Update: 01/04/2017 - And just like that – we have blinked at we are in 2017. Days have passed and minutes have flown by – we have been drowning in red, white and green Christmas festivities and New Years Eve Celebrations and Oh yes – a BIG Whole Hand Birthday celebration with Harper – she has found her way to five some how (how did this happen so fast????)
Remember last year we were in lock down quarantine mode? We celebrated Christmas but very differently – because Brodie needed to stay away from germs big family gatherings were something that we opted to stay away from. So our Tigue Tribe of Four parted into two peas in a pod – someone snoodling little man at home and someone adventuring with little lady.
This year we were overwhelmed by the ability to be with everyone and just BE. Celebrate the reason for the season and appreciate one another.
We started off going to church on Christmas Eve and I have to tell you EVERYONE by the end of mass knew we were there. You see, remember how I have told you Brodie has mastered pterodactyl screams – well he also has mastered – cows, horse, lions, dinosaurs, dogs, monkeys, etc. and as we were singing Christmas Hymn after Christmas Hymn in between when there was complete silence or someone addressing the congregation Brodie was bellowing out as loud as he could these well mastered animal noises.
Russ was clutching him on his lap looking at me bewildered and I kept hissing – GO TO THE SEA ANIMALS! GO TO THE SEA ANIMALS! HAHAHAHA – no dice. Brodie just wanted to be on the farm or the jungle. YIKES! One of my friends came up to me after and said – I see Brodie also got your lung power Traci – Oy Vey – yes, yes he did.
Someone once told me what makes church alive are the littles who make the noises and create the atmosphere of living and being a part of what church is all about – I am 100% choosing to believe ALL of that.
Brodie has been doing so very well – his little liver is spot functionality wise there have been no problems. We were able to decrease our anti-rejection medication dosage and we are still on Bactrim which is preventative for infection, aspirin and good old iron. All of this is such routine that I don’t even bat an eyelash at it any more – Brodie is a champ is sucks it down in an instant and is on to the next thing.
His little thighs are still bruised (from the Lovenox shots) – the bruises are very deep they say that it might take another 6 – 8 months to heal. I will be so thankful when those have dissipated and all I have are the memories etched in my mind that I can store away.
I find myself lost in thoughts sometimes wondering how I have gotten through this past year – but with an 18month old and a new 5 year old I don’t have much down time to think – and who wants to stare in the rear view mirror?
We are still monitoring that blood clot in his portal vein that was treated with three stents – we will have to have a procedure later on this year to open up some of the stents. He was 20lbs when he got the stents in and now he is over 32 LBS (14.5 KG) LINE BACKER Y’ALL he is GINORMOUS.
The beginning of next week we are going in for a non-related procedure – Adenoid removal. Has anyone every been through this?
We are getting nothing else done (a lot of the times this surgery is paired with ear tubes or tonsils) we are just getting the little adenoids (adenoids are glands located in the roof of the mouth, behind the soft palate where the nose connects to the throat). Brodie’s are GINORMOUS – just like him so he cannot breathe through his nose. Poor little nugget.
We will be getting this done at Cleveland Clinic Children's so I know we are in great hands – any time your child has to be put under is never a good time and your mind races and your heart skips beats and then beats faster the whole time you are not with them.
Anyways, that is the latest and greatest on our little warrior – he is amazing.
Him and his big sister are a dynamic duo – he wants to do EVERY thing she does ALL the time. She is an amazing big sister I always tell her – your job as a big sister is to protect, help and love your brother.
She succeeds at ALL of those things however, there this desire in her that just wants to do her things in peace i.e. play with dolls without them getting hair ripped out, build blocks without them getting destroyed, play with her camper without it getting ripped apart – you know playing without the terrorizer lurking in the background! HA! #bigsisterproblems
In the most affectionate way possible – he is a crazy little maniac who is into everything and everyone – thriving on attention and demanding all-day-love our little liver warrior is a crazy, healthy, maniac who #cantstop#wontstop all day long.
Rocking him to sleep tonite I watched his big heavy beautiful brown eyes blink over and over fighting sleep every step of the way and I felt thankful and sad and happy and blessed.
Time goes so fast. Last year seems so far. When can you find time to get a handle on it all??
We definitely have crossed into the “sweet little cherub baby phase” into the “I am a little human who loves to explore and get into everything phase”.
As frustrating as this stage of parenthood is - How can I get mad at someone who has fought this hard to live and has learned to fight for everything since he has been 3 months old? Answer: You can’t. Well….. as long as he doesn’t spill my wine – HA!
Cheers to you all.
Our amazing Tribe – Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy New Year – it is one of my new years resolutions to continue living life with you all – sharing our life journey – even if it is not liver related.
#BGVT #bethegooddolife #DOnateLIFE #brodiesgoodvibetribe#TIGUEtough #sliverofliver #biliaryatresiawarrior #thegoodstuff #give2live#organdonationawareness
