2011 in Review ~ in pictures!

January

37 weeks pregnant

 February

Welcome to the world Tanner!

 Tanner @ Primary's

 Tanner @ CHLA just after surgery

 All of us @ the Ronald McDonald House in LA

 5 weeks old

 March

 April

 May

Blessing day

 June

Scottish Festival in their kilts!

 July

4th of July Fireworks @ Bee's Stadium

 Lake Powell

 August

 September

 October

 November

 December

Merry Christmas!

Our Heart Baby

We have always wanted to find a heart ornament for our tree this year because of Tanner's surgery. We were finally able to find one we liked. Also the fact that it is metal and not glass was a bonus since he can't break it!

 You can also see his snaggle tooth that he got recently. So cute! No top front teeth, but he's got that fang. Yay!

10 Months Old

10 Months.

 Stop it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

9 Months Old

 9 months in, 9 months out.

 

 No. Way.

 Way Mom. Duh.

I love you buddy!

Our Wizard of OZ family!

We got this idea when we were in LA for Tanner's surgery.

In the hallway on the way to ward he was in there were plaques all over with pictures thanking the surgeons and their teams.

One of the pictures was a little baby in a Tin Man costume.

When Kollin and I saw it, we thought it was perfect because of his heart!

So, Ta-Da!

Happy Halloween!

Surgery Day

Tanner went and had a little surgery yesterday.

We were finally able to get him circumcised and also had a chordee release (straighten his penis out since it was kinked to the side since he was laying on one side in my belly for so long, it flopped to one side and stayed that way).

In his hospital clothes and all ready for what is going to happen!

He had no idea what he was in for, poor little guy.

 With his anesthesiologist just before he took him through those doors and away from me.

 His surgeon (I forgot to get a picture of him) was so great. He came and talked to me when he was done and said that everything went great. They had absolutely no issues while he was knocked out which was the major thing I was worried about.

Just after I was reunited with him. I was allowed to start nursing him right away!

 Hanging out in the post-op area waiting to be able to go home. That green thing on his arm is the IV he had. He was having fun trying to chew on the end of it. woops!

 All ready to go! Got the IV out and a cool little reg bandage that Grandpa is showing off.

He has done so well so far. I only needed to give him a couple doses of his pain meds yesterday after we got home, but so far nothing today. He is acting completely normal and not seeming like he is in any pain at all.

Let's hope it says that way. He is such a little trooper still!

Surgery Tomorrow

Tanner has another surgery tomorrow at Primary's.

He has already been through so much, this one is so simple and easy in comparison.

He is finally able to get circumcised and also having a chordee release (straightening his little pecker out since he was laying on one side in my belly for so long it kinda flopped to one side and stayed that way).

I am feeling very confident and good about it. I have been reassured many times from his pediatrician, cardiologist, urologist and my parents that it is a very quick and uncomplicated procedure.

My only issue, at the moment, is him getting knocked out and that he has to have a special cardiac anesthesiologist to watch him closer because of his heart.

I'm also sure I'll collapse into a fetal position on the floor as soon as they take him away from me. Good thing my parents are going to be there with me.

Wish him luck!

Follow up with the Cardiologist

So today Tanner had his follow up appointment with his cardiologist to make sure he is still doing ok.

He had an X-ray (which he didn't like one bit) and I got to see the staples and wires in him. It looked pretty interesting.

He also got a bunch of stickers all over him for an EKG.

 The nurse was so sweet and cute with him! She even blew bubbles to help him hold still while the tests were being run.

 Then his cardiologist checked him out.

She said that he is a little small (must take after Kollin and me) being in the 5th percentile for weight (the last weigh in with his pediatrician said he was in the 3rd, so he's still growing!), but other than that she is still very happy with everything she is seeing and hearing.

His pulses look great.

She said his X-ray looked so good that if he didn't have those wires and staples inside, you would never know he had surgery.

And everything is sounding wonderful.

He has a small murmur, but it was there before and hasn't changed. So she says that is great, it is pretty much how they did the surgery and the way the blood is flowing now it makes a little sound that is different than "normal."

Kollin wanted me to ask her a couple more questions about what he can and cannot do in the future that we hadn't already asked....

One of them was if he can ride roller coasters. Kollin's side of the family are huge roller coaster fanatics! She said that Tanner does not have the type of heart condition that a roller coaster would cause any issues. She said she gets asked that about 10 times a day so apparently a pretty popular question!

Another question was if he could shovel the walks when he's old enough. She said it was a very good question and that he should be just fine to do that as well. Sorry buddy! No excuses to not help Daddy with the snow!

Overall, he passed with flying colors and she wants to see him in 6 months for another echo just to keep an eye on things. Sounds good to me!

8 Months Old

 This boy needs to stop growing!

 At least his hair, because I've already given him 2 haircuts. And he needs another one!

 But he's still my little cutie.

 I love him so much! Even with all that growing he's been doing.