Monday, December 13, 2010

Faster than a Rolling 'O'



Christian: You're not allowed to wear the Darth Vader mask at the Balloon Fiesta.


Gaby: Yes I am, but you're not allowed to wear that cape at the Balloon Fiesta.



Nana and Papa came for the Balloon Fiesta in October. We saw the Glo-deo one evening and then came for the Mass Ascension one weekend.

The boys dressed up in their new Halloween costumes to see the Storm Troopers with the Darth Vader balloon.

The latter half of the month Gaby stayed home from preschool because he had his tonsils and adenoids removed.  He got to stay one night at the UNM Children's Hospital, which is a very nice place for children.  They have a special family room and a rooftop playground.  Plus, Mother Goose came round to read a story to Gaby who was very groggy and sore after the surgery.

Gaby gives tonsilloadenoidectomy surgery a one thumb rating.
One thing that was stressed to me by the numerous nurses and doctors:  make sure Gaby drinks plenty of fluids!  That first weekend home he hardly ate more than a bite of a popsicle or taste of yogurt or sip of juice.  We resorted to feeding him fluids with a medicine dropper.  The second item stressed:  keep ahead of the pain by giving him medicine every 4 hours the first few days.  The worst part was right after the surgery when Gaby came out from under anesthesia and I had to calm him as he kept waking/crying and passing out.  Although Mike stayed with him before surgery, he was unable to be there afterwards and Gaby remembered!  "Where's Daddy?  I want Daddy!" he would ask before he'd pass out.  It was the same scenario when he had his ear tube surgery a few years ago at the age of 17 months.  Only this time, I was prepared and not pregnant or hormonal when I had to see him like that. 

Since he's had the surgery, he no longer snores at night and sleeps well.  And he seems to have so much more energy and is less cranky, too.  He'll have another sleep study in January to see if the apnea has disappeared.  Gaby had an ear infection soon after the surgery, so he'll have his ears checked next month.  Only this time, he didn't have a sore throat and that was a relief.