Heart of Beckett

UPDATE (8/9/13)

Today has been another great day, at least for the most part. By the end of the evening it was starting to look like Beckett had noticed they weaned his methadone yesterday. Hopefully it won’t be too bad, and we can actually figure out a wean schedule that will work for him. We are so ready to be done with this issue, for his sake and ours. Beckett has also begun throwing up again. While it is not nearly like before, he doesn’t like it, and we wish he wasn’t doing it. He also has a very bad rash on his face. It has made his eyes red and puffy and I’m sure it really itches. We aren’t sure if it is from sweating and the cheek pads for his oxygen or what, but they are treating it, and it should get better with time. These are issues we continue to pray get better as the days go by.

I was a very lucky lady tonight when Jonathan planned a mega surprise for me. Our six-year anniversary is on Sunday, and I will be working, and Jonny will be at the hospital with Beckett. So, he had tons of the staff help him pull off an awesome celebration tonight. Around dinnertime, Beckett’s nurse came in and said there was a room in the front of the heart center open and they were going to move Beckett. They said we could go ahead and move him and the crib now, and then come back for the rest of his stuff. Well, I was hungry, so I packed up a bunch of stuff so we could move and then leave to eat. I left the room by myself, and then Jonny came down the hall after me. He said wait and he would come with me. So, we walked around the unit together to find the room and when I got to the door I could see a nurse with a camera. I thought that’s weird. But, once I could see in the room, I understood why. She was videotaping my reaction. Jonny had a table set up with a nice dinner, a dozen roses, cards, a picture frame with a photo of when we arrived home with Beckett, and stamped prints of Beckett’s feet on tiles the nurses had made. It was seriously done up so nicely. He had even gotten me food from Red Lobster, and chips and salsa from Chile’s, two of my favorite places! Even the foodservice people were in on it and had brought nice linens and a cheese, fruit and cracker tray. It was like half the hospital was involved. The heart center and NICU had gotten us cards. They all said it is fun for them to have a party too! So there we sat with Beckett talking and playing nearby while we ate dinner in celebration of our lives together. What a great night!

— with Jonathan Rupp at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health.