Picnics, Hospital Stays, and Build A Bears

Yup, that sums up our weekend! Friday night all the big kids: Grandma, Auntie Christy, Uncle Chris, and Daddy went to the opening of Harry Potter. I have never been a fan, never saw a movie or read a HP book, and don't care to start, so that meant that just like the last movie I was in charge of all the little ones. This year I had 2 more little ones to watch (Jillian and Emma). So since it was dinner time and the other kids were out watching a movie and having yummy snacks, we decided to have a picnic in the family room. All the kids ate really well and had a fun time on the picnic blanket. I thought it might be hard to keep them all corralled and eating, but they all had a blast!


As many of you know Joey has a pretty good gag reflex and can pretty much throw up at the drop of a hat (see the post about Jillian's last doctor's appointment for an example!). Well, the week after Halloween our family got hit with the flu. Joey and Jillian got it the worst, but Phil and I also had a little bug too. We were all feelign better within a few days though. We had gotten our flu shots early in October, so we were a little miffed about everyone getting sick, but it happens. Anyways, everyone was feeling better but Joey continued to throw up or have some diarrhea after his meals. We didn't think much of it since he is pretty good at throwing up when he gets upset about anythign, and the diarrhea we thought maybe he was teething (a usual symptom for him). He had no other symptoms of being sick, he was just as playful, no fevers, not tired and even skipping naps here and there. So we just kept discounting it to Joey being Joey. Well, his tummy seemed to be getting a little distended in the evenings and Saturday night after throwing up at Uncle Alex's welcome home party (our hero is home!) his tummy was so distended and tender to the touch. Joey would say his belly button was hurting. So we decided to go to the hospital, since it was later in the evenign on a Saturday night and nothing else was open. After x-rays, an iv, and an overnight stay that brought back many memories of Josh since we were only down the hall from his last stay in the PICU before being transported to Children's, and across the hall from teh family room where we spent the night with him before he came home from the NICU, we had many memories of our times with Josh. Even little things such as signing out to go and get breakfast from the cafeteria, we had to sign our kids initials (both being JK). Anyways, without getting into too much detail, we had a pretty significant walk down memory lane and the days of Josh in the hospital, and found out Joey had an ileus. It was not an obstruction, but from having the flu earlier in the month he didn't completely shake it all and his intestines had a little build up/blockage where he had no choice but to send food back out! Unfortunately he didn't get much remedy from the hospital, he just has to work it out on his own but we all had a very sleepless night. Thank you to Auntie Christy and Andrew for spending the night at our house and taking care of Jillian for us (again similar to the old days of them watching Joey while we were at the hospital with Josh). So fast forward, Joey is doing well, hasn't thrown up since the hospital stay, his tummy gets a little bigger at night still, but he is working on it all. I guess his preemie status will always linger in him and he mihgt have little things like this that come up from time to time. The good thing is we will be home for Thanksgiving...a new worry for our family is Thanksgiving week since that was the first readmission Josh had after coming home from the NICU when he had his shunt revision.


Sunday we were discharged home by noon and Joey fell asleep on the way home since he had maybe 3 hours of interrupted sleep overnight. So he slept while we cleaned up a bit and then I went to pick up Jillian. Once Joey woke up he was ready to go, wanting to play. We had originally planned on going out with Andrew to do a Build A Bear at the county club, and given Joey is not contagious, just has some GI issues to work out, we decided to get out let him play and have some fun. Uncle Chris has a cool work place! Joey made a reindeer-bear and was able to make a wish on his star that he blew on and then put inside his bear. He told us he asked for "a choo choo table." Then he made some other crafts, decorated a cookie, and had some pretzels. We ended the night going out for a bite to eat (which Joey didn't eat much, but we're not pushing it right now since if his tummy's not ready the only place for the food to go is back out!). But he is doing better and better and getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner!


And finally, last night we put the train around the tree...we took out some Christmas stuff on Friday, put our tree up on Saturday which Joey was very helpful with saying the lights are "amazing" and "beautiful." He has been enjoying looking at the lights with Jillian. Jillian has been trying to play with all the ornaments, and they both have been enjoying the train. The train we have has special meaning to us, it was Eva's Grandpa's train, and my mom won it in the raffle at Eva's Bowling for CHARGE event last year and my mom knew that it would mean a lot for our family to have it around our tree each year.



Ok, a few other quick updates from before the weekend. We went last weekend with Uncle Paul, Aunt Katherine, Ben, Abbey, and Juliette to the train restaurant, and had a great time! Joey finally got a haircut. We usually go to our friend's house/old neighbor, but we were in dire need of a cut and so was Daddy, so the boys went to Great Clips for a cut and both did well! Jillian got an early birthday gift from Auntie Christy, Uncle Chris, Andrew, and Emma--her big girl car seat, and she loves it!