2 months later...

Oops! It is so rare that I get any time to myself to actually write my thoughts down, so this blog is definately suffering! In fact, I should really be doing homework right now, but shoot, I am 28 years old and still procrastinate just as bad (if not worse) than I did in high school! If I manage to actually pass this term though (and right now, that's a HUGE if!), I will finally have my associates degree in December! It may be the slowest degree ever, but a class here and there over the last 10 years is finally coming together :)

We have had a neuro appointment for Aiden since my last post :) The doc does not think it is that schizencephaly deal. Instead, he is pretty much positive that Aiden did in fact have a stroke. He did say that Aiden is his "unique" patient though! He showed us a model of a brain, labeled with what each portion controls. Aiden's damage, going strictly by the MRI and not knowing him at all, should result in complete paralysis on his right side, no vision in his right eye, impaired mental function, impaired speech and no bowel or bladder control. That is so not my son! In fact, the neuro said he thinks he's about at a 5 year old level in regards to his mental function! So, yes, Aiden does have cerebral palsy. No, he will most likely not be the best jumper in school, nor the best at pushups or pullups. But you know what? None of that matters. I have had so many moments where it really hits me how lucky we got. When we go to his therapy appointments, and I see the kids in the wheelchairs that have to be completely strapped in just to sit up, I have to hug Aiden a little tighter. There is no rhyme or reason as to how Aiden escaped that fate, but he has. He does get some funny looks from the other parents, trying to figure out what he's doing there, in a waiting room where he is the only child without braces, crutches or a wheelchair. One mother actually asked me, because apparently Tuesdays are generally reserved for CP patients. When I told her he had CP, she looked at me like I was crazy! He is going to need braces though. Getting him to where them will be a trick, but as his feet grow, it is more apparent that his ankles need some help. He is now walking on the insides of his feet. Brandon is not going to like this. He doesn't want anyone to know that Aiden is not the same as every other child out there, and braces will ruin that. It does bother me that he is so secretive about it. It makes me feel like he is ashamed of our son, even though that is not it at all! He was just raised to never talk about anything medical with anyone outside of his immediate family. If he found out I had this blog, he'd probably stop talking to me for a long time :( I will break him of it though!

Tuesday began the possibly long journey to figure out what caused Aiden's stroke. He had his first appointment with a hematologist, who then sent him for a blood draw. 13 VIALS LATER... yup, I said 13. They only took 6 from me when I was pregnant, and I felt a little woozy. He ate more than a grown man every meal for the next 48 hours. I think it was his body trying to make new blood cells! Now we have to go back every 4 weeks, and if nothing came out of the labs, he gets more blood taken. I have to think of a really special treat for his next appointment! And this time, I will be bringing a cup of orange juice to make him drink right after so he's not so out of it!

Connor is on the verge of walking already! He's 9 months, and a little pistol! He cruises along furniture like a speeding bullet, and now he likes to stand on his own so he has an excuse to clap for himself :) We just have to work on him moving his foot forward while he's doing it, since right now he just stretches out his arms and dives towards me! I'm glad I finally got all the parts to my gate so I could install it. This sucker goes from one side of my living room to the other, and has two swinging doors. That way, Connor (and Aiden most of the time) can be restricted to the living room. He can climb our stairs before you blink your eye if he gets past the gate, so I have to be hyper vigilant about that. I always say that he's going to be my first child in a cast because he has no fear, and is constantly doing crazy and dangerous stuff. He really likes to hang from the window ledge and try to climb up the wall. He has also decided it's tons of fun to crawl on their mini couch, get on his knees on the back of it, and throw his arms in the air while the thing flips over on top of him. He laughs the whole time! It's not heavy or hard, so it doesn't hurt him, it's the falling face first (and sometimes back first depending on his mood) that freaks me out! I did have to take him to the ER on Thursday when he stuck his hand in the door (the side that has hinges) and his brother slammed it all the way shut. Although he screamed bloody murder the whole way there, and his right ring finger was about the size of 2 of his other fingers combined, nothing was broken! Their little bones are still super tiny and soft, and baby fingers are mostly cartilidge. I had to keep pumping ibupfrofin in him for 48 hours, because the doc said splinting him as active as he is would result in much more severe inuries! He was crawling around the room, and everytime he put weight on his right hand he screamed, but would not stop! He did get weighed at that visit, and is now a whopping 17 pounds! His 9 month (even though he'll be 10 months) checkup is September 9th, so hopefully he'll gain more before then so the doc doesn't get upset again that my super active, big meal eating child can't seem to gain more than a pound a month!

I guess I should end this for now. I have much more to say, but I need to give myself and excuse to get back on here soon!