because of the c-section before. That seems like a blessing; the thought of her going into labor in jail is pretty awful. I hope at least this one "known" doesn't change.

Her spirits seem good overall, and she is getting good prenatal care, unlike last time. Her birthday is next weekend - she will be 20.

Landon is doing great - so smart - so funny. He's been very generous with hugs and kisses this week, and they are so sweet. Pictures tomorrow.

Have I mentioned my husband is amazing? His reaction to the news that it is a granddaughter on the way in February? "A girl... I am already crazy about her"

G'nite

Intricate as a Fugue

Wow - what a day. Sure miss servers when they are down! In the world of tech support, especially.

No news to report on the "situation" - I did get a long letter from daughter yesterday, though. Predictable, sad. She sure knows my buttons. I'll breathe deep before replying.  She did request another copy of "rescue this child" poem - I can do that, easily.

Syd's recent post about Beauty prompted me to share this poem here that I ran across in 2005 while husband and I were in the mountains of Texas, and that I have been thinking of lately:

Ars Poetica of a Desert Dweller:

Soon I'll be speeding

Through a cement-sliced canyon

towards wages and work, a steel key turning

In a steel lock, but first I

stop

on my way to the car

and kneel

the better to see a needle-misted cactus

among broken rocks

crowned by a ruby-petalled star

smaller than a fawn spot,

intricate as a fugue. Tiny Flower,

fleck of fire, beauty indifferent

to indifference, teach me.

~ Laura Long