Wowzer! It was an exhausting day. My feet hurt and I am so ready for bed!
Trevor woke up at 4:30am. I got him to relax and go back to bed after about 20 minutes but then I could not go back to sleep.

Brendan had a cardiology appointment first thing this morning. So I got Trevor through breakfast and had just enough time to get him dressed. Brendan’s nurse and I got the car packed and the equipment all together. Brendan handled the car trip much better than I expected. He cried a bit getting in to the stroller at the doctor’s. I was so worried after the meltdowns while trying to take walks that this outing would be really bad.
He saved the EPIC meltdown for when they were trying to do his EKG. He does not like to be held down so he went in to a total rage. Who would want all those stickers and wires on them?
The test results were useless with that much fighting so they stepped out to let him calm down. Of course, he wore himself out so he fell asleep. Then they were able to do a perfect EKG.
He woke up for his echocardiogram and although he was not thrilled about it, he did sit still and let them get really good pictures.
The doctor was so very happy with Brendan. He said Brendan looked amazing, his weight was 25lbs and wonderful. His heart is strong and the doctor “couldn’t be happier” with the function. No valve leak at all, no coarctation of vessels, no weak squeeze, good pulmonary arteries, good Glenn flow. A+++!!
So we are on “coast and grow” mode to try to make the strongest lungs possible for when he has his next open heart procedure.

Trevor was such a good boy at the doctor’s office. He stayed in the stroller in the beginning and then I had to hold him the rest of the time. He squirmed and wanted to get down a lot, so my arms and back are exhausted. But he didn’t cry.
We were there so long, we got home late for lunch so Trevor got cranky. Both boys were so tired!

Brendan wasn’t real keen on sweet potatoes, but to be fair, he didn’t have an easy morning so we will have to try them again.

“Psst, Trevor. Gramma tried to tell me these were good.”

Trevor liked them and thought they would be good on his face too!

The boys got in a short nap and then Brendan had Occupational Therapy. He did a very good job with his therapist today. He showed her all of his good tricks. Trevor even got a deep pressure massage so that she could train me how to do it with Brendan. He liked it!

Trevor had to rearrange the diapers for Brendan

Trevor practiced a LOT of walking up and down the hallway and outside on the front patio. (another reason my back is sore!) But he still likes to walk around on his knees!

Tomorrow is our recovery day, no appointments, no therapies. Just laundry!

Are we on Monday again already? It was a busy day but it all went OK. Brendan is most definitely dealing with sensitivity to bright light and loud sounds. I turned on his helicopter toy for the first time in weeks and he cried! It used to be one of his top favorites! It was just loud.

I got delayed on some things I wanted to do today so at the end of the day, I went shopping too late. I came home and was trying to put away groceries, feed Trevor, and cook for us all at the same time. I got Trevor to bed and still had to give Brendan a bath. Now Brendan is wide awake and refusing to relax and go to sleep! He doesn’t want Bill to go to bed.

It was a good day of play for the most part. We seem to have a little problem with the workbench. This little thing pops out and knocks the tools off the hangers!

Brendan was making me a wooden train whistle latte.

“Thank you all for coming today, let’s get started!”

Brobee is not a very good listener.

Trevor was getting ready to go to the store.

“If Gramma were here, she would buy these for me!!”

One of Trevor’s first real words that he applies properly (Other than mama, dada, dog, uh-oh, outside, mailman, & Brendan) is “apple”. He points at the fruit basket on the kitchen counter and says it over and over. He wants me to give him an apple to bite on, but he takes big bites out of it! He likes the Granny Smith ones the best.

This isn’t the best example, he says it better. But it is still cute!

It was a pretty nice morning. Trevor decided we needed to make pancakes. We made blueberry pancakes and Trevor helped stir it all up.

Brendan passed on pancakes and opted for donuts instead

We tried the walk again, this time in the afternoon when Brendan was in a great mood. It was the same thing. He wanted no part of the stroller. We got him calmed down once and then Trevor yelled and started the crying all over again. We tried all we could to make him comfortable and then had to give up. Bill stayed with Brendan and I took Trevor on the 3/4 mile loop around the block. When we got home, Bill and I traded babies and he and Trevor went for another loop while I did Brendan’s bath and trach change.
I think Trevor was wondering why there was no third loop around! We actually got rained on a little, who would have thought?

Brendan loved his bath and freaked out for his trach change. But then he got dressed in his outfit that makes him look like a cupcake with rainbow sprinkle frosting. Who could be sad in that?

Trevor has the TV remote

We don’t follow football at all, I didn’t even know who was playing until yesterday. Our neighbor around the corner went nuts and recreated the superbowl field in his front yard, including PVC goalposts and detailed, elaborate team endzones painted on the grass, the center emblem, etc. When we walked by today, they had a ton of people in full “costume” with face paint and everything.
We decided to watch the game but haven’t given it a lot of attention. The power outage was cool. We decided to root for the Ravens because ravens say “CAWWWW!!!” and that made Brendan smile. I don’t know what sound a 49’er makes. It is 31-29 now, so it is anyone’s game. Quite a comeback. Still, we are pulling for the “CAWWWW!!!” Ravens.