Otherwise, we got to spend some time outside and he watched his dad mow the lawn. It was perfect weather and he relaxed laying on the trampoline with me for a while. He also seemed to be interested in looking at the horses through the fence. We even got to spend time playing with a new toy and I think he enjoyed the lights it made.

I forgot to tell everyone that I saw Samuel smile the day we came home. I went and got the first car seat we tried and brought it up to the hospital room. I set it on the floor and took Samuel out of bed and strapped him into the seat. He was pretty relaxed and let me do it all up. Then I stepped back to look at it all and looked right into his eyes and he smiled. And then he laughed a tiny little laugh. And then he smiled again and again and again. It was like he knew we were going somewhere. It was the first wakeful smile in 6 weeks. It was wonderful.

Well, that’s all for tonight. Thanks again to everyone. My kids were carted to and from school today and to and from soccer and a school carnival and dinner was brought to our home. I wouldn’t know what I’d do without everyone being so willing to help. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And keep praying!!! I expect the Lord to keep the promises he’s given us in Samuels blessings. But we need to have faith and keep asking.

Love,
Teresa, Tom, Samuel & Boys

We also tried to unpack all that we had brought from the hospital. We didn’t quite finish that, but will try to get it done tomorrow. The monitor we got for Samuel works great and relieves our minds so we can sleep. They also delivered an oxygen machine today so we don’t have to worry about running out of oxygen in the tanks.

Otherwise, it has been nice to be home with the boys and Tom. I can tell that Samuel is more comfortable here. He has been less agitated and more calm. Not to the extent I would have hoped for, but I can tell that he is happier here. He has also been really stable. He hasn’t thrown up or had drops in his oxygen or anything scary like that. He is doing REALLY well.

The only problem so far is my emotions. Everything here reminds me of Samuel and makes my heart ache for him to talk to me or come walking down the stairs or sit on the couch next to me. That has been really hard. Tanner told me it was really hard for him the first few days he was home. So I am hoping it will pass. I guess time will tell.

Thank you again to everyone who has helped us so much and continues to help us. We can never repay all that you’ve done and we could never have done this on our own. We love you all. Please keep praying that Samuel will stop posturing so he can start to relearn all that he has lost. I mostly pray for him to just be able to somehow interact with us and enjoy life. Thanks so much! Like I said, I know he is happier here. I can tell that he is much more calm.

Love,
Teresa, Tom & Boys

We left the hospital with Teresa and Samuel a LOT later than we’d expeceted to because Teresa couldn’t find the kind of car seat that Samuel needs. She can tell you more about that tomorrow. Because we left so late, Samuel had already taken his sleep meds, and slept most of the way home. He awakened about 45 minutes before we got home, and when Teresa told him where we were going, his whole countenance changed. She kept talking about how Daddy was driving behind us, and Grandma Bird, and Tanner and Wes, and Ben were going to be so happy to see Samuel… and they would take him on his 4 wheeler, and Willow (their mini grayhound) would be happy to see him. Actually I couldn’t hear everything she was saying. I heard part of it, and imagined the rest that that I told you, but I think I was probably pretty close! Oh, I did hear her say, “Look at the big truck!” when we stopped at a stop light in Brigham City. I couldn’t see Samuel, but I’m sure he was really impressed after being in the hospital so long!

I’D made a sign to go over their garage door that says “WELCOME HOME MOM & SAMUEL”, Grampa and I bought 10 helium smiley face balloons and about 5 yards of yellow ribbon (that’s all we could find in the stores), and this morning, with Grandma Bird’s help(that’s Teresa’s Grandma), we decorated the outside of their home. While we were doing that, Sister Norman drove by (I think that’s who it was) and saw us, so went and got some of those really nice balloons, and made a poster that said WELCOME HOME SAMUEL & Teresa, and put it on the corner of their street. Then when we arrived home tonight, there were a WHOLE BUNCH MORE yellow balloons all over the yard!!! We have no idea where they came from!!! It made us cry it was so neat!!! Samuel, Teresa and Tom were so impressed. You should’ve seen their eyes when they saw all the sincere love distributed around their house and yard!!!

Grampa and I felt so priveleged to be able to help bring them home! We just wish we could be there when the family wakes up in the morning and everyone (including Grandma Bird who is there to help) welcomes our precious little Samuel back home after he awakens!!! Kind of like Christmas morning, I guess!!!

Our hearts are FULL of gratitude for all of our Heavenly Father’s blessings, and for all the WONDERFUL people who are showing our children sooo much love!

Always and forever,
Grampa and Gramma Jewkes

P.S. Some more really good news: THESE UPDATES WILL CONTINUE AS LONG AS WE WANT THEM TO … ON THIS VERY SITE!!!

Something else: I took pictures that I’ll post tomorrow. Tired and want to go to bed!

The splint on his right arm was giving him some red sores, so we remade it. I’m not too happy with the new one either because it doesn’t stretch his arm much and I’m afraid he’s going to loose the range we just got by casting him. But the therapists seemed to think it was OK.

I was informed yesterday that home care doesn’t provide cribs so I spent most of the day trying to find a crib that would work for Samuel. I finally called Tom and turned the job over to him. We also had a feeding pump and pediasure delivered to the hospital this afternoon. We are still waiting on oxygen, suction and a pulse ox at home. And I am going tonight to get a thermometer and blood pressure machine. We need to get all that in place before we go home tomorrow.

Another set back was when we were told this afternoon that the hospital doesn’t have a car seat Samuel can use. He is within the weight limit for a rear facing seat, but he is too long for one. And he is under the weight limit for the adapted car seats they have here that are forward facing. We would just use the one we already had, but it sits him straight up at a 90 degree angle and I’m not sure he can tolerate that now. So I will be looking for a forward facing car seat that tilts back slightly tonight or in the morning. It’s a little frustrating to be looking this close to our discharge, but we thought these things were going to be provided for us. Oh, well.

Otherwise, it has been hard saying good-bye to everyone. We want to get home, but it is hard to leave all the people we have met here. Just over the last few days, Samuel has received a big poster from Timp View Softball with a cute little girraffe, a blanket from the NTU nurses, a teddy bear from some of the other nurses, and now everyone is signing a little receiving blanket for him to take home. Every nurse or doctor that I have to say good-bye to just tugs at my heart. And then there’s that old guy that helped out at the car wash last month who has been coming up here every night after work and sitting with Samuel for hours and hours. Often, his wife and daughter or his mother will come with him. And tonight we had to tell them bye for a few weeks because our house is just too far of a drive for him to make everyday. That was the hardest goodbye so far because we have gotten so used to seeing them. (If you’re wondering, the “old guy” is my dad.)

But going home is going to be so good for Samuel and I can hardly wait to be with the boys and Tom again. I know it’s going to take a lot of adjusting - A WHOLE LOT! But it’s definitely time for us to go home. Eight weeks today! It’s been the hardest eight weeks of our lives and yet, the most uplifting too.

Thanks so much to everyone who has helped us so far and all those who I know will help us in the future. Speaking of, the Logan ER nurses have volunteered to come into our home at night for the next while so that Samuel can have nursing care and we can get sleep. WOW! Keep up the prayers. It may seem slow, but they are being answered!

Love,
The Jewkes

The catheter came out this morning and made no difference in his urinating. I’m kind of bummed about that because it’s going to be a lot of extra work to catheter him every 4 hours until this problem goes away.

The CT scan also wasn’t great news. It was good to hear that there is no pressure in his head, but it was sad to hear that some of his brain cells have died. We compared his brain the night of the accident, nine days after, and yesterday. The night of the accident, there was hardly any fluid in the ventricles of his brain because his brain was so swollen. Nine days later, there was fluid in the ventricles as there should be and there was some indication that there had been a reduction in brain matter because there was an increase in fluid. The CT yesterday showed some more reduction in brain matter, but not much more since the scan nine days after the accident. The majority of the loss still seems to be in the basil ganglia.

Samuel slept better last night from about 10:30 pm until 4:30 am and then 5:30 am until 8 am. He also took a nap today for about an hour and then another one this evening for about an hour. He fell asleep tonight around 8:30 pm and has slept now for nearly 2 1/2 hours just on his tranxene and clonadine. Hopefully, we are getting into a better pattern of sleep. I have mostly found that he needs to be kept awake and busy most of the day if I expect him to sleep at night. I guess some things never change.

Even though we are excited to come home, we have become attached to many of the people here at Primary Chidrens and it will be hard to leave. We already miss Dr. Colliver who ended his residency a few weeks ago. And today I hugged Dr. Such-Niebar good-bye. I consider it a huge blessing she was our doctor because we felt comfortable with her and the decisions she would make for Samuel. She has saved us much grief and agony just knowing that she would always do the best things for him. And then there are the nurses. It makes to sad to think of leaving them all. They have been wonderful and have each mentioned how much they will miss us - mostly Samuel. In the 2 months we have been here, I have seen at least 10 different nurses cry with us over the things we are going through. It says a lot about them. We have met a lot of parents here and will miss them. They have been a great support.

Keep praying! We still have a long road.

Love,
The Jewkes