Since we brought our son home, our cat has been making a stinky mess on our carpet and even magazines. Before we brought Nathan home, our cat would poop on the carpet but only once or twice every 2 to 3 months. Not sure why but I guess he can’t hold it at times. 🙂
Now we have our son home, Smeagol has been making a lot more mess than before! I feel like I have another baby to clean up after. He just doesn’t want to use his liter box often. Does he make this mess to get our attention? Our social worker who visited our house last Thurs asked me how my cat is behaving now that we have a son. I told her that Smeagol has been behaving badly. She told me that her cats did the same thing after she brought her newborn home. Cats do have feelings too.
Since we brought Nathan home, we haven’t been paying much attention to Smeagol. I will definitely pay more attention to our cat now so that he stops making a mess on our carpet and even on my magazines! Our cat just needs some L-O-V-E. 🙂
Nathan will have his follow up appointment next Tues at UCSF. His palate isn’t completely closed yet. There is an opening on his left palate. I wonder if this opening will eventually close over time. After surgery, his doctor did mention that there is still an opening on the palate. I wonder if it is common to leave some parts of the palate open even after surgery especially for kids with bilateral cleft palate. I guess I will ask the doctor next week.
Nathan cried a lot today. When I was feeding him, he cried. Since I thought he might be in pain, I gave him something to ease the pain. But it didn’t help. He didn’t want his milk either. When I put him down next to his toys, he didn’t want to play. All he wanted to do was cry or be silent. I played with him a bit but he just stared at me. He loves playing with TV remote controls or cell phones. So I gave him one of our very old TV remote controls. He played with it for a while but got frustrated after few minutes. Then he cried again. So I laid him down on the couch next to me. He eventually stopped crying. When it was time for me to change his diapers, he cried again because I had to pick him up. He didn’t want to even go to his bedroom because he knows that is where I always change his diaper. He stopped crying once I laid him back down again. All he did was just stare at the ceiling and was motionless. I gave him a bath today. Normally, he loves splashing the water in his bath tub. But this time, he only stared at the water. He didn’t even smile. Yesterday, he was OK. He did cry yesterday but cried a lot more today.
When my husband came home, Nathan was more cheery. All he wanted was his daddy. I noticed it before but today was more prominent especially after our son’s surgery. Before Nathan’s surgery, he would come to me and Nelson but he would rather be held by Nelson. After Nathan’s surgery, all he wants is to be with his daddy. Since my husband wanted to be the one to stay with Nathan in the hospital overnight, my son and him had made some special connection or bonding. This past weekend, Nathan didn’t cry as much because his dad was around. But when Nelson went to work yesterday and today, our son has been crying. When Nelson came home from work today, Nathan just wanted to get carried by his daddy. When I picked him up, he cried. When I gave him to Nelson, he stopped crying. When I fed him dinner, he cried. But when Nelson watched Nathan eat, Nathan stopped crying. When Nelson walked away, Nathan cried again. After I changed Nathan’s diaper before he goes to sleep, Nathan got up and he walked towards daddy. I told Nelson that our son is daddy’s boy. Now that I think about it, our son cries because he misses his daddy! I thought he cries because of pain from surgery. Well I am sure he still feels some pain from time to time until I give him medication to ease the pain. But I know that he cries because he misses his daddy as well.
Our adoption agency and my adoption group have said that the adopted child will attach himself or herself to one parent in the beginning. Our son has been with us for almost two months. Right now, he is daddy’s boy and not mommy’s boy.
Nathan stayed at my inlaw’s last night. Today it’s his first night at home since his surgery. He played with his toys a bit. Since he experiences some pain after surgery, he doesn’t smile or laugh as much yet. But he does try at times. Now that his palate is closed, Nelson and I feel that the sounds he makes especially when he cries is different. I can’t wait until his palate is completely healed.
While I was making pasta for dinner, I looked to see what Nathan was up to because he was very quiet. When I looked for him in the family room, I saw him with his eyes closed and head down on the couch sleeping but he was still standing!
I didn’t want him to continue sleeping this way. So I picked him up and laid him down on the couch. When I picked him up, he did cry but he eventually calmed down and kept looking at the ceiling fan.
For two weeks, Nathan is only allowed to have liquids like milk, water, juice, smooth baby foods without chunks of meat, soup, etc. Also, he has to wear the arm restraints for two weeks.
I went back to the hospital the next morning. Since I had a feeling my husband didn’t have breakfast yet, I went to Starbucks first before heading to Nathan’s hospital room 630 (6th floor). When I arrived in Nathan’s hospital room, my in-laws just arrived as well.
Nathan was doing much better today. He was drinking his milk pretty well. He cried once in a while but once the nurse gave him children’s Tylenol, he felt better. I noticed that Nathan would cry whenever a nurse or doctor came into his room. I guess that since the nurse or doctor gives him something or check him, he didn’t like it. When the nurse was giving him children’s Tylenol, Nathan would actually turn his head side to side to express that he didn’t want it. Nelson and I were wondering how he learned how to express ‘No’ with his head.
After the Tylenol and had some milk, Nathan took a nice 2 hours of sleep. Nelson’s parents went out to have lunch first. After they came back, they watched Nathan while Nelson and I went out to eat. Nathan woke up and we changed his diaper. We gave him more milk.
Something funny happened today in Nathan’s hospital room. This doctor came into the room and asked if the patient is Nathan. I said Yes. The doctor asked us how he is doing. We said he seems to be fine. The doctor asked us other questions as well. But when the doctor asked us if Nathan’s neck was still swollen, Nelson and I got very puzzled. Nelson told the doctor that we were not aware of this problem and our son only had his palate repaired. So the doctor looked at Nathan’s neck and the doctor also looked puzzled. The doctor asked us if this is Nathan. Nelson said this is Nathan SIU! Then the doctor said ‘oh gosh, WRONG PATIENT!’ So we just started laughing about it. The doctor said ‘well, I should go and find the RIGHT patient!’ I told the doctor ‘Thanks for dropping by though.’ 🙂 Luckily, the doctor didn’t give him medicine!
Since our son was doing good with his medicines and drinking milk, he was discharged from the hospital. We went back to my in-law’s house. At my in-law’s house, Nathan is walking about and playing.
My mother-in-law giving him jello. Since Nathan has been drooling a lot especially after the surgery, his bibs I brought from home were all wet. So my inlaw put this bib on him that says ‘Princess’. 🙂 This bib actually belongs to my niece Selena who is 1 year old.
Nathan on his way to UCSF. He fell asleep as usual inside the car.
We dropped our SUV at my in-law’s house in SF. Then they dropped us off at UCSF past 12pm. Nathan’s surgery was scheduled for 2pm. However, since doctors were falling behind schedule, his surgery was rescheduled for 3:30pm. Before his surgery, we waited at the Surgical Waiting room. The receptionist gave Nathan plenty of toys to keep him busy. While Nathan was having fun playing, my husband and I were so bored waiting for someone to call us. There were other families inside the waiting room. Some people were also there to have surgery done while others were waiting for a family member who was in surgery.
Nathan playing in waiting room
A Pediatric nurse came by and showed Nathan some items such as oxygen mask, hair net, gloves, etc used in the operating room. I guess they do this so that once he is in the operating room, he’s already familiarized with the objects.
Nathan testing out this oxygen mask
Since his surgery was rescheduled, Nelson and I took turns to go out to have lunch. Nathan wasn’t allowed to eat any solid foods. Up to 10am, he was only allowed to have water, apple juice and jello. There is a sign in the waiting room that said ‘There are patients fasting in this room. Please do not eat or drink.’ I guess some people didn’t see the sign and they brought food and drinks with them. But the receptionist told them to take their food and drinks outside.
At 3:30pm, we went to the 4th floor at the children surgery area
In room 410, we talked to the doctors who will be performing the surgery. We talked to the ear doctor and the palate doctor (Dr. Hoffman). We also talked to the anesthesiologist and explained to us how he will administer the anesthesia. There were other doctors we talked to as well but I forgot what their part was in the operating room.
Nathan, before we dressed him in his hospital gown
Nathan wearing his hospital gown
When it was time for Nathan’s operation, one of the doctor’s took him from me and carried him towards the operating room. While the doctor was carrying him to the operating room, I tried to hold my tears. I was only able to hold my tears for a while but as we were walking out of the hospital I just couldn’t help it. Nelson and I stopped for a bit until I stopped crying. I didn’t realized I would cry this much.
Starbucks was nearby and we had our usual caramel machiatto and some pastries. Since the weather was kinda nice, we sat on a bench outside and pretty much talked about Nathan’s surgery. After Starbucks, we walked back to the boring waiting room. The surgery took about 2 hrs.
Past 6pm, we got called to go up the recovery room. Since the pediatric recovery room was closed, Nathan was taken to the adult recovery room. When we arrived, a nurse was holding Nathan because he was crying. There was this towel over her shoulder soaked with Nathan’s blood. Nathan’s mouth was very bloody. When I saw Nathan in pain, I wanted to burst out crying again. But I held my tears back. There was another nurse who was administering the pain killer through some tube. The nurse said that they were surprised Nathan woke up too early after the operation. Normally, the patients take about another hour or two from surgery to wake up in the recovery room.
The doctor’s put a string through Nathan’s tongue temporarily. In case Nathan had problems breathing, the nurse will simply pull his tongue out by pulling the string. Also Nathan has these paddings around both arms to prevent him from bending his elbow and touching his mouth.
Nelson held Nathan and I placed a clean towel over Nelson’s shoulder.
Since only one parent can stay with the child, my husband decided to stay at the hospital while I went home. Back at home, my husband and I kept in touch via text messaging, email and Skype. I wanted to know how Nathan was doing. My husband told me that Nathan has been crying often due to the pain but eventually fell asleep from time to time. By the time I got home, Nathan was already taken to another room where he stayed for the night.
Nathan will stay one night in the hospital after surgery. Only one parent can stay with him in his hospital room. Since my husband wants to stay with him overnight, I am spending as much time as I can with Nathan before he has his palate repaired tomorrow at UCSF.
So far, I am teaching my son to know his name. I ask him ‘who is Nathan?’ At times, he remembers what that means and certain times he forgets. If he remembers, he will point at himself. If he forgets, he points elsewhere or points at me!
Today, I asked him ‘who is daddy?’ He actually pointed at my husband. Next, I asked him ‘who is mommy?’ I was happy he pointed at me. Then I asked him ‘where is your nose?’ Usually, he points at his nose. But today, he pointed at his forehead or mouth.
My husband told me that our son has grown a bit since we brought him home from China. I also thought the same thing. Plus I can feel that he is a bit heavier.
I tried making him drink his milk using a sipping cup. But he had a hard time with it due to his open palate. So I put him back on the special needs feeder bottle where he doesn’t have to suck the milk out. All he needs to do is bite on the nipple and the milk will pour into his mouth. Even though his palate will be repaired next week, I will still have him use the special needs feeder until his palate is completely healed.
Children born with cleft palate may have liquid inside one or both ears. Since Nathan has liquid inside both ears, he has to see an audiologist for evaluation prior to his cleft palate surgery which is scheduled next Friday Jan 21.
Today, he saw an audiologist at UCSF. In the waiting area, Nathan kept himself busy
When Nathan’s name was called, we walked inside this sound proof room with computer equipments and speakers installed on opposite sides of the room. The audiologist performed different kinds of hearing tests. While my husband held Nathan, the audiologist played different sounds varying in volume. Nathan did great on his hearing tests. The audiologist believes that Nathan can hear sounds but the sounds may not be very clear to him due to the liquid inside his both ears. To drain the liquid out of his ears, a tiny tube will need to be inserted in both ears. This tube will be inserted on the same day as his cleft palate surgery.
Also today, Nathan has been an American citizen for a month now.
