Date Nights

I am the only girl in our household.... but I don't mind....  I love my tough guys.

Sometimes they all blank out in true male fashion and stare at the TV.... like above.  They play basketball, tackle football, and have wheelchair races around the house.  I am sure these activities will one day break something special to me.  These activities might raise my blood pressure once in a while, but when it comes right down to it; I wouldn't have it any other way.  

My tough guys bring me such joy, peace and love.  The littlest tough guy, Isaac gives the best kisses.  And though I feel bad when Isaac turns his head away from daddy to give me a kiss instead, it secretly melts my heart.  I love the way he reaches for me to pick him up in the morning and I love the way he rubs my eyelashes as he falls asleep nursing at night.  

Gabe, my middle man is like a ball of warm, happy energy.  Always looking for the fun in life.  He gives the best hugs and I love the conversations we have been having lately... Recently every time we ride in the car we rate the songs on the radio... "is this your favorite song, mommy?" and "do you love this song too?"  

And Dan, he is my rock.  Always sturdy and strong on the outside caring, generous and loving on the inside.  He will do anything for our little boys and myself.  I am so thankful our little boys have such a role model to look up to.  

I am one lucky girl.  2013 has treated me to many date nights with these guys.  We have been so blessed that we have family and friends that have been so generous to offer their time to babysit our boys.  Since Isaac's birth it has been hard to get out a lot, just Dan and I.  Not because people didn't offer, but between breastfeeding, learning his care, trying to create routines,etc, etc.... life got busy. This was true after Gabe was born too, I just forgot about it.  I think our date nights have been good for the boys as well.  Isaac is learning how to see me leave him without crying and learning that others can put him to bed too.  Gabe is thrilled when others watch him and I think he takes those opportunities to get as much playing time in as possible!  Dan and I have enjoyed our time out together.  Not because we don't love being with our boys because we do, but because it's good for us to just be each other without worrying about being mommy and daddy for a little bit.  Of course we think about the boys and our conversations often are about them, but it's nice to not be interrupted by 20 questions, dropped sippy cups and restroom trips.  It is fun to actually go out to eat at a nice restaurant and take a stroll hand in hand downtown.  

Dan and I have also been able to take the boys on special dates too.  On Martin Luther King Day, Dan ventured out with the boys to COSI, a science museum nearby.  The boys had so much fun and so did Dan.  With Dan working and me staying home with the boys, he doesn't always get to have this one on one time with them.  I could tell he really valued this special day.  I was eager to hear that Dan also tried new ways to help Isaac be more mobile.  He figured out a way to take him and his little ZipZac chair out and about.  He loaded Isaac and the little wheelchair (which is only meant for inside use because there is no handle or brakes) into our double stroller.  He then was able to let Isaac play in his ZipZac in the play zone.  Isaac loved this independence!  And of course, he inspired the adults around him as he zipped from toy to toy.  Isaac loved the water table too!  

Dan has had some late night work functions so I have taken that opportunity to take the boys out and about.  Wednesday night I took the boys to the mall and played at the indoor playground.  They both loved it.  At first Isaac was a little annoyed because it is a hard place for him to play.  For a child that can't walk or climb, climbing toys on playgrounds offer little enjoyment.  I have to hold him up on the oversized climbing animals and help him down the slide.  But while we were playing Gabe offered to hold Isaac and go down the slide with him.  I was hesitant at first, but the slide was little so I let him.  It worked out really well.  Gabe and Isaac both laughed the whole time and wanted to keep sliding.  Gabe learned a bit of responsibility and Isaac had to trust him!  We topped our date off with a little Chick-Fil-A and then headed home.  The radio DJ must have known I was out with my boys because as we were driving into our neighborhood the song, Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts came on, one of Gabe's favorite songs.  (Lightning McQueen's theme song must be every 4 year old boy's favorite song.)  It was a good date with my little guys.  I hope that they never feel too old or embarrassed to have date nights with their mama.  

I think it is important to find the time for date nights.  For our family, it helps us to forget about the daily rush of things and just enjoy our little time away.  They don't have to be expensive or elaborate.  The playground was completely free.  While the everyday activities are the experiences that probably shape our children the most, I hope that these special dates with mom and dad will bring great memories.  I am sure their time with grandparents, family and close friends babysitting them will be great fun,  and bring fun memories, but it will also help them know that they have so many people that love them.  

Snow Day!

It snowed sometime last week, so we bundled the boys up and ventured outside.  Isaac has seen snow, but I think this was the first time he really played in it.  

Gabe helped me shovel the driveway and was such a good helper.  I can honestly say, he requested to shovel the drive.  I really didn't put him up to it!  

 

We then woke up Isaac from nap and took him on a sled ride!

Gabe wanted to help pull Isaac.  

And Isaac loved it!

When we went to take Isaac out, he bawled and tugged on his seat belt.  I think he had a good time and hopefully we will get another snow so we can play in the snow again!

One foot, two foot, sock foot, shoe foot...

We have known about Isaac's club feet before he was born.  On our 24 week ultrasound when we learned about Isaac's spina bifida, and omphalocele and also his bilateral club feet.  To be honest, it was the least of my worries.

Here is an ultrasound of his little feet moving!  Even his little toes were wiggling!  It is always my proof that he did once have movement!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EDsQj6yLg

When he arrived into this world and I tickled his little toes, I couldn't help but melt over his tiny, precious, crooked little feet.  They were seriously the tiniest feet I had ever seen.  They just barely filled Dan's pointer finger.

They were quite prominently clubbed at birth, however we noticed after he had his spinal surgery, everything seemed to relax a bit.  His toes still pointed inward and down, however not as much as before.  We continued to wait to fix his feet until he had recovered fully from his spine surgery and bladder and pelvic surgery.  The process to fix his clubbed feet would consist of a series of castings to slowly bend out his feet.  After months of casts, he would then probably need a surgery to clip his heal cord and finally he would then have boots made that he would wear for several years to come.  

Last week we went to see Isaac's orthopedic doctor to proceed with his feet repair.  When he examined his feet he was surprised to see that they are no longer clubbed.  They do point downward but they didn't seem to be clubbed!  From what I understand, his repair will begin with a small surgery to clip/release his heal cord as it is very tight making the feet point down.  Before he leaves surgery they will put casts on his feet so that his feet will stay in the corrected position.  He will have these casts on for three weeks while they make AFO's for him.  AFO's are ankle-foot-orthotics.  They are little braces molded specifically for his foot so that his foot will have support to stay in the correct position.  He will most likely wear these for a long time.  The AFO's will help his feet from going back to how they were.  Since they are not clubbed we have avoided weekly cast changes to turn the feet outward which would have consisted of 6 to 12 weeks of casting.

What does it mean to have his feet fixed since he can not walk or stand?  It may give him the chance to stand in the support of a stander someday so that he can be upright at times.  It also means that he will be able to finally wear shoes that will actually fit and stay on his feet (sometimes we try to cram his little feet in shoes, but usually they just fall off).  Being a shoe lover, this brings me great excitement!

18 months!

This is almost a month behind now, but our little man is 18 months old already!  

Isaac had his 18 month check up with his pediatrician Friday.  Overall, he is doing great, but he did not gain any weight since his last checkup in a month.  His growth chart is a bit at a plateau and he is very small for his age in both weight and height.  He has become a very picky eater and we are a little concerned. We just want to know we are doing everything we can to help him reach his maximum growing potential.  This is an area that I hope and pray to see much improvement in and one we will continue to work on.  

On another note, I must add that he really has been surprising us lately with great milestones.  Just today he rolled for the first time ever from his back to his tummy on the floor without any support!  He then proceeded to push himself up on his hands and knees.  He tried so hard to sit up from that position but his little legs got in the way.  He has no feeling from his waist down and his legs are very floppy so we help him to move his legs around to get into a sitting position.  He must watch us do this because he touched his leg like he knew he needed to pull it around. If he would have had the strength to lift his leg with his arms he would have accomplished getting into a sit on his own! 

  His vocabulary is growing and he is very loud.  He has changed from calling his big brother from "bubba" to "Babe" (Gabe).  He knows what the dog, cow, duck, frog, and cat say.  His favorite word is no and is not afraid to use it.... alot!   He knows his family and calls us, mom, dad, Bapaw (for Papa), Mimi (for Grammy), Pap Pap (for Pap Pap) and Mum (for Grandmummy).  

I look forward to seeing what changes and growth will occur in the next six months!  If you are looking for a specific prayer for Isaac, he could use some extra prayers that he has improved feeding and growth.  

     

follow your heart into the new year

Lately, I have been obsessed with these bistro mugs from (www.theuniverseknows.com.  You should check them out!)   Perhaps I should say I am more obsessed with the simple yet thoughtful sayings on them.  This is just one of my three mugs from my new little collection.  

Santa brought this mug to me this year!  So, to Santa, I say, this is my new 2013 motto! Thank you for the idea!

I am not normally one to write down new years resolutions.  I have some in mind and I always feel a strong sense of renewal, but I don't like to write them down and dare I ever tell them to anyone, let alone the internet!  But this year, I feel compelled to share.  I think it gives me a little more responsibility if I share, but also, it only make sense to share.  It's the purpose of my resolution.  

...follow my heart.

We all have purposes and missions in life.  Some of these missions are clear to us and some a bit fuzzy. It takes courage and guidance to better understand them.  Hindsight always gives clarity to some of these purposes.  Today, I was sitting here thinking about why I may have changed majors in college from architecture to teaching.  I had always, since I was about  8 years old wanted to be an architect.  Ever since I saw the most awesome, grand staircase and wanted to learn how to design a house with an awesome staircase like it.  My dad gave me a drawing sheet of drafting paper and my first drafting scale and taught me how to draw to scale. On Saturday nights when most kids were out having fun, I would spend hours at my desk, drawing my dream homes.  (All of which included beautiful grand staircases).  I was hooked and ever since then, I knew I wanted to be an architect.  Architecture classes at Ohio State were intense and bit out there for me, but that wasn't what tore me away from the career.  I knew as I sat in class something was missing in it for me.  I wasn't sure what, but I knew if I chose architecture, I may have felt like I needed more.  After some thought, I realized I needed a profession that I got to be involved in working with children and shaping their lives in positive ways.  I had always babysat and helped out at things like Safety Town in the summers and I always loved it.  I felt like I was making a difference and it felt right.  

So, when I changed majors to early childhood education, I was a bit sad, but I knew in my heart it was the right thing for me to do.  Teaching may have been even more challenging than architecture.  You can stay up drafting and forcing yourself to design, but you can't make 20 tiny, intelligent and spunky 5 year olds to listen to you.  You can do your best to inspire and teach, but ultimately you can't make someone learn.  That is up to each person young or old.   Nonetheless, I did grow to love teaching and ultimately I knew I was fulfilling something that I felt strongly about; helping each child know they are special and unique.  I liked finding each child's unique characteristics and qualities and I loved trying my best to help them use their talents.  It was fun to see how each child brought life to our little classroom community.  

I have not thought much about this for awhile, but recently it dawned on me that perhaps God graced me with a child with a physical disability and a typical child for a reason.  I see that the differences between them are more about differences in their spirits rather than their physical differences.  This year I have decided to follow my heart and do what I can to help this cause.  I am not sure how this will play out or what it will look like, but I will follow my heart in helping children be accepted for their spirits.  I will continue my mission of helping children know they are unique and special.

I realize this might seem like an inappropriate place to share these personal thoughts but they are inspired by Isaac and his attitude. His journey helps me to have a stronger sense that ALL children NEED to know their importance.

 Isaac sees the world without worry or embarrassment that he is "differently abled" than most.  I want him to always feel this way.  I want him to be strong in his sense of self and know that he is one of a kind.  I would like others to see as Isaac sees....without limits .  Likewise, I have another child whom does not have special needs but is just as special as his brother.  Gabe sees his brother without judgement or fear.  He does not see his wheels as a hindrance but just as a part of his brother.  I hope that I can do my best to help others know as Gabriel knows....without judgement.

 

Let's let the greatness of each child shine!  

Merry Christmas to All!

Christmas is hands down my most favorite time of the year.  I probably began listening to Christmas carols a bit prematurely and I will be the first to admit I began putting up my decorations the weekend before Thanksgiving.  It is a fun and busy time of the year for our family.  Isaac's big brother, Gabe turned 4 years old a week before Christmas, we traveled across the state visiting family, watched about every kids Christmas movie out there and we ate way more cookies and treats than one needs to in a month.  It was all well worth it though.  We have great memories and I know the boys had fun.  

Isaac sort of reminded me of an elf this year.  I will also shamelessly admit that I allowed his diet include elf-like indulgences of chocolate milk, fudge, cookies and rice krispy treats. 

We kicked off holiday season with a trip to our Zoo-Lights!  They were awesome!

Isaac helped decorate (er... undecorate) our tree.

Gabe supervised and taste-tested all cookies.

Isaac and Gabe both got really good at wheeling.....

And I enjoyed every snuggle moment I could with these two little monkeys.  

As I sat at Christmas Eve church service at my childhood church, I couldn't help but reflect on this year and all of the blessings that I have been given.  This church, the one that Dan and I were married in, though aren't members as we do not live nearby, have been praying for Isaac ever since they heard of Isaac's surgeries and struggles.  He is continued to be prayed for by this loving community and many other communities.  I was so grateful that he was able to be at this church this Christmas Eve and be a part of the service.  (He and Gabe carried up the horses to the manger scene!).  

The Hymn of the carols reminded me of Christ's love for us all and the light from our candles gave me hope for the future.  I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas full of love, peace and joy.  

Zippy in the ZipZac

Watch out world.... Isaac can move and groove!

It doesn't matter how kids get around; when they do.... your life changes.  You must babyproof!  And life will never be the same....

I remember when Gabe, my first born was a wobbly toddler on his feet.  Toddling, falling, and crawling all over to get to what he wanted.  It was his job to explore his world and it was my job to keep him safe.

Here I am nearly 3 years after the above picture, back at the point of baby proofing my house and finding the best ways to keep my little mover out of trouble.

It is not quite the same as a walker, but the premise is similar   When they are ready and determined they will get where they want one way or another.  I don't have to worry about gating the upstairs steps, but we have to keep the basement door shut.  Falling down the stairs is scary enough, but falling while strapped in a chair could be really bad.  The bathroom door needs to stay shut as I found him with his hands all over the toilet seat the other day and he opens all the kitchen drawers that he can reach.  As you can see from the picture, he loves taking ornaments off the tree too.

Despite the challenges of the active toddler, I really am so thankful that not only is there the perfect chair that fits him to get around in, but that he has the strength in his arms to use that chair.  It might not be the way I once envisioned his first "steps" but I couldn't be more proud of the way he has accomplished his own milestone of moving.

Isaac is zippy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oZE1hvkRMM&feature=plcp