Happy New Year!!!

What an interesting and exciting year for our family. We have had lots of good memories and like any family, some not so good ones. Last year at excatly this time, I was sitting at the hospital after having Ethan, waiting to be discharged. We got home about 6:30 that evening and went to bed shortly after. I slept right through the new year.

Ethan's first month went pretty smoothly. About a two weeks after he was born he started to get congested. I took him to the doctor who assured me that he just had a little cold and some clogged tear ducts. I got in contact with the MISD and started getting therapy set up for him. He was still very congested a few weeks later and I kept taking him back to the doctor. They kept assuring me that he just had a cold. Finally after another week of this I took him to my doctor who diagnosed him with having bronchiolitis. She said if he gets any worse to take him to the ER. The next night Ethan started to have very labored breathing and I took him to the ER. They took a chest x-ray and diagnosed Ethan with bronchiolitis and pneumonia. He was in the hospital for a full week. They were very close to moving him to the PICU and putting a breathing tube in. Thank God that Ethan held his own and we were able to avoid this.

A week after Ethan was realeased from the hospital we headed to Florida for our annual family vacation. It was wonderful and very realaxing. Exactly what we needed after being in the hospital for a week.

In march, Ethan started therapy with the macomb intermediate school district. He recieves physical therapy and occupational therapy.

The next few months passed and nothing worth mentioning happened. Ethan stayed stuffy and congested off and on for the next few months.

In May, my Grandma passed away. She had been batteling colan cancer for quite some time. While it was hard to lose my Grandma, I was glad that she no longer had to suffer. Also I was very glad that she was able to meet Ethan and hold him before she passed. The saddest part of everything is that she had a shirt that had been made for her years ago with the names of all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was buried in that shirt.

Also in May were Dax and Emma's birthdays. We had a joint party for them. Emma turned two and Dax turned four.

We were able to travel a bit over the summer. In June we attended our annual family reunion in Tennasee. After that we went to Myrtle Beach for a family vacation. My Grandma lives there along with my Aunt and cousin. We brought Grandma back home with us to work with Ethan and provide some respite services. She has been a huge help.

The next few months has kept us busy with therapy and kids. We have stayed fairly healthy. Ethan contines to do great. He is an amazing little boy with a personality that just draws people in. He has come so far in just a year. I am amazed at that little boy.

In December Ethan celebrated his first Christmas and three days later his first birthday. He made out like a bandit for Christmas. Of course he didn't care about the toys. He just liked the paper! We will be celebrating his first birthday on January 10, 2009.

So anyway, I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful Happy and healthy New Year!!!