Oh, I have so much catching up to do! Here’s the rest of the month of August!

Brendan was very excited to get a gift from Grandpa Dusty. He now has the coolest owl bed around.

To say that he loves it is an understatement. 🙂

Thanks to Grandma and Aunt Heather P, Brendan has a complete Newt Scamander costume

Playing Minecraft Lego sets

Trevor goes shopping with Dad

August 21st – Brendan’s first day at school. He was so excited to finally get to go! He recovered from surgery so well and didn’t want to be held back. He was released to school but was not allowed to do recess or PT yet.

Rocket bike 2.0! The boys are loving it

This may be the longest video I have ever posted, but it is a look at our everyday commute. If you don’t watch the whole thing, at least watch the last minute and a half.

Not even one week of biking to school and we already got run into a curb by a car. We were all unhurt, but the wheel definitely suffered.

I walked the boys the rest of the way and Bill had to leave work to come rescue me.

August 24th – We went to visit our friend “The other Brendan” at the hospital. It was his 7th birthday and he was stuck inpatient having chemo. The double Brendans are well known at this hospital.

You can’t break this kid’s spirit.

When my Brendan was in the CVICU for so many months, the other Brendan lived there too while he waited for his heart transplant. He got a heart the week after we went home.
Here is that Brendan’s story: https://www.facebook.com/bdavies2010/

August 26th – We had to get out of the heat so we made a little day trip up the Mogollon Rim with friends.

The boys and their friend Blake played with sticks and mud all day. It was perfect

It was amazing to see Brendan run around at high elevation. I can not believe it sometimes when I watch him.

Giant post ahead! Brendan is very sore. The incisions are itchy and annoying. Otherwise, he is doing SO well, and he is sleeping so much better in his own bed!

Immediately after taking Gramma to the airport, we picked up Aunt Shannon, Uncle Jon, Kieran, and Malcolm! They initially booked their trip to help us manage things while Brendan was in the hospital. We all had no idea that he would already be home!
Here comes cousins!

Lunchtime with cousins!

The first thing we had to do was make a Costco trip so we were able to feed houseguests.

Costco has out their huge selection of Halloween costumes. Last year, I waited too long and all the good ones sold out. The boys are very in to costumes now, so we picked up a few.

The littlest soldier

We had to do a lot of relaxing. We introduced the cousins to “Miles from Tomorrowland”. They were hooked! Now they all make robot ostrich sounds. Wah-ah-AAAH-ah!!!

Brendan loves to build with Lego. He has been keeping himself busy creating his own models.

August 9th – FIRST DAY of Kindergarten!! Trevor loads up in Rocket Bike 2.0

He was looking forward to going to his new school!

So far, he has had three really good days. Brendan has been cleared to start on the 21st. He is excited too. They will be in different classrooms.

It was always my intention to set up and do some portraits with all the boys. So Kieran and Malcolm went for some haircuts. It helped them feel cooler in this heat! But because of the time change, school, nap schedule, and overall exhaustion of adults, we just didn’t get the studio put together.

Brendan went for a follow-up with the surgical team on August 10th. His chest x-ray looked awesome. They are very proud of him and impressed with how quickly he is healing. Brendan likes to play with the model hearts.

While Trevor was at school and Brendan was resting, the other boys had to go to the playground to get all their wiggles out.

We couldn’t get rid of this giant box yet. It is just too good. The cousins loved it.

Malcolm loved all of the owls in our house. So we decided to take an evening adventure and go see the burrowing owl sanctuary. Brendan could ride in a stroller so he didn’t have to over-exert. The heat was OK once the sun started to go down.

Burrowing owls are small and cute!

Uncle Jon and the pack

Malcolm loved the owls

“OH! OWLS!”

Kieran is trying to whistle to the owl

Peek! These owls live in the pipes and tunnels in the ground here.

Something else likes these pipes too

Tired owl

Beautiful owl

Silly owl!

Tired of walking

But still silly!

Cousin love!

The next day we decided to investigate the Odysea Aquarium while Trevor was at school.

They put in a new activity for kids. Kids color sea life on the special pages.

When you put your artwork in the scanner, it makes your creations come to life and swim around on the screen. The kids loved it!

This was my favorite part of the day. For the first time since we have been visiting, the giant octopus was out of its hole and being very active! Really amazing to watch!

Brendan is showing Kieran secret tunnels under the tanks

Lunch!

That’s my Brendan smile!!

Selfie at the Living Sea Carousel Ride.

Sit back and relax and watch the huge tanks.

Or take advantage of the dark and quiet to catch a late nap.

Little spider friend hanging out on the door handle of the car. I know a few people that would totally freak out about this. I thought he was cute.

Extra carseat in the van worked while Trevor was in school. Otherwise we all had to roll in two cars. Thumbs up to the day at the aquarium!

Giving Malcolm a spin.

All these boys had different bathing requirements. They got custom tubs.

Trevor likes a deep hot tub with tons of bubbles.

Brendan can’t have water above his belly button. And he likes no foam.

Malcolm just needs room to be a monkey, and room for a mom to hang on to him when he is being a monkey.

Kieran likes his bathwater cool.

And he needs room for jump-drops

Clean boys and pillows

Drawing together

Trevor really wanted to play his favorite game called “Don’t fall off”. Brendan can’t really play yet, but he didn’t want to be excluded.

JUMP!

Brendan just slid down and tried to stay out of the landing zones.

Maybe the game should be named “Don’t land on your face”. Kieran was OK! He got right back up for another jump.

A few Endermen join the fun

Malcolm must do anything the other boys are doing!

He wants to jump!

The visit was over so quickly. I am very glad that it turned into fun adventurous visiting time and not more hospital time. It was still EXHAUSTING having all of these little guys everywhere.

We had to take two cars to the airport so that we could all ride the Sky Train together.

Saying goodbye

I imagine that this cutie will be twice as tall when we see him again.

Front row Sky Train for Brendan on the way back to the car.

Our visiting family had horrible luck trying to get home. They were diverted to Oklahoma City due to storms and had to stay the night. Delay after delay made their trip home almost 24hrs. They made it safely to Dallas!

Brendan continues to recuperate. It is amazing how quickly he is improving. We appreciate so much all of the letters and drawing that were sent. We continue to get them!

We ALL need to rest and recover from the last few weeks.

He did it! He is at home, asleep in his own bed.

Although to me it seems like it was this morning, it was yesterday that everyone came to drop me off for the last “shift” with Brendan. He was improved, and they were giving him free time off the monitors to move around and visit.

We brought him a Niffler for in his suitcase

He had fidget spinner wars with Trevor. They giggled like crazies.

Trevor drew him a “get-well” puffer fish

In the middle of the night, Brendan says “Mommy, I have to go potty!” But when I get up to help him, this is what I find.

This morning, he had to have yet another echo before he got to leave. He did such a good job for this one that they gave him a Lego set!

Dressings are all off, PICC line removed. His chest is a mess of wounds and tape damage. Because of the half circle of chest tube holes. Trevor said Brendan can convince people that he was bitten by a shark.

For the first time in 12 days, he gets to wear clothes!

“Bye-bye”

In the car

Of course, we have to go back again on Friday for another chest x-ray and a check up on the incisions. But for now, it is good to have everyone home in bed tonight.

After waiting for hours to be discharged, I made it home just in time to go to ‘Meet the Teacher” night at the school. Trevor will be starting on Wednesday. Brendan can not start until he is cleared by the doctors. I met both teachers, they will be in separate classes.

We are sad to have to take Gramma back to the airport in the morning. 🙁 Her help is invaluable. I am so glad she got to see Brendan come home. The boys were so silly and lovable. A few hours after we drop her off, we will be making a pickup.

By the time most people are reading this, it will be August 8th – Bill’s 50th birthday.
It has taken a backseat to all of the recent medical events. Bill is a very dedicated Dad and we appreciate him very much. We will have to have a make-up birthday celebration when things calm down. Happy Birthday, Bill! I love you very much!