My sweet children

So, Owen picked those flowers for Evelyn on a recent trip to the park with CC. He likes to pick all the dandelions, and gives those to any and everybody - but the purple flowers (peepul fliers) are for Evelyn. Owen has been handling this hospital stay much better than one might expect - given that he's in the midst of the terrible twos. In so many ways he is like a first child for us; we've certainly been active parents with Evelyn, but there a lot of issues that need addressing with Owen as he develops that weren't issues with Evs - like climbing the furniture, for example. :) We can tell that Owen is a little stressed by all of this because he kind of lets it all out as soon as I walk in the door - acting out, misbehaving, having a tantrum or two. His worst behavior isn't really too terrible, but it has been a little challenging maintaining discipline while being sensitive to the situation. Luckily we have Pop and CC to learn from, and having Owen stay in one place through this hospitalization gives him some much needed stability. It also helps that he often gets a cookie after lunch - a new routine established by CC. :)

Evelyn has had another great day; she's very gassy (don't tell her I put that on the internet!) but is working on that... Today she spent several hours in her wheelchair - we looked out the window, read some stories, did her hair and just had some mommy and Evelyn time. She also got to try out an HME today - a 'heat moisture exchange' attachment to her trach. It is a little bowtie shaped attachment that does the work of a heater/humidifier, but without tubes, machines or wires. There are filters, and a small chamber that collects condensation from exhalations - so it basically functions as a nose, and is often referred to as such. Her pancreas continues to return to normal, and she started a new lowfat formula today. After we return home, we will make more 'Evelyn meals' that follow a lower fat model (she was on modified Atkins to help with seizures - but we all agreed avoiding pancreatitis was a good reason to stop).

The word 'Tuesday' has been utterd about a zillion times, and we'll be chanting it all weekend - we are all SO ready to go home and start returning to a normal routine. At some point I know that all the pent up stress we're experiencing is going to start leaking out - I'm probably going to cry for no clear reason, snap at my husband, and worry about something completely innocuous with Evelyn - but over the next couple of weeks we'll be back to ourselves. I love my little kiddos, and I will be so glad to get them both under the same roof. Having undivided time with each of them is nice, but leaving one to be with the other isn't easy.

I have to throw this in though - every single day I feel SO fortunate; to spend all day every day just being with my children. When I walk by hospital rooms with little babies all alone, I'm reminded of how lucky we are that I'm not working and can be with Evelyn and Owen when they need me.

:)