Silent Sunday

Happy Birthday Jay!

To my little man,

4 years ago today I was headed to the doctor for a check up after an ultrasound that was measuring you at over 10 pounds. I was still 9 days to my due date and was tired of being pregnant and anxious to meet you, though you seemed pretty content to be hanging out inside me kicking me and moving round quite frequently just to let me know you were still there. :)

It was decided that I would go to be induced because a scheduled c-section could not be done for another week and I refused to be miserable that long. When we got to the hospital we were pleasantly surprised that the doctor was willing to do a c-section.

So, approximately 4 hours later, we got to meet you. Here is my first view of you after you were born:



You looked bigger than you actually were, you only weighed 8 pound 14 oz. You were such a handsome little thing and with your addition our family was complete.

Now you are turning four and you amaze me every day. You are a smart, delightful, funny and sometimes crabby boy, but I wouldn't change you for the world. You are very literal minded and very interested in how things work. I joke that you have OCD tendencies (a joke only a social work mama can make because she loves you so much, and she has been told she was like that a little as a child). You are interested in lots of boy things: trains, trucks, cars, tools, and everything else, but you still love to cuddle with me.

You know how to spell your name and Tommi's, you can pick out some letters (K is a favorite thanks to the Kmart commercials) and can write the letter J. You are great little brother and your sister loves you as you love her even as you tattle on each other.

You are healthy, though a little small for your age, but you are growing and that makes me happy in ways you don't realize. We survived a Gluten Free Diet for a year and tubes in your ears. What a champ you were to go through ear surgery, a colonoscopy, upper GI and countless blood draws. Whew, I am glad that it is over.

You are excited to start preschool in the fall and I am excited to continue to see you learn and grow and embrace the world. I love you Jay Bird. Happy Birthday. :)

A family update...

As I promised, I am back with an update on the medical status of my father in law and my sister. Who to start with? Hmm.... there is much to tell about both.

My father in law physically is doing fantastic since his fall. He is done with occupational and physical therapy and is only now receiving speech services. His headaches have almost disappeared due in part to a great massage therapist and new glasses (he went to a new eye doc that specializes in TBI's and it was discovered the eyes were a little off kilter so his muscles were working overtime to try to bring everything into focus...hence the headaches).

As he continues to improve physically, he gets more frustrated and a little depressed. He is realizing just how much he lost memory wise. He learns and remembers a lot, but gets upset if people expect too much. On the other hand, it has been fun reintroducing him to some things, like taking him to Greenfield Village when we took the kids to see Thomas and seeing how excited he was to ride the train himself. We are taking him to his "first" Detroit Tiger's Baseball game on Father's Day.

Sometimes though it is sad to hear him talk. He will openly tell you he was "born" in December and is only 6 months old. But other times, he has some amazing insight seeing things with new eyes.

My sister is doing remarkably well to, she has had her downs and challenges... but the news is a 6 cm tumor shrunk to 2.7 cm after 1 round of chemo! Instead of waiting to lose a lot of her hair, she ended up shaving it and sports her wigs and scarves with pride. Her second round of chemo has given her a symptom of neuropathy which is interfering with some of her daily life and is scary since it makes her hands and feet numb and if it gets worse could be permanent. Thankfully she has a great oncologist that is taking everything seriously and taking precautions.

She is scheduled for surgery in July and then the plan is for radiation and then reconstructive surgery. If all goes well then she will be cancer free by Christmas. :) So we pray and wait and pray some more.

Another update soon!

So I am not a good blogger....

Something I knew but since it is June and I haven't posted since January... it really proves the point. Not that anyone actually reads my blog anyways..LOL.

I need to come back for an update on my sister and father in law, and I will do that later. But for now... in the spirit of summer and grilling I give you BBQ in a Jar.

Found on Craft Gossip, I love their site, I have bookmarked a bunch of things all lovely crafty goodness. To hopefully get to someday. :)