Happy Boy!

Well, yesterday was Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. Jarem has decided to give up ear infections for Lent. :) What a good boy! We are proud of his decision. Hehe Yesterday Jarem also got tubes put in his ears. It was an early morning full of anxiety for Eric and me but to Jarem, it was just another day with mommy and daddy and new places. He had to be at Phoenix Children’s Hospital by 5:30am to check-in for his 7:00am surgery time. We left the house at 4:30am and were up at 3:30am. We didn’t go to sleep until midnight though because we were packing bags and loading the car and triple checking that we had EVERYTHING we thought we might need. We definitely brought enough stuff with us but no one could say we weren’t prepared.

Jarem woke up a little when we left the house but quickly fell asleep once we got on the road. He didn’t wake up again until we were in the waiting room at the hospital around 6:30am. It was quite confusing when we got to the hospital because they told us to go to outpatient surgery. Well that was in a different building than the address on the pamphlet they gave us. So first I tried the outpatient building only to find no offices were open yet. Next I went to the building that was addressed on the pamphlet. Well those doors were locked, too. So after going around the building a couple times and finally finding someone to let me in the doors, I found the suite number listed on the pamphlet but again, the door was locked. We went to the main hospital entrance and up to the front desk where they told us that we were at the right place before but the doors don’t open until 6am. At least we were highly acquainted with the building now!

We drove back over to the other building and Eric dropped me off at the curb with some of the stuff. We loaded Jarem in his stroller and then I walked around with him in the building (which was nice and dark since it wasn’t officially open yet) and Eric went and parked the car. Soon after Eric got back from parking the car the doors opened. We were the first ones up to the counter to get Jarem checked in. We walked laps around the waiting room to help keep him asleep a while longer. We were going to such great lengths to keep him asleep because he wasn’t allowed to eat past midnight and we were nervous he would wake up in a fret without his morning meal. Anyone who knows my son knows he can’t go long without food. Especially when mommy is close by with milk…

We sat down and played a couple hands of cards when we saw his stroller shake a little. Our little angel woke up. Here are a couple pictures we took right after he woke up when he was still in his stroller.

The doll he is holding is the softest lamb from Tita and Tito. It has a wind up music box that plays "Jesus loves me, this I know". Jarem loves to snuggle with it and give the lamb kisses. So cute…

We got Jarem out of his car seat and played with him for a couple minutes before they called us back. Jarem got his (second ever) hospital bracelet and vitals taken and they asked us some questions about medical history, etc.

Then Jarem was really awake and wanted to play. He played at the table with us and also pushed the little stool around like it was a walker. It was so cute to watch! Most of the other kids were either sleeping or sitting quietly. But Jarem was walking in circles and laughing and playing. We were so relieved that he was feeling so good.



The anesthesiologist came and met with us to give us a brief rundown of the procedure and what to expect. We also met Jarem's nurse that would be staying with him during the procedure. Everyone at Phoenix Children's was so friendly and great with Jarem. Dr. Josen is the last person we met with before Jarem's surgery. He is so caring and chill. He was mellow but still showed concern. It was so refreshing to see his confidence without the arrogance.

The nurse then came over and took Jarem after we laid a solid minute of snuggles and kisses on Jarem. He didn't cry when they took him away because he was too busy looking at where he was going rather than the fact that he was leaving mommy and daddy. That made things a lot easier on us that he didn't cry when they took him back. We said a quick prayer before packing up our stuff and heading back to the waiting room. Eric made the best realization while in the waiting room. Hospital time travels so much slower than normal time. Although it was only ten minutes before Dr. Josen was out in the waiting room with us giving an update, it felt like an hour. We stayed calm and patient though and were really anxious to get back there with Jarem again. When we got back to him he was a little groggy and whining but not screaming and hysterical like I expected. He immediately nursed with me and calmed down. Eric and I were so relieved to see that he was okay and still our gorgeous, happy little boy.

The rest of the day was a breeze! He was in the best mood on the car ride home. He laughed, played and filled our hearts with so much love. Once we got home we all took a nap together, what a long morning! All in all, Jarem is a new man with his tubes in his ears. He is incredibly playful and happy. We really cannot thank everyone enough for the warm wishes and prayers this past week and especially yesterday. We also thank Jenifer, my sister, for making us dinner last night. We had stuffed shells and garlic bread. SO YUMMY! I think I need to add that one to my recipe book.