What?

Because my Isaac was born so prematurely he had many doctor appointments and therapy appointment. One day our therapist told us he might need a helmet to help with his head shape. So I made an appointment with his pediatrician and he referred us to a craniofacial specialist. While we were there he told us he thought our son's frontal bones had already fused together. This is a picture of Isaac around the time we took him to the doctor. After x-rays and several pictures later it was confirmed that his bones were fused. The doctor told us about a surgery to reconstruct his frontal bones to allow his brain to grow and to have a more of a normal looking head. He told Tino and I that this would mean that Isaac would have a scar on his head from ear to ear going across the top of his head. It's a zig zag cut to not put pressure on the skin and it will heal faster. He then told us he would pull the skin down and remove his frontal bones reconstruct them and with the help of screws and plates would put him together again and that would work. WHAT!! YOU WANT TO DO WHAT TO MY SON?!!!!! Was my first thought, then denial, then saddness. My Ella Claire was only 4 months old and Isaac was a little over a year old. I didn't know how this was going to work but my sweet Tino stepped up big time. He totally took charge and told me he would take a week vacation and stay with Isaac the entire time he was in the hospital and I would take care of everything at home. Can I just say, I love this man. I have been blessed with this great man who took over when I needed him to. I would visit Tino and Isaac in the afternoon after I picked up Lexy from school. Isaac was in the ICU for two days and only two visitors could go in at a time. It was very hard to have a baby in the hospital and a nursing baby at home. I would bring all the kids to the hospital and Tino and I would trade places for a couple of hours. I would visit Isaac while Tino stayed in the waiting room with Lexy, Avery and Ella. We had wonderful families make dinner for us and bring it to the hospital or I would pick it up during carpool at Lexy's school. This way we were able to eat dinner together. Tino never got a break. He wasn't able to come home. The first two days in the ICU he didn't leave Isaac's side, and to show his great sacrifice for his son, he didn't even leave him to take a shower. After the two days in the ICU Isaac was moved to a room for a couple of days. It was a little easier when he had his own room because we could all visit him together. I didn't like to stay long because we would get loud and I wasn't sure how Isaac was feeling. His eyes were swollen shut for about 5 days so I couldn't tell if he was asleep or awake, but Tino knew. He knew everything about Isaac, what he wanted when and what he liked and didn't like. Tino is my hero! I'm so glad he was there with his son, I know I there is no way I could of done what Tino did. Here is Isaac before his surgery. This is the room we waited in at 6 in the morning for the nurse to come and get us. This is Isaac after his surgery. His eyes were swollen shut and I didn't even recognize him. I was not prepared to see him this way. I was given a photo album of a boy who had the same surgery and I saw his pictures but I just didn't register that my son would look like that boy but he did. It was such a weird feeling, to not recognize the little boy you delivered and had prayed for, for such a long time.

Isaac had his blue blankee the whole time. He is now 5 and still carries his blankee everywhere he goes. See that tube in his tummy? Well that was a feeding tube he had put in while he was in the NICU because they found that he had a paralyzed vocal chord that wouldn't let him swallow properly. But that's for a later post. He had a lot of tubes and wires going and coming in all different directions. Isaac finally came home just 6 days after surgery. It was so much better when he came home. It was still hard to see him recover but at least he was home. God has been so good to our family and I have never been mad at God for giving us this trial to go through. I just pray that when I meet Him face to face I'm able to hear him say, "well done good and faithful servant." I love God and I love him for refining our faith as a family in HIM! I'm also thankful for my strong and healthy children, all four of them!!