Busy busy!

Eleanor bouncing around on the furniture after school waiting for lunch, situation normal!?!
Oscar is learning to brush his teeth by himself!
WITH Mommy's approval of course! So much better than having to hold him down kicking and screaming! Your kids never acted like that, did they?

Eleanor "Irish Dancing" for us in one of her infamous after bathtime concerts.

She also plays guitar while Oscar runs in circles!

She insisted that I post this photo of her b/c she loves her hair!

Morning at the Zoo

My baby "riding" a turtle!

The forsythia is already trying to bloom...it's mid-January!?!

Oscar petting Oreo the bunny.

He also got to pet a three-banded armadillo during storytime.

"Cool Guy" pose

Clean Screen

My Mom had a clean CAT scan! Hooray! She was due for her six month follow-up but she was also having symptoms: tenderness and a feeling of fullness in her upper abdomen. Turns out the symptoms were due to the gall bladder attack she had last week and not something growing...or as she says "muskrat babies!" Phew! So she will be returning to Ketchikan, leaving Bellingham on Friday with Mark, Meredith & their munchkins. Her next follow-up will be in another six months. AMEN!!!

Ice Skating

Dancing Queen on Ice!
watching the zamboni...

I didn't even want to take a break for hot chocolate...I skated for the entire 2 hour session!

What a fun Girls Only afternoon!

Home again home again

I am back home after a week in Green Bay as Grandpa Fred seems to be improving after having the PEG feeding tube and trach placed. The day after the trach was placed they had him breathing on his own for an hour and a half, which they compared to running a marathon. Naturally Gramps was exhausted after that! They try to do 2 hours on then 2 hours off but he wasn't quite up to that and yesterday they had to re-intubate him as he was struggling with his breathing...a comment was made, something about his anatomy (windpipe) and they had difficulty placing the trach tube. My Dad has been letting Gramps wear his eye glasses while he is in the room with him and he really enjoys that. He recently had eye surgery on both his eyes for cataracts and has yet to be fitted for a new pair of glasses! It was really hard to leave, knowing that I might not get to see him alive again, but also that he has already lived such a wonderful life! I am so thankful for our time at the camp in early December with all four of his great grandchildren present!

Mom is in Washington now, perfect timing for her CAT scan tomorrow afternoon at Seattle's Swedish Hospital. Mark & his family hope to get on the ferry northbound on Friday...Lord willing Mom will be going with them too rather than requiring another surgery!

surgery

Grandpa Fred will be having a trach and PEG (feeding) tube placed Wednesday morning at 9:30am.
He has been very responsive the last two days, grasping hands and acknowledging/tracking with his eyes. He can't talk b/c of the ventilator tube but they have reduced the controls so he is breathing somewhat on his own now.

Also, my Mom has her follow-up CAT scan in Seattle on Monday and the reading with her oncologist on Tuesday. She will drive west with Mark and family, leaving later this week.
I too think I'll head home at the end of the week. Oscar has started using the training potty and done both deeds so I've been joking with Kristian that I won't come home until his training is complete!

Please continue to keep Grandpa Fred and my Mom in your prayers.

surgery

Grandpa Fred will be having a trach and PEG (feeding) tube placed Wednesday morning at 9:30am.
He has been very responsive the last two days, grasping hands and acknowledging/tracking with his eyes. He can't talk b/c of the ventilator tube but they have reduced the controls so he is breathing somewhat on his own.
Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

Fred's Friday

So glad to be able to be here with family. Mark, Meredith and kids left Maine today and are on their way here, maybe late tomorrow night.
Grandpa had an ok day today, less responsive in his acknowledgements of us but I did get a quick grip as I was saying goodnight. He is receiving Tylenol for his 100.6 fever and AB's for pneumonia. The breathing tube is still in place and the nurses are providing excellent oral and ventilator care. I was so excited that they are swabbing his mouth with Peridex, an antimicrobial that I use with patients in the dental office! It helps reduce the bacterial load/presence so that is good.
We had a good meeting with Gramps Dr, nurse, case manager and chaplain this afternoon so Dad was pleased to do that for the first time since his arrival. The Dr is great, we all are happy to have his expertise.
Pastor Jim Danielson came from Norway today and said a wonderful prayer at Gramps bedside with all of us. He officiated Grandma Gert's funeral and visited with her numerous times at home during her illness. He also brought Fred's sister Elvira down so she could visit him.
We will see what the next day brings...Dr says the biggest hurdle is his respiratory challenge. Thank you all for your prayers and warm thoughts.

Update on Fred

I'm in the Detroit airport on my way to go see my Grandpa. Please continue to lift him up in prayer as he stopped breathing the other day so they have placed a breathing tube and have him basically in a medically-induced coma. My folks arrived last night (New Years Eve) from Alaska and he was able to acknowledge their arrival by flickering his eyes and now today by squeezing hands. More updates later as my plane is about to board.