All Is Well

Teddy met with his pediatrician for his one-year checkup yesterday. He measures 30 inches long and 20 pounds, 14 ounces in weight. The nystagmus in his eyes has tamed down, and his ears look great. To hear that your child is growing adequately is music to any parent's ears, yes. But in our situation, where I worry nonstop whether he is growing or developing -- well, I used all my will to not fist bump the nurse.

For those who do not know, Teddy is developmentally behind. This is a result of a bad viral infection that went to his brain and caused brain injury when he was just two weeks old. When Teddy was so sick at that time, he suffered from seizures and was placed on anti-seizure medication. That medication made him very lethargic and groggy for the first six+ months of his life. The medication, in addition to the effect the injury had on his brain, has slowed him down just a bit.

But the good news is this -- despite any hurdles he's encountered, there have never been setbacks. He continues to move forward and learn and do what babies are supposed to do. 

At the end of the appointment, Eric asked the doctor, "Can you answer one thing for my wife, to help settle her nerves? Is he going to be okay?"

And -- without hesitation -- the doctor said he believes Teddy will  be just fine. Sure, he admitted that progress will be slow. So I asked if he'd walk and go to kindergarten, in which the doctor replied that he believed he would.

This past year has been a year of slow, and although there are times I don't know how much more I can handle, I know that I can and that I will continue to handle whatever comes our way. I owe it to my little guy. I can handle slow for him. I can handle slow knowing that the doctor thinks that in time, he's going to be just fine.

Happy 1st Birthday, Teddy!

Teddy turned one this past weekend. We celebrated small and are saving the big celebration for Labor Day weekend when all my sisters can be here. Here he is devouring his smash cake. He might be small, but the boy loves his food!

Greta's a Preschooler

Today was Greta's first day of pre-k. She goes every week day for half a day. Other than me taking photos outside sans bra or combed hair, the whole thing was rather uneventful. Still, for scrapbooking purposes (!!!) I HAD to take photos!

What I Wake Up to In the Morning

This face. How could you not resist being at least somewhat happy in the morning if this is what you saw first thing?! Teddy usually sleeps until about 7:30, but on the days that he gets up earlier, he just lays in bed chattering to himself until we come to get him. He's the easiest baby ever, bless his little heart. And when we go in to get him, he just lights up like its been ages since he last saw us. It's absolutely precious, I must say.

For Sale: 11 Bum Genius Cloth Diapers

Hello, August

August is a big month for us. It marks a year since Teddy arrived into this crazy world, and it's the month in which Greta begins preschool. Real school. Like not mom's day out or play at the YMCA and jump and tumble. I'm talking with a pre-K curriculum and stuff. I'm talking I just bought a big girl back pack from Pottery Barn Kids, and the little miss will soon be toting it to and from her five-days-a-week preschool program.

I'm talking lots of big girl steps for Miss Greta, as she works on potty training and keeping big girl undies dry. Just this last month, we decided to push the envelope, so to speak, and work on getting her potty trained. We felt a little (okay, A LOT) of pressure because one of preschool's requirements is to be potty trained.) Greta has gotten the hang of things pretty fast. She tells us when she has to go and does a pretty good job at staying dry with the exception of nap time and night time, when she wears a Pull-Up.

Greta talks big-girl talk, too, telling me that such-and-such is her favorite thing or she really likes this or that. She has an opinoin about everything, and while nothing much has changed with the basic concept of that, what HAS changed is that she is now able to convey what her opinion is, and sometimes, well, sometimes that's not pretty. She thoroughly enjoys climbing on things like the kitchen table and other household furniture, and she gets a kick out of screaming random things at the top of her lungs.

Later this month, Teddy turns one year old. I always say, if you want to fast forward your life, have a kid, and this one has been no exception. I can't believe that a year ago, I was freaking out about what to do with a little baby boy, how I was going to juggle motherhood of two, could I, would I survive? And I have.

It's been the roughest year of my life, but it's been the most rewarding, too. Sure, with all the physical and occupational therapies and other miscellaneous appointments my social calendar is busier than ever, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. The little man lights up my life with his big six-toothed grin. And he's now doing tricks. Like he sits up for short periods of time, and he slithers on the floor to get to things. And just recently, he learned to clap, and he has also learned to hold his own bottle. He's behind, yes, but he's right on target in my heart.