'Tis the Season!

For surgery at our house! Of course since I told my friend Kerry that I was "not going to worry about Eli's hernia anymore; I was quite sure it had gone away on its own.." this happened.

One year ago at this time we visited the ER for Eli's inguinal hernia complete with a helicopter ride to John's Hopkins. Last Sunday night we made our 3rd ER visit since last December, and on Friday Eli had surgery to correct the cause of our visits. Officially the procedure was a "right orchiopexy" and he had his peritoneum placed back in his abdominal cavity and his inguinal canal stitched shut. In short, we hope not to see a hernia again.

It has been quite a week! Eli was sedated and given morphine whilst in the ER, and two different docs tried to push the herniated bowel back in. Mom was NOT present for this and it was most traumatizing (for me, Eli won't remember it). He was to have surgery last Sunday night, but of course, once the surgeon arrived, the hernia was no longer there. He thought I was crazy and was the sterotypical-arrogant-surgeon-type. We were sent to ultrasound, Carly I thought of you the whole time and wished fondly that you would have been there to do it. Fortunately there was a radiologist there, and he verified that there was bowel in Eli's "man parts," and that his family-jewel was in his abdominal cavity near his thigh. YIKES!

Doc wanted us to come in for surgery on Friday, and we did. Tuesday was rough because the hernia came out again, but we made it safe and sound and perfectly prepped for the big event on Friday morn.

Eli was so calm! The surgery was actually really easy on me. He held his nurse's hand and didn't cry, so there was no emotional separation for the two of us. It did take them 45 minutes to place his IV though, because he was dehydrated from surgery prep and he is chubby. He looks like a pin cushion now. A cute pin cushion though.

He has some stiches and bruises in a place that makes daddy weak at the knees when he sees them, and makes mommy reflect on how she felt after she gave birth to sweet Elijah. His belly button is also swollen and sore where the scope went in. But he is bouncing back quickly. A special thanks goes out to Tylenol with Codeine.

******Eli begain walking on Thursday Dec. 2nd, the DAY before his surgery. I am so proud, he is 13 months and 29.5 pounds (as of Friday). I am ELATED that he can use his legs now.

..........Going with the 'season of surgery' theme at our house; Logan will be having his adenoids and tonsils removed on Wednesday. One year ago this month, he had his first sinus infection. It's Christmas time again, so it only seems appropriate that we are facing the same issues that we faced last Christmas. Only this time, they are getting fixed!

A special, special, special, "I don't know what I'd do without your help" thanks, goes out to Seth's mom for being here with us to help us take care of kiddos.

P.S. If I hear or am forced to speak the name of the man part that rhymes with "totem," or the one that rhymes with "cresticle," well........... I think I would like to try a daughter please. :)