My sweet Grandaddy passed away last Monday. He was 81 years old and, up until a few months ago, very healthy for his age. Around the first of the year, he found out that he had several blocked arteries and he made the decision to go ahead with the surgery to repair them. The surgery went well, but he had a severe reaction to being put under anesthesia and ended up with post operative dementia. Apparently it happens alot, especially in older people, but most are able to come out of it within a few days or weeks. In my Grandaddy's case, he was never able to fully shake it and required 24 hour care from his 5 children.
My mom and her siblings spent every moment of his last few months of life taking care of their daddy. I know it was difficult and I know there were times they wished they could skip a shift, but they did an amazing job of making sure he could stay in his home as long as possible. I hope they know what an extraordinary thing they did for him.
Eventually he came to require more care than they could give him and had to be admitted to the hospital for observation in anticipation of placing him somewhere that he could be safe and medically attended to. Last Sunday night the hospital staff checked on him once and he was fine and when they checked again 30 minutes later, he was unresponsive. They were able to resuscitate him and place him on a ventilator, but he had been without oxygen too long and the damage to his brain was too severe. A few of us were able to make it to the hospital in time to be with him during his last moments. It was awful and amazing all at once. We should all be so lucky as to leave this world surrounded by love.
I had some of the best grandparents that a person could ask for, and I know that they are together now, as they were for most of their lives.
Since the title of this blog promised happy and sad, I am going to move on to the happy. It would be easy to stay on the sad - that is where my heart is right now - but I think we all have to try to find the happy at times like these. I don't have to look far though - Emily Marie brings me nothing but happy!
She came to all of the funeral proceedings and hopefully brought a smile to a few faces. She was an angel - held and passed around and kept up past her bedtime two nights in a row and barely a fuss out of her.
So - on to the photos!
We have tried solid foods a few times lately, with mixed results. She wants to hold the spoon herself and chew on it, but she isn't so much interested in swallowing the food!
Bottles are still a big hit though!
My little fashionista in her menswear inspired top and jeggings.
Looking thrilled.
Aunt Katie requested some smiling photos of our girl, and Emily was more than happy to oblige.
Leg warmers on a mild day.... Big hit at daycare!
This past weekend we headed down to Atlanta for Katie and Tyler's 2nd annual Crawfish Boil.
Gross.
The corn and potatoes were good though!
Emily enjoyed the cups.
One of Katie's friends from highschool makes the cutest kids clothes and I had her make this crawfish dress for Emily to wear at the party. Of course, it was a hit!
And those bows were perfectly positioned for her to chew on!
Emily's daycare had picture day recently and this was the proof they sent home.
I am not sure why Gerber is not knocking down our door, but it is just their loss.
Think of all the baby food this face would sell! :)
Strawberry butt
Ready to go home after a long day at the funeral home. Look at those long legs!
Emily only got to be around her Great Grandaddy a few times before he died, but she will grow up being told story after story about him so she will feel like she knew him. And we can show her this blog and hundreds of pictures, and she will know he loved her.
So sweet, love it.
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