The Ruppel Family

24 May 2009

Getting outdoors

We've been enjoying the outdoors a lot lately, in fact it's Aidan's favorite thing to do, just being outside no matter what we're doing!

Back in April we went camping, I think Aidan's favorite part of the trip was the marshmallows and playing with the flashlights!

From summer 09

The lake had tons of turtles, one was as big around as a basketball!

From summer 09

The camping gang

From summer 09

2.6 mile hike

From summer 09

Aidan passed out on the way back

From summer 09

Our good friends the Imlays

From summer 09

Maddie!

From summer 09

Note that he's eating the marshmallow, not the graham cracker!

From summer 09

Our tents were right next to the lake!

Aidan playing with the flashlights. It's dark but if you listen it's funny!

From summer 09

Bailey looks like her beautiful old self again and is shedding everywhere, "sigh"

From summer 09

Aidan listening to music on Scott's ipod. I caught him mid-boogie!

We found the coolest sprinkler!

From summer 09

Aidan is really into shoes right now, he pulls all of our shoes out of the closet and likes to put them on and walk around in them. He's learned how to match while doing this because he doesn't just pull out 2 random shoes, he puts on the pair that matches!

From summer 09

This will be a good "torture picture" when Aidan becomes a teenager... hee hee hee :)

From summer 09

Aidan playing in a giant box, the most fun toy of all to a one year old!

Aidan being creative :)

From summer 09

We just got Aidan a climber, now he can claim at least part of the backyard. He LOVES it! He's a pretty good climber already too!

From summer 09

21 May 2009

Brett's Surgery

Hey all, I'm blogging from the ICU at the UCSD Thornton Center where Brett is currently recovering. Dad and I went and got a camera yesterday during the 9 hour surgery and he's been taking pictures ever since. So, without delay let me share with you what's been happening.

From UCSD

Picture of Mom after the Doctor came out and gave us the good news that they were able to pull out the clot.

From UCSD

Here's a picture of the clots - the scale is approx 6 inches. These were keeping the heart from pumping blood to the lungs.

From UCSD

Brett in the ICU last night - they had to heat him up (thus all the blankets. The surgery involves inducing hypothermia and taking the core body temp down to 65 degrees F! Read more about it here

From UCSD

Brett this morning with Mom, and Michelle, an OR tech on the surgery.

From UCSD

Happy Brothers. You can't tell it from the picture, but Brett is thrilled.

From UCSD

Brett and his day-time nurse today, Mary drawing a blood sample.

So now we're just awaiting the results of the latest blood gas test and waiting for Brett to wake up a bit more before they extubate him.
He's resting real well...blood oxygen level is 100%, resting pulse is the lowest it has been in months, blood/heart pressures are normal...Good news all around.

Between this blog, Facebook, and my Dad's emails, everyone should be in the loop.

Take care, and continue to pray for a speedy recovery.

22 April 2009

Hanging out and an afternoon at the park

So we went over to a friends house this past weekend. It was their son's 2nd birthday and they had some friends over and BBQ'd. Aidan had fun playing with their son's toys and chasing their cat. The cake and ballons were great too...we still have the balloons because balloons are so much fun (god no) ....I'm popping them tomorrow! And Aidan had green poop from the icing on the cake!