21/22 months

   Well, unfortunately I wasn't able to keep my promise and update last month.  I'm pretty bummed about that, but life is life.  I hope that everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day, even if it was "just another day."  Things have been busy, busy in our house, but that's nothing new!

   The weather is still all over the place here, so we try to take advantage of the pretty days when they come around.  On one of the pretty days, Jackson, Courtney (PT), and myself went to the park for his PT session.  He had a blast!  Other than the clinic where he has all of his therapies, I haven't taken Jackson out in public in his stander.  The thought of people staring at him in his stander made my anxiety level go through the roof.  So, when we decided to go to the park, Courtney asked me to bring his stander so that he could practice on the different terrains.

 

   My anxiety level was up, but seeing how big of a smile he had on his face the second that he started rolling across the parking lot made my anxiety level go down.  Of course there were stares, but the kids that were at the park were so interested in his stander.  Several of them, when we took Jackson out of the stander wanted to get it in.

 

   It's been six months since Jackson's last spina bifida clinic.  With that, comes the next round of testing to make sure that everything is still going well with his noggin, kidneys, and bladder.  He had a fast sequence MRI, a renal ultrasound, and a urodynamic test.  The renal ultrasound showed that his kidneys and bladder look good and are growing like they should be.  The urodynamic test went well also and showed that Jackson is emptying his bladder like he should.  There was a little bit of a pressure issue at one point, but the doctor wasn't too concerned at this time and thinks that it was just due to the catheter.  We will repeat the urodynamic test again in a year, but will repeat the MRI and renal ultrasound in six months.

   You would think that after everything that we have been through, I would know what fear is.  That I would know what fear feels like.  Boy was I wrong.  Jackson started running a low grade fever shortly after coming home from his MRI and urodynamic test.  No big deal, right?  I started treating the fever when he woke up in the middle of the night burning up.  The fever would go down and then come back as the medicine started wearing off.  It became a schedule of medicine trying to keep him cool.  He was very tired all day and I just assumed that it was because he was coming down with something.  I didn't think anything of it other than that I hated him being sick.  During one of the naps, I decided to lay down with him.  While he was sleeping, he started having a seizure.
 
   As soon as I opened my eyes, I knew immediately what was happening.  He was shaking so badly that it shook the bed.  I jumped up, ran to get the phone, and called 911.  I am very grateful for the 911 operator that calmed me down while watching Jackson have a seizure.  Once his seizure ended, he was unresponsive.  A police officer was the first one at the house and he had me get an ice pack to try and cool him down and get a response from him.  Even with an ice pack being placed on him, he didn't have a response.  He was completely out, very similar to what happened last May.

   As soon as the ambulance arrived, the EMTs rushed Jackson out and started to asses him.  They took his temperature and I found out that his fever was 105.9!  The good news though was that he became responsive once in the ambulance.  I guess he didn't like the EMT's picking at him.  The ambulance got ready to leave and when they did, I followed them to the hospital close to our house.  Matt was at work during this, but thankfully, they understood the necessity of him needing to leave, so he was able to meet us at the hospital once he got back to work.

   At the hospital they ran all kinds of blood work, gave him some ibuprofen to bring down his temperature, and did a chest x-ray.  Once the ibuprofen started to kick in, he perked up some and even ate a popsicle.  The blood work and chest x-ray all came back clean.  They couldn't find the cause of the fever which is good, but bad at the same time.  I hate leaving the doctor's, hospital, basically anywhere without answers to questions.  After several hours, we were finally discharged.  Jackson's fever kept going up and down for several days after, but thankfully he didn't have another seizure.

 
        
   Since we saw the urologist at the urodynamic test, our recent SB clinic actually was quite quick.  We only needed to see ortho, neuro, and nutrition during this clinic.  Ortho was the first one to come in, but unfortunately we didn't get to see his normal doctor for whatever reason.  Ever since Jackson's growth spurt, he's been having a little bit of difficulty walking.  The first two steps are good, but then he starts dragging his toes.  I brought this concern up to the ortho, but she assessed his walking and decided to give him some time to figure things out before trying to find a way to intervene.

   Neuro was the next one in and we discussed Jackson's MRI.  According to the doctor, there were no changes from his previous MRI six months ago to the most recent MRI!!!! Jackson's ventricles appear to be stable and the cyst that he has appears to have not grown anymore.  I asked the doctor about Jackson tapping his head, it's almost like he's trying to indicate that it is bothering him and the doctor decided to refer Jackson to a pediatric ophthalmologist to get his eyes checked and to make sure that there isn't pressure building up behind them.  The ophthalmologist will check Jackson to see if he has papilledema.  Fun word, huh?  Papilledema is a condition in which increased pressure in or around the brain causes part of the optic nerve inside the eye to swell.  So, basically, even though his ventricles haven't increased in size, there could possibly be pressure behind his eyes causing an issue. If Jackson does have papilledema, we will be going back to see his neurosurgeon to discuss the need for an ETV (endoscopic third ventriculostomy) to help with the pressure.      

   We all know how cute and amazing Jackson is, but he's finally getting some recognition for his cuteness and amazingness.  The SB coordinator got in contact with me about the possibility of taking some pictures of Jackson to put in a SB brochure that will be given to new parents.  Of course I said yes!  She followed us around the day that Jackson was having his MRI, ultrasound, and urodynamic test done and then took a couple of pictures on clinic day.  I provided a write up for the brochure giving some tips on what to expect from the first clinic and offering some tips on things to be prepared for.  I can't wait to see the finished product and really hope that new parents find it helpful.    
   Jackson has gotten really good at sharing and even tries to share with Aubie and Chevelle.  One day while he was eating a snack, he decided that Aubie needed some and put several on her.  She seemed confused, but didn't jump up, she just licked them off of her and continued her nap.  Both cats like to sit in my lap and Jackson has gotten a little jealous of them.  Every time that they come sit with me, he decides that he wants to sit in my lap also.  So, I've been working on him sitting next to me and petting the cats while we all sit on the couch together. We still have moments of hitting or trying to be rough, but they are becoming fewer and fewer.

 

   Jackson has found a new hobby of sweeping.  Every time that I open the pantry door, he wants the broom and starts to sweep the floor.  It's really cute to watch and he does really well with not banging the broom on anything around him.  One day while I was making lunch, Jackson figured out how to open the pantry himself.  One minute he just had the broom, the next, he started emptying the easy mac box, stacking the cups, and then putting them back in the box.  

 

   Jackson is learning all kinds of new games, but his favorite at the moment is "got your nose."  He sat on the couch, well, he sat on Matt one night and kept grabbing Matt's nose for an hour.  He laughed the entire time and had a great time.  He also loves to race Matt and I.  He does this cute tap thing with his hands on the floor as his way of "starting his engine."  Once he taps his hands, you know that it's race time and you better get ready.

   With Custom Creations business picking up, Elena and I have been working a lot which means lots of play dates for Jackson and his friends.  Since starting to play more with Elena's little girl and the little boy that she watches during the week, I have seen such a difference in Jackson.  He is opening up, learning to play with others, "talking" more, and is gaining more independence.  It's been great for the both of us.    

   Jackson's hair finally grew long enough for him to get a big boy haircut.  I knew that it was going to go one of two ways.  Either he was going to be completely fine with getting a haircut or we would both be in tears because he hated it and was scared.  He was such a big boy and didn't shed a single tear!  He was more interested in what the hair stylist and the people around us were doing.  It was great!  I have to admit that when the hair stylist cut the first curl, it felt like a dagger to my heart.

   Now that the weather seems to have made up its mind, I'm trying to get Jackson outside more to play.  One beautiful weekend, Matt and I took Jackson outside for him to play and explore in his stander.  He had a blast!  He rolled himself around the driveway, went in the grass, and even explored the road a little bit.  He is amazing in his stander and it gives him so much freedom.

 

   All of Jackson's therapists have been working on building his core strength and his occupation therapist has started working with him bear crawling.  It is so cute seeing him up on all fours and he finds it pretty funny when the cats try to walk under him.

   We finally got word that Jackson's wheelchair has been approved!  We are so excited for Jackson to have another means to be mobile.  He absolutely loves his stander, so I have high hopes that he will love his wheelchair just as much.  Having a wheelchair will allow him to have more independence while we are out and about.

   Recently, Jackson has been given the nickname "Hulk" by his orthotist.  His reason?  Jackson has broken his cables yet again.  Not only did he break his cables again, but he broke them in a place that his orthotist has never seen done by a child Jackson's size!  While we are waiting for the part to come in for his cables to be fixed, we were able to have his afo's removed from the cables so that he has at least a little bit of stability and something to help keep his feet in place.  It's amazing how much stability that the cables truly give Jackson.  Without the cables he can't really walk, his knees buckle and turn in, and his feet turn in and cross.

   It's so hard to believe, but it's been two years since Jackson and I underwent fetal surgery to repair the hole in his back.  All of the emotions, fears, thoughts, etc. are still very raw for me.  The fear, the sadness, the joy of knowing that Jackson made it through the surgery, the worry of making sure that he stayed put for as long as possible, all of it, it's still there, it's still haunting me.

 

   My hope for Jackson is for him to be proud of himself. To be proud of his disability and teach others about it. To be given the chance to do anything that he puts his mind to. To emit kindness, compassion, and love and that others around him follow suit.  My hero doesn't wear a cape, he wears afo's, walks with a walker, is so determined, and is absolutely defying all odds. Take that, spina bifida!     

Crystal

19/20 months

    Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and Happy New Year!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a safe New Year.  It's hard to believe that it's 2017!  Where has the time gone?  With the craziness of the holidays, being busy with Jackson, and general life happening I lost track of time.  To those that read the blog regularly, I apologize for being gone for so long and not providing you with the dose of Jackson cuteness that you want.  

   When did my itty bitty baby get so big?  He's now 23 pounds and is 32 inches tall!  He's tall enough now that he can reach the doorknob, reach the diaper bag on the kitchen chair, open drawers in the kitchen, and look out the front window without his chin hitting the window sill.

 

   Jackson loves to roam around the house naked... Well, naked, but with a diaper!  He is so dang cute crawling all over the house in just his diaper.  We're to the point where he'll let me change his diaper first thing in the morning, but as soon as he knows that it's on, he's gone.  He is FAST when he wants to be!  

   Jackson's occupational therapist, the amazing Kelly, got a job within the school system, so she is no longer working with Jackson. :(  I am so happy for her, but so, so sad for us.  With her leaving, she got Jackson setup to start working with Stephanie and she is just as amazing!  He did great on his first day with her and she said that he worked really hard.  When she told me all that they had done, it made my teacher heart skip a beat.  I believe that she's really going to push him.

   Jackson is still working hard with his physical therapist, Courtney.  Lately they have been working on kicking a ball and reaching down to pick up something off of the floor.  One night while we were playing, Jackson randomly started kicking a plastic ball all over the basement.  Once he reached the couch, he bent down and picked it up.  It was amazing!  Not only did I cheer really loud, but I also got the last kick and him picking the ornament up off the floor on video.

   Jackson has mastered his stander.  Well, other than getting stuck in a corner, which we're still working on.  It's amazing to watch him wheel through the house.  He has even figured out how to turn himself in circles which he does over and over again.  We recently took the stander to clinic at Vanderbilt for the first time.  I put him in it while in the parking lot and he wheeled himself inside.  

   We still haven't received Jackson's wheelchair, but we just found out that the company supplying it is waiting for notes from Jackson’s ortho.  The waiting process stinks! I was really hoping that it was going to be a quick and easy process, especially since it was such a fight to get him his stander, but I guess I should have know better.  Nothing is ever easy or quick – blah!

   Jackson has figured out how to hold on to my leg and gets such a kick out of me dragging him around the house on the wood floor.  Talk about a workout!  He will hold on with both arms and start laughing so loudly when I start to walk.  He really loves it when I make turns.

   Speaking of laughing, Jackson will laugh so hard and so much that he will actually give himself the hiccups.  He has this one laugh that makes me laugh just as hard as him.  I affectionately call it his "old man" laugh and it's hilarious.  It's a true deep down, belly laugh and he scrunches up his face when he does it.  He will also snort sometimes when he laughs really hard!  I honestly don't think there is any sound better than your child's laugh.  It doesn't matter if I'm having the worst day ever, when he laughs, I can't help but cheer up and laugh with him.

   Jackson is in a mimic stage and loves to mimic everyone, including the cats.  One night, he got into a box and even kicked Chevelle out when he tried to get in it after Jackson got out.  Getting into any box possible is his new fun activity.  The saying that kids would be happy with just a box instead of toys is absolutely true!  I made Jackson a bean box and put some construction toys in it for him to scoop the beans up with, but guess what he found to be more fun?  Sitting in the box on top of the beans, of course!

 

   We are also in the “let’s climb on EVERYTHING” stage.  Doesn’t matter what it is, if it has some height, he is going to climb on top of it.  Every time he climbs on to something, he always makes this sound to show his excitement and to get my attention.  Once I look at him and cheer him on, he usually climbs down and is quickly off to find his next adventure. 

   Jackson has figured out how to get down off of the couches and anything with a little bit of height.  He will roll over on his belly, and then bounce his legs behind him and then shimmy himself down until he reaches the floor.  It's the sweetest thing to watch and pretty funny at the same time.  He has also figured out how to get up on the couches, the office chair, and our dining room chairs.

   Let's talk Christmas!  We celebrated Christmas three times and all of them were wonderful.  I absolutely love getting to spend time with family and being able to continue traditions with Jackson.  Jackson loaded up on some awesome gifts that included a kitchen, a tool bench, an alphabet train, a rocking horse, a wagon, cool bath toys, and a Mickey chair.  My child is definitely loved very, very much…and quite possibly spoiled. He had so much fun opening his gifts!  I would have to say that his favorite gift was his kitchen.  He has played with his kitchen every single day since Christmas.  The kitchen that he got is pretty awesome and can connect to an app that will talk to him about making recipes, colors, shapes, and a lot more.

 

   The weather here has been all over the place.  We're freezing one day and warm the next.  While it was nice, we decided to take a trip to the zoo.  The day that we went, it was absolutely beautiful and most of the animals were out and about for us to see.  Jackson was more interested in the animals this time and even pointed to a few.  He absolutely LOVED the indoor area, Unseen New World, that houses fish, snakes, frogs, and some other cool animals.  If we allowed him, I'm pretty sure that he would have stayed and watched the fish swim for hours.  He was so intrigued and kept pointing to all the different fish.  

 

   I clean up, he destroys... I clean up, he destroys... I clean up, he destroys... See the pattern?  It's never ending, but in a weird way, I love it.  Our house looks like a Toys R Us threw up in it and it's never clean, but I've come to accept that this is life with a toddler.  Wanna know something funny?  We JUST took down our Christmas tree during the Super Bowl!!  Yes, we were “those” people that kept our tree up as long as possible.  If I could have, I think I would have made it an all year-round tree and changed out the decorations on it for each of the holidays.  I mean, why not?  (I'm sure Matt wanted it down much sooner, but he knows I love it and wasn't going to say anything.)

   Jackson has been playing peekaboo for a while, but it's been just him putting something in front of his face.  Recently though, he has started truly playing peekaboo by putting his hands up over his eyes and even saying "boo."  He will play peekaboo at such random times, like when I'm driving, changing his diaper, or cooking dinner.  If I try to start playing peekaboo, he isn't interested and has to be the one to initiate the game.  Kind of like everything at the moment, he needs to be the one that starts playing with a toy or game. 

   We have reached the time of full blown tantrums and I must say, I don't really enjoy them... AT ALL!  My sweet, loving, adorable son becomes a crying, screaming, terror when he doesn't get his way.  At home, I ignore it, I talk with him about how his behavior isn't appropriate - you know, super mom (haha) - When we're out and about, holy moly it's stressful!  I've actually become "that mom" at Walmart once and left without my groceries because I just couldn't take it anymore.  Whew!

   Want to hear the most amazing thing that Jackson has done?!?  While at PT one day, he stood by HIMSELF!  Did you read that in its entirety?  He stood by HIMSELF!  No one holding on to him, no leaning on anything, just him standing all by himself!  He used his own strength and determination to stand and play with the water beads that were in a bucket that I was holding.  It was absolutely amazing!  He even sat himself down and gave the cue to Courtney (PT) that he wanted to stand back up.  

    

   Jackson is still not really talking much, but he is having full blown conversations with us in his babble.  There are days when he won't stop "talking" and then there are days that you can't bribe him to "talk."  He definitely does things on his own terms.  He is still working hard with Danyelle, his speech therapist, on verbalizing and has gotten better at the feeding issues that he was having.    

   He absolutely loves his new OT, Stephanie.  She really pushes him and makes him work the entire time.  What he loves the most is getting messy.  She likes to let him play in the sink, stick his hands in moon sand, and get all sticky with the water beads.  She is currently working on him feeding himself with a spoon and fork.  So far, so good.  He is interested in using the utensils and tries every time that he is given the chance to use them.  

   We recently changed Jackson from having one PT session at home and one at clinic to now, all of his therapy sessions are at the clinic.  That means 4 out of 5 days, we are out and about going to some sort of therapy.  I'm really glad that he is enjoying going to the clinic.  He has made a few friends and always seems excited when we get there.  However, when they first take him back to the gym, that's a different story as he still cries when it comes time to go "play."  He can't fool me though...  Within 5 minutes of being in the gym, I can hear him giggling and babbling.  

   It's so funny when the fur babies are so desperate for attention.  They will get into the weirdest positions as long as someone will pet them.  Chevelle will actually let Jackson pet him, but Aubie isn't a fan yet.  Neither one of them like when Jackson tries to hug them and both have a huge issue when Jackson tries to pull their tails (obviously).  We are still working on teaching Jackson to be sweet, nice, and pet softly.  He's learning, but not quickly enough according to the cats.  Thankfully, both cats have been fairly easy going with Jackson and have only scratched him a couple of times.      

   Does anyone else have a kiddo that will 'butt-scoot' backwards on the floor, or did they when they were little?  He has become so good at scooting backwards that he can turn corners without looking, is super fast, and thinks it's hilarious when we chase him while he's doing it.   

   Jackson's hair is getting so long and it's such a pretty blonde color.  It's interesting how it's growing though because the back is still stubbly while the front is long, to the point of needing to trim it so that it doesn't get in his eyes.  Any other boy moms decide to put their boy's hair up in a pony just because?  Surely I can't be the only one!  The picture is really blurry, but the look on his face says it all.  :)

 

   It amazes me how much Jackson has grown up, the personality he has, and how smart he truly is.  He knows how to do so many things that I would never expect at his age.  He is so, so funny and so loving.  He loves to laugh and to make others laugh.  He likes to "talk," likes to play with anything and everything, has a temper at times, but truly has the biggest, sweetest heart.  He is all boy and loves to get dirty and is on the move all the time.     

   
   I promise to try and get next months post out on time!  I have even started it and made a few bullet points, so I'm going to really, really try!  :)

Crystal

17/18 months

   It's December!  First, I apologize for skipping over the November post, I'll get to the reason in a minute.  Second, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Third, who's ready for Christmas?!?

   So, things have been pretty crazy and busy in our household since the last post in October.  The biggest change is that Jackson has started speech/feeding therapy.  With adding ST, Jackson now has some sort of therapy 4 out of 5 days a week!  Another big change is that all of Jackson's therapies, except one PT session, is now at the therapy location instead of at home.  You wouldn't think that adding a new therapy and changing the location of where the therapies occur would be such a big adjustment, but it has definitely been tough.

   With the changes, I've been having a hard time with my anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, and having a sense of being "off."  I finally went to the doctor and got prescribed some medicine to get me back on track.  Definitely ready to feel like myself again, especially since Christmas is right around the corner.

   Jackson seems to really enjoy going to the clinic three times a week for his various therapies.  He absolutely LOVES the big ball pit that they have in the gym!  Even though it's been a tough adjustment, I like that we are getting out of the house more, even if it is just for therapy.  I also like that Jackson is getting exposed to more children and adults.  One of my New Year's Revolutions this year is to get Jackson out and about more.  More play dates, more trips to the zoo, more out of house and interacting with others.        

 

   Speaking of play dates, Jackson and I took a trip to the pumpkin patch.  We went with another mama and her son who also has spina bifida and is only two months younger than Jackson, and met Jackson's physical therapist there.  I haven't been to a pumpkin patch in years, so I was really excited.  It was on the smaller side, but there was quite a bit to do.  I was shocked at how cheap everything was.  We were able to do a lot of the activities for under $20. Jackson seemed to enjoy the tractor ride, liked touching the pumpkins, and absolutely LOVED the corn pit.  He ended up getting mad when it was time to leave the corn pit and boy, did he let me know that he wasn't happy and wanted to go back in.  He picked out his own pumpkin and if he had his way, would have gotten twenty more.  Overall, it was a great time and I can't wait to take him next year!

 

   Jackson and I made a trip to the zoo with a teacher friend, her daughter, and a little boy that she babysits during the week.  It ended up being a beautiful day!  The zoo has been doing some renovations and this was our first trip where the entrance was completed.  The zoo looked completely different and I loved all the updates.  Jackson stayed awake the entire time and was interested in the animals.  Every once in awhile, the kids would "talk" to each other which was super cute.

   Using a push walker, Jackson walked from the couch to the TV all by himself!  I didn't have to cue him or anything.  All I did was hold on to the walker to make sure that it didn't take off on him.  It was absolutely amazing!  Many, many tears were shed and loud, loud cheers were shouted.  Jackson wants to walk so badly, it is very obvious and he is so determined.

   Jackson had wheelchair clinic to get him fitted for a wheelchair.  We got to try out three different kinds of wheelchairs to see which one fit him the best.  We ended up going with a Little Wave Clik, which is pictured, but it will be Jackson sized.  This wheelchair has an intuitive adjustment system designed to provide accurate, easy growth options and the Clik Offset frame allows more room for abducted position, AFO's and braces while facilitating proper foot positioning.  While it is exciting that Jackson is going to have more options for his mobility, it wasn't easy by any means picking out the wheelchair.  It was extremely emotional and I imagine that I'll be a mess when it's delivered at the beginning of the year.    

 

   7 months after first applying, we finally got the letter stating that insurance was going to approve Jackson's stander!  A couple of weeks after getting the letter, Jackson's stander was delivered.  It was so exciting!  The gentleman got Jackson in the stander, got all the straps and everything perfect, and unlocked the brakes... Guess what happened?!?!  Jackson started wheeling himself forward!  It was amazing!  It was like he knew exactly what to do, like no time had passed since his wheelchair evaluation.  Ever since then, he's been wheeling himself around the entire house.  He's figured out how to open the drawers and dishwasher - Watch out!  There's no stopping him now!    

 
 
   Since the weather has finally started cooling off, the leaves have started to fall, and boy do we have a ton in our yard!  Once enough leaves fell, I decided that Jackson needed to play in them.  As soon as I sat him down, he started picking up leaves and letting them fall down towards the ground.  After showing him a couple of times, he eventually picked up hands full of leaves and threw them up in the air.  He seemed to really enjoy playing in the leaves.  He is definitely an outside kiddo and loves to be outside whenever possible.

   Since it was determined that Jackson was aspirating liquids, we got him evaluated for feeding therapy.  Through TEIS, TN's early intervention program, Jackson started feeding therapy and since he has other things going on, they also agreed to go ahead and start speech therapy at the same time. So far, so good.  It took a couple of sessions, but he finally opened up to his therapist and let his true Jackson self show.  From the speech evaluation, we learned that Jackson is behind about 6 months.  Hearing that he was so far behind wasn't easy to hear, especially to a teacher.  I took it kind of hard, but after speaking with his speech therapist and his occupational therapist, I feel better and know that Jackson is just taking his time and doing things on his own term.  While he is behind in "speaking," he's advanced in "social skills."

   While Jackson isn't saying much, yet, he has started saying a couple more words!  He has mastered mama, dada, bye-bye, and nana.  He has learned several more signs and is great at communicating in his own way.  Even though he isn't "saying" what he wants, he's great at "telling" us in his own way. Don't get me wrong, it's tough some times, but for the most part, we can figure out what he wants/needs fairly quickly.

   There is a great program called United Cerebral Palsy and they have a location in Nashville.  They provide services to individuals of all ages who have a variety of disabilities with focus on disabilities that primarily affect mobility.  Through UCP, we were able to get Jackson a posterior walker!  They have a program that allows individuals to borrow equipment, such as, wheelchairs, scooters, grab bars, walkers, bath benches, toilet chairs, specialized strollers and car seats, bed rails, prone standers, gait trainers, etc at no cost to the individual!  It's absolutely amazing!  Jackson and I met Courtney (PT) at UCP one day and we lucked out and they had a posterior walker that was perfect for Jackson. Courtney stood him in the walker and he immediately started taking steps! He walked for quite some time in the UCP office before getting tired.

   Since getting the posterior walker, Jackson walks around the house all the time!  Jackson is getting better and better at walking, but he does get tired fairly quickly.  However, his determination is amazing.  He gets himself stuck in corners or against the wall, so we're working on turning which he thinks is hilarious, because it requires him to pick the walker up and it always makes a funny noise when he puts it back down.  :)

   Jackson has become a master at climbing up the stairs without his braces/cables on.  We now have to put the kiddie gate up every time that we are downstairs because if we don't, Jackson will be half way up before you even realize it.  He's super fast!  As with crawling, he struggles with going up the stairs with his braces/cables on, so that's a work in progress.

 

   The braces/cables are exactly what Jackson needed to be able to walk, but they sure have been a pain in the butt since day one!  With them, Jackson is much slower at crawling, which frustrates him, the belt is tight around his waist, which aggravates him, and he has broken all four rivets, which means that we've spent a lot of time at the orthotic place.  We have pretty much been to the orthotic place once a week since we picked the braces/cables up.  While those things are frustrating, I have to keep in mind how great they are and that without them, Jackson wouldn't be walking.

 

   We didn't do much for Halloween last year because it was cold and raining.  This year, it was hot and I wanted to take Jackson trick or treating!  Jackson was supposed to be a pumpkin this year, but he wasn't having any part of it.  Thankfully, my parents bought him a bikers costume last year for fun and it fit!  We went over to Matt's mom's and stepdad's neighborhood to go trick or treating.  Shawn, Jackson's Poppy, dressed up as Paul Stanley from Kiss.  Jackson wasn't too sure about Shawn at first because of all the makeup, but he eventually warmed up to him.  Shawn was an absolute hit in the neighborhood and he even walked around with is own personal radio blasting Kiss songs!  Jackson loaded up on candy... It's a shame he's too young to eat candy! :)

 

   We made the trip to IL to visit family for Thanksgiving.  Jackson was much more alert, awake, and made it known that he was done with sitting in the car seat compared to last year.  As always, it was a wonderful time and it was great being able to see my family.  Jackson did great with there being so many people around.  He even showed everyone his walking skills and how great his personality is.

   When we got back from IL, Matt and I put up our Christmas tree and decorated the house.  Last year, we only put up a little tree on Christmas day due to the fur babies.  This year, I was determined that Jackson was going to have a tree.  We got it set up, Matt taped the cord so that the cats wouldn't mess with it, and we stepped back to see what would happen.  So far, so good!  The cats have actually decided that they enjoy sleeping under the tree.  The only time that I have seen them mess with the tree is when they are using a branch to scratch their chins.  Jackson likes to look at the lights and found that it's fun going underneath the tree and circling around it.  I tried putting Christmas presents under the tree, but that didn't work out too well due to Jackson deciding that they were his and that he wanted to open them.  Christmas should be so much fun this year in regards to him wanting to open presents.

 

   Jackson has four teeth on top and two on the bottom.  Matt and I are really wondering when he's going to get some more teeth, but until then, he's figuring out how to use the ones that he has.  He loves to brush his teeth and gets upset when I take the tooth brush away.  He has started giving a "cheesy" smile that is absolutely hilarious and so stinking cute.

   During occupational therapy one day, his therapist let Jackson play with play-doh and his face lit up with excitement.  So, what's a mom to do?  Why, buy her son his own set of play-doh of course!  He plays with the play-doh on a daily basis and will get upset if you tell him "no" or "not right now."  My kid has quite the temper when he doesn't get his way.  Look out terrible-twos!  

   I always worried about Jackson not being a good sharer since he doesn't have any siblings or the need to share with anyone, like at daycare, but he is the best sharer!  He shares with us and the cats!  He's getting pretty good at helping with putting his toys away.  However, if he doesn't want to put his toys away, he isn't going to.  Nor will he allow anyone else to put them away.  He will take everything back out, dump the container, whatever needs to be done to get his toys back and will make it known that he wasn't done playing.  

   Well, I think that about does it for this blog post.  Matt, Jackson, and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

    

Warmest wishes, 

Crystal