Exactly one week ago tomorrow, our sweet baby boy turned 7 years old. Really? Has it really been 7 years since we were admitted into the hospital to give birth to this little guy? Has it really been 7 years since I heard the words "It's a boy" at 9:14 am? Where has the time gone?
As I wrote about earlier, we had a small get together the weekend of Mother's Day to celebrate with our family. We decided Saturday would be a great time to celebrate with our friends. It's always hard for me to decide what kind of party to have for him. Most of the typical kids parties are out of the question for us because I kind of refuse to have a party that John can't participate in. I don't do fun jumps because he doesn't like them. That also typically rules out any kind of indoor inflatable place. The first two years, we invited so many people that we had it at a nearby park. We reserved a pavilion for a couple of hours and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs while the kids played on the play ground. One year we had a backyard party after we got John's swing set. One year we used the indoor playground at our church. And last year we went to the Little Gym in Katy. They all were good parties, and John was able to participate minimally. This year, we decided to do a backyard water party. I think Tommy was a little skeptical at first, but it actually turned out to be a blast.
We borrowed two blowup water slides from two separate friends. We put a slip and slide down and we blew up a small pool. The pool was more for John, since that would be the only part he could participate in, but we found out that all of the kids enjoyed time in the pool. Of course we also had the swing set. That was put to good use as well.
I felt really unorganized this year and a week before the party, I still didn't have an idea for a cake. The theme for the party was sock monkeys (surprise surprise) and I really wanted to try and have some kind of sock monkey cake made. During a casual conversation with my neighbor, I somehow ended up enlisting her to make cupcakes for me. Now that it was decided that she was making cupcakes, the search was on to figure out what kind. It took us several days to finalize the details. We decided it would be easier to make cupcakes with chocolate icing and to put toppers on them to go with our theme. So I went online to the website Etsy, and found someone who was selling cute sock monkey cupcake toppers. I paid her for the file and I was able to print out as many as I needed. I have to say that it if wasn't for my very creative and helpful neighbor, there may not have been cake of any kind at the party. She baked and iced all of the cupcakes and she cut out and put together all of the toppers to go in the cupcakes. She even put together the party favors for the kids. She definitely wins neighbor of the year award for that.
The party was a huge success. We grilled burgers and hot dogs and of course had cake and ice cream. The kids had a blast playing in the water. I got in the pool with John and he splashed around for a little while. Then I got him changed into dry clothes and Tommy took him to swing. Even a few of his teachers from school showed up. We almost weren't able to get the kids out of the water long enough to eat and open presents. It was definitely one of the best parties we have put together. We just might have to make it an annual thing. Hopefully he will be getting his trach out this summer and next year he'll be able to play more in the pool and some on the slides.
We asked one of our friends if he would bring his camera to the party and take pictures for us. He did an excellent job. Go to his website, http://curtislawson.smugmug.com/ and check out his work. And you can follow the following link below to see pictures from the party. We are looking forward to another great year with our boy. Hopefully next year, we'll have even more to celebrate.
http://curtislawson.smugmug.com/Families/JTs-Birthday-Party/
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Heart to Heart
I think the last place we left off was right about the time when the MRI was cancelled because the anethesiologist wanted John to have an echocardiogram before he would sedate him for an MRI. I was pretty perturbed about it because I knew he would have a hard time lying still for the echo. But they wouldn't sedate him for an echo.
On Tuesday, Caitlin and I (our wonderful summertime nanny) picked John up from school at 1:00 and heading down to TCH to attempt a nonsedated echo. I thought we might be there a while, because my own experience is that echo is behind A LOT. But we didn't wait long at all before they called us back. We got in the room and layed him on the bed and took his shirt off. The first thing he did was put his hands behind his head. That is his sleeping position. Every night, when we put him to bed, he immediately puts his hands behind his head. I then noticed that his diaper was wet and he had wet through his shorts. So I went ahead and changed him and decided to leave his change of clothes off until we were done. So he was layed out on the bed in nothing but a diaper, and he loved it. He wouldn't be a boy if he didn't. I have to say that I thought he did exceptionally well. He never once tried to grab anything, or smear the goo they put on his chest. He did figit a lot and moved his legs around and even bounced his rear end up and down on the bed a few times, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well he did. Finally we were done. So we got him dressed and ready to head home. On our way out, I decided to pop into the pacemaker lab and say hello to my favorite nurses. Isn't it funny that both of them are named Melissa? Anyway, they asked if I had his holter results yet and I said no. So she looked it up for me and said that it was one good looking holter. He had primarily sinus rythmn, no arrythmias and nothing abnormal. She is not used to seeing a holter that good from someone with the last name of Hitt.
I called Tommy on the way home and told him that I thought John had done exceptionally well, and he said now we have egg on our face since we made such a big stink about him being sedated for it. The next day, Dr. H called to give me the results. She said that just as I predicted, he had a hard time being still. Really? I thought he was as still as he's going to be and still be awake. I guess we didn't have egg on our face after all. She said that because he wasn't as still as necessary, it wasn't a complete study. But they were able to confirm that there was no hypertrophy and that he would be okay for sedation for the MRI. I'm glad that he had his heart cleared, but at the same time I'm quite frustrated because I knew there was nothing wrong with it and we should have had the MRI done already. Now we have to wait 2 weeks before we get it done. This has been quite the process, but I'm glad our Dr. H is being thorough.
On a seperate note, this blog is brought to you courtesy of my iPad. No, the iPad isn't new, but the way I'm typing is. My wonderful husband though that a good Mother's Day present for me would be this nifty iPad case. It is called a Zagg. The case comes with a place for two things. On one side, you put your iPad and on the other, you can put an actual keyboard. And the keyboard has a little ledge where you can prop your iPad up and then are essentially using it as a lap top. A very small laptop. I didn't know if I was going to like it so much, but I do. And now I can blog from anywhere, not just my actual laptop that has a battery life of about 30 minutes. Kind of defeats the purpose of being a laptop. The only downside is that some iPad apps can only be used in portrait mode and you have to take the iPad out of the case for that.
And to close out this post, I have to tell you that I am now the mother of a 7 year old. My baby boy had a birthday yesterday. If I think about it in age, it doesn't seem possible for him to be 7. But if I think about it in years, it sometimes feels a lot longer than 7 years. I think that is just because we have gone through so much in those years. But either way, I love him like there is no tomorrow. He had a fun day yesterday and we took him out to dinner last night. We celebrated his birthday with our family earlier this month, and tomorrow we are celebrating with our friends. We are having a water party in our backyard. It should be a lot of fun. I knew this was going to be a busy week, getting ready for the party, but that still didn't stop my body from letting me down. I ended up with bronchitis this week and I have been coughing my head off every day and every night. I haven't had much sleep and I'm running on fumes, but I'm still going. The steroid that the Dr. gave me has turned my face red, but hopefully it starts taking care of my cough SOON. And I have to say that if it wasn't for the help of the best neighbor ever, I wouldn't have gotten everything done. She has all but taken over my party planning and decorations. It will be obvious that I didn't do it, because I'm just not creative, but it will be such a cute party. I can't wait to share with you guys all the fun we have.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Have you Heard the Good News?
Have you heard the good news? Have you heard the good news? Jesus has risen, he is alive. Have you heard the good news? Have you heard the good news? Jesus has come back to life again. Every time I think about Easter, this song comes to mind. It is a song I learned many years ago in children's choir at church, and I still remember most of it. I remember a lot of those songs that I learned all those years ago. I sing them all of the time. Before we were married, Tommy was always amazed that I could remember them and he didn't mind me singing. Now, I think he just gets annoyed by it. But I still sing them, especially to John. He loves them. I don't have the best singing voice, but he doesn't care. He still smiles and giggles when I sing. I'm not sure that is a good thing though.
For the past several years (I can't remember how many exactly) we have made it an annual tradition to spend Easter weekend at my parent's house. For those who observe lent each year (not us), you are not supposed to eat red meat on Friday, especially Good Friday. So many people in Louisiana choose Good Friday to have a crawfish boil. Because there is such a high demand for crawfish on that day, we choose to do our crawfish boil on Saturday. We also boil shrimp just for a little diversity. We spend most of the day outside. Mom and Dad have a really nice patio area between the side of their house and the outdoor kitchen. So we sit outside and visit, while the boys, usually my dad, Tommy and my brother Jimmie, get the crawfish and shrimp ready and begin to boil. All of my family is there. It's one of the few times each year that my mom has all of her chicks in the nest at the same time. And with the addition of spouses and grandkids, it makes for a hectic but exciting weekend.
In the past, we have chosen to get up early on Saturday morning and drive over to Kinder, instead of going on Friday. Mainly it's because that means we only have one night without a nurse for John. I end up sleeping with him, and let's face it, who really sleeps well when they have their kid in the bed with them? Add to the fact that he has a monitor that alarms everytime his oxygen drops below a certain level, and you get a night of very restless sleep. This year, we decided to bring our nanny, Kirstin, with us. She had never been to Louisiana and so we were excited to show her some of our crazy traditions. Also, it was helpful to have an extra set of hands for John during the day. So because of the extra help, we decided to go over on Friday afternoon.
We got there in time to start grilling streaks for dinner. Jimmie and his crew didn't come over until Saturday, so it was just us, mom and dad, Carrie and Jennifer, and Jason for dinner. We sat outside and enjoyed the nice weather, along with the mosquitoes. Okay, so maybe it wasn't such a good idea to sit outside, but I still enjoyed it. When we have steak and potato for dinner, John gets to have a baked sweet potato. Add a little butter and cinnamon to it, and you have one of his all time favorite foods. That boy ate every bite, and let me tell you, it was not a small potato.
Saturday morning, we had a good breakfast. That was good because that was going to hold us over until the crawfish and shrimp were ready mid afternoon. Jimmie and Chrystal and the kids got there around noon on Saturday and we all had a lot of fun, visiting and playing outside. John was in heaven getting to be outside most of the day. I did have mom put him down for a nap because I knew he would be exhausted if he didn't have one. Mom is the nap fairy and can get that kid asleep faster than anyone.
After a fun day on Saturday, we all went to church on Sunday morning. We heard a great Easter message and the choir that mom directs and dad sings in, sang several songs. What a great way to celebrate Christ's resurrection. Easter dinner was dad's famous roast with all the trimmings. What a fun time we had. We left shortly after lunch for Texas. We were all pretty tired when we got home. John was asleep by 7:00 that night and slept for 12 hours. Tommy and I were both in bed with the lights off by 9:30. John came home from school on Monday and took a 2 hour nap, and still fell asleep by 7:00. That's how much fun he had. By Tuesday, he was caught up on his sleep and ready to go the rest of the week.
I always enjoy our Easter weekend. It's so nice to have a nice family gathering without the stress of buying gifts for everyone. And it's always in the same place, so there are no decisions to be made over who is going to host.
Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross and rising again so that I can be forgiven for my sins. Thank you for making that sacrifice for me.
For the past several years (I can't remember how many exactly) we have made it an annual tradition to spend Easter weekend at my parent's house. For those who observe lent each year (not us), you are not supposed to eat red meat on Friday, especially Good Friday. So many people in Louisiana choose Good Friday to have a crawfish boil. Because there is such a high demand for crawfish on that day, we choose to do our crawfish boil on Saturday. We also boil shrimp just for a little diversity. We spend most of the day outside. Mom and Dad have a really nice patio area between the side of their house and the outdoor kitchen. So we sit outside and visit, while the boys, usually my dad, Tommy and my brother Jimmie, get the crawfish and shrimp ready and begin to boil. All of my family is there. It's one of the few times each year that my mom has all of her chicks in the nest at the same time. And with the addition of spouses and grandkids, it makes for a hectic but exciting weekend.
In the past, we have chosen to get up early on Saturday morning and drive over to Kinder, instead of going on Friday. Mainly it's because that means we only have one night without a nurse for John. I end up sleeping with him, and let's face it, who really sleeps well when they have their kid in the bed with them? Add to the fact that he has a monitor that alarms everytime his oxygen drops below a certain level, and you get a night of very restless sleep. This year, we decided to bring our nanny, Kirstin, with us. She had never been to Louisiana and so we were excited to show her some of our crazy traditions. Also, it was helpful to have an extra set of hands for John during the day. So because of the extra help, we decided to go over on Friday afternoon.
We got there in time to start grilling streaks for dinner. Jimmie and his crew didn't come over until Saturday, so it was just us, mom and dad, Carrie and Jennifer, and Jason for dinner. We sat outside and enjoyed the nice weather, along with the mosquitoes. Okay, so maybe it wasn't such a good idea to sit outside, but I still enjoyed it. When we have steak and potato for dinner, John gets to have a baked sweet potato. Add a little butter and cinnamon to it, and you have one of his all time favorite foods. That boy ate every bite, and let me tell you, it was not a small potato.
Saturday morning, we had a good breakfast. That was good because that was going to hold us over until the crawfish and shrimp were ready mid afternoon. Jimmie and Chrystal and the kids got there around noon on Saturday and we all had a lot of fun, visiting and playing outside. John was in heaven getting to be outside most of the day. I did have mom put him down for a nap because I knew he would be exhausted if he didn't have one. Mom is the nap fairy and can get that kid asleep faster than anyone.
After a fun day on Saturday, we all went to church on Sunday morning. We heard a great Easter message and the choir that mom directs and dad sings in, sang several songs. What a great way to celebrate Christ's resurrection. Easter dinner was dad's famous roast with all the trimmings. What a fun time we had. We left shortly after lunch for Texas. We were all pretty tired when we got home. John was asleep by 7:00 that night and slept for 12 hours. Tommy and I were both in bed with the lights off by 9:30. John came home from school on Monday and took a 2 hour nap, and still fell asleep by 7:00. That's how much fun he had. By Tuesday, he was caught up on his sleep and ready to go the rest of the week.
I always enjoy our Easter weekend. It's so nice to have a nice family gathering without the stress of buying gifts for everyone. And it's always in the same place, so there are no decisions to be made over who is going to host.
Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross and rising again so that I can be forgiven for my sins. Thank you for making that sacrifice for me.
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| Friday night dinner |
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| Giving the crawfish a bath. |
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| William and Kash |
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| West Texas Girl holding her first crawfish. |
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| Ready to eat |
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| Big Dog hard at work |
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| Hanging out with Kirstin and Jenn. |
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| I only have eyes for you. |
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| Reagan sporting her new LSU outfit. |
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| Serious conversation |
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| Fighing over the monkey. |
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| John and Grandaddy |
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| Deep in thought. |
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| Checking out William's new Spiderman toy. |
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| William in his cool shades. |
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| How we eat them. |
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| Kash chowing down. |
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| Jimmie, Chrystal, Kash, William and Reagan |
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| Tommy, John and Joanna |
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| Jimmie, Jason and Joanna |
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Trick-Or-Treat
It's that time of year again, Halloween! It's always a lot of fun to get John dressed up and take him around the neighborhood. He can't eat the candy, so that's not the main focus for him. Although, mom and dad can eat the candy, so whatever he gets is just bonus. John really just enjoys being out and about and riding around the neighborhood. He's really a pretty good sport about dressing up too. His first Halloween, he was only 5 months old, so we didn't even take him anywhere. I bought a cute little pumpkin costume and put him in it long enough to take his picture. He fell asleep sitting in his chair with the costume on. Every other year, he has been a Disney character. So each year, it's a lot of fun to go to the Disney website and choose which character he will be this year. I thought it would be fun to do a blog post with pictures of him in all of his costumes over the years. It's fun to see him grow from year to year. I hope you enjoy it too.
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| My precious pumpkin, 2005 |
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| Mickey Mouse, 2006 |
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| Nemo, 2007 |
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| Jack Sparrow, 2008 |
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| Lightening McQueen Pit Crew, 2009 |
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| Peter Pan, 2010 |
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| Woody, 2011 |
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Craziness!
The last few weeks have been quite a whirlwind. Our normal routine has been out of sync for about 2 weeks now and it's been crazy. Today is the first day that has felt "normal" in quite a while and hopefully it will stay that way for a while.
Two weekends ago, John began to get sick. On that Sunday night, he didn't sleep well and even woke up during the night crying, which is something he never does. The next morning, I took him to therapy. It was supposed to be his first day of Physical Therapy. About half way through his OT, he started making unhappy faces and he had tears falling from his eyes. I didn't know what was bothering him, but I knew he didn't feel well. So I decided to take him home and skip the physical therapy. It was a school holiday so we just stayed home the rest of the day and rested.
That evening, while eating dinner, his tummy got upset and he vomited everywhere. He really hadn't had much to eat or drink that day, so I was shocked with how much was actually in his stomach. Thank goodness that Tommy was home and he took over the clean up efforts. That was a big mess. So needless to say, he stayed home from school the next day. I thought he was feeling better and would be back to school on Wednesday, but after we put him to bed that night. he got sick again. So he stayed home Wednesday. He managed to stay well all day Wednesday and made it to school on Thursday and Friday.
Saturday, we took a day trip to San Antonio to celebrate the 7th birthday of a very special friend at Morgan's Wonderland. I have talked about Blake before. We met him and his family during the time John spent in the NICU at Texas Children's Hospital. We have been friends and have kept in touch ever since. He will always be John's very first friend. In case you don't remember, Morgan's Wonderland is an ultra accessible park in San Antonio that allows children of all abilities the opportunity to play together. We always enjoy spending time there. After several hours of fun and some yummy birthday cake, we headed home. John got fussy on the car ride home, and that was my first sign that he wasn't feeling 100%.
We got home that evening and John began to have tummy troubles again. This time it was the other end that was giving him trouble. I will spare you the details on that. So after having his diaper changed by the nurse every hour that night and into the morning, we finally gave him some Imodium on Sunday morning and that seemed to take care of it. I planned to keep him home on Monday to rest. Monday night I went to dinner with some friends, and right before we left to come home, Tommy called and told me that John had gotten sick again after going to bed. At this point I felt like it was never going to end. So we kept him home again on Tuesday and this time took him to see the doctor. She said it was just a virus and to keep him hydrated as best as we could.
Meanwhile, Tommy was on vacation this whole week, so he was home and around John more than normal. So while I planned to keep John home again on Wednesday, I did not plan on Tommy waking up Wednesday morning sick. I was having flashes of a terrible week we had a couple of years ago when John had a stomach bug that I eventually got and Tommy had his "near fatal illness" all at the same time. Fortunately, Tommy was only sick for that one day and was feeling back to normal by Thursday. We sent John to school on Thursday, only to get a call 2 hours into the day that he was not feeling well and needed to come home. I think he just didn't have his full strength back yet and didn't have the energy to make it through the day. We sent him to school on Friday and he did well. Today is his third day back to school and he seems to be doing well, but now he's gotten very congested and we are fighting to keep the trach clear of secretions and to keep the area around the trach clean and dry. So it just feels like he is never going to be completely well. I will be so happy to get my John all of the way back.
Friday, I was supposed to sub for Junior High Girl's PE, and then afterward, Tommy and I were leaving to go to Baton Rouge for the LSU/Auburn game. We were planning to leave John home with my parents so we could enjoy the weekend by ourselves. I woke up Friday morning feeling terrible. There was no way I could have made it through the day feeling the way I did. It's hard enough to make it through a day of Junior High when you are at full strength. So I called in sick and stayed home and slept most of the day. I was finally feeling some better, so we decided to go ahead and go to Baton Rouge.
We stayed the weekend with my good friend, ChristyPitre family here in Katy, who sold us their season tickets for that game. The seats couldn't have been better. They were under an overhang so it was shady and there was a nice breeze. The seats also had seat backs so it was more comfortable to sit there. Watching the Tigers beat Auburn pretty bad made me feel so much better. Overall it was a fun weekend.
Yesterday, I did go to work in Junior High Girl's PE, so Tommy took one more day of vacation so he could take John to his therapies and then to school. He seemed to have a good day at school. I went to the doctor to find out why I still had a sore throat and came home with an antibiotic and steroid to hopefully get me well. Today, was the first normal morning we have had in quite a while, and it was nice to get John on the school bus and be able to come in and drink my coffee and relax. Hopefully there are more of these days to come in the near future. Now, if I can figure where to start to get my house put back together.
Two weekends ago, John began to get sick. On that Sunday night, he didn't sleep well and even woke up during the night crying, which is something he never does. The next morning, I took him to therapy. It was supposed to be his first day of Physical Therapy. About half way through his OT, he started making unhappy faces and he had tears falling from his eyes. I didn't know what was bothering him, but I knew he didn't feel well. So I decided to take him home and skip the physical therapy. It was a school holiday so we just stayed home the rest of the day and rested.
That evening, while eating dinner, his tummy got upset and he vomited everywhere. He really hadn't had much to eat or drink that day, so I was shocked with how much was actually in his stomach. Thank goodness that Tommy was home and he took over the clean up efforts. That was a big mess. So needless to say, he stayed home from school the next day. I thought he was feeling better and would be back to school on Wednesday, but after we put him to bed that night. he got sick again. So he stayed home Wednesday. He managed to stay well all day Wednesday and made it to school on Thursday and Friday.
Saturday, we took a day trip to San Antonio to celebrate the 7th birthday of a very special friend at Morgan's Wonderland. I have talked about Blake before. We met him and his family during the time John spent in the NICU at Texas Children's Hospital. We have been friends and have kept in touch ever since. He will always be John's very first friend. In case you don't remember, Morgan's Wonderland is an ultra accessible park in San Antonio that allows children of all abilities the opportunity to play together. We always enjoy spending time there. After several hours of fun and some yummy birthday cake, we headed home. John got fussy on the car ride home, and that was my first sign that he wasn't feeling 100%.
We got home that evening and John began to have tummy troubles again. This time it was the other end that was giving him trouble. I will spare you the details on that. So after having his diaper changed by the nurse every hour that night and into the morning, we finally gave him some Imodium on Sunday morning and that seemed to take care of it. I planned to keep him home on Monday to rest. Monday night I went to dinner with some friends, and right before we left to come home, Tommy called and told me that John had gotten sick again after going to bed. At this point I felt like it was never going to end. So we kept him home again on Tuesday and this time took him to see the doctor. She said it was just a virus and to keep him hydrated as best as we could.
Meanwhile, Tommy was on vacation this whole week, so he was home and around John more than normal. So while I planned to keep John home again on Wednesday, I did not plan on Tommy waking up Wednesday morning sick. I was having flashes of a terrible week we had a couple of years ago when John had a stomach bug that I eventually got and Tommy had his "near fatal illness" all at the same time. Fortunately, Tommy was only sick for that one day and was feeling back to normal by Thursday. We sent John to school on Thursday, only to get a call 2 hours into the day that he was not feeling well and needed to come home. I think he just didn't have his full strength back yet and didn't have the energy to make it through the day. We sent him to school on Friday and he did well. Today is his third day back to school and he seems to be doing well, but now he's gotten very congested and we are fighting to keep the trach clear of secretions and to keep the area around the trach clean and dry. So it just feels like he is never going to be completely well. I will be so happy to get my John all of the way back.
Friday, I was supposed to sub for Junior High Girl's PE, and then afterward, Tommy and I were leaving to go to Baton Rouge for the LSU/Auburn game. We were planning to leave John home with my parents so we could enjoy the weekend by ourselves. I woke up Friday morning feeling terrible. There was no way I could have made it through the day feeling the way I did. It's hard enough to make it through a day of Junior High when you are at full strength. So I called in sick and stayed home and slept most of the day. I was finally feeling some better, so we decided to go ahead and go to Baton Rouge.
We stayed the weekend with my good friend, ChristyPitre family here in Katy, who sold us their season tickets for that game. The seats couldn't have been better. They were under an overhang so it was shady and there was a nice breeze. The seats also had seat backs so it was more comfortable to sit there. Watching the Tigers beat Auburn pretty bad made me feel so much better. Overall it was a fun weekend.
Yesterday, I did go to work in Junior High Girl's PE, so Tommy took one more day of vacation so he could take John to his therapies and then to school. He seemed to have a good day at school. I went to the doctor to find out why I still had a sore throat and came home with an antibiotic and steroid to hopefully get me well. Today, was the first normal morning we have had in quite a while, and it was nice to get John on the school bus and be able to come in and drink my coffee and relax. Hopefully there are more of these days to come in the near future. Now, if I can figure where to start to get my house put back together.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Catching Up
I have seriously been lagging behind in the blogging world. I just realized that it has been nearly 2 months since my last post. So I thought, as I sit here waiting on John at therapy, this would be a great time to do a little catching up. But honestly, there hasn't been that much going on.
In August, our summertime nanny, Caitlin, went back to school. We really liked her and John LOVED her. She was exactly what we were looking for and worked perfectly with John. You could see how much she genuinely cared for him and that it wasn't just a job to her. Caitlin was a life saver to me this summer, because I think I might have gone crazy without her. She came to work 5 days a week at 1pm and stayed until we got John in bed. That was perfect because it gave me and John the whole morning to be together. But in the middle of August, it was time for Caitlin to go back to school. We knew we were going to miss her greatly, and we didn't have anyone lined up to take her place. So on her last night with us, we took her out for a nice dinner as a show of our appreciation for helping us this summer. We were very sad to see her go, but hope she'll be able to work for us again during the holidays. Here is a picture she took with John her last night. Can you tell how much he loved her?
Just after Caitlin left, we had an interview with another potential nanny. Her name is Kirstin and she is a student at the University of Houston. We actually had two interviews set up and we weren't going to make a decision until we interviewed them both. But when Kirstin got here and we started talking to her, we quickly changed our minds and decided to hire her on the spot. So she has been working for us for about 1 1/2 months now. She comes every afternoon when John gets out of school and hangs out and takes care of him until bed time. She works an occasional weekend as well. John has gotten very comfortable with her and really enjoys spending time with her. She is a huge help to us also and we are very happy to have found her.
John has continued his Occupational therapy and is really making good progress. The therapist seems to be really impressed with how quickly he is progressing. He goes every Monday morning at 9:00 so he misses the first 2 hours of school. But he is beginning to make better attempts at chewing some of the food she puts in his mouth and he is using his tongue better to move the food to where it needs to go. If he keeps this up, maybe we'll be able to start introducing cheerios to him and continue to progress from there. It will make a huge difference to us if he is finally able to eat solid food without me having to puree it first. Oh I hope that day comes sooner rather than later. He has also been approved to start Physical Therapy again, so I'm waiting to hear back from the coordinator so we can get him on the schedule. She was holding the 10am spot on Mondays for me so he could do both therapies back to back, but I don't know if it's still open. I'm sure hoping it is.
This weekend, 3 of my best girl friends from college came to town. We used to make a point to get together at least once a year, but it had been 5 years since we were all together. So we had a lot of catching up to do. You know you have true friends when you can go that long without seeing each other and then pick up right where you left off. We had so much fun together and laughed so much. A weekend just felt like it wasn't long enough and it was hard to say goodbye to them. But we are already thinking of our next get together and we sure won't let it take 5 years. I have to say a great big thank you to my husband for taking care of John all weekend so that I could have the time with my friends. It was exactly what I needed.
School is going very well for John. I was a little nervous going in because I knew there were all new special education teachers. But everything seems to be working out great. First I found out just before school started that our school got a new nurse this year. She was the nurse at Holland Elementary when John was there for PPCD. She is fantastic and it was so comforting to have a nurse who was familiar with John and who is great at communicating. Then, just a few days before school started, I met at the school with the new nurse, her assistant, both special ed teachers and the two teacher's aides that work with John in order to go over how to take care of his trach. I showed them what the trach looks like and where I kept extra trachs in case his comes out. I showed them how to clean the area and how to suction. The teacher took detailed notes and the nurse wrote on some of the supplies so it would be clear how to use it. This is John's 4th year in school, and they have maybe had to suction him 5 times and have never had the trach come out at school. Well, after 4 years in school, it finally happened. The trach came out while he was standing in his stander. The best part about it is that the teacher noticed it immediately, which shows me she is paying attention, and the nurse came down right away and got a new one in for him with no problems. The nurse called me after the fact to let me know what happened and then after school was out, the teacher called me as well. So already the communication between me and the school is improved 100%. Anytime I have emailed the teacher with a question, she has either returned my email that day or called to talk about it. She is very involved and very invested in her students' education and that makes me feel 100% comfortable with John being there. Tomorrow is John's ARD (or IEP meeting for those in Louisiana). This is when we go over his current goals and either decide to keep them the same or change them to better meet his needs. His Special Ed Teacher will be there along with his 1st grade teacher, his PT and OT, his speech therapist, his Auditory Instructor, and the diagnostician and a principal. Because his teacher hasn't know him but for a couple of months, she asked me to come up this afternoon when school is out to meet with her before the ARD tomorrow. She just wants to make sure we are on the same page. I have to say that I feel very blessed to be in a school district who goes above and beyond to take care of our children and to make sure they are reaching their full potential. I can't wait to see what the future holds for John through his time at school.
This coming weekend, John and I are going to Kinder. My mom is going to Indiana to celebrate her brother's birthday, and my brother Jimmie and his family are coming to Kinder for Jimmie's 20th high school reunion. So I'm going to help my dad keep the kids while Jimmie and Chrystal attend the reunion festivities. I can't wait to see them and spend time with the kids. It should be a fun weekend.
I think that about catches you all up on what's been going on over the last two months. I started writing this while waiting on John at therapy, but concluded after I got home. I will try and do a better job of updating the blog from now on.
In August, our summertime nanny, Caitlin, went back to school. We really liked her and John LOVED her. She was exactly what we were looking for and worked perfectly with John. You could see how much she genuinely cared for him and that it wasn't just a job to her. Caitlin was a life saver to me this summer, because I think I might have gone crazy without her. She came to work 5 days a week at 1pm and stayed until we got John in bed. That was perfect because it gave me and John the whole morning to be together. But in the middle of August, it was time for Caitlin to go back to school. We knew we were going to miss her greatly, and we didn't have anyone lined up to take her place. So on her last night with us, we took her out for a nice dinner as a show of our appreciation for helping us this summer. We were very sad to see her go, but hope she'll be able to work for us again during the holidays. Here is a picture she took with John her last night. Can you tell how much he loved her?
Just after Caitlin left, we had an interview with another potential nanny. Her name is Kirstin and she is a student at the University of Houston. We actually had two interviews set up and we weren't going to make a decision until we interviewed them both. But when Kirstin got here and we started talking to her, we quickly changed our minds and decided to hire her on the spot. So she has been working for us for about 1 1/2 months now. She comes every afternoon when John gets out of school and hangs out and takes care of him until bed time. She works an occasional weekend as well. John has gotten very comfortable with her and really enjoys spending time with her. She is a huge help to us also and we are very happy to have found her.
John has continued his Occupational therapy and is really making good progress. The therapist seems to be really impressed with how quickly he is progressing. He goes every Monday morning at 9:00 so he misses the first 2 hours of school. But he is beginning to make better attempts at chewing some of the food she puts in his mouth and he is using his tongue better to move the food to where it needs to go. If he keeps this up, maybe we'll be able to start introducing cheerios to him and continue to progress from there. It will make a huge difference to us if he is finally able to eat solid food without me having to puree it first. Oh I hope that day comes sooner rather than later. He has also been approved to start Physical Therapy again, so I'm waiting to hear back from the coordinator so we can get him on the schedule. She was holding the 10am spot on Mondays for me so he could do both therapies back to back, but I don't know if it's still open. I'm sure hoping it is.
This weekend, 3 of my best girl friends from college came to town. We used to make a point to get together at least once a year, but it had been 5 years since we were all together. So we had a lot of catching up to do. You know you have true friends when you can go that long without seeing each other and then pick up right where you left off. We had so much fun together and laughed so much. A weekend just felt like it wasn't long enough and it was hard to say goodbye to them. But we are already thinking of our next get together and we sure won't let it take 5 years. I have to say a great big thank you to my husband for taking care of John all weekend so that I could have the time with my friends. It was exactly what I needed.
School is going very well for John. I was a little nervous going in because I knew there were all new special education teachers. But everything seems to be working out great. First I found out just before school started that our school got a new nurse this year. She was the nurse at Holland Elementary when John was there for PPCD. She is fantastic and it was so comforting to have a nurse who was familiar with John and who is great at communicating. Then, just a few days before school started, I met at the school with the new nurse, her assistant, both special ed teachers and the two teacher's aides that work with John in order to go over how to take care of his trach. I showed them what the trach looks like and where I kept extra trachs in case his comes out. I showed them how to clean the area and how to suction. The teacher took detailed notes and the nurse wrote on some of the supplies so it would be clear how to use it. This is John's 4th year in school, and they have maybe had to suction him 5 times and have never had the trach come out at school. Well, after 4 years in school, it finally happened. The trach came out while he was standing in his stander. The best part about it is that the teacher noticed it immediately, which shows me she is paying attention, and the nurse came down right away and got a new one in for him with no problems. The nurse called me after the fact to let me know what happened and then after school was out, the teacher called me as well. So already the communication between me and the school is improved 100%. Anytime I have emailed the teacher with a question, she has either returned my email that day or called to talk about it. She is very involved and very invested in her students' education and that makes me feel 100% comfortable with John being there. Tomorrow is John's ARD (or IEP meeting for those in Louisiana). This is when we go over his current goals and either decide to keep them the same or change them to better meet his needs. His Special Ed Teacher will be there along with his 1st grade teacher, his PT and OT, his speech therapist, his Auditory Instructor, and the diagnostician and a principal. Because his teacher hasn't know him but for a couple of months, she asked me to come up this afternoon when school is out to meet with her before the ARD tomorrow. She just wants to make sure we are on the same page. I have to say that I feel very blessed to be in a school district who goes above and beyond to take care of our children and to make sure they are reaching their full potential. I can't wait to see what the future holds for John through his time at school.
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| Waking up the first day of 1st grade. |
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| Ready for school! |
I think that about catches you all up on what's been going on over the last two months. I started writing this while waiting on John at therapy, but concluded after I got home. I will try and do a better job of updating the blog from now on.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
6 Years Old!!!
Where have these past 6 years gone? It seems like my baby boy was born just yesterday, but instead, he turned 6 years old yesterday. I can't believe how fast the years have gone by. He went from being a tiny, scrawny little thing, to a very tall and adorable 6 year old. And he is the light of my life.
He has a very distinct personality. He loves to crawl around the house and get into trouble. He loves his music too. He seems to have a pretty good rhythm too as he bounces along to the beat. He loves to swing and rock in the chair. He has the funniest facial expressions, which in turn prompts me to make ridiculous faces back at him. He loves to cuddle and give hugs and kisses, and my favorite time of every day is when he curls up next to me in the recliner and falls asleep. Yes, he's a lot of work to take care of, but he's worth every minute of it. Even the sleepless nights are worth it. We are so blessed to have this little boy in our lives. He teaches us something new every day.
Yesterday, was also his Kindergarten Graduation day. Not only can I not believe that he's six, but I can't believe he has completed his first full year of school already. He made so much progress this year. It was fun to see the little program that the teachers and kids put on yesterday. And when all of the kids were singing the song they had practices, he watched them all closely and took in every second of it. He's made some sweet friends and has captured the hearts of his teachers, just like he has captured our hearts.
This weekend, we are having his birthday party with a few close friends to celebrate his 6 years. It should be a lot of fun. It's always a fun day for us. And it's nice to have the family gather together to celebrate.
So let me just say, Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of how far you have come and we look forward to the years ahead just to see what God has in store for you.
Here are a few pictures from his last 6 years.
He has a very distinct personality. He loves to crawl around the house and get into trouble. He loves his music too. He seems to have a pretty good rhythm too as he bounces along to the beat. He loves to swing and rock in the chair. He has the funniest facial expressions, which in turn prompts me to make ridiculous faces back at him. He loves to cuddle and give hugs and kisses, and my favorite time of every day is when he curls up next to me in the recliner and falls asleep. Yes, he's a lot of work to take care of, but he's worth every minute of it. Even the sleepless nights are worth it. We are so blessed to have this little boy in our lives. He teaches us something new every day.
Yesterday, was also his Kindergarten Graduation day. Not only can I not believe that he's six, but I can't believe he has completed his first full year of school already. He made so much progress this year. It was fun to see the little program that the teachers and kids put on yesterday. And when all of the kids were singing the song they had practices, he watched them all closely and took in every second of it. He's made some sweet friends and has captured the hearts of his teachers, just like he has captured our hearts.
This weekend, we are having his birthday party with a few close friends to celebrate his 6 years. It should be a lot of fun. It's always a fun day for us. And it's nice to have the family gather together to celebrate.
So let me just say, Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of how far you have come and we look forward to the years ahead just to see what God has in store for you.
Here are a few pictures from his last 6 years.
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| This picture show how tiny he was. |
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| Peaceful. |
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| First Birthday! |
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| Chip off the old block! |
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| 2nd Birthday |
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| He loved this jumparoo. |
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| 3rd Birthday! |
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| Graduating from ECI |
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| 4th Birthday |
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| One of my favorite smiles |
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| First Day of Kindergarten |
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| 6 years old! |
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Spring Break
Last week was Spring Break for John. We didn't have any big plans to take a trip, so we stayed home and made the most of the week. While we didn't do an overwhelming amount of things, we still managed to have fun. Mostly I enjoyed not having a morning routine and having to rush around to get everything ready for school. It was nice to be able to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and not get out of my pajamas until we were ready to go outside.
On Tuesday, we had some good friends over to play. We used to have frequent play groups when John was much younger, but with everyone's hectic schedules, we haven't had time to get together in quite a while. So it was nice for me to have other mom's to visit with and for the kids to spend time together. John doesn't get to run around with the other kids, but he really enjoys having them around. He did get to get in his swing for the first time this year and had a ball. After everyone left, he was worn out and crashed. That is the sign of a fun time.
On Wednesday, we got a visit from Tommy's brother Jimmy and our niece Jennifer. I have said before how much John LOVES his cousin. It is always fun to have her around. We went to play putt putt and then enjoyed lunch together. We took John outside to do some walking while they were here. He did really good with Jennifer around. He liked chasing her.
The rest of the week, we spent a lot of time outside and ran a few errands. Taking him to the grocery store is almost like going to an amusement park. Getting him in the grocery cart is a true workout for me. He is so excited to be there, that I can't get him to put his feet through the holes, and he is so heavy that I can't hold him with one arm while putting his feet through with the other arm. Let me take this time to tell you how disappointed I am with the girl scouts. When did the girl scouts become all about selling cookies that they have forgotten that service is the main purpose of the organization? Here I was, struggling for minutes to get John in the cart. I'm getting frustrated and he is getting wilder. 10 feet away sat a group of girl scouts and their mothers, selling their cookies, and not one of them came over and asked if they could help me. I thought that was pretty sad. But once I finally got him in the cart and my blood pressure came down a little, he had a great time shopping with me.
We ended the week with a fun family day on Saturday. We decided to take advantage of the weather on Saturday. So we picked a place to have lunch so we could sit outside to eat. We went to Ragin Cajun, and were very pleased that they agreed to puree some red beans and rice for John to eat. So instead of eating his bland jar of food, he was able to eat a nice big bowl of red beans and rice. That kid loves Louisiana cooking. He was very content. Then we did a little school shopping for him. He is getting so big and has outgrown most of his clothes. On Sunday, we enjoyed a nice morning at church and then went for an outside lunch again. The weather has been so beautiful we couldn't pass up spending time outside. It won't be long before it will be unbearable.
Here are a few other pictures from the week:
Now we are back to the grind of school. We are about to be really busy in the coming month. Starting tomorrow, I will be subbing in Junior High PE for 7 straight days. It will be fun, but I will be tired. I'm not used to working that much. Tommy and I have a date night coming up on Saturday. I do not know where we are going, but I am really looking forward to it. It will be the first one in several months. Also, the following weekend, we will be going with two other families to Morgan's Wonderland for the day. This is a park that is handicapp accessible in San Antonio. We have been once before and had a great time. We are so happy to have a place to go that has so many things for John to do. And of course, we have Easter coming up. I look forward to this holiday every year. We go to my parents along with both brothers and we boil crawfish and spend a lot of time together. We spend most of the day Saturday outside, so I'm hoping to have weather as beautiful as this past weekend. It has become one of my favorite holidays.
On Tuesday, we had some good friends over to play. We used to have frequent play groups when John was much younger, but with everyone's hectic schedules, we haven't had time to get together in quite a while. So it was nice for me to have other mom's to visit with and for the kids to spend time together. John doesn't get to run around with the other kids, but he really enjoys having them around. He did get to get in his swing for the first time this year and had a ball. After everyone left, he was worn out and crashed. That is the sign of a fun time.
On Wednesday, we got a visit from Tommy's brother Jimmy and our niece Jennifer. I have said before how much John LOVES his cousin. It is always fun to have her around. We went to play putt putt and then enjoyed lunch together. We took John outside to do some walking while they were here. He did really good with Jennifer around. He liked chasing her.
The rest of the week, we spent a lot of time outside and ran a few errands. Taking him to the grocery store is almost like going to an amusement park. Getting him in the grocery cart is a true workout for me. He is so excited to be there, that I can't get him to put his feet through the holes, and he is so heavy that I can't hold him with one arm while putting his feet through with the other arm. Let me take this time to tell you how disappointed I am with the girl scouts. When did the girl scouts become all about selling cookies that they have forgotten that service is the main purpose of the organization? Here I was, struggling for minutes to get John in the cart. I'm getting frustrated and he is getting wilder. 10 feet away sat a group of girl scouts and their mothers, selling their cookies, and not one of them came over and asked if they could help me. I thought that was pretty sad. But once I finally got him in the cart and my blood pressure came down a little, he had a great time shopping with me.
We ended the week with a fun family day on Saturday. We decided to take advantage of the weather on Saturday. So we picked a place to have lunch so we could sit outside to eat. We went to Ragin Cajun, and were very pleased that they agreed to puree some red beans and rice for John to eat. So instead of eating his bland jar of food, he was able to eat a nice big bowl of red beans and rice. That kid loves Louisiana cooking. He was very content. Then we did a little school shopping for him. He is getting so big and has outgrown most of his clothes. On Sunday, we enjoyed a nice morning at church and then went for an outside lunch again. The weather has been so beautiful we couldn't pass up spending time outside. It won't be long before it will be unbearable.
Here are a few other pictures from the week:
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| He enjoyed several wagon rides. |
He did a lot of walking.
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| Monday morning when it was time to go back to school. |
Now we are back to the grind of school. We are about to be really busy in the coming month. Starting tomorrow, I will be subbing in Junior High PE for 7 straight days. It will be fun, but I will be tired. I'm not used to working that much. Tommy and I have a date night coming up on Saturday. I do not know where we are going, but I am really looking forward to it. It will be the first one in several months. Also, the following weekend, we will be going with two other families to Morgan's Wonderland for the day. This is a park that is handicapp accessible in San Antonio. We have been once before and had a great time. We are so happy to have a place to go that has so many things for John to do. And of course, we have Easter coming up. I look forward to this holiday every year. We go to my parents along with both brothers and we boil crawfish and spend a lot of time together. We spend most of the day Saturday outside, so I'm hoping to have weather as beautiful as this past weekend. It has become one of my favorite holidays.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Looking Back
After our year ended so badly with all of us being sick and missing out on a trip that we prepared months for, I wanted to look back at 2010 and remember the things that went right. I've been wanting to write this post for several days now, but haven't found the time. It would have been better coming before the New Year started. So here are some of the highlights from 2010.
At the beginning of the year, we were able to hire a Nanny to help out with John. Her name is Shannon and she is a college student. She began working with us after the first of the year, and she proved to be so valuable to us. She provided us free time to do things we hadn't been able to do, as well as an extra set of hands when it came to taking care of John's needs. She was like a part of our family and we enjoyed having her around. Unfortunately for us, her time with us ended on New Year's Eve, when she left to start a new chapter of her life in Australia. We will miss her greatly, but we wish her all the best.
For us long time New Orleans Saints fans, the year started off incredibly. After losing the last 3 games of the regular season, the Saints marched through the playoffs, winning their first ever Super Bowl. After suffering through 43 miserable seasons, it was amazing to us that they actually made it to the Super Bowl, but winning it was something we never could have imagined. It was not only a great lift to the city of New Orleans, but to the entire state of Louisiana as well. All that's left to say about it now is Who Dat!!! This is one of my favorite pictures from the night...
In February, I turned 32 years old. Not a big milestone, but I am very grateful for another year of health.
In April, I was very excited to spend a weekend in Galveston with a few of my favorite girls. It was so nice to have those two days to get away from the daily grind and just spend some relaxing time talking and hanging out. We didn't do much exciting, but we spent the entire day Saturday lounging by the pool at the beach club associated with the house we rented. That resulted in a bad sunburn for me, but it was just nice to have some peace and quiet and fun conversation with the girls. Here is a picture of the beach club.
May was a big month for John Thomas. He turned 5 years old on the 24. I cannot believe my baby is 5. It seems like just a few days ago, we were sitting by his side in the NICU. Now he's five and very tall. We celebrated with a quiet party at home with just family. But the highlight of his birthday, was being able to spend a day in San Antonio, Texas at Morgan's Wonderland. This is an ultra accessible park that was created by the vision of a father of a girl with special needs. We had an amazing time there and it was so nice to be able to do so many things without his wheel chair being in the way.
In June, I went to have a heart procedure done to try and get rid of the irregular heart rhythm that I was having trouble with. The procedure was unsuccessful so the next action was to change my medication to control it. In order to do so, I had to spend time in the hospital while the dose was adjusted. I ended up spending a total of 8 days there. It was very odd to be there and to not feel bad. So I used the time to catch up on a lot of reading. I didn't complain about needing more time to myself after that.
Also in June, Tommy received a promotion at work. This wasn't something he was looking for. He was sought out for this position. He officially started the new position July 1, and while it has proven to be a challenge for him, he has worked very hard to be successful at it. I am very proud of him for all he does to be a good father and to provide for our family.
In October, it was determined by my doctors that while the medication I was taking was helping control the rhythm, it was causing some other problems that they did not like. So on October 29, I went in for surgery. I had my existing pacemaker replaced with a pacemaker/defibrillator. I was only in the hospital for 1 night this time, but the recovery period was 6 weeks. 6 week of not driving and not picking up John. I am so thankful to have such supportive parents. My mom was able to come and stay most of that time to help with John.
Another big highlight for John was starting Kindergarten. After two years of PPCD and going to school every day for 3 hours, John started Kindergarten and now goes to school all day every day. It took him a while to adjust to the long day, but now he is a pro. He loves going to school and seems to be doing very well.
After being in school for a month or so, we decided to let him start riding the school bus to and from school. He absolutely loves it. I think his favorite part is getting on and off of the bus.
At the beginning of the year, we were able to hire a Nanny to help out with John. Her name is Shannon and she is a college student. She began working with us after the first of the year, and she proved to be so valuable to us. She provided us free time to do things we hadn't been able to do, as well as an extra set of hands when it came to taking care of John's needs. She was like a part of our family and we enjoyed having her around. Unfortunately for us, her time with us ended on New Year's Eve, when she left to start a new chapter of her life in Australia. We will miss her greatly, but we wish her all the best.
For us long time New Orleans Saints fans, the year started off incredibly. After losing the last 3 games of the regular season, the Saints marched through the playoffs, winning their first ever Super Bowl. After suffering through 43 miserable seasons, it was amazing to us that they actually made it to the Super Bowl, but winning it was something we never could have imagined. It was not only a great lift to the city of New Orleans, but to the entire state of Louisiana as well. All that's left to say about it now is Who Dat!!! This is one of my favorite pictures from the night...
In February, I turned 32 years old. Not a big milestone, but I am very grateful for another year of health.
In April, I was very excited to spend a weekend in Galveston with a few of my favorite girls. It was so nice to have those two days to get away from the daily grind and just spend some relaxing time talking and hanging out. We didn't do much exciting, but we spent the entire day Saturday lounging by the pool at the beach club associated with the house we rented. That resulted in a bad sunburn for me, but it was just nice to have some peace and quiet and fun conversation with the girls. Here is a picture of the beach club.
May was a big month for John Thomas. He turned 5 years old on the 24. I cannot believe my baby is 5. It seems like just a few days ago, we were sitting by his side in the NICU. Now he's five and very tall. We celebrated with a quiet party at home with just family. But the highlight of his birthday, was being able to spend a day in San Antonio, Texas at Morgan's Wonderland. This is an ultra accessible park that was created by the vision of a father of a girl with special needs. We had an amazing time there and it was so nice to be able to do so many things without his wheel chair being in the way.
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| Me and John when we first got to the park. |
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| He was able to play on the playground... |
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| He was a superhero for the day... |
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| He worked a little on his walking... |
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| He rode on the carousel... |
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| and he rode the train!!! |
Also in May, John had to say goodbye to the teachers he spent the last two years with. These 3 ladies made his experience in PPCD a very positive one and taught him so much. He fell in love with all three of them, and so did I. It was very sad to say goodbye, but I'm very happy to keep in touch so they can watch him grow.
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| John with his teachers at his Valentine's Day Party! |
In June, I went to have a heart procedure done to try and get rid of the irregular heart rhythm that I was having trouble with. The procedure was unsuccessful so the next action was to change my medication to control it. In order to do so, I had to spend time in the hospital while the dose was adjusted. I ended up spending a total of 8 days there. It was very odd to be there and to not feel bad. So I used the time to catch up on a lot of reading. I didn't complain about needing more time to myself after that.
Also in June, Tommy received a promotion at work. This wasn't something he was looking for. He was sought out for this position. He officially started the new position July 1, and while it has proven to be a challenge for him, he has worked very hard to be successful at it. I am very proud of him for all he does to be a good father and to provide for our family.
In October, it was determined by my doctors that while the medication I was taking was helping control the rhythm, it was causing some other problems that they did not like. So on October 29, I went in for surgery. I had my existing pacemaker replaced with a pacemaker/defibrillator. I was only in the hospital for 1 night this time, but the recovery period was 6 weeks. 6 week of not driving and not picking up John. I am so thankful to have such supportive parents. My mom was able to come and stay most of that time to help with John.
Another big highlight for John was starting Kindergarten. After two years of PPCD and going to school every day for 3 hours, John started Kindergarten and now goes to school all day every day. It took him a while to adjust to the long day, but now he is a pro. He loves going to school and seems to be doing very well.
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| First day of school with his teacher. |
After being in school for a month or so, we decided to let him start riding the school bus to and from school. He absolutely loves it. I think his favorite part is getting on and off of the bus.
All of these things were fun and exciting. But probably the most fun and most exciting was watching John begin to walk. No he isn't walking on his own, but he has made some huge strides and is getting better all of the time. He is very interested in being on his feet and moving around. It's only a matter of time before he takes off on his own.
This is when we realized he was ready to learn.
Then he progressed to a bigger cart.
Then he got busy at therapy.
So even though the year ended kind of crummy, it wasn't all bad. We had some really good times and some wonderful milestones. Overall, 2010 was a huge success. We are looking forward to so many new experiences in 2011.
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