Girls Trip to NYC

Highlights:

• seeing Jane's apartment, her life, seeing her in her element. She was, by far, the perfect tour guide/"cruise director". She was giving us NYC trivia the whole weekend. I'm not sure if she knew everything, but she acted like it and we believed her!
  
• visiting the Manhattan temple all together. Even though I was fighting a head cold and can't say I was completely awake during the whole session, it was definitely a highlight. We also went to church with Jane & she shared her testimony of Christ. She is such a wonderful, solid, and tender person. I felt her love of the Savior as she spoke and it reminded me of how much I respect her strong spirit.
• the food. oh, the food. Jane knows all the good spots to eat and we didn't waste time on healthy meals. It was all made better by the fact that I didn't have to shop for, prepare, serve, or clean up any meal over the weekend. We ate every few hours and I dream of the Levain bakery. I'm going through withdrawals of their chocolate chip walnut cookie. In fact, I've already found a few different copycat recipes that I'm dying to try.
  
• constant girl-talk.....Gilmore Girls, hair loss after pregnancy, recipes, shoes, blisters, etc.
• spending the morning with Liesel (one of my very closest friends growing up). She met us for brunch at Sarabeths, then went shopping, and finally we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge together. I love that although we hadn't seen each other in over a year it was as if we talk every day....truly a mark of a great friendship.
  
• Shopping in SoHo. (I don't really know if we were actually in SoHo, but isn't that where people go to shop while in NYC?) I didn't buy anything, but it was fun to see all the people and movement.
  
• Carrying around a bag that only had MY necessities: gum, wallet, lip gloss. No diapers, wipes, toys, treats, etc.
• Celebrity sightings....we were on the set TWICE of Damages, a sketchy TV show on FX starring Glenn Close. We also were on a bus with Kyra Sedgwick. Who knew she rides buses?
  
• the entertainment. We went to Carnegie Hall on Friday night to hear the San Francisco symphony perform Mahler's Resurrection. It was surprisingly moving and it got me thinking about Easter. On Saturday we saw the Fantasticks (which Grandpa Madsen designed costumes for in San Franscisco) and it was "fantastick!" Apparently, it's the longest running Broadway show ever. It was playing in a little theater just off Broadway and we were lucky enough to get front row seats. The cast of eight seemed small at first, but each character is super. It was truly memorable and unique. When I think of Broadway, I usually think of the enormous theaters with a cast of over 50 and incredible sets and effects. But going to the Fantasticks has broadened my opinion of Broadway. I loved being close enough to actually interact with the actors. After the show we even talked to the lead role, el Gallo. It was just his sixth time performing this show and he was incredible. It was definitely a night to remember.
  
• Coming home to see my adorable little ones (poor Grant caught a stomach flu while I was gone) and a great husband who took care of them. I missed them all so much, and I was ready to jump back in full-swing.
  

Grant's Surgery

Last Thursday Grant went through a 2 1/2 hour surgery. He had a thyroglossal duct cyst removed, adenoids removed, and ear tubes put in both ears. The adenoids and tubes aren't really a big deal, but the cyst was kind of serious. The thyroglossal duct is something that usually disappears during gestation, but Grant's didn't & it became a cyst. I first noticed it back in mid-December, right before we went to Utah for the holidays. One day it just popped out of his neck. It was the size of a giant marble and it looked like he'd grown and Adam's apple overnight. Steve knew right away what it was, so I went to the doctor the next day. Since then, we've seen four doctors about his cyst and hearing situation. We finally got an appointment with a pediatric ENT & he's the one who decided to not only take out the cyst, but also to put in ear tubes and remove his adenoids. We had Grant's hearing tested and it was quite a bit below what it should be. The ENT was pretty confident that once tubes were in place his hearing would improve.


Grant was so sweet at the hospital. The first night he said,"I yuv you too," in the middle of the night & patted me on the arm. It was like he knew he needed to be comforted, so he did the things to me that he knows comfort him.

All Grant wanted to hear was the "BINGO" song ("there was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o. B I N G O..."), and from 3:30-4:00 a.m. that's all he wanted....so that's what I sang and he was completely satisfied. He even forgot about the oximeter that was attached to his toe.
It was so fun to just spend time with Grant, doing the things that he loves to do. We watched lots of Cars, ate lots of pancakes (for four meals), played with cars on a race track, read books, colored, put on bandaids, did stickers, and had lots of cuddling time.
By the second afternoon Grant was up and moving around and eating pancakes and applesauce like crazy. His hearing seemed to improve almost instantly. He even responded to a whisper, which he hasn't ever done. I love this boy more than words can say and I am so glad/relieved to see him doing so much better. He just melts me.

Playing Doctor

This week in Preschool we talked about doctors. I figured it was good timing, with Grant's surgery coming up this week. The kids had a great time putting their own black doctor bags together, complete with a plastic syringe (which they pretended to be a shot), a few bandaids, a mirror on a headband, Q-tips, and popsicle sticks. These quick kits provided hours of play time fun for the kids and the following conversations between the kids and Steve. I just jotted down the funny things as they were talking.

Sarah: You weigh 20 pounds. (holding a popsicle stick up to his forehead)

Sarah, looking in Steve's mouth with a popsicle stick: You have a red infection. You have mashed potatoes in your ears. You have a lump on your neck. You're going to need surgery today.Can I put the medicine in your mouth? You'll feel better. Don't worry. You'll see your Mama. (Just for pretend, I promise.) Then kisses him goodbye. I'll check on my next patient and then I'll be right back. Do you like bubble gum? (asking about the medicine) Ok, you'll like it. I don't like bubble gum.

Sarah: You have a lump.
Steve: Is it cancer?
Sarah: What's cancer?
Steve: It's bad.
Sarah: Then it's cancer.

Sarah, feeling Steve's arm: Whoa, you've got really strong bones. You've got to drink lots of milk so you can be strong.
Steve: Strong what?
Sarah: Strong bones.

Grant: I get you bandaids. ok, Seetie?
Steve: what did he say?
Sarah: He called you Sweetie! giggles.

Grant has stinky buns, and Steve says, "Dude, you stink."
Grant, with a big smile and sweetest voice says, "yeah."

Grant, wearing gloves and responding to Steve's fake cry: It's OK. No cry. I sawyee. I get bandaid. Then he put the bandaid on his own arm because it had a shark on it and Grant wanted it.

Every 5-7 minutes he does a sneak attack shot to Steve HARD. Then Grant smiles.
Then every 2-3 minutes Grant rediscovers his six bandaids and laughs with pure joy.

At the pretend pharmacy:
Kasey, the pharamicist: Have we filled his prescription before?
Sarah: Yes.
Kasey, pretending to write on the computer: When is his birthday?
Sarah: 20 o'clock

Sarah & Grant are at such fun ages. They love to pretend to do anything grown-up. Grant basically worships everything that Sarah does and copies it. And Sarah is loving all the attention. I hope they'll always be this close and have this much fun together.