Life Lessons

Sounds poetic doesn’t it?

Life is full of lessons.

Some hit us square in the face -

Others like to sneak in on us.

Bubba’s update

Family and friends,

To get you up to speed….over the past 4 weeks we have been trying to identify and address the issue of Bubba’s ‘wobbly’ walking…since I am such a patient person (stop laughing) we’ve been on a whirlwind of me pushing to get pt started, MRI’s scheduled and in with a neurologist….

First off a BIG Thank you to all who have said prayers and sent positive thoughts our way since day one with our little guy.  While I’m not ready to have any major conversation – I am ok writing.  I am still trying to process some stuff and read some stuff to understand some of the big words used.

Today was the visit with the neuro doc…

Let me first say that the neurologist, Dr. Amy Harper, is amazing.  She was gentle and soft spoken.  AND she carries a bag with her full of attention getters (toys) like it’s a dang barney bag.   We are very fortunate to now have her “on his team”.

The mri showed damage to the white brain matter from the grade 3 brain bleed that you might recall he had when he was born….the technical name is “chronic periventricular leukomalacia and his is more prominent posteriorly”.  (When the swelling in his occipital horns occurred, it put pressure on the white brain matter around the horns, thereby damaging the area).  It is very common in babies born under 32 weeks (remember, he was 28 weeks 3 days).  

So what does that mean for Bubba – nothing really different that the path we were already on….PHYSICAL THERAPY. PHYSICAL THERAPY. PHYSICAL THERAPY.

We go back to Dr. Harper in 6 months for her to see how the pt is progressing.    She said that fine motor and speech are a-ok and she said the issue is gross motor skills, and even that is MILD MILD (she said it twice).  Dr Harper was very impressed by his vocabulary and he told her “thank you very much” as we were leaving. 

For us? It means we need to pay closer attention to when and what he is doing as far as meeting mile stones….in other words pretend he is the 1^st babe instead of 4^th and write everything down!  (talk about a challenge for me).  Obviously, we will be diligently working with him on the pt side….

So, that’s where we are – another little curve ball – but that’s what he’s been about since the day he arrived.  He likes to do things in his own little way…..

Again, thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.  Family and friends continue to be such a support to us all and we are so fortunate to have you. 

Boys of the Summer

Here they are – the BOYS OF THE SUMMER!  Isn’t it just the cutest thing ever? 

That is my brother – “all swolled up like he got stung by somthin’ 0all over his body”  …that’s ARMYYYYYY TRAINNNNNN SIRRRR!

And my Crash and Bubba.

Mom and Dad’s pool is getting ready to be REDONE because of all the storms (trees ended up IN the pool, everything a mess, etc….)

So this is the extent of the pool right now.

What I wasn’t able to capture was Bubba, who can still be somewhat unsure of Uncle Chris, telling saying “come get in my pool Unca Kiss”…..

 

Disclaimer – the baby being standoffish with my brother has broken my brother’s heart….he was with the big kids ALL the time when they were babies.  With Bubba, he hardly gets to see him.  It’s very sad because you can see that it breaks Chris’s heart that the baby won’t hang all over him like the big kids did.

Time flies and we’re having fun!

 

Just a disclaimer (cause you know I LOVE me some disclaimers..) I meant to post this on the 4th and somehow messed up my auto time thingy…..so it’s a few days late…the actual anniversary of Bubba coming home was August 4th)

So, two years ago at this time, we had just gotten home with the wee one, who was then known ad the Peanut, now known as BUBBA…

In two years what all has changed?

 

EVERYTHING!

This was the first time that Crash got to see his baby brother…doesn’t he look happy?

This was about a week after Bubba got home – it was the first picture of all my babies TOGETHER!  Aren’t they cute and don’t the big kids look so proud?

First trip to the beach – July 2009 and YES he went on the beach – he loved it!  (what did he know? haha)

First time in the Bumpo- and looking like a chunker chunker!

 

First time sitting in the high chair and not falling over – smart mommy propped Bubba up with a towel…

First Christmas picture of all four of the babies

First Birthday – loved that cake!

And now here he is…buck wild and home for 2 years…..my how time flies…isn’t he just the cutest thing?

 

Breakfast at the Q Manor

It’s not really a MANOR, it’s our friends across the street. This is what went on before the DIVING incident.  I originally thought I had THE Squirrel Dive on my camera, but I didn’t.  Mr. Q says he got a still photo of the dive, so as soon as I get that from him, I’ll post it.

We had made to order omelets,(I believe the final count was 18!) with bagels, fresh fruit and a bloody mary bar.  SUPER YUMMY!

Our fabulous neighborhood

Use-tas is dead

I’ve had a couple of folks say they are not sure how I get things done. 

Truth is, I don’t. 

I USE-TA but now, I don’t AND I don’t sweat it. I USE-TA worry about the house being spic and span all the time…..now? Not so much.  On most days I’m “straight” as long as you don’t go in my bedroom and see the PILES of clean clothes that need to be put away.

I use-ta worry about making sure I helped and volunteered for everything.  Can’t do that so much anymore and I don’t feel horrible about it.  I’ve done my time on a lot of different fronts and it is time for some other folk to STEP UP….

I use-ta worry that we ate dinner at the same time, and while I like having dinner PLANNED – eat it when ya want to.  I’m not going to fall apart if it’s all at different times.

USE-TAS is DEAD! 

That’s what my Aunt Artie always says…

And now to my next point.  

I’ve told you about my friend Marybeth Mayhew, author extraordinaire.  She wrote that book that I told you about last summer, The Mailbox, well, her newest novel, She Makes it Look Easy, goes on sale today.  I am so very excited for her.  (And how cool is it that I can say “my friend is a writer!”) 

Here is a snippet about She Makes it Look Easy

Ariel Baxter has just moved into the neighborhood of her dreams. The chaos of domestic life and the loneliness of motherhood, however, moved with her. Then she meets her neighbor, Justine Miller. Justine ushers Ariel into a world of clutter-free houses, fresh-baked bread, homemade crafts, neighborhood playdates, and organization techniques designed to make marriage better and parenting manageable.

Soon Ariel realizes there is hope for peace, friendship, and clean kitchen counters. But when rumors start to circulate about Justine’s real home life, Ariel must choose whether to believe the best about the friend she admires or consider the possibility that “perfection” isn’t always what it seems to be.

A novel for every woman who has looked at another woman’s life and said, “I want what she has,” She Makes It Look Easy reminds us of the danger of pedestals and the beauty of authentic friendship.

I cannot wait to get my hands on it!  I LOVED The Mailbox!  It was so very cool because I knew reading it that the setting of the story was such a special place for Marybeth in real life.  And the song in the story (yes there was a song) is one of my FAVORITE songs and reminds me of summers with my cousin…..