Tyler's Trip

Kenna - 3 months

2012-02-02T11:04:00.001-06:00

I know I've said this before, but where has the time gone. I can't believe I am already pulling out the 3 month sticker to do these monthly photo shoots. However I am excited of the milestones ahead. Kenna is growing so fast and she has really began smiling more often when you talk to her. She also laughed for the first time this past month. It was one of the sweetest sounds. I love these moments and cherish every one of them. Especially when she is lying in her bassinet early in the morning and she begins laughing and kicks her legs like she is running somewhere. I just wonder what is going through her little mind.

Happy 3 Months!

Sit to Stand

2012-01-13T09:09:00.001-06:00

One of Tyler's goals in therapy is going from a sitting position to a standing position. He has been working extremely hard on this for several months. In the beginning, his therapist has even used a massager/vibrator on his legs to help activate his muscles. He HATED that. His therapist usually needed some assistance since Tyler didn't help much in the beginning. So she would have the secretary come in and have her place the massager on his legs. The first time she did it, Tyler gave her the look of death. This broke her heart and pretty much refused to do it again because she hated to see that face. But he would usually do it. Now any time you mention the massager or vibrator, Tyler gives you "The Look".

Now we don't even need the massager or even have to mention it. He pulls himself up into a standing position with minimal assistance for extra balance. He also needs a little help to initiate the move. Take a look for yourself.

The next step is to actually take steps. You can tell he wants to because every now and then he will lunge forward.

A New Skill....well not so much new anymore.

2012-01-12T20:49:00.001-06:00

I think it's time to clean out some of my unpublished posts. I tend to start writing a post then something would interrupt me from publishing. Last year was one of the busiest years we have ever had. Between building a house, working full-time, taking Tyler to therapy, the exhaustion of pregnancy, having a newborn in the house, and all the other things that go along to running a household, my blogging got put to the side.

So it's time to do some cleaning. This post is from August.

One of the things we have been working with Tyler on is his eating skills. Tyler is not a picky eater and will eat anything as long as YOU feed it to him. Any time you place a spoon in his hand or give him his cup, he immediately drops it like it has the plague. I know he has the capability to feed himself because he brings toys to his mouth all the time and chews on them. But you place a spoon in his hand and he wants nothing to do with it.

So I wish I would be telling you that his new skill is feeding himself but it's not. Don't worry he will get it some day. But I am super excited about this new feeding skill of his. Now, he can bite a piece of food. For example, before when feeding him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich we would have to tear off pieces and feed it to him piece by piece. But now, we can put the sandwich up to his mouth and he will bite a piece off. It is so much more convenient.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for another new skill :)

2 months

2012-01-02T13:09:00.001-06:00

I can't believe Kenna is 2 months old already. She has grown so much in this last month. We are getting a lot more smiles but of course when the camera comes out, I usually get nothing. She loves being talked too and her most happy time is in the morning.

This is also my last day of maternity leave. I have enjoyed staying home with her and wish I could stay home with her like I did with Tyler for 8 months. But there are bills that need paid :) They change so much in their first year, I hate to miss anything.

Happy 2 months!!
Look at those cheeks. Can you tell she hasn't missed a meal :)

2011 in Review

2011-12-31T01:47:00.002-06:00

What a year it has been!

I think this has been the most life-changing and exciting year yet. We have...

Welcomed the birth of our daughter

Built a house

Moved

Travis changed jobs

We attended our 3rd Hydro Walk

Became IRL (In Real Life) friends with some more Hydro families

Tyler started 1st grade

Tyler had eye surgery

Those are the big highlights of the year in addition to the regular day to day stuff. Tyler continues to go to therapy and is getting stronger every day. His biggest achievement is voluntarily putting weight through his legs. He will stand with a walker for 2-3 minutes with you balancing him at the waist (I will eventually finish my post about this). He is also getting much better about lifting his head while laying on his belly.

After all of that, I am ready for a laid-back and relaxing 2012. I'm not sure how that will happen with 2 kids but that's what makes it exciting.

Wishing everyone a
Happy
and
Healthy
New Year!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T21:21:00.002-06:00

Tree
Family Skip-Bo
Kenna's 1st Christmas
Presents Nerf-gun battles
Friends Abundance of Food
Over-night guests Wii playing
Movie watching Fun
Scrabble
Laughter

Girlfriends

2011-12-21T11:04:00.002-06:00

I was wondering when this day would come, but I really didn't think it would be this soon. Tyler has been coming home from school with several notes from girls. The notes usually have hearts all over them with Tyler's name in the middle. They are so precious. The kids in his class adore Tyler, but especially the girls. His teacher always tells me the kids argue who gets to push Tyler's wheelchair to recess and then they all take turns pushing him around the playground and that Tyler has a smile on his face the entire time.

But when I saw this one, I cracked up laughing. I love kids imaginations.

A band-aid with Tyler's name on it, that fixed a broken heart.

Aren't boys and girls at this age, still suppose to think that they have cooties?

The Weekend

2011-12-19T08:31:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, Travis and my dad went deer hunting. So while they were away, the kids and I spent the weekend at my moms. Most of our time was spent baking Christmas cookies with several breaks for snuggle time.

Making Cut-out cookies

Taking a break for some snuggle time

Here's the finished product of a few cookies we made.
Chocolate Gooey Butter cookies
Cut-out cookiesOreo balls & chocolate-covered pretzels

Sharing Toys

2011-12-08T17:20:00.000-06:00

Tyler is doing much better with his sister. He is realizing that she is not going anywhere. Her cries don't seem to bother him too bad, unless she is screaming at the top of her lungs. =)

One of the next issues I think we have to deal with having 2 children is SHARING. Tyler LOVES to play with Kenna's portable swing. He will scoot his way over to her swing and will swing it back and forth. I think he could do this for hours.

And even sometimes he gets a little carried away.

No one was injured during this event.

1 month

2011-12-02T19:45:00.000-06:00

When did he get so big?

2011-12-01T20:37:00.000-06:00

Due to my recent c-section, I was out of commission for awhile, in the regards of caring for Tyler. I still haven't been cleared to lift him. But this past week, I have slowly and carefully been lifting him. Travis and my mom have been wonderful in helping out. Travis has been taking him to school, giving him baths and so much more. My mom has picked him up from school several days and been taking him to therapy. So the first few times I picked Tyler up he felt like he grew and gained so much. Has he? Or is it that I'm around a 5-6 pounder, called Kenna, all day that makes him feel bigger.

Belly Time

2011-11-18T16:34:00.000-06:00

We are making it a point to place Kenna on her belly at least once or twice a day. She is tolerating it okay. And if she has to do belly time, I think that's a good time for Tyler to do some as well :)

Old habits die hard

2011-11-14T15:25:00.000-06:00

Do you see something similar in these 2 pictures?

1 week old

32 weeks gestation

Getting settled and adjusting...

2011-11-11T14:10:00.000-06:00

Today was suppose to be Kenna's birthday, 11-11-11. She had other plans and decided to come early. Yeah, it would have been cool to have a birthday such as 11-11-11, but really that's a lot of 1's and dashes. So I like that she decided to choose her own birth date.

I wonder if this is a sign of her saying 'you can't tell me what to do or when.' If so, we may be in trouble :)

Things are definitely different in the Demarest household now. But a baby will do that. We are getting settled and trying to get on somewhat of a schedule. But of course, that is Kenna's schedule. She likes to eat about every 2-3 hours and does not like to be laid down when she is sleeping. This causes for a lot of things not getting done. But I am treasuring those precious moments because some day she will not want to be held. And she is just to darn cute to not hold.

Tyler is still adjusting to his baby sister. I think the best way to describe his behavior is "tolerating her". He has done remarkably well and better than expected with her crying and little squeks. He is very sensitive to different noises and has really only got upset a handful of times. But don't get me wrong, his demeanor has changed tremendously since we brought her home. He just hasn't been acting himself and we don't get as many smiles and "sounds" out of him. This really breaks my heart but I know he just needs time to adjust. I just hope it's sooner than later because I miss my silly Tyler. However this morning, I did get a couple smiles out of him when I turned on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Welcome Kenna Grace!

2011-11-03T21:16:00.003-05:00

Kenna Grace
5lbs 5oz
18.5 inches

Trick or Treating

2011-11-01T07:26:00.000-05:00

First let me say, don't expect a spectacular costume from Tyler this year, like he had last year. Maybe next year will be better. But I have to say, Tyler 's costume was very super-heroish. Is that even a word? And he liked his big muscles (so much that he wanted to eat them as we were going door to door).

Dash from The Incredibles

The whole clan

Well one was missing. He decided to be Peter Parker instead of Spiderman, LOL!

Squeezing in a tradition

2011-10-31T07:36:00.000-05:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It's that time of year when you can dress up and be whoever you want to be. Another reason why it is my favorite holiday is the tradition of carving pumpkins.

Due to our busy and hectic lives right now, I wasn't sure if we were going to continue this tradition this year. But we made it a point to carve pumpkins this weekend.

Every year, I wonder if Tyler will "help" gut the pumpkin. If you remember, Tyler isn't a fan. Click here to see last years post. Well this year was no different. He decided it would be more fun to watch than participate.

"Mom, please don't make me do this."

"No!!!!!!!"

"Thanks mom"

Tyler has a communication device and I asked him what shape he wanted for the eyes and nose and this is what he told me.

Back Tracking

2011-10-18T20:57:00.000-05:00

So the last time I posted on the progress of the house, besides the other day saying it's complete and we have moved in, was back in September. So let me back track a little. At that time, the outside of the house was completely done (besides the deck), tile was laid and cabinets were just put in. So here are a few pictures of the last details.

Countertop was installed.

Appliances were put in.

Fireplace was finished.

Shelving in closets were done.

Tyler enjoying the new carpet.

COMPLETION

2011-10-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

The house is COMPLETE!

We started this journey last July and now 1 year and 3 months later we got to move into our brand new house. Last summer, Travis and I decided that the houses we were looking at just were not quite right. We were looking for something that would accommodate and make our lives easier with Tyler and making it more accessible. Yes, most houses could have been remodeled and made more accessible, but in the long run we had decided that we would build instead.

So July 2010, we purchased a 2-acre lake-front property. The view was definitely the selling point and it was also a foreclosed lot that was selling at a price that couldn't be passed up.

The next big thing was deciding on house plans and finding a contractor. We finalized both of those and then the battle with the weather began. We were hoping to start before the winter but that didn't happen. There are so many steps before you can even start that prolonged the start date.

The last week in February was when we finally broke ground. A month went by when we were making good progress and then the weather decided to intervene for the next month. It rained and rained and rained.

Fast forward 7 1/2 months and we are DONE! This past weekend we finally got to move into our new house. Several people have asked, 'If you could build again, would you?' Right now, the answer to that would be "heck NO." Yes it was nice to be able to pick everything out yourself and make it completely your own. But by the end of this process, I was to the point of saying I don't care, you decide. No matter how prepared you are, there is a lot of stress that goes into building a house.

Stay tuned for pictures. Since I was slacking on posting about the house here lately, I will go back and post some of the main things that happened this past month.

Is Tyler ready for a baby sister?

2011-10-11T11:28:00.000-05:00

I sometimes am leary on how Tyler is going to handle having a baby in the house. He is not fond of babies and puckers up at any little sound they make. He has noticed my growing belly and likes to "hit" it whenever he is close. But I also wonder just what he is thinking.

The babysitter he goes to started watching newborn twins this summer and it has been good practice for Tyler. The babysitter says he does really well with them and doesn't usually get upset when they cry. So that is definitely a step in the right directions :)

There was one day this past summer when the babysitter sent me this video of Tyler helping out. I cracked up when I first saw it. He LOVES the portable swing she has and he always scoots his way over to it so he can swing it back and forth. I think it's his way of saying I want in this thing. But of course he is too big for it. And then I thought maybe he is just practicing and wanted to swing the baby. What do you think?

Sorry for the angle of the video. It wouldn't let me rotate it..ugh!

I can't remember if I have shared this video or not but thought it was appropriate for this post. This was in therapy awhile back (I believe last September). When his therapist was trying to play pretend play and Tyler picked up the baby and gave it a kiss. It was so sweet. Let's hope he's like that with his baby sister.

34 weeks

2011-10-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

I am 34 weeks today. Earlier this week, I had another doctor's appointment. I am loving how boring these appointments are and they are so routine. I go in; get weighed, give a urine sample, have blood pressure checked, hear the heart beat and go over any questions I have with my doctor. They typically last a total of 30 minutes. It's so different compared to my pregnancy with Tyler. Tyler's was every 3 weeks and took up the entire day. they did ultrasounds and did monitoring each time. I also had to travel 2 hours (one way) for each appointment.

As much as I love these boring appointments, it's kind of crazy for me to say, I miss having all the ultrasounds. It was so nice to "see" Tyler every 3 week.

It's been 14 weeks since my last ultrasound, so I was really excited for my appointment this week because I had an ultrasound scheduled. Even though we know everything is fine genetically, my doctor suggested at one of my earlier appointments that we could do another ultrasound later in the pregnancy also. I think he wanted to just ease my mind a little. Which I quickly responded with a I'm good with that :)

Everything with my appointment checked out good and I also got some more great images of our baby girl.

We also scheduled the date of my c-section, which will be on November 11. Yes that means her birthday will be 11-11-11. Pretty cool, huh! Now it is up to her if she likes that date, let's hope so because we don't need her to come any earlier. Remember we still have to move ;-)

4D image of our precious little girl

8 Wonderful Years!

2011-10-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary, Travis!!

Can't pass up an opportunity like this...

2011-09-26T08:04:00.001-05:00

As you may know, we have been extremely busy around here. We are just weeks away from moving into our new home and not to mention I am 7 months pregnant. So we have a lot of tedious stuff to finish up on the house, we have to pack, and I have to think of what I need to do before baby comes.

So when a hydro mom contacted me about a month ago saying they were coming to St. Louis this weekend and wanted to know if we would want to meet, I wasn't sure what to tell her. I was thinking I really need to stay home but then a part of me said sure. Tell me when and where.

After contemplating the idea with Travis, I finally told him, I understand if you don't want to go but I am not passing up this opportunity. Which he completely understood and said have a good time. So Tyler and I met with Jennifer, her husband Jason and 3 wonderful kids, Grant, Norah and Mason. You can also visit her blog here.

They are such an amazing family. Grant was fascinated by Tyler and was wondering if Tyler had his bounce house (the one he had at his birthday party) with him, LOL. Norah is just the sweetest little girl and I love when she just came up to me and grabbed my hand and said "let's walk". I loved watching her walk around in her walker and I even got to see her take a few independent steps on her own. Which her mom says she just began doing. And Mason, who is the happiest 3 month old. I loved getting so many smiles from him.

Here's a couple photos I got from the day. I wish I would have got more but I got too caught up in visiting :)

St. Louis Hydro Walk

2011-09-22T20:45:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, we participated in our 3rd hydrocephalus walk. We had a lot of fun and met some amazing people. Tyler's team consisted of myself, Travis, his grandma and grandpa and his Aunt Jen. Thank you guys for coming out and walking beside us. I also want to thank everyone who donated. It really means a lot and goes to a great cause.

Let the walk begin!

All that are affected by hydrocephalus.

Tyler checking out his poster we made.

Cardinals Mascot, Fred Bird, even made an appearance.

Tyler wasn't quite sure of him. But he did eventually give him a high five.

We also met some more amazing families and became IRL (In Real Life) friends.

Sandy & Noah

Nichole & Carson

House & Baby

2011-09-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

Both the house and baby are getting closer and closer. I am excited to be nearing the arrival of each of them. We don't have a set move-in date yet, but I would say in the next 3 weeks, we should be able to start moving. And of course, that gives us plenty of time before the baby.

First the progress on the house:

I finally got to park in the garage for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

Our yard has been graded and seeded.

Tile has been laid.

And just put in today -- CABINETS!!
Next on the list

Carpet
Trim & Doors
Countertop
Garage doors
Deck (which may be done after we move in)

I think that's about it. Tyler and I even started cleaning a little this past weekend. The windows were disgusting and will need to be cleaned a few more times before we can say they are clean.

"No Tyler, we are getting all the fingerprints off, not adding"

And now baby news:

I am 30 weeks (and a few days). So let the countdown begin. The doctor is still planning on delivering at 39 weeks because I am having a c-section and he doesn't want me to go into labor. So I only have 9 more weeks. YEAH!!!

Spending a Labor Day....laboring!

2011-09-05T21:45:00.001-05:00

What better way to spend a Labor Day weekend than to spend it working. As for me, I spent part of the weekend at my real job (the one that pays money) and the other helping out at the new house. But Travis and several family members spent the entire weekend working at the new house. I can't believe it but the end is nearing and we are getting close to being finished. This also means that there is a lot of work involved with us finishing up.

We agreed with our contractor that we would do the painting. That was a huge task but we (I guess I shouldn't say we, because I didn't left a single paint brush) finished it in 4 days. The ENTIRE house. Thank you to Travis and his brother, they did an awesome job!

The pictures are a little dark, so some of the colors in the bedrooms are a little misleading.

The main room and kitchen wall

Living room

Tyler's room -- I love his room, it's very bold and Travis did a great job in picking out the right color). We agreed that he would do Tyler's room and I would do the girls room.

Baby girls room

Master bedroom -- Another of my favorite colors, it's so soothing.

Today, we spent cleaning the floors and getting ready for the floor people to lay tile and carpet on Wednesday. And oh my gosh there was a lot of dirt/dust. Dry wall is a mess! Sunday I spent most of the day shop vacing. Then on Monday while I was at work, my parents, brother and sister-n-law came to help mop the floors to get up as much dust we could. I've heard that if you don't clean up the dust before you lay carpet, the dust could seap through your carpet and you could be cleaning and vacuuming for years. So our strategy is to get it right the first time, while we have the chance.

The guys also worked on staining the wood for our deck.

Everyone enjoying a much needed break.

And last but not least, my dad hauled in some straw bales for our yard that will be seeded this week.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HELPED. IT MEANS SO MUCH!!!

Happy 60th!!

2011-08-31T21:43:00.007-05:00

Happy Birthday Dad!!!
And this is what he got for his birthday. Pretty nice, don't ya think?

An Official 1st Grader

2011-08-18T08:35:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered what a 1st grader looks like?

Well here's one...

Tyler, I hope you have a GREAT first day!

Looking over the plans

2011-08-17T16:39:00.004-05:00

The other day I was organizing all the receipts we had accumulated so far with the house and got them all into a folder. I then was going through tons of cabinet catalogs and deciding on what layouts I liked, what type of wood, color of stain, etc and when I look down this is what I see.

I guess he just wanted to help and give his approval, LOL!

Tyler looking over the house plans.

26 weeks

2011-08-16T21:23:00.002-05:00

Brick

2011-08-03T22:11:00.003-05:00

So far during this process of building, brick was one of the things I stressed about the most. What if I don't like it, what if we chose the wrong shade, will this trim look good with the brick, and the list just kept going on and on.

There were many sleepless nights of my mind going crazy. Even after we decided on the brick, I still thought, did we make the right choice. I drove by a house that had the same brick several times, still thinking did we choose the right mortar color and then will the color trim that we want look good with the brick. Oh decisions, decisions. Travis quickly reassured me that it will look fine and not to worry.

I am not a huge decision maker, so I don't know why I thought building a house would be fun. Yeah you get to pick out exactly what you want but these are some major choices we have to make. And brick is not something you can change; you are stuck with it as long as you live in that house. And for us, that is the rest of our lives. So I better like it.

So this week was when we found out, did we make the right choice. The brick started going up and I LOVE IT!!!! It could not have been a better choice.

PARTY!!!

2011-08-01T07:50:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Tyler's birthday on Sunday. We invited all of our family and friends for some fun in the park. There was good food, a lot of bouncing in the bounce house and a fun time was had by all!

Yes, 6 months pregnant and I still got in the bounce house :)
And yes, there was some adults that wanted to still be kids. Here is Travis doing a hand stand.

Tyler meeting the birthday monkey. This monkey gets passed around to every birthday. I am so thrilled that it has made a home in my living room for now.~~Can you sense my sarcasm?~~ Hmmm, I wonder who the next lucky owner will be. Better hope you don't have a birthday coming up, LOL!

Tyler with his hydro buddy, Keller.

Tyler enjoyed watching his #6 sparkler candle. I thought I would try this fun candle instead regular candles, since he isn't able to blow out the candles.

Happy 6th!!

2011-07-27T13:28:00.000-05:00

6 years ago today was one of the proudest moments of my life. It was the day Tyler was born. Finding out Tyler's diagnosis early in my pregnancy helped me prepare for that day, six years ago. There was many mixed emotions of happy, scared and worried. But overall, I was overjoyed to finally meet my son. We still had the unknown, is he going to make it, how severe is the hydro going to affect him, etc. But we knew that once he was here, we could and will do everything we can to help him.

As soon as I saw him for the first time, my heart melted. He was perfect in my eyes. And over the past 6 years, he has brought so much happiness and love. I still can't believe it's been 6 years. Seriously, I mean that's a whole other hand to count on now.

Happy 6th Birthday, Tyler!!!

Guided Tour

2011-07-25T07:45:00.000-05:00

We are finally making some good progress on our home. We are under roof and we have interior studded walls. The next step is plumbing and electrical work, windows and doors and brick. Here is an inside look.

Warning--after watching this myself you may get a little dizzy. It looks like I was walking in circles :0)

Dear Baby Girl,

2011-07-21T08:35:00.001-05:00

I am now well into my 2nd trimester and I am 23 weeks to be exact. You are the size of a large mango and weigh a little over 1 pound. The second trimester is my favorite time during the pregnancy, not that the first and third aren't fun. But, there are so many changes that happen during the second trimester. The first trimester brought on exhaustion and nausea. Luckily I have not got sick with you like I did your brother. And the last trimester, from what I remember when I was pregnant with your brother, was exhausting, uncomfortable with an expanding belly and sleepless nights.

The second trimester is great because I get to feel your movements for the first time. I first felt you when I was 16 weeks. It was very suttle movements like fluttering butterflies in my stomach. But it is so miraculous. I continue to feel you every day and those flutter movements have gotten much stronger and kicks and jabs are being felt from the outside now. Your dad still has not got the joy of feeling you yet. I think he's starting to think you don't like him, so if you could do me a favor and make him not feel left out give him a kick soon, please :) However your brother has felt your kick already. It was such a sweet moment.

Let me tell you something about your brother before I go any further, he likes to "bat" his arms and hit when someone is laying or sitting next to him. He doesn't mean harm and we believe it's just his way of trying to communicate with us. But we are working with him on being gentle and not to hit, especially before you arrive. So the other night, you were being very active. So dad brought Tyler over to me and we all sat on the couch with everyone's hands on my belly waiting patiently for your next movement. I think you knew something was up, because you immediately stopped and became still. I guess you thought we were all ganging up on you. Your brother was somewhat being gentle but pushing his hand heavily on my belly. He has to use his hands to balance himself to sit upright and well he was using my stomach for much of that support, which resulted in him pushing on my belly. Shortly there after him pushing on my belly, you give your strongest kick you have given right on his hand. I thought, uh oh, I believe your first brotherly/sisterly fight began and wondered how many of those the two of you will have. I'm sure it won't be the last. Tyler just smiled really big and moved his hand immediately.

Another thing I like about this trimester is finding out your gender. Your dad and I went to the doctor's office together and found out that our newest addition is going to be a girl. So let's bring on the pink!!!

Now the biggest decision we have is deciding on a name. A name is a big part of your life and something you will have to live with forever. We are narrowing it down but decided to keep this between me and your dad until you arrive. We would like to surprise our family and friends with something on your big day.

Love, Mom

Prayers for Matthew

2011-07-14T08:18:00.002-05:00

There is a little boy in need of your prayers. Matthew is in the hospital and very critical. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

It's a.....

2011-07-08T21:15:00.001-05:00

For those of you that took the poll and guessed at what I was having, the majority won because it's a...

G I R L ! !

We are ecstatic! Although Travis is already thinking how much more this one is going to cost, LOL!

House Progress

2011-07-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

I know it's been awhile since I posted about the house. Now that the rain has passed, we have been moving right along. It's crazy to think a month of non-stop rain and storms would set us back that far. We pretty much didn't get any work done on the house the end of April to the end of May. Here is a series of pictures from beginning to where we are now. We still hope to be moved in by the time baby #2 arrives. I may be 8 months pregnant but hopefully the 4 of us won't have to squeeze into our 2-bedroom duplex.

March 20
The basement is dug out.
April 7
Forms for the concrete to be poured is ready.
April 16
The concrete is poured.
June 10
View of the back of house. Framing has begun.
View from front of house.

June 16
Floor to the main level of house.
June 29
Front view of house.
July 3
Back view of house.
July 6

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-04T15:33:00.004-05:00

What better way to celebrate our country than listening to a couple patriotic songs played by, none other than, Tyler himself.

America the Beautiful

Yankee Doodle

Happy 4th!!

Motivators

2011-06-28T21:32:00.000-05:00

Two big motivators for Tyler are swinging and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We use these 2 things in different ways. For example, tonight Tyler was doing a little belly time (which he hates). I guess I shouldn't say hate, he just dislikes it and squirms around not wanting to push up and lift his head up.

So, I turned on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the laptop and placed it in front of him. He immediately lifts his head up and holds it there for several minutes to watch the show.

Hey if it works and he keeps his head up, why not.

And he's down for the count!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T20:10:00.001-05:00

My Dad and Travis are the 2 BEST Dads EVER, at least that's what I think. I love them both. My dad is awesome and I am who I am because of him.

And Travis is so great with Tyler. I love seeing the bond between them grow. They both love doing boy stuff - usually the rougher the better and he can make him laugh no matter what.

So today was their day and why not doing something they both love - FISHING!

The weather was kind of skeptical. We had thunderstorms pass through early in the morning, but by late morning the sun was out. So off we went. It ended up sprinkling a little but not enough to send us packing. We are some dedicated people and plus the fish were biting better than ever.

We ended up catching 23 fish. We went back home and had a fish fry. Mmmm it was so good.

The True Fisherman!

Tyler caught the first fish of the day.

It was so funny. Most people when they fish watch their bobber and as soon as they get a bite they jerk their pole to hook the fish. Not Tyler. He waits until the bobber is completely gone for several seconds and he's gripping tightly to his pole. Eventually someone notices that he has a fish and helps him reel it in. There were several times when we were fishing and we'd say to each other 'Where's Tyler's bobber?' and then realize that 'Oh he has a fish!'.

Waiting out the rain.

The dedicated fisherman.

I love how Tyler was never afraid to touch the fish. Such a boy.

Look at all those fish!!

16 weeks

2011-06-08T20:20:00.000-05:00

I can't believe 16 weeks have already passed. I am nearing the half way point and in just 4 more weeks we will find out if Tyler is going to have a brother or sister. What do you think? Take a guess by taking the poll listed in my sidebar.

Family History

2011-06-06T08:06:00.000-05:00

Back in February (I told you I was behind), my mom and dad were honored to be recognized as a Century Farm recipient, meaning that the farm has been in the family for at least 100 years. My dad is the 5th generation to be farming the land. My great-great-great grandpa came over from Austria in 1852 and settled in the small town of New Wells. In 1856 he purchased 40 acres and in 1862 he purchased 160 acres for $20 (12.5cents/acre). Wow!! Wouldn't it be nice for things to be that cheap now.

The land was then passed down to my great-great grandpa, then great grandpa, then my grandpa and now my dad. Thru all these years it has even kept the Mirly name.

It is such an honor for my parents to keep on this tradition. Love you, Mom & Dad.

Catching Up

2011-06-02T07:59:00.000-05:00

So I have quite a bit to catch up on. It has been crazy busy around here and blogging has been the last thing on my mind.

Summer vacation is officially here for Tyler. His last day of school was May 20. Can you believe that he is a 1st grader? I sure can't. Where has the time gone?

The last week of school was busy with school parties and track/field day. I wasn't quite sure what Tyler would be able to participate in during track/field day. But his teachers and classmates stepped up and made sure that Tyler was a part of it. He did have to sit out on a few of the activities, like squirrel tag, three legged race and tug-of-war. But he still loved watching all the kids run around. Tyler did get participate in the 50 yard dash, relay and obstacle course.

Ben & Tyler

Tyler & Kade during the obstacle course.

All the boys in Tyler's class getting ready to run the 50 yard dash.

Stephen & Kade pushing Tyler to the next event.

Tyler & his teacher, Ms. Schroeder

His teachers always tell me when I pick Tyler up from school that all the kids adore him and always want to be his helper for the day. I love hearing that but sometimes wondered if they were telling me this to make me feel better. But I got to witness it on track/field day. Before all the kids went outside, Ms. Schroeder went around the classroom and asked the kids what they are looking forward to the most today. A lot of the kids said 'everything', some said 'to see my mom & dad' and others said 'to play with my friends'. But then there were 2 boys that said 'to help Tyler and to be Tyler's helper'. Oh my, my eyes got a little teary when I heard that. Maybe that's my pregnancy hormones kicking in, LOL!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Another event that happened during the last week of school was a school recognition party that his special ed teacher and paraprofessionals hosted. There are 9 kids in his special ed classroom and they range from Kindergarten to 5th grade. His teacher, Ms. Shelly, was going to have 3 of those kids 'graduate' to the next building (Middle School). So this night was honoring those 3 that she has taught for the last 6 years. It was very special and another teary-eyed moment.

Tyler with his teacher Ms. Shelly

Tyler with his para's (Ms. Misty & Ms. Kia)

Did I mention how much I appreciate Tyler's school and all of his teachers. They are truly the best!!

Teaching golf etiquette

2011-05-31T21:35:00.002-05:00

Travis has been dying to take Tyler golfing with him. We knew Tyler would love riding in the golf cart. And just the idea of being outside, he loves!! So yesterday, the three of us ventured to the golf course. We took his seat and strapped it to the cart and took off.
Tyler did great. Although he has a little bit of golf etiquette to learn. He was a little vocal when we were teeing off. But there was no harm done :) It was actually kind of cute!
It was extremely warm yesterday and wasn't sure if Tyler would make it the entire 18 holes but he was a trooper and made it. We made sure to drink a lot of water. At least there was a nice breeze.

Fresh Air

2011-05-17T20:45:00.003-05:00

So I was taking Tyler to therapy today and I look out my side mirror and see this..

Do you see them? Let me zoom in a little...

Yes, those are 4 tiny fingers hanging out. Apparently, Tyler thought I didn't have the window down far enough.

Who's in Charge?

2011-05-10T20:30:00.000-05:00

Tyler knows how to work the ladies and his therapists. All he has to do is give them that sweet little smile and he gets whatever he wants. He has them wrapped around his cute little fingers.

So today in therapy, he got exactly what he wanted. First let me say, that he is getting really good at saying no by shaking his head. Although a lot of the times when you ask him any question, he will answer no. Even if he means yes. We are working on that but aren't quite there.

So back to today in therapy, it was nearing the last 10 minutes of therapy and Jenny, his therapist, asked Tyler if he wanted to lay on his side and push up to a sitting position. He looked her straight into her eyes and shook his head NO. We both laughed because he is not a fan of that task. She then asked him 'would you rather get on the swing.' He did NOT shake his head no, instead he said "eh" and smiled really big. So what does Jenny do, he lets him swing for the remainder of the session.

Again I say "Who's in Charge?"

What's in store for 2011...

2011-05-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a year it has been so far.

We started building our house and should be completed by the fall (as long as the rain will stop).
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Travis is starting up his own business on the side. He is designing websites. So if you know anyone who is interested in a website, let us know.
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Travis just accepted a new job with the University.
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Oh and I'm pregnant!!

Man, that's a lot of life changing things to fit into one year, but we are ready to take on each and every one of them. I can't wait and we are extremely excited.

UGH!!

2011-04-24T13:14:00.005-05:00

Rain Rain Go Away

We would like to build our house someday.

It has been raining cats and dogs here for the last week. And not just rain, but thunderstorms, hail and tornado warnings. Our towns tornado sirens went off 3 different days in the last 6 days. Luckily, we have not had any damage and no reported tornado's in our town.

But if this keeps it up, we may never get our house built. So far we have basement walls. The next step is to pour the concrete for the basement floor, garage and front porch. Once that is done, they can begin framing up the house. If only it would stop RAINING!!

I also want to wish everyone a Happy Easter.

Eye Surgery

2011-04-18T12:03:00.002-05:00

Tyler's eyes are somewhat misaligned which has given him some difficulty with focusing. So today he had eye muscle surgery to correct this.

The surgery went well and we may not see results for a couple of days. He did great during the surgery. It was outpatient, so we arrived at 6:30 and left at 11:30. WOW!! That almost didn't feel right leaving the hospital on the same day and just after 5 total hours. But I'm not complaining :)

The tough part now is going to be keeping him from rubbing his eyes. The incision was made under the eyelid so that is somewhat of a barrier and is protecting them. But we still have to distract him from rubbing them.

So if you see Tyler in the next couple of days, don't think someone beat him up. Because his eyes are a little swollen and blood shot.

Tyler patiently waiting.

After surgery.
The picture isn't the clearest and really doesn't show how bloodshot they are.

Field Trip to LeBounce

2011-04-11T21:05:00.002-05:00

Tyler's class took a field trip to LeBounce last week. Unfortunately, I was not able to help out and attend but Travis decided to fill in. They both had a blast!!! Tyler enjoyed bouncing, but enjoyed going down the big slide the most. One of Travis' co-workers heard that they were going to be at LeBounce and just bought a new camera and wanted to try it out. So he met them over there and took these great photos. Thanks Chuck for doing this. They turned out great!!

Tyler's Class

Take a close look at this picture.
He's on all fours. Doesn't it look like he could just take off crawling?

Time to Bounce!!

This next series of pictures is so cute. The first one kind of freaked me out when I first saw it, but Travis says it's the angle the picture was taken. It's really not that steep. Thank goodness.

It's time to slide.

This one looks much steeper than it really is too, at least that's what I'm told. LeBounce just opened and I haven't had a chance to check it out yet. But it looks like a lot of fun!!
Don't you want to go bounce now!!!

I Love It When...

2011-03-20T21:37:00.003-05:00

I put Tyler to bed and he plays peek-a-boo with me with his covers.

I pick him up from the babysitters and he kicks his legs in excitement to see me.

He "talks" to me when he wants another bite of food. He can be very impatient at times and he lets me know it :)

He gets so excited to go outside, especially to swing.

At the end of a movie and the credits are rolling, he watches them and "talks" in his "surprised gasps".

And of course, who can't love this smile!

We FINALLY have a hole!

2011-03-13T20:01:00.000-05:00

I kind of jumped the gun and jinxed ourselves when I said that we were breaking ground 3 weeks ago. I know some of you have been wondering and asking since then, "how's the house coming along" and I have had to answer in a very disappointing voice that no we haven't started yet. The plan was to start several weeks ago but when Jay, our builder, got out there the day he wanted to start, he decided the ground was still too wet. And since then the weather has not been our friend and been cooperating.

Travis even told me when I posted that we were breaking ground that I shouldn't have and it's gonna come back and bite me in the butt. I hate to say it but he was right.

Thursday (which was also my birthday), we got a call from Jay who said they were going to start digging our basement the next day. WHAT?!? Are you serious? This could not have been a better birthday present.

I was extremely happy but also didn't want to get my hopes up too much, since we know what happened last time. So then Saturday afternoon we drove out to our land and found this...
It's so exciting that we finally started and hopefully in about 6 months we will be able to have a home of our own...again!

Freeze Dance

2011-03-12T21:02:00.002-06:00

Tyler got a toy for Christmas called LeapFrog Learn & Groove Music Wand.He loves it and plays with it all the time. As you move the wand, you can change the music's tempo and add new sounds when you shake it, creating your own masterpiece. It also has a second setting called the Freeze Dance Game. As it plays a song you are suppose to dance along to the music and when it says FREEZE, you are suppose to, of course, freeze until the music starts playing again.

It is so cute watching Tyler when it's on this setting. He usually stays completely still when the music is playing and is intrigued by the flashing light at the top of the wand. But every time it says freeze, he 'yells' at it. I'm not sure what he's trying to tell it, but probably something along the lines of "hey you stopped playing music, start it up again."

Being a Better Advocate

2011-03-01T21:05:00.004-06:00

When you have a child with special needs, that child needs an advocate more than anything. An advocate is someone who speaks in support or defense of a person. Sometimes I feel that I have failed in this department with Tyler. I am not someone who will speak up or cause a scene, and instead I am shy and pretend that I don't see the stares and the rude comments that are towards us. It doesn't matter what they think, right?

Wrong!!! If I don't speak up, then who will. And our society sometimes needs a reminder of not to judge. This past weekend proved that. I had the perfect opportunity to say something but instead was surprised and hurt that someone would say there is something wrong with my child. There were 3 girls about the age of 10, that saw Tyler in his Kid Kart who stared and whispered to each other saying "I wonder what's wrong with him, Is he paralyzed". And those aren't even bad comments they were just curious. But all I did was ignore the comments and walked on (and then complained to my husband about what I heard). What I should have said was "His name is Tyler and there is nothing wrong with him, he just can't walk yet".

Comments and stares from kids typically do not bother me. Kids don't really know better and are just curious and parents need to teach their children that everyone grows up in there own way and at their own pace. So don't judge. It's the stares and comments from adults that get to me the most. We are all different and have setbacks in some kind of way.

This is why I am happy that Tyler's school has a Disability Awareness week, to teach kids that everyone counts and we all learn differently. Some kids may not walk, some may not talk, but one thing that is the same is all kids want to play. So give them a chance. We all learn at our own pace.

So the next time someone says a comment I hope I have the courage to speak up for Tyler. It's the least I can do.

Breaking Ground

2011-02-15T21:40:00.000-06:00

Thursday is the big day when we break ground for our new home. I am so excited and have been waiting on this day since July when we bought the land.

We have made a lot of the big decisions of building our house but there are so many more to make. I love the idea of making this house our own but I think I am the most indecisive person there is. Ask my husband, LOL. I'm just afraid that once I pick something out that something better might come along. It's already led me to several sleepless nights, when we were deciding on a floor plan. But it will be well worth it in the end.

Click here to see pictures of the land. I can't wait to see the transformation.

Bath Time

2011-02-08T21:38:00.006-06:00

Tyler LOVES bath time!! Especially the sounds and anticipation of getting ready for a bath. It is so cute watching him get so excited. He knows each sound that goes along with taking a bath.

The sound of the light switch turning on in the bathroom

to

the shower curtain being pushed to the side

to

the water being turned on.

Awesome Therapy Day

2011-01-25T17:25:00.001-06:00

Tyler did awesome in therapy today. The first 30 minutes of therapy he is on "land" and the second half is in "water". Or you can also call the "water", aquatic therapy. Tyler worked hard for Ms. Jenny on land but he really impressed Cory in the pool. Tyler was kicking his legs non-stop and even when his time was up and he was out of the pool he was still kicking. And of course Tyler thought that was funny!

He also did some sit-ups in the pool. Cory would have Tyler sitting in his lap and bring him down to a laying position and Tyler would pull up all by himself holding Cory's hands and was using a lot of his core muscles. Cory also was not supporting Tyler's head this entire time, and Tyler was keeping his chin tucked and not throwing it back (which he does quite often). So that was awesome.

Since he had an awesome day in therapy, I thought I would add a picture of Tyler sitting on his new bench he got for Christmas. He sits on it so nicely, if I say so myself :)

Modified Ball Pit

2011-01-09T19:50:00.000-06:00

Tyler got a sandbox for Christmas that we are going to convert into a ball pit and then if we want we can change it into a sandbox. But honestly I hate the thought of sand getting everywhere. I am sure his therapists would love Tyler playing in sand since it is a good sensory thing but I will have to ponder on doing that for awhile. So for know its a ball pit. The only problem is is that the ball pit is still at my parents house because it didn't fit our car with all the other presents. So for now this will have to do.

Caught In a Tight Spot

2011-01-03T09:37:00.004-06:00

First of all, I want to wish everyone a

Happy and Healthy New Year!!!

I know I have mentioned before that Tyler loves playing with the window blinds and yes he still enjoys playing with them. The other day we were making dinner and we moved Tyler's chair over to the blinds to occupy him while we finished up dinner. He was having a blast but I think the blinds won this time.

Christmas - Part 5

2010-12-31T09:42:00.002-06:00

Christmas with the Mirly's (my side)

Tyler sitting on his new bench that his Grandpa made.

Christmas - Part 4

2010-12-30T17:29:00.000-06:00

Random Pictures with Travis' side

Tori, Eli, Tyler & Christian

Tyler with his Grandma Vickie

The boys

Tori starting to perk up after having the stomach bug

Travis didn't feel very comfortable blowing air into this part of the Rody (hehe).

Christmas - Part 3

2010-12-29T21:06:00.004-06:00

The Lego King

Christian has earned the title of the Lego King. As soon as he finished opening up all of his gifts, he began to assemble the mountain of lego sets he received this year.

Here is some of the Lego's he got, I think there is 2 missing from the picture.

As soon as he finished one set he began on the next. He did not want to stop. After 10 hours of assembling and over 2000 pieces total, he finished all of them. Yes, ALL of them.

This is the biggest one of them all, totally 900 pieces.

Christmas - Part 2

2010-12-28T21:45:00.004-06:00

Christmas Morning

I was sort of excited for Christmas morning. I have never experienced seeing kids wake up in the morning and run down the stairs to see if Santa had come. I was excited to see their faces as their eyes widen as they saw all the presents.

Tresa & Huts have 3 kids: Christian, Tori and Eli. The night before Christian & Tori were all excited that the following day was Christmas and that Santa would be coming. Eli is still a little young to know what is going on and Tyler really doesn't understand the concept either.

By the time Christmas morning came, the stomach bug hit Tori. So there wasn't the mad dash down the stairs to see what Santa brought for her. But Christian, Eli and Tyler enjoyed unwrapping all their gifts and Tori decided to join a little later. I felt so sorry for her because this happened to her last year. Poor little girl. The stomach bug later got to Eli. Luckily no one else came down with it.

Christian enjoyed getting Legos after Legos. He is pretty much obsessed with Legos and is called the Lego king. Eli enjoyed his Handy Mandy toy, Spongebob and remote control car. Tori got several baby dolls, Strawberry Shortcake, and princess toys. Tyler got a Rody, some books, a Sit-n-Spin, a lightsaber and an Iron Man toy.

They enjoyed playing with their toys the remainder of the day. Especially Christian with all of his Lego making (see more on that tomorrow from the Lego King).

Christian passing out the presents

Eli

Christian

Tyler

Tori

Christmas - Part 1

2010-12-26T21:39:00.002-06:00

A White Christmas

The Christmas season has come and gone and has been filled with many joyous memories. This year was a little different. It was our first time spending Christmas out of town. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Travis' side of the family. It was well over due. We stayed at his sisters and brother-in-laws (Tresa & Huts) house.

They live in Peoria, IL and we were expecting to have a white Christmas. It had snowed before we got there and snow continued to fall Christmas Eve. It was really pretty. We see snow in Southeast Missouri but don't have many white Christmas'. Although they did have one this year. Snow just makes Christmas that much more merrier :)

Slacking

2010-12-21T22:04:00.000-06:00

First of all, let me apologize for going so long without posting. It has been crazy busy around here lately. It always seems we try to squeeze as much as possible in before the end of the year with doctor appointments. Tyler is doing well and pretty much back to his normal self since his hip surgery. We have 1 more appointment on Thursday for his 12 week post-op. If everything checks out okay, I believe she will be discharging us and we will only need to come back on an as-needed basis.

We have also been busy decorating, baking cookies, Christmas shopping and all the other fun stuff that goes with this time of year. I will try to update more often but don't hold me to it. But for now let me leave you with this picture.

Tyler says HO HO HO!!!!

Moving more freely

2010-11-30T21:25:00.001-06:00

Tyler has finally started to move his legs more freely on his own. It only took him 8 weeks post-surgery, LOL. He still doesn't kick them like he did before but I'm sure it won't take him too much longer. Here is a clip of him kicking.

It's so cute seeing him make those little kicking movements.

So Many Things to be Thankful for

2010-11-28T21:55:00.002-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ate a lot of great food and enjoyed each others company. I have so much to be thankful for.

The men playing cards.

The women talking.

Aunt Jen spoiling Tyler

And of course, everybody wanting to spoil the littlest, Baby Tinsley.

Tyler giving high fives and fist pumps.

Not sure where the hat came from but Seth had a fun time playing with it.

And I guess I had to give it a try too.

Here is a little clip of Travis and I playing hide and seek with Seth. It was more of Travis hiding and trying to scare Seth. He was not a fan of wanting to go into any dark rooms (I don't blame him). Although I was trying to encourage him to go into the dark room...I know shame on me :)

Huge Improvements

2010-11-14T18:45:00.002-06:00

Before Tyler's surgery, he would prop sit completely by himself anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes at one time. Now 6 weeks post-surgery, he is sitting anywhere from 4 minutes to a record-breaking of 8 minutes. Yes I said 8 minutes. And this hasn't been a freak coincidence either because he has come close to 8 minutes several different times.

I really think that since his hips are now in the sockets, everything is lined up better and helps his balance. So this makes it easier for him to sit up.

Here is a video of him sitting. I edited the video because he not too entertaining to watch while sitting. He has to use his hands to help steady himself and he is hesitant to actively play with his toys while in this position. So that's why you just got 3 minutes of video instead of the full 6 minutes, which is the total time he sat this time. That is our next goal - to actively play while sitting.

Prayers needed

2010-11-12T21:34:00.000-06:00

One of our good friends Matthew is not doing so well and is in desperate need of your prayers right now. He has been in and out of the hospital for several weeks now. He has been vomiting blood and the doctors aren't sure why or how to stop it. Please keep the entire family in your prayers. We have been blessed to meet this wonderful family and they are so great and my heart just aches for them right now.

The Viking Invader

2010-11-01T21:03:00.000-05:00

We, actually I mean Travis, transformed Tyler's wheelchair into a Viking boat for Halloween. I came up with the idea of making Tyler's chair part of his costume and well Travis took it from there. I think he did an amazing job and Tyler's boat was definitely the talk of the night.

The Viking Invader

Carving Pumpkins

2010-10-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again to carry on the tradition of carving pumpkins. So far every year we have done this, Tyler has not been a fan of helping in the process of gutting and carving the pumpkins. Every year he has pulled his hand away and avoided the situation. Although he does like looking at the end result. Which raises the question.

Why do we do this again?

I always think, well maybe this year he will like it. Maybe he will voluntarily put his hand in the pumpkin. Maybe he will play with the guts of the pumpkin. Just maybe.

If you don't give him the opportunity how will you ever know if he likes it or not. At least he is a good sport about it and tolerates it very well.

Tyler: "You are crazy if you think I am putting my hand in there."
"No mom, get it away"

"Seriously, get this off my tray."

The Final Product

Back at School

2010-10-27T12:20:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was Tyler's first day back at school since his surgery. He has been out for 3 1/2 weeks. His cast was removed last Thursday and he is still extremely stiff and not wanting to move his legs on his own yet. So we have been doing a lot of range of motion and stretching for him. He is not a huge fan of this and really hates it when you have to move him. It's almost harder to see him like this now than it was when he was in his cast and after surgery. Recovery STINKS!!!

We wanted to ease him back into the swing of things, so he only went to school for half the day. And I think that was plenty for him to start with. He was pretty worn out last night and didn't sleep the greatest. I think he was just overly exhausted and maybe a little sore from all the extra moving and stretching. We are going to try for a full day today and so far so good.

The Cast is Off

2010-10-22T07:10:00.000-05:00

It's been 3 weeks since Tyler's surgery and he finally got his cast off yesterday. He has done extremely well with the cast and it didn't seem to bother him too much. Although I think he was starting to get annoyed with it towards the end.

Really 3 weeks is not that long for a cast. But Tyler's situation was a little different. There was nothing broken directly under the cast, all it was doing was keeping his legs in place so they wouldn't come out of the hip socket. So 3 weeks was all he needed.

Even though 3 weeks isn't long for a cast, it is still a long time for your legs to stay in the same position the entire time. So we expected his legs would be very stiff once the cast was removed. And of course, they were. He did not want to bend them at all. So the best thing we can do for him now is range of motion.

Using the blanket to drown out the noise of the drill.

It didn't work. He hated it the entire time.
FYI
For anyone who has to have a cast removed, bring an ipod or ear muffs (anything to drown out the noise)

FREEDOM!!!

"Hmmm, so this is what's been on my legs for the last 3 weeks."

"It's Magic" says Dad

2010-10-15T07:08:00.000-05:00

So I had a comment from Jill yesterday about how we got shorts on Tyler. According to Travis it was magic, with the help of scissors and velcro. So I thought I would post about how we figured it out.

With a cast like Tyler's it was definitely going to be challenging. I am not a seamstress at all. I'd be good if I can sew on a button. I have learned to stitch the waist of Tyler's pants and that's about it. Since Tyler is so small, most of his pants and shorts need to be taken in at the waist. So that has been about my limit with sewing/stitching. I'm not even sure if stitching is the right term :-) All I use is a needle and thread. Sewing machines are too complicated.

So what I did was cut the crotch out of each leg. I then placed small strips of velcro about an inch apart. I thought I was going to have to stitch each piece of velcro but the type of velcro I bought was sticky on one side so I was lucky enough that I was able to stick each piece of velcro where they needed to be and they stuck without falling off. Luckily he won't be needing these for very long because I'm not sure how long the velcro will stick.

Now that the velcro was in place, it was time to put the shorts on. But the waist of the shorts was not wide enough to go over his cast, which we knew it wouldn't. So instead we put the shorts on over his head and down his belly all the way down to his waist and then fastened the velcro tabs in place. Luckily he's a small guy and doesn't have a huge belly.

The crotch cut out.

Placing the velcro.

The final product.

He's back (sort of)

2010-10-13T11:20:00.002-05:00

Tyler's personality is back. He is still on the pain medication but for the most part he is tolerating the pain fairly well. He still gets the med Oxydodone, but has been able to go every 5-6 hours instead of every 4 hours. The other med Valium, which helps with muscle spasms, has only needed about once a day if even that. I didn't even have to give the Valium to him the day before. This makes me very happy because this is the one that zapped his personality. Now if we can get rid of that cast he would be back to normal.

Before we left for the hospital, we lined every thing up with the school and therapy schedules. The school is providing in-home therapy for 2 hours each day until he is ready to go back to school. Yesterday his physical therapist came and she worked with helping him prop sit and head control. She also laid him on his belly. This was a little tricky with his cast and all. But we figured it out and Tyler tolerated that for about 10 minutes. Did I say how much of a trooper he is? He is so0o amazing!!

Tyler playing peek-a-boo with the pillow.

Tyler swinging with dad.
And yes, I know, he STILL has a balloon in his hand. He pretty much has not let go of those balloons since he got them. I don't know what we are going to do once they deflate.

Where's my Tyler?

2010-10-07T21:40:00.001-05:00

Since Tyler has had surgery, he has been on some pretty strong pain medication. The doctors say the first 3 weeks are the hardest and most painful. After the first 3 weeks is when we will start to "ween" him from the pain medication. The medication can be given as needed or every 4 hours. So far, Tyler has seemed to be needing it every 4 hours. He has a second pain med that helps with muscle spasms that can be given every 6-8 hours or as needed. So far, he only needed this once today.

Usually after I give him his medicine he is very tired and has a dazed look on his face. I really hate seeing him like this but I also don't want to see him in any pain, because when he gives that look of pain, it just breaks my heart.

Dazed look

I can't wait for these 3 weeks to be over, so I can finally get the real Tyler back. Now I don't want you to think that he just lays around and looks like this the entire day. He does give some smiles and Travis even had him laughing tonight. So I am sure we are on the right path to getting our Tyler back.

Home Sweet Home

2010-10-06T21:50:00.001-05:00

We made it home this afternoon after being in the hospital for 5 nights. I was a little worried about the 2 hour drive home but Tyler is such a trooper and made it the entire way without stopping. We made sure to give him his pain medication right before we left in hopes it would make him more comfortable. I guess it did because he slept the entire way home. He wasn't very happy when we got home though and I think the trip made him pretty sore. He has been flinching and cries out every time you tried to move him or touch him. Hopefully tonight won't be too bad for him and he will sleep without too much pain.

Poor little guy is hating us right now and the next couple of weeks is going to be tough on him as he begins to recover. Travis and I have adjusted our work schedules so one of us can be home with him for the next 2 weeks. After that, we will see how he is and hopefully he will be ready to go back to school. But right now, we are just taking it day by day.

Tyler in his carseat. We were lucky enough that he fit in his seat so we didn't have to get anything else. Good thing he is a little guy :)

Thank you again for all the prayers.

HOME!!!

2010-10-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

We are going HOME!!!

Day 4 continued...

2010-10-04T21:25:00.000-05:00

Well Tyler ended up not taking a nap but we still made it out to the rooftop garden of the hospital. It is so peaceful and beautiful up there. When Tyler was born and we spent 3 weeks in the hospital, Travis and I spent many hours in the garden. It was a place where you can clear your mind and/or just think and pray. I started to add the images to the blog and there was just too many, so I thought it would be easier to put them in a slideshow. Sorry there is no music attached.

Here's a few other pictures from our time in the hospital. And the video that didn't downloaded from my post the day before.

Tyler sitting in a wheelchair for the 1st time after surgery. It's a little big for him so we had to modify it with a LOT of pillows. The PT didn't think his personal Kid Kart would be wide enough for his cast. We ended up trying it the second time and it worked well, if ours didn't work we were going to have to take this big monster wheelchair home with us. So thank the Lord we don't have to do that.

Tyler watching the balls fall.

Video that was suppose to be in the post the day before but it kept timing out on me and I forgot to delete the sentence about it before I posted. So here it is, Tyler "passing time".

Day 4

2010-10-04T14:51:00.000-05:00

There has been a lot of changes today. But change is GOOD! Changes mean a day closer to going home. One of the biggest changes today was removing the epidural. He received an epidural prior to surgery to help with pain control. But today they removed that so they can begin changing to oral pain medication. He was receiving Valium every 6 hours (through IV) along with the epidural. Now he will be receiving Oxycodon every 4 hours orally in addition to the Valium through IV. They will eventually remove the Valium probably sometime later tonight or tomorrow morning depending upon his tolerance level.

Another change that happened today is transfers. He finally got to get out of bed and transfer to a wheelchair. He tolerated this wonderfully and sat up for 2 hours the very first time. He probably could have sat up a little longer but lets not push it too far yet. Baby steps are good.

The last thing that is making him feel better is being able to poop. Due to all the meds and everything else that's going on he has been getting constipated. He has always had issues with constipation but last night you could tell he was not comfortable. His stomach was very extended, to the point his belly button was an outie instead of an innie. He slowly started to go this morning and then when he heard he was going to have to be given a suppository he finally went on his own. So he has been smelling up the room quite nicely (well not nicely but you know what I mean). Being able to poop is good.

Now that his epidural is out. We are going to be able to take Tyler outside to the hospital rooftop garden to enjoy this beautiful fall weather we are having. So when he wakes up from his nap, we hope to get him out of the room and enjoy that sunshine. I'll post some pictures later tonight.

We have also been talking about discharge. The earliest would be tomorrow but we are kind of thinking Wednesday will be the big day. Keep your fingers crossed that changing to oral meds will control his pain and we will be on the right path.

Thank you again for all the prayers, they are definitely working.

Happy Anniversary

2010-10-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

7 years ago today, I married the best person in the world. He has been my rock during the rough times and the guy who stole my heart with his sense of humor and charming good looks (I know sappy sappy).
We may not have thought our lives would have turned out the way they have but they have made us who we are today and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. And I am so glad we are taking this path together.

I love you Travis!!

Picture from our honeymoon.
I wanted to put a picture from our actual wedding day but didn't have access to it since we are in the hospital :o)

Day 3

2010-10-03T18:25:00.001-05:00

It's Day 3 in the hospital (2nd day post-op). Tyler was moved out of the ICU yesterday and onto the main floor. It is much more peaceful on this floor. They actually changed the trashed during normal day time hours and not at 1am like they did in the ICU. Doesn't quite make sense to me but whatever. So far we have no roommate so it has been wonderful and spacious in the room. There is a couch and a chair that folds out to sleep on and our OWN bathroom. So keep your fingers crossed we don't get a roommate.

Tyler's heart rate was still in the 150's when he got moved from the ICU to the main floor. They weren't too concerned about it and thought it was just elevated due to possibly pain and a little bit of blood loss from surgery. Yesterday afternoon it seemed to creep up a little higher and into the 160-170's. They ordered some blood work and since the counts came back a little on the low side, they decided to give him a blood transfusion today. So hopefully that will help lower his heart rate.

The other big thing that happened today was that he finally got to eat. So far he has been on a clear liquid diet. The day of his surgery, Tyler was nauseous and wasn't able to keep anything down, medicine or water. Yesterday he was able to keep water and juice down all day. So finally this morning, they cleared him from that diet. I was a little skeptical about feeding him (just because I thought he would get nauseous) but I knew that he had to be hungry. For breakfast he ate the ENTIRE bowl of oatmeal and all of his spaghetti and applesauce for lunch. So far he has been keeping everything down, so I guess he proved me wrong. When it comes to that, Tyler can prove me wrong any day.

Under all circumstances, Tyler has been in a comparable mood. He has been awake most of yesterday and today. He slept fairly well last night (except for the vital checks every 4 hours). But after not sleeping at all in the ICU, we'll take 4 hours at a time. We've had several visitors yesterday and a couple today. So thank you for all those who came to see us. The hardest thing is passing time in the hospital. You can tell that Tyler is bored. He has watched cartoons and movies but his favorite thing to pass the time is playing with his balloons.

Tyler with his balloons and other gifts that people have sent.

Tyler watching his favorite cartoon (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) and even smiling and laughing

Here's a video of Tyler "passing time"

Surgery Update

2010-10-01T19:25:00.005-05:00

Tyler made it through surgery. We're staying at least 1 night in the Pediatric ICU because there were some concerns about Tyler's heart rate. It spiked a little during surgery, and is still just a little higher than normal. So hopefully tomorrow he'll be back to normal and we can be moved to a regular room.

Thank you to everyone who has been thinking of us today and keeping us in your prayers. We truly appreciate them ALL.

Waiting before surgery
I think he knew something was up because every time a nurse would come in to take his vitals or the anesthesiologist came to talk to us he would curl his lip.

Tyler being wheeled off
Tyler was actually smiling real big as he was being wheeled down the hall. I think he thought he was going on some kind of ride (If he only knew then where he was going).

The waiting begins.

Resting peacefully with security toy in hand..aka his football.

Not to fond of his cast

Surgery

2010-09-30T16:13:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day, Tyler is going to be having surgery on his hips. Click here to read a previous post about the details.

We met with several doctors today and anesthesia to make sure everything was lined up for tomorrow. We met with his neurosurgeon to make sure his shunt was still working and not going to cause any problems. I'm sure we would already know if his shunt malfunctioned but just wanted to make sure. We then met with his ortho surgeon just to go over some last minute details and to get one more x-ray. Then it was off to the surgery floor and get a tour of where we were going tomorrow and meet the anesthesiologist.

The surgery will last approximately 5 hours and is a pretty intense procedure. The surgeon, Dr. Keeler, said the recovery time can be very painful and can be a shock for little kids. Just because they don't know what to expect. I am sure that Tyler will do fine but it is going to be tough seeing him in that much pain. It breaks my heart that I won't be able to do much for him. Dr. Keeler said the first 3 weeks are the worst. We plan to be in the hospital for about 5 days, depending upon how Tyler tolerates everything.

I keep telling myself that Tyler will do just fine and pray that God will watch over him during surgery.

Also, Tyler wanted to say he is a tough guy and will do just fine and he even wore his tough guy shirt today to remind me.

Feeling Anxious

2010-09-29T07:49:00.001-05:00

Tyler's hip surgery is in 2 days and I am beginning to feel anxious. I am not sure which is worse an emergency surgery or a planned surgery. Neither is fun, but there is something about a planned surgery that just worries me. There is just too much time to think about it, all the what if's and trying to stay healthy.

I like to plan things and make sure everything is in line. But how do you plan for surgery. Well so far:

We have our work schedules adjusted

We have our bags packed (kind of)

Hotel room booked for the night before surgery (so we don't have to drive 2 hours the morning of his surgery)

Tyler's school schedule adjusted (he will be out for approximately 3 weeks)

Normal therapy canceled and tentatively scheduled for when we are back home

I will have Tyler's blanket, his donkey that he sleeps with every night and some of his favorite toys packed.

That's the easy stuff though. It's the anticipation of Tyler going in for surgery that no parent wants their child to go through. But I know that God will be watching over him and I have to put my faith in him that everything will be okay.

Land

2010-09-22T22:05:00.001-05:00

Back in March we sold our house after being on the market for 8 months. I was a little leery that we weren't going to be able to sell it, especially in this housing market slump. But at the time the government was offering the first time home buyer credit that had me wishing it would sell. So I guess 8 months isn't that bad. Once the house sold we didn't want to jump into anything and settle on something that we could make work. I wanted something that would work for our entire family. So in the meantime, we are renting a duplex. We looked at houses and just were not finding the "right" one.

So we thought maybe we should look at land and possibly build instead. I really liked this idea because then we can make it just how we want. So a different type of search began and let me tell you, looking at houses is more fun than looking at land. When looking at houses there is something physical in front of me and a house to walk through, when looking at land there is nothing except dirt. I am not a visionary or an imaginative person, so it was hard for me to look at a piece of empty land and visualize a house in front of me. At least when we were looking at houses there was something physical there and I could say I like this part and I don't like that part. But that is also going to be the benefit of building because when I walk into my new house I won't be able to walk around and say I don't like that. I WILL like it ALL (at least I hope).

We didn't look long before we found the piece of land we fell in love with. It was the right size/acreage, same school district, perfect location (just a little bit out of town but not too far) and the best part is that it has lake-front access. Now before you get too excited, this lake isn't the type of lake that you would go skiing on but it is big enough to take a small boat out on and go fishing. Travis is already getting excited about taking Tyler fishing and how to modify his Kid Kart so his fishing pole will be attached to his chair. I guess, boys need to be boys :-)

So now the planning begins. We have already met with an architect and he has drawn up some plans to meet our needs. We are needing to make a few changes to the plans but we are well on our way. One of the things that I am most excited about is making a house accessible for Tyler. He will have his very own bathroom with roll-in shower, wider doorways throughout the house and an open concept. I am sooo excited!!!

Now if we can just move in tomorrow, my dreams would come true. But I guess that's not going to happen.

View from the road - we have a total of 2 acres

We are standing about where the back of the house will be.

Travis & Tyler in front of the lake.

The Fair

2010-09-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

We took Tyler to the annual fair again this year. He seem to enjoy it. He enjoyed riding the rides and of course the best part was the food. Mmmmm!

Waiting in line for the merry-go-round.

Round 2
on the merry-go-round.
Riding the ferris wheel.
I love Tyler's face in this picture. We were sitting still for awhile as people were unloading and loading. And Travis took the picture as soon as we started moving again. Every time we would move we would make this face and gasp. He wasn't quite sure of this ride, but never got upset :-)

The dog ride (I'm not sure what it was actually called).

Appointments & Therapy

2010-09-09T21:55:00.000-05:00

We have had a lot going on the past couple of weeks with doctor appointments and adding additional therapy. Tyler is now receiving an additional 1 hour a week of physical therapy in addition to all the therapy that he receives at school. I am pretty excited about this and hope that this additional therapy will help him get stronger. At this new facility he will be receiving 30 minutes of water therapy and 30 minutes of land. I think it's kind of funny how they call it land/water therapy :)

We have also been meeting with an orthopedic doctor about Tyler's hips. Apparently, his hips have been dislocated for some time now. The way his femur bone is growing, it is growing straight up, instead of up and in towards the hip socket. The result of this is that the hips are compensating for this and are growing out instead of growing in and around the femur bone.

The doctor says that this is not painful to Tyler right now but as he continues to grow it will be. Unfortunately the plan to correct this is surgery. So on October 1, Tyler will undergo his 3rd surgery. They will be doing 3 different procedures during the surgery. The first is a Femoral Derotational Osteotomy, which will redirect the femur bone to grow into the hip socket. The second is a Dega Osteotomy. Tylers hip sockets are very shallow and this procedure will deepen the socket of the hip, to help prevent future dislocation. And finally the 3rd is a soft tissue release. This will help with flexibility.

So that is the plan. I am definitely not looking forward to another surgery but if this is going to help Tyler in the long run, then I am all for it.

The Sweetest Thing Ever

2010-09-08T22:06:00.000-05:00

First of all, let me mention that Tyler is not fond on babies. He really hates when they cry.

In therapy today, his therapist, Brandy, was working on pretend play and trying to get Tyler to feed the "pretend" baby. And yes, when I told Travis that Tyler played with babies today in therapy, he was not too happy. But he'll get over it. Tyler wasn't into feeding the baby at all. So the baby was laying in front of him while Brandy and I were talking a little bit (which we end up doing quite often). So as we were talking, Tyler grabbed the baby, gave it a hug and kissed it right on the cheek. We literally stopped in mid sentence and looked at each other in amazement, saying "Did you just see what he did?" Tyler never gives kisses but even puckered his lips and gave a sweet kiss on the baby's cheek. He then did it again. By this time, I am trying to grab my camera but of course as soon as I do he stops. So Brandy grabbed her phone and tried getting a video and we did. It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen.

Let's read....or not!

2010-09-05T22:01:00.002-05:00

Man have I been slacking. If I waited too much longer, you guys may have decided to change your vote and ask for Tyler's perspective back. So far he has a better track record than I do. I promise I will do much better.

Since Tyler was going to be starting kindergarten, I wanted to buy some books that talked about going to school. I found 2 really cute books.

Ready for Kindergarten, Stinky Face?

and

Llama llama misses mama

I ordered these through Scholastics and unfortunately they didn't come before school started. But they are still really cute books and I thought he would still enjoy them. Well Tyler thought otherwise. The other day, he was playing on the floor with some toys and amongst those toys were his 2 new books. They weren't even that close to him but he found a way to scoot on over to them. And after being in the room for no more than 10 minutes by himself, this is what I find.
The book is still readable (there's just a big hole in the middle of each page). Good thing the book only cost $2. Luckily he didn't get to the other book.

The Votes Are In

2010-08-25T21:30:00.005-05:00

The votes are in and the winner is
.
.
.
.
Diane's Perspective!!!

It looks like I won't be upsetting to many people. As there were only 2 people who voted for Tyler's perspective. Sorry Tyler :( But just to satisfy those 2 people, Tyler will stop by on occasion. You may have read one of the comments to the post and I have to live with one of those people who voted against me. Click HERE to read that comment.

Hydro Walk - St. Louis

2010-08-21T20:45:00.001-05:00

St. Louis hosted their 4th annual Hydrocephalus Walk. This was our 2nd time attending. The Walk helps raise awareness and helps support the Hydrocephalus Association's mission to fund innovative research and provide support, education and advocacy for individuals, families and professionals dealing with hydrocephalus.

The St. Louis Walk was a huge success and raised $24,519 and counting. They had some fun activities for the kids, like face painting, a clown who made balloon animals, and other fun games. Fred Bird, the Cardinals mascot, was even there. Unfortunately, we did not get Tyler's picture taken with him. The actual walk was a 1 mile walk through the park which was a nice leisurely stroll.

This year, Tyler's Team consisted of me, Travis, Joann (Tyler's Grandma), Vickie (friend) and Chrissi (friend from high school) and of course Tyler. It was a wonderful surprise when I saw Chrissi at the park when we arrived. She is a good high school friend which I have not talked to in ages (I think since high school). It was so great to see her and for her to surprise us was just awesome. Thank you guys for all coming and walking with us.

Also THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who donated to this great cause!!!

Group picture of everyone affected by hydrocephalus

Owen & Tyler
This was the best shot I got of the boys. LOL It was hot and Owen was just waking up from a nap.
Owen and his parents were planning to go on our Niagara Falls trip but had to back out. So it was so nice to actually meet them in person.

Let the Walk begin.

From R to L: Vickie, Chrissi, Joann, Tyler & me

From R to L: Vickie, Chrissi Joann, Tyler and Travis

Tyler enjoying some ice cream after the walk...mmmm!

Who's perspecitve?

2010-08-18T11:42:00.005-05:00

Originally, my husband, Travis, set up Tyler's Caringbridge Site when Tyler was in the hospital. Once we made it home, he decided to start a blog. Once he got the blog up and running, he made me in charge of the documenting. When he first began writing, he decided to write his page in Tyler's point of view. So when I started to take over, I continued this trend.

However, recently I have been debating on changing it and writing in my own point of view. I would still document about Tyler's life and his everyday happenings and this will still be HIS page. But it would be in my point of view. But I wanted to ask my readers what they like.

To vote, click on Tyler or Diane on the sidebar under Who's Perspective. I will have the poll up for a week, so let me know what you prefer.

Kindergarten

2010-08-16T16:34:00.006-05:00

Today was a BIG day. Tyler started his first day of kindergarten. I think I was more nervous than he was, so much that I barely got any sleep the night before. Of course, Tyler slept great and was well rested for his big day. I knew he would do well but I was still anxious and wasn't for sure how he would do being at school the ENTIRE day. The past 2 years he has gone to the same school for Early Childhood. So he and I were familiar with the transition process, teachers, and therapists. The only difference is that Early Childhood was only for half days and kindergarten is full days (8am-3pm). He does great not getting a nap everyday but I just knew this would wear him out. He was a big boy and didn't even cry (which I knew he wouldn't). Sometimes I wish that he would care a little bit when I left but I guess it makes it easier on us both. And I was pretty proud of myself for not crying. I still can't believe he is in kindergarten. So I left him with bookbag and lunch bag in hand and went on my way.

On my way to where though. It was such a big day for him that I thought it was worth taking off work too. But what was I going to do the whole time he was at school? Before I only had 2-3 hours before I had to pick him up again. But now I had 7 hours all to myself. So I ran some errands in the morning, did a load of laundry, cleaned the kitchen and then in the afternoon I pampered myself. I decided to get a pedicure. I was long overdue for one. I decided to have Tyler ride the bus home (well really to the babysitters) and I picked him up from there. This is where he will usually get dropped off and I didn't want to cause any confusion or have him ride a different bus just for this one day. He was super excited to see me when I got him off the bus. He has been in a great mood since we have been home and we will see how much they wore him out and if he is ready to go to bed earlier than normal.

Tyler with his teachers Ms. Kia, Ms. Misty and Ms. Shelly

Me & Tyler
Tyler on the bus.
I kind of startled him at first as you can see from the picture. After that I got a HUGE smile!

Today marks a big day for Tyler and my blog. Today marks my 300th post.
WhooHoo!!!

Niagara Falls Vacation - Part 5

2010-08-13T18:50:00.000-05:00

Random Photos

Morning in the Park

Amanda & Isaac
Tyler, Elisabeth & Matthew

Elisabeth & Matthew cuddling (their arms are even interlocked)

Tyler & Isaac

I'm not sure why this photo is turned I tried reloading it several times

Cayman & TylerCayman playing peek-a-boo with Megan & Mason.Tyler meeting Ben & JoeThe siblingsAll of the momsThe wedding we attended. It was quite amusing.

Niagara Falls Vacation - Part 4

2010-08-12T21:11:00.004-05:00

Memories

Some of the memories that I want to remember from this trip.

Traveled 1750 miles total
Traveled through 6 states
Getting lost in downtown Cincinnati
Meeting 7 wonderful families (The Stamms, Soldatke's, Sorenson's, Wease's, Averett's, Higgin's and Atkin's)
Sitting out by the pool until almost midnight talking
Eating at Mille's Buffet where we should of dined and dashed (it was awful and too expensive)
The morning in the park
Watching all the kids play
Attended a wedding
Eating at Bob Evans for Donald's Birthday
Listening to Lisa's rap
Experiencing the Maid of the Mist
And of course, The Falls

I'm sure I could mention more but that's all I can think of now.

Niagara Falls Vacation - Part 3

2010-08-11T21:49:00.005-05:00

The Falls

View UpstreamThe edge of the Falls
View from Goat Island

Rainbow Bridge

Niagara Falls Vacation - Part 2

2010-08-10T20:05:00.004-05:00

Maid of the Mist

One of the things that was at the top of my to do list was partaking in the Maid of the Mist. The Maid of the Mist is a 20 minute boat ride along the bottom of the falls. The falls are absolutely breathtaking and seeing them up close is even more breathtaking.
Don't let the name Maid of the Mist fool you though because it was no mist. We were drenched after our 20 minute ride. They do give you rain ponchos (pretty much a plastic bag) to wear but they just don't do much justice. Even though we got drenched, it was so much fun!

I wasn't for sure how Tyler was going to like it, because he hates it when wind and rain hit his face. But we were going to try it anyways. I'm so glad we did because he LOVED it. It may have been because he had a big trash bag over him. And let me tell you he loves trash bags at least when you shake them.
Jill, Michelle, Kristen and Diane

Cayman & Kristen

An After Shot

Niagara Falls Vacation - Part 1

2010-08-08T21:12:00.008-05:00

Meeting other Hydro Families

One word to describe our trip to Niagara Falls was AMAZING!!!

The main purpose of this trip was to meet other families with kids with hydrocephalus. I have met some wonderful people through other blogs and facebook in hopes of one day meeting them in real life. This past week those hopes and dreams came true. We met up with 7 other families. It was such a surreal moment when meeting them for the first time. It was almost like we had been friends forever but had never met.

Left to Right: Tyler, Elijah, Isaac, Elisabeth, Matthew, Cayman, Owen

Tyler & Ben

I have never met a better group of ladies. These woman are some of the strongest and most amazing people I have ever met.

Left to Right: Diane, Amanda, Jennifer, Michelle, Jill, Lisa & Kristen