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!!!

Christmas

Well Christmas is only three weeks away. I have not even started my Christmas shopping. I had better get my butt in gear!

We are all feeling a little better. Ethan is still a little congested. I ordered the nose freida for him. We got it a few days ago. I have used it a few times but I am not sure if I like it or not. The whole concept for using it is kind of gross. You pretty much stick one end in the nose and the other end in your mouth and suck the boogers out. Gross right? I have heard good things about it so I will give it a chance. I have noticed that he dosen't cry and fight me when I use this as opposed to the bulb syringe. I do have to add that it has a filter so the boogers do not actually make it to your mouth.

Well, I hate to cut it short. I will try to add more later. Ethan has woken up from his nap.

another boring day

Today was pretty uneventful. I woke up not feeling well. My head hurts, my neck is stiff, my throat hurts, my ears hurt and my nose is stuffy. Sometimes it sucks being in such close quarters with little kids. Ethan just got over being sick and the week before that Emma was sick. It just never ends. Next week it will either be my son ar my husband that gets sick. I cancelled therapy for Ethan today. It gave me a chance to just relax. Sometimes keeping up with therapy gets so tiring. It is only two days a week but I swear when I take him there he either cries or lays there with his mouth hanging open and acts like he dosen't know how to do anything. It is kind of annoying because at home he is such a different kid. He is vocal and will sit up and army crawl. Sometimes I think that his therapist don't really believe me when I say that he can do stuff.

I did get to take a wonderful 3 hour nap this afternoon. It is something that rarely happens but I LOVE it when it does. I still feel tired though. One of the joys of being sick I guess. I had a chance to run errands and pay some bills earlier. It was nice to get out of the house without lugging around three kids. Well, I really hate to cut this short but Emma just spilled water all over the place. AHHHHHHH!!!!!

Ayla is one!

Today Ethan's Girlfriend Ayla is a year old. I can not believe that it has been a year since she was born. Where has the time gone? For those of you who don't know, Kadi and I met at a support group meeting when we were both pregnant. Kadi was due about a month before me. I remember so clearly when she walked into the room crying. I had never even met her before but I had this strong urge just to hug her. I felt so bad for her yet I knew exactly how she was feeling. We exchanged e-mail addresses and discovered that we had a lot in common. We both even had the same doctor. We were exactly what each other needed. At the time we met, I was still struggling with the diagnosis but had already cried my tears. I was starting to accept it. I think Kadi needed someone who knew how she was feeling. I was struggling with knowing if I would be able to do this. Since Kadi was due a month before me I saw everything that she was going through and I knew that we both would be okay in the end. Sometimes I think God puts people in your life for a reason. Really what are the chances that everything would happen the way it did? Anyway, I remember the day she called me and told me that she had the baby. I had so many questions for her. I wanted to rush over to the hospital and see Ayla. I swear I could have kept Kadi on the phone for hours. But you know what, the most important thing for me at the time was just seeing that she could do it. She made it through the delivery and did love her daughter. Knowing all that made it bearable for me. I remember the first time I saw that sweet little girl. She was sooooo adorable. I just felt so much love for her. I just can't believe it has been a year. I can't believe how far me and Kadi and our little ones have come. I look forward to many more years of having that sweet girl in my life and her mommy too! So Happy Birthday Ayla!!!! Ethan and I love you very much and look forward to watching you grow into an amazing young women.

Okay, I have been horrible at keeping this blog up to date. Things have been going really well lately. Ethan is still doing pretty much the same things as before and is still NOT sitting on his own yet. I know he can do it, he just refuses to do it. His therapists have been working extra hard to accomplish this goal. I hope to have him sitting by Christmas. To him it is much less work to lay on the floor with a toy than to actually use his stomache muscles. He is a little lazy poop :) Just kidding. He really is such a joy in my life. He the the sweetest baby, the cutest too! I couldn't imagine my life without my little guy.

Yesterday Ethan had a little playdate with his girlfriend Ayla. It was so cute. I just love seeing them together. Ethan rolled all over the floor and tried to take off Ayla's socks a few times. Ayla just sat staring at Ethan. I guess she was mesmorized by his good looks. My friend Kadi and I sat them together on the floor to get some pictures. Ayla beat up on Ethan a little bit and he just sat there and took it until she turned her head and then he got a fistful of her hair. I took some cute pictures of them.

Videos of Ethan

ready to enlist!!!

Ethan is army crawling!!!!!!! Tonight we had some friends over and we were playing video games. Ethan kept tugging on the cords and getting tangled in them. So I moved Ethan to the other side of the living room away from the cords. A few minutes later I see Ethan rolling to one side and pushing with his opposite leg. Then he rolls to the other side and pushed with his other foot. He made it all the way across the living room. I almost burst with pride. He still is not sitting up yet but he sure knows how to get what he wants. I made him do it several times just to make sure it was real. When he got tired of doing it he took over the attitude, "I'm done, just give me what I want." It just goes to show that kids are capable of much more than they let on.

Also, My friend Kadi and I were interviewed a few weeks back by CNS news here is a link to our stories.

Kadi
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=37599

Mine
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=37509