State of My Oli Address

Lest it be thought that I would let a birthday slide by without getting sentimental and talking about how wonderful my kids are, I want to provide some perspective on just how great Oliver is at age 2, and what he is up to these days.

The latter half of my pregnancy with Oli was marked by not knowing what to expect when he was born. I had faith that God would not deliver more than we could handle, and I had faith that I would love this baby no matter what. And I was right on both counts. We debated trying the MOMS study, but worried that the cost could be high for both Mac and Oliver in terms of time and strain. That decision was taken out of our hands when we didn't qualify for the study because his Chiari malformation wasn't prominent enough. When he was born, we worried that he would be in the NICU for an extended amount of time, and that he would need a shunt to drain the excess fluid from his brain. We went home ten days later with no shunt. And I'm quite happy (albeit a little harried by the "Wait and See") to report that he still doesn't have one today. We were worried about having to catheterize him daily, but after a week or so, he started to urinate on his own. Way to beat the odds Oli!

We had no idea what would happen with his feet and legs, which were all the way up by his head when he was born. Slowly, through serial casting and time, they came down. We worried that he wouldn't be mobile, but just shy of 1 1/2, he started crawling. We worried that his braces would never fit, but after two surgeries, he now wears not only his AFOs, but HKAFOs that help him to stand.

After a while, we began to worry that we wouldn't talk. But his comprehension seemed great, so we hoped it was a matter of time. This summer, he began to grace us with his first few words. Granted, most of them are animal sounds, but I love listening to the little menagerie we have going on. And the words "car," "ball," and "more" have never sounded cuter. "No," I could take or leave, but the rest is great. Am I still worried that he is a delayed talker and that this could be a sign of a bigger delay? Definitely. But I am just happy to hear what he has to say, even if it is "woof."

Right now, walking is our biggest challenge on the table. He got his walker a few weeks ago, and doesn't seem to like it at all. While CHOP felt comfortable ordering it for him, his home PT, Ruth, doesn't feel he is ready for it. He can take little steps if we hold him up, but he doesn't want to free up his hands to hold onto the handles (he always carries a toy car in each hand), and he cries when we try. I'm sure that it is a matter of time, and that he will amaze us again, but that it is difficult to wait.

Oli is amazing, sweet, special, and loving. He is funny and cute and the the best snuggler. He captivates just about everyone he meets, and never fails to draw a smile from me. He has taught me that 'normal' is a subjective state of mind, and that our normal is whatever we want it to be. I LOVE my little boy, and I enjoy watching him grow every single day.

Happy Birthday Oliver!!

Embracing My Jersey

Ever since our trip to the West Coast to visit my friend Lynn in January, I have been having some major West Coast envy. Time and I both fell in love with California, especially Santa Monica. I think that we would both move out there if it was feasible, but there are just too many factors that would figure into a big move right now. We even planned a second trip for July, but had to cancel at the last minute. So I have been pining for California for quite a while.

I realized a couple of weeks ago that what I would have to do is to embrace my Jersey. NJ has personality, if nothing else, so I decided that I had to tap into that and go with it. This weekend went a long way towards discovering my inner Jersey. On Friday, pre-season football started. I love football, and I love(/hate) the JETS. Even though they lost, it felt good to watch the game and see what our QB prospects are for the year. I got the excited feeling in my stomach and realized that I probably couldn't root for any other team if we moved. I'm no Chargers girl. So score one for NJ.

We went to Great Adventure twice this summer, which is also a very Jersey thing. Perhaps less so since they've cleaned it up - no skanky people in bikinis strolling around or teenagers smoking. But there are so many childhood memories there that it is definitely a part of my Jersey roots. And the kids loved it. Especially Mac, since she is just the right age. I think that a season pass next summer is definitely something to look forward to.

On Saturday, we went down the shore with Tim and his instructors from the karate school. We visited my Aunt Patti and Uncle Bob, who have a house down at Point Pleasant. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE the shore. And this Saturday was the ultimate experience. We were down at my favorite NJ shore, at a beautiful beach house, with wonderful family. My aunt and uncle got a blow up pool for the kids and let them splash around while we soaked up some sun, had some drinks, and talked. Then I took Mac on the boardwalk for some Kohr's orange/vanilla twist. Really, nothing better.

And much to my surprise, I'm actually sort of looking forward to autumn. I dread winter, but wouldn't mind the autumn activities of snuggling up in sweats, watching a JETS game, and having soup. I think if I can swing a trip into NYC, I'll be a reaffirmed east coast girl.

So have I embraced my Jersey? Abso-f'in-lutely.

VACATION!

The wonderful view from our balcony

our (failed) attempt at being athletic

sisters minus one

me and my little man

our beautiful beach house and my beautiful girl

amanda, dale, & krys at the beach

the parents at our biggest dinner out. mom even got a crab hat for her birthday.

Oli gets in his zone and throws sand at anyone who comes near him.

We love vacation! This year, we got to go to the Outer Banks of NC with our whole family! Mom, Dale, Beth, Krys, Amanda, Mike, Tim, me and the kids all drove down (9 hours) to the beautiful and quiet beach town of Duck. There is no boardwalk, which disappointed Mac at first, but we had a huge house, our own pool, and a short walk to the beach. Tim was supposed to leave on Tuesday, but was able to stay the whole time.

Some highlights include:

1. Waverunners -- Everyone (except me and Oli) taking out waverunners and zooming around the bay (inlet? bay? whatever -- it was water). I am a worrier, and it has been brought to my attention that I am a little over protective of the kids. I did not like the idea of Mac going out, but since she would be with Tim, decided it would be okay. I was literally in tears as they headed out, but she loved it.

2. Mom's birthday - Since Mike and Amanda had to leave on Tuesday, we celebrated Mom's birthday with a great dinner of grilled steaks, chicken, and salmon. Mike cooked it and it was delicious. More and more, I feel like a good home cooked meal beats going out to eat any day.

3. Beer Pong -- Later that night, we (minus Krys and the kids) played beer pong. Despite my love of drinking in college, I never really played beer pong. Mom never played, either, but it turns out she is a natural!

4. Riding the waves -- A favorite since I was little. This summer I have enjoyed taking Mac in the ocean a few times, but we stay pretty shallow. This time, I got to go far out with Mike, Tim, and Beth. It was great until my bathing suit top came off. Luckily I caught it before anyone else did.

5. Ice cream -- Ice cream every day!! Nothing says vacation like continuous ice cream!

6. GI Joe -- Okay, not necessarily a highlight in an of itself, but Tim and I went to a midnight showing of GI Joe. It wasn't a bad movie, I managed to stay awake, and it was the first movie I've seen in the theater in quite a while.

7. Candy Land -- I almost forgot. Candy Land is Mac's favorite game right now, and we played it constantly. The aunts were her favorite partners, since I am old hat, and I'm sure they will be quite happy not to hear the terms "double red" or "Queen Frostine" any time in the next few years. Luckily, Mac has finally embraced losing, or at least has learned how to be a gracious loser. Believe me, that was a long fought battle, and I'm not sure it applies to any situation other than Candy Land. But she is a fun opponent and I'm glad to see her enjoying the game.
I've realized that it doesn't even matter where we go when we are all together (even though we go great places!!), it is just fun having the time together.

Queen of the Ring

Mackensie strikes again! In her second official taekwondo tournament, Mackensie took a Tiny Tiger trophy for her excellent, black belt high block. She really does a great job at tournaments. They challenge kids in a few ways, including:

1. getting up super early -- line up is 8:30 a.m., and the tournament is usually 30-40 minutes away. Maybe not a challenge for most kids, but mine don't sleep at night, so they like to make it up in the morning. Mac usually rolls out of bed at 8:30. It was especially challenging to get up early for this tournament, because Mac was also coming off of a mega-tantrum the night before. She handled it like a champ, though, and got dressed and into the car in record time. A quick stop at dunkin donuts and I had her fueled up on Munchkins and ready to go. Of course, Tim forgot to mention that the tournament was at a different location than usual, so we went 15 minutes in the wrong direction before finding out where we were supposed to be going. We got there a little late, but it helps to know people. The tournamet host was a friend of Tim's, and Tim was already there and waiting for us, so we got right in to a ring that had just started.

2. sitting still in a line to wait her turn -- ideally, they also want the kids to fold their hands across their chests "like a master." And Mac actually bought it. She sat still, and clapped and cheered for other kids when appropriate.

3. feats of athleticism -- mac has this sewn up. although she has inherited some clumsiness from me (and tim is actually pretty accident prone, too) she is also really good at taekwondo, and learns how to do her moves really quickly and accurately. although she doesn't always remember all of her moves in sequence, yet, she does them with great precision. in Tiny Tigers rings, the "judge" does the moves with every student, and then picks the best part of their form as a basis for the trophy. So while Mac got her trophy for her high block, others got trophys for their "awesome front kick," "black belt attitude," or "loud yell."

In the end, every kid gets a trophy and it is a truly gratifying experience. I really enjoy taking Mac to tournaments, and I have to think that it is a really fulfilling experience for Tim.

Another Big Week for Oli

We've had another busy week. This time, it was full of doctor's appointments for Oliver. Nothing serious, but stuff that was important to get out of the way. On Tuesday, we went for a PT evaluation at Children's Specialized Hospital. Our PT, Ruth, recommended it since Oli is at such a crucial stage in terms of mobility. This evaluation was to qualify him for outpatient therapy at a "baby gym." We met with a really nice physical therapist who played with Oli for an hour. She seemed pleased with what he could do, but recommended him for two sessions a week. It has to go through insurance first, but we will hopefully have Oli hitting the gym in just a few weeks. We should also be getting his walker this week, so he will be movin and groovin.

Oli also had a hearing evaluation this week. It was quick and simple, and he slept through it. His hearing is fine. We did thi because every time I bring up delayed speech to his developmental intervention therapist or neurosurgery, they ask if we have had his hearing check. It is something to check of the list before we can look to other reasons for his delayed speech. At age two, he will qualify for speech therapy through early intervention. Now, we are ready to get started.

Oli has had a boost in speech in the last few weeks. "No," "more," "down," "out," "moo," "woof," meow," "up," and a few others. I'm hoping that this is the beginning of his road to full speech. I can tell he has a lot to say; maybe he just doesn't know how to get it out.