Eh?...What?...I can't hear you...

Poor little Lex has had ear infections at least once or twice every six weeks since birth, she just does not have an adequate passage to allow congestion to drain when she gets stuffy. Tate had been the same way, perhaps not quite as bad, but we decided to not put him through the ear tube surgery. In hindsight that was probably the wrong decision. He has had hearing issues and speech delays---to this day he still says some words in a strange nasal way---but there's no way of knowing exactly how different his life (or ours) would be if we hadn't wimped out. I had taken Tate to see an ENT when he was about 13 months old (end of September), he recommended tubes but I told him the surgery would need to take place after the holidays because my sister was getting married the following week, I was having a baby the following month, and Christmas would follow two weeks later...not an ideal time for extra drama. Well, by the time we got around to scheduling his surgery I realized the ear infections had stopped. Tate had become a great walker and was spending a lot less time laying on his back, the drainage issue had solved itself. I was very relieved that my baby wouldn't have to undergo a procedure involving anesthesia. However, now that I've seen what can happen if ones hearing has been impaired, I probably should have pushed harder to make time for Tate to get tubes. Thus, there was only mild apprehension when it came to deciding what would be best for Lexie. The week after her first birthday we went in to fix her little ears.

All in all the procedure was not that big of a deal, she was gone from us for an extremely short period of time and then it was over. She wasn't a fan of the anesthesia, when she was returned to me by the nurses she was sobbing with her eyes shut, unsure of what was going on. I have had enough surgeries in my day to know that the worst part of any operation is the aftermath of the anesthetics. She and I cuddled and cried together until she was calm enough to be transported to the car.

Now, four and a half months later, she has another ear infection. The tubes haven't stopped the ear infections, just made the pressure, drainage, and build-up less painful. My poor gal seems immune to nearly every antibiotic out there, we've tried them all. Which reminds me that I never posted about Lexie's brush with death and near drowning this summer. Jess put a post up almost immediately on her blog, many of you have seen it there, but for those who haven't I will try and steal it and post it here as well.

happy in the car on the way to the surgical center on this early morning.

no idea what she's in for.

uh guys, what are we here for again?

keeping busy before the procedure

the surgery only took a few minutes but this little babe was NOT a fan of the way she felt coming out of the anesthesia. it's hard to tell in this picture but she was flipping and flailing like a fish out of water. unconsolable.

finally asleep in the car on the way home