Life with the Turners

Everything Grows and Grows

2010-04-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

We planted our first family garden this year, and everything is sprouting up like crazy! We have tomatoes, spinach, squash, cucumbers, shallots, marigolds, lettuce, sunflowers, and bell peppers growing in our little 4x4 foot plot.

The kids are definitely sprouting up too. It's amazing to me how much Jack and Elijah have both grown this year. Jack is getting into the agreeable years right when Elijah is getting into those terrible twos - it seems like the frequency of timeouts and spankings has completely inverted between those two overnight. And our sweet Avery is six months old... the time has flown by.

Two Reasons to Love the First Week of March

2010-04-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

The Caroline Jasmine on our back porch... it blooms when everything else is still brown. Always our first sign that spring is on it's way!
My little man's birthday is on March 6. He turned two this year. We are having so much fun with him: playing trains, reading books, singing songs. Love this boy.

This video made me laugh.

2010-04-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

I found it particularly funny since Josh and I had lots of theological conversations when we first started dating, with me at one point handing him a copy of John Piper's church's article on "What We Believe about the Five Points of Calvinism." I haven't quite made him burn his NIV though... yet.

Little Cowpokes

2010-03-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

We got to take our first trip to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this year. Luckily my mom was in town, so she and I took the kids during the day when the crowds were low and Daddy was at work. They had lots of fun, and I couldn't believe all the stuff that had no extra cost. We went as part of a PeeWee School field trip, so we even had free admission! Jack loved pretending to be a cowboy and a farmer, and Elijah thought the petting zoo was about the most wonderful thing ever. There were goats, sheep, llamas, baby deer, miniature donkeys, and even some tiny kangaroos! The boys loved it.
They also got to ride some rides with Tutu while Mommy fed Avery, then we headed in for our tour. We got to see rabbits, honeybees, cows, pigs, sheep, turkeys, chickens - even some babies that were only a few hours old. There were also some huge tractors on display that the boys could climb into and pretend to drive. I wasn't sure that Jack was ever going to leave! We will definitely be back next year - they had so much fun.

The Best Husband Ever

2010-01-16T21:26:00.000-08:00

I seriously have the best husband ever. You may not be aware of this. You might (mistakenly) think that your husband is a contender for this award. You would be wrong. Let me list some of his activities today - please keep in mind that ZERO of these things were done as a result of my nagging or even requesting. It was all motivated by his desire to serve me and our family.

- vacuumed and mopped all the wood floors
- picked up toys
- bathed all three kids
- watched the kids at a birthday party while I talked with other moms
- mopped the kitchen tile
- picked up more toys
- washed all the day's dishes
- ordered pizza (so I didn't have to make dinner)
- made juice for the boys
- scrubbed the grout in the kitchen floor
- picked up some more toys
- ironed a dozen or so shirts

Love him.

The Talkingest Boy

2010-01-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

Elijah talks about twelve times as much as Jack did at this age. Actually i just made that number up. But it's definitely a lot more. And I'm still not used to it.

Today I handed him a banana. He said:
"Here go, Lijah. Wow. Dat's cool."

What book do you want to read?:
"Thomas' Christmas Delivery... peep peep"

Every time we turn on the fireplace:
"Look at dat fire."

If I mention the PBS show:
"Conductor? All aboard.. Dinosaur Train - Woo Woo"

Anytime I leave the room:
"Mommy not here... be right back!" (this is accompanied by crying)

Greeting me about 100 times a day:
"Hi sweet haht (heart)" or "Hi sweet boy"

The most frequent refrain:
"Watch Thomas?"

He's definitely entertaining us these days. What a sweetie!

A Storybook Halloween

2009-11-10T21:25:00.000-08:00

Avery was born just in time to participate in the Halloween festivities, which were pretty low-key at the Turner house. We just trick-or-treated around the neighborhood, skipping all the fun carnivals, pumpkin patches, and parties to try to avoid picking up all the flu and other crud that is going around. Neither Jack nor Avery really need to get sick right now (not to mention the rest of us). The boys enjoyed getting to put on their costumes, and Avery's outfit got compliments from all the neighbors. I'm just appreciating the fact that I can still decide what they're going to wear without worrying about their opinions... my guess is that the days of themed family costumes are numbered. This year Jack was a knight (complete with sword), Elijah was a snuggly dragon, and Avery was the tiniest princess ever.

Here's our little sleeping beauty... My mom made her costume!

Avery is Here!

2009-11-08T19:15:00.000-08:00

Actually, she's been here for three weeks. Facebook inhibits my motivation to blog. So if you're not on Facebook, I apologize. You're missing out on a lot, though I suppose you may be saving some time. But I didn't want to totally leave out the non-facebookers, plus I do like posting things on the blog. I really want to put thoughts and pictures and stuff on here more often. I feel like I say that about once every three months. I should probably just go back through my old posts and use the good ol' copy-and-paste.

Avery is a joy. She's absolutely beautiful and incredibly talented. We can already tell. She at least seems to have mastered the essential skills for her age, which include eating, sleeping, and looking cute. We'll see how she does with further tasks. The boys seem to have adapted to her presence and mostly enjoy having her around, though Elijah needs the occasional reminder to not drop a book on her head while she's eating. He likes it that nursing time usually can turn into storytime.

I didn't want to post a ton of pictures (mainly because I'm lazy), but I'm going to include a link to our Picasa page. This is where we upload pictures for grandparents, so it's probably more than most people want to see. But if you would like to see more of the kids, it's the place to go.
http://picasaweb.google.com/joshturner03

One Week Update

2009-09-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Jack has been home from the hospital for almost a week and is doing so well! He is eating better, sleeping fine, and taking his medicine like a champ. We are still probably using a little too much Sunkist to make it palatable, but whatever it takes. He is only taking regular ibuprofen for pain and seems to be comfortable. My mom is here until next Wednesday, so he's having a lot of fun playing with his Tutu from morning until night.

We went in for his first post-operative cardiology appointment yesterday, and it went fairly well. He was very cooperative with all the things they needed to do. He still has a small amount of fluid on his left lung, so we aren't adjusting the fluid restrictions or medications at this point. We will go back for another chest x-ray on Monday to re-evaluate this. He also had his sutures removed (which wasn't much fun), but now he is allowed to get his incision wet, making bath-time easier for everyone.

Having Jack home has been great, but there are definitely some challenges involved. He has to be isolated from other kids for six weeks. He also isn't allowed to do anything where he could fall or get bumped, like playing on the playground or riding his tricycle. So we're pretty much staying at home, other than doctor's appointments. Luckily, my mom has been here to entertain and divert him and Elijah, but after next week I'll have to start getting more creative. She and I have been able to get a lot accomplished in the boys' new room and Avery's nursery, moving furniture and toys and clothes from one room to the other. It's pretty much all functional, even if not totally decorated. Mom and I even got to spend most of Monday shopping while Josh stayed home with the boys - a nice treat. Buying baby girl clothes is way too much fun.

Heading Home

2009-09-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Jack is on his way out of the hospital! I had an OB appointment this morning, so I hadn't even made it up there yet when I got the call from Josh that he has been discharged. The chest x-ray looked good, but we will be going back from weekly checkups for a while. They just want to make sure that his fluid levels are being controlled effectively. So now my mom and I are waiting impatiently to see him. We have a sign on the door, streamers and balloons all around, and even a cookie cake that says "Welcome Home Jack!" I'm sure that he will be so glad to be home, just to be back in his normal life with all his toys and snacks and bed.

Thank you so much for all the thoughts and prayers. We will still be posting updates, but probably not quite as frequently -- there just won't be as much going on. But I will try to let you know how his days are going and how he's adjusting to life after surgery. We love you guys.

One More Night...Hopefully

2009-09-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

Jack did really well last night and took all his meds this morning. We woke up and went to get our echo and x-rays. Jack was rolling in style with his own personal wheelchair driver as we hit the buttons to travel on the elevator and open the large doors.

The results of the images were that his right lung is still retaining some fluid. They would like him to stay another night to judge what needs to be done next. If tomorrow's x-rays are favorable, then we will be allowed to go home. So for now we are practicing patience and relying on Gods perfect timing and not our own.

Jack is all over the place, traveling in the little tikes police car, walking through the halls showing off his super why costume, climbing in his bed and tackling daddy. Papa brought him a donut to eat this morning which was really special. Right now he's busy in the playroom with his Tutu.

Some Good Steps

2009-09-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

The best news is that Jack got his chest tubes pulled today. This was the major thing that we were waiting on to get to go home. The big test will be tomorrow morning's chest x-ray and echocardiogram. But if both of those tests show that he's not accumulating fluid, then we should get to go home tomorrow! So we're crossing our fingers that tomorrow night Jack will get to sleep in his own bed again.

He did very well with getting his tubes taken out, though I'm sure it was uncomfortable. They gave him a dose of Versed, which is the same thing they gave him before he went back to the operating room. It basically makes them sort of drunk and loopy - removing anxiety, inhibitions, and balance all at once. It's a pretty good medicine though, because it also means that they don't usually remember what happened to them either. He was pretty grouchy for a few hours, but he seemed to be in a really good mood again once it wore off. The best part of getting his chest tubes removed was that he was allowed to leave the floor and check out some other parts of the hospital. They have a really cool interactive model train exhibit in one of the other buildings, so we all walked over there before Elijah left. They both seemed to really enjoy watching all the different parts move, including a tiny carnival complete with ferris wheel, roller coaster, and bumper cars. But Jack's favorite part may have been just getting to push the buttons on the elevator... always a hit.

Today would have been Jack and Elijah's first day of preschool if we weren't in the hospital. It was fun to see pictures of several of his buddies going, and I was a little sad that he had to miss it. But luckily he won't know any difference when he gets to start in a month or so. But I was glad to hear that everyone had such a good day at PeeWee School.

Better and Better Every Day

2009-08-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today Jack (otherwise known as Super Why) seemed to have a really good day. This picture is with his favorite nurse, Laura, who he got to "surprise" with his Super Why disguise. Elijah and I didn't get up to the hospital until after noon, but Josh had some good news for us when we arrived. This may be more information than some of you want, but Jack had his first bowel movement this morning (since pre-surgery). This is one of the things that we had been waiting for him to do before we will be allowed to go home, so it was good to get something checked off. We also are having almost no problems getting Jack to take his medicine now, due to an interesting solution. We're now mixing all of his medicines into an ounce or so of Sunkist orange soda... that's right - Mommy's beverage of choice. Which is of course what makes it special and acceptable and he drinks it immediately with no whining. So whereas I'm not exactly thrilled about sharing a soft drink with my three-year-old, it's SO worth it to avoid the torture.

The only medicine that is still giving us a little bit of a problem is his new potassium. It tastes really terrible, and we can't mix it with soda. It has to be diluted into 4 oz. of water or juice, and he refuses to just drink it fast through a straw. So we have to squirt it, syringe by syringe, into his mouth and convince him to swallow it quickly. His last dose actually went really well, but it's not much fun. The problem of him spitting out the hydrocodone has basically been solved by him feeling fine without it. Right now he's only taking regular ibuprofen for pain and seems to be staying comfortable.

After lunch today, we got to take Elijah and Jack back to the playroom. They both had a really good time. Elijah played with a twisty ramp for cars and a rocking horse, and Jack got to paint a couple of pictures and watch the cranes work outside the window. They also both enjoyed singing songs with another little boy who came into the playroom... I can't decide if Jack is going to be a future musician or just a preschool teacher. He led the whole room in singing "The Wheels on the Bus" and "If You're Happy and You Know It." Jack was too busy playing today to take a nap at all, so I'm hoping that he will get a good night's sleep tonight.

Jack has also made friends with a couple of little guys on the floor. They both have baby sisters who are the patients, but we've had a little Cozy Coupe/ Big Wheel pack cruising the halls. The thrill (of course) is crashing into each other. Boys are boys, even in the hospital. He's already looking forward to getting to go to the playroom again tomorrow and riding the police car some more.

A Busy Day for Everyone

2009-08-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Josh and I got away from the hospital long enough to go to church this morning -- we are so blessed to have grandparents here who were willing to watch both grouchy boys at the hospital. Five of our friends were baptized this morning, and it was so awesome to get to be there with them. I think it was especially cool to see some of them getting baptized by our former apprentices, who are now leading this small group... pretty incredible to see so much growth and obedience.

When we got back to the hospital, Elijah was sleepy (and fussy) and Jack had been pretty non-compliant. He's still having a lot of issues with taking his medicine, and it seems like it's getting worse rather than better. We can usually get him to take it without spitting it out or vomiting, but it still involves lots of screaming and holding him down (definitely a two-person job). But please pray that he will stop being so resistant to this; it's definitely the major area where we need him to do things differently. Unfortunately, it isn't helped by the fact that they seem to keep adding more medicine.. they just decided to start giving him potassium orally because his level is very low (this is pretty common when you're taking diuretics). It has a reputation for tasting awful too, so that won't help.

Jack did quite a bit of walking (a whole lap around the floor) and even went to the playroom for a while with Elijah. He also got to repeat his police-car ride around the hallway this evening. He ate fairly well and took a nap for about 3-4 hours this afternoon. His chest tube output seems to be slowing down, so we're hopeful that they will be able to remove them soon. We also found out that they will not be increasing his fluid restriction levels anymore, and that he will probably be restricted to this amount for 12 weeks post-op. So even after we go home, he will be allowed ~1 liter each day. We're praying that he will get used to this amount so that it won't really be much of an issue. Please pray that he and Josh will have a good night of rest tonight, and that he will start to realize that it's easier to just take his medicine than to resist so strenuously.

Hoping for a Good Night

2009-08-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

I'm back staying with Jack at the hospital tonight. He has finally fallen asleep after not taking a nap all day. He has been so much more active and enthusiastic today, and I think he was just to busy to fall asleep. But he finally ate some macaroni and cheese and settled in to watch Lightning McQueen... it seems like just being still and quiet for a while put him over the sleepy edge.

It was an incredibly positive day, but I'll share a few low points as well. Josh's mom had to head back to Amarillo this afternoon... Jack's response after they left for the airport - "Where's my friend Grandy? I want her to come back and see me." Also, he had to get his IV replaced this evening, which wasn't fun (took 2 sticks...), but they sent two burly guys from the Kangaroo Crew to do it. He seemed to respond better to them than he might have otherwise, and they were very gentle and competent. He's doing better taking the oral ibuprofen (orange-flavored), but he's still really fighting the oral Lortab ("green stuff"). The last time that I gave it to him, he held it in his mouth while screaming and made himself gag. Luckily it was just a little bit of the dose, so after he rinsed his mouth out, we then made him take the rest. It wasn't fun. But hopefully we'll keep making improvements as he realizes that we're not going to stop expecting him to take it.

I included the picture below of Jack and baby Avery at the special request of Josh's aunt, and also because so many of you have asked how I'm feeling with limited sleep and an abnormal schedule. So here you can see that she still seems to be growing just fine (!!) and kicking around like her normal busy little self. I went home last night and got some great sleep and a long shower, and our night nurse is reputed to try hard to group all the things that have to be done at night... we will both get a lot more sleep if we're interrupted fewer times. Thank you so much for all your help and thoughts and prayers. We're doing so well, and I think it's only going to get better.

Up and Moving

2009-08-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

Jack has been doing so much better today... like night and day. He's so much more himself, playing with toys and saying funny things. We think this is mainly due to him actually taking his doses of pain medicine last night and today. This morning he walked with Daddy and his grandparents all the way to the water fountain and nurses' station. He has also had some visitors, which he was actually excited about. Ms. Ruth brought him a big, bandaid-shaped "Boo-Boo Blanket" (with a pocket full of lollipops), and Ms. Kelly and Tyler came a little later with a new toy bus and some bus cookies. Laynie and Josie didn't get to come in (a little too much coughing and sneezing), but we got to take another walk out to the nurses' station so that we could wave to them on the other side of the counter. He followed that up with a nice long ride in the "police car," traveling all the way around the floor. So we're definitely hoping that we're at a nice turning point and that things will be much more pleasant from here on out.

Sun is up on a New Day

2009-08-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Jack and I watched the sun come up together this morning. We had a productive night. He was able to keep down some of the new meds he was given. He ate some banana and had a popsicle. Jack walked out of his room with me, though that was the last thing he really wanted to do.

He slept a good part of the night away. I felt lucky to get his thumbs up. Everyday his personality comes back a little more.

It was a strugle to get some of his meds down. We think he associates the liquid medice with vomiting and really fights having to take them. It is good practice in parenting, but it will rips my heart out.

His breakfast just came in and he was real excited. He decided to eat some biscuit and honey followed by yogurt. By far more food than he has eaten in the last 4 days. Hopefully this becomes a trend.

Goals for today are to walk more and to keep the meds down. His spirit really has picked up this morning.

Enjoy the Gig'em picture.
Josh

Today's Forecast: Mostly Grouchy with Scattered Smiles

2009-08-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

We hope you enjoy the picture, but it's not particularly indicative of how the day has gone. Josh just told him to smile so we could show the picture to his buddy Laynie, so I guess this is his attempt to charm the ladies. It looks a lot better than the moody, grouchy face that he has mostly been showing people today, so I guess we were lucky to catch it on film.

Jack threw up again today, once while trying to eat some watermelon, and later when we were giving him some oral medicine today. This one was especially frustrating after Josh was able to convince him to take some Tylenol this morning without any screaming. Our nurse has tried to reassure us that this really isn't abnormal for someone who has had surgery like him. So we're trying to be patient and let him recover at the rate that he is comfortable with... which of course is difficult because mostly he's uncomfortable, because he's refusing to take his pain medicine. But they have restarted some IV pain meds, so we're hoping to get him walking a few steps this afternoon.

The best news of the day is that they were able to remove the biggest chest tube (of three) and his pacing wires. They also put the remaining tubes onto small bulbs rather than the big machines that they were attached to before. This makes him a lot more mobile... right now he's napping on the couch by his Tutu. He didn't love the tube removal process, but he should be more comfortable overall now. He's also very disinterested in walking -- he keeps telling us that he doesn't know how anymore, and that we need to pick him up. But he has at least taken the few steps from bed to couch a couple of times.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

2009-08-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

The day started off well. Getting to move to the 15th floor and getting up to walk to the door and back were highlights of the day. He also is very happy he doesn't have to wear the oxygen in his nose or keep the blood pressure cuff on his leg all the time..Later on, Jack decided that he "really" did not want to take his oral pain meds, and got rather upset about it. In his over-excited state, he threw up the spaghetti he had finally eaten. We really want him to stay ahead of the pain and this does not help much.

He has been a real hero through it all though, with glimpses of the cunning Jack we all know and love. He is on major fluid restrictions, but he can eat pretty much anything. He said he'd eat the pineapple on his tray. He picked it up and then drank the juice out of it as if to say "so there". Always trying to make a deal to his best advantage and giving a good smile when he's happy.

Our prayers for tonight:
- For Jack to graciously (well...with as much grace a 3yr old can muster) accept his pain meds
- For Jack's tummy to accept meds, food and nourishment
- For Jack to sleep well and be cooperative with the nurses and doctors
- For Mandy to sleep well and know intuitively what Jack needs
- For the Doctors to know what Jack needs
- For us all to Praise God for his Grace and Sovereignty

Our praises for today:
- Whoop! For leaving the CVICU and moving into the 15th floor with a bed for mommy next to Jack
- Hurray for walking to the door and back
- Yippee for going potty (seriously...)
- Praise for Jack's great sleeping opportunities today
- Awesome Loving God, Parents and Friends

May you all dream of buses and Pooh! (of the Winnie variety)
~Josh

Moving Day

2009-08-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

We're all moved to the 15th floor! He seemed to enjoy getting to see all of us in his new room, including Elijah. Jack also ate about 13 grapes this morning. Please pray that he will be able to keep those down and that we can get him up for a bowel movement sometime today. He learned today how to push the buttons on his bed to make his head and knees move up and down, so that's helping him stay a little more content. And he was actually interested enough in the idea that we gave him a new Duplo bus to play with. Right now his bus is watching him eat a few bites of pineapple and some vanilla pudding. He was very happy to get to take the oxygen out when we moved as well. His oxygen saturation is still not quite as high as we would like, but it's staying in an acceptable range. Sorry about the not-so-great picture... I knew that y'all would want to see him with no cannula in his nose and check out his new bus. But he's not really interested in smiling and looking at the camera at this point. Maybe we'll get a better one tomorrow. :-)

Plan for Today

2009-08-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

When the doctors did their rounds this morning, Dr. Heinle told us that he would be moving out of the ICU today as long as he's keeping liquids down, which we haven't had any problem with - he has only thrown up when he has eaten. It will be nice to be in a room with his own bathroom and where we can all sit in there together, rather than being limited to visiting him two at a time. We have enjoyed really great care up here, and he does get more of his nurse's attention. But we're hoping that overall it will be a good move.

Jack slept pretty well last night. He got a dose of Ativan to help him sleep around 11, then woke up to urinate at 2:30 (right before they were about to reinsert a catheter because it had been a while). Good timing, Jack. He watched a movie for a little while, then got another dose of Ativan. He was still asleep when I came in at 6:30 a.m. The waiting room has good recliners for sleeping, so Josh is there now trying to rest after being in with Jack all night.

Please pray that Jack will feel like eating something this morning and that he will hold it down without any trouble. Also pray that we will be able to wean him off the oxygen while keeping his blood oxygen level in an acceptable range. The nasal cannula really bothers him, and he's so ready to be able to take it out. Please pray as well that he will be more interested in getting out of bed, even if just to sit in a chair. He needs to start moving around some. Pray too that Josh and I will be patient with each other and in consistent agreement on how best to take care of Jack, dealing with his discomfort and unhappiness.

Sleeping for Now

2009-08-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Jack is asleep right now. He has had a pretty exhausting day, with pretty much one discomfort after another. His nurses had to do a lot of tugging and squeezing on his chest tubes, which is not the most pleasant experience but needed to be done to clear some clots. After that he would cry every time that particular nurse came in, "Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!" So he has definitely needed a lot of reassurance today that Mommy and Daddy are making sure that the nurses aren't doing anything that won't ultimately make him get better, even if it doesn't feel great right now. He ate some pears this afternoon but threw that back up also. So right now we're pretty much just doing little sips of juice or water, and he's been started on some anti-nausea medicine.

Josh and I will be taking turns staying in the room with him tonight so that he's not by himself. Hopefully he will have a much better day tomorrow. Luckily he has the same nurse tonight that he had last night. He seems to trust her to take care of him, which is nice and reassuring for him. Please be praying for both the eating and pottying to improve. It seems that both of these things need to be happening before he will be moving downstairs. Please also pray that he gets some good rest tonight. I think that would do a lot to improve his irritability tomorrow.

Not feeling too great

2009-08-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

Jack has continued to not appreciate his fluid restriction today. Just to give you a clear idea, his current restriction is 20 oz. of clear liquids - all day. I think Jack usually drinks that much by breakfast on a normal day. So his constant request is juice and water, and he hasn't been easily satisfied by the periodic sips that they have allowed him. He was able to eat some applesauce this morning and then some yogurt a little later, but he didn't keep the yogurt down. So please pray that his tummy settles down enough that he feels like eating some more and hopefully going to the bathroom.

They were able to remove the lines that they wanted to (central line, arterial line, and his foley), so he was able to get out of bed and sit in my lap for a little while. He also is unrestrained now. They have been weaning his oxygen down slowly, which he seems to be tolerating well. He has been basically disinterested in toys, books, or movies; he pretty much just wanting Mommy and juice. They've taken him off the scheduled morphine and are just giving it as needed now. There is definitely a balance between trying to control his pain but keeping him alert enough that he will start getting up and walking some today. Please pray that we will be able to distract him from the lack of drinks and get him interested in moving around. We will most likely still be in the CVICU overnight.

Morning in the CVICU

2009-08-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

Jack is doing well so far this morning. When we came in at 6:30, he was awake and told us that he wanted us to go away and let the doctor (actually his nurse Linda) take care of him and make him feel better. So he apparently got along fine with her last night. But once he got used to us being there, he was glad for me to give him his two sips of juice. He is tolerating liquids well, though he's much more fluid-restricted than he would like. He is still on morphine, so he's basically in and out of sleep more or less all the time. He also got some applesauce for breakfast and will get some yogurt in a little while. We're hoping he will even get to fill out a menu for his lunch.

He still has lots of lines and tubes, but they're hoping to start getting some of those things out, like his arterial line, central line, and foley catheter. He seems uncomfortable at times (especially if he coughs - just imagine), but I'm sure the discomfort will be easier to tolerate if he can move his hands and eat/drink when he wants. Please pray that we'll be able to get as many lines out as possible today so that he be getting out of bed. They are also talking about the possibility that he will be out of the ICU this afternoon if he continues to do well and there is a bed available downstairs. We're definitely hoping that will work out so that I will have a bed to stay with him tonight.

So good to see him

2009-08-25T18:52:00.001-07:00

Jack is doing so well. He has opened his eyes a few times, but not really woken up yet. Every doctor and nurse that has checked him out has said that he's basically doing the best he possibly could. He still has several lines in him and three chest tubes, but they were able to remove his breathing tube in the OR and will be weaning him off the oxygen overnight and tomorrow. Whenever he wakes up enough, he will be able to try some ice chips and then progress slowly to some other clear liquids from there. Please be praying that his little tummy handles this well so that he can have some juice and then food sooner rather than later. Josh and I will probably be heading down to the RMH to sleep in the next hour or so.

Please pray that we all sleep well and that Jack doesn't wake up agitated and upset. If he does, they'll call us to come up and sit with him a little while. They can also give him more sedatives as needed. We're hoping that he sleeps well tonight and is feeling like getting up and moving around tomorrow. Please pray for Linda, his nurse tonight, and Dr. Nelson, the attending cardiologist, that they would be able to keep him resting comfortably and soothe him easily. Also, Josh's dad is traveling back to Amarillo tomorrow, so please pray for traveling mercies as he's having to head back to work with his grandson in the hospital. Thank you for all your prayers... we believe that it makes such a difference to Jack everyday.

He's done!

2009-08-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Jack is out of surgery. We just finished talking with the surgeon who said that everything went as good as it could. The repair itself was straightforward with no complications, and they didn't have any problem with excessive swelling (can sometimes keep them from being able to totally close up the incision). Right now the anesthesiologist is sitting with him to try to get his breathing tube out before he leaves the operating room. They prefer to do this as soon as possible, but will do it later as needed. Dr. Heinle even said they may be getting him out of bed as early as tomorrow. We should get to see him in the Cardio-Vascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) in about an hour.

Thank you for all your prayers... we couldn't have asked for it to go any better than it did. Please keep lifting Jack up. He will be uncomfortable and probably very crabby when he wakes up this evening, so please pray that we can regulate his pain appropriately to keep him as comfortable as possible. Hopefully tomorrow morning he will be in a good mood and ready to move around and eat something. Another prayer request: he will be on some fluid restriction for the next day or so, and he's very much a juice drinker. So please pray that thirst won't be an issue. We so appreciate all of you.

Surgery Update

2009-08-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

We just got our first update from the surgical staff. At this point he is not yet on the heart/lung bypass machine. The trickiest part of this surgery is simply getting through all the layers of scar tissue from his previous surgeries. That's been done, and he should be on the bypass machine with the actual repairs being done. Josh and I just found out that we have a room at the Ronald McDonald House in the hospital for tonight, which is fantastic. That gives us a place to sleep with a real bed and our own shower, but within minutes of Jack in the CVICU. Elijah came up to the hospital at lunch time today with Josh's parents and had a good time playing and getting lots of undivided attention from us and his grandparents.
We're giving thanks right now that Dr. Heinle has made it through the most difficult part, that Jack's having no problems so far, and that Elijah has had a good day. Please continue praying for ease in the surgery, for our patience and trust in God, and that no complications develop.

Jack is in Surgery

2009-08-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

Jack was taken back to the operating room at around noon. He did very well this morning... didn't seem to be anxious or hungry. He was happy to watch PBS Kids in his hospital bed while we waited for the surgeon to finish his first case. He did have to take off his Super Why costume eventually and wear his "hospital pajamas" instead, which he was okay with. We did get one last shot in his mask before he went back. The anesthesia team gave him some oral medication to make him sleepy first, so he was already slurring his words and saying silly things before we even kissed him goodbye. They will be coming to the waiting room every two hours to give us updates, so we'll be sure to post as we hear how he's doing. So far everything is going great.

Please be praying for Dr. Heinle, his heart surgeon, and Dr. Andropoulos, his anesthesiologist, that they would be attentive, skilled, and aware. Please pray for the nurses as well - I just didn't catch all their names.

Super Why's trip to the hospital

2009-08-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

Jack's pre-op appointment today was a little long but overall went well. My mom made him a Super Why costume that he just HAD to wear to the hospital today, so of course he totally charmed all the nurses... not to mention everyone who saw him in the hallways and elevators. Today Jack had a chest x-ray and an EKG, met with anesthesia and cardiology, got his ears and throat looked at several times, and had blood drawn. He was unenthusiastic about getting his blood pressure checked, but he actually did surprisingly well with the needle stick. He also had a teaching time with the Child-Life Specialist. She talked to him, using a doll, about what would happen tomorrow and what things he would see (tubes, wires, bandages) when he wakes up. He was mainly interested in whether he would get red, sparkly shoes like the doll's shoes along with the tubes and stitches.

Tomorrow Jack will be the second surgery of the day. We have to be there at 9:30 a.m., so the surgery will follow after that. We will post another update on here after they take him back to surgery so that you guys can be praying. We really appreciate all the help, encouragement, prayers, and support that we've received from those of you here and farther off. It is so good to hear about all the people lifting Jack up. Josh and I will be staying at the hospital tomorrow night, and we're so blessed to have all four grandparents here to stay with Elijah and take care of him so that we can focus our attention on Jack right now.

Please pray tonight that everyone gets a good night of sleep, that Jack isn't bothered by hunger and thirst tomorrow morning (no food after midnight; clear liquids until 7:30 a.m.), and that no more urgent cases arise overnight, which could result in bumping Jack to a later time or day.

A Baby on the Way

2009-08-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

I realized that I don't update my blog enough. I think that I've said that before. I noticed that not only did I make no comment on Elijah's first birthday (in March), but I've also failed to mention that we're having another baby. In about 9 weeks. So if you don't already know this news, then I definitely don't keep in good enough touch with you. Give me a call sometime. Or get a Facebook account already.

Here are the pertinent details.
We're having a girl. That's exciting.
She's due on October 18th.
Her full name is Avery Noel Turner.
And here are some pictures.

Week of Appointments

2009-07-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

This will be a busy week for us, and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. Tomorrow should be a fairly normal day - other than Josh and I getting to go see Harry Potter in the evening (hooray!). I'm sure that I'll be occupied with trying to get laundry done and the house clean-ish, in anticipation of the rest of the week's busyness. On Tuesday, I will head to Texas Children's in the afternoon for a fetal echocardiogram. My doctor just wants to make sure that Avery's heart looks 100% perfect. We're basically red-flagged now for extra attention to cardiac anomalies, due to Jack's history. We don't have any reason at this point to think there will be anything out of the ordinary. On Wednesday, I'll be heading back to TCH in the afternoon, this time with Josh and Jack, heading to a consultation and examination with Jack's surgical team. Then Thursday is my regular monthly OB check-up, including the glucose screening test.
None of these appointments would really be a big deal on their own, but when they're all stuck into back-to-back days it's enough to make me feel a little crazy. It will probably be a week with a lot of take-out. I'm so blessed to have some fantastic friends down here who are going to help me out with the kids. But neither of the boys are at all used to heading to a different friend's house everyday and being left there at naptime without Mommy. Elijah especially will be stretched, with three days in a row in new places. So I'm definitely praying that he will adjust well, sleep well, play well, eat well... just all those nice things so that my friends don't refuse when I have to ask for babysitting help again.
Thank you again for all your prayers. I don't think you realize how much they matter to us everyday as we anticipate Jack's surgery again. I just imagine how stressed and nervous and anxious we would feel without so many people lifting us up each day.

Surgery is scheduled.

2009-07-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to all of you who check on this blog regularly. I've been awful about posting lately. But since our last post, we've gotten Jack's open-heart surgery on the calendar. It is scheduled for August 25th at Texas Children's Hospital. The average hospital stay after this surgery is 7-10 days. We will be heading to TCH next week for a surgical consultation where we should get a lot more information about his surgery and recovery issues. I'll try to post again after that meeting. Thank y'all for your thoughts and prayers and help.

Going Well So Far

2009-05-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

Jack has been back with the doctors in the cath lab for nearly four hours. Every report that we've gotten so far has been very good. They have closed at least one extraneous vein at this point and are still investigating to make sure there are no other problem vessels. At this point Jack seems to be doing very well with all that they've done and is still sleeping peacefully under anesthesia. I'm sure he's eagerly anticipating the chicken nuggets that they've promised will be ready for him in the recovery area. We're hoping that he has a really good experience today, particularly since we'll be back at some point for a much more invasive procedure.

Thank you for all your prayers. We'll be sure to let you know when he's finished. They require a 6 hour stay in recovery following the catheterization, so we're planning to be home this evening.

Big Day Tomorrow

2009-05-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we're heading to the hospital for Jack's heart catheterization. My mom is here to watch Elijah which Josh, my dad, and I go to Texas Children's with Jack. We are scheduled to arrive there at 7:00. They are predicting that the procedure will last 4-5 hours. So far Jack has had no signs of illness or fever; we're assuming that he will still be doing fine in the morning.

Please be praying for us tomorrow. Here are some specific ways that you can pray:
1. That Jack would be calm, patient, relaxed, and unafraid
2. That we would trust completely in God's good plan for Jack
3. That Jack's heart anatomy and any potential problems would be clear and evident to the doctor
4. That the nurses would be pleasant, fun, caring, and encouraging
5. That any vessels that need to be occluded will be obvious to see and easily fixed
6. That Jack will be kept safe while under general anesthesia, which is more risky for him than most
7. That all the doctors involved would have wisdom in how best to proceed for his next surgery

Thank you all so much. I'll post on here (and Facebook) when we get back home to let everyone know how he's doing. We love you guys!

Busy Week at the Hospital

2009-05-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm taking Elijah to Texas Children's Hospital to have ear tubes inserted. This is really not a big thing -- very quick -- and hopefully will help to prevent another winter full of ear infections. I'll be up there by 6:30 a.m., so you early birds can keep me in your prayers. :-) We should be home after just a few hours.

I think that Elijah having minor surgery wouldn't be bothering me at all except for the unfortunate timing with two trips to the hospital in the same week. Jack's heart catheterization has finally been rescheduled for next Wednesday, so now going up there with Elijah just keeps making me think about Jack's more serious procedure looming ahead. I'm trying to focus on the positive things and set any apprehension aside. But I definitely covet your prayers, especially for the doctors that will be making decisions about Jack during and following his catheterization. We're really hoping that we'll be able to have a scheduled date for Jack's surgery as a result of his cath, sooner rather than later. He seems to be having more difficulties with his oxygen levels, which should be resolved following his third surgery. So whereas we aren't looking forward to him having to experience open heart surgery (again), we know that long-term he will feel much better.

So keep Texas Children's in your prayers -- the Turner Boys are coming!

So maybe it's not the right sport for him...

2009-04-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

Jack is playing soccer for the first time this season. And he's not such a big fan.

Some of this is just sheer bad luck. Our first practice was cold and misty and miserable, then he had to miss the next practice and first game when he got a virus. The next practice was rained out; at the next game, the wind chill was 35. Seriously. He was definitely not a happy camper. Luckily he's got a lot of good buddies on the team, or there would be no redeeming factor. Usually Josh takes him to practice, and at least one went really well -- he had fun and was glad to be there with Daddy. But even on the best days, even practice is difficult for him. He just gets out of breath really quickly. So when a coach leads the team in a warm-up lap around the field, he's done before he gets to the first corner. He's just not going to keep going if he feels tired. So even running after the ball to kick it is more than he's usually willing to do, more than once or twice.

But our last non-rained-out game was pretty good. We at least had a funny moment. At one point Jack (who was playing forward) quit following the ball and just laid down on his back, in the middle of the field, right in the circle.

That's right. Arms under his head. At one point he even put crossed one leg across his knee. Total relaxation -- as the game goes on around him. So one of his coaches comes up and asks him if he wants to keep playing or come back and sit with Mommy and Daddy.

Jack's response: "I'm just enjoying the sunshine."
Gotta love that kid. His coach thought it was so funny that he yelled what Jack said across the field to us.

No excuses.

2009-04-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

So it's been awhile since I posted on here. And I feel a little bad that my last post was for Jack's birthday, and that I had nothing to say about Elijah's big first. Oh well, moving on.

This is going to be a busy month for us. Both boys are having outpatient surgical procedures. Neither of these are a big deal, but both involve general anesthesia and spending a day at Texas Children's. Elijah is having tubes put in his ears on May 7, and Jack is having a heart catheterization on May 13. Please be praying that we can avoid illness leading up to this -- Jack's first scheduled cath had to be postponed due to a virus.

We will also be finding out in just a couple of weeks whether we're going to be the proud parents of another boy or our first daughter. I'd be flat-out lying if I didn't admit that I'm hoping for a girl, but our boys are wonderful and we definitely wouldn't mind another one. So I'm praying for contentment either way. Jack goes back and forth about wanting a brother vs. a sister. And he's convinced that we're going to name the baby Bertie, after the bus on the Thomas the Train movies. He's also a fan of the name Lightning McQueen. He really likes hugging and kissing the baby and singing songs to him/her. Elijah, of course, is happily oblivious. It may be a slightly rude awakening when the new one comes along.

The boys and I visited my parents over Easter and found a fabulous field of bluebonnets. They aren't much for posing, and Elijah was ready for a nap -- but it was so pretty out there!

I am the Mother of a Three-Year-Old.

2009-01-26T19:48:00.000-08:00

I really can still hardly believe that. It's so crazy that I've been a mom for three years. He can't really be that big. I've had the chance to hold a little bitty newborn baby twice in the last week -- and that seems like it was forever ago. But at the same time, it seems like he's gotten so big, so fast.

Today at the park he went down a slide so tall that it made me nervous. He was totally unafraid -- didn't even hesitate. He wants so badly to do everything himself and absolutely hates asking Mommy for help. The potty training is going great. He can almost totally get himself dressed. He can turn on the TV, the PlayStation, the CD player, Mommy's camera... He even takes his medicine by himself every night.

But I'm glad that he's not totally independent yet. He still wants Mommy to read stories and sing songs at bedtime. I'm definitely his favorite playtime buddy with trains and Legos and games. I love how he imitates me and still wants to grow up to be a "mommy", no matter how many times I tell him that won't quite work. I'm definitely lucky to have a sweet boy. Jack, don't grow up too fast!

Date Night

2009-01-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

Josh and I have finally made arrangements to get back in the date night habit. We were VERY good about this prior to children. I still remember our first summer in Houston. Every Thursday night we would go out, purposefully, to a new restaurant, museum, show, whatever... with our focus completely on enjoying each other's company. Since Jack was born -- not so much. It's not that we haven't wanted to; it just never really happened. At various times, we had various excuses: no time, no money, no babysitter. And both of us could tell the difference. We've both taken the other for granted. We've become less appreciative. We've gotten involved in separate interests. Our lives have become more about our other relationships and obligations, and less about each other. And we both hate this. So we're taking a step of faith, trusting that a couple of hours each Monday night can make a difference. But I think that the real difference will come when we begin to choose sacrifice over selfishness, gratitude over griping, helping over hurtfulness. Patience. Trust. Love.

My littlest sweetheart

2009-01-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

Just loved this picture of Elijah and had to share it! He's growing up too fast already.

Reading the Bible this year

2009-01-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

So I'm finally caught up! I knew, in some fashion, that our church was encouraging everyone to read through the Bible together this year. And, because I succumb fairly easily to positive peer pressure, I was planning to participate. But I didn't actually get my hands on the reading plan until we were already 5 days in! So I've been playing catch-up for awhile now, squeezing it in whenever I could -- leaving Bibles in various rooms throughout the house so that I wouldn't miss an opportune moment. But tomorrow I'll just have the normal reading to take care of, which should mean a change in my methodology.
I definitely need to find a way to be more consistent with my Bible-reading time. Not that there's anything innately wrong with reading the Bible in spurts throughout the day (better than not at all!), but I think it's much less valuable than time set aside to sit at Jesus' feet and allow the Word to speak to me. Of course that's much harder for me to find. As a mommy of two little boys, it's a challenge to do anything that requires time alone and quiet. I can definitely relate to Susannah Wesley (no relation to our lovely pastor's wife... I think) pulling her apron over her head to read her Bible at the kitchen table -- I'm sure my boys would take that as a great opportunity to get into something off limits. Jack would have a pair of scissors in one hand and be pressing the toaster buttons; Elijah would be enjoying a nice splash and snack at the dog bowls. I'm really starting to think that getting up early (aargh.) is the only reasonable answer, but I haven't been willing to turn over that leaf yet. I suppose it simply comes down to what I treasure most: sleep, comfort, amusement... or intimacy with my Maker.

New Couch

2009-01-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas holidays, Josh and I found a new couch to replace the one that was damaged by Ike. Yep, the couch that, for over two years, I saved birthday/anniversary/Christmas cash in order to purchase. The couch that cost more than we had ever paid for a piece of furniture. The couch that took me forever to find the perfect fabric that would go with everything else in the room. The couch that lasted less than six months. But I was actually kind of bothered by how much we ended up spending on that original couch. I guess I was just raised to get good deals on just about everything, and it didn't feel like that good of a deal. So I didn't really want to make the same mistake a second time.

Meet the new couch (you can observe the new floors as well!).

And here are our sweet boys enjoying our $300 bargain.

Staying up too late... again.

2009-01-07T21:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight it was online defensive driving. Because I speed. Occasionally.

But I just started reading a book that is trying to convince me to start waking up before my kids wake up. Which I never do, because that's just really freaky early. But they make a good argument. It's one of those things where I definitely like the idea but loathe the implementation. I can't remember the last time that I set an alarm clock, but it may have been before Jack was born. For me, the degree of getting-up-early lameness is directly related to how late I stay up the night before - which is nearly always way too late. So I'm praying about changing habits. Trying to discern what would be the most effective use of my time. I tend to say that I'm willing to make needed changes, but first _____ (fill in the blank with whatever the current situation is). Right now it's resettling life post-Christmas, adjusting Elijah's sleep routine, potty-training Jack, finishing defensive driving... The problem is that there's always something that holds me back from making any drastic adjustments. So challenge me, folks - I'll probably need a lot of encouragement to jump off the 5 a.m. ledge.

The New Year is upon us.

2009-01-06T22:11:00.000-08:00

So with all the craziness of getting back home after Christmas break, I haven't really been able to sit down and go over my goals/resolutions for this upcoming year. And after lecturing Josh on how goals are only effective when we make them specific and measureable, I'll probably have to spend some serious planning just to make that clear. I guess that I have some ideas on ways that I would like to be different, but I'm still working on the means necessary. And then of course, I have to actually put in the effort to implement the plans. Maybe I'll just post as I come up with ideas... the goals themselves will have to be a work in progress.

1. Read through the Bible with CCCC. I'm already six days behind, but I think that I can catch up. My tentative plan is to read the Old Testament from The Message and the New Testament from my new ESV Study Bible. But, in the words of Greg Poore, I reserve the right to get smarter... we'll see how it goes.

2. Write/post something on here everyday before I read everyone else's blogs. It's too easy to be the lazy, invisible blog reader. I need to be as quick to share as I am to read.

3. Get more sleep. Be more pleasant. Yell less. Smile more. Be more fit. Be less anxious.

Okay, those last ones may need a little more thought and clarity. Maybe I can work on making it a little more measureable when my house is back to normal and Elijah starts napping again.

Forever since I posted

2008-12-11T17:09:00.000-08:00

so it's been a long time... I actually kind of forgot about it. But maybe I'll try to be better about this again. Although I'm not picking the best time to add something else to my list. The house is still in disrepair, Jack needs to be pottytrained, and Christmas is just two weeks away. Please don't ask me if I'm done with my shopping.
I have been reading quite a bit lately, which means I'm not getting enough sleep. So maybe I'll take time to comment on a few noteworthy books that I've finished recently. Check back and maybe you'll get lucky.

Mother's Day Adventure

2008-05-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

We're heading to Greenville to surprise my mom and grandma tomorrow. I'm sure she'll completely flip out, which will be amusing. My dad, of course, is in on it. Hopefully he can restrain himself from telling her -- he's pretty awful at keeping secrets. It will definitely be fun to introduce my grandparents to their newest great-grandson. He's such a sweetie these days too... today he was just full of smiles for his mommy.
Jack only has three more days of school and then it will truly be testing time for me - both boys all day long everyday. It will be especially challenging when Josh heads to Florida at the end of the month to accept his award and see the launch. 5 days with no relief from children. Whew. I'm not sure that I'm ready for that. It makes me realize that I need to call Kelly and take her kids for a few hours while Jason is in Boston. Sometimes you just need a break to take a deep breath and arrange your thoughts.

Look at those smiles!

2008-04-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

Elijah is so fun these days. He is such a happy baby (when he is fed continuously). If you saw our pictures shortly after he was born, you'll notice that since then he has developed a pair of gigantic cheeks and an extra chin or two. All I can say is that the boy loves to eat.

Anna Karenina

2008-04-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

This is not a book that I would probably ever have picked up on my own. My brother Bobby gave it to me as a birthday gift, so I was sort of obligated to read it. Plus, I keep seeing it on lists of the "greatest novels EVER" and the like, so as a lapsed English major, I was failing a little bit like a failure anyway having never even picked it up.
Tolstoy surprised me though. I haven't read much Russian literature, but it certainly compares favorably (in my opinion) to Dostoevsky. I'm sure that many of my Karamazov-loving friends would disagree with me. The characters seemed more vivid somehow. It mattered to me what happened to them, Kostya and Kitty particularly. Interestingly enough, the title character was not as significant to me. It was difficult to sympathize much with her tendency to selfishness and obsession, as though it is more noble somehow to live for yourself rather than to willingly sacrifice in order to benefit others.
I only wish that the writer of the foreword had started with a spoilers disclaimer -- he gave away some pretty significant plot points in the course of his analysis. I would have liked to see if my reactions would have differed with less awareness of the ending of the novel.

It may be harder than I thought...

2008-04-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

...to actually write anything here. I thought that I would be able to get some kind of record of what I'm reading going on this thing, but I haven't had time to actually sit and put thoughts together. That's got to be the hardest part of mom-ness for me - very little time to actually sit and produce actual significant original thinking. And when you have time, you sure don't have the energy. So I guess I should start making changes to make that happen. Like go to bed earlier instead of staying up reading other peoples' blogs.

the fridge is open

2008-04-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

It's my inaugural post - and I already have a child getting into something that he KNOWS he shouldn't be. And my phone rang. The busy life of the mother of two boys, I guess. It seems like my life is either too empty or too full these days. Though I wouldn't trade it for anyone else's. My social life is pretty narrow, there may not be many thrills, and I never get enough sleep. Lined up against that are the three sweetest guys on the planet. I can't imagine my life without them.