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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Disney Day Two

At 2am, I was awakened by a sound I knew all too well.  Josiah was sick.  Why was he sick?  How long would it last?  I didn't know.  Luckily, I whisked him out of bed and subsequently saved the bedding.  We weren't up long.  We cleaned Josiah up, and were tucked back into bed.  It was a restless night; Josiah made little noises all night.

He slept until 10am.  An immediate bath was needed.  We stripped the bed, bathed Josiah, and fed him breakfast.  He still didn't act 'right' but was better.  Our initial plan of attack: no dairy!  My Dad had hurt his foot the night before, jumping into the pool.  Josiah was questionably sick.  It was cold and rainy.  We made an early decision to stay home for the day.

At noon, Josiah decided to take a nap.  The big boys stayed home with the guys.  Mom & I escaped to buy crutches & do a little grocery shopping.  We returned around 3pm.  The big boys were happy and Josiah was just waking up.  Dad was fitted with crutches.  We were in for the duration of the day.

When Josiah awoke, he seemed 90% better.  Dad was mobile again & all was well.  We enjoyed a home cooked dinner, watched tv, and hung out in the heated pool.  Life was good & we were blessed indeed.

Josiah went to bed at 8:30, a happy boy.  The big boys went to bed at 10pm.  We followed suit at 11:30pm.  I fell asleep grateful for my beautiful family & the life we have.

Here are a few pics from our day....

Disney Day One

Tuesday, we were up by 9am.  We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at home.  We headed out around 10:30.  A twenty minute ride brought us to the first parking lot.  A bus brought us to the front; a ferry brought us to the other side.  Excitement crept in.  We disembarked at our final destination: The Magic Kingdom.

The sights, sounds, and smells remind me of childhood.  Everything is different yet it has stayed the same.  Perhaps that is part of the magic....

It was a great day!!!!  We waited up to 30 minutes per ride, which was longer than I would've expected for January.  We enjoyed jungle rides and were transported into other magical worlds.

It was a long but incredible day.  The boys were great!!!

It was 8pm by the time we headed for the gate.  Catching part of the firework display on the way out, we were determined to beat the larger crowds out.  We were on the ferry, headed for the parking lot, as the firework display ended.  Mission accomplished!

As we boarded the bus for the parking lot, Josiah threw up.  Grateful for a beautiful day, I was reminded that nothing is guaranteed.  I rode 'home' hoping Josiah was just exhausted.  I knew the morning yogurt could've played a role.  I was praying the stomach bug had not returned.

Only time would tell....

Here are a few pics from the day.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

We're Off; Josiah's First Trip

The alarm was set was 3:30am; I needed time for a wake up shower.  This has been in the works for a year....I mustn't oversleep.  We all got through the stomach bug last week.  Nothing can stop us now!!! 

Bed at midnight.  3:30 alarm.  Hit snooze, twice.  In shower at 3:50.  Already running late.  Awaken big boys at 4:15.  Already feeling behind.  By the time I get to Josiah's room, it's 4:30.  My sister is arriving at 4:45.

I had (basically) packed.  I still had my list of last minute items though.  The boys were great!  They were tired.  They were excited, even if they are not yet sure why.  We were out the door at 5:30am.  Traffic was light.  It was a nice ride in. 

We were checked in early, played in a great kids play space, ate breakfast, and prepared to wait.  Josiah was cranky and unwilling to eat.  As his crankiness grew, so did my fear of how I would be loathed at the end of these coming hours.  Only time would tell.

We boarded.  Josiah had his own seat, complete with the CARES belt (FAA approved) - that is an ingenious invention, I must say.  The big boys settled in to their own soft leather seats.  Our exciting adventure was about to begin.

The pilot said good morning.  Normal procedures were discussed.  The flight took off without incident.  My early fears were laid to rest as Josiah happily accepted a bag of potato chips.  The boys watched Nickelodeon, followed by "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2."  Josiah napped on my lap for the last hour or so.  I buckled him back into his seat.  The first leg of this adventure was nearing it's end.

We disembarked, walked, took a shuttle, and quickly found grandma and grandpa.  They were so very excited.  I shared this adventure with my grandparents when I was five.  Now my boys are doing the same. 

We drove, ate, swam, and relaxed.  It had been an exciting, but long, day.  The boys keep asking what it will be like.... I tell them they can't even imagine :)

Here are a few few pics from Day 1.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Holidays and Happy New Year

It seems that Halloween ends and Christmas becomes this Mama's focus.  Do I have my list?  What am I going to buy for everyone?  How much should I spend on each person?  Etc.  Yes, Christmas definitely becomes a focal point in this house.

Thanksgiving was beautifully spent with family.

Two days later, a little elf arrived at our house.  This was to be our new family tradition. We read the book (the boys had already seen the tv special).  The boys set out on their task of naming our little elf.  Before long, the name "Stinky Chips" was chosen.  Stinky Chips was a good little elf.  He didn't get into much trouble and was only touched once by our oldest (age 6, at the time).  An emergency intervention gave Stinky Chips back his magic and the rest of his time here was without incident.

Yes, Stinky Chips helped pass the time awaiting Santa's arrival.  We did a lot (most) of our shopping online this year.  Gifts simply arrived at our doorstep.  We wrapped and labeled them.  It just seemed the easiest thing to do.  The oldest is in 1st grade, has almost-nightly homework, and karate 3x per week.  The middle child is in 1/2 day preschool, and is a whirlwind of activity in his own right.  Josiah has EI 2x per week, OT 2x per week, Speech 2x per week, and playgroup 1x per week.  After adding in random doctor's appointments, errands, etc, there hardly seemed time to shop.  Online shopping saved my sanity.

In the middle of Holiday preparations, we decided to plan a trip.  My parents are going to Florida in 2014 and asked us to join them for a portion of the trip.  So, after searching for the perfect price (which doesn't exist), we purchased airfare for us to fly to Florida.  Disney is the destination.  2014 holds something fun to look forward to....

We managed to keep the upcoming trip a secret....until Christmas Eve.  Then, we told the boys.  They are excited as kids can be who have no idea what to expect.  I am excited for them.  They are going to love it.

For the third Christmas Eve, we celebrated at my parents home.  We read the same story that has been read to my family since 1873.  We opened gifts from those would not see the next day.  We ate great food.  Once the older traditions were complete, we wrote messages on balloons to Scott (my beloved brother), formed a circle on the back deck (each with a hand on the balloons), played "We'll meet again" (Inkspots), wished Scott a Merry Christmas in Heaven, and released the balloons.  

The next day, we celebrated at our own home.  It's always fun when the big boys run downstairs to tell us that Santa Claus has visited our house.  We spent the day opening gifts, preparing (and eating) dinner, and visiting with family.  It was a lovely day.  Josiah was particularly fun this year.  He's two.  He's a fun age for a Christmas celebration.

Though I usually enjoy leaving my tree up, this year it only lasted a couple days into the new year.  Beneath the branches, had become a 'dumping ground' for all the opened but yet-to-be-put-away gifts.  Josiah had also become a master at pulling on those aforementioned branches.  We had a dumping ground under a very tilted tree.  Yes, it was time for the tree to go.

As the new year approached, one more test had been passed.  We made it through the month of December without RSV.  This is the first year Josiah has made it through the month of December without RSV and a resulting trip to Children's. 

Happy New Year!!! 

Evaluations and Meaningless Numbers

November brought about the next EI evaluation.  Josiah's two year evaluation.  I remember last year being very excited about that very thing.  I couldn't wait to see 'the numbers' and see how great he was doing.  Sometimes, when you excitedly await something.....the end result is disappointment.  Last year, I think I wanted the numbers to prove something.  I wanted them to confirm how great my son is.  When the numbers didn't match my expectations, I was disappointed.  

This year, as the evaluation day approached, I had a different attitude.  I didn't care about the numbers.  I knew this much was true....Ten months earlier (January 2013), Josiah could roll over.  That is all.  It was a huge accomplishment for him.  He was 15 months old and could roll over like no-one's business.  I couldn't believe how far he had come in 10 short months.

He had become a sitting expert.  He became a crawling expert.  He began pulling himself up....then became an expert at that.  He starting standing in the middle of the room - pulling to stand without support.  Then, he mastered that.  He began walking with his toy walker....then became a semi-expert.  As the evaluation day approached, numbers were not important.  My son had accomplished amazing things in ten months.  I could not be more proud.

For those wondering about numbers, he performed highest in "social."  Yes, Josiah is a social little boy.  He loves people.  He loves to play and interact.  Yes, socially, he almost doesn't qualify for services.  In most other categories, he performs at a lower level than most children his age.  In almost every instance, low muscle tone can be blamed.

We went from rolling over to the cusp of walking.  These have been ten great months.

Life is good.