Our Journey to Carson

ANOTHER Busy Weekend...and the MRI!

This fun-filled weekend started on Saturday with our friend, Max's, birthday party. Carson and Max still basically ignore each other, but Carson had a blast playing with Max's cousin, Charlie. Chelsie and I tried, yet again, to get a good pic of the boys...no luck...
...as this was the best Chelsie could get! (Chelsie, I stole this from your blog!) That's OK...we have YEARS of photo ops ahead of us with these two wild men!

On Sunday, I woke up with a horrible migraine headache. However, we had promised Debbie and Brandon we would bring dinner (plus, I wanted to see Sophia), so off we went after I took many migraine pills and tried to sleep the morning away. A few pics:

Carson was very excited to meet Baby Sophie...
...until she got "too heavy," and he gladly gave up his turn holding her!
My sweet baby niece...don't you just love her blonde-tipped hair??? Adorable!!!!
Since I had a migraine, I didn't go to Church Sunday morning. Daddy dressed Carson and got the kids to Church. They say adopted kids often start looking like their parents...
...well, Carson is definitely already DRESSING like Daddy! What do you think of those matching outfits??

Here, Carson and Uncle Brandon are hanging out, watching Sophia in her baby swing.
A kiss goodbye..."Lub you, Sophie!"
Last week, Carson got a letter in the mail from Aunt Edna. (Aunt Edna is actually Daddy's aunt, so I guess that makes her Carson's great-aunt.) Unfortunately, Carson's MRI ended up getting scheduled for the same day as Grandpa B.'s knee replacement surgery. Knowing that, Aunt Edna wrote him a little story (reprinted here with her permission):

Carson and Ultraman

Ultraman has a little friend named Carson. Carson and Ultraman met in China and together they flew to the U.S.A. with Carson's family, Daddy (Kevin), Mommy (Teresa), and Meggie (big sister). When they got to the U.S.A. they had a big job to do. Carson had a lot of doctor and hospital visits to get him big and strong.

Ultraman was with him all the time. He even gave Carson new braces to help his legs mend.

They still have a lot to do! It is a big job. They are both strong and will win this fight.

Carson has a wonderful family too. They will make sure he gets all the help he and Ultraman need to win!!

Aunt Edna is a WONDERFUL artist -- we have quite a few of her paintings in our house! -- and she drew pictures of Carson and Ultraman at the top of this story page. He was QUITE excited to see their pictures together!

Can I just tell you, as I drag my poor Little Man to appointment after appointment, I start to really feel guilty...like I'm punishing the poor guy. It really helped ME to read that story...and Aunt Edna is right, we will make sure Carson gets all the help he needs to win! Thank you, Aunt Edna...that story will be a treasured keepsake!

Yesterday, Carson had the MRI of his arms. Since his scan was at 1:30 in the afternoon, he couldn't eat all day. Knowing that staying home was gonna be too tempting, food-wise, we started the morning off by getting in the car and running errands. He could have clear liquids until 10:30 a.m., so he drank green tea (his new favorite) out of his cup while I was driving. We ended up at Aunt Debbie's house, where we had a popsicle party...
...while we watched Sesame Street! Since he is NEVER allowed to eat in the family room, this was a BIG DEAL!
When Sesame Street went off, Carson climbed up on the couch to "sa-nuggle" with Aunt Debbie and Puppy Dog while we watched the Curious George movie. Mission accomplished...he didn't mention eating ONCE! After the movie, we headed to the hospital.
Here we are at the hospital, in the prep room, where he cooperated quite nicely while they took his blood pressure. (It was very weird to be a customer in the department where I work!) On the schedule board in the hallway, under Carson's name, someone wrote "Ultraman"...do they know my Little Man or what?? Very funny!
Chilling out with Grandma, watching Toy Story.
Since Carson can't have inhaled anesthesia (too risky for kids with low muscle tone, which he has), he got some oral Versed to make him loopy for the IV insertion...worked like a charm but, man, he slept FOREVER in the Recovery Room!

This is Ebony...
...one of the nursing assistants in my department. The first time she met Carson, she pinched his cheeks and he has NEVER forgiven her! When he sees her, he typically runs the other way. Since he was SO zonked, she took the opportunity to pinch those awesome cheeks again...
...and this time he had no complaints! (Of course, he was snoring at the time.)

After about an hour in the Recovery Room, we decided we had to wake him up...this was getting ridiculous! Ebony got a cold, wet washcloth and wiped it all over his face, neck, and torso...
...Nurse Rosella tried to sit him up...
...Daddy thought he had the magic touch...
...and still he slept!! After nearly two hours in the Recovery Room, he finally woke up for me...and this is what started....
...and continued...
...and continued.
He sobbed until we got to the van, then he started shrieking inconsolably (because Daddy, who drove separately, had to get out of the van to drive his truck home). Then as we neared the house he just got mean. I told him to close his eyes and sleep..."I no nap!" He hung his head like a sad little drunk, forcing his poor bleary eyes open for the entire ride. "I no go home!!!" was his second pronouncement from the back seat. As we got in the garage, "I WALK!" was his gentle suggestion...which he couldn't do because he was tipsy as a drunk! What a hoot!! It was hard not to laugh at him!!

Thankfully, that day is over and he was back to his sweet little self this morning! We don't have results yet of the MRI...and even when we get 'em, I'm not sure what we'll do with the information. Guess we'll all have to stay tuned...