Finally, a new post!

The change in Isaac's breathing since having his tonsils removed, is incredible. I've known that the tonsils were a problem, but had no idea, what an impact they had on his breathing. This makes me very, very happy, because in the days leading up to the surgery I couldn't stop praying that this would be the surgery that made the impact. And I think it did!

We used to be able to hear Isaac breathing at night from our bedroom, with the door closed. I couldn't hold him while he was sleeping because he snored so loud, and literally sounded like that thing at the dentist that sucks the spit out of your mouth. Now, he's quiet as a mouse. I take that back, the last mouse we had in our house, was definitely not quiet, hence the reason it is dead. Anyway, I'm really happy for Isaac and the blessing of the tonsillectomy and the potential that that may have been our last surgery! Hooray for that, right?

In addition to improved breathing, he also much louder and babbles significantly more. Obviously, this is wonderful for speech and sound progress. So that's been really fun to experience. And now he's saying, "ma" consistently, so you know I'm all about that! Isabella was so advanced verbally by the time she was two, that it's been hard for me to wait for this verbal progress. I never thought I would have to wait until my child was almost two before he would say, "mama". I guess it just makes it that much more exciting to hear.

In ten days Isaac will turn two. Before he was born, I never pictured our life the way it is now. The last two years, and specifically, the last year, have been quite the journey. Isaac's first birthday was very hard for me. I felt like we were stuck, and I felt like I still had a baby, when really, we were supposed to move toward the toddler years. I don't feel stuck anymore. I feel like we're making really good progress and doing all of the things we should be doing. But I do feel sad. This is not what I wanted for my son. I didn't want this overarching diagnosis that may mean he may not be able to have a girlfriend or get married one day. Or he may never drive a car, or live on his own, or be able to go to a store on his own. I didn't want for my child to not be able to eat or drink anything by the time he turned two. Or not be able to walk and run and chase his sister around the yard. That's all we used to tell Isabella: when your brother is two, he'll be able to chase you around the yard and play with you at the playground! Well, he does chase her, while scooting, and he does play at the playground, but only ones without mulch, because he refuses to touch it.

I want to be able to make a cake for him, or at least have him understand to some extent that his birthday is a day just for him. But we're not there yet. And while I watch my friend's daughter turn two, just fourteen days before Isaac, she sings Happy Birthday, and talks, and walks, and run, knows her shapes and colors, eats cake, and gets excited that everyone is celebrating her, I know that Isaac,

-is getting stronger
-is incredibly funny
-is good at puzzles
-loves tiny Legos
-is beginning to act out stories with his toys
-loves to paint and color
-is starting to climb
-can roll over and pull to stand
-can let go of furniture and stand on his own for up to thirty seconds
-loves taking a bath
-loves his sister
-has wonderful receptive language skills
-will touch pretzels and gold fish
-is obsessed with Toy Story
-gets mad when we turn on the wrong show
-can sign: eat, read, book, play, help, car, bird, fly, airplane, more, tree, cat, dog
-can say: Isabella (ba ba), mama, dada, car, ball, star (dar), dog (by pretend panting), eat (eeee), bug (bzzzz), cat (ka), baby (bebe), up (uh), on (uhn), duck (duh), quack, quack (kak kak)
-knows these animal sounds: cow, dog, duck, sheep
-can identify a multitude of items on pages in books

Sometimes I get dreary and melancholy, because we have no idea what the future will hold for Isaac. But about a week ago, I was watching Isaac play, and I thought, everything will be okay. I don't think I've thought that in a really long time. But I know it. No matter what, we'll be okay. And I feel like Walter and I have been through the hardest parts of the grieving and acceptance process, and since we don't need to jump out of a helicopter to prove the strength of our marriage, I know that the two of us will be okay too (in case you haven't been reading my blog, that was a reference to The Bachelor).

Have you seen the show Parenthood? First off all, best show ever and you should watch it. Secondly, one of the couples on the show has a son with Asperger's Syndrome, and it shares their journey with a child who has special needs. Obviously it is just a show, but still, I think that in the short snip-its they are able to show, it's a fairly accurate portrayal of what it's like to find out your child has special needs and the whole process you go through after that diagnosis is given. Anyway, great show, watch it.


Helping Papa fill the bird feeders. For some reason, Molli likes to eat bird seed. 

On a night that Walter worked late, I painted a chalk wall. We're having fun with it and it's a good place to display our weekly Memory Verse and Isabella's reading lessons.

While we were in Columbus, the kids and I took several walks around the neighborhood in an attempt to keep Isaac happy or get him to sleep. I've always been a very efficient "walker". I don't see the point in dawdling, just get up and go to the destination. Walter usually appreciated my slower pace when pregnant, and now, that Isabella walks on her own, I have to slow down considerably. She often walks very slowly, and I usually want to scream, but I try really hard to be patient. I suppose it gives me a chance to see the little things, like these blue flowers that I may have missed otherwise.

Isaac loves all things that fly. So he was thrilled to watch the planes fly over my grandma's house all hours of the day.

He sees a bug...

He squishes the bug...

He can climb on by himself!

Isabella was very excited to paint her own nails...

And one last thing, we got the results of Isaac's MRI. I wasn't really shocked by anything, and at this point, it's always good to have answers. Basically, he has abnormal thinning of the corpus callosum and "mild periventricular changes consistent with periventricular leukomalacia." The neurologist was very positive and encouraged us to continue to work with Isaac's therapists and agreed that he is making really good progress and is beginning to meet some good developmental milestones. Feel free to look up all of that terminology. Basically they are fancy words to say that he will have delays (duh) and some form of mental retardation (I believe it will be more mild than moderate).

Isabella just told me I look like a beautiful ballerina. So on that note, have a good day!