Monday, October 18, 2010 Gage had to be hospitalized. A few weeks before he started complaining about his ear. We thought it was swimmer's ear again and treated it. Then a week later I took him in and doctor said to keep treating it with ear drops and call it anything happens. Well, Monday morning it did...yuck started draining from it. But ran NO fever. We had an appt at 11am with Stevens (love this doctor.) He referred us to Reed at UMC...also wonderful. He said good news: ear drum looks great, bad news: this boy needs to be in hospital for IV antibiotics for an abscess behind his ear. He should have been in here a week ago, I can't believe he is not in severe pain. I'm telling y'all...this boy is TOUGH!
We wanted to be at our local hospital...Simpson General. It was close to home, friends, and our support system that keeps us all sane and grounded! Dr. Reed said "ok." So back home we went and got checked in. Melissa (a dear friend) got her best IV stickers in the ER to go ahead and get an IV started. No tears from Gage...just BIG eyes right when they stuck him but after that he was cool as a cucumber! Ask Melissa if you don't believe me!
Our friends and family started showing up as soon as we checked in and began showering Gage with love, attention, and lots of goodies! This hospital also gives "guest" plates with a child so you don't have to go out and search for food. It was perfect...I was able to feed Bradley without worrying what I was going to "fix."
He has his arm wrapped in blue and then green wrap to keep his IV safe. His special girlfriend Vickie always came by to check on him and had to prick his finger twice on Wednesday...he did great then too. He made me text his Nana and tell her to bring more gummies, suckers and chocolate...by 10am the next day it was on his bed! ROTTEN!
He had lots of playmates to come visit. and lots of new toys to play with. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be...I know that was because everyone was praying for us!
Playing "air guitar" on his bed...trying to keep him somewhat calm. On about day 3 of us being there he got orders that he could go outside. Brad and Slick were there and took him out. He said out and ran around in circles about 20 times...Brad said he looked like he was a little dog that had been chained up for a week all the energy he let out!
A big highlight when I was there one morning is that we had a helicopter land at the hospital to pick up a patient that was being transported. It was super cool to Gage to get sooo close to one.
He did look forward to every afternoon when his brothers would come up and run around and drive him crazy and play with his toys and eat his candy. I loved that people that are so special to us could just drop by to say HI and cheer Gage up and give him a little smile so he could look at someone different!
On Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 1:30 we got orders from Stevens that we could go home and by 2:30 Melissa was wheeling Gage out to the van with ALL this stuff! His girlfriends all came by to tell him bye-bye and hope he gets better 100%.
He demanded to go to school the next day. He was a celebrity when he showed up. He showed everyone his "hole" in his arm "that is where I got my IV!" We are on antibiotics for 2 weeks unless Dr. Reed wants us to be on them longer when we follow up to see him.
I was sooo overwhelmed with the prayers and support from my family and friends. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful support system in my little "home-to-me-now" town!
We had trunk n treat at our church last night and tonight at Nana and Slick's church...fun times and lots of candy. Pictures to come of what we dressed like...I had us all in a themed costume and even Bradley participated...I'll keep you guessing on what the theme was! 
Gage kept saying "I wanna sleep uptop." Well he couldn't until his daddy did this for him to keep him safe. So thankful I married a "handy man." 
Gage and Toby showing off the railing!
Love these 2 look-a-like boys!
Toby was getting teased when Daddy was tucking him in his sleeping bag on the couch.
Brad was looking for something under the couch and popped it back without the boys knowing what he was doing...it caught them all by surprise!
Fun times...lots of memories made!
This was too cool b/c he never done anything like this b/c he had always gone to Lola's School.
Honking both horns...one he pushed and the other he pulled that white rope! (LOUD)
Silly picture with all his friends...K3 and K4 Gage is on top top row.
He was a celebrity when he showed up b/c he had been gone ALL week in the hospital. Landon is his biggest buddy...he could not keep his hands off him. It was too sweet. I love it that these two are such big friends. They call each other "Jacob" and are in the "Jacob Club." They are a big hot mess is what they are...I'm sure they give Ms. Kristie and Ms. Heather gray hairs!
We wanted to be at our local hospital...Simpson General. It was close to home, friends, and our support system that keeps us all sane and grounded! Dr. Reed said "ok." So back home we went and got checked in. Melissa (a dear friend) got her best IV stickers in the ER to go ahead and get an IV started. No tears from Gage...just BIG eyes right when they stuck him but after that he was cool as a cucumber! Ask Melissa if you don't believe me! 
Our friends and family started showing up as soon as we checked in and began showering Gage with love, attention, and lots of goodies! This hospital also gives "guest" plates with a child so you don't have to go out and search for food. It was perfect...I was able to feed Bradley without worrying what I was going to "fix." 
He has his arm wrapped in blue and then green wrap to keep his IV safe. His special girlfriend Vickie always came by to check on him and had to prick his finger twice on Wednesday...he did great then too. He made me text his Nana and tell her to bring more gummies, suckers and chocolate...by 10am the next day it was on his bed! ROTTEN!
He had lots of playmates to come visit. and lots of new toys to play with. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be...I know that was because everyone was praying for us!
Playing "air guitar" on his bed...trying to keep him somewhat calm. On about day 3 of us being there he got orders that he could go outside. Brad and Slick were there and took him out. He said out and ran around in circles about 20 times...Brad said he looked like he was a little dog that had been chained up for a week all the energy he let out!
A big highlight when I was there one morning is that we had a helicopter land at the hospital to pick up a patient that was being transported. It was super cool to Gage to get sooo close to one.
He did look forward to every afternoon when his brothers would come up and run around and drive him crazy and play with his toys and eat his candy. I loved that people that are so special to us could just drop by to say HI and cheer Gage up and give him a little smile so he could look at someone different!
On Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 1:30 we got orders from Stevens that we could go home and by 2:30 Melissa was wheeling Gage out to the van with ALL this stuff! His girlfriends all came by to tell him bye-bye and hope he gets better 100%.
He demanded to go to school the next day. He was a celebrity when he showed up. He showed everyone his "hole" in his arm "that is where I got my IV!" We are on antibiotics for 2 weeks unless Dr. Reed wants us to be on them longer when we follow up to see him. 
I was sooo overwhelmed with the prayers and support from my family and friends. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful support system in my little "home-to-me-now" town! 
This was the best presentation ever in my 8 yrs of teaching. Emily "owns" a business called Cupcakes for Life. She wore her little kiddie apron her aunt made her when she was a little girl.
This is her business sign...make up of crumple tiny pieces of paper glued together to make the letters...(lots of time.) She baked for 6 hrs the day before and brought 96 (yes 96) cupcakes all different flavors and frosting and sprinkles!
It was sooo much fun to help her set up, hear her presentation, and then par-take of her yummy desserts she made us. We all got to eat 2...I snuck an extra one to Coach Smith of course! This girl really got into her product!
Emily, job well done! You should be very proud of yourself for your ump, creativity, go-getness, and your love of presentations. You will go far in life with these wonderful qualities!
Playing with the kitties...like the cat is attacking them camera.
Check out cat teeth...only a boy would think this was cool!
Love this picture...so artsy
I took this one...love it. The cats have so become part of the family...even booted Harley off the big mat and made her lay on the concrete!
So now they must hold hands! (and sit close together)
They get mad at us. So they are exerting their energy as a team towards us! 
We were laughing under out breath (of course)...it sorta works...most of the time! It looks like Harley is laughing at them too! Try it with your kiddos!
Jeremy draws a monster but his monster is VERY rude and demanding. 
I always have to write in the front of a book...if it is especially to them.
These 2 kitties are being huge helpers...Butterscotch and Scramo!
