So this was the week where things started to get a little crazy. I accepted a project that was pretty much made to put me back on track — the loss of a client had sent my self-confidence into a temporary tailspin, and it was simple and fun enough that I figured I could get it done. I had estimated I’d have time to mess with projects after the kids went down for the night. However this also happened to be the week that Melissa was away taking care of the DeVos Children’s Hospital opening, and I didn’t realize just how draining being Mr. Mom and Mr. Dad could be. I stressed myself out, could only rest (as opposed to work or play) at night, and didn’t give myself time to “vent.” The kids handled it all like champs, even as their parents entered into the frenzy.
Here’s Nina having a great time. Check out those teeth on top! You might need to click the link to the right to see the image larger… See this image larger.
Consider what he’s been through. Nina’s a trooper, but she’s known nothing but fight since she was born. Ian knew a paradise where he was the center of all attention – and has had to cope with having to share every aspect of his life. He’s been amazing. See this image larger.
Ian pointed out that the little red symbol on this sign means “Do Not Enter.” I was so proud of him I made him pause for a photo. He smiled brightly and I said “Not this time… look angry and hold your hand out like ‘STOP!!!'” See this image larger.
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| Click here to get a very brief tour of the Children’s Hospital. On the 4th Ian, Nina and I went down to see what Mommy had been up to, and got the full tour. What you’ll be seeing in this video is the lobby, then the route from the main elevator to the family waiting area. Next you’ll see the anesthesia area, the initial after-surgery holding area, and finally the true recovery area where there are fold out beds for parents, etc.
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https://outoftheirminds.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ootmd-logo-dark-wings-3Asset-15.svg00vrbfwhttps://outoftheirminds.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ootmd-logo-dark-wings-3Asset-15.svgvrbfw2011-01-05 04:09:572011-01-05 04:09:57Hospital Week, Part I
On the 29th of November, Nina used those adorable front teeth of hers to destroy a rice cracker. This image is a still taken from the video that I link to below. Grampa Dave saw this video and said he’d like a still image. Here ya go, sorry it doesn’t go bigger…
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| Click here to see (and hear) Nina using her teeth to take a little notch out of this cracker!
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| Click here to see (and hear) Ian making up a song about night-night time!
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This is probably from a long time ago, but here’s some artwork that Ian put together. See this image larger.
https://outoftheirminds.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ootmd-logo-dark-wings-3Asset-15.svg00vrbfwhttps://outoftheirminds.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ootmd-logo-dark-wings-3Asset-15.svgvrbfw2011-01-04 01:27:122011-01-04 01:27:12End of November
I’ve got some good pictures and videos coming up, that took place during this time, we’ll get there soon.
The day Mommy’s family went home after thanksgiving, Mommy helped open the DeVos Children’s Hospital. This is important because, not just part of Mommy’s job, it was also good to get to know this hospital, because it will be here that Nina will have her heart operation.
In the meanwhile, Daddy ran into work deadlines and difficulties, and stressed out pretty hard. With Mommy away, Daddy took care of the kids and did pretty good… in fact, Daddy had a lot more time to get to know Nina, and bonded. Again this may not sound all that significant, I (Daddy) feel much closer to Nina as a result of that week. The stress of the week got the better of Daddy, however and he got sick with something called “Shingles.” The nice thing was that Daddy did not get anybody else sick, which was a distinct possibility and perhaps a little dangerous with Nina.
Mommy’s work schedule got back to normal, and Daddy’s tried to regulate his hours.
And now some stories/updates about Nina and Ian.
I’ve heard that a co-worker of Mommy’s missed her baby’s first steps while helping open the hospital. It turns out Mommy missed a milestone as well… Nina ejected her first DVD that week. And it wasn’t the last time either, you can ask Ian. She’s also powered down the DVD player.
Nina can nicely handle a sippy cup now, even lifting it to get liquid to tip back into her mouth.
I’ve been playing more games with Nina… I notice that when I rapidly tap her on the back, she starts making an “uuuuuuuh” noise so that it make the “UhUhUhUhUh” sound.
We also made the same noise back and forth repeatedly, faster and faster, both of us smiling at each other while doing so.
https://outoftheirminds.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ootmd-logo-dark-wings-3Asset-15.svg00vrbfwhttps://outoftheirminds.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ootmd-logo-dark-wings-3Asset-15.svgvrbfw2011-01-02 21:54:202011-01-02 21:54:20So What Came Next?
Hospital Week, Part I
So this was the week where things started to get a little crazy. I accepted a project that was pretty much made to put me back on track — the loss of a client had sent my self-confidence into a temporary tailspin, and it was simple and fun enough that I figured I could get it done. I had estimated I’d have time to mess with projects after the kids went down for the night. However this also happened to be the week that Melissa was away taking care of the DeVos Children’s Hospital opening, and I didn’t realize just how draining being Mr. Mom and Mr. Dad could be. I stressed myself out, could only rest (as opposed to work or play) at night, and didn’t give myself time to “vent.” The kids handled it all like champs, even as their parents entered into the frenzy.
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|
Click here to get a very brief tour of the Children’s Hospital. On the 4th Ian, Nina and I went down to see what Mommy had been up to, and got the full tour. What you’ll be seeing in this video is the lobby, then the route from the main elevator to the family waiting area. Next you’ll see the anesthesia area, the initial after-surgery holding area, and finally the true recovery area where there are fold out beds for parents, etc.
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End of November
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Click here to see (and hear) Nina using her teeth to take a little notch out of this cracker!
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Click here to see (and hear) Ian making up a song about night-night time!
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So What Came Next?
The following entry was written on December 14th…
I’ve got some good pictures and videos coming up, that took place during this time, we’ll get there soon.
The day Mommy’s family went home after thanksgiving, Mommy helped open the DeVos Children’s Hospital. This is important because, not just part of Mommy’s job, it was also good to get to know this hospital, because it will be here that Nina will have her heart operation.
In the meanwhile, Daddy ran into work deadlines and difficulties, and stressed out pretty hard. With Mommy away, Daddy took care of the kids and did pretty good… in fact, Daddy had a lot more time to get to know Nina, and bonded. Again this may not sound all that significant, I (Daddy) feel much closer to Nina as a result of that week. The stress of the week got the better of Daddy, however and he got sick with something called “Shingles.” The nice thing was that Daddy did not get anybody else sick, which was a distinct possibility and perhaps a little dangerous with Nina.
Mommy’s work schedule got back to normal, and Daddy’s tried to regulate his hours.
And now some stories/updates about Nina and Ian.