We are home!!

This past month was filled with every emotion in the book. I was so busy dealing with staying home with 2 kids, recovering from a c-section, and worrying about DJ going through surgery. I had so much to blog about. It took too much effort to narrow it down, so nothing got blogged. I will try to recap at least this last week.
We found that the only time we could bless Hailey with Jon's dad in town and before DJ's surgery was Thursday night. We got a call from the hospital a few hours before the blessing telling us that DJ's blood needed to be drawn that day in Salt Lake. We all climbed in the car and made a mad rush to Primary Childrens Hospital. On the way back, there was a wreck on the freeway along with it being rush hour. We pulled in to the church with barely minutes to spare for the blessing. Hailey wore the same dress that I was blessed in many years ago. Hopefully, I can keep it as well as my mom did, so Hailey's daughter can wear it also. Isn't she beautiful?

Friday morning, we woke up really early to get to the hospital. After checking in, we were in the waiting room and DJ found a baby cradle. After "burping" his stuffed cow, he would lay it gently in the cradle and put his blanket over it while saying "Night, Night." I guess he is picking up on the things we are doing to Hailey. We finally got called back to get his vitals checked and his hospital gown on. We then got sent to another waiting room to wait for the anesthesiologist to come. This room had books, toys, cars, and bubbles. That is where we are in this next picture. DJ was running around playing with everthing and just excited to run around. The other moms were holding their scared kids and there I was watching DJ be a bundle of energy.

Then the anesthesiologist came and said that they were ready for DJ and took him (and the cow, of course) to the OR and I got sent to a third waiting room. After 3 1/2 hours (It was supposed to be 4-5), the doctor came in and told me that the surgery went great. The reason there was so much pressure is because a bone in the back of his head, that should have been curved, was flat. The doctor restructured that, widened the vertebrae, and coterized the cerebellum. He thought DJ was doing well enough that we went straight to our room, rather than spending time in the PICU. Luckily, we did that because soon after we got there, some Jazz players and dancers showed up and signed a ball for DJ. Unfortunately for Jon and I, we had chosen that moment to go get some lunch in the cafeteria (on the way back we ran into Jerry Sloan). Fortunately, Grandma remembered to take some pictures.


DJ spent the next few days mostly drugged. When he was awake, you could tell he was in pain. Here is the wound.

On Monday, when he was a little more coherent, they started introducing soft food back into his diet. The nurse first brought in a popsicle. DJ's eyes got so big and his hands started shaking. He was so excited to eat that first bite.

In the evening on Monday, the physical therapist wanted him to start sitting up and when he got used to that feeling, then to start standing and then walking. We put toys on his bed to entice him to sit up and play.

He did so good at the sitting up, that later she took him out in the hall for a look at the snow out the window. On the way back to the room, DJ saw me and started walking towards me. He was very unsteady on his feet, but I was so proud of him for walking again. By Tuesday, he was walking everywhere (I think he was sick of being in his room and in bed). We finally got him to take a little rest and some of the Utah Grizzlies players showed up and gave him a Harley Davidson stuffed dog.

He usually doesn't take to new stuffed animals, because he has his cow, but he gave a big hug to this dog. This morning, they allowed us to come home. It feels great to be sleeping in our own beds. We are so grateful to Primary Childrens. The staff was awesome in taking care of DJ. We are also grateful for the sports teams who take time out of their schedules to come make the day of sick kids. We are especially grateful for thoughts and prayers of everyone to get us through this hard time.