Sunday, March 28, 2010

Memorable Vacation

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It is the last night of my vacation.  The last night that I can stay up late and tomorrow is the last morning I will get to sleep in until I finish my 55 hour work week.  This vacation was definately a memroable one.  The past two years I have used my vacation time to travel to California.  In 2008, Lauren and I went to San Fransico.   In 2009, I drove across the country with Mandy moving her to her new life in LA.  The thought definatly crossed my mind to go to California again this year until it was recommended that Parker have his tonsil and company removed.  So this is a first that I used my vacation time to do nothing ( it wasn't really nothing, but it seemed like it would be nothing at first). 

We did a lot of stuff this week considering Parker wasn't feeling, and still isn't, feeling up to par.  There was A LOT of coloring, we made clay one day, read many many books, painted a hand print that he bought home from school and even saw a movie.  We had visitors on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Went to the library and a couple trips to Graeter's.  I realized about midweek, when Parker's and my constant time together was starting to make me want to scream, that this is the most time we have spent together, solid, straight through, without interruption, time since he was probably 3 months old, which is when I went from stay-at-home-mom to student-mom.  Since he was 3 months, I was finishing my degree and then, luckily, working full time about 3 days after I graduated.  We went to Florida for my last spring break before I graduated, but this has been a 9 day venture just being the two of us. 

It has been a great week.  Although, I can't lie, I wanted a little time to myself and he was more clingy than usual because of the circumstance, but I got a glimpse of what life would be like if I was at home.  I have a huge respect for women who choose to stay at home, my mom chose to stay at home with my sisters and I, and I know many other women who make that choice.  For me, it has never been an option.  I was in a relationship with Parker's father for a while after he was born and I continued with school.  It wasn't long after I started back at school in the fall that I also started working part-time because I needed to.  Then, once I became single, it was imperative. 

Parker asked me this morning if he was going back to school tomorrow and I told him that the day after tomorrow he would be going back to daycare.  He started tearing up and explained that he just didn't want to go back to school.  I asked him if he was bored of being at home yet and if he missed his friends, he said he missed his friends but he likes being at home all day.  This surprised me slightly because he tends to get restless like I do.  But then it clicked, it is spending real time with me.  We spend the entire weekend together most of the time, more recently than before (I quit trying to date), but for a 4 year old with one parents, it isnt enough, and I have realized that, it isn't enough for me either.  I think that I may have to take more vacations like this.  The weekends are normally packed full of laundry, errands, and housework.  We were able to do all that boring housework and chores, but more importantly we were able to just be together.


Painting the back of the hand print red



Paint his hand print blue








Eating Graeter's in Clifton



Wednesday, March 24, 2010

My Brave Boy






I am surprised that I haven't had anything to say over the past month! I haven't been doing much, focusing on Parker and work I guess. Pretty boring. Now, I am on vacation for the week. Why you ask? Parker had his tonsil and adenoids removed on Monday and had tubes put in both ears. Talk about an odd day.

We toured the hospital on Saturday so that Parker would be more comfortable with what was going to happen on Monday. He did great and regurgitated all of the information to me later that day. The rest of the day was full of fun with a lunch time cook out with Nikki, Zach and Quinn. A trip to the library for movies and books for our week together. And, of course, a visit to our favorite park. It was a fun, busy day. Sunday I had over zealous plans for us to listen to a friend of mine sing opera. We lasted 20 minutes of the 2 hour performance.....like I said, not the best parenting idea.

Monday morning, I woke up with plenty of time to eat and drink my coffee before I had to wake him. I woke him up, we got Curious George and Spider-man together, shoes on and out the door. (He thought it was great that he was able wear his jammies). We got to the hospital with plenty of time but after we checked-in, it was a whirl wind. My name was spelled wrong on the paperwork, they called his name to go back before it was figured out, answered the nurses questions, answered the anesthesiologist's questions, etc etc etc....they all went away and it was just us. We laid on the hospital bed and watched Handy Manny for about 10 minutes before they were ready to take him back. The hour and a half before his surgery went by quite quickly. I had the opportunity to go back with him while he breathed the "Sleepy Air." On the tour and even that morning the nurses and the anesthesiologists said how hard it is to watch your child go under. I honestly didn't have that much trouble watching it and I think that I would have been freaking out if I hadn't been back there. I am, what some people call, a "control freak." It sounds so negative, but I really like to know what is happening and as long as I can be a part of it, I will be. He reacted the exact way that they all warned me that he would. His eyes rolled around, he had muscle twitches, his breathing started sounding like a growl (they did describe it to a T). Then they rushes me out as soon as he was asleep.


The next part was bad. I couldn't focus. I sat in front of the scene watching his patient ID number and watching the clock. The procedure was supposed to be 15 minutes and at 25, my heart was beating a little faster and of course at that moment, I saw the doctor tell the receptionist to call me. First thing out of the doctor's mouth was, "You have a son that will be able to hear." There was the most profound sense of relief at that time that I started tearing up! I have never been more relieved in my life. I knew he would be fine and that everything was going to go well, I knew that he was going to recover well, but I think I had held my breath the entire time since I scheduled the surgery.

Very shorty after I spoke with the doctor, I was able to go back to recovery. He was already awake when I got back there and looked like he was trying to get off the bed. His little face was red from crying, I can only imagine that he was screaming for me. The nurse let me hold him in a rocking chair and he calmed down immediately. Anyone that knows Parker knows that he is rather big for his age (he is 4, 50lbs and 3'10"), but at that moment he was so small. He fit in my lap. I swear he hasn't fit in my lap comfortably for like a year! We sat there for about an hour and a half. He was calm and content. He only spoke once about a baby who was wheeled into the recovery spot across from him.

It is day 2 of recovery, and the real Parker snuck out today. He ran around a little and ate mac and cheese (not just popsicles and jello). It was a good day.