Full of Thanks!

What better time to start blogging again than after a week of giving thanks and being with family?  I can't believe it's been over four months since I last wrote, but I guess that just validates the craziness that was Fall 2011 for the Arnolds.  Work has been way busier this year than past years...I keep wondering how this is my 5th year teaching 5th grade and I'm staying later after school than ever before!   Graduate school has also been a bit of a beast.  This was my last semester (three years in the works) and I only had one class, but it entailed a final big project and creating my electronic portfolio for graduation (lots of busy work)  A few weekends ago, Olin had to go out of town and my in-laws graciously took Logan for the weekend so that I could finish my work.  I literally worked the entire weekend (okay, I did sneak in a work out or two and a trip to Target), but I was able to finish all of my assignments and complete the portfolio! Hooray!

In addition to the craziness of school, Logan's schedule of therapies kept afternoons pretty occupied.  Back in August, I was talking about him getting started with occupational and speech therapy.  We are well underway with those.  His speech therapist visits him at daycare every Wednesday morning.  It's great that she is able to do that, but I feel we miss out on what she is doing with him and then don't know how to help him at home.  We have Logan's annual IFSP meeting (Individual Family Service Plan...like an IEP) next month so I am hoping we will be able to do more speech visits at home in the future.  I have to take Logan to occupational therapy on Wednesday afternoons.  We have to hustle to get there for our 4:00 appointment, but I won't complain...at least we can get an afternoon appt.!  And physical therapy rotates each week between daycare and home visits.  So, needless to say, life has been busy.  Oh yeah, I also thought it would be a good idea to throw in a little ALTA tennis on Wed. and Sundays...you know in my spare time.  Well, about midway through October when I thought I was going to have a mini-meltdown, I quit the team.  I hated to do it, but I just had to.  There was only so much time in a week to devote to school, family, my sanity, etc.

But, I see the light at the end of the tunnel now.  Ever since I finished my grad school work, I feel like a new person.  The heavy weight that has been on my shoulders for three years has finally lifted, and boy does it feel good!  I know I'm happy to be finished, but there may be one person who is even happier, and that would be....OLIN.  I've been getting this damn degree since we got married in 2008.  God bless him.  He kept encouraging me throughout the whole thing and supported me in any way he could.  If you're reading this, Olin, thank you.  You are the best!

So, let me get to the most important Arnold.  What is Logan doing now?  Well, he's still the sweetest, happiest kid on this whole planet.  His smile still brightens up any room and his laugh just melts your heart.  He is so much more aware of what is going on around him.  He is also more aware of who people are.  He definitely knows me and Olin, and now I'm pretty sure he knows both sets of grandparents.  I'm convinced that he says "MaMa" to me on occasion.  What a great feeling to hear that!  Logan's also a man on the move now.  One of his most exciting accomplishments has been to transition back to sitting when he falls or loses his balance.  We had been working on this for some time in therapy, and to finally see him reach his goal was pretty awesome.  



At the beginning of November, my sister and her boys came visit.  Logan was just in awe of those two.  He thought Jack hung the moon.  And Jack didn't mind being the apple of Logan's eye either : )   Logan watched every move those boys made, and I guess it made him want to get in on the action.  So one morning he was just sitting on the floor in the den next to these ottoman cubes that my mom was using as her temporary coffee table.  These ottoman cubes were the ones where the top cushion actually doubles as a tray.  You turn it over and it's a hard surface.  Well, Logan all of the sudden reached out for the cube, got a good grip on the ledge that the tray provided, and pulled himself to a kneeling position.  Again, we'd been working on this with Sherri, but he still needed assistance.  Not on this day, and never again.  In that one instant, it became his new trick.  Needless to say, we "borrowed" one of ZuZu's cubes and brought it to our house so that he could continue to practice pulling up.  When I showed Sherri, she was excited, but she wasn't going to let us stop there and bask in the glory for too long (she never does, which is a good thing I suppose....we have to keep moving forward!).  So, she showed me how to help him pull one leg under his bottom and support him to a standing position.  It's sort of hard to explain, but she had a really specific way that she wanted us to assist him to standing.  So, we have been practicing kneeling to standing for most of November.  Repetition, repetition, repetition.  He has to have it. 

Soooo, today while we were watching football with the Arnold clan, Logan decided to show off.  He did the whole routine.  He was sitting next to the ottoman, grabbed it and pulled to kneeling.  Then he got one leg under him (without help) and pulled up to STANDING!  It's like a dream come true.  I know it's not walking or crawling, but this is huge!  He's also starting to understand how to adjust his feet if he starts to lose balance or wants to get closer to something.  He knows he's done something awesome too because he'll stand straight up and give out a little yell and a big smile.  I will try to get a good video of him performing his new moves tomorrow.  It's been a great day though... a great few days in fact.  Lots of food and family and relaxation.  It's been a nice getaway from school for sure. 

I know I've missed lots of other events in the last four months...like Logan being a part of Corrigan Care's Special Gallery of Children (the picture in the blue polo is from his "photo shoot"), a month of sickness in October that we finally figured out was from teething, picking out the perfect pumpkin and being Hairy Dawg for Halloween.  I promise to do better in the coming months.  It's good reflection for me and makes me realize how far we've come.  It's hard to believe it's almost time to start planning another birthday party.  How time flies!

Logan got a kick out of rolling the pumpkin off the haystack!

Logan loves his electric toothbrush!

Mowat-Wilson Meet-Up 2011

It's so fun to see Logan doing new things everyday.  The anticipation of what he's going to do next makes me so excited.  I don't want to say that any of our 19 months with him have been "boring" : )  With 5 surgeries and numerous hospital stays, I can hardly call that uneventful.  However, it seems like he's been doing the same things for so long...sitting in one place and slapping at toys.  To see him wanting to move now and realize that he can get to where he wants to go is truly exhilarating.  I shared his walking video a couple of weeks ago, but tonight he decided that "log rolling" was his preferred mode of transportation.  Logan has never rolled more than a half turn (exclusively from front to back until a few weeks ago).  Tonight, I was on the floor with him and Olin was laying on the couch.  He rolled front to back, then immediately back to front, making a complete rotation.  Simultaneously, Olin and I looked at each other with that "Did you see that?" expression on our faces.  We gave Logan lots of cheers and then set him in position to try it again.  Once he realizes he's succeeding at something, he seems to know that he should do it again.  I felt like I was watching Sparky the Dog.  He started rolling across the entire carpet in our family room.  When he'd reach a dead end, Olin would bring him back to start.  The video is long...I tried to edit, but couldn't decide what didn't make the cut.  I love him so much!



We had an incredible experience on Saturday that was hopefully just the beginning of many more meetings with our MWS family.  Technology is an amazing thing...while I have resisted aspects of it (I still have a flip phone with no internet access and my email account still ends in yahoo.com), it brought together a wonderful group of people this weekend.  Through facebook, Olin has befriended many of the MWS families in Georgia.  One of the moms organized a gathering at Perimeter Mall on Saturday so that we could all meet up.  We planned to just meet in the food court...seemed like a safe place to meet a bunch of strangers : )  Anyways, it turned out to be so awesome.  Including us, there were five families.  Our Logan was the youngest.  Then there was 4 year-old Alex, 6 year-old Andrew, 10 year-old Emily, and 13 year-old Logan.  Crazy, isn't it, to have two Logans in GA with MWS? 

  

Big Logan and Little Logan



Oh, there were all so cute...so happy.  It's a little uncanny how much they all resemble each other.  They all have the same little mouth and smile.  You can't help but smile when you see them.  It was a little crazy in the food court...we had like five tables pushed together and about 20 people altogether.  The kids did really great....thank goodness for Chick-fil-a chicken nuggets!  It was just so interesting to see what each child was accomplishing at each stage in their life.  Some of the kids were walking really well, some signing.  It was just really encouraging to see them doing so well and accomplishing so much. 



Emily, Andrew, Alex, Logan, and Logan



  



I admit I was a little apprehensive to meet these families.  Of course, I was excited to be able to speak with moms who totally understand what we've been through.  At the same time, I was a little nervous to get a peek into the future.  When we left though (after about two hours), I think Olin and I were actually a lot less scared of the road ahead.  All of the children had experienced seizures at some point...about 90% of MWS kids do.  So, while we aren't "prepared" for that scenario, we understand the liklihood of the situation and feel we'll be able to handle it if we have to.  I know it sounds cliche, but the love for these beautiful kids was palpable on Saturday.  They have changed the lives of each and every one of us for the better.   We definitely are planning some more "play-dates" in the future...most likely in the comfort of someone's house!  As much as it hurt when we received Logan's diagnosiss for MWS, it was a blessing because we now have a connection to a group of supportive and amazing people.  

Seeing Old Friends and Making New Ones

What up!

It was a fun weekend full of old friends and new ones.  On Friday night, we went to El Azteca to see some folks from out of town.  Even though it was super loud, Logan did awesome "burning the midnight oil" until at least 10:00!  He definitely takes after his daddy being able to stay up so late. 

On Saturday, we invited some "special" friends over for a BBQ : )  Last year, an assistant at my school told me about a teacher at her former school that had a little boy about Logan's age who also had special needs.  She thought that we would get along great and one morning brought in the yearbook to show me her picture. I immediately recongized the girl's picture, and said "I know her!"  Believe it or not, she is the older sister of a boy I "went out with" (isn't that what we called it?) in middle school.  She and I emailed back and forth towards the end of the school year, and it was true...we definitely had a lot in common.  Fast forward to August, and Olin and I finally invited the whole family over for hot dogs and hamburgers.  I was so looking forward to hearing more about her sweet little boy and just talking to someone who had experienced similar things in the last year!

We had a great time with our new friends.  Logan and the other little guy will likely be in the same class at Alpharetta Elementary in a year and a half.  While they have very different medical backgrounds, it was so neat to see them facing each other on the floor just like any other normal kids.  I so enjoyed sharing mommy stories with someone I knew passed no judgement on me.  I also loved her and her husband's positive attitude and outlook about what God has given them.  They are the type of "glass half-full" people you want to surround yourself with...they just roll with the punches.  I really hope this was the first of many more get togethers with them...they are big Georgia fans so maybe some tailgating is in the future : )

Finally, we helped host a baby shower on Sunday afternoon for one of Olin's co-workers.  While I don't have a desire to be pregnant any time soon, I still love "mommies to be" and baby showers!  What is cuter than little pink or blue baby clothes, booties, and blankets?  I can get stuck walking up and down the aisles of Babies R Us for hours just picking things up and saying "How cute is that!!!"  Unfortunately, Logan missed his morning nap and wasn't 100% happy to be partying again, but he still made some new friends.  In particular, the eight-year old son of the family also hosting, took a liking to Logan.  He was so curious to learn more about Logan and be near him throughout the entire afternoon.  While Logan drank his bottle and watched the Braves game, this little boy laid right next to him and just touched his arms and face.  It was the sweetest thing to see this "rough and tough" boy be so kind and gentle with Logan.  Those moments make me so happy.  To that boy, Logan is just a sweet baby...not a baby with special needs.  It was awesome.

Future Best Legs???

On a totally different note, Logan has his first speech therapy visit tomorrow morning followed by physical therapy at his daycare.  We are going to show his teachers how to put on his ankle braces and what exercises they can do to work with him during the day.  So far, they have been very receptive to the idea of the therapist visiting.  

Tonight was sort of ground breaking though.  I won't shout it from the roof yet, but Logan actually got on all fours and into crawling position all by himself tonight.  He's been starting to get his butt up off of the ground more, but this was the first time he's gotten his butt up and pushed up on his arms at the same time.  It was amazing to see.  He also rolled from his back to his stomach which I know he can do, but usually chooses not to.  Maybe he'll start using rolling as a way of moving from place to place.  I would be fine with that!  Moving is moving...whatever the means!  I am so excited to see what comes next.  He seems so close to doing so many new things!  Stay tuned : )

Jack is such a good cousin to Logan...can't believe he's already 4 years old!

Very unusual for Eddie to let mommy hold Logan...I had to get it on film!

Back on the wagon!

                I can't believe it's been three weeks since I last blogged...I feel like I fell off my diet and I'm trying to get back on track. It's not that I haven't thought about blogging.  I just couldn't put the right words together.  I guess all I can do is forge ahead from here...

This little guy makes going to Walmart a little more fun!

              Anyone who has met Logan knows that he's just about the happiest kid alive (one of the blessings of his syndrome), but lately his smiles seem just a little bit wider, his laugh a little bit louder, and his hugs a little bit tighter.  It is so incredibly wonderful to see him feeling so well and healthy.  Even though we've had our share of summer doctors' appointments, most of them are just me trying to be proactive (eye doctor, speech, OT, etc. )

Working hard in his new ankle braces (with a huge smile on his face)!

            I'm really excited about the progress we're making towards getting Logan more resources to help him.  I just wasn't feeling like physical therapy visits once a week were enough.  He's 18 months old now...we need to pick it up! So...on Monday, we received Logan's new orthotics.  They are called SMOs and fit behind the foot and right over the ankle.  When you see them, they look so tiny...you wonder how could that piece of plastic could really help him!  But at PT yesterday, you could see how it made his knees turn more inward and it gave him so much more stability doing different exercises (it also helps to have some friction from his shoes).  We are gradually going to increase the amount of time he wears them.  The doctor said to start with 20-30 minutes/3-4 times a day.  Thank goodness for velcro!

            On Tuesday, we went Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (Sandy Plains rehab) to have an cccupational therapy evaluation.  It was basically playtime while the therapist observed how he manipulated objects with his hands.  He still does a lot of banging and hitting at objects.  He can pick toys up, but not using a pincer grasp.  One of the activities on the "test" was to try to get him to pick up beans with his fingers (like a dry kidney bean).  He obviously could not do it, but the therapist KEPT insisting that he try.  She must have tried to get him to pick up the damn bean on five different occasions.  Logan was getting frustrated and I was getting annoyed...but other than that, things went well : )

            

 This morning, we had a speech evaluation at CHOA.  I am probably most excited to get this therapy underway.  Logan is defnitely learning to express himself more, whether it's spitting/spraying when he doesn't like something or pushing your arm away to say he's finished eating.  This test was kind of the same as OT in the sense that I had to answer a lot of the questions based on his actions at home.  Some of the items he did while the speech therapist was sitting there...like babbling, making/breaking eye contact with people and objects throughout the room.  The woman was quite animated and had a loud voice which scared Logan a little bit at first.  He was very clingy and wanted me to hold him most of the time.  I told her it must be the scrubs...he's skeptical of anyone in scrubs!!!

So...more therapy sessions will definitely fill our afternoons this Fall, but I am excited to get the ball rolling.  He's ready to learn new things!  There is much more recap from the last three weeks..like a fun visit from Cousin Jack and Cousin Eddie, but for now, this will have to do...remember, I'm just getting back on the wagon.

Brittney Fox Watts

I think I mentioned before that Logan has a Rockabye Baby Cd of the "Beatles."  It's been months since I've listened to it because is usually fills me with emotions from Logan's first year that make me sad.  For some reason last night though, I stuck that cd in for that very reason...I wanted to let myself be sad.  I debated writing about this topic, but I can't get it out of my head.  I was not close friends with Brittney Fox Watts...in fact, it's probably been a few years since I've even seen her.  We went to high school at Roswell and were AXOs at UGA together.  I don't want to sound like I knew her well before her death, but I can't seem to get her life out of my head these days.  The senseless act that took her life will forever impact those people close to her, and I can't imagine what they are going through.  When I attended Brittney's funeral last week, it was amazing to see so many people there showing support for the Fox and Watts families who lost a sister, a daughter, and a wife.  It also made me really proud of our Roswell community.  It didn't matter what people were doing on a Tuesday morning or how long it took them to get there, they knew where they needed to be.

I am overwhelemed with saddness for the people who loved her so dearly.  At this point, when so little time has passed since her death, I don't know if they find comfort in knowing how much she impacted the lives of the people around her.  It sounds so cliche, but Brittney really lived life to the fullest and like everyday could be her last. Just seeing pictures of her with friends and listening to the words people use to describe her, it is obvious that she was like a ray of sunshine with so much life to live and so much love to give.  I am inspired to be a better person because of her and I barely knew her! I've found myself in situations this past week and tried to be more like Brittney.  Her best friend, Adrienne, wrote a beautiful message about the wonderful things Brittney shared with the world.  Her words now encourage me to "smile a little brighter, think more creatively, speak a little bolder, and definitely live more adventurously."

Doctors, Daycare Disease, and Independence Day

        Happy 4th of July!  Logan, Olin, and I spent a low key day down at Grump's and Zuzu's house. We ate some great food and luckily, got in some pool time before the yucky weather arrived.  Logan is getting quite the farmer's tan this summer....my favorite part is how the creases in his arm rolls stay white! 

        A quick update on Logan's doctor's appointments last week.  First, I have to brag though that I did not get lost on the way to any of them!  For any of you who know my sense of direction (or lack thereof), you know this is a big accomplishment!  On Wednesday, we went to revisit the eye doctor. Last September, the doctor said that she did not think his eyes were crossing.  He had something called myelinated fibers, but they do not affect eye sight.  The new doctor we saw seemed genuinely interested in Logan and Mowat-Wilson.  After spending a good amount of time with us, he concluded that at times, Logan's left eye crosses.  So, for one month we have to patch his strong eye for two hours a day.  The doctor said this is a really common issue and he deals with it everyday.  Needless to say, Logan is not a big fan of his eye patch.  He tries unsuccessfully to pull it off with his fist.  I don't know whether to laugh or cry when he wears it.  At least the patches come it cute patterns now with soccer balls, panda bears, and trucks : ) No more black pirate patch.

Arrrh!

          On Thursday, we checked back in with the surgeon to see how Logan was healing.  It was perfect timing because on Wednesday Logan must have set a record for the number of times anyone has pooped in a 24-hour period (sorry-a little TMI).  He's been going a lot, but this was not normal.  No joke, I probably changed 15 dirty diapers that day.  As soon as I would change him and sit him up, he would be grunting and going at it again! The worst part of all of it (remember I said I would never complain about changing dirty diapers) was Logan's diaper rash.  OMG-I could hardly look at it without getting goosebumps (some nurse I would be).   It looked like he had third degree burns on his bottom.  Changing him became a two man job by the end of the day.  Needless to say, I was glad to be seeing the surgeon the next day.  Unfortunately, the doctor said it is very common after the pull-through surgery for this to happen.  The skin on his bottom has to "toughen up".  In a normal kid, this would have been happening since the day he was born.  The doctor said basically keep doing what we're doing and let him air dry on a towel whenever possible.  Eventually, it will get better.  So no immediate fix, but at least hope for the future!  As far as Logan's healing from the surgery, the doctor said everything looked great.  I also asked him if Logan could start drinking whole milk instead of formula.  He gave us the green light-so for now, I'm slowing making the transition...75/25, 50/50.  He seems to be tolerating it okay so far.  Mama is excited to quit having to buy formula at $14.99 a can!

Airing out his bum!

         Thursday afternoon, we had an appointment to get Logan fitted for orthotics.  You would think technology would have improved since the days of plaster casting, but no, it was still quite a mess.  First, the orthotist had to push his feet into the proper positions (she said his feet would barely bend to 90 degrees).  I held him in my lap while she wrapped the wet plaster around his feet and smoothed them out.  The little molds were so tiny...I can't wait to see what the finished product will look like.  They should be ready in 2-3 weeks. 

I've got teeth!

         It feels good to get all of these appointments out of the way and mark them off the calendar.  It is definitely easier to schedule them in the summer versus during the school year.  Just when we thought we were home free though, Logan picked up "hand, foot, and mouth disease" from a kid in his daycare class.  A sign was posted on the door last Friday that it was going around.  I had never heard of it before, but the pictures on Google were enough to make me cringe.  Sure enough, little red bumps started to appear on his mouth, ears, and bottom over the weekend.  Apparently a fever usually precedes the bumps, but I never noticed one.  Once the fever is gone though, they are no longer contagious.  Fortunately, he looks a lot better today. 

        Hopefully soon, I'll be writing about things other than doctor's appointments and daycare germs!  Considering all that he's been through, Logan takes it in stride pretty well.  He's such a happy little guy and you can't help but smile in his presence : )  

Playing the xylophone app. on Grump's ipad...pretty cool

Summer Days

Logan and Cousin Jack

It guess it was inevitable...Logan picked up his first cold at daycare after just two visits.  Is that a record?  Last Friday (actually two Fridays ago...I'm a little late posting!), he woke up with a nose full of green snot.  I think all the yuckiness made it hard to swallow, and therefore, he couldn't keep his bottle down.  Now, we not only need new carpet in his bedroom, but also a good steam clean in the den : )  All that weekend and last week, he was pretty miserable.  The doctor finally gave him a Z pack on Thursday and he is doing much better now!






Headed to the pool in style



This is how Logan does the pool!

      

          This week is full of doctor appointments.  We are following up with Logan's surgeon...I'm going to ask him about whether he thinks we should transition to whole milk instead of formula.  We're also revisiting the eye doctor.  Last time she said she did not think he had a lazy eye, but I'm starting to think differently.  It is definitely worse when he is tired, but I can totally see his eyes cross in pictures.  Maybe they'll give him a little pirate patch to wear on his strong eye : )  His final appointment of the week is to get fitted for orthotics.  Sherri thinks he is going to need SMOs (Supra-Malleolar Orthosis...whatever that means).  These are short ankle braces that help correct pronation and eversion.  Even though he's not walking or close to it, he's standing enough that it's putting alot of stress on his ankles.                                               

            The other night he had the biggest fit of giggles that I have ever seen.  You can link to the video (for some reason it would not upload on here).  He got his hands on some toliet paper and started to eat it...it was all stuck in his mouth.  He thought it was pretty hilarious though...laughing so hard I think he was crying!  He's also doing well in his walker...taking purposeful steps towards us.   I love when he straightens up real tall in it and looks at me like "Look what I can do, Mom!"  I am trying to get him into aquatic therapy...there is a place right near our house.  However, we are 25th on the waiting list.  Fortunately, it is open year-round so if we don't get in this summer, we'll still have other opportunities.  Aquatic therapy is really supposed to help with range of motion which he definitely still needs to improve (especially in his arms).  Other than that, things are going well with the little guy.  He is defnitely learning to voice his opinion and tell us what he likes and dislikes.  Looking forward to a fun 4th at the pool!  

Video:  Laugh Attack
Video: Funny book

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Logan's newest form of entertainment:  Rolling around balls in a metal bowl to see how LOUD he can be!



Logan, Sally, and Holton

Logan's First Day of School

I think I can say without a doubt that I have gotten butterflies in my stomach and had trouble sleeping every night before the first day of school since Kindergarten.  And yes, that includes college, six years of teaching in the classroom, and now Logan's first day of "school."  I'm not sure why I was so anxious about taking him to daycare this morning, but I definitely questioned our decision a couple of times in the last few days.  Does it make sense that I was more nervous about how the workers would take care of him and meet his needs than about how Logan would behave in a new environment?  He goes to the nursery at the YMCA pretty frequently and does just fine, but that's only for an hour at a time.  I was pretty confident that he would be his usual happy self, but you never know...

There are so many rules at a big daycare...it took a little more preparation than just dropping him off at Sally's in his pajamas : )  His diapers had to have his name written on them, his bottles had to be pre-mixed, his clothes had to be labeled with his initials, etc.  I'm just glad I have the summer to get this routine down!  His lead teacher Melissa, is very sweet.  She has her degree in Early Childhood Education and seems to be willing to do for him whatever he needs.  She also reassured me that it was okay if I called to check up on him during the day.  The center also has Internet monitoring so as soon as I get the code I can watch him at home on the computer.  I called after about two hours (I know, I know...I couldn't resist) and guess what he was doing? NAPPING.  I was like...are you sure you have the right child?  Melissa said that they had taken the kids outside on the swings for awhile and he had started to yawn out there.  As soon as they came inside, she laid him down and he went right to sleep...for 2 hours!!! I hope it wasn't a fluke, but that was pretty awesome on the first day.

I went to pick him up around 2:00, so it was about five hours total.  When I dropped Logan off that morning, I knew I would not have to worry about a long tearful goodbye with him running to the door begging me not to leave.  I was able to walk easily out the door and he didn't even notice.  The funny this was when I picked him up though...as soon as I walked in, he turned and saw me.  His lower lip immediately began to quiver and he started crying.  I wasn't sure if that was him not wanting to leave his new friends or because he missed me (I think I'll believe it was the latter).  So...all in all...day one was a success.  Logan didn't miss a beat and I got a haircut, went to the gym for an hour, and worked on a couple of school assignments.  Thank you everyone for supporting me and reassuring me that it was okay to take this time for me.  I think it is going to be good!

Catching Up

It's been awhile since I've had a chance to sit down and write without interruption...I'll just fill in the most important happenings of the last three weeks or so.  Along with pooping on his own, Logan has had a few other "firsts"!  Olin and I didn't know quite what to make of the curly mop on top of his head (he was starting to rival the Donald)...so a few weeks ago we took him to Snip-Its hair salon at the Avenue in East Cobb.   For the 90 seconds that he actually sat in the chair and the $20 that we paid for the "cut", I think I'll give my talents a try next time (it can always grow back, right?).  Olin didn't want them to the frat curls around his ear/neck so that will probably be a good place for me to start...not front and center : )  



Another first....Two of Logan's bottom teeth finally decided to poke through! Thank goodness...I was giving him until 18 months and then we were headed to a dentist for x-rays! Boy, are those little suckers sharp though! I can't feel anything else, up top or in the back, but it's exciting to know that there are really teeth under there!

We also had to say goodbye to Sally on Friday, our wonderful babysitter (Don't worry Sally...I will bring him over soon so you can get some kisses!)  Sally has been such a blessing to our lives over the last year.   Without her and her friend's advice to ask the doctors more questions, we never would have gotten Logan's diagnosis as early as we did.  It is so hard to leave someone who has been such a big part of Logan's life (and ours), but I know Sally will bet there to continue to watch him grow and be his third "grandma".  She has been everything we could ask for in a person to care for Logan.  And she's not off the hook...I put her on our emergency contact list at daycare : )

 It was a hard decision, but we think it will be for the best...Logan is going to start "big" daycare this summer.  We are going take him to East Cobb Prep (sounds way more Ivy League than it is) two days a week starting next Tuesday.  Sherri (our PT) agreed that he will benefit from the stimulation and from being around other children.  When I visited the daycare, the woman was very understanding of Logan's situation and agreed that we would start him off in the 6-12 month classroom.  The kids in there are doing more of the same things that he is and the workers will also keep to his schedule...so it's not a set lunch time, snack time, etc.  He just isn't ready to be in the 12-18 month room with walkers and circle time ...plus we need to work on his self defense skills if a "bully" decides to picks on him : )  He'd get bulldozed in that room.  East Cobb Prep will also let Sherri come in to work with Logan during the day.  The workers can get an idea of the exercises they can do with him.  Fortunately, Sherri already works with a few clients there so it will be no big deal. 

At first, I felt a little guilty to send Logan to daycare when I am off work for the summer....we could be saving a chunk of money.  But in the end, Olin and I discussed that my sanity was more important than a few bucks in the bank.  From experience last summer, I know that the days get very long when it's just Logan and me.  Sure, we can go to the park and the pool, schedule playdates and library time, but Logan has to have help almost with everything.  It's not...go to the park and let him run around while I watch from a bench.  He has to be carried or put in a swing...he's just not very independent at all yet.  I know he'll get there, but we still have some work to do.  Additionally, I'm taking my last two core classes this summer to finish my Masters degree.  I should be done with these by late July and then only have the Practicum left during the fall....Graduation December 2011!  So, having two days a week to work on school will also be helpful.  It's taken a little time and reassurance from friends/family, but I don't feel guilty anymore...it will be good for him and for me.  I'm confident he'll thrive in a social setting like that.

All things considered...we're doing pretty well.  It's such a relief to have Logan's surgery complete.  I'm so glad we did not wait until now to do it.  Olin and I had a great little vacation this week (without Logan).  We spent 4 days in Hilton Head just relaxing and reading on the beach, playing a little golf, and shopping...all of my favorite things! We were so fortunate to have both sets of grandparents (and other relatives too) to watch him while we were gone.  As wonderful as it was to just be alone as a couple, we really did miss Logan.  Hilton Head is such a family place and we couldn't help but feel like something was missing when there were kids running everywhere around us.  Hopefully we can get him to the beach soon...I know he would love the ocean breeze and the warm water, and probably eat alot of sand! 

Fortunately, I think Logan is beginning to understand our summer sleeping schedule : )  It has been a struggle for about 6 months getting him to go and stay asleep.  I finally asked his pediatrician what she thought about giving him a supplement of melatonin before bed.  Olin and I had read some articles about special needs kids needing it to help them sleep.  I think the doctor was a little reluctant to try it with him because he is so young, but I explained the lack of sleep was not helping anyone involved.  So, every night about an hour or so before bed (usually with dinner), Logan gets a little "cocktail."  We laugh because it feels like we're drugging him or something...which we are not...melatonin is a completely natural hormone that helps regulate sleeping patterns.  So, we take a quarter of a 3mg tablet, crush it up on a spoon, put it on some baby food, and let the magic happen!  For anyone who has seen the movie "Flowers in the Attic", it reminds me of the evil mother who sprinkled rat poison on her kids' cookies pretending that it was powdered sugar.  I know...bad association, but you get the idea.  Last night he slept for 13 hours and I didn't pull him out of bed until 9:15!  Ahhh, got to love summer life as a teacher!

(I have lots of pictures to share, but our computer got a virus right before we left on our trip.  All of my documents, pictures, etc. are gone (well, hopefully just hiding).  We'll know for sure in a couple of days.  Note to self...need to back up our files next time!)

The Beginning of Great Things to Come

Probably the coolest thing that Logan has ever physically done happend last night.  I know I was pretty excited when he started crawling down the track a few months ago, but this was even more thrilling.  It gives me hope that bigger and better things are in store (and not too far away)!  Logan has this Fisher Price toy that is like "Rock Band" for babies.  It has a little guitar, keyboard, drum, and horn right in front for him to bang and hit.  There is mirror with blinking lights and all the fun sounds/songs you could imagine.  This toy has been a life-saver since he has about 5 months old.  Even when Logan couldn't sit up on his own, we would prop pillows around him to keep him upright.  Eventually, when he could sit on his own, but would still fling himself backwards on occasion, we just kept the Boppy pillow behind him as a safety net.  Now, he's sitting on his own 100% of the time, and there doesn't have to be a pillow in sight.  About a week ago, I was in the kitchen making dinner and had left Logan in the family room sitting in front of this toy.  I peeked around the corner to check on him, and what did I find?  Oh, just Logan lying with his back on the ground, with his arms wrapped fully around the toy which was crushed on top of him.  Was he crying?  Absolutely not.  He was grinning ear to ear and sucking on the mirror : )  Such a tough guy!

So...last night while I was upstairs, Olin yelled up to me that Logan had just pulled himself from sitting "Indian style" to his knees.  I thought...No way! I had to see it for myself.  Logan was sitting about a foot, maybe a foot and a half in front of his Rock Band stage.  Then he reached out and grabbed the side and the keyboard part with each hand.  With all his might, he pulled himself face to face with the mirror.  Then somehow, he turned his legs just enough to get to his knees.  I won't pretend it was effortless or graceful (he banged his mouth on one attempt), but he did it nonetheless! He did it.  I have never seen a kid, much less his parents, more excited about an accomplishment.  He was sooooo excited about this new trick he had discovered...he could hardly contain his excitement.  It was awesome.

I am hopeful that this transition move will just lead into many more new things that Logan will begin to try out physically. First pulling up to knees, then to his feet.  I can't imaginen how cool that will be!  The video is a little long, but totally worth it (in my opinion)! Go Logan!

A Fresh Start and a Dirty Diaper



The night before...



Wow...so much has happened in the last week or so, I'm not sure where to even start!  I feel like we are living a different life now that irrigations and ear infections are over...I don't think I realized how stressed and anxious I was about the whole situation.  Now that the anticipation of the surgery, the actual surgery, and the recovery are complete, I feel like our out of control roller coaster is finally coming to a stop. 

According to the surgeon, Logan's surgery could not have gone any better!  Although, the day before the procedure, we were questioning if it would even take place.  The week of the surgery, Logan's ear infection flared up (even with tubes), he had a runny nose, and he was vomitting until late Thursday afternoon.  The pediatrician had put him on Augmentin for his ears, but we think that it was upsetting his stomach.  Either way...I was in a panic that they would not do the surgery if he was still sick on Friday.  Luckily, he kept down his last bottle Thursday night, and seemed to be on the way to recovery the next morning.  I had worried and worried that Friday morning would be a battle since Logan was not allowed to eat formula or solids after midnight and only clear liquids until 9:00.  We arrived at the hospital around 11:00, but the procedure wasn't scheduled until 1:00.  I don't know why I was worried though... our little angel never cried or fussed the entire morning.  He was smiling the whole time and showing off some of his new crawling skills in the big bed.  All of his grandparents made it to the hospital in time to give him kisses before they wheeled him away to the operating room.  I wish I had taken a picture of that scene though.  He was dressed in this too big bright purple gown with space ships on it...his hair was all curly and poofed up in the front, and he had is right arm holding on to the side of the bed like "Okay, that was fun, but where do you think you are taking me now?"  Pretty adorable.

 

In the waiting room...still happy

The surgery was expected to take 3-4 hours so we packed as many magazines with "William and Kate" on the cover as we could find and got comfortable in the waiting room.  Exactly three hours later, the nurse reported that Logan was out of surgery and she would take us to our new room.  When Logan first came back to us, he was completely out of it.  Occasionally, he'd open his eyes for like five seconds, and then the weight of them would pull them shut.  It was at least three hours before he was semi-alert and reconized us (he was on some pretty strong pain medication at that point).  If you've ever had to stay the night at Scottish Rite, then you know that there is only one futon like bed in the room.  It's defnitely a tight squeeze for two people.  Logan was not the happiest camper that night so I ended up sleeping in his "cage" next to him.  It was literally like our own little prison cell three feet off the ground.  It was actually was good to be in there because I could ask what medicine they were giving him and be right there when he'd wake up crying.  Needless to say, it was a long night (well, make that two nights...although, Olin slept in the cage one night too!)



Coming out of surgery



Saturday and Sunday came and went with lots of cafeteria food (albeit a little food poisoning for Olin), some visits from friends and family, and tons of POOP.  It was crazy...Logan began "going" almost immediately after he came back from surgery.  We probably changed at least three dirty diapers that night.  You have never seen two people more excited about poop than me and Olin.  I mean, it has really been since like the first few days as a newborn that Logan pooped on his own.  I can honestly say that in sixteen months, I never had to change a dirty diaper in public! I swore I would never complain about changing poopy diapers again, and so far, I haven't! 

 

Asleep in the wagon after a trip to the Koi Pond and cafeteria



It's just so good to see Logan feeling well.  You can just tell he feels better.  I can't imagine what he must have felt like for the last almost year and a half...constipated all of the time...pretty miserable.  The only bad thing has been the diaper rash.  His poor little butt is so red.  It's like someone who has never worked out and has blisters on their feet from not being used to exercising.  His bottom is not used to the constant sh*t that is coming out of it.  It will probably just take a little time for his skin to adjust...until then, we are stocked up on diaper cream!  He had three incisions made on his stomach...one in his belly button, and one on each side of his tummy.  You can't even see the belly button scar anymore, and the two other ones are healing great.  After just one day, Logan was only taking Tylenol for the pain.  For such a little guy, his strength is pretty amazing.  Of course he had a few fussy moments over the weekend, but for the most part, you would never have been able to tell that he'd had surgery just a few days earlier.  Although one doctor got our hopes up for leaving on Mother's Day, we didn't get discharged until Monday.  They just wanted to be sure he was eating and keeping everything down okay.  When we got home, it seemed almost like a dream...or a movie that I had watched of someone else's life.  Logan was doing so well...until I'd smell his dirty diaper, or he'd lift his shirt to show off his new scars, I would forget where we had spent the last three days. 



Check out my scars ladies!





Ready to go home!



I cannot tell you how happy I am that everything went so well for Logan, and that it is over.  I'm still in awe that removing just six inches of his intestine was the trick to getting everything to work properly.  I asked Olin if we should have a burial ceremony for the irrigation catheter : )  I think both of us still have a tiny bit of doubt that this poop extravaganza will be short-lived, but I think it is here to stay!  YAY!   

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers over the last few months.  Your kind words of encouragement have helped lift us on our low days.  We are so thankful for the wonderful doctors and nurses at Scottish Rite who took care of us, and we are so thankful for sweet little Logan and his new and improved colon : )



A quick healer