Applause for Avery!

For folks with no Saturday plans, we ended up having a busy day! We started the day off right; Bryson and I made pancakes together, and then we had breakfast as a family. After a little housework, we headed out to a birthday party we weren't told about until last minute. (What can I say? My sister is forgetful!) We got to catch up with some good friends we've not seen in awhile. Life sometimes just gets so busy that it's easy to lose track of time and people! After leaving the party, we went to my in-laws and spent several hours chatting and watching the kids play. That's when the big event occurred!

We've been working on hand clapping w/ Avery for quite awhile now. He just doesn't have great coordination yet and doesn't imitate gestures. I recently discovered that if I held his hands together, he would tap his fingers in kind of a clap that only a desperate mama could appreciate. Today at my in-laws though, he took it to the next level. He actually started putting his hands together on his own! I was so thrilled! When we got home, we practiced his new skill again and again, and of course, I got it on video. See the clip below!


It might seem crazy to get so worked up over a 22 month old clapping his hands. But this is a big milestone for Avery! Sometimes it seems that Avery's new skills are few and far between, so progress in ANY form is exciting. Not only is he clapping, but meaningfully imitating an act and following a verbal direction is big news! I praise God for this! I don't know what the future holds for Avery, or for any of my family for that matter, but tonight I am filled with HOPE. There are many nights I lay in bed worrying about Avery's future, but I believe tonight I'll sleep like a baby!

Picture Day!

It's amazing the extent parents will go to get a smile out of a child! I spent all morning preparing for our picture appoinment; I picked out just the right clothes, trimmed the boys' hair, gave them a bath, and got them ready. After arriving at the studio, I was disappointed that we had almost a 40 minute wait. By the end of our wait, Avery was doing his back arching and whining that he does when he's annoyed, and Bryson had his jacket off and perfectly gelled hairdo a mess. When it was finally our turn, Avery was so ticked off, he had this solemn grimace on his face. The photographer and I did everything we could possibly think of, and Avery just looked at us like we'd lost our marbles. We got a few shots where both boys were looking at the camera and at least looked pleasant. By the time we left, all three of us were exhausted! Here's the end result!

My Second Post!

Wow! It has been a busy week. Monday, we got back into the swing of things w/ Avery's regular therapy & appointment schedule since his surgery. I think missing a couple of weeks has caused a bit of a relapse, but I have to remind myself, babysteps. He was so excited yesterday to finally be allowed back in his walker! He quickly had my kitchen/dining room in disarray as he turned over my trash can, scooted my chairs, and pulled my dishtowels in the floor. Tuesday in hematology, Avery's doctor told us that we can't continue to keep him on the high doses of steroids he has been on, basically since July '09. Avery responds really well to the high dose he has been on, but there are just too many side effects (osteoporosis, joint/muscle circulation issues, stunted growth, and organ problems, just to name a few). So beginning yesterday, we're trying an every other day steroid regimen, and dropping the dose over the next few weeks. If Avery responds well to the low dose, it will be AWESOME! However, if he doesn't...I don't even want to think about that. This has been the focus of my prayers this week.

Bryson, on the other hand, continues to amaze me. It is bittersweet to watch him grow up. I know, I know, he's only 3. But, he's becoming a little boy; he's not my baby anymore! Yesterday, he came home from preschool telling us how he learned about squares and ducks. Squares and ducks today, spelling and multiplication tomorrow! I'm so proud of the sweet, smart kiddo he's turning out to be. I thought the terrible twos (more like terrible 18 months to 3) would never end. Some days I'm not sure they have. Tonight he said, "Mommy, Daddy somtimes says 'stupid' but I don't." Hmmm...maybe his dad is to blame!




In the middle of the night last night, Phillip woke up w/ a stomach bug. I immediately quarantined him in the spare room in the basement and sprayed lysol or used a clorox wipe on every square inch of my house. What is it about it that makes my house suddenly feel germy? Anyway, I have checked on him a few times (with my mouth covered) and called him on his cell phone. Aren't I a good nurse? Actually, my biggest concern is passing this germ onto my boys. I'm hoping to avoid that. I guess time will tell... Bryson hadn't made the connection that Phillip was staying down stairs until tonight. He heard Phillip and said, "Daddy, is that you down there?" Of course Phillip responded. Bryson started running full speed toward the stairs until I stopped him, explaining that Daddy was sick, and he was sleeping downstairs tonight. Bryson said in his sweetest voice, "But Daddy, don't you wanna come up here w/ me? I'll care for you!" I know it took every ounce of strength to make Phillip stay down there after that!

So, that's it for my exciting week. All 3 of my guys are in the bed, although I hear the smallest one making noise. He cackles at the top of his lungs every few minutes. He must see things that we don't, cause his world sure is funny! Hopefully, he'll quiet soon, and I can hit the hay. Later.......

The beginning...

Well, here we go. I'm not sure that I even have anything worthy of a blog, but I'm going to give it a shot. There was a time in my life when I loved to write, and even found it therapeutic; I wrote stories, songs, poems, and was an avid journalist. As life became increasingly hectic, my writing for pleasure simply vanished. I'm hoping that the flexibility of a blog might allow me to get back to writing. My major obstacle is going to be, no doubt, that I am an English teacher by profession. I'm going to have a difficult time making it through a post without editing and revising it multiple times. I'm going to TRY to relax and approach this blog informally. If I can't do that, this blog may not survive very long, as it will become more of a chore than an outlet. Only time will tell!