Ben's Surgery

I'm actually typing on a computer for this post, which feels really weird.  I seriously haven't used anything but my phone for like 3 years. This feels so good.  Anyway, below is a picture of Benny on Wed, the day before his surgery.  I am obsessed w this outfit of his. 

Hilly stayed for lunch bunch w her friend Emily while Benny and I had a lunch date at Lucky's.  He ordered by himself: chocolate milk and macaroni and cheese. True to form, he filled his belly with chocolate milk and had no room for the mac and cheese.

Okay, this pic below is out of order, but this was yesterday at Ben's wellness visit.  We waited for like an hour.  Ben is around 65 percentile for height and 50th for weight.  Jim and I are so tall, I'm shocked that our kids aren't all in the 90th percentile for height. 

This was Hill all prepped for lunch bunch.  Her and big Emily picked out that lunch box and she loves it.

Again, strange order.  But this is Benny practicing his cutting.  He has taken an interest in cutting and attempting to draw since school started.  He has never really had any interest in art- thus far.

Ah, here we go.  This is Benny and dada post surgery.  It all went well.  We were there for a long time to remove his little ear bump and his birth mark.  He was so brave.  He didn't like having medicine ("giggle juice") squirted up his nose.  He later told me it made him feel like a "bad guy... like the Joker." Afterwards, though, he was happy as a clam.  He has no memory of this.  In the waiting room, we could see his little number up on the screen.  We were so worried, but the waiting room was really humbling.  There was a mother there waiting for her 2 year old who was having surgery to remove a tumor from her kidney.  Another family was waiting for their severely handicapped daughter to have some sort of breathing apparatus fitted. Anyway, the nurse liason came out on the hour and her first update was that the nurses all said Ben was "adorable."  As he was wheeled away, he was all snuggled up in the blanket playing on an ipad. We told him Jackie was in the same bed and wore the same robe when she had her stitches.  This made him very happy.

Post-surgery.  Grandma D and I couldn't stop canoodling and cuddling him.  He woke up soooo mad from anesthesia, which they said is common. But then he was his snuggly old self.

Meanwhile, Tiffany picked up Jack from school and took the older girls to yoga at the HAC and got them smoothies.  I am so grateful for friends like these. 

Ben went to school the next day because he wanted to!  He was fine.  Anyway, I found them at some point all reading books together.  Maybe my favorite sight in the entire world.

The neighbors surprised us with a Frankenstein that sings!  The kids could not have been more excited.  This guy is the worst - he sings so loud.  He is now outside and I hope the rain damages him.

They set up this entire Halloween display in the hallway.  They must have gone through the house and scraped together everything fall related we had.  Cracks me up.  Here is Ben dancing.

Me and my girl Jack.  I was at a bachelorette party on Saturday night in Cape May so everyone was really happy to see me early Sunday morning.  This pic below really shows my age.  I think its the forehead lines. 

Me and my guy.

Picking out a gift for Sam's 4th birthday.  The kids all played in this store for like an hour.

The party.  I love these kids below.  Yay, Aldersgate!

This pic below is so special.  Jack and Payton remind me so much of my best friend Michelle Ross.  I miss her.

Later that night.... We had Grammy and Pops over for dinner which was really fun but I don't have any pics.  I was so tired from the bachelorette party and then birthday party. 

Mondays are insane.  All kids have school.  I pick up Ben and Hill and head straight to HAC where Ben has soccer and karate and Hill has yoga.  Then we pick up Jack from school and head right to gymnastics.  From gymnastics we race over to field hockey.  The upside is we get to spend the afternoon w Cara and the crew.

Ben and Jack walking home from school together.