Tiny Tailgaters!!!!

Football season is well underway here in the Loveliest Village on the Plains and for the past 4 weekends we have been doing a lot of tailgating and football game watching. Auburn is doing very well so far this year, we are 4-0 as we speak. War Damn Eagle!!!!! (excuse the profanity, but that is the way we say it hear in Auburn)

Prather, Wilson and William BEFORE the monsoon came through--might I add this is the 2nd week AU has been doused in a major storm right before kickoff!!

Nathan hanging under the tent, keeping safe from the storm.

And this is what we did AFTER the rain storm passed!!! What's more fun the playing in the puddles!

Nathan and Emily taking a break!

Wilson and Prather headed to the game! Look at those wet bottoms :)

This was Wilson's first ever AU football game! Do you think he looks mesmerized? HE LOVED IT!!!!

And then the rain came back -----and this time to stay! We made it until the end of the 1st quarter and then we (the mommas) had had enough.

**sorry Nathan, I didn't get any pics of you at the game......next time :)

Kindergarten.....Here We Come!!!!

The day has finally arrived. I sent my oldest baby off to Kindergarten this morning. It was definitely bitter sweet. He has been attending the same private pre-school since he was 3 yrs old and since he was going to be enduring the next couple surgeries during the school year we decided to keep him at this precious school for his kindergarten year. He has seen the "big kids" classroom over the past 2 years and couldn't wait for it to be his turn.

His little brother was more than happy to take a before school pic with him, as you can tell.
And then off he and I headed to Indian Pines Country Day School. I have loved this school for the past 2 years and can't wait to see what all he learns this year.
The first thing he did when he got to school was find his desk with his name on it. He then got to practice writing his name before heading off to group time.

This is where I left him before I snuck out the back door.

Drumroll please...................

As most of you have probably figured out by now, Nathan just completed Stage 2 surgery of his reconstruction. I can't believe we are half way done. Two more surgeries to go, but we won't think about those for right now. For now, we will enjoy school, football weekends and no more bandages for a while. WHOO-HOO!!!!!

Today was the big day.....the "unveiling " of the ear. Bless his heart (and mine) he has had that big ol' nasty bandage on his head since last Tuesday and today it finally got to come off. As you can see below this surgery used alot more "tiny" detail with all of those stitches. I am not sure how many there were BUT believe you me there were a ton of them.
We let our local ENT do the suture removal which saved us a trip to Atlanta --Thanks Dr. Blythe. So as you can see below, after we did this.........

This is the finished product :)...........
Some of you might be wondering why the ear is still so flat to the head??!?!? Well, that is just part of the stages of surgery. Stage 3 is when the ear will actually be "elevated" away from the head, making it protrude like a normal ear. But for now, I think this looks BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

I do sort of miss that sweet "little" ear we had all come to love but Nathan is so proud of his new ear.....and I am proud for him.

The Little Patient

This was taken in the recovery room shortly after we got to see him. Look at that sweet smile he was trying to muster out. And the sweet kitty cat Dr. Jones gave him also came out of surgery with its own head bandage, LOL!!!
Well, that was 4 hrs ago and we are now safe and sound at home. Can you believe it?!?!?! When they say "outpatient" they mean it..... not that I am complaining, but WOW, that was fast.

The surgery went well and as of now Nathan is only having minor discomfort at the ear sight. We are trying to control it with regular tylenol/motrin instead of the narcotics they prescribed. So far, so good. Like I said before, this is the "easiest" of the surgeries on Nathan. As for Dr. Jones, he said this was the most difficult stage for him (as the surgeon) because during this operation he really has to use his "creativity" since everybody's microtia ear is different. Let's hope his creativity marker was at it's height today :)
The bandage will stay on until next Wed. and at that point he will have his stitches removed......just in time to start Kindergarten at Indian Pines. Whoo-hoo!!! He is so excited and so is momma!

Update!!!

Nathan is out of surgery!!!!! YEAH!!! Everything went great. We haven't seen him yet but are waiting to go back to recovery and get our hands on him. Love you all, and thank you for your prayers.

Does it ever get easier????

How is it that it is only 7:30 in the morning and I am absolutely exhausted, physically, mentally and emotionally!! Does this ever really get any easier???? I don't think it does, but if someone can tell me how to make that happen, I would love to hear it :)
We got to the hospital at 5:30 this morning and were tending to this little fella until the OR staff came to take him from us. I keep thinking I will eventually be strong enough to let them wheel him away without experiencing the gushing of tears, but it doesn't seem to work that way. There is no way it can be easy, especially when his little eyes are full of tears and all he wants is for one of us to go with him.
Enough of the water works...........to update you, they took him to the OR around 7:30 and the surgery should last 2 1/2 -3 hrs. As we here from the doctor/nurses I will update the blog.


While we are waiting, if you don't mind, I can share with you what we did yesterday after all of our appts. were over. Take a quick look at the pictures and I bet you can guess where we went :).

THE AQUARIUM!!!!!!!! For the third time I might add. BUT, this was the most pleasant and fun time we have ever had. Hardly any crowds. Nathan got to get up close to every attraction he wanted without fighting a big group of people. We timed it perfect.