Bee's game from a luxury suite

We got to go to another Bee's game Tuesday night. This time it was in the Huntsman Suite! Holly our favorite night nurse got us some tickets with her family for the game. We left Owen home with a nurse and took Bentley and Abby. I had taken Bentley and Abby to the Monday night game because it was $3 night. We made so many friends the time we took Owen, we got our dinner paid for by the operations VP. We went to the ballpark a little early and the kids got some autographs from some of the players.









Bumble the Bee's mascot came by for a personal visit.










Bentley and I figured the summer heat was way too much for us. So we went to a barber shop down the street and told them to shave it off.








Here is the family minus Owen. We had great seats and the game was awesome. The Bee's won in extra innings by a run. The bottom of the tenth, Brandon Wood drove in a run from second base on a single. The call was extremely close but the ump gods were on our side and he was called safe!

Owen's Guardian Angel, Dr. Chan

We had an appointment with ENT in Primary's last week. We called up to the NICU to see if Dr. Chan happened to be around. Gayle asked him if he could slip away to come see Owen and he told us to meet him in the foyer. We went to the foyer and here came Dr. Chan. I had to do a thing on Dr. Chan because he is the sole reason for Owen being here. Back in February, we were having a hard time getting Owen off the ventilator. I had to go home to feed and told Gayle to try Owen one more time off the vent. They took him off and he went for a few days and then gave out. Gayle called me and told me he was going back on the vent and the docs had given up hope. I told her to rent a family room, I would bring the kids, see Owen for the weekend and unplug him on Monday. Somehow Dr. Chan caught word of our wishes and came by to talk to Gayle. He brought hope back to our family by showing us through the medical nonsense and seeing Owen. So we pushed on and gave Owen a new chance at life. He will not tell us, but I think we might have gotten Dr. Chan in trouble by consoling with him and not the doc that was currently on. One night we called and Dr. Chan was going to be covering the night shift, so we made a plan to extubate Owen on Dr. Chan's shift. I ran down and at ten that night we extubated Owen. He actually went for five days after that extubation before he needed reintubated. Dr. Chan has been really special to this family and Owen. He will not take any credit for anything he has done, but we all know in our hearts, Dr Chan is Owens' guardian angel.

Salt Lake Bees

We had our first major outing other than a doctor appointments, Friday night. We went to the Bees game. That was the first live baseball game for the family other than me. I remember when I came down with dad, grandpa, and Lyndon to watch the Gulls and Trappers. I have seen this ball club in every uniform, Gulls, Trappers, Buzz, Stingers, and Bees.

Here we are outside of Franklin Covey Field, the kids are waiting for me to get tickets. The staff was excellent at the field. We unloaded Owen on the side of the road and was greeted by two security guys. The one went to see about tickets and the elevator. The other ran across the street and allowed us to park in the season ticket holders parking lot. Which was twenty yards from the first base gates. Which will come in handy when I have to make a battery switch a few hours down the road.

Here are our seats, nineteen rows above first base. They got us tickets in the vicinity of the first aid room if needed. We are waiting for the game to start and the sun to set. Shortly after the game started the sun was below the stadium and off us.

The kids with Bumble the mascot. I bought them each batting helmets and Owen a ball.

Owen at the game.

We got to the game at about six thirty and left around nine thirty. Owen needed suctioned a few times but it was noisy enough no one could hear it. The battery gave way at about nine so I had to run to the car and get the spare. We had a host named LaRue that kept checking up on us and gave the kids two baseballs that she had found cleaning. We had Bumble come and sign the balls for the kids. The kids can not wait to go to another game.

Bentleys' Balloon Dog

Bentley wanted to put something on the blog, so he made a dog. He got balloon animals last night at the bee's game, which I will put on later. He had a lady make him a sword. Well this morning I guess he was bored of the sword and he decided to be a balloon animal creator. He showed up with a wiener dog. How he made it? We are all amazed!

Owen visits his first home, the NICU

Owen had a doctors appointment yesterday. We had to go see about his g-tube button. The doctor said everything looked great. He showed us how to take it out and put it back in. We were sitting in the little room and I realized I hadn't put a humidifier on Owens tubing. So away to the phone I went trying to find an RT. I finally got a hold of Tricia in the NICU and she sent us down a hand full. Thanks a bunch. I guess it pays to stay somewhere for over four months, you get to know everyone.

After the appointment we went upstairs to the NICU to say hello to some friends. Luckily Earl and Amy were both on yesterday. Earl, the famous Wyoming nurse, is the only man in the picture. He moved into a house not far from us. Amy, eh? the Canadian, is our hoser in the middle (hoser in Canada means best friend). She is the one that taught us a weed eater's true name is a whipper snipper. I think she was Owens first girlfriend, because he does the kissy lips for her and no one else. Kiley, in the red, was Owens occupational therapist and a family hit. Kiley was more of an aunt to Owen than a therapist. Now to the social workers, Shawnee, far left helped us out when Shelly, far right, decided to go on mid week vacations and she told us secretly that Shelly hated being called honey. So Shelly was sweety and honey for a few days before she caught on. Back to the vacations that only happened when there were major decisions to make. For instance, Shelly our social worker, decided to take the rest of the week off when we were being forced to south davis. Luckily Shelly came back and helped us avoid there. Shelly was Gayles' backbone and a family favorite. She also has a blogspot and I will give a pop to anyone that gives me her site. Because for some odd reason Shelly would not give me her site.

We took Owen's wagon and crew to the doctors office and everything went great. Owen is developing his personality more and more each day.

The Zoo

Before I can write about the zoo, we could not have done it with out Holly coming over. She came on her day off to watch Owen for the night so that Gayle and I could go. We went to the zoo and then went to my third home baskin robbins and had ice cream.

Last Friday night we got invited to the zoo, as I said previously, by Primary Children's Hospital. They closed the gates to the general public and opened up for the kids. We got there and my sister, Julie, had a great idea of heading to the face painting. The line was growing for the dinner anyway. Julie and her daughter Olivia went with us, here are the kids with there faces painted.

We are all scared of change as you can tell, we have three tigers. I was going to get my face painted but chickened out. Mom told me to get off the college kick, but one more story. I was going to have a bucking horse painted on my face. Sorry mom.

Here the kids were playing music waiting for the elephant show. Olivia is out of the picture getting another instrument.

I of course bought a new SD card for our camera and forgot it in the computer at the house. So I had a whole seven pictures to take. They gave each family one disposable camera when we came through the gate so the rest of the pictures were taken by Bentley.

I of course did not take the picture of the snake. I wasn't even in the neighborhood!

We had a great time, ate well, and even got to ride the train.

Everyone wants to be a COWBOY

I finally have proof that everyone wants to be a cowboy! We got invited to the zoo from primary children's, which I will post in another blog, and we found two new cowboy fans.

For all you cougar fans, I know what a shock!! Cosmo is wearing a Wyoming Cowboy hat!! Sorry cosmo, Wyoming has their own mascot, Cowboy Joe!

And for all you Ute fans. Once again I am sorry, the ute hawk swoop, wants to be Cowboy Joe too! I know that this is a shock for all you fans but like I said in the title, everyone wants to be a Cowboy! Go Pokes!

Spiderman!

My spiderman story has been such a hit, I thought I might re-create the scene and show you the wall I shimmied up.

Here is the scene as I am waiting for Gayle to go get the suction machine and the emergency trach bag. Yes I said emergency. This bag is suppose to be at his side. Gayle comes out the bottom green door and asked if I had the keys to the apartment? Neither of us had the keys, so I told her to go check to see if the managers were in. She ran in checked the door once again and noticed a sign on the managers door stating "we will be back at 7 pm, sorry for the inconvenience." Inconvenience, this was an emergency! Looking at Owen, anxiety through the roof, and looking at our apartment, the ole gerbils starting running in my mind.

I started sizing up the mesh front on our complex. "I can climb up to our porch and go in through the sliding doors!" I yelled to my caravan family waiting out front to leave. Most people would look and say "why not the fire escape ladder?" I started up the fire escape ladder and got up under where there is a hatch like door. I give the door a gentle nudge and my arachnophobia thought came to my mind. I flew down the ladder with that itchy, crawly feeling, and tried to take my mind off spiders. Owen came back in to my mind and I yelled for Gayle. I told her to put her hands together and give me a boost up the mesh.

A grunt from Gayle, a huge grunt from me and away I went. Like spiderman, I was actually hanging from the side of the building with my fingers in the mesh and no place for my feet.

Here is my shoe marks grabbing for any traction because my fingers were starting to ache. I thought "the fire department is going to have to bring the saw thing to get my fingers out of this mesh and I will be arrested for climbing the building." Forgetting about my super powers and my spider web ability, I yelled for Gayle. I told her to stand under me while I hoisted myself up to the rail. Another grunt session and I was away. Up over the rail and to the sliding door. I leapt through the apartment to the two emergency bags and down the steps to my waiting caravan.

Owen was fine, Gayle was in pain, and I was the super hero that saved the first outing!

Owen's Stroll

This is part of the caravan when Owen goes on a trip. The only thing missing is the oxygen tank on wheels, Bentley pulls it. It takes us about thirty to forty five minute to get him ready to roll. We are even missing the diaper bag in this picture.

The kids seem a lot more excited than Owen, but he did enjoy the trip. Other than the ambulance ride to the apartment this is the first trip outdoors. As you can tell by the green grass and leaves on the trees we are not in Wyoming.