What an INTERESTING 18 months!!!

WOW!!! What an INTERESTING (to say the least) 18 months we've had! Does busy even begin to touch on our life in the past 18 months??? Eighteen months ago at 8:30ish tonight, my world was turned upside down. My 29-week baby boy was ripped from my body and given NO chance of survival. Eighteen months ago today, God showed up and showed out in Tifton, Georgia! Thank YOU, Lord!!! He took a very premature, very sick baby boy from a very undeserving mommy and showed people all over this country that HE was still in control. I am eternally grateful for the modern day miracle that terrorizes my house 24 hours a day!!! What did we do before Reed was a part of our family??? We must have been some very boring people, because he has surely shown us what it means to LIVE! We have been blessed with each milestone being met right on time or even early. Once he started walking, he RAN! He is table-fed, and LOVES him some food! We haven't been able to find anything that this boy won't eat! Eat??? ALL day long!!! He has finally surpassed the 20 pound mark! Woohoo!!! We have so much to be thankful for with our little man.....every day! Every day we have with him is a gift to us after being told he wouldn't survive his ambulance ride to Macon 18 months ago tonight. We are so undeserving of the honor of parenting this miracle baby.

In addition to running after the Energizer bunny, of course we have been busy with surgeries. Thankfully, I saw my surgeon on Monday, and things are progressing as expected. I have to wear the brace at work until the 26th, when I see him again. My unsteadiness is very normal, as I have never actually stood on a "real" knee before now. We are still anxiously awaiting a donor bone...... The damage continues to worsen each day while waiting for the femur bone graft. My surgeon said Monday that we'll be doing a total reconstruction on the right leg if a donor bone isn't found SOON. The downer on Monday came when he checked Sara's knees...... When I found out about my knee problem, I asked what the chance was that my kids would have the same problem. The chances were very SLIM..... Yep, you guessed it, Sara has the same problem and will be facing knee surgery in the next five years or so. We will have Anna checked when she turns11 or so, as well.

Many have commented that they don't know how I've managed to stay happy and upbeat in all of the calamities of the knee surgeries. I can honestly tell you that I would not be able to stay positive had I not gone through my life-changing journey with Reed. My survival during Reed's oh-so-scary journey depended on me focusing only on my blessings.....the positives.....the baby steps of progress that he made each time I walked into the NNICU to visit him. Had I not experienced this journey with Reed, I could very easily have been very angry and bitter at all the setbacks that have come with my knee surgeries.

Life is so much more enjoyable when we focus only on the good things. Looking for blessings (no matter how small they may be) takes the focus off of the negatives that can so easily encompass our every second of life. It's so easy to look at all that seems to be going wrong. It takes effort to find blessings in the storms of life, but it makes it so much easier to weather these storms.

Chasing after a very busy 18-month-old, being a taxi driver to two very active girls, working full time, and, of course, physical therapy three times a week ALL prevent me from being able to update our blog as frequently as I'd like. I will have to update soon, though, because we are having 18-month pics made on Sunday!!! Even though I'm not posting daily, I'm still counting my blessings each and every day. Are you???? If you find yourself forgetting, find a friend to hold you accountable. Email, text, or tell your blessings to someone each day.... You'll find that focusing on the good is so much easier.

 Such a HAM!! :)

He's so proud of his first Nike shoes!!! He's so big!

Share your blessings and love your babies!

Much love,

Lord, please, help!!!!

Lord, please, help!!!! Just when I think there can't possibly be anything else that could go wrong..... I'm wrong. My incision is infected.....yes, after 3 weeks it has gotten infected. I've been on antibiotics for a little over 24 hours now, and haven't seen any improvement. I will get it checked in the morning when I see Andy for rehab. He saw it Monday, and will hopefully be able to make a better judgment call. If it's not better tomorrow....Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it's off to Columbus we go....AGAIN!!!! Please pray that the pain and infection get better quickly. My leg has not hurt at all until the past week. To everyone's surprise, I've actually followed ALL doctor's orders.....except for starting back to work 2 days after surgery. :)

Funny thing..... I've had 2 people within 24 hours tell me that God must have something big going on for me because of the unrelenting attacks that keep trying to knock me down. I KNOW with NO doubt that He still performs miracles and IS still in charge of our world and our lives. I think He's giving me way too much credit in thinking I can handle all of this. I do believe if He brings me TO it, He WILL bring me THROUGH it..... I just have a hard time waiting on HIS timing.

Please pray for this infection to clear quickly. Pray also that my spirits improve. I'm getting into a down & out rut with everything seeming to fall apart. I have been so blessed with a WONDERFUL husband who has picked up and carried on with our family life despite my inability to help out and do all the things I usually do. I feel as though my mother in law is taking as much care of me as she does for Reed. I am truly blessed, and will continue thanking Him for the blessings He bestows upon me and my family every day.

Much love to all,

SLOW DOWN!!!

SLOW DOWN!!! Life is passing me by. I need it to SLOW DOWN!!! I can't keep up with everything going on around me when I'm sedated for most of the summer! GEEZ!!! Now it's time for another school year to start. GAH!!!

Okay, let's catch up. Reed had surgery to put tubes in his ears. Surgery went great and he didn't miss a beat! However, he abhors the wax plugs we have to put in his ears for bath time and swimming. :)

I had surgery to lower my left knee cap on July 18. It was an excruciating surgery. I was doing great with physical therapy and getting back to normal life..... And then.... 2 weeks and 1 day after surgery (last Tuesday), my leg broke. It literally BROKE. My bone came apart where it was screwed back together in surgery on July 18. I stepped on it and it literally crumbled under me. I got to ER at TRMC for xrays and pain shot. Then off we went to Phenix City to let Dr. Waldrop fix it again. I had surgery Wednesday to put my leg back together. This time they put 3 sets of screws and 4-pronged staple thingies in to hold bone together, in addition to wrapping it in wire. The first time they put only 2 sets of screws and 4-pronged staple thingies......and that didn't work. :) Now I'm in a brace with steel rods from my hip to my ankle 24 hours a day. Sleep is a very hard thing to do with the brace on my leg.

Now we're back on schedule of waiting for a donor femur to be located to fix my right knee. Hopefully, I'll have time to let my left knee heal completely before this next surgery.

And now it's time for another school year to begin.....  Today I went to my endocrinilogist appointment that I've waited ALL summer for. I absolutely loved the doctor. She was very personable and spent lots of time trying to explain things. We already knew that my thyroid is way out of whack with my Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroid disease being in a major flare up. However, she also said I'm in menopause after having my hysterectomy last year. Yes, menopause at 34! She's checking my thyroid hormone as well as my estrogen. Most likely will adjust/change my thyroid medicine and add hormones to level out estrogen issues pending bloodwork they did today. FINALLY, I may actually start feeling like me again!!!

The girls are excited to see who their teachers are for this year. We will meed them tomorrow. This has definitely been a roller coaster summer for our family. Two summers in a row have been crazy. Hopefully, next summer will be a restful and relaxing summer. However, we have to make it through another school year first! 

No pictures today. Reed is hard to catch now that he is walking.....fast and furious! It's more than a full time job keeping up with him. He's finally reached 20 pounds!!! Now if we can just get him to TALK!!!!

Life is so precious...every minute of it. Take time to enjoy the blessings you are showered with each day, and give thanks for all you've been blessed with.

Much love,

I just can't keep up.....

Summer is supposed to be the time for me to play catch-up from the previous school year...catch up on scrapbook/memorabilia collections; cleaning out bedrooms; catching up on reading; etc. I CAN'T KEEP UP, much less CATCH UP!

We have had a wonderful summer break so far, even with all the doctors' visits and surgeries. I am loving every minute I have to spend with my babies. Reed had tubes put in his ears on June 24th, and is doing fabulously. He didn't miss a beat, and tackled that surgery like a champ.

 Before surgery....the medicine did NOT make him sleepy.

 Having woken up at 5:00 that morning, STARVING and unable to eat, Reed was ready for a nap.....until they gave him the sleepy medicine...

 Then he WOKE up WILD and ready to play!

 My desperate attempt to occupy him while we waited for his turn in the OR......riding in the wagon.

 He turned the other seat of the wagon into a drum...which he beat WILDLY as I drove him around.

 After surgery and a short nap, he was READY for his milk bottle....

 and ready to go home!

 One of my faves!!! This is my life all in one camera shot!

 Being goofy at Target while at the beach......

 Not so happy about being goofy.....

 This is how Reed wakes up.... HAPPY

Don't we all wish we could wake up so happy????

 

The faith of a child.....and the happiness too, that's what we should all strive for.

Wayne, the girls, and I went to Columbus Friday for an MRI on my left knee. I will be having surgery on it during the week of July 18th.  Unofficially, the date is the 18th, a Monday. I will know for sure this week. I am so ready for some relief. The pain of a kneecap constantly popping out of place is indescribable. Not knowing if your knee will catch you with each step you take is a scary thing to face. I try so hard not to complain..... It's hard to be only 34 years old and not be able to keep up with my three very active children. Being a mommy, of course I push through the pain to do all I can to keep up with my babies....but the pain has gotten to be so much worse. Please pray for an easy surgery and recovery of the left knee and the quick location of a femur match so that I can get the right knee fixed soon, too.

Yesterday in church, the youth director at our church shared the sermon. His message revolved around the thought "Are we really doing all we can to show Christ to those we meet?" If we each really honestly think about this, there are so many more ways we could be reaching out. His question was "Who in your life will you not see in Heaven because you failed to share Christ with him/her?" WOW!!! That one will really make you think. All too often, we become complacent (and sometimes lazy) in our Christian walk. God really kicked my butt in gear with Reed's traumatic beginnings. Should it really take something that drastic or traumatic to make us reach out to others and share His love???? Take a minute and think about those you live with daily at home, work, school, church, etc. Which of those friends, family members, acquaintances, etc. will you NOT see in Heaven because you didn't take the time to share His love with them? Will you hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant" when your name is called from the book of Life? Do all you can while you have the time here on Earth to ensure that you receive that precious compliment on Judgment Day.

I want to share eternity in Heaven with each and every one of you, so if there's anything I can do to help ensure that you are there with me, PLEASE let me know! What a glorious celebration it will be!!!

Much love to all,

Another week filled with doctors' visits.....

As we roll into another week of summer, we also roll into more doctors' visits. Tomorrow we start the week with an upper GI for me bright and early in the morning, in hopes of getting some answers..... Wednesday Reed will see an ENT to determine if he needs tubes to remedy all of his ear infections and to see about possible tonsillectomy & removing adenoids. This baby SNORES worse than any grown man I've ever known! He snores so loudly that he wakes himself up throughout the night.

We are still waiting, ever so patiently, for the call about a donor femur.... I continue to do rehab 2 days each week until a donor is found and the surgery can be done. I finally began enjoying my summer this past Thursday, when I was able to get into the pool for the first time. We are going to take a short trip to the beach this weekend to be sure we get a trip in before the surgery. Other than that, I'm pretty much ready to get the surgery done so that I can begin the healing process and be ready to run once the school year starts.... Run as in be in high gear for school. Not run as in running physically, because that is out of the question from now on. The only way I can run is in the deep end of the pool....which is okay. I can deal with that. At least we have a pool at home! :) I have invested in some equipment for running and working out in the pool, so I'm ready to get busy! Reed LOVES the pool, so we can spend LOTS of time playing in the pool!

Reed chillaxin' in the pool :)

I hope the summer finds each of you resting and relaxing with those who are the most important to you. Take time today to the do the things that make you happy. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow, so don't leave anything to be regretted.

Love to all,

So, it's been quite a while.....

Wow! I can't believe it's been 2 months since I updated our blog. So much going on with no time to rest! School ended, and we thought life would slow down a little.... Yeah, right! We celebrated Reed's 2nd (but 1st at home) Easter; had dance recital for the girls; finished the 5th and 1st grades with outstanding achievements; survived 10 1/2 years of teaching; 13 years of marriage; etc.

Then summer began with a bang! My first day out of post-planning was spent in surgery. This surgery was supposed to correct a problem from birth that took 34 years for someone to finally diagnose! I was born with my kneecaps too high....very common problem with a relatively simple fix. They went in to fix my right knee on May 25th, since they would only do one knee at a time we started with the knee that keeps popping out of place when I walk. Dr. Waldrop made the incision (6 inches straight down the center of my knee) and decided to scope around before he started the patella realignment. He was blown away by what he found..... a chunk missing out of my femur.... Yeah, where did that go? Crazy stuff. He immediately stopped surgery and went to pull another surgeon from his own surgery to look at my knee. At least I have something to keep 'em interested, right? HA! This other surgeon is the TOP transplant surgeon, and he said to close it up and do a donor transplant. Yep, get a donated piece of femur to tranplant into my femur to grow together to make a complete femur. At the time of the transplant, Dr. Waldrop will also realign my patella. Dr. Flandry said the longest it has ever taken him to find a donor was 3 months, so he's optimistic that it will happen soon. The bad part comes next.... one month on crutches with NO weight at all on the leg while the two bone pieces grow together. So, I either have NO summer if we have the surgery soon, or I go back to school on crutches for the first month. Fun, fun, fun! There's never a dull moment around here!

Reed is crazy fast on all fours, and is taking a few steps on his own here and there. Preemies usually walk around 15 months, which he will be in a little over a week. I'm rather worried about when he does start walking....he's hard enough to keep up with now! Wait til I'm on crutches trying to keep up with Speedy! Won't we be a sight!

The girls are absolutely loving being on summer vacation! Sara officially turns 11 in an hour and a half. She made me the owner of the best title one can have - MOMMY - 11 years ago today. There is no title more honorable than that!

Summer at the Putnal house is bound to be filled with excitement and stories to tell. With an 11 year old, 7 year old, and a 1 year old, there are many fun times to be had. We are definitely going to try to work in a trip to the beach (albeit brief) before my transplant...the beach makes everything better! I can't wait to see Reed play in the sand. He was too small to do anything but sleep last summer at the beach, so I'm ready to see him play and enjoy the sand and water! :) I will attach random pics, since we haven't had any photo sessions lately. :) 

It is my prayer that you will each spend an extra minute hugging your babies each night; postpone that meeting a few minutes to hear your kid finish his story; put down the phone or turn off the television to play "for just another minute" with your babies. God loaned our kids to us, and could call them home to Him anytime. Live each day so that there is no regret if there were no tomorrow to do all the things we didn't slow down for today.

Please join me in praying that a donor femur is found quickly and the surgery can be done soon so that healing can begin.

 Cheesin' at her party

 Snoozin'

 Dancin'

 School Play - Playing the part of Dorothy

 Drivin'

 Ridin'

 Smilin'

 Eatin'

 Eatin' more

 Church Musical

 Playing one of leading roles in church musical

 Lookin' WAY too old!

 Singin' her solo

 Celebratin'

 Food, fun, friends....

Reed likes the pool!

Much love to all,

Here we go again.....

So, we have another set of ear infections..... ARGH!!! On the up-side, I have more of his 1-year pics to upload. :)

Still thanking Him for all He has blessed us with,