A year ago

Well it is hard to believe, but it has been one year since we went to Seattle and handed Jacob over to a highly skilled team of Doctors and Nurses to try and stop his seizure disorder called Infantile Spasms.  So much has happened in this last year, that in some ways it feels like a lifetime ago.  One year ago today, I did not know what the outcome of his surgery would be, I only hoped that it would be for the better.  I knew there was no way he could go on having so many seizures a day, and I knew that even if the surgery did not stop his seizures completely, that they would at least be less than they were.  The first days, even weeks after the surgery when we did not see any seizures, it was almost surreal.  In some ways, we were holding our breath, waiting to see if they would appear, but they never came.  It was not an easy journey, especially those first few weeks, he had to work hard, in fact he still does, but now it does come easier for him.

When Jacob was a baby, before the Infantile Spasms, I had no idea what was in store for us, of course how could I.  I did not know I would ever have the strength to see my baby go through everything he has had to go through.  He started out so happy and healthy, it was hard to imagine that he would ever be anything but.  Fortunately he is strong and resilient!  I can honestly say I am much stronger and maybe even a bit more resilient than I used to be.  I of course don't know what the future holds for any of us, but I do know now, that whatever it throws at us, we can take it.

Jacob is doing so well, and I know that things could have been so much worse.  I am grateful that he came out with the best case scenario from our life changing ordeal, and still truly believe that everything happens for a reason. I may not ever understand completely why we have been taken on this particular path, but I do know I have learned a lot from it. I hope that I may be able to help others faced with similar circumstances from time to.

Maybe when Jacob is older he will be able to tell us how he felt during all of this (and maybe he won't). He will have great experiences to share, even if he does not remember it all. I look forward to his future now, as I do with all my boys, no matter what happens.

Jibber-Jabber and Poo

One of the things that I remember about Jacob's days before and after surgery is being a bit concerned about when Jacob would start talking.  I guess I was afraid he would have trouble telling us what he needed or wanted all of the time.  I asked his neurosurgeon "How will his surgery affect his speech?" to which he told me that he could take a long time to talk, they did not know for sure. I know I had hope that it would not be as long as they thought when a couple weeks after surgery he started making some babble noises and then even woke Rick up one morning in the hospital saying Dada.

Now a days, Jacob is mister Jibber-Jabber. He has never had a problem communicating, so I don't know what I was worried about, and he has always babbled, but lately he is doing so much more.  He seems to say a new word almost every day (and use it regularly too), and some days he will seem to hold a whole conversation with us, with laughing mixed in and all.  Now granted I usually can't understand what the conversation is about, let alone the joke, but it is funny to watch, none the less. It gives me great hope (and maybe even a little proof) that Jacob will being speaking, with many understandable words, very soon!

Now I am sorry, I have to tell you before you get too much farther into this, there will be talk of poop, or poo if you are Jacob (not to be confused with Pooh).  Any one who does not want to hear potty talk, look away, for the rest of you, read on.

OK, now that we have that out,  I have not really thought a lot about potty training Jacob, partly because there are so many other things he focuses on, and partly because from talking to other parents with hemi kids, I knew not to expect him to be able to do it any time soon.  Well, I can tell you now, we have had two successful poops on the potty!  We were so excited (Rick, Josh and I, more so than Jacob) that we had to give him the best treat we could find in the house, chocolate!  We know not to get too far ahead of ourselves just yet though, because two poops does not make a potty training, especially when both times he said he was all done and got off the toilet only to pee on the floor, but baby steps at any rate.  Who knows, maybe we will be trained sooner than we think, and of course I think I have learned not to take him off the potty too soon.

Jacob patting Tucker

Jacob and Tucker hamming it up

Cute Tucker

 In other news Jacob is now officially 3 years old.  We celebrated his birthday on February 18 with some friends and family. We also celebrated Rick's birthday (the 15th) and my sister Shaun's birthday (also the 18th) at the same time.  It is hard to believe Jacob is 3 years old, but I guess we all are getting older.  He is getting to be such a little boy, and so much less a toddler!