FAMILY PRAYER...

...is a powerful and sustaining influence.

"The Savior told us, Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed. In our day, the Church urges us to have family prayer every night and every morning."

*****

James E. Faust

*****

(I always loved that before Ben got too stiff, he would join us in kneeling for family prayer.)

Just Because...

There is no reason or story behind this photo...
I just needed to have this cute picture on Ben's blog.

Special Tomato Strollers...

For Special Tomato Boys!

Caleb in his jazzy new stoller...

And Ben in his.
These boys have GREAT taste! :)

People Say...

That my DASHING good looks,
come from my DAD!

Lumpy, Bumpy Thighs

Ooohhhh...it's been a hard couple of days.

Ben's thighs are black and blue,

so is my heart.
I HATE sticking him...

and I have to do it twice, two times a day.

Those needles are big and mean.

I rub his head a lot afterwards

and give him countless hugs and kisses.

I know he doesn't hold a grudge.
He's sweet like that.

I make sure he's surrounded

by lots of soft, furry friends.

Then it doesn't seem so bad.

I had to include this picture because it makes me laugh. Ben is making the letter N with his hands. He's good at it. This is his sign for "NURSE". It's Ben's way of saying HI to all his favorite nurses in the PICU. He misses them but I know that he loves being home more.

Great News!

WE
ARE
GOING
HOME!!!
The doctor came in to let us know that the first bug he was growing in his bladder can be treated with oral antibiotics. The second bug we can treat with IM (intramuscular injections) shots at home. I don't like giving him shots, but it's better than sitting here for another 4 days. I'm excited! I finally feel like my summer can begin!

B.O.R.E.D.

That's what we are.
Three more days in the PICU.
Allergies to antibiotics will do that to you.
Ben's allergic to everything under then sun.
(including the sun)
He's here now for IV therapy.
YIPPEE!
(and I scream that with heavy sarcasm)

Guess what???

I ♥ BEN

Day 2

It's noon time around here.

I've opened up all the blinds to let the sun in.

I've kissed Ben's cheeks and rubbed his head.

He's out for the count.

That's what a whole boat load of phenobarb will do to you.

I just might have to crawl in with him

and hope that some of it rubs off onto me.

(update: he's got a bladder infection too)

PICU REUNION

I told Ben that we had a "FAMILY REUNION" this weekend and I think he misunderstood exactly what I meant. I was talking about MY family. He thought I was talking about his PICU family. We've been here since early this morning. I left our "Hutchins" reunion at 9pm last night after Ben spiked a fever of 102 along with increased work of breathing, needing oxygen, lots and lots of "ocular gyric movements"...sometimes they think these are seizures. I took drove 2 hours home to our local ER (only because I needed clothes from home) where we stayed for 4 hours. Finally he was transferred to Dartmouth and we arrived at 5am this morning. It was a LONG 24 hours to be awake. Needless to say...Mom was TIRED. Ben is resting comfortably now. His x-ray from the outlying hospital showed a total whiteout in his left lung, so they diagnosed him with pneumonia. The x-ray here showed a 50% improvement, mostly white on the lower half...that means it's most likely a collapse that improved with some time. He is still needing 40% oxygen, he was started on two antibiotics, one of them being "vancomyocin". He had a reaction to this drug called "red man syndrome" where your face and torso become really, really red...almost looks like you've been sunburned.

(See bottom picture)

Thanks goodness this isn't considered an "allergic" reaction as he is allergic to SO many antibiotics. They will just give him some benadryl before the med. and run it slower. Because of his possible increase in seizure activity (his eye movements), Dr. Filiano doubled his phenobarb dose and had the nurses give him a loading dose as well. He is looking really tired tonight after getting all that phenobarb.

(Ben after getting "red man syndrome")

So far no vent, that's good news. We'll see how he does through the night and into tomorrow. Maybe we'll get lucky and make this a short reunion. Until then...you can find me under the covers.

Beautiful Ben

A dear friend of mine mailed this to me while I was in the hospital. It came the day before we found out we had lost our baby. It had been a LONG hospital stay. Lots of time in a small, dark room. My sweet sister, Amy Jo, came to see me and brought this gift with her. It made me cry and lifted my spirits. It's such a beautiful picture of Benjamin. Thank you Leslie. I will treasure this always.

He missed me...

A total of 18 days without him.

(a lengthy hospital stay will do that to you)

My heart ached for him, his for mine.

I haven't slept much.

Neither has he.

He woke up crying last night.

He wouldn't let me leave his side.

I unhooked him from everything,

and carried him to my bed...

Both of us slept,

and somehow everything seemed to be better.