The BrehiThomas Family Blog: January 2021

Christmas Part 2 Continued:

We went ice skating one day--Lehi stayed home with Brielle since he has a bum foot. The boys did good, but were terrible to start. They both clung onto me like they were going to fall straight through the ice. It was quiet the look. Eventually, Maverick was comfortable enough to hold onto the edge and work his way around the ring. Lincoln remained attached to me like some type of sea-thing. Both of my boys refused to use the PVC "walker" for kiddos learning how to skate (darn their stubborn personalities). Bobo took Lincoln and pretty much made him use it once, so I would skate with Maverick a bit. After some time, Maverick was comfortable enough to skate without holding onto anything and would even go into the middle and back! Lincoln got to the level of holding my hand and skating beside me. Dad was a great sport and watched Mak (and other kiddos who needed to take a beak). It started out a bit of a hot mess for my boys, but they ended up loving it. Kaylee and her cute friend were so sweet and would encourage them every time they passed. Mom used to skate a lot in her "younger days" (as she would say) and totally rocked it. What an awesome grandma.

Bobo obviously did a lot of soda runs while she had access to a Swig. Lehi didn't complain though. Meanwhile, Brielle and Mak tag teamed Dad for his Bran Muffin. One would come up to him, looking innocent and hungry, get a bite, then the next would walk up. We were laughing so hard. At one point he coughed out between chuckles. "I feel like I'm feeding a bunch of pigeons." (I have an awesome video of all the action).

Not only did we Nertz (that is a given--we did a "bag on your head" addition where if you were in first you had to wear a bag on your head with eye holes cut out), we also played (what Dad called) Philadelphia--we had to write down the rules (which may or may not be 100% correct), but it was a lot of fun and something different for non-Nertz lovers to get in on.

Telling Lehi:

We had been trying for about 3 months for another baby to join our family. With a little wait, I decided to surprise Lehi (pretty much for the first time ever). I had a friend in the ward make this shirt and I randomly wore it one day, just waiting for him to figure it out. To his credit, it did not take long. I walked into the office to get something, he saw the shirt, stood up and said, "Ok wait. So it says the fourth....does this mean you lied to me?" I nodded and we both started laughing. He said he was drawn to the Star Wars font and then it took him a second to work it out.

This is the picture we sent to Lehi's family, letting them know we were adding another baby to our happy chaos.

Lincoln's Says Goodbye to Tonsils:

Since our poor Lincoln buddy continued to get strep throat systems--without testing positive for strep--the ENT here recommended that we have his tonsils and adenoids removed. The ENT in Texas said he needed to have at least 4 positive strep tests in the span of 6 months, and since they were never positive, he wouldn't do anything surgical (lame!)

His surgery was scheduled for an early morning--I had him wear some new sweatpants to the hospital that he called his "special sweatpants." I think they helped ward off the fear a bit. With COVID restrictions, only one parent could accompany him, and with Lehi working, the task fell on me. Lincoln was really nervous and cried a bit about not wanting to go to the hospital, but we told him how much better he would feel without those tonsils and he wouldn't be sick as often. When we were up in the prep room, he melted down. He refused to take off his sweats/put on the hospital gown. There was pretty much a full on wrestling match between him and I for a solid 10 minutes. He calmed down a bit and I just held him on my lap. Soon, he was up to his typical Lincoln antics, like putting his mask over his eyes when I asked him to pull it up a bit.

The nurses came in and out, asking if we had any questions. The doctor came in and said they would take him back in about a half hour. Then the child life specialist (CLS) came in to chat with Lincoln. He wasn't particularly interested in anyone and just clung to me. The CLS asked Lincoln if he wanted any toys, showing him some, all of which he said no to. She left and returned a few minutes later with a "poke-a-dot" book, which he shyly took and played with. When it was time for him to leave me to go to the OR, the CSL showed him a few options to take to the OR--a wagon, a ride-on-tractor, or he could hold her hand. I was honestly dreading this because he had been so resistant to anyone who came in and did NOT want to leave me. You might imagine my shock when he hopped off my lap, grabbed her hand, and walked to the OR room.

The surgery was insanely quick, done in about 20 minutes. They took Lincoln into recovery for about 15 minutes to monitor him a bit and then brought him to the room we started in, where I was ~~patiently~~ (anxiously) waiting. He was super out of it and super grumpy from all the meds. We hung out for another hour or so, waiting for him to come around a little more. We were finally cleared to leave and we slowly walked to the car where I buckled him in and headed home. Lehi was so excited to see him and wrapped him in a big bear hug.

The recovery overall was pretty smooth, but Lincoln is a champ when he doesn't feel good. We let him eat all the popsicles he wanted (which shocking, was not as much as I anticipated) and ice cream. Nights were the worst because we had to wake him up to give him his medicine, and usually when he work up, his throat would hurt because he had been sleeping. I dreaded the nights when I had to disturb his slumber. About 7 days in, when the scabs fell off, recovery felt a bit like day 1 all over again, but it was only for a few days. He really was a champ through it all and seldom complained, even though we knew he was hurting.

One of the nights, I sang Lincoln some songs, thinking he is pretty much out for the night. Then he randomly burst out in the loudest singing voice, "when sky's are gray! You never know dear, how much I love you. Don't take my sunshine aaaaway!" followed by infectious giggles.

Telling the Boys:

Lehi and I decided to tell the boys that we would have another baby joining our family. We started by giving them clues, like how mom is not feeling good and is super tired. They said "a tummy ache?" and then finally arrived at the conclusion of a baby. We had to explain how the baby was so little right now, so mom's belly isn't big yet. Then sweet Maverick piped up and said "and then you will get fat. But that's ok, because you will go back to normal after awhile."

We are pretty sure they are excited....they both gave an impersonation of me being pregnant by throwing out their bellies as big as they could get them.

Grandma Thomas Returns Home:

During Christmas, we noticed that Grandma wasn't quite herself (as mentioned in that blog). She stayed with Terri after Christmas festivities were over, where we all know she was doted on and well cared for. Sweet Grandma passed away on January 17th. Bill and Gina had left the house just a few hours before. Bill shared with us that he gave her a hug before leaving and told her, "If Dad comes to you, go with him. I love you." I get teary eyed thinking of that moment. Many beautiful tributes to her were shared on facebook. Matthew's and Lehi's were so beautifully written, I decided to include them here:

Matthew: "I do not possess a sufficient mastery of the English language to adequately express how much this woman meant to me. Ironically enough, she is probably the only person I know that did. Aside from my parents, my Grandma Thomas is most responsible for the man I am today, take it or leave it. She was a constant presence in my childhood. From football games to school activities, holiday dinners to church on Sunday, Friday-night sleepovers to summer camping trips, Grandma was always there.

As I grew older her impact on me only strengthened. She was a teacher, a mentor, and a college paper editor. She did everything she could to support me in the good times and rough times. From the Marine Corps to Penn State, through triumph and heart break, she was always there to offer words of encouragement, thoughtful advice, and loving criticism like only she knew how, constructive or otherwise.

She was deeply proud of her heritage, and being a Western Pennsylvania farm girl. She had an unshakable faith and unwavering Patriotism. A proud Penn State graduate, she bled Blue and White.  She was an accomplished author who loved history almost as much as she loved Shakespeare.  Her enthusiasm for the outdoors was only paralleled by her love of Literature. Her kindness and warmth were perfectly balanced by her wit and sass. Her faith in God was rivaled only by her unconditional love for her family.

She was the most intelligent, kind-hearted person I have ever known. I can only hope that she was half as proud of me, as I am to call myself her Grandson.   She was my lighthouse in stormy seas, my guiding light through dark times. She was my hero.

On January 17, 2021, after almost 30 years apart, Patricia Jack Thomas has finally been reunited with her husband and Lord above."

Lehi--"The English language, which my grandmother had long ago mastered, seems completely inadequate now. One of the greatest blessings in my life has been the chance to grow up and have my grandma close by. And grandma was always there when you needed her since she had also mastered how to spoil her grandchildren. One of the most selfless people I know, she helped me out in more ways than I care to detail, or that I could ever repay. She also taught me more than I'll probably ever realize by her amazing example as much as anything she said. A couple pictures below show her hiking through Watkins Glen State Park... at 80 years old. She loved nature and she loved her family and she wasn't going to let a cane stop her from enjoying both. 

I would not be where I am today, as a person or in life, if it wasn't for the love and support of my grandma. I told Brei this week that my sorrow is mostly selfish. I will miss this sweet, sassy lady like crazy but I am beyond grateful that she lived a long, happy life and that she gets to be with her husband again. 

I love you, Grandma. Mandra-pihaona."

Jared was able to fly out for her funeral service in Utah, so all the Bill Thomas immediate family was able to attend. It was perfect--with so many testaments of just how amazing and fierce she is. I learned a lot about her life and how she never let anyone stop her from living her dreams. She was a remarkably intelligent woman with so much love and compassion she shared with those around her. They had bagpipes played using the service and when her casket was carried to the car--a perfect tribute to her. I was in the hall with Brielle for a lot of the service, and she started spinning and dancing in the dress Grandma bought her for Christmas when those bagpipes played. I think it made Grandma smile as she watched from heaven.

The lunch-in left me pretty speechless, when I walked in to see all of the Christmas stockings she had knitted for children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. It was a beautiful touch and reminder of just how much she loved and treasured her family. I can't imagine how much time she must have taken to knit a unique, personalized stocking for so many.

We had all of Lehi's family over for dinner on Saturday evening. Jared and Poppi chased Maverick and Lincoln around for a race (and many, many of them). Poppi also sat and taught the boys "Wax on, wax off. Paint the fence. Sand the floor" with all the accompanying motions. They must have practiced "karate" for a solid 30 minutes. Poppi also gathered all the children together and read them a few of Grandma Thomas' books--I think they are even more treasured now and always will be.