another update about my papa

So I've been staying in San Diego at my parents house for about 3 weeks. We've gotten into a bit of a routine. In the mornings I love to make my father his breakfast. Eggs with anything delicious and healthy scrambled with them. His favorite additions are artichokes, green onion, avocado, black olives, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms...any or all of these with sliced tomatoes on the side. In the afternoons we go out for a walk up the street. It's a pretty good walk - I mean it's uphill the entire way. It's no joke. My dad is getting so fast that I am usually breaking a sweat to keep up while pushing Max in the stroller. I would consider letting Max walk with us - but that would mean taking an extra hour to watch him follow his own shadow, usually in the opposite direction of the walk we are wanting to go on, and waiting while he bends down to feel every pebble, leaf and piece of bark along his journey. It would be great fun but we have goals to get my dad healing his body up so off Max goes in that stroller as we huff and puff up the block.
Here is the first time we made it to the top of the "summit"! I was so impressed with my dad. He was only going on 7 minute walks in the beginning and now is passing the 30 minute mark and continues to go further on his walks every day.
This photo was taken at the bottom of the street when we completed the walk.
One day we went to Kit Carson park... Max loved holding my keys and walking along with papa
( who am I kidding - the little guy is not interested in walking WITH anyone really - he just happens to be near grandpa at this moment! )
Here they are again at Kit Carson Park - just before we headed home.
During this walk my dad decided to see if he could not only make it to the top of the "summit" but go even further and walk to the next street. And here is the evidence that he made it. With Max by his side.

And this is what Max looks like after a big day in San Diego
Me and my dad at the park
Max reading up on something pretty interesting it seems.


So the update is that my dad is doing really great. He's still sleeping in the recliner because it hurts to lay down flat in the bed but he doesn't seem to mind. He's been reading in the backyard soaking up the sun, having fun with Max, watching Law and Order ( his favorite show ), and at night we rent movies or I make him watch the reunion show of the Housewives of Beverly Hills! ( I'm obsessed! )

On Friday Jerry flew back into town from Salt Lake City and we drove up to Los Angeles for the weekend. I SO love it when Jerry is in town. It's VERY challenging for me to take care of Max day and night and never get a break. Night time is really difficult because Max doesn't sleep through the night and he cries and cries and needs a lot of soothing. It keeps my dad up which isn't helping his recovery. We head back down next week and at the end of the week we will celebrate Max turning TWO and the next day my dad has his birthday! ( should I tell you how old he is? I guess that's not for me to say now is it? )

I had plans to make a slideshow like I did last year of Max's year in review. I have no clue how on earth I would ever get something like that done without Jerry being home to watch him. So....we shall see if I can pull that off. Max is LOVING spending time with his Grandparents and I'm so glad we have been able to stay there and help out right before we move to Salt Lake City. I think I mentioned that in my last post but it's going to be hard to live so far away from them. Makes me sad thinking about it. I bet most of you who've known me for years and years are stunned to read that right? But hey - people change! Last time I moved away I was 18 and going to Minneapolis and couldn't wait to be as far away as possible. I also smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day and was trying to kick a bad drug habit.....Times have changed that's for sure. Most people that know me now couldn't imagine me doing either of those things...Now my favorite moments are making eggs for my dad and taking walks with him up the street with my amazing son Max and waiting for my husband to visit us on the weekends. oh and of course watching the housewives of Beverly Hills with my mom! I'm looking forward to writing the blog about Max on his birthday and how much he has grown just in the past few months. He is so incredible. I am in AWE of him.

I cannot believe we are moving to Salt Lake City at the end of February - but more recently I've been feeling VERY ready to see my husband every day and night and stop this crazy schedule of only seeing him on weekends. OVER IT.

Max in San Diego

Max's favorite thing every morning is to walk from our room over to visit Grandpa and say hello. Here they are again hanging out in the back yard together.
Grandma and Max hugging in the front yard.
Max runs to Grandma when she got home from an errand.
Me and Max

Max investigating a pinecone
Max and Papa
Sunshine
He is having a great time here at Grandma and Grandpas house. Hope to take more photos. We are all a bit sad that We will be moving far away from them soon. Soaking up the sun, and loving the Grandparents.

Grandpa's surgery and Max naps and naps and naps

I took this photo of Max napping a few weeks ago when he was recovering from an ear infection, eye infection, rash and a cold. He's all better now but the cuteness never ends!

On Friday Jan 7th my father went in for double bypass surgery and a valve replacement. Jerry, Max and I went down to San Diego and stayed at my parents house so we could help out. Here is a photo of my dad just before going in to surgery with my brother Jeremy ( who I haven't seen in over 3 years ) my mom and myself. My uncle Bix and Aunt Christine joined us about 5 minutes after this photo was taken and spent the weekend at the hospital with us. Thank goodness they were there! We so enjoy them and their company was refreshing. This surgery was surreal. My father has NEVER had surgery for anything in his life. Plus this type of surgery could possibly be life threatening - more so than other surgery....although we all know that any surgery could potentially be life threatening. So in the back of my mind I knew this and it wasn't really registering until my father wrote me a letter before the surgery. You know - the kind you write in case you don't make it. I've been carrying that letter with me everywhere I go. I wrote him one back. Not that he could take it with him if he didn't make it - but it was for me a way to share with him how I felt and know that I had said everything I hadn't already said to him in person. Such a crazy experience to go through with my dad....who I love calling "papa". Luckily the letters will just be momentos of a time we went through because here he is............
What seemed like a thousand hours later my dad comes out of surgery. Of course he didn't look like this right away - he was drugged up for many hours and didn't open his eyes for a long time. But when he did he was happy to have it be over...although the pain was clearly intense...and look at all of those tubes he is hooked up to.

This is what Max looked like during my father's surgery......

A day or two later - My father is walking around the hospital floor. Smiling to be up and about. The doctors are so impressed with how quickly he is healing and want to send him home early!

And yes here is yet another napping photo! Papa and Max both sleeping with their mouths open and snoring. Lovely. But so cute of course.
Here's my amazing father - looking handsome as ever - getting ready to leave the hospital.

Now he is home - doing great. I'm staying with them to help my mom out. Max is here for the healing effects of his smile, and Jerry visits on weekends.

Every day my father gets stronger and looks better and feels better. I'm so glad we were able to come down and help him out. It's nice to spend time with him and help out. Max LOVES his Grandma and Grandpa and it's fun to watch him grin from ear to ear when he sees them.

Now that our house is in Escrow (!) our days are numbered here in Southern California. So this extended time with my parents is really nice for us even though it was brought on by this intense surgery.

ok...must go check on my father and see if he needs anything.....
xo
*c