Oh my sweet boys!

I just love these little guys.  Here is Dallin on his way home from the bus stop getting ready for Thanksgiving!!

Me and Bryson!

Dallin is the essence of nut-hood!  :)

Milestones

The last week of the cast Logan learned to crawl with it on!!  

Scooting master!

Standing!!!  Beyond thrilled!!!!

And I couldn't figure out how to get the video of him walking for the first time from facebook, but here's the link. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151151906953026&l=1207808127049048128

Getting the cast off!!!!

After six weeks, five with a very STINKY cast!!!, the day finally came for him to get his cast off.  

Logan was actually VERY scared.  He was afraid his leg would hurt again if the cast came off.  Breaks my heart.  So, I loaded him up with valium (he had a perscription for it, no worries), and we headed to the ortho office.  

Poor boy, so scared.

We "practiced" getting the cast off lots of times.  I would make loud sounds and shake the cast a little (all while smiling and laughing), pretending I was taking off the cast, and then we would cheer when it "came off".  I had prepped him as much as I could, but it was still a very scary experience for him.  

Here he is, after getting his cast off.  Not really sure what just happened.  But I was a proud mama.  He didn't cry during the process, only when we moved him around.  Those large muscles get very stiff from being in the same position.  I was a very proud mama.  

Here he is, wearing PANTS!!  yay!!!

When we got him, the Dr. told me to give him a warm bath and lots of pain meds to help him with the muscle pain.  He couldn't even sit up on his own, so I put on a bathing suit and sat with him in the bath, very very aware that this was the first bath he'd had in weeks, and there had been poo stuck to all his skin.  Nastiest bath ever, but my boy needed me.  So, I just womaned up!  :)

On the couch after his first bath!  Happy to be done with the ordeal, and very high.  

That evening Nanny flew into town.  He slept most of the way there.  It was wonderful being able to use the car seat again, although he chose an interesting way to sleep in it!  Funny thing is, here we are, over a year later, and he still sleeps with his legs apart like this in his car seat.  

Waking up from his nap, and realizing, for the first time, he could SIT BY HIMSELF!  Can you just see his PRIDE and JOY!!!!!  Proud of you too, bud!!!!

The day after he got his cast off was Halloween.  We adopted Dallin's old costume because it would be comfie and warm for him with his owie leg.  

Boys with nanny!

Letting him eat as much candy as he wanted!  :)

Getting to play while sitting!  Oh, it's the little things in life!  

Learning to scoot around!

STANDING FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!!

Taking a step!!

It took him six weeks from getting the cast off to be able to walk again.  We were so very very proud of him.  He was such a trooper!

Logan's broken leg

In a previous post, I posted about Logan's broken leg.  It sure was undoubtedly an interesting ordeal.  He was a trooper, and so cute.

So....the cause of the broken leg:  Bryson + bike

After waking up from anesthesia where they set and cast his leg.  I love that the children's hospital had a wheel barrow to put him in.  He loved it, and we were able to go on little walks without jostling him too much.  :)  We just cushioned it with lots of pillows.  

They told us instead of a wheel chair, just use an umbrella stroller.  He fit just perfectly.  We couldn't use it for the first week or so because he needed to have his leg as elevated as possible to prevent swelling.  To keep him warm, we used a big daddy sock on one leg, and a little daddy sock on the other.  

He had to sit on my lap to eat.  He got extra treats.  

Bless Aunt Jessica's heart for coming and staying with us for a week!  She was a WONDERFUL help and support.  And my kids all LOVE LOVE LOVE her.  And UNO.  This is Dallin and Aunt Jessica.  

Logan spent a lot of time on a bean bag.  

Carrying Logan with his cast was...well...a little awkward.  And heavy.  

I would always sit him up on the couch, but he always ended up in this position.  Apparently he thought it was more comfortable, despite it looking like I was just neglecting the poor child.

I could only spot bathe the poor boy.  I would bassically rub him down with a warm washcloth as best I could, and then use a squirt bottle for his hair.  Here he is drying off with his little goat from "Goatpa"  aka Grandpa Goates.  (my dad)  He told me that the goat had an owie leg so we wrapped up the owie and Logan took very good care of the little goat.  

Logan was supposed to have the cast on for six weeks.  The first week.  Repeat, the very FIRST week he pooped and it went all the way up the back of the cast, and was almost coming out the top of the back!  Poor child.  I called the DR to see what we're supposed to do, expecting that they had a way to replace the batting or SOMETHING, but no.  The only way to fix the problem was to put him back under general anesthesia, and recast the entire spica cast!  So, they said to clean it out as best I could

...and if he starts to stink...

SPRAY HIM WITH FABREEZE!!

Yeah.  Fabreeze!  So, I went to work trying to clean out the nasty mess inside his cast.  I went at it daily for the next six weeks, and every day I found more *chunks*.  Ewww.  But between my cleanings, and putting lots of triple antibiotic ointment and oils on any sores that developed, he was able to remain in the same cast.

Needless to say, we went through a LOT of fabreeze.  

He couldn't fit into a car seat because of how his legs were positioned, so he was supposed to use a harness.  Here he is, all harnessed and ready to go!

When we started going stir crazy, we'd take him on walks in our little wheel barrow.  He enjoyed it, but the sun would always get in his eyes, so big brother Dallin let him use his sunglasses.  The stuffed dog went with us on most walks too.  

Xray of the leg after being in the cast for 5 weeks.  

They said it was "healing niceley".  To me, it still looks WAY broken...but I guess they're the experts...

This is what he did, instead of a carseat.  We put his harness on, and then ran the seat belt through it.  The tricky part was making sure the seat belts weren't poking him.  

Site seeing Georgia.  Love my boys!!!

Road trip to visit daddy who was working in Tennesee!  Have you seen a more beautiful place?  EVER???  Breathtaking.  The whole state.  Breathtaking!

Logan didn't fit in a grocery cart because of the bar between his legs.  For grocery shopping we would use the little carts with the car in the front.  To maneuver him in, I would have to turn him almost upside down and sideways.  I wish I could have gotten a video of trying to get him in, I'm sure it was quite comical, and usually took a few tries.  But every time I tried to put him in, my hands were quite full!!

Every once in a while we would have to go somewhere that didn't have the car on front - cough- walmart - cough cough.  I couldn't make those trips on my own because I needed one person to push the cart, and one person to push Logan.  So, I would recruit a little boy to help me run to the store.  I wouldn't trust them to push Logan (last thing we need is them running the stroller into a wall and hurting Logan), so they would be in charge of pushing the cart.  Here is Dallin, barely able to see over the cart, pushing the heavy cart full of pumpkins!  Happy halloween!  :)

Thanks for helping, Dallin!  I genuinely couldn't have done it without you!

Getting ready to go to a ward Halloween party!  :)

Bryson's baptism

Within a few weeks of moving to the BEAUTIFUL Georgia, Bryson turned 8 and was baptized.  

It was a little bit of a challenge because we weren't really established in the area yet, and Bryson was definitely feeling a sense of loss.  Moving from where he had both sets of grandparents who were both heavily involved in his life, to across the country was a little hard.  But this boy is a trooper! 

AND we have fabulous family!!!

Several family members made the trek to be there for us for Bryson's special day.  We were so blessed.  I am quite bummed that I didn't get pictures of everyone that came.  

Here are the cousins eating breakfast.  We didn't have chairs in our dinning area yet, so there were lots of "picnics" on the kitchen floor.  :)  

Love that the cousins are BFFs!!

My parents and Bryson.

Mom and little Logan.  :)

Proud daddy.  There is something so incredibly special about seeing my husband dressed in white to baptize our son.  INCREDIBLY special.  *heart melting*

Not a flattering picture of the adults, but here we are.  Proud of our boy!

FINALLY...maybe...

Five years ago I took Cory to a specialist in Tucson with all my concerns about his behavioral and developmental issues.  Long story, short, I got a diagnosis that I didn't agree with.  Instead of finding a processing disorder (aspergers, pervasive development disorder, or some kind of sensory processing disorder), they told me he had a problem with his muscles.  (WHAT?!?)  (For the long version of the story, click here)  So, I just kind of left it for a while, always knowing there was something more going on.  I didn't need the correct diagnosis, I only needed A diagnosis to open doors at school to give him some much needed special accommodations.

So, for years I have left it at that.  Knowing there was something more, and always kind of curious EXACTLY what I was dealing with, but not really feeling it would do him any good because he was already getting the help he needed.

Until recently.

In the past few months I have noticed a few things that have concerned me, and I'm realizing at this point of his life, he's needing more than I know how to give.  So, today I was able to go to his new pediatrician and voice my concerns.  He is going to get Cory a psych consultation, and then when we get the results, the pediatrician will advise us or refer us to whoever he thinks is appropriate for the situation.

I am excited to have some progress, and have the prospect of getting answers, but I also have a lot of concerns and questions.

Will a psych evaluation detect a processing disorder, like I strongly suspect Cory has?  Or will they try to label it something like "anxiety" or "insomnia" or "social delay"?  I've already done the partial diagnosis thing, I want someone to see the big picture with Cory.  A partial diagnosis would probably only get him a doctor's prescription, but I want someone to see that these are only symptoms of what is at the root of all this.

Also, since we will be moving to Texas soon, I feel like we won't be able to get very far into this, and I'm afraid we'll have to start over once we get there.

I would really like to go back to the NACD, where I feel Cory got the most help.  But they are not covered by insurance, and also I feel like I have too much going on in my life right now to do the program justice because it is extremely parent-intensive. Maybe once we get settled in Texas we will be able to get started up with that again, but I'm not thinking life will be any calmer out there...

Anyways, here's hoping...  Love my Cory, just want him to have the best possible chance of succeeding at a happy life!

Nick Ivie

"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

There has been a lot of talk about Nick Ivie, the boarder patrol agent who was killed a few days ago.  

For the press conference, click here.  

This has surprised all of us.  As the media has pointed out, he was a good man, a family man.  He has served as my home teacher for the past two years or so, up until we moved.  I can attest to the fact that he was a humble, quietly good man.  

I only bring this up because there has been a fund set up for his wife, Christy, to cover funeral expenses, and any other way she finds a need.  She is a stay at home mom to two beautiful girls, and her life was just shaken.  There has been a fund set up to donate to her.  Please, if you are at all able, donate.  It is certainly a time of need for this little family.  

http://www.gofundme.com/1a7whc

Click there and donate what you can.  I know it will be appreciated.