I am so proud of our boys and how they are growing and learning.
1st Day of School
I am so proud of our boys and how they are growing and learning.
Bone Graft Surgery~ The full story
Jaron and I flew up to Boston Wednesday July 20th.
He had a speech study on Thursday. They put barium in his nose and had him repeat sentences all while watching his soft palate move in the X-ray machine. We wanted to see if air is escaping out the nose when he talks, resulting in a more nasal voice. It is a little short but no rush to do a pflap surgery. It's optional.
Being silly while we waited
Therapy dog came to the hospital to visit the kids.
Friday we had pre op visits at the hospital
Then I decided to take him to Lego Discovery center Friday afternoon. Knowing he was about to go through something very uncomfortable I was trying to make this weekend before, as fun as possible.
After a couple hours we were looking around in the gift shop and one of the managers asked me if we needed any help. I proceeded to tell him what Jaron wanted me to buy but I could not afford it. Then I told him we were here in Boston for his surgery. He asked me if we got free tickets from the hospital to get in that day. I told him no, I had to pay full price. He asked me to give him a receipt so he could refund my money.
It was $35 admission. When we walked out the door Jaron said "mommy this is the best day ever!"
Saturday and Sunday we relaxed in the hotel room chowing down on all his favorite snacks before surgery Monday morning
We did go outside to the hospital garden a few times and got out of the room as much as possible.
We will be staying in town for a few post op visits before we fly back home to South Dakota.
Preparing for Surgery
Its just going to be Jaron and I going for 13 days total. July 20-Aug. 2. He has a speech study and pre-op before surgery. We also have to stay in town a week after surgery for post op visits. So it's not going to be cheap. Staying at a hotel in Boston is expensive and we definitely cannot afford 6 plane tickets for the whole family to go or a hotel room for all of us to sleep comfortably.
It would be about $6000 for all of us to go.
This will be the first time I have been away from my kids that long. I think Jonah is going to have the hardest time with it. Jaron has never been away from his brothers that long either. They are all so close because we homeschool they are like best friends. Its going to be very hard emotionally. I think having family there would be good moral support for us. Chris has to take off work to stay home with the others. I wish there was a way we could all be together as a family.
After surgery he will not be able to chew anything for 6 weeks! We will have to find a store before surgery to buy him some soft/puree foods that he can eat post op. I will also be bringing my mini blender with me. We are just praying God provides all our needs for this trip. I have applied for Miracle Flights to get mine and Jaron's ticket. (they only cover the patient and one parent)
I also applied for assistance with hotel and meals with Children's Craniofacial Association.
I am really trying not to worry about the money. This is a necessary surgery and I am taking Jaron to the best doctors in the country. This is his face, his smile, his future. People judge us by our appearance. First impressions mean a lot in getting a job, making friends and one day finding a wife. I just want Jaron to live a normal life and not feel different or like an outcast. I want him to also be able to chew his food properly and getting this bone graft is going to enable the doctors to make room for more teeth and proceed with the next step in aligning his teeth.
If you would like to donate to help out with our travel expenses just click on the link below.
Dental dilemmas....
When we left Georgia all 4 boys had a cleaning at the dentist and Justus did not have any cavities. Then we moved out here to South Dakota and he started getting a black spot on one of his teeth and saying it was hurting. So I took him to the local dentist in Chamberlain and he said he had several cavities but did not feel comfortable working on a 5 year old so he referred me to nearest pediatric dentist in Pierre (1.5 hrs away)
So we drove out there in April and they did X-rays then informed me Justus had 7 cavities and needed 5 silver crowns!!! I was in tears feeling like the worst mom ever! They would not fill the one that was hurting him that day. She scheduled to have him put to sleep and fix them all at once.
(First Available is June 24th!!!) we left that day with no relief!
So while we waited for his upcoming "surgery", Jacob started having pain in his jaws in the back like his wisdom teeth. So I found a regular family dentist in Mitchell (1 hour away) to get Jacob checked out. We liked him so I asked if they were willing to work on a 5 year old. They were more than willing to try.
So I scheduled Justus an appointment with him to try and do a filling and avoid getting put to sleep. Last week we took Justus to his first appointment and he was a little nervous but the laughing gas helped out a lot and he was able to fill the biggest cavity, so we made another appointment to do some more.
Yesterday we went back to Mitchell for Jaron's orthodontist appointment. Since he got the expander put in his mouth he has lost 2 baby teeth and its making the expansion nearly impossible. So he removed the expander for now and said we need to wait 6 months for him to lose the rest of his baby teeth and hopefully his permanent teeth will grown in for the ortho to anchor a new expander to them. Needless to say Jaron is very happy to have that annoying thing out of his mouth. After his orthodontist spoke to the surgeon in Boston they decided he still needs the bone graft surgery July 25th. Please pray for us as we try to prepare for this trip.
Next, I took Justus back in for another filling and he did even better this time. We also cancelled the "surgery" for the pediatric dentist in Pierre as I felt it was a little extreme and unnecessary. The dentist in Mitchell agreed with me that he didn't need 5 silver crowns.
I am not sure why his teeth are doing so poorly since we moved here. Maybe he's eating more candy, not likely, or maybe its something different in the water. All the boys drink is 99.9% water.
{I think its the water-it leaves spots on everything-evidence of sediment}
So we drove out there in April and they did X-rays then informed me Justus had 7 cavities and needed 5 silver crowns!!! I was in tears feeling like the worst mom ever! They would not fill the one that was hurting him that day. She scheduled to have him put to sleep and fix them all at once.
(First Available is June 24th!!!) we left that day with no relief!
So while we waited for his upcoming "surgery", Jacob started having pain in his jaws in the back like his wisdom teeth. So I found a regular family dentist in Mitchell (1 hour away) to get Jacob checked out. We liked him so I asked if they were willing to work on a 5 year old. They were more than willing to try.
So I scheduled Justus an appointment with him to try and do a filling and avoid getting put to sleep. Last week we took Justus to his first appointment and he was a little nervous but the laughing gas helped out a lot and he was able to fill the biggest cavity, so we made another appointment to do some more.
Yesterday we went back to Mitchell for Jaron's orthodontist appointment. Since he got the expander put in his mouth he has lost 2 baby teeth and its making the expansion nearly impossible. So he removed the expander for now and said we need to wait 6 months for him to lose the rest of his baby teeth and hopefully his permanent teeth will grown in for the ortho to anchor a new expander to them. Needless to say Jaron is very happy to have that annoying thing out of his mouth. After his orthodontist spoke to the surgeon in Boston they decided he still needs the bone graft surgery July 25th. Please pray for us as we try to prepare for this trip.
Next, I took Justus back in for another filling and he did even better this time. We also cancelled the "surgery" for the pediatric dentist in Pierre as I felt it was a little extreme and unnecessary. The dentist in Mitchell agreed with me that he didn't need 5 silver crowns.
I am not sure why his teeth are doing so poorly since we moved here. Maybe he's eating more candy, not likely, or maybe its something different in the water. All the boys drink is 99.9% water.
{I think its the water-it leaves spots on everything-evidence of sediment}
Florida Family Fun
Justus was practicing swimming with Pepe
Disappointments
The way we talk about other people is evidence of how we feel in our hearts. Constantly pointing out other peoples faults and all their past mistakes is not the way to make yourself look better.
We should try to find the good in everyone we meet. I want to befriend the one that everyone else shuns. I like to be friends with the people most would only talk about. I have a heart for those shy people or the outcasts. It breaks my heart to think of someone being left out. I never want to make someone feel like they are not good enough. I try to always put myself in the other persons shoes and how I would feel it I were in their situation.
The guilt I have when I do for myself is overwhelming at times. If I were a millionaire, I would probably give it all away. I cannot pass a homeless person without giving them something to eat. I cannot pass a crying child in the store without trying to cheer them up. When people come over I cannot let them leave unless I give them something. The feeling I get from doing for others is indescribable.
What is so disappointing is when I am not given the same respect.
{don't get me wrong I am NOT PERFECT by any means, just very compassionate}
I wish everyone would consider others before themselves.
I wish we could all learn to think before we speak and not say things if they aren't necessary.
Life is hard and talking bad about people will only make things harder.
Be an encourager. Make someone smile. Go the extra mile. Do unto others...
We should try to find the good in everyone we meet. I want to befriend the one that everyone else shuns. I like to be friends with the people most would only talk about. I have a heart for those shy people or the outcasts. It breaks my heart to think of someone being left out. I never want to make someone feel like they are not good enough. I try to always put myself in the other persons shoes and how I would feel it I were in their situation.
The guilt I have when I do for myself is overwhelming at times. If I were a millionaire, I would probably give it all away. I cannot pass a homeless person without giving them something to eat. I cannot pass a crying child in the store without trying to cheer them up. When people come over I cannot let them leave unless I give them something. The feeling I get from doing for others is indescribable.
What is so disappointing is when I am not given the same respect.
{don't get me wrong I am NOT PERFECT by any means, just very compassionate}
I wish everyone would consider others before themselves.
I wish we could all learn to think before we speak and not say things if they aren't necessary.
Life is hard and talking bad about people will only make things harder.
Be an encourager. Make someone smile. Go the extra mile. Do unto others...
Homemade Scented Play Dough
Our Favorite Healthy Granola Bars
In a large bowl combine
3 cups rice cereal
3 cups quick oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 pack of chia seeds (or more if you like)
Set aside...
In a small boiler combine 1 1/2 cups of honey
1/3 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
Bring it to a boil for 1 minute
Then I cut it into 24 bars. (3 rows of 8)
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| Last but not least, I wrap each bar individually with saran wrap to keep fresh. I store them in the fridge to retain their shape or they will get gooey and mushy if left out at room temperature. |
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