Jared & Katie

Half way through 2011

2011-07-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened this year, but we have not been very good at blogging about the events of 2011.

We enjoyed a great season of BYU basketball. We were even able to make it to a couple of games, including the MWC tournament. Because of school obligations, Katie got to fly down to Las Vegas to meet up with me, my brother Aaron, and my good friend Rod.

I had been to quite a few Las Vegas Bowls, but this was my first (and last) basketball tourney.

It was a great trip and a special experience to watch Jimmer put up 52 against New Mexico. We had great seats for all the games, and even made it on T.V. Jimmer ended up being drafted number 10 to the Sacramento Kings, so I guess we are Kings fans now (if they end up having an NBA season).

Katie finished another semester of school and is three weeks away from being done with her summer class. She has done very well so far. She had been given a scholarship that was continent on her receiving high grades in her first two semesters. She did just that, and will be the first to ever actually qualify for that particular scholarship. She applied for others for this upcoming school year and received another one for the 2011-2012 school year. She still has two more years to go. She is really enjoying it, especially when she gets to do field works. Seems like most places she goes end up trying to offer her a job when she graduates.

Her calling at church is Young Women’s Camp Director. She has done a good job of planning for that upcoming event while still focusing on school. I am sure she will have a lot to blog about after camp.

I work with the young men at church, and last month was our High Adventure camp out. We didn’t have a lot of options since it was still snowing and so much had not melted off. We took the boys to Island Park and stayed in a cabin. Some of the boys set up a tent, but I stayed in the bed. I think we had a pretty good time. We did a GPS scavenger hunt, some fishing, canoe floats, shooting, and EATING.

The YM President is a master Dutch oven chef, and he took good care of us. We had ribs and pork tenderloin in the smoker, cobbler, and full breakfasts each morning.

We had a pretty good time, but I was thinking that next time we leave the boys home and just us leaders go out. I did catch my first fish out of a canoe (was my first time in a canoe too).

Last year was the remodel and yard clean-up. This year we are in landscaping mode. What started out as a small paver patio project has expanded a little bit. I finally got my pasture fenced in so the goats can roam free.

We put in a few rock gardens, poured a concrete patio, and still have more to go. I really want to get an edge put in around our lilacs and put some more rock down this summer.

It will really clean up the edge of the yard and make mowing a lot easier since we will have straight lines. I also need to get a shed or two built.
I bought a few random shed kits last year and have been keeping them in my buddies shop, it is just hard to find time to get them put together. It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have to figure which parts went to which shed. Maybe by the end of the summer I will have those two projects done.

The Paio will be nice because it is on the east side and in shade by 5 p.m. It will be a good home for the swing that has to be moved every time we mow right now. My buddy Jason helped a lot. His dad let me use this awesome mixer that made it pretty slick.

I put some anchor bolts in the concrete to have soemthing to keep the swing and bbq secure.

We started our Independence day celebrations on the 1st, with BYU Football Independence.

Then yesterday we went for a quick trip down and back to Malad. Katie’s family had a family reunion, and Katie also had a class reunion.

We would have liked to stay longer, but I had to get back for work. I also have to work on the 4th, but hopefully I will get off on time and we will be able to catch a fireworks show.

Our First Year in Iona

2011-03-07T15:11:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that a year ago this week we closed on our house. It seemed like it would never happen. We had put our offer in on a short sale in November of 2009. Four months later, we finaly had our first house.

I was looking back on some of the pictures from the past year and I cant believe the transfermation of our home and our yard.

WE WON!!!!!

2011-02-26T13:07:00.001-08:00

As many of you know, Jared and I are faithful BYU fans. Well, just moments ago BYU just beat SDSU (both top ten teams) 80-67!!!! I just wanted to blog about our absolute joy!

GO COUGARS!

Work & School

2011-02-09T08:58:00.001-08:00

You may be wondering where Jared and I have been for the last few months: Work and School. Jared is doing all of the paper work that you have to do at the EIIFC during the winter months when there are no fires. He is also doing stuff at EITC in Idaho Falls where he plans classes for people so they can be qualified to do certain things (as I understand it). I am still in the Occupational Therapy Program at ISU and trying to maintain passing grades. This semester is hard. Luckily I have a very supportive and patient husband who supports me and is always doing something for me. I tell him it will take an eternity to try to make it even...maybe longer!

One time during my undergrad studies I had to teach kids in an after school program. Jared, having special connections with Smokey Bear, helped me do a presentation for the kids. It was a huge hit with the kids. Just another instance where I owe him one! ;)

ISU

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-29T08:20:00.000-08:00

We had a very Merry Christmas again this year. Katie and I were not going to do much for gifts, but we did want to try to go to a BYU basketball game over our break. Everyone in my family wanted to join us so we met op for the UTEP game the day before Christmas Eve. Even though the weather was crappy right before and right after, we were all able to travel safely and only had to deal with rain. We were able to stay in Malad on our way down and Katie got to take a ride with her mom. She loves to do that, but most of the time we are in too much of a rush to get a ride in.

The next day we stopped and visited with our friends Meagan and Cameron and their little girl Brooklyn. We had not seen them in almost a year. Their little girl is so cute. I wish we had remembered to bring our camera in and get a few pictures. We wish that we lived closer to them so we could get together more often.

We started our super day with a little bowling at the Wilkinson Center on the BYU Campus. I think that is where I bowled for the first time as boy. We had bumpers for the kids and I think the the grown ups could have used some as well. It was a lot of fun to see the kids help each other out and I was quite impressed with how well Jacob did for his first time. With the aid of a ramp, Carson ended up with the second highest score, and Katie was the over all winner.

Laura had made t-shirts for Aleah and the Fisher boy's to ware to the game. They each had a letter on them, and when standing in order of youngest to oldest, they spelled out J I M M E R. (Jimmer Fredette is a preseason all american, and the best player at BYU in 30 years) We got to the game kind of early and the kids got right down on the front row. Aaron got Jimmer's attention and he looked over. He gave them a big smile and a thumbs up. Garrett looked up at Katie and said in his cutest little voice, "He looked at me". We staid after the game and the kids got autographs and pictures with almost all of the players. It was such a neat experience for all of us. Katie even jumped in with Jackson for a quick snap shot.

We were some of the last people in the Marriott Center. Brandon Davies had come out of the locker room late. Katie drew the short straw, and had to take the kids back down the stairs for the tenth time that night. While we were waiting for her and the boys. Becky, Chad, Blake, and Aleah decided to head out. I sat and watched Jimmer walk up the bleachers. All the media and all the fans had left. I thought to myself, "I bet that it is exhausting to be a superstar". I am sure that all he wanted to do is get a shower and get something to eat, now that he had finally escaped. I guess that he happened to be headed out the same time as Becky and her family. He went out of his way to say hi to them and give Blake a big high five. This we really neat because Blake didn't make it down on the floor. I was very impressed that Jimmer did this. There were no cameras or media around. No one was watching and he still made sure that they were thanked for their support.

Christmas eve morning we got up and everyone headed their own way. We needed to get back home because Katie's family was headed up to Idaho Falls, but we were able to make a quick stop before we left town. Our good friends Josh and Gnickie had flown in from Alabama and did not get to Josh's mom's house until 1:30 that morning. We stopped by and visited with Gnickie and their two beautiful twin daughters. Josh was back at the airport dropping off his little brother. He made it back in time for a 30 min. visit. I feel sad that we only saw them for a short while, but am so grateful that we were able to see them at all. Josh and I have been the best of friends for about a decade now. I sure miss having them close by. I wish that he could get a job out here. If you know anyone looking to hire a lawyer out this way, keep him in mind.

We made it home just in time to unload the car, feed the goats, drive back into town and pick up some pizza, and meet everyone back at our house for dinner. Most of Katie's family had made it to Idaho Falls. After dinner we tried to look at the lights down the street, but it was kind of hard with the 500 other cars doing the same thing. We ended up at Bart and Mindy's for a Wassel party and played some games.

The next morning we went back over to open presents. I was glad that we were all together and able to watch Travis and Tanner get so excited about their presents. It was a really nice Christmas. Katie and I made breakfast burritos, and everyone was assigned something for dinner. It was very simple and didn't require anyone to spend much time preparing. I hate when so much time is spent on the food, that the prepares are totally exhausted and cant enjoy the holiday.

It was nice to spend a little time together for our first Christmas in our new home (new to us). We were able to reflect on our many blessings. We have had a lot of highs and lows this past year. As we reflect on some of the scary things we are able to look at the blessings that have come with them. We really have had a great year. Katie has done so well in her first semester of grad school, we both drew elk tags and were able to each shoot our first elk. And even though we do not know what difficulties Blake will have to face in the future, I fill like Katie and I have become closer with my family through his struggles, and have been able to put a lot of things into perspective.

The Huntress

2010-12-06T09:31:00.000-08:00

Katie got her first big game animal this weekend. We went hunting with my friend Sheldon and his boy who also had a tag. Both Katie and Cody were able to shoot their first elk. We had a really good time. With finals coming up nest week, this was Katie's only chance to get out. She did a very good job and I am so proud of her and Cody.

A Busy Fall

2010-12-06T08:49:00.000-08:00

We have been pretty busy this Fall. Katie started her first semester of Graduate School in August. She is doing very well and is complaining very little. She wakes up at about 5 a.m. every morning so she can catch the bus to Pocatello just after 6. Most nights she takes the 5 p.m. bus which gets her to the house around 6:30. That makes for a pretty long day. She does use her time wisely on the bus and get a lot of studying done in transit.

After my elk hunt, we did sneak a few days in on the deer hunt. Although we got skunked, we had a really good time and got to see a lot of neat things. One morning we jumped a group of does and fawns that had an albino fawn in it. It was the cutest little critter. I hope that we can see it again through the years. My buddy, Jason, was able to shoot a little forky. Should be just right size to get him through the winter.

Katie's little brother Jason is a senior this year. His football team did very well. They went undefeated through the entire season. We were able to see a few of his season games and all of his post season games. We even made it to the semi-final game in New Plymouth. It was a great win. The boys worked so hard, but came up just a little short in the State Championship game. Second place is still pretty darn good. It was a tough loss, but a great season.

Ryan, Katie's oldest brother, got married on November 6th. His wife, Jodie, is such a nice addition to the family. We sure are proud of them and are so grateful that we were able to be there with them on that special day.

We spent a week in Nevada for Thanks Giving. I got about half of my chores done. My mom can't get my dad to do any handy work, so it seems like every time we are home she as stuff that needs to be done. I did get out with my dad on his Deer hunt for a couple day. He ended up tagging a 3x3 that we had seen a few times when I was out with him.

One day dad and Aaron took the four older boys out on the deer hunt one morning and the rest of us met up with them at Great Basin Park. We saw a nice four point about a mile from the park that would have been an easy shot. Too bad we didn't have the tag.

My First Elk

2010-10-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

I drew a pretty coveted Bull Elk tag this year. There were only 30 permits issued and it was less than 4% chance of drawing. I have been so excited for this hunt since I drew because I had never had a Bull Elk tag before. I have put in for a Nevada Bull every year since I was 12 with no luck.

The down side to my tag was the fact that EVERYONE had good luck with the draw this year. So, I found myself hunting and scouting alone, except for one day when my good friend, Sheldon, took me out to his special place. We didn't see any Elk that day, but it was my favorite day of the hunt. It was really nice to spend the day with him in the area he has spent 30+ years of hunting with his dad and brothers. He told me stories all day long and was pointing out all the places where they had made so many memories.

I worked pretty hard everyday. I was the first guy out and the last guy in. I have found having success while hunting is all about luck. I feel that the more time you spend out and the more things you learn, often times increases the opportunities to get lucky. I saw some beautiful country and all kinds of critters like a black bear and a few moose.

It seemed like everything was going against me. I have little experience hunting Elk, I was in a new area, it was in the high 80's every single day,full moon wasn't helping, and nobody else was seeing any Elk, opening morning I had a mouse in my truck, I rolled into a cactus and had quills in my shoulder, the nice bull I had picked out during the scout was now nowhere to be found... I hunted high and low and could not find a big bull. I had decided Sunday night that I had hunted hard, and that if I had a chance at a 6 point, in a decent area, I would shoot it so that I would be able to return home and take Katie on the deer hunt next week.

Monday morning came and I had my chance and I took it. I had studied a group during the hunt and learned where they bed and where I could get access. It seemed like everything worked out and I was "lucky". I was able to get the truck right up to him and loaded him in whole by myself, with a little help from a come-along wench. He sure isn't the monster that I was hoping for, but I am still pretty excited about my first Bull Elk. I hope that my next post is Katie holding a big buck!

Quick Update

2010-09-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from the past month. We went up to Salmon area last month to do a little elk scouting and get away for a couple days. It was a lot of fun and we got to see some really beautiful country.

Katie's BIG, little brother, is a Sr. this year. His football team is doing really well. They have won their first four games by a pretty big margin. We were able to go to two so far that he as played up in this area.

I have been working a lot this year, and have had a hard time trying to get ready for hunting season. I wish I was retired and could spend all my time out chasing critters like my dad. He was able to get himself a 175 3/8 California Bighorn Sheep earlier this month. I don't know where it will end up, but 175 is the min. for Boon and Crocket, and as of the 2005 Nevada Book, it would be 3rd place for Nevada. I would think that he would have a pretty good shot at top 5 for Nevada when the 2010 book comes out, and in the running for the gold buckle that goes to the biggest for this year.

Jackson

2010-09-21T11:06:00.001-07:00

We got some sad news last night. Katie got a call from her mom with news that Katie's dog, Jackson, had passed away last week. I think that it took that long for Mary to be able to tell Katie.

I was never a big pet person, but I sure did like Jackson. He was a big old dog, but was as gentle as a butterfly. He really meant a lot to Katie and her family. We had talked once about bringing him up to Iona, but decided that Mary probably wouldn't let him go and that he and Tina, their other dog, would be lonely without each other.

I feel really sad for Katie and know that it was hard for her to get the news. We will miss our buddy Jackson dearly.

Pictures

2010-08-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well, this is mostly going to just be a lot of pictures. They cover the past two months, including Katie's B-day, our anniversary, family visits, the Blue Angle's, our goats, and an adventure Katie took with Bart and Mindy to Tex Creek last month when I was in New Mexico.

LOVE!!!

2010-08-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

08/08/2008
Jared and I celebrated our 2-year Anniversary this year! I consider myself so extremely blessed to have all of eternity to spend with Jared. I am so grateful that we can be together forever because any time less than eternity would not be long enough. There are so many things about Jared that I am so grateful for. He is so hard working, patient, kind, loving, and supportive. He seriously is all I ever wanted and more. In summary, Jared is simply the BEST HUSBAND IN THE WORLD and I LOVE HIM SO VERY MUCH!

Postings have dropped off...

2010-08-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

We have gotten some complaints lately about our lack of posts. I have been pretty busy with work (two trips to New Mexico) and Katie picked up a second job, so that can a little bit of an excuse I guess... It seems like if we aren't at work, we are doing something on the house. Our grass/weed lawn needs to be mowed about every five days. It almost looks like a full lawn when it is first cut and you cant tell the difference between the grass and the weeds. Katie and I rescued some goats a few months ago. We really fill like we fit in with our neighbors now. I just need to get them a fence built so that we can get them off of their ropes. We also both drew Elk tags for this fall. Mine is for a bull that opens Oct. 1 and Katie's is for a cow that is in Dec. I am hoping that she can spend time during her study week before finals out hunting. I am not quite sure how it will all work out yet. The bad news is that non of my family will be able to make it up to help out because they have three cow tags, a cali. bighorn sheep tag, an antelope tag, and a deer tag in Nevada. I am hoping to be able to hunt a little bit with my brother-in-law and his brother (my friend). They both have a bull tag in my area right after my hunt. We got good news on Dad's angiogrham (sp?). It was a "False Positive" on his first test. They said he has "Jagged Arteries", and it made it look like there was a clog. Now he knows his heart is good, as long as he loses some weight and eats better, he should be able to keep it ticking for quite a few more years. The best part of the summer was this past weekend. My mom, Becky, Aleah, and Blake came all the way to Idaho to visit us. We were so excited to have them in our new home. It was such a blessing to have them around. I have not spent a lot of time with Blake in his one year on this earth, but I have felt so close to him as I have blogged about his health status over the last 5 or so months. He is my hero and so is his mom. I do not know how Becky can hold it together with all the things she and Chad have had to endure. I got a peak into her everyday life and am so impressed with her. I have always looked up to Becky. She has always been such a great example to me of integrity, love, compassion, and service. Whether it was reading me stories as a little boy, or sending me cash when I got robbed on my mission, she has always cared for me, and everyone in her life, with compassion and charity. Blake and Aleah are so lucky to have her for their mom. She comes from a long line of women who truly understand the purpose of this life. We had some really fun times with the kids. We went to Ammon days, had cart rides, visited the spray park, and visited with friends and family. We also got to visit "Jared and Katie's Temple" when they were leaving yesterday.

Betty

2010-08-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Alright...I have decided that I will try to do at least three posts to the blog in the few weeks that I have before school starts! So here it is:
This is our goat Betty. Jared and I now own two pet goats named Billy and Betty. We had been thinking about buying some goats because we have a pasture area that was just growing weeds and making a nice place for the skunks to hide and spray-attack the next unsuspecting victim. Our goats were a Craigslist finding and they were free, so we thought "what the heck"! Well long story short, the goats had been abandoned and were near starvation when we found them, but now they are happy.
Betty did have a little incident on my birthday. A stupid dog scared her and she cut her leg in an attempt to flee. Turns out we learned a few things that day #1: We have some of the BEST neighbors EVER! Special thanks to the pit crew (more pictures to come). #2: A large goat, when in pain, can nearly throw a grown man (that man being Jared). #3: It's easy to become attached to the animals you care for. We like our goats. Ya'll are welcome to come visit Billy & Betty!

Internet

2010-07-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

After almost two years of marriage, Katie and I finally have the internet in our home! We were able to get by with just having it at work/school, but with Katie starting up at ISU next month we decided that we would need it here at the house.
I will try to get her to do some more of this blogging since she can do it at home.

Tube Is In

2010-06-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

Things went well with Blake's surgery yesterday. It ended up being a less invasive process then they had originally anticipated. The tube just goes right into his stomach and does not need to go directly into his intestines. Other than being a little grumpy when he woke up, I think everything went well and they will release him today or tomorrow.

Test Failed

2010-06-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

Blake is back at Primary Children's today for a check-up and swallow test. He was able to pass the first part, the yogurt like substance, but failed the rest. This means that he will now have to have a G-Tube surgically placed into his stomach. I guess that it is not good to have the nose tube long term. They will do the surgery on Monday. Mom also said that they are going to put in a new trach because he is starting to outgrow the original one.

Otherwise he has been doing very well at home.

Dad will be in on Thursday to see his Dr. for his consultation for his artery issue. Who knows what they will end up doing for him or when they will do it.

Doing Well At Home

2010-06-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sounds like everything is going well still. They seem to have gotten all of the kinks work out on the equipment. He sure is a cute boy!

Good Times

2010-06-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Like I said in my last post, we have been pretty busy. We went fishing on Saturday in Island Park. The weather was crap but the fishing was pretty good. We were lucky that Jason and his grandpa invited us to go with them. They have a nice boat with a cover and heater. We would have been pretty wet and cold in my little boat. We didn't get as early of start as we should of, but we still caught over a dozen fish. Katie brought in a 20 inch, 2 and 1/4 lb. Brook Trout. Her biggest fish ever. That is a pretty large fish as far as Brookys go.

I had to work yesterday, but Katie was able to go with her Aunt Annie to Menan to visit her Grandma's grave site. She had a good visit with Annie and Calvin, and was really happy that she was able to find out where the headstone was since she had not been there since 1998. Katie spent the rest of the day cleaning up the flower garden at the house and planting some flowers. It was a pretty big job. I will have to get some pictures of that tonight. Here are some pics of the weekend and one of the little fish I caught at Ririe a few weeks ago.

Things Must Be Good

2010-06-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

I guess Blake is doing well. I have not heard anything lately. I have been pretty busy running around with work and doing some fishing here and there so I haven't gotten a good update in a few days. I will try to get more info or maybe have Becky post a comment soon.

Tough Night

2010-05-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

I am not sure on the details yet, but Becky sent me a quick message that said they had a tough night with the vent. Here are a few pictures she did send from the past two days.

Good News and Bad News...

2010-05-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

They Left SLC and are en route to Ely!!! Chad, Becky and Blake are probably to Wendover, and Dad is just leaving SLC. Everything is going well with Blake and I hope he is able to stay at home for a very long time.

Dad stayed a little longer so he could try to catch his Dr. and get his test results back. He had to go in twice this week to get the radiation through him and map his arteries etc. The first one was abnormal so they had to do it again.

Dad has a plugged artery in the lower part of his heart. They will be doing an angiogram or angioplasty where they go through the femoral artery in the leg with a camera etc. and try to push it out and/or put a stent in. RX for nitroglycerin but pharmacy is closed so they will mail it. GET REST AND RELAXATION. NO STRESS.

The good news is that he checked out good on everything else. I am really glad that he did not get the surgery on his shoulder. All of his other tests were good, but the Dr. still thought that things were not right. I am glad that he has a good Dr. that made him take this test.

Going Home

2010-05-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

The equipment got to SLC last night. This means that Blake should be released today and will be headed back to Ely. Everyone is excited for his return. Yesterday they got to take him outside. He hasn't been able to enjoy the outside air for a very long time.

Still No News

2010-05-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

I tried calling them in SLC and no answer. They are still waiting for the equipment to get there before they will let them go home. Here are some pics from the past two days.

2010-05-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Blake is still doing well. The hold up right now is getting the respirator machine to SLC so they can have it for the trip to Ely. I guess they will more today. Nothing ever happens on a weekend. Here are some pictures and videos of the happy boy.

Another Good Day!

2010-05-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

It sounds like things are still good. Becky did her "rooming in" last night. He seems pretty happy. I only have a second but wanted to do a quick update and post some pictures.

Mom, Chad, and Aleah made it home to Ely OK. They stopped in Tooele to put some flowers on Grammie and Grandpa Floyd's grave.

Good News!

2010-05-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

Katie should be posting this because she got the news. Blake is getting his ventilator. They have been trying like mad to find someone that would service Ely. As of a few hours ago it was looking like Becky was going to have to make SLC or Elko her permanent residence. I don't know all of the details other than things worked out, Becky is very grateful and happy, and Blake is too.

It sounds like he is doing very well and the the doctors and therapist are very impressed with his progress. The PT said that Blake is doing very well, especially since he has been down for months and not able to do much. He responds well and is able to do everything they want him to. It sounds like he will still be in there for a little bit. I believe that the machine will be shipped to SLC so they have it with them as the drive home.

Mom, Chad, and Aleah were in for a couple days this week for training on the machine. I really didn't get a lot of information during that time to post. I hope it is because things were going so well with Blake that everyone was able visit and have an enjoyable time.

I hope they are able to get him home very soon. My grandpa Fred has been in the hospital in Hawthorn, NV for almost a week. We only found out about it a couple days ago because they didn't want us to worry. Grandma Margie says that he has been doing better, but he is not in good enough shape for her to take care of him on her own at home. They had to give him two units of blood and have been messing with his meds. He had been hallucinating and was really tired out. I know that it is really hard for dad right now because he knows he is where he needs to be helping Becky and Blake, but I am sure that he wants to be with his dad as well.

Field Trip

2010-05-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I keep not getting any news so I take that as good news. Things seemed pretty good yesterday. The main thing they are working on now is getting the equipment set up in Ely. Here is a pic of the little guy ready to go on a field trip. Looks like a lot of equipment that he is hooked up to there. I am not sure how much of that he will need when he is out of the hospital.

No News...

2010-05-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't heard anything. I think they were going to be doing some training today on the ventilator machine. He seemed to be doing pretty well yesterday though. Here are some pics that dad sent from today. He looks to be pretty happy.

Winna Winna Chicken Dinna

2010-05-17T10:05:00.001-07:00

I really need to take this girl in to buy a power ball ticket... About a week ago I was in Rexburg looking in on my friend Randy's business while he was out of town. I had herd and ad on the radio about a new gun shop in Rexburg and thought I would stop in and check it out. They told me that they were having their Grand Opening on the 15th, and that every day last week that you stop in you can put your name in for a drawing, and for ever ten bucks you spend you can put your name in as well. I told Katie to stop in while she was up for work last week. She put her name in three times without buying anything. Saturday, while I was watching a hen pheasant try to find her way out of our yard, Katie got a call saying she was the winner. There where three different prizes, and she got the one she wanted. It is a Springfield XD 9mm. Lucky gal.

Just A Reminder

2010-05-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know if everyone looks at the comments on each post so I decided to take this one from Tiffany and give it it's own post.

Yay! Hopefully the family can leave after the three day training! No more shenanigans Mr. Blake! ;0)

Just a reminder that a savings account has been opened in Blake's name to help assist with some of the medical and travel expenses. If you are interested, please mail any donations to: Blake Smith c/o State Farm 900 Avenue H Ely, NV 89301.

Thanks to everyone who has already made a contribution to the Smith family!

-Tiffany

Monday Morning

2010-05-17T06:08:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time to report. Aaron and Jacob were in for the weekend to see the eye Dr. and to get some trees. I think they had a good visit with dad and Becky.

Blake seems to be doing OK I guess. They put him back onto the floor and said that he was ready to go home. Before they can take him home they will need to receive training on how to use the breathing machine that Blake will use at night. They will also have to have that equipment in place at their home in Ely. Mom said maybe Wed. would be the day that they go home. Who really knows.

New Video

2010-05-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

I just got this video while I was writing my last post. Becky wrote: -crazy about the syringe stopper. lung is more collapsed today and they think he could be aspirating his saliva or oral secretions so we will see. he looks LOTS stronger and happier today. also changing his feeds so that he gets them slower to avoid vomiting.

Back To PICU and Wisdom Teeth

2010-05-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

I don’t have much time so I am going to put a lot of things together on one post.

First off, Blake’s numbers got really bad yesterday (Friday) so they did some more tests and found that he now has a Rhino Virus, (the same virus that his roommate the other day had???) his lung is collapsed, and he is having a really hard time breathing. So, they decided that it was back to the PICU for Blake. It will be more of the same as the other times. Ventilator/CPAP help for breathing and trying to give him stuff to get rid of the virus. It also sounds like they will be sending Becky home with a ventilator for Blake and he will be using it when he sleeps. I do not have the slightest idea of when they will be going home. It is supposed to be a linear process. Sick-PICU-On the Floor-Check-out of hospital-Go home… He is making a circle from PICU to the floor. Poor guy shouldn’t have to go through this.

Dad was feeling pretty bad because he thought he may have gotten Blake sick. He was feeling something in his throat and his eyes have been burning like crazy. He saw a Dr. and they said that it was allergies and acid reflux. He has never really had allergies in Nevada, but I guess that he has never spent three weeks in SLC either…

As for our family we had a little surgery yesterday. Katie got her wisdom teeth pulled. Everything went well and the Dr. seemed like a good guy. Mindy brought over some treats and dinner for me last night, so I had her look and she said that it looked like he did a really good job (she is a dental hygienist). She has not puffed up much and is dealing pretty well with the pain, only taking one pill every four hours when she could take up to two every four to six hours. Tomorrow is when the swelling will come on. She has been icing it pretty well. We found that frozen peas work better than ice, but our supply is becoming mushy from over uses. That is why I am in town now, to get more peas, and more movies. Katie was pretty funny after the surgery. They said that she would wake up laughing every once in a while. I was so concerned about asking care questions that I forgot to ask them if they would give us the teeth. Well, about 8 o’clock last night I heard Katie say “O NO!” I came rushing in thinking she was bleeding bad or something. She was fine. She was a little caught off guard though when she found one of her bloody teeth stuck in her hair… I hid all of the pillows in the house because I was nervous about what the Tooth Fairy payout would be for a wisdom tooth…

Happy Boy

2010-05-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

I just got this picture and a short message from Becky that said "feeling a little better today."

Better Numbers This Morning

2010-05-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

His numbers are the best since they have been there. They did a chest x-ray and it looks like the lung is open. Not sure how it happened so quickly. Want a Broncio Scope after Blake needs a little less O2 support. Great Nurse and Great Dr. The nurse is doing a very good job of advocating for Blake. They did all the screenings on his viruses and he is virus free, as far as they know. He got to go out and look at the fish in the hall and take a trip and he LOVE IT. It was his first field trip in quite a while. He is still pretty tired and warn out. He isn’t at his happiest, but seems content and calm.

Fred found a room that they can get away and watch movies while Blake is resting.

Thursday Morning Blake Update

2010-05-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't heard anything this morning. I talked to Chad last night and he said that they did not take him up to the PICU and that his numbers were not peaking like before.

Same Old Story

2010-05-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

They did an x-ray and found that Blake’s upper right lobe of his lung has a significant collapse. It is pretty tough for him to breath, and he may have to go back into PICU if they decide they need to put him on the CPAP. Becky said the Dr. told them that if they go in they need to request a Bronco Scope to see WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. Becky said that this is the most collapse she has seen on any of his x-rays, and the Dr. used the word significant. Early this afternoon they will know if they will keep him on the 4th floor or send him back down to the PICU. DR. Dickerson is the Dr. and he is VERY good. He is “right on the money and provides lots of information.” They did test his blood gasses and they are good. Blake is tiring out quite a bit, but he does look better than he did yesterday. He is pretty tired. It seems like his breathing is worse when he is sleeping or lying down.

Blake is able to play some games with grandpa. When grandpa isn’t looking he will throw a toy on the floor. Grandpa picks it up, sanitizes it, and put it back in Blake’s bed. I guess he keeps doing this and grandpa hasn’t quite caught onto his game.

It sounds like today is a better day for dad and Becky. Better spirits today. Yesterday was kind of gloomy, and they were tired and warn out and had all that other stuff going on with the roommate etc.

I asked Becky if she was going to get another degree while she is in there. She said she is looking into getting her associates degree in nursing since she has already done a semester so far.

Another Wed. Update

2010-05-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

Just got this text from Becky:
-going 2 be here a while longer. sadly taking another bad turn and now back to extra oxygen and really high respiratory rates. doing lots of tests today too see what is going on or if they can do something to make it better. still not an ICU candidate just yet

Wed. Update

2010-05-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

I just talked to Becky for a little bit. She said that Blake’s repertory numbers were up again last night, in the e 80’s which is pretty high. Becky said that she could tell that he had taken a step back yesterday. He was just not himself. They were testing his blood gasses. Becky said something about Blake having a difficult time with converting O2 from in his blood. Becky doesn’t see them going home tomorrow. Becky said that she was very grateful that dad has been there with her; otherwise she would have crashed by now. Yesterday was not a very good day for Becky. They had poor help, and then they got a bad neighbor. The kid next to them would not stop screaming and he had a different virus than Blake so Becky stayed on them until they put the kid in a different room. The screaming was so rough on Blake that he was covering his ears with his hands.

Becky is more charged up today. I guess with all the ups and downs you are going to have a bad day here and there. She is very grateful for all of the support everyone has shown and the love she has felt for her and her family.

Hopefully they will be able to talk to a Dr. today and get more answers so I can have a better update this afternoon.

Numbers

2010-05-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

Blake's numbers were bad again today. This RSV is just not letting go... Everyone seems to be doing well. Becky had to take a call from Chad so I didn't get much of an update. I should have something better tomorrow.

2010-05-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

This is from an email that my dad sent me today, and above is the most recent picture I have of Blake. Looks like he is doing pretty well.

Blake’s respiratory rate is finally back down now where it needs to be. I hope it lasts this time. He is also responding to the treatment for the infection around the stoma. Basically he drew a bad weekend nurse, and it cost him some recovery time and he is making up for it today. It looks promising that we may be able to go home tomorrow or the next day if all continues well( how many time have I thought that in the past 15 days).

Becky is doing well considering all. It was a great weekend for her to spend with her husband and daughter for Mother’s Day. Maurine came to and we had an enjoyable time as well. Blake was very happy overall, BUT we kind of lost track of who was doing what and after everyone had left yesterday afternoon, things began to go wrong with some of his numbers, probably from the previous poor attention and lack of experience by the nurses Blake drew.

Alas, live and learn and gratefully get a chance to do better. He is more excited and lively than Becky has EVER seen him at home. It goes to show that being able to breathe well is not overrated, eh. He is so precious and hard to believe the love he can demonstrate in just his eyes alone, then that famous smile comes along melts everyone, even some of the hard-line custodians, ha. Nurses come from far and wide to get a peek at him, and some that have worked with him previously also manage to get an excuse to come see him again. Over all the care has been outstanding and we are all so grateful for that and the many many prayers on his and his families behalf. (keep them coming, ha)

It is kind of scary in a way to think of leaving as a reality is so very near. Although it is long awaited, I am a bit nervous of what we may have to handle once we get home. We are probably now about as ready as we can ever be and I hope that we do not have to be back in here under these circumstances again.

Hope all is well with all of you.

-Fred

Our Project

2010-05-10T08:57:00.001-07:00

One day it will be nice to go home, sit out in my yard, enjoy a glass of lemonade, and relax knowing that I don't have any projects to do on the house.

We got a lot done this weekend. My friend (old boss) Randy let me barrow his skid steer to get some junk moved. We have 95% of the junk left around the property cleaned up and hauled off. We trimmed up the bushes and most of the trees with loppers and a chain saw my boss Dave let me use. We also were able to dump the trash about 500 yards away at our neighbor's burn pit. That saved us a lot of time not having to take so many trips to the dump.

I guess that we must be doing a good job, or have really nice neighbors and family, because everyone talks about how nice the place is looking and how fast we are getting it done. I hope that we can have it looking pretty good next month when family comes to visit.
We are trying to still find some more used deals on some yard items. We need a shed, spreader, wheelbarrow, and lawn furniture. Katie doesn't think that I really need a wheelbarrow since I was able to make such good use of the trailer as a make-shift wheelbarrow over the weekend.

I will have to get some more pictures tonight of the property. This is the view from our backyard.

Monday Blake Update

2010-05-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

Sounds like things have been going really well for Blake. The only issue is the amount of suction they are doing is still quite a bit more than where the Dr. wants it to be. Mom, Chad, and Aleah went in to visit for the weekend. Blake was really excited to see them. It was a good Mother's Day weekend for mom and Becky to be able to be together with everyone. Blake was able to get down on the floor and play with is toys. He seems to be recovering quite well. I think if the suction thing was under control.

I am on the phone with Becky right now and it sounds like he will be in at least another day. His trach wound is kind of gross so they are working on getting that cleaned up. No suction yet today and he has been coughing everything up himself. He has been really cute and is a celebrity there. All of the nurses end up in his room to see him. I guess he is quite the charmer and flirts with all of the nurses.

No News Is Good News...

2010-05-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

I guess if I don't hear anything that it is good news. I have not heard anything since yesterday afternoon. All was good other than his amount of suctions. Here are some pics that show a pretty happy boy.

Blake Mid-Thursday Update

2010-05-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

I talked to Becky around 11. She said that he looks good and had a good night. They are weening him off of the oxygen and he is doing well with that. They have been doing a lot of suctioning and the Dr. wants them to not do it so frequently. Becky said that he slept all night and even had a nap this morning. He seems to have more endurance and was having a good time "playing, smiling, dancing, and just doing his thing." Still not sure what day they will send them home.

Will It Ever Stop Snowing???

2010-05-06T09:30:00.001-07:00

This is what I woke up to this morning.

Things are still coming along at the house, but quite a bit slower than I would like. I have been working outside this week. Getting some mowing and burning done, and eliminating the occasional skunk... FYI, if you "have to" get rid of a skunk, it is probably not a good idea to shoot it in the head. I hope that the weather is good this weekend so I can get a lot of the junk cleaned up. I don't think we will have as many unwelcome guest if we get rid of their homes.

We are really enjoying our home and have been so blessed in so many ways; Free appliances (the dryer has been working great), lots of people have come and helped out in so many little and big ways, great neighbors, and it is just nice to be in OUR own home. I am excited to get the lawn thatched and aerated so we can see if we might get some decent grass growing this summer.

Thursday Report

2010-05-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Not much new. I guess yesterday was a good day. He still has his ups and downs, but seems to be doing well outside of the PICU. They gave him a bath yesterday and got him all cleaned up. Becky told me this morning that the could be released as early as tomorrow, but who really knows. I will let you know once they are on the road... They hadn't been up to the hospital yet, so maybe Becky will have more for me later. I am sure people are getting bored with my lame posts.

Movin On Up...

2010-05-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Blake has moved up to the fourth floor. I was in a meeting all morning so I have yet to talk to Becky, but she did send me some messages. He seems to be doing well and sure does look a lot better. I will try to get more info by the end of the day.

Katie was supposed to get her wisdom teeth pulled on Friday, but found out that the dentist would only do two of them. She decided that she would go for the Oral Surgeon option and will have them done on the 14th. I think this should be a good option especially since I have that day off already.

FREE MOWER

2010-05-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

I was going to have Dad and Becky look into a mower I had seen on KSL, but the guy never called them back. I guess that is ok since he wanted 150 for it and I found this one on Craigslist today for FREE 99! The guy told Katie that someone left it at a rental and that is was burning oil/smoking... I put some fuel in it and it started right up and I didn't see any significant smoke and seemed to run well and the self propel worked too. It is not in great shape, but it should work good for free...

Quick Update

2010-05-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

I just talked to Becky for a min. She said that they keep having to put him on the assist. She did get to hold him today. It sounds like he gets spurts of energy, then wares himself out. She has found that if she stays in the room that Blake wont sleep, so she had just left so he could get some rest. I guess he feels like he needs to entertain her...:)

I am sure that it is getting tough for Becky to be away from her home and her family so much. I am glad that dad has been in there and has been doing such a good job of supporting and helping out. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers as well.

Starting A New Week In Primary Children's

2010-05-03T07:00:00.001-07:00

It has been a week since they went BACK into Utah. As of yesterday afternoon Blake was still in ICU. It seems like a bit of a roller coaster on his numbers. Just as I am typing this I got a message from Becky: -Blakey went back on the c pap for more pressure support at 4:30 am because he started breathing hard again. So still in ICU for a bit ... no clue when he will be ready for a regular room.

Poor guy. You just can't count on anything until it happens.

Another Setback

2010-05-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

I really do not know what any of this means as far as his recovery, but Blake's numbers have gone up unexpectedly and they have had to put him back on the ventilator for assistance. It was kind of weird because things were looking so well and they had been talking about releasing him soon, then this happened.

Here is the text that I got from Becky this morning.
-Here is the latest and greatest. Blake was about to leave ICU this morning when his numbers started going crazy like when we came in Monday. So now he is on the ventilator getting something called c-pap and he seems to be lots better and loves hearing himself babble with it on. So now this for maybe a couple of days and then 24 of observation in ICU to see if he is strong enough to breathe on his own before he can move onto a regular room. What a rocky road but he is a champ!

Love you all...

Here are a bunch of pictures that I got from Becky and Fred yesterday. I think that they have been taken over the past week so I don't know what is most up-to-date.

Afternoon Video Update

2010-04-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

A Little Better Day

2010-04-29T11:32:00.001-07:00

He seems to be better today than yesterday, but by no means "better". They have turned down his ogegyen assit a bit and he has done well with that. He is more active and seems to have a bit more energy. I hope this means he getting past the worst part.

Fred passed his stress test he took today. He needed to pass it if he is going to have his shoulder surgery next week.

Not much other news. Just more of the same.

Milestone

2010-04-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Blake is waving! Due to technical difficulties the video will be posted later. Today is pretty much the same. Blake's numbers are a little high. They turned the ventilator down and his heart rate increased, so they are still working on finding a balance. They came in and did his respiratory therapy and afterward he was tuckered out. Becky said he is still clutching onto his brown fuzzy blanket. Becky and Fred are now in pursuit of another fuzzy blanket so that they can wash his other one.

Over Achiever

2010-04-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

Blake is a real over achiever. He has been diagnosed with BOTH types of RSV. I do not know a lot about this, but it sounds like only a VERY small percentage of kids can say that they have had BOTH, and one of them twice...

The ventilator that they have him on is just to assist in his breathing. They have no idea what day he is on with the RSV's. Hopefully he is closer to day six than four.

It sounds like it has been a little bit of a homecoming party at the hospital. They were greeted by some other families that they have befriended over the last month. Some of them having good news about their children's health. Jeb, one of Blake's doctors from the last time he was in, gave Becky a big hug and kissed Blake on the head when he saw them. I am glad that they have a support group there in the hospital. People that were total strangers a month ago.

It is late and I am not writing very well. I guess that means it is bed time.

PICU

2010-04-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

Blake has been moved to the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and is breathing better now that he is hooked up to everything. They have him on a ventilator which makes he breathing less laboring. He will be in the hospital for at least 10-13 more days to get over the worst part of the RSV. Please continue to pray for our little Blake and his family.

No Sleep

2010-04-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

I guess it was kind of a bad night. Becky and Dad got to the room around midnight, and then Becky got a call a little before two saying that Blake was getting worse. She has been up with him since. She said that his breathing is as bad as it has ever been and that his numbers are not that great. They had a real hard time getting blood from him last night but the IV went right in. Knowing that things are going to be worse as the RSV sets in, they were talking about putting him into the PICU this morning. Becky is just pacing around waiting for them to do it already. Becky seems to be handling it very well and said that Dad has been very helpful. I guess it is kind of old hat for her now. They have spent enough time in there that she should be working on her medical internship. I just got a call from Mom and she said that they will be putting Blake in the PICU. I think that is a good thing. Not good that he has to be in there, but good that they are doing it now. I will have Katie keep this everyone posted with updates while I am in meetings today.

RSV Take 2...

2010-04-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Not all of the test have come back yet, but they have diagnosed Blake with RSV, AGAIN. They think that he must have gotten it before he left last week. They say that days 4,5, and 6 are the worst, but they really don't know what day he is in. It sounds like everyone is exhausted. I am in meetings all day tomorrow, but I will try to have Katie keep the blog updated.

Blake 6 p.m. Update

2010-04-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

I just talked to Dad. It sounds like everything went as well as it could on the drive in. They got checked into the room and up to the hospital. He is in and on their Oxygen and suction, but he may not be able to see a Dr. for three hours. I will have an update sometime by the end of the night.

Just to clear up a few things from the previous post, I may not have explained everything well to Katie. Becky had taken Blake in because his breathing was real raspy and he was quite con jested. They did an ex ray on his lungs and could see that one was filled up. Because of his condition the hospital in Ely didn't think it was best for them to deal with and that he would be better cared for in SLC.

Update on Blake

2010-04-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is a very rough update because it is third-hand information. Becky told Maurine, Maurine told Jared, and Jared told me. So what I know is this: Today when Blake went for a checkup in Ely, the doctor said that he didn't have the ability to take care of Blake's pneumonia virus there. There is no need to get TOO concerned right now because they can take care of Blake in Salt Lake. Becky, Blake, and Fred have headed to Salt Lake so that Blake can have access to adequate care in SLC once again. Maurine, Chad, and Aleah will be staying in Ely. Note that they are driving and NOT taking the life flight there, so that is a good sign! I believe that access to a certified respiratory therapist who specifically works with babies will be beneficial. That is the update. Jared is on business right now, and this prevents him from talking on his cell phone. He or I will update once we have more details.

Blake Is HOME!!!

2010-04-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

I haven't had computer access all weekend to post anything. I guess that there are still a lot of people looking for updates on Blake, so I am sorry to you for my slothfulness. They made it home Friday afternoon with no issues. It sounds like they had LOTS of equipment waiting for them at the house. I am sure that took a little situating to get everything in place. They should be getting more stuff this week to replace some of the things they have. Chad seemed to think that they will get all the kinks worked out soon and have the best stuff there for their situation.

It sounds like Blake has been doing well. Becky told me that he was needing some extra suction and has had some junk in him. I think that it might be from the viruses that he has been fighting. He sure looked good in the video they sent yesterday. I don't know if they will want me to keep posting or if they will start putting things on their own blog now that they are home??? I will let you know what they decide.

Space Age Microwave

2010-04-26T07:23:00.001-07:00

It seems like I have been doing a lot of stuff at the house, but there really isn't any noticeable changes to measure my accomplishments. Friday I took off work a little early because I really wanted to get the microwave hung. I haven't been able to do it at night because I didn't want to set up lights while I had the power off for wiring the outlet. Even though it says that you should not install by yourself, I went ahead and did it anyway. No one was available ( i called on person) to help so I just went for it. The only problem I had was that the screw holes on the template did not match up right so that took a little creativity, but I got it secured and it looks great. It was a give from my buddy Jason. It was an extra he had sitting in one of his homes so he gave it to us. It is pretty cool. When you turn on the vent it opens up on top. I will post a video of it. I had never seen one do that. I am sure it will break in a few months and I will have to prop it open, but it is pretty neat for now.

Birthday Surprises

2010-04-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my weekend sabbatical. I have a lot to catch up on and not a lot of time to do it. I guess I can go back to Wednesday. Katie and I were supposed to be painting and cleaning the Townhouse that night. I drove all the way up there and got a call from her sister Mindy saying she needed someone to watch her kids while she did some cleaning... When I called Katie to tell her she was all about going straight down there. It seemed a little bit odd, and irritated me a bit because we have so much to do, but I dismissed it without much thought.

Thursday night I found out what she had been doing. It was all part of her plan, which worked, to have a surprise party for my 30th birthday. We went to my aunt and uncle's house for what I thought was dinner with them, but it turned out to be friends and family there to surprise me. Katie's folks even drove all the way up from Malad! It was a good time that left me feeling pretty bad since I had been kind of ticked about the whole babysitting thing the night before.

We have not gotten much done on the house this week because of all the partying we have been doing. Katie's present to me was an adventure all day Saturday. We started at Home Depot to buy paint for the Townhouse, then went to the army surplus store for some ammo cans I wanted to put tools in. Next we went to Blackfoot for massages. After that we went to Pocatello and did some more shopping for the house and watched Clash of the Titans in 3D. Our next stop was Lava Hot Springs and then we ended the night with dinner at Applebee's. We were gone for about 12 hours total.

On The Road

2010-04-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Looks like they are on their way home.

Going Home SOON...

2010-04-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

Well, the hope is that they will be leaving first think in the morning to head back to Ely. It sounds like everything will be set up for them to go, but I guess with how things have been you can't guarantee it until it happens. Sounds like Blake is still doing well. I guess she snapped the photo below just after he had cracked a smile. She has had to suction more today than in the previous days since Blake has been a little more junked up. Chad took Aleah swimming somewhere by the East Center for their play time today before nap time. Becky is hopping to meet up with her friends Jamie and Greg Wilson later today. It should be nice to visit with friends to break up their hospital time a little bit.

Mama

2010-04-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

I just had a quick call from Becky. Everyone is doing well. Aleah was so excited when she got to see her brother last night.

Becky has now changed out Blake’s trach tube three times and is getting to be quite the pro. She changed his feeding tube herself today as well. She said that Blake had done really well with his voice tube. They were only going to do it for 10 minutes, but his numbers stayed up so they let him keep it in for a half hour. It will take some getting used to and let him have it in increments that increase until he is using it regularly. Becky said it was really nice to hear him try to say mama.

Chad and Aleah were able to go on a daddy daughter date to the aquarium today. It sounded like they had a good time. They are back at the room now for nap time.
I hope to get a video later of Blake while he has his voice tube in.

Wednessday Update

2010-04-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Becky said the Blake is doing very well today. He has a new speaking valve and he is doing great with it. He even laughed once today. I am sure that it was such a great experience for them to be able to hear his voice! I just got a text so I am hoping for a call later with more info.

The Family is Together

2010-04-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

Laura brought Aleah over to Wendover to meet up with Chad today. Becky said that when they got back to SCL that Aleah was excited to see her and that she said that she was happy that they could be together as a family.

It is looking like they may be able to go home on Friday. I guess a respiratory therapist will be coming from Las Vegas, one from Primary Children's, and one in Ely to get everything set up for Blake.

Blake did very well today. He really didn't need any oxygen and was just breathing room air. He was a lot more happy and I think he even got to play with some bubbles. It was nice to hear that he was in good spirits. They are on their way to the hospital to try to see if Aleah can see her brother for a little bit.

Another Road Block To Ely

2010-04-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

I just heard from Aaron that they are not able to get the equipment into Ely till Friday so that will keep Blake in SLC for the rest of the week. I guess that they are trying to get things worked out with the hospital to loan them the equipment so that they can at least take him to the room at the Ronald McDonald house. I don't have any other information right now.

Feeding Time

2010-04-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

Not too much news from last night and nothing new this morning. Blake should be at full capacity on his new NG feeding tube. They were not able to get all of the equipment set up in Ely yesterday, but they should have everything in place today. This means that they will have to stay one more night in SLC. I am sure this is frustrating, but the other way to look at it is that last Friday they couldn't find anyone in Ely to even service them...

I think that the plan last night was for Becky to stay at the hospital with Blake. It sounds like he is progressing quite well and I hope that he was able to get a lot of rest last night with his door closed.

Financial Help

2010-04-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Becky's good friend Tiffany has set up an account in Blake's name. Below is the information that she left on my last post.

I have a Money Market Account with State Farm Bank set up in Blake's name, it is pending signatures from Chad/Becky. I will give them a day or two and then hunt down signatures when they get home. In the meantime, anyone who would like to contribute to the fund to help assist with the medical, travel and other expenses that the family has occurred, can send their donation to: State Farm c/o Tiffany 900 Avenue H Ely, NV 89301. Please make checks payable to: Blake Smith. Thanks again to everyone. Every little bit will help them in adjusting to their new adventure.

Monday 1200 Update

2010-04-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

The swallow test will not go through today. They were double booked for last Friday and today because they were not sure if the one last Friday was going to happen. So that is why they thought they would have another one today.

They have taken all of his IVs out and are giving him his meds orally. They also have taken out his NJ tube (that went right into his intestines) and have put in an NG tube that will feed into his stomach. This will allow him to be released tomorrow to go back to Ely. For the next 24 hours Becky and Chad will be “Rooming In”. This means that they will be with him constantly and will be doing all the procedures themselves with a nurse watching over their shoulder. If all goes well they will be able to leave with Blake in the morning. The only thing that could get in the way is if there are issues with his feeding tube. They have started the transition, but it is a process to getting him to where he will be able to take the full amount of food every three hours.

They would do another swallow test in three weeks, but the ENT doesn’t want to see him for six weeks, so they will be back to SLC in four to six weeks. Then they will do another swallow test with the scope so they can see what is going on and if he fails again, why. Then they will scope down around his vocal cords and see what they are doing.

Chad and Becky are excited to be going home. Chad said that this is going to be their life so they are ready to get started on it and try to get things back to normal with their family.

Blake did get a good night of sleep last night. It will be good to get him home in a controlled environment so he can rest better.

A New Week

2010-04-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

Tired. I think that is how everyone is feeling. Becky and Chad are emotionally, mentally, and physically tired. Blake is also tired. He is having a pretty rough time stuck in his room. It is right by the door and every time he gets to sleep someone or some noise wakes him and he wants to see what is going on. I think he is tired of having those tubes down his nose, and not being able to do much. This morning is another swallow test. We hope and pray that this will go well. Otherwise they will not do another one for six weeks. This means he will most likely have to stay in SLC since Ely does not have the capability to deal with his feeding tube. (i think that is right) I know that Chad and Becky are so grateful for the prayers and for all that fasted yesterday on Blake's behalf. Thank you so much for your calls, comments, care, concern and support during this trial.

I think that everyone passed the care class. I have posted a video of Blake getting his trach tube changed. It is pretty hard for me to watch, but it must be so much harder to do. While the tube is out, Blake can't breath. It is hard to see the fear in his eyes. I hope that I have good news this afternoon about the swallow test.

Please let Katie know how good of a job she does on the blog and help her to understand that she needs to take it over... It is a girl thing anyway, but I have never been able to convince her that it should be her responsibility. Things have been going well at the house. We are pretty much moved out of Rexburg, but have a weeks worth of work cleaning, patching, painting, and shampooing to do. We will put our place on hold until we are done there.

Yesterday I was able to seal the shower tile and we put a lot of stuff away in drawers and cupboards. It is nice to not have to maneuver through the maze of totes and boxes. My next big step will be to pull out the oven hood and install an outlet plug, then mount our microwave over the stove. So far all of our used appliances have worked. We had a scare with the dryer on Saturday. It was making a bad noise like there was a warn out bearing or something, but it went away??? At least that one was a free gift so I wont feel as bad if it needs to be replaced.

We had a good experience at our new ward yesterday. EVERYONE was so friendly and hospitable. Then one of our neighbors stopped by list night with some of the best sticky buns I have ever had. They are great people. Their daughter and her family live by them to the south of us, and his father lives to the north. All great people. They told me that our original house was a sheep ranchers place up by bone, and that they had hauled it down by horse and put it in Iona. I am excited to find out more history about the place. We also met some folks at church that knew Katie's family. One guy had taught Katie's dad in church, and one gal had gone to school with Katie's aunt, Georgia.

Quick Saturday P.M. Update

2010-04-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess almost everything is going well. Things worked out good with Aerocare, but not so good with the swallow test. He failed. Not only did he fail, but it sounds like he did worse than before the trach surgery??? I really do not know what that means other than that they will not let him go to Ely with the feeding tube he has now.

It sounds like everyone is doing well with the training. It is kind of hard to watch them do the switching of his trach tube. I am sure he will get used to it. It is a pretty quick process because Blake is without oxygen while the tube is out. We have been so busy working on both our house and getting the town house ready to rent out. I am sorry that we have taken so long to update because I know that many are looking at this. I will have a better one tomorrow.

2010-04-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Blake is doing great and so far everything is looking good today. The swallow testing facility is really booked today, so one concern is that they will not be able to do the test for Blake today. The other night, however, Becky & Chad met a woman who works in that department (it's a small world) on the Trax when they were headed to the Jazz game. She is trying to get them in today! If it doesn't happen today, then they will have to do it Monday since that department does not do testing over the weekends. Another issue was that they were having a difficult time finding anyone in Ely who could provide the necessary equipment for Blake's trach tube. There are adults in Ely who have trach tubes, but for some reason no one wanted to supply or couldn't supply pediatric needs. Thankfully, a very kind woman from Ely worked it out with her boss in Vegas to take care of Blake's needs. This was very very much appreciated because without the proper equipment, Blake would not be able to go home to Ely. We would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to Mrs. Ramero for making it possible for Blake to be properly taken care of at home!!!

Also, Jared completed the grouting project around our shower this morning! While I am writing in the blog I should also take time to tell everyone how amazing he is! Since we purchased this home Jared has: Cleaned, torn up all of the flooring, installed a toilet,tiled the kitchen, bathroom, entry way, laundry area (including a crawlspace door), pantry floor, fireplace area, and the shower surround. He also built a pantry...with shelves and everything (I am still impressed)! He has also dealt with a lot of unforeseen issues such as a rotting subfloor in the bathroom, mold in the laundry area, uneven walls/floors, and an electrical problem with the well pump. He is amazing, and since he would never write about himself in the blog...I thought I should let everyone know. I love you, Jared.

Friday Update

2010-04-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

The Update:

Dear Family and Friends,
Jared is dilligently working on the tile around our shower this morning, so this is officially my first post to our blog. He is sending pictures from his phone, so there are more cute pictures of Blake to look forward to. The update of this morning is that Blake's trach tube was successfully changed out this morning at 6:00. Everything seems to be going well. We think he is scheduled to undergo another swallow test later this afternoon (we are hoping for outstanding results). Thank you all for your support and prayers, they have truly blessed the Smith family through this trying time.

Some Thoughts:

One of my favorite quotes says, "We cannot always control the circumstances in our lives, but we can control our attitude toward them" –Author Unknown. I think that Becky brought this quote to life for me the other night (when Jared and I were in Salt Lake). Becky said that she didn't know what they were supposed to learn from this experience, but she was sure it happened for a reason. She has been extremely strong throughout this whole process and I was grateful for and humbled by her example. I am also so impressed and grateful for all of the prayers and thoughts that have gone out on Blake's behalf. It is surprising how people can rally together and show support when someone is experiencing some difficulties. So...Thank You To All Who Have Been So Kind To Remember Blake & The Smith Family!

Thursday Lunch Report

2010-04-15T10:54:00.001-07:00

He is still doing well and has been off the ventilator since yesterday afternoon. They will change his trach tomorrow morning and then try another swallow test. If all goes well they should be able to put him out on the floor.

Thursday Morning Report

2010-04-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

Blake had a really good night. Everything seems to be going in the right direction. They may be able to take him out of the PICU as early as tomorrow and put him on the floor. Mom said he was cute yesterday. He is still sedated and a little woozy, but he was enjoying looking at his picture books and toys and smiling.

Everyone else is pretty tired. Darren Williams of the Utah Jazz stopped by yesterday to drop off some tickets for last night’s game. I think that it was good for everyone to get away for a bit, but it turned into a late night because they went back up to check on Blake before going to bed. I am sure they are all quite tired to say the least. Too bad the Jazz didn’t have a better showing last night.

Becky said that they have really appreciated all the support and comments from everyone.

Blake's Trach Tube

2010-04-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Blake seemed to be doing pretty well last night and this morning. They are still fighting the virus's and pneumonia. They have been turning down his oxygen and he is doing well with it. His numbers are WAY GOOD today and they may even release him from the PICU and put him on the floor Friday. He is watching people and following them with his eyes and even cracking a occasional smile.

They are learning a lot from their care training. I think that it is going to be life changing for those who are going to step up and help with Blake.

Post Surgery Update From Chad

2010-04-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

He is out of surgery and back in his room. As soon as Becky was at his bedside he looked up at her and gave her a big smile. He is still a bit woozy and they will keep him sedated, but not paralyzed like before. The trachea tube is into and tied around the neck, will be able to move around and look side to side but be a little drunk. Friday morning they will do the first trachea tube change. From that point on Chad and Becky will do it themselves. He is still on the ventilator and will they will try weaning him off soon. The body will put a lot of mucus out because of the surgery. There will be a lot of suctioning for the next few months. They will try to get him off ventilator in the next few days. He can cough now and that brings a lot of mucus up. The flu and pneumonia bugs are making a lot of mucus as well and they were able to suck a lot of stuff out of his lungs during the surgery so that makes things a lot better for him. He is still on antibiotics. They have not talked about when they would do a swallow test yet. Their four days of care classes will start tomorrow and go from 12-2 tomorrow, then 10-12 for the following three days and they will learn more about swallow studies, how to care for Blake, etc. A discharge nurse talked to them today and said they are working on dealing with Ely to have everything hooked up for them when they head to Ely.

Blake's parents are so happy to be on a road to recovery. Chad said that he and Becky are "Pretty crappin excited!" Blake is awake enough that knows that his folks are there with him. He will be in the PICU for three to five days, but it is too soon to predict when he would be released. They will not be able to hold him till Friday.

Tuesday Afternoon

2010-04-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

The doctors decided that they would go ahead with the surgery today since they would have to wait till Thursday. He is out of surgery and they have been told that all went well. He is in recovery and they should be able to see him in 10-20 min. I will have an update after they have been able to see him and talk more with the medical staff.

They are in with him now. Everything seems to be going well.

Tuesday Morning, The Rollercoaster Continues...

2010-04-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Blake's numbers were really good yesterday afternoon and through the night. They woke him up yesterday and he was so excited and moving around so much that he had to be restrained. I think it was good for his parents to see him out of his lifeless trance. They had to put him back to sleep because he was so active that he was in danger of pulling out one of his 50 tubes...

This morning it looked like everything was on for the surgery at 10:30. That has changed again... They have found what his viruses are. He has H flu, and M cat. I do not know what they are, but the Dr's do, and they can focus their treatments on those issues now. The PICU Dr. decided that she was not comfortable doing the surgery until those other issues are taken care of so surgery SHOULD be on for tomorrow. We just do not know when because Wed. is not a usual surgery day.

I am sure that it is getting quite frustrating to say the least. Every time things look good it seems like we take a step back.

It was good to visit with everyone for the weekend. Aaron and I were working on the house Saturday and decided that we just needed to get down there, so we tied up what we were doing and hit the road and met up with Katie along the way. She was at a conference at ISU that day. We were able to go with Chad and Aleah to the zoo. We had a lot of fun with that. Us guys went to a movie one night and the gals went out to dinner, so we were able to do a few things to rest our minds. I am really glad that we just went down. If we kept waiting for them to tell us to come then we would never end up going. I think sometimes you just need to get in the car and go.

We bumped into a gal from our church in Rexburg on Sunday and saw her a few other times. Her little one was 4 weeks early and hasn't spent a day out of the hospital. Last week he was diagnosed with RSV and life flighted to Primary Children's. It was nice for both of us to see a familiar face and visit a little bit. We really do not know the family that well, but we have their other little boy in our nursery class.

One last thing. Becky's good friend, Tiffany, is working on setting up an account for people to donate money to help the Smiths. Chad is working on getting some leave donated, but has been on leave without pay for the last week and a half. I know that every little bit can help. I will keep you posted as this fund gets set up. Also, if anyone is reading this and could leave a comment for Chad and Becky I think they would really appreciate it. Thanks again for all the prayers and support.

Monday Mid-Morning Update

2010-04-12T09:56:00.001-07:00

It seems like every time that things are going good there is always a setback. They found some infection in Blake's lungs this morning. They think it may be a little bit of pneumonia. There will be no surgery today, and probably not tell the end of the week. People keep asking me what they can do or if they need any donations,and I really do not know??? Prayers are my only answer. I have no idea how long they will be in here or what their insurance/financial situation is or will be. I will try to have more answers.

Monday Morning

2010-04-12T07:27:00.001-07:00

Blake is stable. He had a good night after midnight. They will go forward with the surgery at about 10:25 this morning. I will let you know when he is out and how things are going.

Sunday Night

2010-04-11T21:22:00.001-07:00

This is Blake with Chad's mom when she was in town a few nights ago.

I really don't know what to type because I don't have a lot of information. Things have kind of been up and down today. This morning Blake's numbers were not where we would want them but things stabilized pretty well by 3 p.m. Then later tonight we kind of rough. His temp was 101. something and his heart rate was a bit elevated. They tried to take blood, but had a pretty hard time. I am not sure if it was incompetence, or if it is just because he is so little, but they poked and poked and did not end up getting any blood. They did take a swab in his throat, but that takes a couple days to get the results. They are trying to rule out infection before they do the surgery tomorrow at 11. Becky is exhausted and trying to get some rest and Chad is up at the hospital right now. I really hope all goes well through the night and that they are able to operate tomorrow.

Report From Saturday Night

2010-04-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Blake is very peaceful. He is sedated and breathing well with the intabated tube. This should be good for everyone as he will have time to rest up for his surgery. There really isn't any other news. Tomorrow will be the surgery so please keep them in your prayers.

Saturday Update

2010-04-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

I do not have much time with the computer. Blake had a pretty rough day yesterday, and was worse this morning. They decided to intabate to help with his breathing and will keep him sedated until Monday when they do the surgery. Chad was a real trooper and stayed in the room while they put the breathing tube. They had a tough time with the procedure and I am sure it was very hard for Chad to watch his little boy go through that pain. I hope that he will be peaceful the next couple days and get the rest he needs for the surgery on Monday. I will try to have a better update tonight.

Again, thanks for all of the love and support to the Smith family.

Friday Morning Report

2010-04-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

I talked to Becky this morning and there is really nothing new. It sounds like Blake is still working quite hard to breath. The Dr. seems to think that he would have been able to pass his swallow test if he had not been so exhausted from breathing. It is amazing that he was able to make it this long without having some other ill effects with his breathing or serious infection in his lungs. He is a real fighter and he has two very loving and concerned parents that take such good care of him. The surgery is still on for Monday. Aleah will meet with the people that will train everyone on how to care for Blake that morning. I guess they have a doll and they will show her what they are doing and try to explain how she can help and how to treat him etc. Then everyone else will be training Tuesday-Friday. They will not release Blake until they feel comfortable with Chad and Becky's ability to care for him with the Trachea Tube.

The Move

2010-04-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Katie LOVES the carpet. She was just rolling back and forth all afternoon. It looks like a whole new house, and we love it! We have moved almost everything down. Just have the freezer, kitchen stuff, cloths, and a few other odds and ends to bring down. I hope that we can maybe get the stuff we have brought down put away and in place before we bring the rest. It sure does look like a home now. We still need to tile the base and the shower. Aaron is working on that for me now, and we should have most of it laid today.

I never thought I would be so happy that my brother drove a mini-van. It has been a pretty nice resource for moving, and was so nice for getting my heads down in one trip. Pretty exciting stuff.

CARPET!!!

2010-04-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

Waiting Game

2010-04-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

It is a little after midnight and I am just getting to the computer. We did a lot of moving today and we are all very tired.

It looks like they will do the Tracheotomy on Monday. They did another scope today and found that the Botox did work, just not well enough. Blake is getting pretty irritable and is having to work quite hard to breath. His hands are covered so he can’t pull out his feeding tube, but that means he can’t use them to play with his toys etc. I guess that there is no reason that we can’t keep hoping and praying that things change for the better by Monday.

I haven’t looked at the comments yet, but thank you for them. I am sure that Chad and Becky will enjoy reading them.

Thursday Morning Report

2010-04-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

I am sorry if I am direct and to the point today. Aaron made it up to my place last night and we unloaded our first load of furniture and have been loading all morning long to try to get as much moved out while I have his help, so I am a little rushed this morning.

Blake is still working hard to breath. The Dr. that did the swallow test said that he believes that Blake may be working so hard to breath that he is not able to swallow. It is really looking like they will end up doing a Tracheotomy. If they do not do it today they can’t get him in tell Monday. They will do another scope today to see if the Botox is working at all before they go with the surgery. The Dr. and his staff have been great. An inter is going to be in the meeting today with the tracheotomy specialist as they explain things to Chad and Becky about the surgery and care. Dr. Park says that Blake will be a brand new boy with this surgery and will be so much more comfortable, and would hopefully be able to eat on his own.

The idea behind the trach would be that it would give two years for Blake to grow and be able to breath and be healthy. Two years of growth will mean his vocal cords and trachea, and everything else, will be bigger and either open up on it’s own, or give them enough to work with. He is still such a little guy that they really can’t do anything other than the Tracheotomy.
Dr. Park really praised Chad and Becky on their ability to take such good care of Blake with his condition. Although he is pretty skinny for his height, he has been given the proper nutrients to be strong/healthy in all other areas.

I hope to have more info this afternoon. It may be later before I can get to a computer, but I will do my best to post as soon as I get new updates.

Wednessday Report

2010-04-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

Chad said that his breathing seems a little worse than before, but it is a different pitch. They have found some fluid in his upper lungs but are not too worried about it. It seems to be consistent with cold/flu type symptoms. Aleah was with them over the weekend and she was sick. They think that maybe the breathing noise is associated with the breathing noise. The important thing test today was the Swallow Test which he failed miserably according to Chad. They started Blake with a light fluid and moved up to the constancy of baby food and he aspirated the food. When someone with healthy vocal cords swallows “down the wrong pipe” they cough and push the stuff back up and keep it out of the lungs. Blake is not able to do that so the food/drink would go into his lungs and cause a serious infection. The feeding tube that he had before was straight into his stomach. To avoid any chance of him spitting up and aspirating, they replaced this NG tube with a NJ tube. This one goes into a sphincter from his stomach straight into his intestines. This way he gets the needed nutrition, but has no chance of aspiration. They will continue to monitor Blake for a few days to see how the Botox works out. Chad does not feel like it is going to work, although he and Becky are trying to stay as positive and hopeful as possible. All of Blake’s Numbers are good enough that they could take him out of the ICU and put him on the floor. Right now there is room in ICU and Chad is hoping that they will keep Blake in there as long as they can since he will only be sharing his nurse with one other baby. With the NJ tube Blake will not be allowed to go back to Ely. They do not know if Ely even has the capability to deal with this type of feeding tube.

Tomorrow they are sending someone in to talk with Becky and Chad about the trachea tube. They are going to give the Botox a try, but if it fails, the trachea tube will be the only other alternative. This of course sounds very scary. We will have more info about it after the consultation.

My brother Aaron is in right now visiting with them. He was on his way to Idaho to help me with our house, but may end up staying down there if he could be of any help at all. Chad said that it was very helpful that they were able to see Aaron and others. I know that they appreciate all the support and prayers. Becky was telling me this morning about how even with all of this they were able to see the other blessings in their lives. I guess that there are a lot of other families in there with children that are not doing near as well as little Blake. Please do not feel put off or offended if they are not able to take your calls or respond. They are not allowed to talk on phones in the ICU, and I am sure you can imagine how tired they are when they leave. If you have any comments you would like to leave for them they are checking this blog and would be able to see them. If anyone has any suggestions or request for types of info feel free to comment as well and I will try to appease you.

Thank you again for all of your support and prayers.

The Tube Is Out!

2010-04-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

They got the tube out and Blake is breathing well on his own. It sounds like they will still need another day to see if the Botox is working. For now we can be very hopeful.

A Good Night

2010-04-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

Blake had a good night. They are slowly turning down his O2 and he seems to be doing well with that. The nurse seemed very optimistic about his recovery progress. Becky and Chad were just heading up the elevator a little after 8 this morning. They can't use their phones when they are in ICU so I am not sure when we will get another update. Sometime today they are planning on taking the tube out and then they will be able to see how the Botox is working. Mom said that the nurses usually do that, but the Dr. wanted to be there for it.

The medical staff could not believe that Blake had been living this long with the condition. They were really appalled that he had been released from Primary Children's six weeks ago without seeing the specialist. They said that he was a ticking time bomb... Just another case of medical failures. I know that we have the best medicine around and am so grateful for the miracles they have preformed on me and my family. This is just a reminder that you have to look out for your own, ask questions, be demanding, write things down, research on your own, and follow-up!

-- I just got a call from Becky. The Dr. is in the room right now with Chad and they are taking the tube out. The Dr. is very optimistic, and seems to be very well regarded around the area. They really liked the anaesthesiologist as well. It could be another day or so to know for sure how the Botox is doing, but it seems like it is going well. He was breathing around the tube which was a good sign because he was able to have enough room around the tube that he could get air. The next thing will be figuring out how the best way will be to feed him.

Wait and see...

2010-04-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

I guess it is a wait and see thing now. Tomorrow they will take the breathing tube out and they should be able to see if the Botox is doing it's job. It is tough to see the little guy hooked up to all those tubes and cords.

Recovery

2010-04-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

Blake is in recovery. Well, he is probably out by now and with his mom and dad in the ICU. They didn't find anything new, but they did go ahead with the Botox injection. They have to wait to see if it had any affect. He will be in ICU for 24 hours and have a 1 on 1 nurse the whole time. He will have a breathing tube down his nose. We still have no idea how long he will have to stay in there. He could be released as early as tomorrow. I hope to have more info soon.

Blake

2010-04-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

My sister’s son has been diagnosed with a condition called Bilateral True Vocal Paralysis. Other cases seem to be linked to people that have other medical conditions. They did a scan on his brain and said everything was fine up there. Healthy vocal cords open up so that air can pass through the trachea. Both of his cords are paralyzed leaving him a constricted opening for breathing. They are planned to do a one hour surgery today (if he is healthy enough) to try to see what exactly is going on in there. I have only been told two options to try to make things better. Option one, which they may do today, is to inject one of his vocal cords with Botox. I guess that it will cause the cord to move and open up his airway. The worst case scenario would be that they would have to put in a trachea tube. He would have to have that for two years. That would require a lot of care. I have no idea if it is something that he will grow out of etc. I do know that it does not stop him from being able to speak etc. They are with the best of the best Dr. but he still only sees about two of these cases a year. The surgery will be done at primary children’s and they will keep him in ICU for a couple days after. I hope to have more details tonight. Please keep the Smiths in your prayers.