After eight years of marriage, you think you know a person...

Each day at the hospital for the seven days we were there, I would select my food the day before. The one morning that Matthew was there, he selected my food for the next day. Wow. You think it would be simple. You think he would know what to order me.

Apparently not. In fact, after the Great Breakfast Disappointment that morning, I waited for lunch and dinner with fear. Here is an example:



Seriously? A fruit cup instead of GRAPE JUICE?? A fruit cup? With those slimy peaches and pears? Gross.

Seriously? CREAM OF WHEAT? Instead of grits? Cream of wheat period? Especially when I needed the sugar for my HOT DECAF TEA? (Seriously?????)

Seriously? An English muffin is fine, but up against a biscuit or a blueberry muffin? Worst thing is that it was wheat. Ick.

Pancakes over eggs was an okay choice, but HAM INSTEAD OF BACON??? Oh. My. Pig. You have got to kidding me. (To his defense, he *knew* I preferred bacon and *thought* he circled it.)

The only thing he got completely correct was chocolate milk. Oh, I do love those little pints of chocolate milk. I think I must have (no joke) had ten of them when I was there. Yum.

And now onto Benjamin news.

HE'S DOING GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I kid you not--I have seen more improvement since this surgery than after his heart surgery! Probably because his heart defects had not yet begun to affect his daily living, and this intestinal obstruction had, but STILL!! I suppose I didn't realize how much discomfort he was truly in because he is like a changed baby! And he was pretty happy-go-lucky before! Here are some of the marked differences:

--He doesn't mind being in a sitting position now. Before, he would straighten up as stiff as a board if you tried to sit him in your lap, in a Bumbo, in his swing, etc. It got pretty bad there toward the end. And it made physical therapy next to impossible.

--Very little to no spit-up!!

--He's pooping normally!! Prior to the surgery, he would poop once every one to two WEEKS. Now? He pooped today AND yesterday. YAY!!! (All you moms out there can attest--we are not ashamed to get excited about poop when there have been issues!)

--He is more content to play on his own. Whether it's in his exersaucer, his high chair (with toys), or just wherever, he is simply more content. He's even tried to do things that he hadn't tried that much before when it comes to reaching for toys or trying to put Gerber puffs in his mouth. (He still hasn't gotten them all the way to his mouth, but he's trying!)

--He's drinking more milk. Granted, now it's a mixture of breastmilk and formula, but I know for a fact he's getting more b/c I am giving him everything he drinks in a bottle. And my supply was pretty shot, so I know that he wasn't getting nearly this much. He should gain nicely now. Come to think of it, this could be why he's so content all the time. He was probably hungry before and I just didn't know it! Not starving, mind you, but just not quite satisfied, so he was fussy.

Here are some pictures. Gotta hurry. LOST IS ON TONIGHT!!!!!!!!! :)

Getting bundled up to go over to my parents' house. Looking up at Daddy.



Benjamin's first snow. It didn't stick, but it was definitely snowing!



My usual attire when going to mom's. Sweats. LOL (Oh, please don't notice that I still have my Christmas tree welcome mat out. I totally need to change it but am too lazy to do so. Maybe later...)



Drinking some of my sweet tea from McDonald's at mom's house. WHAT A CUTIE!



He got SUPER tickled about something. He was cracking us all up.

That's it for now. Hope you are all staying warm. It's FREEZING here!!