Keeping Up With The McElhannons: February 2009

Bryce's "baby girlfriends" Hannah and Tanna

Bryce and Lily...what a ladies man he is these days!

Brenna, Bryce, Taylor and Brody! All Mama Me's Babies!

Big Kids :)

Brody LOVES him!

Bryce and Layne riding off into the sunset

Taking big boy Layne for a drive

Dinner time with BFF Logan

Taking a ride in the dump truck!

Racing Logan

Well we had our visit to the pulm. and everything was great. He decided to put Brody back on his steroid for another week to help with the inflammation in his lungs. This will take that huffy puffy smoker wheezy sound away! We are continuing to do xopenex treatments with the puffer every 4 hours. No more nebulizer hooray! Mandy with OT came by today and working with flexion and on sitting up and on pushing up to the crawling position! He was a little fussy at first because he had just eaten and just wanted to veg out...but he got in the groove and had a good time!

On a different note...I got pulled over yesterday for talking on my phone in a school zone. I mean whatever, it was not even a "real school" and I know there were "real kids" but I was on a very important call...ok it was not important at all...but I just had some stuff to say! I am going to have to start reading street signs I guess.

Unfortunately my sister has continued to break my moms heart and disappoint our family. She put all my moms stuff out on the porch and left it there for days until we were able to get Justins sweet mom to go get it. Her behavior is just devastating and I know that one day she will regret her actions so badly. We pray hard for her and ask that you all pray for her as well.

We are so happy to be in the beautiful city! I miss relationships from Houston...but I dont miss the city at ALL! I have made such beautiful friendships here and I am so excited to raise my boys in such a pleasant environment. Justin really has given our family the ultimate gift :)

I am going to post some fun pictures of what we have been up to recently...I hope you enjoy!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

la ti da

Lots has been going on! We made a week long trip to Houston to get some things in order for my mom. She had a procedure done last Monday to get her ready for chemo, and unfortunately the person who was so supposed to be there with her was not so she woke up alone and scared. My brother and I both have kids and busy houses and since my sister really does not work and does not have children we all assumed that she would be the best fit and most relaxing environment to take care of our mom. She has always had jealousy issues and this time she just took it too far. She has hurt our family more than she ever has in the past and believe me when I say she has done more damage to our family over the years then could ever be mentioned. We have all put up with it for years and years but enough is enough! Our friends and even extended family are sick of her lies and excuses. This is the time to pull together and love each other more than ever. Our beautiful mom needs our love and kindness! Soooo I took her to her oncology appointment and we got things set up! The Dr. wants to be VERY aggressive with her treatments and will do 6 weeks of continuous chemo and daily radiation. It will be a hard time for her, but we have great people stepping in to help and so many loved ones that have offered love and support. We are so truly blessed to have the support system we do! My brother and I are doing everything we can to make her life as stress free as possible! My sister in law is doing EVERYTHING she can and caring for her just like she would her own mom....its amazing the way that people can come together in a time of crisis.
Brody had a hard time at my moms...its an old house and his breathing was definitely strained while we were there. We had to do lots of breathing treatments and ended up just sleeping in the hotel...but we really needed to make this trip to get things organized for her. He was a trooper though and now we are home and back on schedule. We will visit the pulmonologist on Tuesday just to make sure things are good. Bryce had a great time with my mom. He loves spending time with her and loving on her. I know my boys were the best medicine and she really needed that 5 day dose!
I am so pleased that I have such great people loving on me right now. I have had a lot going on since July and it seems like it has been one thing after another. We are staying strong and positive and trusting God's plan for us. We are thankful (sometimes confused and maybe every once in awhile GASP overwhelmed) and overall so pleased with the way things have turned out. Please pray for us!
I am bummed that I was not able to spend more time with friends while I was in town, but things were so hectic that there was just no time! I hope to make another trip in soon so I can see everyone else and show off my babies :)

Monday, February 16, 2009

valentines schmalentines

Valentines Day is so fun for the kids! I loved getting little goody bags ready for Bryce's classmates and then hiding little prizes around the house marked "to Bryce from Brody" for Bryce to find! One of his favorite little V-Day surprises was his new batman underwear. He said he couldnt wait to put them on his tootie. Justin spoiled us all and it was fun. Now we have to find a way to explain that Christmas only comes once a year because Bryce kept wondering if Santa had dropped off those treats....Brody has been wheezing a little through the night so we moved into the "yellow zone" for treatments....meaning adding extra puffs every couple hours and even doing the neb. a couple times a day. He hates it..but you can just never be too careful. We are all so anxious to see my mom after her procedure today. We will get there on Tuesday night and it just could not come soon enough. It has been a long time since we have seen her which hurts my heart so much. We are just not able to travel as easily as we like and we have to be soooo cautious of muffins health. Hopefully we can find a way to get her treatments here in SA...please pray for this because she really needs to be with us!
We got to hang out with some of our favorite friends this Sunday...and even though Jonny made Brody cry we still love him! Friends have really made our world go round lately. It is so good to have people in your life that you can talk about everything to and nothing to. I love the dynamic of different friendships and when you can really be yourself and let your guard down is when you know just how lucky you are! The people that realize you are not a lunatic and the ones who laugh even when you are not remotely funny or the ones that speak so openly and even the ones who put you in your place and tell you to "get a grip woman" ...these are the friends to cherish!

Friday, February 13, 2009

oops a couple more...

It just does not get much more adorable than this!

pictures

Bryce having snacks at his class party!

Yay for hungry's!

All his little school friends :)

Brody making an appearance on our new rug!

Bryce showing Hannah how to drive!

Bryce and Emma racing :)

lots of things

This has been an eventful week. I think we have all finally recovered from Brody's hospital stay. I did not think I would ever get myself reorganized from that...but things are finally beginning to fall back into place. Brody is back to his old self and laughing and playing and rolling and scooting all over the place. Bryce has forgiven me for being gone so much and is very glad to have his baby back. We are doing advair and albuterol in the puffer...no more nebulizer thank G! Flonase up the nose once a day (totally rude) and we have switched to prevacid from zantac. Our pulmonologist gave us a very strict plan to follow, we absolutely love how thorough he is! We will do a follow up with him in a few weeks. Let's pray that we can eliminate as much of the meds as possible! Medications are the pitts (the smelly/hairy kind...not the jolie kind). Mandy, the OT came by Wed. and was absolutely astounded by Brody's progress. She was thrilled that Justin and I kept us his exercises even while he was in the hospital. Mr. Muffin was not going to let that pnasty pneumonia stand in his way!
I am trying to work through the stress about my mom and Brody and all the other things that moms and wives deal with and I am just trying to make sure that I do not become hardened. It is difficult to always be the strong one and the one that keeps it all together for everyone else. I am the one with the "answer" and the faith filled response that glues all the pieces back in place. I am working hard not to be in "denial" ... but also trying not to "work" to hard at it. You know...over analyze and dwell. There is a middle ground somewhere in there that I think I have found...but you can never be too sure.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Down Syndrome Creed

My face may be different
But my feelings the same.
I laugh and I cry
And I take pride in my gains.

I was sent here among you
To teach you to love
As God in the heavens
Looks down from above.

To Him, I'm no different
His love know no bounds;
Its those here among you
In cities and towns.

That judge me by standards
That man has imparted.
But this family I've chosen
Will help me get started.

For I'm one of the children
So special and few
That came here to learn
The same lessons as you.

That love is acceptance
It must come from the heart;
We all have the same purpose,
Though not the same start.

The Lord gave me life
To live and embrace,
And I'll do it as you do...
But at my own pace.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

NO MORE OXYGEN

So ALOT has happened since my last post. We are still in the hospital, but Brody has been oxygen free for about 2 hours! His saturations are great and the DR. is positive he will be out tomorrow! Please pray for Brody! OT/PT/ST all came by yesterday and thought Brody looked fabulous. They could not believe how great his muscle tone is and how active and talkative he is! Yay Muffin! We have had a LONG week with hardly any sleep or normal food and its been difficult, but we can finally see a light at the end of this dark and disgusting tunnel. After projectile vomiting, spewing poop, constant sleep interruptions, an ignorant/arrogant dr. (don't worry I put her in her place), breathing treatments, antibiotics, steroids, oxygen, advair, flonase, synages, IV fluids (not to mention 4 separate IV's), a never ending beep beep beeeeeeeeeeep and the good Lord only knows what else...WE ARE OFF ALL MONITORS AND OXYGEN! We have kept our heads high and stayed positive (well most of the time) and now our little man is going to get to go home! Bryce has been so patient and loving and I cannot wait to get out family back to normal. The most wonderful people have really been loving on us and we could not be more grateful. This past 9 days has been ultra-uber-super hard and crummy...but its just one more thing that we can say we made it through! Love to everyone who has been keeping up with the mcelhannons!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

dealing

God sometimes gives us a difficult path to follow, but it brings us to the most beautiful people. Sometimes it seems like we cant catch a break and then we look around at all the wonderful things that have happened along the way and it does not make the situations seem so bad. We have met people in the hospital that have truly enriched our lives. We have met people that need our prayers so badly. We have met people that need a hug and others that just a simple smile could have helped there whole day. Brody's health has brought so much pain to our hearts, but in the end it has really ended up bringing more joy. We watch him fight and then when we finally get that smile its just that much more rewarding. The circumstances that we have been put in have made us the people that we are...and that is just who God wanted us to be. So although his plan may not seem to make sense now and then....in the end it really does.
No new updates on muffin. He is still in the ICU, but he has really made a turn around. I know that we will be out of there and back on a regular floor in no time. His pulmonologist was very aggressive with his treatments and we were able to knock his oxygen levels down to level 2 every 4 hours!
Bryce has insisted on wearing a tie today...with plaid shorts. Man I love that kid.

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Saturday, February 28, 2009

a few pics...

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

pulmonology visit and OT