So, it's over. And we couldn't be more thrilled. Sam doesn't gasp for air anymore. As a matter of fact, he thinks Lincoln is too noisy when he sleeps because he is breathing so loud! When I ask him a question, Sam doesn't turn his head and put his ear towards me and ask me to repeat it. He actually hears me the first time, and we are thrilled. We were so concerned about the breathing thing - and then the hearing frustration was aggravating to us, and especially to him. There were times where it seemed almost normal, but then it would deteriorate again and it would take weeks or months for it to resolve.
The doctor discovered (as I mentioned before in an earlier post) that his adenoids were likely large enough that they were preventing proper drainage from his ears resulting in fluid buildup, ear infections, and scarring which all affected his hearing. It wasn't something that traditional tubes would have fixed (or at least they don't think so), and it wasn't something that hearing aides would have helped.
Hopefully we won't have that problem any more. There still may be some residual hearing loss, but it is minimal, and mainly on one side. He falls within normal limits on his hearing tests -barely within limits on one side - but within normal limits, and we are pleased as punch about this.
His tonsils were so large that he wasn't getting enough air, but then he would go and run in a soccer game, so we didn't know what to make of this. The overnight sleep study showed that his breathing did drop dramatically during the night, so the tonsils needed to come out. Since then his breathing is fine. The doctor said that on a scale of one to five (five meaning that the tonsils completely occlude the airway) his were a size four. I am SO GLAD they are gone!!!
Trying to get Sam to wake up from the anesthesia.
They brought out the tonsils to show us how large they were - that is Ted's hand so that you have some idea of the scale of how large they were.
Sam crashing after surgery on our bed - and Jack keeping him company.
The thing is, Sam was great through the entire process. He didn't complain. He didn't whine. He was just sweet.
A few weeks later I found this note that he had made during that time, and he asked me to deliver it for him. I didn't think much of it and then I thought I needed to open this and see what it was. My heart just melted when I saw what it said.
It says: From: Sam To: The Army Navy
Inside: Check the other side.
On the back of the card he wrote: To the army of United States of America. Thank you for fighting for freedom. (If you have ever heard Sam pray, you know this is a big deal to him.)
When you open the card up he had included $6 of his own money that he worked for, and he wrote: This money is for food.
Sam's little body may have had trouble breathing, and a hard time hearing. But one thing is clear: His heart is as big and strong as ever.
She came in at 7:00 this morning grinning from ear to ear telling us it was time to leave for school! There were some kids crying. There were some moms crying too. However, we were all smiles. :)
Ted had a little harder time - can you see him reaching back for her hand? Her reply was, "no, I'm big. I don't need to hold hands." It was funny and heartbreaking all at the same time. 
She was sore, but happy. Her philosophy was the sooner they are on, the sooner they are off!
Lincoln and Sam are thrilled about school starting later, it means there is less of a rush this year to get out to the door to the bus. Instead of being to the bus stop by 7:53, they get to stay home until 8:20. In kid world that is awesome -more time to sleep in and dawdle. In mom world that means that there should be no reason that their rooms aren't cleaned and chores done before school. However, it seems that mom world only exists in my mind.
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