Naivete

is bliss, isn't it? Anthony had a tonsillectomy last week. He also had his frenulum clipped to correct being tongue tied, his adenoids re-shaved (they were removed last year), and his ear tubes replaced. We were to spend a night in the hospital for observation since he was little and then go home to recover.

While I didn't think that it was going to be a walk in the park, I was wholly unprepared for the level of work that it is to get a 3 year old back up on his feet after that kind of surgery. I did think that we were going to sleep overnight at the hospital, then go home and have a week-long icecream/pudding/yogurt/mashed potato fest (and I might get some neglected garden work done).

Then, reality hit. I have not slept an entire night since September 7th. It has been a very long time (2 years or so!) since I have had to deal with this level of sleep deprivation. Between round the clock medications, a bout with some bleeding when a scab pulled off too early, and tummy aches as a result of the bleeding, I have not gotten a whole lot of sleep.

Then, Anthony decided that ice cream is not his thing and he wanted chicken nuggets and fries or bread. And begged for it. After a week of it, it is about to break my heart. Apparently, you can have too much of a good thing. Thankfully, now that he is past the first week, he can have soft sandwiches. His eyes lit up when I put the first PB&J in front of him.

Then there is the light activity thing. Have you ever tried to keep a 3 year old quiet and still so his body can concentrate on healing? It is damn near impossible. Books, videos, and puzzles are great to a point, but at some point, a little guy just needs to run. I did finally relent and started taking him outside for 10-15 minutes, but goodness!

Thankfully, all of this has had a major positive result. His voice, which used to be a little rough and gravelly, has now become clear as a bell. I used to be able to hear him snore/breathe all the way in my room. I now have to get up darn close to his mouth to hear him breathe. Speech therapy is the next step. I have a feeling he is going to blossom over the next few months and I can't wait to see it.