we are home!!!

we are home and life is looking good so far. we have managed to hold down 18 ounces of food a day only 6 shy of what the doc's want. so we will work our way up. but we have had some spit up that we would expect with a kid with reflux. the waterfall's of puke are gone. yipppeee.

he still is getting use to the poop on his but so we get really fussy when he has a poopy diaper, but other than that he is incredibly happy and laughs. right now would not be one of those moments. hehe:):)

we are headed to the hospital here in Elkhart today to have blood draw. we are doing it to follow up. wish us luck

Jackson & Daddy

Today it was just Jackson & Dad. Nichole went home yesterday with a bad case of the flu. Luckily I was just getting over my bout with the flu so I was able to take over. 24 hours later she is feeling much better. Not a whole lot happened today. Up until 2:30 we just sat around trying to get him the food he needs and not choose to give it back in a violent fit of throwing up. Mission accomplished until 3:30 at least. At 2:30 Dr. Clem stopped by and asked us how the study went. Interesting question considering we had not done anything or seen anyone up to that point. So she checked Jackson's chart and what do you know, a retrospective colon study scheduled for 3:30. Jackson quick took a nap to get rested up for his test. Once down in the radiology room he threw up within 10 minutes. Oh well, what are you going to do. They injected contrast fluid into his ostomy so that they could see the upper portion of his colon and determine whether there were any obstructions. The Doc said that his colon looked a little swollen but other than that no blockages. The one thing he did see is that where the colon actually comes out through the skin the it is being constricted to only a centimeter in diameter. I know that doesn't mean a lot to you as it didn't to me but basically what it looked like was a funnel. The intestines up to that point were pretty big and then where it came down to his colostomy it shrunk down to a little hole. Maybe this will be the information we need to get everything moving through correctly. We'll see what Dr. Bilmire has to say about it. Not sure when she will be up to talk to us. Other than that it is pretty much business as usual for the Schrock family.

On another note, Jackson got some balloons from his Grandpa and Grandma Tims yesterday which he enjoyed thoroughly.

Then today he got the post card that was to come with the balloons. He spent a little time reading it but then it went straight to his mouth.

As you can see Jackson is doing well and has been happier in the last couple of days than we have seen him before. I think it's all of the attention he gets from the nurses around here.

Hope this helps all of you at a distance.

We still have a long road ahead of us....as I was typing this Jackson puked again...but most of the time he is like the below pictures...then we eat and he pukes...so he is not acting like he is in pain...thank GOD. But somethings wrong and we are ok with staying to find out what it is. SOmething is not right and we have felt this way for 8 months...and FINALLY someone cares to find out why.

hope this makes you all feel better he is totally back to normal...smiling laughing and reading books with dad and updating caringbridge with mom.

hope you all enjoy the pictures and grandma corrine he is a book lover.. loves to grab the pages and listen to daddy read to daddy read to him.

In constant thought..................

As I sit here this morning I am finding myself constantly in thought over Jackson's surgery tomorrow morning. I have been up with him since 6 am and I have talked with God an unusual amount of time. Numerous people have been asking me how I am doing lately, and of course I answer with fine. As this tethered spine surgery gets closer though I am finding I am a little bit frazzled. Although it is a normal every Tuesday surgery for Dr. Boaz, it is not everyday that you are leaving your child in the hands of a Dr to mess with his spinal column. I truely believe in my heart that God is in control, however my head is doing a doosy on me. My analyticalness is prevailing and I am thinking and researching all the possibilities and sometimes what you need for faith is NO INFORMATION.

this morning I have been asking God to stop my excessive thoughts, praying peace over Jackson and I *in my worries he has been fussy, I am sure he senses my stress* and wisdom over the doctors involved tomorrow. I will update the caringbridge site after the surgery is finished. If you could all lift us up in the prayer...I KNOW IT WILL BE FELT.

thanks,
nichole

I have been tagged again.....so here goes

Whats your name spelled backwards? elohcin
What did you do last night? drove to indianapolis and then hung out with Conrad and Jenna and went to bed
The last thing you downloaded onto your computer? pictures
Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery? of course..
Last time you swam in a pool? June of 2001
What are you wearing? khakis and a knit top
How many cars have you owned? never actually owned my own
Type of music you dislike most? i really like all kinds of music ...
Are you registered to vote? yessiree
Do you have cable? YEP
What kind of computer do you use? gateway
Ever made a prank phone call? for sure ...
You like anyone right now? YEP MY SON AND MY HUSBAND
Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? Bungee Jump
Furthest place you ever traveled? New York
What's your favorite comic strip? family circus
Do u know all the words to the national anthem? yes
Shower, morning or night? mornings

Best movie you've seen in the past month? I haven't watch a movie in the past month.
Favorite pizza toppings? sausage
Chips or popcorn? popcorn
What cell phone provider do you have? verizon wireless
Have you ever smoked peanut shells? what? no ...
Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? yep but it wasn't called a beauty pageant
Orange Juice or apple? orange
Who were the last people you sat at lunch with? my son

favorite chocolate bar? snickers ...

Who is your longest friend and how long? Stacy-5 years

Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Last summer from the farmers market...delish
Have you ever won a trophy? yes

Favorite arcade game? Pac Man
Ever ordered from an infomercial? NO oh wait I think TAEBO came from one..
Sprite or 7-UP? 7-up
Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work? yes

Last thing you bought at Walgreens? baby wipes on the way back from MN, we ran out with all the puking..

Ever thrown up in public? YES, the most mortifying was when I was pregnant and someone was in the bathroom, the ONLY bathroom in the place and I puked all over the hallway floor. To have the manager of the restaraunt walk out and step in it. OOOOPPPPSSS!! I suppose I didn't have to share that, oh well!!

Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love? TRUE LOVE ALL THE WAY!! Money can't buy that for you.

Do you believe in love at first sight? I have seen it happen...so I guess yes...it is always hard to believe....Mine develops over time.
SPONGEBOB OR JIMMY NEUTRON? I have never watched either...don't plan on it either what i have heard about spongebob I am not interested.
Did you have long hair as a young kid? yes, i did

What message is on your voicemail machine? hi leave a message.

Where would you like to go right now? ANYWHERE WARM

Whats the name of your pet? Macy our 2 year old chocolate lab

What kind of back pack do you have, and what's in it? i don't have one anymore ...

What do you think about most? the health of my baby and if I have done everything I was suppose to with his care

Bloggers I'm tagging? Darcy, Natalie, and Laura

5 NOT so amusing musings from the hospital

Here goes:

1. Every time they say Jackson has to have a blood draw...I cringe around here, actually to tell you the truth anywhere, because NO ONE ( Let me repeat NO ONE!!!) can find his little veins. It is excruciating as a parent to sit an watch you baby look at you with those baby eyes, that just scream help me and not be able to do anything.

2. So every now and then when we are in the hospital it feels as though I get a break. Especially at Riley because the nurses know what they are doing. Unfortunately here at Elkhart there is so much they don't know, or at least don't commonly deal with, that I haven't really felt like I have gotten any kind of a break. I feel more like a nuisance.

3. Yesterday Adrian brought me a sandwich I was so pumped because he had gotten me the same exact sub the night before and then when he brought it to me I opened it to find out they had used different Chicken..those darn subway people spoiled the brightest part of my day. Sad I know that getting lunch from Subway was the brightest part of my day.

4. back to the blood draw. the other excruciating part is that every time they come to do it, they send a new member of the blind mice squad. that is what I like to call them. They feel, Jab and then move it around as my baby screams at the top of his lungs. There has only been twice out of lets say 7 times I think that they have gotten on the first stick. He looks like a human pin cushion.

5. We are waiting for a a new kidney scan and this morning the lady came in at 6:45 and woke me up to tell me that she was going to inject a small amount of Radioactivity into my child. I wanted my response to be "don't you think he has enough problems that you could avoid making him radioactive" but instead it came out like this "what do you want to that for". I think i jumped about 3 feet when she woke me up, she looked more startled then I felt.

Well that is all i have for today. Random not so amusing musings from the hospital. I am sure I will have more stories to tell in the near future. I either just can't remember them or they are soon to happen through out today. Have a great one.