Pictures!

My Handsome First Son What's in here?

T and his silly self trying on his safety glasses:

Jacob, the little sweetheart!

Sleeping, it's what he does all day.

Brothers

The past 5 months in a nutshell...

Well what's been going on in the past five months? LOTS!

1. Thomas turned SIX and had a fabulous birthday party with a bunch of our family friends. He got way too many presents and our house is overrun with all of his toys. Books were (and are) still his favorite items to receive, but he also really liked the "power tools" he got from Grandma Sue.

2. On Thomas' birthday I went to the doctor and was put on bedrest. Turns out my cervix was "funneling" and so I was ordered off my feet as much as possible. I was allowed to continue working, which helped to make the days more bearable.

3. Thomas now knows the entire alphabet. He can identify every letter upon request in any order. He is using his PECS (picture cards) to let us know what he wants (such as orange juice or chocolate milk) and can use them to make complete sentences (such as "I want to go outside please").

4. Thomas now can do the sign for YES. He does it in his own way, which is close to the correct way. He's been doing it for months but I only learned yesterday that he meant YES when he does it. Even so it has made life a lot easier in just the few hours I've known what it means. He picked out where we should go to lunch yesterday using yes and no, and when I asked if he loved me he said yes!

5. Toward the end of my pregnancy (the last three weeks) I was put on complete bed rest. That meant no more going to work, no lifting, no anything. It sucked! I spent a week in the hospital trying to stop labor, and it worked. I managed to keep the baby baking until 35 weeks and 6 days.

6. Jacob Gary was born on April 30, 2009 at 4:49 a.m. He was 6 lbs 0 oz and 19.5 inches. I had another quick labor. My water broke at 2:30 a.m. and contractions started immediately after (every 2 minutes). Jacob came out at the hospital, delivered by my own doctor, after just three pushes. He is now three weeks and 1 day old and doing great. He came home with a bit of jaundice one day after I was released. He had a billi-blanket for just one day and is doing great. Thomas loves him, and has pleasantly surprised us with how little jealousy he shows and how much he seems to like Jacob.

And that's all the major things. During my stint on bedrest Thomas and daddy did lots of bonding and now have a really close relationship. Thomas also became more social due to all the visitors we had here helping out, especially my sister and my mom who spent the most time here helping.

I'll attach some pictures in a seperate post.

Lost Password Recovered

Hi all! I have to apologize for the huge amount of time that has passed since my last blog entry! I had forgotten my password and in the craziness that is life just had no time to spend worrying about it. But I've got it now and plan to try to post regularly once again.

Thanks for your patience. :o)

Speech & Other Updates

Thomas had his last speech appointment yesterday. It was kind of sad but in a way I'm glad to have one less appointment each week. But I was able to show his therapist something cool he picked up over Christmas. His teacher sent home a bunch of sheets with pictures on them. The first row contains "I want" and two other things like that. Then there are three rows of activities and the bottom row says "please" "all done" and something else. I think it was on Christmas Eve that Thomas and I were hanging out waiting for others to wake up and I showed him "I want" "to read a book" "please" and he picked it up right away, all day he would pick up his sheet and point out "I want" "to read a book" "please". Between myself, Aunt Erin, and Grandma Mary we must've read at least 20 books a day. So anyway, yesterday at therapy I took that sheet and asked Thomas what he wanted to do, and of course he wouldn't do it. lol Well his therapist uses a laminated piece of posterboard with velcro on it and the same type of images cut out with velcro on the back for him to choose which activities he wants to do next. It so happened that there were three activities on the board that matched the sheet we brought with us. His first pick was "cards". Well she was supposed to be doing his end of therapy evaluation to show the insurance company how far he's come, so she wasn't really going to do the activities on the board (he got ticked when she didn't have it set up so she set it up just to appease him, Thomas apparently likes having a routine). Well he picked cards and she didn't do cards, so he grabbed his sheet and pointed out "I want" "cards" "please". LOL If he could've talked I can only imagine what he would've been saying "lady, I picked cards so lets do the darn cards!". LOL So she did work on some cards with him after he asked so nicely. After the evaluation he also chose book, which he then pointed out on his sheet ("I want" "to read a book" "please") and then a game ("I want" "game" "please").

It was pretty awesome. I need to decide what other card combinations I'd like made up and see if his teacher will do them up for him to use at home. I'd like to come up with a system using poster board or something to have all the words and commands with all the options and choices he could want permanently placed somewhere in the house. We could do food items using magnets placed on the fridge. I'll have to give it some more thought.
It may not be actual speech, but it's finally an effective way to communicate without the whining and frustration of not knowing exactly what he wants.

Since it has been a while since I've done a Thomas update I can also share that he has mastered the art of shaking his head "no". (Something I've been working with him for literally years) Now that he can do that and knows what it means he is constantly answering questions with an enthusiastic shake of his head. If only he'd get "yes" down too we'd be all set. Right now he is the king of NO. lol

For Christmas we got Thomas a "George" in the box (like a jack in the box, but with Curious George instead of Jack). It took him about ten minutes to master the art of turning the crank. That's a huge thing, at first he couldn't do it at all, now he's a pro, and it requires he use his right hand, which he rarely does, so it's a double bonus as far as fine motor therapy goes.

That's about it for Thomas updates this time around. He is doing so well and learning so much. It's still so exciting every time he learns something new and to see the excitement and pride on his face as he realizes just what he has learned.

If you made it this far thanks for reading and thanks for sharing in my excitement over Thomas' accomplishments.

The boys got skills...

There's not a whole lot to complain about here in Thomas' world. He is doing great in school, and while he never wants to actually get dressed to go, once he's on his way he's happy as a clam. I'm still bribing him each morning with new books (thank goodness for Goodwill!), but hey, we do what we gotta do. Speech therapy is going well, and while he's not talking, his communication skills have improved so much that life around here has gotten a lot easier.

The other day I was sitting near Thomas and asking where certain body parts were, and he correctly pointed to my toes, feet, knees, tummy, hair, head, and when I asked where my mouth was he leaned in and gave me a kiss. I counted that as correct. ;o) He gets confused on eyes and nose however, so we're working on that.

On the baby front, after another couple ultrasounds I am pleased to announce that there is one healthy dancing baby in there. I was sad that the second baby pulled a vanishing act, but one will be easier on everyone, including Thomas. I know he'll have a hard time dealing with having to share the attention, the toys, and *gasp* his books! But we'll get through it. When I ask him where the baby is he will point to my belly, which is so so cute. If I'm too far away when I ask, he'll point to his own belly. LOL I'm getting ready to start weekly progesterone shots to help reduce the risk of another preterm delivery. I'm hoping to find out the gender at one of my weekly ultrasounds that are about to start soon too. Then I can start the serious shopping!

That's about it. We're getting ready for Christmas and I must say I am not prepared at all. I still have gifts to buy and nothing has been wrapped. We took a gift to Thomas' speech therapist yesterday and he got mad that he couldn't open. (really what would he have done with a Yankee Candle anyway?) So I think after I do get the gifts wrapped I won't be able to put them under the tree, because Thomas will open them all the first chance he gets. The tree has been up since the day after Thanksgiving, and he is finally leaving it alone - two broken and one missing ornament later! Don't even get me started trying to count the number of candy canes he has snuck off the tree!

Thomas' daddy and I both turned 30 in November. I don't know if it's the pregnancy or the number but I'm definately feeling OLD lately. I'm guessing it's a combination of both.

Proposition Two

The people of Michigan have spoken. Majority rules and so, it is with great relief and pleasure that I can say Proposition Two has passed!

For those not living in Michigan, Proposition Two made it legal to use embryonic stem cells for research. There are strict regulations on this research, such as the embryo must be one which the people who "own" it have decide not to use it and it will otherwise be discarded. Also, it must be less than a certain number of days old before being frozen. Also the "owners" will have to sign a consent form for researchers to use their embryo's.

I realize this is a controversial issue. Pro-life people think it is as bad as abortion. I am not going to get into that. What I am going to get into is the potential this research has in curing disease's that as of now are incurable. Stem cells have the potential to treat and cure Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Diabetes, Heart problems, CEREBRAL PALSY, and the list goes on and on.

My husband and I are actually going to bank the cord blood stem cells from our new baby and have them injected into Thomas. I have heard stories of children like Thomas, who could not walk or talk, receiving stem cell injections and actually growing brain tissue. The result: they can now walk and talk. Such a simple thing to do, a painless procedure, that can mean so much to a little boy who doesn't yet know that he is different, and a family who knows how hard life is going to be for him.

So thank you to all in Michigan who voted yes. Controversy aside, this research could save and improve millions of lives. Including that of my little boy.

A lot of NEWS!

I have woefully been neglecting my blog. I admit it. However there has been a lot going on around here to keep me busy.

Thomas has completed 8 weeks of pt/ot and is working through his second 12 week session of speech therapy! After all these years of fighting with insurance companies we finally have one that was willing to give speech a chance. They approved 12 visits, and his progress was so good they approved an additional 12. Now, he's still not speaking, not even a single word, but he is comprehending, understanding, following directions, pointing, and making his wants and needs known. It is a huge accomplishment and I am so proud of him!!

We also just received a new set of AFO's, nighttime splints, and a pair of Hatchback shoes for my growing boy. The splints were covered 100% between our two insurances, the Hatchbacks were out of pocket. $65 well spent I would have to say. If you haven't heard of Hatchbacks, they are a pretty neat shoe that actually can be semi-bent to fold open at the sole so they are easier to put on. They are a little wider than regular shoes as well to fit over afo's.

On the momofthomas front, I started a new job. It is a wonderful position in which I help mentally and physically handicapped people to be able to use their computer for fun, work, school, etc. I go to their homes, install hardware and software which makes it easier for them to use their computers. I also teach them different software programs to help with everyday skills they need to get through the day (reading, math, etc). It is a very rewarding job, and the pay is great, but the best part is I can make my own schedule. I work only while Thomas is in school and am home to get him off the bus. I love it! That is the main reason my time here has been limited and some online friends are feeling neglected.

And possibly the biggest news of all: We are expecting a sibling (or maybe two!) for Thomas! Soon I will be momofthomas&____________! I am almost 12 weeks along, my due date is May 30, 2009. At my early ultrasound (I had spotting so they did an ultrasound) they discovered TWO fetal poles! The doctor says there is a chance one of the twins will be what is known as a "vanishing twin". However, at not quite 12 weeks I have already outgrown my regular jeans, even though I have lost 2 pounds. Either it's twins in there, or Godzilla. LOL

I'll post more about my pregnancy later. The doc thinks I have what is known as either a uterine septate or a bicornuate uterus. I have an appointment with a specialist next Thursday to find out more. I'll try my hardest to get back here and update y'all on my progress.