Jami update

Just wanted to let everyone know that Jami is off the ventilator and when she leaves the hospital, she will be able to go straight home instead of going to transition care.

Christmas with the Simmons

First and foremost I want to update everyone on the family hospital report. (Sorry I have been so negligent lately). Our family hospital count has dropped by 2 people in the last week. Debbie went home from the hospital last weekend (I believe it was Saturday). They found that Caden had an infection and was on IV antibiotics besides needing help with his breathing. They also had him on a feeding tube because it took so much effort for him to breath that he just didn't have enough strenght to eat much. Cam and Debbie were expecting to bring him home from the hospital today but yesterday (Christmas) they receive the best Christmas present ever. They were told that Caden could go home for Christmas! I'm sure his big brothers were so excited to finally have their baby brother home.
From what I hear, Jami is progressing slowly but surely. She is still on the ventilator but dealing pretty well with it.
Mom is slowly healing. It is going to take quite some time. I'm hearing probably 2 months in the care center. She can't leave there before she can get around on her own and she can't put weight on her leg for 2 months. We'll see how everything works out. She has had some health issues this week. Her heart gave her a scare a couple of days ago for a couple of hours, but they gave her some nitroglycerin and things improved and it's been fine since then. She's had some problems controlling her blood sugar and her blood thickness. They are watching them. I will try to keep you posted of any monumental events.

And now on to some fun stuff. Here are some pictures of Christmas at the Simmons home.
It didn't take Issac very long to figure out this Christmas thing and what to do with all those wrapped presents.

Molly was reading the boys a new book. Notice Isaac's Elmo slippers and Mark's new blankie that g-ma made him.

Christmas is really, really hard work. It can really tucker a guy out. It's a good thing that g-pa has a soft tummy for me to rest on for just a minute. Oh and that's my new blanket that g-ma made me. It works just fine.

After a little recharging session we were good to go again. We got snow most of the day and a new snow toy so we went and tried it out. For the unknowing, this is a millenium falcon. It is an awesome sled that Aunt Sissy help Grandma find.
We had a very fun Christmas and we hope everyone else did too.

More pictures

I hoped to have a new picture on here every day while I have company, but I got busy playing and was surprised that it has been a whole week since my last pictures.

Last night Molly was feeding Mark and Isaac decided that he needed to help. He did a really good job.
This is Isaac all bundled up so he could go sledding. He calls the sled his boat and he loves to have dad run and pull him around the yard.

This picture is for Rachel. Grandma had a little project to finish today. Yes, I know it is Christmas Eve. I forgot about it. I am happy to report that I completed it. It's a good thing that I had a helper.

As you can see we are having lots of fun. There are tons of presents under our tree and I had better get to bed because people will be thinking that we need to be getting up in just a few short hours.

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas.

A visit with Santa

We took the boys to see Santa today. They were all smiles before we left. Aren't they so cute.

Santa was in a small auditorium at our museum and we were the only ones there. When we walked in Lance asked Isaac who it was and Isaac said "ho ho ho". Santa heard and he said ho ho ho too. Isaac was having a great time. Then we walked down closer to Santa. That was ok. But then we got very close and mom even wanted him to sit with Santa! Isaac was not happy about that. I thought Mark would cry because he doesn't like anyone except for mom but Mark was just as happy as could be. We got Isaac to stand in front of Santa, screaming the whole time, while they took a picture. (We couldn't take a picture with our camera so you won't get to see the pictures.) Mark did so good and was so cute that we had to have a picture taken of just him with Santa also.

I forgot to share the rest of my birthday present (well I found it a day late.) Monday morning I was checking out Mark. He had had a terrible night and he is teething. I felt a brand new sharp tooth starting to poke out. A few doses of Tylenol has done wonders on his attitude. But his is still majorly a momma's boy but he coos and smiles and tell me all kinds of stories when he is with mom.

Yep we are enjoying our company.

Here's a quick hospital update (my version).

Mom was moved to the rehab center yesterday. She is sore but seems to be doing ok.

Jami has been bugging the doctors to take her off the respirator. They tell her that she is not quite ready yet, but isn't it great that she is feeling better.

Debbie and Cam's baby is doing better this afternoon. He is still on all the machines but his levels have improved and they expect to get him off everything soon. He will have to stay in the hospital for a few more days. But Debbie gets to go home tomorrow. I'm not sure who will be more excited for her to go home, Becky or 3 big brothers.

Sorry I was so winded but I had lots to share. Watch for more pictures. They are too fun to not share.

Caden Richard arrived

Debbie had her baby this afternoon about 2:30. He weighted something like 9 lbs 11 oz. When the nurses took him back to get cleaned up and weighed, he peed all over everything including the wall.
They said he probably would have weighed 10 lbs if they had weighed him before he relieved himself.
His lungs were not working properly (as frequently happens). They put him in NICU. If he is there for less than 6 hrs no further tests will be done. If not they will start testing to see what is going on. Guess I'll add 2 more family members to my hospital report.
Debbie and the big brothers are doing good. I think that Becky is holding up pretty good too. She and Cam's mom are trying to take care of the home front.

Best birthday present ever

I talked with Lance a couple of weeks ago. He finished school last Friday and decided that they would come to Elko, Monday the 15th and we would celebrate my birthday then. We ALL agreed that that was a great plan. I specifically told them NOT to even think about coming over Sunday after church. It is too hard for the little boys to sit in church and then have to go for a long car ride in the same day.
Sooooooooooooooo Mike and I were sitting enjoying a quiet Sunday evevning when we heard a LOUD knock on our door. It sounded like someone was door bell ditching us. Mike went to the door and saw a little boy standing there all by himself in the dark and cold. Then he saw another abandoned baby boy sitting in a car seat. We brought them in and warmed them up and took a picture of them.
Since mom and dad showed up also, I think we will keep them for a couple of weeks.

And Debbie is supposed to have her baby today.

More hospital news

This was supposed to post last night until my computer decided to have a nasty attitude.

I'm supposed to let you know where I am when I do a new blog. I am home and will be home until further notice.

Tomorrow I hope to show you what I got for my birthday (it is on Molly's camera). It was pretty exciting.

Lance, Molly, Isaac, and Mark are here. Molly and Mark and I went grocery shopping. When we got home Isaac was very excited to see his little brother. Isaac got Mark a toy to play with and talked with him. I don't think that he cared that mom and grandma had been gone too. That's ok.

I'm not the best one to give the hospital updates but this is what I think I know about how mom is doing. I talked to Dad tonight so I'll see if I can get it right. It was the drs that were trying to kick mom out of the hospital. Dad did an appeal with medicaid for them to insist that there was a need and the drs had to keep her longer, but before it went through Monday and again Tuesday, the dr had changed his mind. Monday Mom's heart was skipping beats (she has a history of that) so he wanted to watch her longer. Then today they decided they'd best give her a couple of units of blood and wanted to watch her over night following that.

Dad checked out the rehab center they are looking at putting her in. He picked out a room for her. It is located directly north of the Logan hospital (I looked at it out of her hospital window). Dad thinks it will be a good place for her to rehab.

Jami is very sick but they are optimistic that with time and lots of prayers she will get over this episode. Julie is doing a good job of keeping us updated with her blog.

Hospital report

Here are two pictures I took of mom last Friday morning. I think she looks fantastic for less than 24 hours post op. (Maybe I should have taken a couple of pictures of her getting from the bed to the chair.) That was an ordeal for her, but she did it!
The word I am getting today is that the insurance company thinks that she needs to be released from the hospital and put in a nursing home for the rest of her recovery. The drs are appealling to keep her in the hospital longer. We'll see how that ends up.

Also I would encourage you to keep up on Julie's blog. Jami has not been feeling so well the last couple of weeks and is in the Huntsman Hospital tonight. No ambulance or life flight this time, just a regular ride in the car. I'm sure they will want to take lots of her blood and do some tests. I will be surprised if they do not give her some blood.

2 fer 1

I almost forgot something very, very important. Check out Lance and Molly's blog. It is sooooooo cute. In case you don't know it is linked to my blog at beienvenidos.

Slacker

Yes, I realize I have really been a slacker. My new modum was not the miracle cure that we had hoped for, but one more call to tech support and we made some adjustments and I can usually get on line wireless and always can get on plugged in.
Oh and the furnace repairman can. He cleaned it and said to cross our fingers. So far so good. The real test was if it would stay lit while we were in Utah and Idaho for almost a week. I am very happy to report that when we got home, the furnace was running. I was so happy.
This week was very eventful. I had a couple of dr app'ts. Just the usual stuff. Everything is fine. Then we visited with Steph and went to my sister-in-law's funeral, Gail. She has been having a rough time with thyroid cancer for the past couple of years.
But the day before Gail's funeral, my mom fell and broke her femur. They did surgery on her Thur afternoon and now she is on her long road to recovery. I will try to post a picture tomorrow.
And we got to see Jami. She is doing so much better.
I am really going to enjoy my bed tonight.