Spaghetti & Squares

I'm blogging way too much lately. Want to know why? David has borrowed his family's N64 and is playing a video game constantly called Harvest Moon. Want to know what this video game is? You're this little person and you do virtual CHORES all day long. That's right he has a little farm where he takes care of animlas and worries about his crops being harvested. Sometimes he gets to take his things to festivals to win a prize. He wakes up in his little bed and then the screen gets darker when the day is over. It's hilarious, he's going to be embarassed when he knows I posted this but I can't keep it to myself, it's just too funny. I can't blame him though if he likes to relax while doing chores with a controller. By all means have at it. He's pretty good at doing real chores or I would probably throw the game out the window.

 

Awhile ago a friend from work told me that he was reading one of his fiance's books. The whole concept was about how men compartmentalize everything in their heads. And a woman's thought process is basically a bowl of spaghetti. For example, when you are having a conversation with a man he hits one squre at a time one topic at a time. So it throws him when a woman jumps from one subjet to the next as soon as she thinks about it. And without giving any warning the conversation can go in a completely different direction without even taking a breath. It said all of a woman's thoughts are overlapping and intertwined and one random thing can propell them into the next subjet. David often has a hardtime following one of my end of the day wrap ups because I don't give him ample warning that the subjet has being switched. Whatever I think I say and I prefer it that way. I must admit the longer we've been together the better he follows this crazy process it's just soo unnatural for him. But here's the question. Does this apply to anyone else? Am I just a babbler with no ryhme or reason and David is validated for not following me? Or do the men in your lives also have a hard time following your thought process?

Oh I have great news. (Thank goodness for paragraph breaks or you would completely understand how I can go from one thing to the next and not even care if I have a "smooth" transition.) Ashton slept 11 hours last night I woke up at 7am this morning in a panic I thought he was dead (I know, not funny but still...). It was one of the hardest things we've had to do but we've got him back on a sleeping schedule and it is a GLORIOUS thing.

$40,804.68 for 2 nights in the hospital

$13,521.00 for a pediatric neurosurgeon
$18,811.00 for a pediatric plastic surgeon

A new head and peace of mind.... PRICELESS.

Those aren't even all the bills. Any guesses on how much BCBS expects us to pay out of pocket? Think big!

Holy 5 months batman.

I can't believe that just 5 months ago that me (miss pro natural birth) looked at David 5 minutes after having Ashton and said "I'm getting the epidural next time." That was one of the hardest most rewarding things I've ever done. The rewarding part is not necessairly the labor & delivery although that was pretty great it's how our lives have changed since he made his entrance. I'm going to get all nostalgic like it's Ashton's High School graduation or something. But I can't really remember how life was before he was in our family.
My mom was talking to my sister awhile ago when she found out she was pregnant and she said "life really begins when you have kids". It's really true I never knew that in just 5 months I could learn sooo much. Or that just having a child with David would make me love him 100x more. There is something so amazing about sharing this experience with the person I love most in the world. And I think having a baby does that to a marriage. Nothing melts my heart like when I see Ashton smile and laugh with his dad. There is something so perfect and divine about being parents.
There's a country song (I have no idea who sings it and am too lazy to look it up) called "You're going to miss this" it's about how we're always looking forward to the future and when we get there we're going to look back and miss the past. It makes me cry everytime I hear it. Go find it on itunes or something and tell me if you cry too.
Anyway enough nostalgic stuff... so when I got home from activity days tonight I put Ashton on his tummy. I went to the kitchen & when I got back he was on his back. I was completely shocked because I've yet to see him do that. David says, "Oh yeah he does that now." like I'm behind the times. I leave him for an hour and a half and he performs for his Dad... go figure. I'm already on the outts. Anyway so now he can do back to front and front to back. (Am I the typical proud mom or what?)
Enough text on to the pictures!


We bought Ashton a new stroller because he has some big events coming up. Disney Land & Sea World here we come!!! David took him on a walk while I was gone and I'm pretty sure he didn't strap him in. But you know David will read this later and tell me he did and then I'll have to come back and edit. Anyway, Ashton was asleep in it when I got home and when he woke up he was very concerned about keeping the binky in and apparently he was worried about his belly.
His new trick is sitting up in the swing.
What would motivate this venture you ask... see below.

To suck on the ball! I mean who can blame him... the ball looks pretty appetizing. So the swing that used to put him to sleep he now rides sitting up like a roller coaster. Swing, your days are numbered.

Wouldn't you just want to kiss his chubby neck too?

It's my favorite when he puts his hands up laughing like he just can't take it anymore!

Until next time....

Bath Time = Good Time

Splashing around.

Look at those huge puppy dog eyes.

Deciding the faucet is more entertaining than mommy's noises.

Singing... we had just finished watching American Idol.

Put on your "oh face"!

He's still not so sure about public nudity.

A good time was had by all!

10 days post-op updates

First of all - I would like to say a public way to go to Mandy for starting a blog! Peer pressure is a wonderful thing sometimes but really I'm excited to see pictures of Kimball!

Now onto life in the Jacobson household. You might have thought that we've been dealing with a little boy who looks like this most of the day. But the truth is he got over that a few days ago. He does like to be held more often than not and he still is waking up 3-4 times every night but little Ashton is doing quite well! This little face was just too cute not to share with the world wide web.Ashton played his first Chess game a couple days ago with his Dad's Revolutionary War chess set. I was the Brits (the red) & I lost... I figured it was inevitable. But Ashton kicked butt with George Washington on his side.

This was the victory smile!

Ashton loves his little walker only because he likes to suck on the bar. I love the drooly face.

And last but not least David wants you all to know how terrible his life was for a little while. Featured below is an accumulation of what had to be in his brain to pass the boards. Those are his books from the first couple years of dental school he told me since he has passed the boards over Christmas he has since purged his brain of the useless information. Glad it's him not me.

Day 4 Post-Op pic

See how much better he already looks! He still looks so different to us. It'll be interesting to see the continued changes as the swelling goes down. And he nursed today - he is doing sooo well!

We're Home

Long story short Ashton is such a trooper & quite the miracle baby. The 4 hour surgery only took 3. They got all 3 IVs in and were starting the surgery within the same hour we handed him off - from what they said that was amazing. Also there was minimal blood loss. No blood transfusion was needed which was what we were most worried about so those darn procrit shots every week actually worked! Anyway Ashton had is peak swelling this (Thursday) morning and has gotten so much better in just the last 12 hours. I can post these pictures without crying because my little boy is back to smiling now that he can see us and when we put him in front of the mirror when he got home from the hospital he actually laughed. Our surgeons were amazing - remember the egyptian twins conjoined at the head they brought to the US to be separated awhile back? It was our craniofacial surgeon & neurosurgeon who separated them needless to say Ashton was in GREAT hands.

Before

Immediately after. This was Ashton in his little gown that was too big. He was smiling because he didn't know what was coming. It was soo hard to hand over a happy baby.

Is it just me or does he look like Yoda in this picture? Consequently that is what he will be for Halloween this year!

Eating with Dad 5 hours post op.

Our pilsbury doughboy look at those rolls. His eyes were completely swelled shut Weds afternoon.

The inscision from the back. It looks scary but in 6 weeks when I post another picture you'll be amazed. Just pray he never goes bald.

This was the saddest moment. He was awake and frustrated he couldn't see.

Alas his little eyes opened about 18 hours before they "normally" say they will open. I was so happy I cried!

For the first time in 3 days we put him in clothes to take him home.

Car ride home. His one eye is a little more swollen because he likes to lay on that side but all is well. And he is happy and laughing and still a little tired. I can't believe they can reshape a skull and a baby can bounce back in 3 days. It's true this was much much tougher on David & I then on Ashton... although we know he has been through a lot!