One year!

Me and my boys. The new toy for Andrew from Mom and Dad.
Tyler loves it when daddy doesn't have to go to work. He cries almost every morning when he wakes up after Ryan has already left. Last weekend he helped Ryan into this fashionable getup.

Tyler also LOVES his new 'fire truck jammies'. He asks to wear them most nights. Andrew has a matching one, so then it's really cool.

Andrew started crawling!! He has been very close for a while. A few weeks ago we were at a friends, and he saw another kid crawling. I could see the wheels turning as Andrew watched closely. The next day he started crawling. Took him a few more days to realize the distance that was possible, but now he's everywhere he wants to be. He has been so happy.

Andrew loves to play with whatever Tyler is into. Tyler isn't sure how to handle the extra hands helping him yet, but they enjoy each other for the most part. No one can make Andrew laugh like Tyler.

Tyler is having his first sleepover at grandma Shell's tonight. Ryan and I are leaving for Salt Lake with Andrew at 3:30 am, for another esophageal dilation. It's so hard to leave Ty every month and be gone for so long. He handles it very well though.

I am amazed to see how fast he learns. His thinking still blows me away. He suddenly is naming his colors correctly now. We've been talking about them for a while, but he's got it now. He still loves anything with a motor and Barney.

(Now for my reflection of the last year):

It's an emotional thing to think back through what our family has been through the last year. Ultimately it is a triumph for us, but the road has been long.

The memory of the night Andrew was born is still clear in my mind. I remember waiting to hold him as they were cleaning him and such and having the feeling that something was wrong that the nurses weren't saying. I asked them, "Is he OK?" They replied that he was doing great, but their faces said that something wasn't right.

I remember Ryan wheeling me to the NICU where Andrew was already on his tummy, on oxygen, and had an IV. The next picture in my mind is Tyler and my family being in the room when Life Flight brought Andrew in before they took him to Primary's. Tyler seemed confused at why his parents had left him all day and what was going on now. Then being alone in my hospital room after my family and my babies had gone. I thought that was so hard. Good thing I didn't know what was coming.

The surgery unit was too busy with critical cases to do Andrew's surgery Sunday, so they scheduled him for Monday morning. I was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon and went to the hospital that night. I felt so detached that I told Ryan we could save gas and just go Monday. He knew it was important for us to go see Andrew though.

Monday came the next shock after surgery when we were told it would be 6-12 weeks before Andrew would be able to have his esophagus repaired. I cried and cried. My biggest worry was what would I do with Tyler for that long. I am so grateful for all the time and help my grandma and mom gave to take care of Tyler so that I could see Andrew daily. My grandparents were also very generous and let us stay with them. My grandpa had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and so it was a difficult time for them anyway, I'm sure. I knew that Tyler was well loved and well taken care of while he was there though. I am also grateful that I was able to build my relationship with my grandparents more.

I didn't know at that time the blessing that it was to have the surgeon that we did. Dr. Barnhart had trained under a doctor who is a leader for EA. He had the wisdom to know that we could wait and the esophagus would grow. He has been wonderful with Andrew and been so caring and kind. Not many surgeons would give a parent their cell phone number. I have been careful not to over-use that privilege, but every time I have called he has answered. I got voicemail once (while he was on vacation), but even then he called back within minutes. I am so grateful for all that he's done. And grateful for the Lord seeing that we had such a doctor.

Time actually flew somewhat after that. The days I remember are the days that were monumental in infections. Feb 15 was awful. I knew that something was wrong, but nobody seemed to know what to do. Finally Sarah, who turned out to be our Primary NNP and another blessing to us, ordered a scan. That's when they found the fluid, infection, and yeast that had been building in Andrew's right lung. Once we found that things seemed to improve. There were a few minor dips, but we were mostly headed in the right direction.

We had wonderful primary nurses (Laurel, Whitney, Tristen, and Gail), who loving looked after Andrew and cared for him.

Finally surgery came, after 12 weeks of waiting. It was perfect time though and a great outcome. The following week was very long. Andrew was medicinally paralyzed all week so that he could heal. He woke up a sadder baby. He had been so happy before surgery, and after he had such reflux and discomfort. It has taken time, but gradually he has improved. He is sooo happy now. He smiles and giggles and talks almost all day.

Tyler has been through quite a year too. I'm not sure how to even imagine he's felt about everything. He has been resilient and I hope will not remember the downs to this year.

The outstanding thought is the blessings and miracles we seen. My testimony is ever stronger of our loving Father in Heaven and his Son, Jesus Christ.