Long Time

In 3 1/2 years this is the longest I've gone between blog posts. I really kind of miss the bloggy world. We are doing well....

S is enjoying school this year, just finished the first trimester. Currently he is working on his science project, "How Does Caffeine Affect Blood Pressure?" The results will be interesting. We need to find young boys whose parents are okay with them consuming 24 ounces of Diet Dr. Pepper in an hour.

H has been blessed again this year with a great teacher. He is enjoying cursive writing and outside of school is working on his Arrow of Light award. Arrow of Light is the highest award you can earn in the Cub Scout program. We are well on our way and his birthday isn't until August.

Crew is still attending the deaf school. We are seeing some progress with him not only in sign but also Pre-Speech sounds. Lately, he has taken more of an interest in books... a little less chewing and stacking... Oh, I think he finally realized there are pictures on the page. LOL. We are FRUSTRATED in the sleeping department. Every night I end up with him in his bed which consists of a crappy mattress on the floor. My back hurts so bad in the morning and my hands are usually completely numb. The other alternative is to get up with him 3 or 4 times a night so I finally caved and just started sleeping with him once he wakes the first time. It seems Crew has outgrown his AFO's again. We are going for an overdue visit with the PT on Tuesday. I'm hoping he will be able to adjust the braces somehow.

The Thanksgiving holiday was great. Carl's family came for the day. We had 22 people in my little house. We don't get to spend much time with them so it was well worth the effort.

I'm still running nearly every day. The last few weeks have started getting pretty cold... sub 20's. I realized this year that I've enjoyed November a lot more since I started running. You never know what weather you will get in November and its kind of exciting. One morning I actually came back home and changed into shorts, some mornings are freezing, windy, sometimes ice. It's an adventure that reminds me to get out and live and one of the few things that helps me get through the day.

Crutches

Somebody sure is having fun!

A History of Sorts...

During the first 12 hours of Crew's life the NICU staff noted his first seizure. I was notified the next morning, and to tell you the truth, I really doubted that what they were telling me was true. Carl asked specifically what they witnessed and they said "his eyes flickered". Immediately he was started on an anti-seizure medication. I always questioned whether or not it was necessary.

After a year he was seizure free and we took him off the medication. Things were good for a long while but by the time he turned TWO he was having hundreds of myoclonic seizures each day. The seizures were only 1 - 3 seconds each. The neurologist suggested keeping him off the meds so long as the seizures weren't putting him in danger or slowing his development. I kind of chuckle inside now thinking about that statement. I mean, after all... we are dealing with a child who suffered a hypoxic ischemic injury at birth. Of course there will be delays and I have no way of knowing how much the seizures have contributed to that, if at all.

The avoidance of medication came to an end after he suffered yet another "type" of seizure... his first grand mal in October of 2006. Since then, the seizures have been controlled with some break through seizures every 6 months to a year.

The past two weeks we have seen a change in that pattern. His seizures are becoming much too common around here. A blood draw yesterday... and today I'm waiting for a call from the neurologist. I've discussed the situation with our pediatrician here. So far it looks like we will have to introduce some new medication but I'm waiting to hear what the neurologist has to say.

I'm not quite sure what point I'm trying to get at here. Normally I can go along with this crazy life and be just fine but the last two days have been tough. I can't think about it without getting upset. Yesterday, I cried during my 5:00 am run and it had nothing to do with my knee:)

Labor Day Weekend

It's been two years since we've been to Powell. We've been looking forward to it all summer. I thought it odd that we waited all summer to go and then 3 days after school started I pulled my kids out for a vacation. Well, that is the week we had for our houseboat so there you go!

This year we didn't take a powerboat. Instead we had 3 wave runners. This was great for taking the kids out on short rides. Taking the wave runners out in the main channel during the day was crazy. It was so choppy, therefore a really rough ride. Carl and Crew went out for a long explore and Crew fell asleep. He loved every minute of those rides but it sure did wear him out.

Lake Powell is great for just taking it easy. The weather was perfect... not too hot or cold.

One of our favorite things to do is sleep out under the stars on the top of the houseboat. One night we had a few raindrops but other than that it was perfect.




The boys loved fishing this year. There's nothing like sitting on the back deck hour after hour... at least that's what they say:)

Keeping Crew entertained was quite the physical undertaking. He either wanted to be riding the wave runner, swimming, hiking or eating junk food. By the time we came home I was ready for another chiropractor treatment. This is due partly to the lack of running, packing Crew, and sleeping on a crappy foam mattress. I cringe even typing the word "mattress" because it really doesn't qualify as that. Sheesh, I must really be getting old.

Great water temps. I crammed in my long run (17 miles) the night before we left. I knew I wouldn't have a chance to run there so my jogging belt became my friend once again. I got in the water a couple different times and ran and ran until I was extremely bored. You really don't go very fast or far when deep water running.

Crew seemed to be a little more comfortable in the water with his dad. Daddy's boy!

Hunter knee boarding in the main channel. Crazy kid!

Oops... don't forget to go home with a picture of myself! This is the only one;)

MY THREE

I can't believe here we are starting another school year. Its kind of sad that they are growing up so fast and then again.... I'm just loving this time with them. Stockton is a 7th grader, Hunter in 5th, and Crew, my preschooler. Three boys, three different schools, two different school districts. Crew is bussed to another school district where they can better accommodate his needs. All three are gone by 7:30 in the morning and then I'm off to work my 4 hour shift.

Yesterday I met with Crew's teacher. She is new this year and it is her first year teaching but I'm so excited to have her. Crew has been happy so far. He is imitating many signs during class and at home. The kids in his class are interacting well with him... helping push his walker (not necessarily a good thing though;), bringing him toys, etc. Two years of preschool already but I really feel like this year is OUR YEAR! Please don't quote me on that:)

Stockton seems to be much happier this year at his school. He comes home with a heavy backpack everyday... daily math and science homework but he does the work efficiently and then he is off to play. We are looking for a new piano teacher for him this year.

Hunter and school don't necessarily get along. We are working on getting him on a better schedule. He just wants to sleep in... never did that in the summer though. They've been brushing up on their cursive writing this year and I have to say I'm impressed. His writing looks really nice.

The days are definitely getting shorter which is sad to see... but then again it does help that its dark when bedtime rolls around. I have my scheduled 20 miler for Saturday morning and a RS Lesson to prepare. I should probably get some shut eye.

Preschool

Crew started another year of preschool yesterday. Even though he is old enough for kindergarten we decided to send him to the deaf preschool again. We are hoping this year will give him a better communication base before he starts kindergarten.

So far, I can already see the situation is so much better this year. Last year we had problems with fatigue. The day was too long. The school reported that studies have shown the preschool kids don't benefit from a full day. Really, I could have told them that! So, they have decreased the preschool day to only 4 hours. This is still longer than the 1/2 day kindergarten students. Another plus is that Crew will be the last one picked up and the first one dropped off so the transportation time has been reduced significantly. Last year he was the first one picked up and last dropped off. This year they are sending a van (instead of the bus) to pick him up. He rides with 3 other deaf children and they are all so sweet and adorable.

The ride home is just Crew and one other deaf preschooler. How nice!

It's been hard seeing the other neighbor kids his age get ready for kindergarten. They are so excited. They know their colors and letters and can write their names. What a huge contrast to just wanting child to be able to make a simple request like, "water please!".

Carl gave Crew a fathers blessing on Sunday night. We try to do that every year before school starts. Crew folded his arms the whole time and was just so happy. Afterwards we all gave him a hug and when it was my turn he squealed with excitement. I love the way the spirit touches him:)

Most of the time I don't quite know what Crew is thinking. We tried to tell him that he would be going off to school but until we walked outside with the backpack and his walker I don't think he had any idea. He was so excited while we were outside waiting so I do think that at least he knew something EXCITING was happening.

The teacher reports he had a good first day! He came home happy... and that is really something:)

Provo River 1/2 Marathon

We haven't been to Bridal Veil Falls since the boys were just little. Its such a beautiful time of year up the canyon and we really enjoyed a weekend away.

The whole purpose of this trip was to run the Provo River 1/2 Marathon. I've been looking forward to it since I registered last March. Unfortunately, my ITB issue kept me from running it. It was just going to be S, Carl and I running but since I wasn't participating we brought H along too!

I drove Carl and S to the buses early in the morning like 5 AM. They were bussed to the start line. The race didn't start until after 7 so they were up there for awhile trying to stay warm. We had an unusually cold weekend for August.

H and I didn't show up at the finish line until a little after 8. We got to see the first place finishers cross the line. I always get a tad bit emotional at races. Racing has been in my blood since high school. Plus, knowing my 12 year old was out there running 13.1 miles just adds to those emotions. It was hard not participating but it was good to spend time with H.




















Carl and S stayed together for the 1st mile and then S pulled ahead. I was worried about him running alone. I didn't know if he would be able to pace himself well enough to have something left at the end. We waited at the 13 mile marker and when he came around the corner I was so excited. He looked good and strong and he was. S finished with a PR of 1:54:04. I was trying to find S in all the crowds and I missed Carl finishing in just over 2 hours. It was his 1st half marathon and I think he was pleased with his time. Both of them had a good experience. They said the course was beautiful and very much downhill.

Double Digits

I can't believe this guy is 10 years old already! Every birthday brings back the fond memories of H's birth. The labor and delivery were a breeze compared to the other two. I'll never forget the first words out of the nurse's mouth, "He has a full head of hair and a dimple". Ah yes, we were in love!

H brings much fun and laughter to our home. He is a joyful boy, carefree, and quick to forgive.

As of late, H has been the one who can get Crew calmed down at bedtime. Often I am too exhausted (and there is still so much to do by nightfall) that I am unable to spend the time getting Crew to sleep. H will take Crew into the bedroom and go through a nighttime ritual where they talk to Mickey Mouse and wrestle before laying down to sleep. I don't know how he does it but its working for him.


All H really wanted this year was to have a sleepover with his 3 best friends. These 4 boys play together all the time so it is really no big deal to have them over. They watched "Twilight" and "Bedtime Stories", jumped on the tramp and had cake and icecream. I love low key parties, yes I do!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAMMER!

Goodbye July

Once again, another one of my favorite summer months has come to an end. My lack of blogging truly is an indication of how busy summers can be. What happened to the carefree days of summer anyway?

The boys and I have enjoyed the pool several times, a Bee's game, 3 baseball games a week, fireworks, a race or two and lots of Popsicles.

We've seen a change in Crew this past month. His moods are all over the place... giggling from deep within one minute and a full blown tantrum the next. That boy is one passionate kid! I see an adorable boy who only wants one thing... to DO and BE what the other boys are. Like I've said before it takes the whole family and then some to be his legs and arms, his voice. We are all exhausted by noon day and then there are still so many hours to go...

The nights are out of control. He is up 4 or 5 times a night now climbing out of his bed and fumbling around in the dark. He screams and cries and then we go through the whole calming routine to get him to sleep again only to have him wake up as I gently "try" to sneak back to my room. I can get by with 6 hours of sleep but 4 or 5 is really pushing it.

With his passion comes a drive that we haven't seen before. Crew is trying to get up (vertical) all the time now. I can proudly say that Crew officially learned to "pull to stand" this month. He has done it multiple times. The first time it happened I was making dinner. He was in one of his bad moods and I was doing my best to ignore him. Finally, I turned around and there he was standing up!!! One hand was gripped tightly to the arm rest, the rest of his body in flex mode and he was screaming! Startled, I said something like, "Oh, Crew look at you standing up, Look how big you are" as I quickly rushed to his aid. Instantly he started to giggle and then he beamed, so proud!

What will August bring?

H2O FUN

Lucky for me, all 3 boys LOVE the water! It didn't start this way though. I remember when S was 5 years old. I had him signed up for a beginners swim class and I was in a Parent/tot class with H. After the first 2 days I was really frustrated because the teachers weren't able to coax S into the water. I pulled the teacher aside and told her that when I signed him up I specifically asked which class would be appropriate for a child that is scared of the water and this is where they wanted him. If I recall correctly, I politely stated that either they get him in the water that day (which was the 3rd day of class) or I wanted my money back. Needless to say he came home wet that day. On the way home we stopped at Kmart to look at bikes. I bribed S to complete the class willingly and in return I would buy him a bicycle. LOL. Can you believe I was so desperate!!! Good times. Last summer I noticed a special needs kiddo taking lessons with this guy. I asked the manager (my neighbor) about it and she said he had done that for several years. "Would he take Crew?", I asked, "Oh, and how much?". I thought it would be really expensive to have a private lesson but she said he just likes doing it and they would only charge me the same as a group lesson. Wow! We got him signed up this year and he loved every minute of it. It's such great exercise for Crew, he has fun and then takes a NAP. Couldn't get any better than that!
Here is the boy that once wouldn't get near the water. This is his first time taking the diving class. The teacher said he's never had a kid progress so fast. The first day S had never really dived before and by the end of the class he was so close to completing a 150 front flip. The guards were really excited about it!

3rd day of class... perfecting the dive.

H had a fun time this year too! Like Crew, H has never feared water. Swimming lessons are great in that each kid can progress at their own rate, its really low key and tons of fun. It looks like H is starting to favor those individual sports and that's okay with me:)

Lovin' these LONG summer days!

Newton Dam

My brother was in from Texas for his MIL's funeral. I didn't get to spend a lot of time with him due to the circumstances but we did have a few hours at the reservoir.

My cute Texan nephew, Jack. Isn't he adorable!


Another cute nephew! Aren't 3 year olds fun???



Grandma with my littlest niece.




Niece, Celie, also from TX. She is just a couple months younger than Crew.

Crew, blowing kisses! He loved the wave runners. Loved it, loved it, loved it!

Grandpa, just a week after knee surgery. Crazy guy!

Beautiful, youngest sister Dar!

H, looking so grown up! He sure knows how to have fun and loves playing with all those cousins. We missed S this week as he was away at scout camp for 6 days!!! He had a good time and earned 5 merit badges.

Summer is going by way to fast!

In my Garden (June 2009)

This month has been filled with a lot of cloudy skies and RAIN! The sunny days have been far and few between which has been a little disappointing for me. I live for this time of year! Fortunately, the rain has produced some beauties for us to enjoy. Long live the summer;)

If you're interested

Since I started running more I realized that the one thing I like ALMOST as much as running is talking about it or reading about others experiences. This can be particularly annoying to a lot of people. Consequently, I've decided I'm going to keep the content of this blog "Mels Thoughts", geared more towards the happenings of our little family.

If you so desire to follow my running journey you will want to bookmark this link:

Comments are always welcome!

AIR SHOW

I'm a little slow getting this post up... We were lucky enough to enjoy the HAFB Air Show the day before it was available to the public. Crew's school was invited for disability day. We met at the local high school where we were to board the buses and ride onto base. However, because of his wheelchair they let us drive onto the base and right up to the flight line (we were accompanied by a very nice military guy). What a blessing it was to have our vehicle with us! Crew was TERRIFIED right from the start. Even with the ear plugs, hands over his ears and a blanket over his head he was still quite hysterical for at least an hour. We were able to sit in the van and calm him down. It rained off and on and so once again having our van with us was a huge benefit.
The rest of us thoroughly enjoyed the show. We haven't taken S since he was ONE which means H has never been to an air show before.

Funny thing is we had a miscommunication about the starting time. We arrived 4 hours early. Doh. We used Carl's base pass to kill time at the batting cages and some racquetball too. Oh man, was a I sore afterward!

Seize the Day

The neighbor boy brought over this awesome sprinkler! Come to find out, they are Super hard to find and because of supply and demand they run about $250 on ebay. Go figure!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY