Man Down!

Football season is officially over for Marcus.  The last team he played against was tough!  The sound of the pads crashing together on impact was so loud I knew Marcus would come home sore, especially playing defensive tackle the whole game.  Unfortunately he also came home injured.  We figured he had a minor sprain in his wrist but by Monday night he couldn't even use his hand to do his homework so I figured I needed to take him to the ER.
While we were at the ER getting X-rays, Randy was home dealing with Parker who put his four teeth through his bottom lip.  It was bad enough that Randy debated taking him to the ER as well but figured that would look really bad if we had two kids there at the same time.  Plus, we no longer have Tricare insurance so we are paying out the nose for medical costs for the first time in our lives.  Anyway, back to Marcus...
They put him in a splint after deciding he needed to go to orthopedics to make sure he hadn't cracked any growth plates or torn any ligaments.  Three days later we met with orthopedics, got more X-rays and a real cast.  Marcus chose pink just to make his dad mad because Randy hates pink.  The next morning I get a call from orthopedics telling me the hand specialist looked over his charts and recommended an MRI.  They wanted me to bring Marcus back in so they could cut off his brand new cast and put him back in a removable splint so he could have an MRI done at 6:30am on Halloween morning.  I was not happy about this and neither was Marcus.  {Ironically, the techs never got the memo to remove the splint for the MRI so it was all for nothing anyway. }  Monday we went back to the doctor to get another cast put back on and to find out that his hand/wrist is fine, and surgery wouldn't be needed.  He just has a really bad sprain.  Hooray!
In the meantime Marcus pretty much can't use his right hand to do anything so I am now his scribe.  I'm relearning all that math I forgot, typing essays, doing science homework, and helping him get dressed. I.Love.IT.

Getting a splint at the ER

This is what 3 hours of doctors office/waiting rooms looks like and me losing my mind

Coming home with his new cast

Saying goodbye to his new cast he hadn't even worn for 24 hours

The grainy MRI image showing another birth defect.  They'll fix it if he ever breaks his wrist.  Knowing Marcus, that will probably happen.

His new Sea Hawks cast.  He'll wear it for 2 weeks then we go in for more X-Rays

OK, so that's a lot of details.  The moral of the story is this was way too complicated.  I don't know if I should be thankful he didn't need surgery or upset at the doctors for being way to paranoid.  I'm sure I will cry when we receive the bills.  TriCare, we miss you!

Catching Up

The boys discovered another use for their ski helmets: soldier helmets!

Now that the weather has warmed up slightly, we've been spending tons of time outside.  Like I do every year around this time, I ask myself how we survived the previous six months of crumby cold weather.  Life sure is great when we can play outside! Here are a few things on my camera/phone I forgot to mention.

Killing time while Randy had oral surgery on the huge cyst inside his face.  The cyst is gone. . for now.  Randy wouldn't let me take a pic of his swollen cheek.  He looked like a chipmunk storing nuts for winter.

My Dad bought me a wheat grinder for Christmas.  Now I can make my mom's delicious wheat bread.  Yum!

Long winters get really boring until Mom pulls out toothpicks and marshmallows.  Parker loves marshmallows! {and destroying his brothers' creations}

Playing in the woods in front of our house

Landon is obsessed with writing his letters and drawing.  He goes through pages and pages a day.

Parker has discovered the television.  Hooray!  Now I can get things done around the house for a 15 minute stretch, or snuggle with him.  It's a tough choice.

40 degrees felt like tropical paradise so we went to the park

Ethan trying to have fun on lame playground equipment

Getting creative to fight off cabin fever boredom

Parker enjoying the scenery at the pediatric cardiologist where we learned Marcus no longer has a dilated aortic heart valve.  Still working on the mystery of why he passes out.  We've been going to lots of doctors and an MRI is scheduled for next week

Parkster wearing Marcus's shoes.  This picture reminds me of how little Marcus used to be and how it won't be long before Parker is as big as Marcus now.  Time goes too fast!

Parker has entered the Obsessed-With-Lightning McQueen Phase.  Luckily we already have everything he could possibly want to satisfy his obsession