My Little Man has a What?

A HERNIA! Yes.

A couple times in the last week, we felt a lump and noticed a bluish swelling in his you-know-whats (the beans, not the frank). After a pediatrician visit and surgical consult today (plus a couple frantic calls last night, including to the after hours line) we are scheduled to have our sweet little baby's privates operated on to fix his hydrocele hernia on Feb. 22.

Inguinal hernias form as a direct consequence of normal events in fetal development. At about 12 to 14 weeks of gestation, the gonads (testicles or ovaries) are formed near the kidneys. They gradually descend through the abdomen as the baby develops. If the baby is a boy, the testicles pass through an opening low in the abdomen and into the scrotum ... In about 5 % of children in the United States, this opening does not close properly. This happens more commonly in boys than in girls ... The failure of this opening to close potentially allows the contents of the abdomen to travel down into the scrotum (in a boy) or the labia (in a girl). The contents of the abdomen include the intestines, the ovaries, and the clear fluid in which the intestines normally float. If the scrotum or labia are found to contain intestines or an ovary, this is termed an inguinal hernia. If they contain only fluid, this is a hydrocele. The difference between the two is usually just the size of the opening; the basic anatomy is the same in both cases.

Lovely! I know!! Aren't you glad I shared?

This is not an emergency, but everything I'm reading backs up the doctors' advice to fix it now. Left untreated, it could be fine for years, but could eventually become a full inguinal hernia - where the intestines push through - and then eventually become strangulated, where the intestines actually get trapped, and the blood supply is cut off. Apparently in adults they take their chances sometimes and avoid surgery, but with kids, because their organs are small, there's a greater chance that strangulation occuring.

He's not in pain - thank goodness - but the lump sure does look painful.

I hate that I didn't get to meet the surgeon today (it's at St. John's) but Mike liked him. It's 45 minutes outpatient surgery, but full anesthesia, which unnerves me. The doctor's saying it's not risky, and that the trauma of holding kids down and using a local is far worse. Apparently this is like, the most common surgery for kids. Matthew's uncle Scott had one as a kid and so might his little son, Matthew's cousin Danny - literally might be having surgery for the same thing next month, we just learned.

So this is all reassuring. But also seems odd that they can cut into my little son, and put him down, and bring him out of it, all in forty-five minutes. I almost want to tell them to take their time.

The cherry on top: while at the doctor's, we had her recheck his nagging cough ... to learn he's got his first ear infection.

IT HAS BEEN QUITE A WEEK AND IT'S ONLY WEDNESDAY, PEOPLE.

What the ...

Matthew is asleep now. But has already done the scream/whine three times tonight, the one that won't stop til go in and pat him.

Which has been happening for the past three nights, all night. What the ?!!??!?!

He has been, I think, both teething and congested. The combination has caused him to wake up crying every 15 minutes at different points. Then we might catch an hour, then every 15 minutes. Then a 2 hour stretch until 5 a.m., bring him to bed with us, and THAT is when the kid finally sleeps hard.

Last night we ever tried our bed for the whole night, but that actually freaked him out. "Dark! Bed!" so back into his crib. Only to summon us across the hallway all night long with squeals, sobs and various other "someone's poking me with knitting needles" noises. That don't stop. I'm fine with crying it out - but after 30 minutes, when none of us are getting sleep, it seems a bit redundant. So I go pat him and after about 4 seconds, he's fine and back to sleep. For some TBD period of time.

It was an all too familiar reminder of the horrible sleep deprivation of newborns. And I actually found myself having that same ridiculous ability to get up and deal with it, every time. And even get through the days okay. But also thinking OH MY GOD, this is what I'll be doing for 6-10 weeks in a few short months.

Meanwhile, dear husband was right LOSING IT on night two, much less last night. We took turns getting up, but I will share, he was a bit more panicky and impatient with it than I (a rare occurence in our household). He is actually tucked into bed now, trying to catch up on his Zzzzzs. With any luck, Matthew will give us both 8-10 sweet hours of them tonight.

Yea - We've Crossed the Picket Lines!

No, not the writers; alas, Golden Globes was not meant to be this year. No, I mean me, picketing my poor blog.

Because it's been busy since Christmas. And crazy, and exciting. And I've been exhausted, and moving a little slower. And going to doctor appointments.

And updating my new blog.

Because ...

I AM PREGNANT!

Most of my six loyal blog readers except Sarah G. knew this by now. And Sarah, I'm sorry for not telling you personally! You are a better preggo than I ... the personal phone calls have been at a minimum for me this time ... fraid e-mail updates have been the standard fare ... but I know you'll forgive me. And we can both order giant lunches with abandon together at Elephant Bar this weekend!

Anyway, I started the second blog to more focus on my pregnancy experience this time, and especially how it'll be different with a new job and you know, a Kid. And, I want this blog to stay focused on the rest of my life, and Matthew.

Feel free to read both - or to skip what will undoubtedly sometimes be an uber-boring documentation of preggo symptoms and yes, you know it's coming, preggo complaints.

For the top-line on symptoms: I have morning sickness, and fatigure, but that's it. Neither are killing me, and both come and go. I am healthy so far, and my first ultrasound went great!

I am overall more nervous this time. My doctor is treating this pregnancy more cautiously because of being pregnant/not pregnant back in October. So I'm, well, very respectful of the whole process this time. And appreciative of every blood test that goes back to my doctor, telling her I'm still knocked up.

So with that - I will be fixing a fattening but feels-physically-necessary snack and off to bed. God, feels like just yesterday I was sneaking to bed at 8 p.m. to feed unborn baby Matthew and me a bathtub sized bowl of chocolate ice cream ...