3 weeks after getting a new shunt and I'm doing great!!!
I can’t believe I just finished my first year of school! It was awesome! I just had my last “horse therapy” until the fall when it cools off. At my last session, Austin, a student worker who has been helping Ms. Carol with me for the last 3 years, gave me a real cowboy hat. Now I can look just like Woody when I ride Mr. Charley. And since Austin will be going off to college – kinda like Andy in the Toy Story movie – I will have the hat to remind me of him and how kind people are to me. I am so blessed!!!
Our Mother's Day lunch. Isn't she beautiful!! Everyone thinks we look alike!
I have the best mom in the whole world!! You have no idea all the things she does for me. – Here’s an example of a typical day at our house – She has to make sure I wake up in the morning in time to be ready for school or an early therapy session. Getting up for most kids involves the usual stuff. But for me – I’m a cut above the rest – so I need a little extra attention. Like, I need Mommy to catheterize my bladder first thing when I wake up. That’s my version of going to the potty. And she has to remember to “cath” me every 3 hours all day long. It’s not so bad when we’re at home, but when we are out running errands that process can get a little tricky. Mommy also has to give me all my medicine. Then she has to take off my AFO’s (that’s short for ankle-foot orthotics) and make sure they didn’t cause sores on my feet during the night. Then we do the kinda stuff other kids usually do in the morning like eat breakfast, brush your teeth, … you know. Next it’s stretching my legs and putting back on my AFO’s. Now we’re ready for the day! Since I have about 5-6 different therapists, I usually have a least one therapy appointment every day; and some days it’s two. I have about 8 different doctors taking care of me, so you can usually count on a doctor’s appointment somewhere in the week, as well. Then there’s school and playtime and the usual stuff moms do. Oh, and don’t forget about baby Sam. He really needs her now that he is crawling. He gets into everything! At night she helps me out when I sit on my “big-boy” potty.” It’s a special chair for kid’s like me to use when we “go to the bathroom”. That whole process takes about 30 minutes. Then it’s medicine time again and off to bed. Oh and during the day she has to make sure I don’t run a fever, and I drink lots of water and I walk with my braces. I’m sure I left out some stuff; but I think you get the picture. Now can you see why she’ s the best mom in the whole world?! But the real reason I think she’s the best mom in the whole world is cause she makes me feel like I’m the best kid in the whole world! I sure do love her!
SAM & I AT THE EASTER PARTY AT HPC. I LOVE MY CHURCH!!
Boy, has a lot been going on since the last time we talked! My baby brother Sam and I have been keeping our mom & dad so busy that they didn’t have time to turn on the “cupooter” for me to write to you…..sorry!
AUGUST – So let’s see – where were we? Oh yeah, I was just about to start school. Well, at the end of the month I started school at LSU!! In case you’re wondering – I’m not going to college – it’s the developmental preschool on LSU’s campus!! But I’m at LSU just the same!! I looove my school and my teachers and especially my new friends!! School is so awesome cause I get to do things that I haven’t done before – like go on field trips around campus. I also got to learn how to sit quietly and let someone else do the talking. That took a little while to learn, but I’m really good at it now! What I like best about my school is how my teachers and the children there treat me like I’m just “one of the gang”. And hey, sometimes I do things in a different way than the other kids but we all wind up with the same result.
SEPTEMBER – I started seeing a new urologist and he changed the medicine I was taking to help my kidneys and bladder. I was glad cause the old medicine was makin me feel real bad. The new medicine is working much better for me and now I’m back to my old self!
OCTOBER – My school got a special bike for me to use. My therapist helped me to learn how to pedal it with my hands and now I get to ride my bike at recess with the other kids! It’s so much fun and it wasn’t too hard for me to learn.
I got to meet "Mike the Tiger" before the LSU game. It was awesome!!
NOVEMBER started out great – I got to go to my first LSU football game. I loved watching the football players but I think I liked the “marching band” even more!! I talk about them everyday since then. Like I said, November started out great but something really bad happened to my baby brother Sam. (You can find out more about it on BABY SAM) God gave us a really big miracle when He gave baby Sam back to us. My family is so grateful for that!
DECEMBER finally arrived and I got to take Sam to Disneyworld and introduce him to Mickey & the gang! We flew on a big airplane and then spent a whole week with Mickey Mouse!! It was all so magical! I love how I’m treated when I go there!
MICKEY WAS TELLING ME HOW HAPPY HE WAS TO SEE ME
When I got home I had surgery on my eyes to help them to straighten out. Now I should be able to use both eyes at the same time and I probably won’t need to wear glasses anymore! Even though I’m a happy kinda guy – I was sad for baby Sam. He needed lots of attention from my mom and dad and lots of prayers, too. But God is so good and by the end of March, Baby Sam was almost fully healed!!
My school's version of a Mardi Gras parade. I let Sam ride with me.
JANUARY &
FEBRUARY – Cause my mom & dad were so busy taking care of Sam, my grandparents and some of my aunts and uncles helped out by spending time with me. I really liked getting that extra attention from them. And they tried not to spoil me too much!
MARCH – Like I said before – God is good and His timing is perfect – cause by the middle of the month, just when Sam started doing better, I decided it was time for me to get back some of the attention I had given up. So I got my mom to take me to the E.R. – no ambulance ride or anything like that – just a nice slow ride in her car. I was having a really bad headache and since she says I never complain like that, she needed me to get checked out. By the time the doctors finished their tests, I was feeling fine, so the hospital asked me to be in a commercial they were shooting that day. See how God can take bad things and make them good!
Anyway- I spent the next 3 days kinda feeling the same way. By the 5th day my mom knew the doctors were wrong when they told her my condition was seizure related. She’s so smart!! So she and my dad took me back to the E.R. and this time the doctors got it right. I was having shunt failure. You can go to MY MEDICAL UPDATES to find out more about it. I had to have another shunt put in and spend a few days in the hospital – but I got some undivided attention and some new toys out of it, so all –in-all it wasn’t so bad!! …that is except for the haircut they gave me! Once I started feeling better my dad took me to see Mr. Rene – he owns the Forum Hair Salon and he fixed my hair. He did a really great job and you could hardly tell where they shaved my head!
Giving a "thumbs up" two days after getting a new shunt.
Well I guess we’re all caught up! Can you believe it’s already APRIL! I just got back from a long week-end at the beach with my family. Sam & I are continuing to heal more and more each day. I really appreciate the prayers and if you could remember to pray for Baby Sam I would appreciate that even more!
Sam didn't like the sand at first. But once I showed him how to play in it, he was OK.
Oh, hi guys! Yes, it’s me, Oliver. I am writing you to tell you that I got away from writing on my blog for a while, but I am now a mature 3 year old and I have so much to tell you.
My "Boitday Cake"
"Oh, are you taking a picture of me??"
In the last year, I have a new little brother, Samuel David. He was born on May 17, 2010. He’s a little chunker and loves to cry so he can get his way with Mommy and Daddy. I was a little jealous at first, but he’s grown on me and I can see he and I are gonna be best buddies.
I have been travelling a little with Mommy and Daddy to our favorite summer hangout, Destin. This winter, we are going to Disney! I can’t wait to tell Mickey how much I love watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse EVERY morning while I eat my food bar and drink my “cholocolate milk”.
I am starting school this year and I can’t wait! I get to meet new friends, new teachers, and get to learn new things!
Okay, I promise I’ll start writing more to everyone. Keep checking out my blog site and I’ll give you updates… Until then, “see ya lata, alligata!”
ok, so much has happened I don’t know where to begin. I have been keeping Mommy VERY busy. Well, after I got my wheels I couldn’t be stopped. I learned to go everywhere in them, I even learned to pop-a-wheelie! In the beginning of summer, Mommy and Daddy got my my first set of RGO’S. They are braces that have a cable system that help me walk. I use my walker with them, and I am doing pretty well. I use my wheels when I go places with my friends or with Mommy and Daddy. I use my RGO’S when I am at the house or in therapy. I am talking up a storm! I repeat EVERYTHING I hear. I have been pretty busy this summer. We went to our first Spina Bifida Conference in Orlando. I got to see Mickey and Peter Pan (my two favorite characters right now). Mommy and Daddy learned a TON about spina bifida at the conference and I also made new friends, Eleanor, Avery and Owen. I also went to the beach TWICE and I am heading there again pretty soon. I still can’t believe that I am going to be 2 in just two weeks. Well, Mommy says to check out my Spina Bifida page for some updates and to check back in a couple of weeks for some birthday pics. Enjoy the videos and pics…….
This is my first haircut!
This is me at Easter sleeping on my "bucca" Beau.
at the beach!
Me and Nan
I LOVE water!
Me, Ami and all my girls!
I LOVE daddy's BIG boat!
This is my new friend Eleanor
AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST…….THIS IS A PICTURE OF ME IN MY RGO’S WALKING
ok, so I have been VERY busy. Christmas was GREAT. I got so many toys Mommy and Daddy had to reorganize my playroom just to fit everything. The biggest news this month is that I finally got my first set of wheels in! It took me only 24 hours to figure out how to use it. Check out my very own video my Mommy made. Also, please check my Spina Bifida section. I gave Mommy and Daddy a BIG scare last week with a very long seizure. I had to stay in the hospital for a couple of days. I am home now and doing fine. Just click on this link to see my video’s! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jON4dkC5szg&fe ature=channel_page.
Me and my cousin Gabie
I am going to get to that present before my cousin Max
Mimi was teaching me and Davis how to play the piano!
My beautiful family on Christmas Eve….wait where is Sophie???
Me and Tootsie on Christmas Eve
I learned how to open presents REAL QUICK!
Me and Santa! Boy did he give me EVERYTHING on my list!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy…
Mommy took me to my first pumpkin patch
I was really having a good time
Me, Mommy, Daddy and Sophia on Thanksgiving Day at my house
This is me with 'My Girls' Tootsie, Mommy and Lele
All of my friends came over for a Thanksgiving Party, and the adults played volleyball while the kids watched from the sidelines. I can't wait until I can play. One of Mommy's friends took this picture of me.It was FREEZING outside!
Well, Mommy woke me up early this morning to show me this…..
This is my front yard. Can you believe that it snowed in BATON ROUGE
Then, she made me get all dressed up to go outside! I HATED the snow, mostly because she put me in my toy basket, and it flipped OVER. I was so cold!
This is the toy basket I was telling you about!
Seriously! It's freezin out here!
Ok, Mommy is trying to figure out how to post videos on my web page, so check back VERY soon for some great updates!
Well, it’s offical, I have taken my first trip to Disney World, and I LOVED it!!! I can’t wait to go back. I went on EVERY ride that I could possibly go on. I also met some of Mickey’s friends. Here are some pics from the trip. Oh and make sure to check out my Spina Bifida Progress page. Mommy finally updated it.
Well it’s official, I am not longer a baby…I am well on my way to being a BIG BOY. Once again, let me start by apologizing for taking so long to write to all of you! I have kept Mommy and Daddy VERY busy these past few months. For my first birthday Mommy and Daddy took me to the beach with Tootsie, Poopsie, Lele, Uncle Beau and Sadie. We had a BLAST. My favorite part was eating my first birthday cake. I REALLY enjoyed it. Then when I got home, my Ami and Popie threw me my very first birthday party with another cake and balloons. I was the only kid there, so I didn’t have to share my cake with anyone….I really liked that part ! I have been very busy with all of my therapy sessions. Mommy makes me go EVERY day of the week, sometimes twice a day. But all of the hard work is paying off because I can now kick my right leg when Mommy or Daddy asks me to. Oh I almost forgot, I can also say the following words…Mama, Dadda, This, That and Baba and Nana. I now can do up to ten “tricks”, including my new favorite ‘praise Jesus’. Most of the time I will do them when Mommy asks me to, but if I am hungry I’ll make her give me a snack before I do any of my tricks. Make sure to check out my other pages for updates. Enjoy the pics…..
Me and Daddy in Destin, Tootsie kept telling us to open our eyes, but the sun was TOO BRIGHT!
I was trying to tell Tootsie that I didn't want to take any more pictures!!!!!
So much has happened since I last updated my site! I just took my first plane ride. I had SO MUCH FUN. Everybody kept telling Mommy and Daddy what a good little boy I was. We went to Charlotte, NC. Daddy had a business meeting and he wanted me and Mommy to go with him to keep him company. I am a GREAT person to travel with. I even sat in my own seat.
I have also been swimming A LOT. I LOVE the water. Mommy bought me this really cool floating car. I just sit back and enjoy the ride.
This is me and Daddy on Mother’s Day. We love matching!!
Here I am with Mommy at Nellie’s house.
So Daddy won’t get jealous, this is us on the same day.
Mommy finally figured out how to get the pictures off of her phone, so enjoy and I will try to write again VERY soon.
This is me in my peach hospital gown. What were they thinking! Why couldn’t I have blue??? People kept asking if I was a girl
Mommy couldn’t stop Sophie in time. She licked me right in my mouth… YUCK. Mommy, Mrs Gala, Mrs Michelle, and Mrs Krista are all working really hard to help me start to crawl. Look how far I have come! That bar helps me, but soon I won’t need it.
This is called “Serious Eyes” I do it to Mommy and Daddy and then they do it back to me. We all laugh after, and then do it again, and again, and again. Mommy wants me to make “sweet eyes” but I am a boy, and besides I LOVE making “serious eyes”!
This is my stander. It helps my muscles grow strong. I go in this three times a day for about 20-30mins at a time. I love being in this because my arms are free to play. When I get a little older Mommy is going to get a really nice one for me.
Make sure to check my Spina Bifida section for all of my medical updates. God IS GOOD ALL OF THE TIME
! I have been very busy with all of my therapy sessions. Mommy makes me go EVERY day of the week, sometimes twice a day. But all of the hard work is paying off because I can now kick my right leg when Mommy or Daddy asks me to. Oh I almost forgot, I can also say the following words…Mama, Dadda, This, That and Baba and Nana. I now can do up to ten “tricks”, including my new favorite ‘praise Jesus’. Most of the time I will do them when Mommy asks me to, but if I am hungry I’ll make her give me a snack before I do any of my tricks. Make sure to check out my other pages for updates. Enjoy the pics…..
