Six years ago, this was my boy!

I am reposting this. It has been six years this month that this happened.


I remember so well. We were having a turkey dinner that Sunday night and I was running late so I gave Timmy his bath early. He complained about his neck hurting. During dinner he complained of his neck hurting. He went to bed complaining (and crying) about his neck hurting. He woke up at 10:00 complaining and crying that his neck was hurting. I called the Dr. who sent us to the ER. That night they sent us home with a prescription for a stiff neck. The next day he was still crying about his neck hurting. He had a fever and couldn't stop crying. We went back to the ER and 7 hours later (and many tests later) he was in an ambulance heading to Boston to Children's hospital. Rich and I joined him in Boston. We spent 8 long days in ICU with him. There were some very scary moments. I remember the most frightening day of my life was when Rich and I were taken into a small room with the doctors who told us that there was the possibility that Timmy could die. He was very sick. They had so many teams of doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with him. I stayed by his side in the ICU each day and night. I remember the day there were about 10 doctors over him trying everything they knew how to do to help. His blood pressure had dropped so low! The poor boy was on massive antibiotics and morphine. They finally decided that he had a retropharyngeal abscess with Mediastinitis.


After about six days he stared improving and they decided he didn't need to be as sedated as he was. I remember when they "woke" him up he turned to me with tears in his eyes and mouthed the word "momma" to me. I still get so emotional thinking of that. When he was taken out of the ICU the poor boy started going through morphine withdrawal. He was released from the hospital and sent home with IV antibiotics.

About a week after we got home he started getting very sick again so we went back to Children's Hospital and after several days they discovered that he had allergies to the antibiotics that he was on.

It was the most heart wrenching time of my life!! I know that all my friends and family (even people I didn't know) who were praying for Timmy played such an important part of his recovery.



It's been three years and he is such a healthy boy now and quite the funny boy at that. Today we were driving to school and I told him that he was handsome. A minute later he said, "so I got all the looks" and Brittainy got everything else!".

I can't imagine my life without him. He fills my heart with such joy!!


take care,
Dawn

My week in review

Hello there! It's been another one of those weeks for me. Last Saturday I went to Britt's house to surprise her when she returned from her vacation by cleaning her house. She left the day after Jack's party and I went to tidy up for her so she wouldn't have to do it when she got home. I also made her a pot of spaghetti sauce and meatballs. ☺ Later that day Britt called to tell me that her flight home was Saturday morning not Sunday. They missed their flight and wouldn't be flying home until Tuesday. Brittainy is the epitome of Murphy's Law!

Tuesday I had to take Tim to the dentist, pick up my mother and get home to have a corn beef and cabbage dinner with Britt, Jay, the kids also joining us. They came right from the airport to my house.

Rich FINALLY went to the doctor's on Tuesday and he told me that he has bronchial pneumonia. I called the doctor back on Thursday to tell them that Tim wasn't getting better and I brought him back in on Friday and he has bronchitis.

Oh, and I had report cards to write this week that went home on Friday. I don't know where I found the time to get everything done.

I did treat myself yesterday. Twilight was released on DVD and I bought it and watched it.

To top off my week, a piece of my front tooth fell off yesterday. I just happened to rub my tounge across it and it broke. I wasn't even eating anything!

I still have an assignment for the class I am taking due tonight by midnight (online) that I am not done with yet. Then I get to start all over again next week with a new assignment.

If you have read this far thanks! I've missed my blogging friends this week. I think we all need to make a coffee (or tea) date and get together and just talk! :)

take care,
Dawn

Friday's Favorite Family Foto

Deborah of Pictures Pots and Pens is hosting Friday's Favorite Family Fotos. Please stop by her blog to see who else is posting and be sure to visit them as well.

The pictures I am sharing today are of Tim and Mackenzie. They were taken about 3 years ago. Brittainy worked on weekends back then and I would watch Mackenzie on Saturdays. This weekend I pulled out one of Tim's old pop up play tents and he and Mackenzie played in it for quite some time.

They are close enough in age to be brother and sister but Tim is Mackenzie's uncle...and he's only 7 years older than her. :)

Please be sure to visit Deborah's blog for more Friday's Favorite Family Fotos.

take care,
Dawn

A different Grandma!

My daughter Brittainy, her husband and two kids are visiting family in Florida. Oh, I miss them. They will have been gone two weeks this weekend, but thankfully will be home on Sunday.

Britt called me the other day to tell me that she was having a great time and shared some stories. She told me that on the plane ride to Florida Mackenzie was a bit confused about going to see Grandma and Papa (her grandparents she's never met) because she also calls me and Rich Grandma and Papa. Britt told me that both children received some gifts when they got there and one day Mackenzie had a toy Britt hadn't seen before. She asked Mackenzie where she got it and Mackenzie told her a different Grandma gave it to her. Britt found out that a neighbor of her in-laws gave it to Mackenzie. Then she proceeded to tell me (prefaced by, "don't be offended") but Mackenzie thinks all old ladies that give her presents are called Grandma!!!!

AH, out of the mouths of babes!

take care,
Dawn

Wallace and Grommet

While Tim was home sick this week he had all of his modeling clay out and made this one day after he's watched Wallace and Grommet on TV. For those of you who aren't familiar they are a clay animation story.

A couple of people have suggested getting sculpy for Tim, but he likes to use the clay over and over again. I told him that we would start taking pictures of what he makes so he can remember it.

Last year for his birthday he got a handful of dinosaur skeletons from the bowling alley we went to. He likes to use the clay and "re-create" the dinosaurs. The boy sits for HOURS using clay.

I'm proud of my boy and just wanted to share.

take care,
Dawn

The sickness is in full force!

What is it about a man that is sick??? Rich has been moaning and groaning for days now because he's not feeling well. I finally broke down last night and told him that whatever he is doing to make himself feel better isn't working. He needs to call the doctor! He acts like he is the only man that has ever been sick and nothing I have gone through can compare!

Tim is also sick but his moaning and groaning is minimal. He's been home for two days now and I stayed home from school to stay with Tim so Rich could go to the doctors.

I want to strip the beds and air my house out!!! I can't wait for both of them to feel better.

Tell me that I am not the only one that has to suffer when their DH is sick! ☺

take care,
Dawn

I'm back

Sorry to have been MIA the past week. It has been a week of ups and downs.

A week ago Saturday (Feb 28th) my grandson celebrated his first birthday. Britt had a party for him and he was such a good boy. He has such a happy spirit about him.

Here is a picture of Jack with the hedgehog I gave him.


During the party my sister Sam called to say that my step brother had passed away. He was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of January and lost his battle last week. On Saturday his service was held. Butch was only 8 months older than me and it is the saddest thing to have a life lost at such a young age. When I was about 8 years old my father remarried and he married a woman that had six children...five girls and a boy. Then they had another child, my sister Sam. Before Sam was born my sister Cindy and I lived with my father for a couple of months. Poor Butch was surrounded by 8 sisters!!!

I hope to be able to stay caught up this week with my blogging!

take care,
Dawn