Christmas Wrap-Up

So...it was a lovely Christmas on the home-front...minus a few gastro/respiratory type "hiccups".  We got our tree this year from a tree farm in the south end of the city.  I have to say tbat I was really pleased with our tree and would absolutely cut one down again (Dave may disagree).  It barely shed its needles, it lasted the whole season with only a few waterings, plus it looked great!  As an added bonus, we went with some good friends of ours and had a great time at the farm and afterwards at their place.  A great way to kick off the season!!

Here are a few pictures of the festivities:

The boys were great on Christmas morning.  They woke up at 06:30, which is pretty normal for them.  We were worried they would wake up WAY earlier...

One of our favourite gifts was a BEAUTIFUL scrapbook of our summer vacation in Vancouver sent by Mike and Glenda (Dave's brother and wife).  Here we are admiring it.

Emmett hid out under the kitchen table to play with his new toys while we prepped for Christmas brunch at our place with Dave's family.

We didn't get many pictures this year.  This is the only descent one of the tree.  We really need to take our camera out more often.

Felix was really into Christmas this year!  The boys school had a great fundraiser this year where the parents donated inexpensive or lightly used gifts.  The kids were then able to purchase gifts for their family for only a dollar or two.  They even had them wrapped by the grade 6's.  I thought it was a great way for the kids to learn about giving, about the value of money, plus the grade sixes raised money for their end of the year trip.  Everybody was a winner!

Here's Dave's brother Geoff and his fiancee Amy.  We're so happy for the newly engaged couple :)

GG (aka - great granny Peggy) admiring our gift to her.

Round two with my family just before heading out to Christmas dinner...

Emmett has discovered the joys of sledding!

The boys had a blast sledding!!  We didn't make it out too much because of the multiple bugs making their way through the house, but we made good use of the one day we were able to get out and have some fun.

I can't believe its all over for another year.  All the stress, and worry, and work for a few short days.  I hope the year ahead is a wonderful one for all our friends and family, and I can't wait to do it all again next year!!!

Reprieve!

After months and months of anticipation, worry, anger, frustration, and general over-the-top freaking out...Emmett's surgery is done.  It took all of an hour.

I wonder if it hadn't come on the heals of his heart issues whether I'd have been such a basket case.  I really was a basket case.  We noticed the bump early, and doctors seemed to want to ignore it.  I really fought to get an actual diagnosis.  I'm glad I did, but I'm a little frustrated that I had to fight so hard for it.

While its certainly not on the same level as his heart stuff, and in the end it was an elective surgery...I think it was the right thing to do.  It could have seriously interfered with the development of the bones in his skull.

The surgeon said it went really well.  They got it all and sent it for pathology (standard for anything they remove during surgery).  She said it looked like it was a dermoid cyst (as expected).  "What else would it be?" were her exact words.  I certainly could have given her a list of thoughts that had gone through my head as to what it could be...but I didn't want to look like a crazy person.

I think the hardest part for Emmett was the fasting.  He woke up from the surgery howling like a wild animal and wouldn't stop until he'd had two bottles of water, a popsicle, a bottle of milk, some juice, and a granola bar.  The nurses were less than impressed that he skipped ahead a few steps in the eating process (he was supposed to stay on clear fluids until this evening).  He didn't throw up though, and there really was no other way of consoling him....so HA!

After that, he was happy as a clam.  We were home by lunchtime with a happy, though tired little man.  He has a dressing on his head which we can remove after a few days, and we return to see the surgeon at the end of October.

So that's it...I don't know what to do with myself...there are no surgeries on the horizon (knock on wood).  While parents of cardiac babies never really know what's coming next until it hits them, it's nice to have ticked off so many things on Emmetts health 'to do' list.

With any luck...that's the end of his time in the O.R. until he's a VERY old man!!!