We're Home!

Hank's feeling great, and so are we. He is such a champ! We'll go back for a check-up on Feb. 11, and then he'll be monitored reguarly for the rest of his life (in case you didn't know, this shunt stays in his body forever). I just uploaded the pictures from the hospital into the January album below. Warning! There are pics of Hank's incisions. They are covered with steri-strips, but some of you still may find it a little graphic. I do have some cute pictures of him prior to surgery, so you'll want to check them out. The graphic pictures are numbers 157-161, so as you are viewing the slideshow, you may want to skip over those. I don't think they're gross, but some of you may. Hayden is still with my family in McComb having the time of her life. She loves the spotlight, and there’s no doubt she is center-stage down there. Hurricane Hayden will arrive back in Vicksburg on Sunday. We are so thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers--you never let us down!

The day after

Hank is back to his old self today. He basically slept all day yesterday, but awoke this morning a new man! He hasn't tried to touch his head or belly, though he continues to teethe on his IV. He's had no pain meds (Yes, I said NO meds!), and honestly doesn't act any different than he did before we got here. It's so amazing. If it were me, I'd be out of commission for 6 weeks and milking it for all it's worth! He's back to his regular feedings and is taking his afternoon nap on his daddy's chest right now. Going home tomorrow is a possibility, and I'm really ready to get back to normal... whatever that is... Thanks for praying, y'all!

Hank did well

I just saw Hank, and he's doing great. The surgery went well, and the dr said that the fluid started flowing immediately when they put the tubing in, which means there was definitely some pressure in there. He's a little disoriented and grumpy, which is normal, so we'll be making sure he gets lots of loving tonight. It looks like we'll be here until Fri or Sat. I'll be putting some pictures of ol' Hank on the website tonight, so check back later on. Thanks for your prayers!

Hank's in surgery

Thanks to Grandaddy Harrison we've got a laptop up here with wireless internet access, so I'm able to update you from the family waiting room in the surgical unit. Hank went back about 11:40, and they just called to let us know that he was doing great and they were finishing up. Everything has gone well so far, except the poor little man was starving since he couldn't eat/drink after midnight. We'll update again as soon as we get a chance. Hayden is enjoying the undivided attention down in McComb and probably won't want to come back! Thanks for checking in!

Bad news

Hank’s neurosurgeon decided that Hank needs a VP shunt to relieve the fluid pressure in his brain. He will be admitted to Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital at UMC tomorrow. He will have surgery sometime Wednesday morning. You can do an internet search for VP shunt to learn more about the procedure. Please keep our family in your prayers.

Neuro Checkup Today

This morning Hank has a CT scan at UMC and an appt with Dr. Parent, his neurosurgeon. We'll update when we get back from Jackson.

Yay for Hank!

Yesterday morning, he was found sitting up all by himself in his crib. He is also pulling up alot quicker and more steady than he has been. He also has a tooth up on top. Tooth race: Hank 3, Hayden 2. Hayden is beginning to get more steady on her feet, too. She can hold on to something with one hand and bend down to pick something up with the other hand. She's even let go and stood by herself for a couple of seconds. What will we do when they start walking???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYDEN & HANK

Hayden & Hank are a year old today, and we have so much to be thankful for! They are healthy and growing so fast. We held their party yesterday, and had so much fun. Since we got so many toys for Christmas, we had a book party for their birthday. They got so many great books, and we can't wait to read them all. I've posted pictures below, so y'all check them out. Thanks so much for everyone who is still keeping up with us a year after they were born. Y'all mean the world to us. Enjoy the pics!

Big Birthday Coming Soon!

Hi everyone! We are officially on the birthday countdown. I can't believe they'll be ONE in a matter of days. They had their one-year checkup yesterday and got a great report. We can start making the transition off of formula and onto whole milk, and they can start eating basically any table food they want. This is huge news for us, because making 8 bottles of formula each night is no picnic! Hank weighed 16-15, and Hayden weighed 15-4. The dr said that Hank is just a little skinny for his length, so we're supposed to start feeding him more. And Hank's head hasn't grown, which is really great news. Hayden is in the 10th percentile for size. She's such a tiny, little thing. Our dr isn't concerned though since my stature is small, too. Hayden had another ear infection--maybe the same one from a few weeks ago that never completely went away. She put her on a stronger antibiotic this time, so we'll go back in two weeks to see if it's gone. They'll also get another RSV shot along with their chicken pox shot. We'll see Hank's neurosurgeon on the 24th for a CT scan and checkup, and we're really excited about that. Hayden is crawling all over the place and can pull up in the blink of an eye. She's even started to hold on with only one hand and take a couple of tentative steps. It won't be long before she's walking! Hank does the commando crawl, pulling himself along the floor with his arms. He's trying to pull up, but can only get to his knees right now. We just finished re-doing their playroom, so they have lots of room to roam these days. We'll be having their birthday party on Sunday, and I know they can't wait to show off for all of the family (especially Hayden, who loves the spotlight!). Thanks for checking up on us! And make sure you check back at the beginning of next week for pics from their party!