A Pin to Remember: The Conclusion

Yes, I've been worried. But I was prepared to not really get panicked until tomorrow--the 1 week mark.

I went back to work this week--school's up and running again. I wanted to make sure I knew for sure when the pin came out so I told my babysitter to bag up his poopy diapers "to go please." I've been picking him up after school, coming home and sifting through his diapers. With gloves of course. I told my babysitter, Liz, if she thought she saw it to text me.

So today in 3rd hour my hip started vibrating, but I had to wait for the period to be over. Sure enough, she said she definately saw some metal. I called her at lunch, "I don't think it's a pin though, it's black. It's definately hard metal." I was stoked! I've never been so excited to change a poopy diaper. Today when we got home I straped on my gloves and went to work. I didn't have to look far; there it was embedded in crap with little yellow ball still intact. Black, because of all the crap--literally, and acid tarnishing the metal over the last week.

I promptly took the tarnished pin to the bathroom, rubbed it down with alcohol, then dowsed it with some more for good measure. And there is where it is waiting now, in a cup of rubbing alcohol. I'm planning on putting it in his baby book next to the xrays!

The first x-ray was Thursday August 20th. The pin is in the stomach. The x-ray on the right was Friday morning--24 hours later. The pin has moved out of the stomach. We took another x-ray Sunday morning that showed the pin in the intestine, but we don't have that one on the computer.

The End, thanks for reading.

Stay tuned for more adventures with Robert.

A Straight Pin Update

This morning the x-ray shows the pin just leaving the stomach. So this weekend I'm looking through poo! If it's not out by Monday we'll do another x-ray to make sure it's not embedded somewhere along the intestine. I have pictures, but I'm still figuring out how to save them to the hard drive in a compatible format to post. Andy's out of town until tomorrow evening--he's the one who does the downloading and whatnot......

Little Boys Will Eat ANYTHING

This is a long post, but a FANTASTIC story!

So I made a quilt--it's a bargello pattern with reds......anyway, I needed some fabric for the border so I went to Jones' Sew and Vac--where I learned to sew the bargello and my mom works there. My mom and I are looking at different fabrics that might look good as the border and I looked down and saw Robert put something in his mouth. Now we are at a sewing maching and VACUUM store--the floor is very clean. Leave it to my son to find the one thing on the floor and put it in his mouth. I bent down to do a finger sweep. Nothing. Now I know I saw him put something in there. I picked him up to get a better look--there was a straight pin, yes a straight pin the kind you use to pin fabric together, laying parallel with his jaw kind of in his cheek. "Mom he has a pin in his mouth," I say and Robert starts gagging and choking. So I hold him over the cutting table at a downward slant as my mom sweeps again to try and get the pin. She comes up saying, "There's nothing in there." Meanwhile Robert starts jabbering and laughing to himself. (He knew this was a good one for the books the little stinker). We looked on the table, on the floor, no pin. You'd think if it came out, it would be attached to some drool--no drool strings. No tears, no whimperings, no complaints from Robert. So my mom says, "Lace you're going to have to take him in." I was stunned, Robert seemed perfectly happy. His regular jovial self. So I took him to the doctor.

We go to my uncle and cousin at Yost and Yost (until the end of the month and then Chris is retiring and Gentry is joining the Pocatello Children's Clinic). I told the secretary I didn't have an appointment, but that Robert just swallowed a straight pin. So she hooks me up with the nurse who happens to be my Aunt Kara. While I'm telling her the story her son Gentry--Dr. Yost, walks up.

So now all three of us are talking about what do I do now? Usually these things pass easily, "You'd be surprised what babies can pass," Gentry says "but me or my Dad should look him over in the exam room." So we go pull his chart get in the exam room and Uncle Chris walks in, "You're sure it's in there?" At least 4 people had already asked me this question and I completely understand the reasoning behind it, but I started second guessing myself--never doubt a mother's intuition about what her kid swallowed. So Uncle Chris sends for an x-ray.

We go down to Idaho Imaging, get the x-ray and head back to Yost and Yost. At Idaho Imaging, the x-ray technitian and I looked at the x-ray to make sure it was a good picture. She pulled it up and I blurt out, "Oh my! Is that it?" She says to me, "I'm not at liberty to say, but just to clarify....Robert isn't wearing any metal is he?" Besides the snaps on his jumper? NO. So, we head back to the office, Chris pulls it up online--the undergrad shadow comes in, Aunt Kara (nurse) comes in, Gentry comes in......"yeah, there it is" as we are all circled around the computer.

So from here we wait....."Most foreign objects that actually make it to the stomach pass out of the body without problem," they tell me. "Unless he starts coughing up blood, he'll most likely be perfectly fine." It doesn't make it any easier to think about though. We 're doing another x-ray tomorrow at 24 hours to make sure the pin is moving down the track. What if after he poops it out, it pokes him and gets lodged in his hiney?

We're in for an adventurous next few days!

How can you not just love that face? He's covered in mashed potatoes!

The Boy's Birthday

Robert turned 1 on Thursday August 13th. We went to the park with cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandmas and grandpas. He is well loved. The kid seriously got a lot of loot! He didn't really go for the cake, but loved the ice cream.

Ice cream is ice cream--from the top or the bottom of the cone. It's all good--and good for you, hahaha.

Attack of the ice cream monster! He was soooooo sticky when it was all over with--just as a 1 year birthday should be. He's going to be stylin' in all his new duds. He'll never have a dull moment with his new books and puzzles and toys he got.

Fitting for Grandma Dixon.....Robert got a rocking chair just his size. He loves to sit and rock. He can't quite get himself in it by himself, but he can rock and roll and get out!

Happy Birthday Robert, we love you!

Grand Teton

Just after the fourth of July we decided to take a little trip up to Jackson and Grand Teton Park along with Brent & Lindsay. We walked all around the town square, went to a movie (the boy even went. . .in a drug induced sleep), hiked up to Taggart Lake, and saw lots of great scenery and wildlife.

One thing I forgot is how expensive Jackson is in the summer. We stayed at the Motel 6 for one night and it cost $120! And the room wasn't anything spectacular, it was just big enough for the bed and a table. In fact I think the bathroom was just as big as where the bed was. It was worth it though, we all had a good time.

Here's a few pictures of the trip.

Taggart Creek & the Grand Teton

Sleepy boy on Momma's back



That's me admiring the view



Wee-Man had a good time



And finally, a few pictures that I stiched together

4th of July Storm

We went up to my parents house to bbq and watch the fireworks. Little did we know that we would be treated to a show from mother nature as well.

The coming squall



Some good size hail



This little pile. . .



. . .grew into this big pile in a matter of a minute or two



In the end we were also treated to a vivid rainbow

Class of '98 Reunion

Okay, not a fabulous picture but none the less we went to my 11 year high school reunion. Andy went somewhat begrudgingly, but he was there with me and that's whats important.

I sat at the sign in table for the night before dinner started. Jami Hoopes (new last name escapes me at the moment) was a close friend in high school and I haven't seen her for ages!!!! HI Jami! So good to see you! Let's stay in touch now, okay? She came up from L.A. just for the reunion--I'm so glad too, because otherwise when would we have seen each other??

Andy and Mauri, I'm not sure why Andy is so happy. Maybe because it's almost time to go.

All the choir folk that were at the reunion got together for a photo shoot after dinner. Good times had by all!

Squinty eyes

I haven't quite figured this one out yet. He does this when he's eating and wants more of something. He's making a "Mmmmmm" noise too. He'll squint his eyes and then open them, squint 'em, then open until you give him what he's asking for. We're working on narrowing down that communication so it not just a guessing game. But it's dang cute!

The Great Outdoors!

Everyone eats rocks when they're young.



The ground never got quite dry so Robert was either playing on the tarp or. . .

in the pack and play. He would squoosh his nose up like a pig and then laugh because it felt so funny. The net got all gross, but he was entertained. This isn't the best picture to explain it, but it's the best picture I have of him doing it.

I love this picture--it was such a nice time of day. We went for a little stroll.

Robert loved camping last weekend! He loved being outside, we loved having him there. Naps were a little confusing at first, but he got used to it.

Everything is just so funny these days!

And of course, we enjoyed the campfire. Between the six of us there, we kept it going despite the occasional rain.

It was overcast sometimes. . .

Robert has a long-sleeved onesie, warm footed pj's, and his cookie monster snowsuit on to stay warm through the night.

Out tent has the green bottom--that's where Robert slept in his pack and play all bundled up. Andy and I went over to the orange "condo" that Brent and Lindsay just purchased. Bob and Sheryl set up a little apartment.

All in all, it was a great trip!

My New Mantra

"Don't eat rocks!" and what does he hear? "Eat Rocks!" Instead, "Spit it out."

So here's my thing. Robert is starting to get into things--no surprise, he's 10 months old, completely expected. It dawned on me the first couple weeks---why do people say "No" as the baby is reaching for the stereo, the CD's, tearing books, etc.? No is a response to a question.

Mom, can I sleep over at Grandma's? No, not tonight. Mom, can we buy this new toy? No, we don't need it. Mom, can I have ice cream for dinner? Hmmmmm, that's a tough one--go ask your Dad.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for telling kids "No" and teaching them they can't have everything their little hearts desire. No means no, because I'm the Mom that's why.

So here's my new mantra--it's stemmed from my Child Development class in college. TELL CHILDREN WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY CAN'T DO OR A WEIRDLY PLACED "NO", an answer to a question they didn't ask. For example: "Get down", "Let go", "Stop", "Come here", "Shut the door", "Stay away", I'm just pulling these out a hat here--not literally. I use the first 3 a lot, with a very occasional "No". I use "No" when he looks at me. . . . . before he pounds on the doll cabinet or stereo or whatever, followed by "get down"--because usually he's pulled himself up to something. Or just when a habitual "No" gets out.

In my mind telling him what I'd like him to do, instead of whatever he's doing, actually teaches him something. On the other hand, just saying "No", it's like I expect him to already know what he's supposed to do or not do without having taught him in the first place. As his parents it is our job to teach him the difference between right and wrong. The more he learns what's right, the more he will recognize right. and vice versa. Then as he gets older he will know what he's NOT supposed to do, because we've taught him, and if he does it anyway? Well, that's when he gets a swat.

So when it comes down to it, I think we--society in general--have established an improper use of the word "no". I'm trying to use "no" in its appropriate usage. AND . . . . we'll see how long it lasts :)