Sorry for the delay!

We are all well. Christmas was wonderful spending it at home. The kids kept saying over and over again how last year sucked. I feel so bad for what they have been through and the feelings they have had to experience through all of this. They are so resilient yet I am sorry they have had to feel such pain so young. I wonder if we will ever again experience a Christmas that we don't sit and think of the Christmas of 2007. Time will surely dull our feelings but will never take away the ache. It will be nice to not ever again say, "Remember this time last year..."

Liam is doing FABULOUS on his solids. He is eating 3 jars a day and he loves that I don't have to shove the bottle in his mouth so often. He gets a lot more calories now than before but less of the formula due to the solids taking up his tummy space. He just can't handle a lot of food. It is what it is for him and we will have to make do. I will be excited to see his weight at this months check up. Liam is also finally up to 3 ounce bottles again! WOW! That has not happened since before he got constipated 3 months ago.

As Liam gets older we can really see where not having much of a cerebellum is coming into play. He doesn't coordinate well at all with his arms. He reaches for toys but flails his arms when he tries. When he is on his back he is very uncoordinated. He tries to move but he just isn't getting how to do it yet. But he LOVES his belly which is such a blessing because I hear most CP kids don't like tummy time. He is still doing well trying to lift his head and is slowly getting there. I have faith. I have too. He's has my heart and soul wrapped up in his smile.

Liam loves his songs. He knows all of them and anticipates the moves. He still doesn't babble or coo but he does experiment with his voice once in a while. I'm working hard on getting him to say mama. He just thinks it's funny and grins really big when I say it. He is also enjoying playing peek-a-boo with me. I hide my face and he smiles when I return.

I have a funny story- I always see those stupid Bumbo seats in Target and get so irritated that my little guy can't use them like the rest of the normal babies. It's silly really, but it drives me nuts to see that silly happy kid on the box... Anyway, I decided that I was going to buy one anyway. I took it home and put Liam in it and he tried sooooo hard to sit up in it. He really wanted to do it. I showed Cathy and she was impressed that he tried so hard. I'm praying everyday that he will get the strength and coordination.

Rylie loved getting an Ipod for Christmas. She was shocked. She still is. Ian got the cool gifts he wanted and Aidan finally got her Julie American Girl doll. She has wanted one forever and she just wasn't ready for a $120 doll. I still don't think she is but I can't hold out on her forever. The box does say ages 7 and up...

I'm spending New Year's with Limmy while the rest of my family is in SC. It's been quite fun to have the house and be able to read in the evenings.

I started a simple, new medication to combat my adult acne (birth control pills) and three days into it I developed terrible itching, swelling, redness and bumps. I couldn't figure out for a while what it was and then it hit me. I have used BCP before (decades ago) and never had a problem so I didn't automatically associate it but it was the only thing I could think of. When I checked with the pharmacist she said I was allergic to something in it and discontinue. The next day I felt tremendously better! I was still itchy but it was much less in intensity. I am now about 4 days out from the pills and altho I still have sores and irritation I am feeling so much better.

This area of my neck is what my entire spinal column looked like.

This is my leg. The sores were so swollen on my scalp that I couldn't tilt my head backward.


I have a couple of posts I have been debating on writing that I hope to get to soon. My blog was originally for me and my journaling purposes only and I had no idea that it would ever be read by people all over the world. Although the blog is still for me it is now not only for me. As I share my thoughts and feelings with you, I pray there will be no passing of judgement, jumping to conclusions or disrespect shown. These are, after all, my words, my thoughts, and my life. It is what it is. I am God's child and I am still growing.

I love these photos!

Sorry

It's been a while since I have updated. I kind of needed to collect my thoughts regarding my last therapy session in VA. It went ok. Nothing new or exciting for Liam in his development, I don't think. But talking with Carla had me a bit confused about Liams form/s of CP. And due to that I was having a hard time recognizing what she was saying to me. And after talking with my therapists here, who know Liam extensively, I have been renewed in my thoughts. So- now I have two therapists (more than that really) who are on a little bit different paths and ideas and thoughts about what LIam is doing in his movements. But- either way, it doesn't change what we will continue to do with him in his therapy. There are going to be some differences that I can not reconcile and so we will deal with them as best we can. If Liam benefits, that is all that matters. I did decide that one of the things Carla didn't want me doing with Liam wasn't what he needed. When I quit doing it, he quit doing it, and he spent a month not even trying. Now that I went back to it he is practicing it again.

On to good news- Liam didn't gain any weight this last month and the good news is that he didn't lose (see, there is always a bright side!). Because Liam isn't wanting his bottle very much and becauae I am losing my sanity on some days, we decided to go ahead and get him eating more solids. The concern has always been to go slow so Liam wouldn't become orally defensive and shut down or that he wasn't physically ready because he didn't have head control and wouldn't be able to move his tongue properly (he has a horrible latch on the bottle and it's very weak). But out little man has proven that he is ready and willing. He is now eating three jars of food a day and with that has upped his calories by 100-150 per day. So, as long as he continues to do so good, we should see a lovely weight gain this next month.

Liam got sick again with a cold in VA and he is still trying to get over it. I don't know if it's the stale hotel air or what but we are now two for two on him getting sick in VA. We aren't scheduled to go back until the end of January.


Rebecca-It was great to visit with you and thanks for the lunch. I had such a great time!

Tracie- Thank you for your generosity-we have been greatly blessed by your gift!

I will post a few new pictures soon-

Therapies

Therapy is going... we have had 4 sessions so far and have 4 more to go and we will be home late tomorrow. I am bummed tho. I haven't heard any details about CP for Liam other than that he has it because of his brain injury. Carla said yesterday that she doesn't see many kids with Liam's issues of constant movement and that it isn't as common of a problem. So now I'm wondering why no one has mentioned to me about his movements before now. I knew he had jerky movements but didn't know that his constant moving isn't a common thing in CP. Ugh. But the positive is that he calms his movements down when in certain positions. It's when he is on his back that he gets frenetic.