OUR BOYS - Stories

October 18, 2009

We took the boys to the pumpkin patch last weekend. The place we go to is really good for kids. They have a train ride, animals, and a fun house. The boys had fun picking out their pumpkins and then having popcorn and apple cider. As Jordyn gets older, the holidays are more and more fun.

This weekend we had Berma and Poppy over for dinner and carved the pumpkins. Jordyn hates to get his hands dirty and does not like to touch the pumpkin guts...JD was not too sure about it either, but after a while he didn't mind touching the guts. One of my good friends was over carving pumpkins with us and a pumpkin gut fight was started. There were seeds and guts everywhere...but it sure was fun and the boys really got into too.

We have adopted a new dog. We really didn't need a dog, since we have Spuds, but this dog was rescued from an abusive home and needed some good old fashioned attention. She is a lot smaller than Spuds. We named her Sam. I am hoping to train her to become a therapy dog for the agency that I work for. She has a really good temperament for being abused and she is really really good with the boys. She is just JD's size so they get along well.

Halloween is just around the corner. Jordyn is getting excited and can't wait to get all of that candy! JD will be excited once he figures out what is going on! It is sure getting cold around here. Heavy coats and hats have been necessary in the morning...won't be long before it snows I'm sure.

We hope that everyone is doing well

Love,

Christina

October 3, 2009

Jason and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary last weekend. We rented a cabin in the middle of the woods, on a five acre pond. The place was beyond amazing. All the comforts of home minus all the business of life. It was great to get away...just the two of us. We went fishing in between the rain. It rained a lot. That was okay though. We put together a few puzzles and played a high stakes game of Monopoly! The boys came and visited us on Saturday for lunch. They really seemed to enjoy it and really liked the cabin...we even took them fishing! I can't believe that it has been a year already! How fast times flies!

The boys are getting into a routine for school. Jordyn LOVES kindergarten! He comes home and tells us about all of the fun stuff that he is doing...he is even learning new words. He told us the other day that it was rainy and sloppy out. He has never used the words sloppy before...oh the fun years to come! JD is doing well in school. He is learning new signs so that means we are learning too!

Fall is here! The leaves are starting to change and fall and the weather is getting cooler. I had to dig out the winter clothes this week because the tempature was not supposed to go past 70. Nights are really cold and we might have to turn the furnace on soon. Jordyn has informed us that he wants to be a cat for halloween and he wants JD to be a firefighter. Jordyn was the firefighter last year.

We hope that all is well with everyone.

Christina

September 13, 2009

The boys have started school and we are busy getting them into a routine. JD is going to pre-school for half a day and Jordyn is in kindergarten for a full day. They both have to get up early to get ready but both seem to not mind this! Jordyn is loving kindergarten and has already made some new friends. He loves the fact that he gets to eat lunch at school. JD has a 1:1 aide this year and luckily she has worked with him in previous years so she knows him very well. This is nice so we do not have to explain everything to her. We got some pictures from the first day of school.

On Saturday we all went and had our hair cuts...even me. It was time. The boys' hair was getting long and I was looking for a new style. I love the boys cuts and mine sure lightened the weight of my hair up. We took pictures of the new do's too!

Before the boys headed back to school, we took a trip to the NY state fair.

The weather didn't stay warm for long. The days are getting cooler and so are the nights...I love the fall! Winter will be here before we know it!

We hope that everyone made it back to school okay and that things are going well!

Christina

August 25, 2009

It has been hot here. That is a nice change from the cold weather that we were having. Summer finally dropped in to say hello! The boys enjoy playing in the pool. Mommy got in there a time or two to splash around! School starts very soon so summer won't last too long!

Jordyn is really excited about starting kindergarten. It is all he talks about. We found out who his teacher is and we went school shopping....he got to get a lunch box...he was very excited about that! A hair cut is on the calender...he's starting to look like a girl!

JD will be going to pre-school 5 days a week in the morning. I am not sure if he is excited although he does enjoy school. He is just a signing machine lately too...he is learning signs faster than we can learn them. Sometimes I don't know what he is trying to say...I think it's time to take some sign language classes...it looks to be the only way. He is so cute about it too. He tries to say words but they come out in baby talk. He just learned to sign I love you...it brings tears to my eyes!

Jay and I are busy planning our 1^st year wedding anniversary. We are going to a secluded cabin in the middle of no where for the whole weekend! The cabin in located on a small pond...perfection at it's best. The kids are staying with a friend...we can't wait! I can't believe it has been a year already...how fast times goes by!

Well, JD finished his summer school session and has the rest of the summer to play...well whats left of it I guess. He loves school, and I think that he will miss it for a couple of weeks. Jordyn has been home all summer and he is going crazy. He loves school too and now that he's going to Kindergarten, he just wants to go to school all of the time! He keeps asking when it is starting. He is such an active kid that he has to stay busy or he gets really bored.

Other than that, there hasn't been much going on. It has been hot and humid and we have had a few bad storms. Jordyn is terrified of the storms. I had a talk with him about it and he said that he doesn't like the rain or the lightning. We keep reassuring him that everything is going to be okay and that storms don't last that long...but he's 5 and he just is scared.

Our landlord is getting us a new trailer. It is really nice and has 1 more bedroom than we have. That will be nice to have the extra room. If it stays rain free we should have it in a few weeks. We have been slowly packing stuff so that when the time comes we are all ready!

August 1, 2009~ Well, Berma, you have yelled at me too long to update the website, so here it is! Now I don't have to hear it anymore! HaHa. Sorry it has been a long time...over a year I know, however things have been crazy! Two young boys who are always on the go...keep me on my toes at all times. Lots of things have happened in the past year. Jason and I got married, JD started all of his classes at his school, and Jordyn is finally going to be in kindergarten in the fall. Jordyn turned 5 in January, and JD turned 3 in June. It is amazing how fast the times flies. It seems like yesterday that they were just babies. Another thing that happened to us was the JD's lawsuit was settled out of court about a month ago. He is going to be set for the rest of his life. No worries there. It is a relief to have all of that out of the way, now we are just enjoying watching our boys grow...helping them every step of the way!

I plan to update more often now so please check back often, and if you are reading this, please know that we appreciate your interest in our family and our lives.

JD is 2 years old today. Last night Jason and I sat and reminised about when he was born. He is such a miricle. He has come a long way and beat a lot of odds and although he still has problems, none of them are as bad as they could be. For that we are so greatful. It is hard to believe that he is 2 already. It almost seems impossible. Both him and Jordyn are the highlights in our day. They make the sun shine when there is nothing but rain. How two boys only 4 and 2 can do that to two grown adults is beyond us, but they melt our hearts over and over again everyday. Our world would not be the same without either one of them.

Remember that sometimes the hardest obstacles in life will lead you to your pot of gold. Be who you are and not what others want you to be. And most importantly, as you get older, never forget how to be a child!

Since it has been awhile since I updated last, I will fill everyone in. JD is doing well. He has been tested for Ciliacs Disease because he is having many issues with his digestion. He is not growing as fast as he should (he has really short legs) and they want to do further testing to figure out the cause. It could be do to the fact that he can't have milk or dairy, which is found in a lot of foods and is hard to avoid. Even when we think a product doesn't have dairy, we come to find out later that is does. He had his hearing aids readjusted and we have been trying to get him used to them again. For the longest time he wanted nothing to do with them and always tore them out of his ears. So far he will keep them in for awhile, then they come out. He has a few appointments coming up. He is borderline anemic and has to be tested every 3 months for that. But even though this sounds like a lot, he is still an easy going fun loving boy who doesn't let anything keep him down for long.

Jordyn is Jordyn. He is getting ready to finish up the school year. He has a graduation ceremony on the 25th of June, but then he is going to attend the summer program so he doesn't lose any skills he has gained. He is really excited about the summer but not about the bees. It appears that our 4 year old has a phobia of bees. He won't go outside at all if he even hears one. Trying to tell him that the bees won't hurt him unless he hurts them first doens't work. For some reason, he doesn't believe me :)

Jason and I have been very busy planning our wedding. We have all the big details set and are starting to work on the smaller stuff. We are really excited to finally be taking the big step. It is about time :) More than the wedding we are looking forward to the honeymoon. We get 5 days and nights alone!!!!!!! We will miss the boys but they will be in great hands so we can relax and have a great time!

There is a busy summer ahead of us. Everyone have a safe and wonderful summer as well!

I know that it has been awhile since a last update for our die-hard Jordyn and JD fans, but things can be crazy. Between my job, jordyn's school, my school, JD's appointments, and the household stuff, I am really suprised that I sleep! Just kidding, it is crazy, but I wouldn't trade these moments in for anything. So here you go: a long awaited update. Let's start with Jordyn.

He is getting too big for his britches! HAHA. He is a very smart 4 year old who knows what he wants when he wants it. He reminds me of myself at that age :) He is doing very well in school. He will go one more year to the Happiness House preschool, and then he will be all set to go off to kindergarden when he is 5! Although he will almost be 6 by that time. He can't wait for the nice weather. He wants to go out and play even in the rain and wind. He is dying to be able to play ball and run and ride his bike. We are not going to be able to keep him inside in the summer.....

JD just had an appointment with his doctor on Friday, and we found out that he has an ear infection. This is the third one that he has had in his right ear and we haven't even known. The doctor thinks that he may not be able to feel the pain and pressure of the infection if the nerves are damaged in his ear. They spent a lot of time looking at JD's hands and feet because they are always purple. They are not cold, just purple. They are going to be running further tests to see if they can figure out what is going on there. His teeth are really yellow, so he has to see a dentist. She wasn't too sure about that either. She told us that we have a complicated little boy on our hands....lady you have no idea....he is getting big.....30lbs....5lbs lighter than Jordyn :) He is doing very well...we have decided to for go the hearing aids since they do not appear to help him in anyway. We will be talking with his audiologist for further options...in the mean time JD can sign....eat more is his favorite one to do! and cookie. He knows about 10 and he can say peek a boo, go, bye and no.....does this sound like a deaf boy to you? He is delayed about 1 year but they think that has to do with his hearing. Ahhh whatever....as long as he is healthy, the rest will just fall into place as it may......Just as long as he stays healthy!

Both of the boys and Jason and I have been fighting a cold. Looks to be getting better now. I can't wait for that nice weather...I have cabin fever!

Jason and I were able to sneek out on Saturday night...we had a sitter for the boys. We haven't been able to get out in a long time so it was really nice. We went to dinner and then had a drive down by the lake. We love our kids but it was nice to have a free night! Although it had felt like we were out for hours and it was only 2! Ha ha!

School is going good for me. I am often reminded that I am not in high school anymore and sometimes the work is really challenging. Thanks to Jason, I have been able to be very successful. He is my rock! He is like the housewife and I am the working husband! He says that all of the time!

Well, I hope to update again soon.. There are lots of new pictures so check them out!

Jordyn turned 4 years old today. He is getting so big so fast. Both him and JD amaze Jason and I everyday with their pleasure in the little things. Sometimes Jason and I forget how pretty the snow can be when it is falling....that it until Jordyn points it out to us. It is like looking at something for the first time!

Things have finally started to slow down after the holidays. I will have more time to update soon. There really hasn't been much change. Just trying to make it through day to day.

Happing Thanksgiving to Everyone. Ours was very quiet, but very, very nice. I had 4 days off of work, and I was glad to spend time with my family. With school and work, there are days I don't see them much. Jason is so amazing with this....I know the boys can drive him crazy! We spent Thanksgiving with his parents. They came over, and we had the whole spread. JD really enjoyed himself. That boy really likes to eat. He even got to taste pumpkin pie, although we had to be careful because JD is really alergic to dairy products. He is still on a special formula. If you see red cheeks in his picutres, he must have had something with dairy. It is so hard to find food that doesn't.

Christmas is coming upon us fast. I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season full of love, family, and laughter. I hope that memories are made! JD has a couple of appointments coming up. I'll be sure to update when I can.

October 24, 2007~ Well, we are kind of at a stand still with the hearing aids. They don't seem to do much for our amazing boy. He doesn't mind them in, and they work mechanically, however, they don't seem to do him a bit of good. His reaction to sound in no different than before. If fact, they are annoying to us because we can hear the feedback, but he can't. We have a appointment on Halloween to have his hearing checked with the hearing aids in to see if there is a difference. If they are not working, I am not sure what the next step is. We were told that he has to "learn" how to hear so that it may take time, but so far, no change. I guess we were kind of expecting it. For some reason, I just had a feeling. I will update more later, plus add some pictures. Night.

Things around here have been busy so I apologize for not keeping up with updates. Jordyn in now back in school, and I have been busy with my own school work. I am on my 6th class towards my psychology degree! Jordyn is doing very well in school. He schocked us when he counted 10 trucks in a book that I was reading to him. He could count before, but now he can count things too! He also know his entire alphabet! He is getting so big.

JD has begun speech, and he has also begun to do some signs! He will sign no to us! Little stinker! He is also getting very big....he loves to watch Jordyn and he tries to do everything that Jordyn does. The other night, Jordyn was walking around the living room with a box on his head, so JD found a box, put it on his head, and began waking around the room too! They wrestle and play. Jordyn gets annoyed with his little brother sometimes, but they get along pretty good. Sometimes, Jordyn in the only one that can make JD happy! I hope they always have a special bond.

Fall is almost here and I can't wait! I love the change of the seasons! Well, JD gets his hearing aids Finally on the 10/03! We now have a working vehicle so that won't be a problem. I can't wait to see his face when he can hear things that he hasn't been able to before. It will be a very great day for our whole family.

Well, that is about all from this end. We have just been keeping busy! No drama or excitment and that is always good! Write again soon!

Well, we still don't have hearing aids. We had to re-schedule and couldn't get an appointment until October 3rd. We were really disappointed but it could not be avoided.

However, JD did make his reg ped visit and he is doing great. He is a little on the heavy side but he just started to walk so he may loose it. He walks all over the place now. No more crawling for this boy! When I look back and think about what the alternative could have been, I am so thankful to have my family. How very easily things could have gone the other way. I do not take any of that for granted. This past year has been unlike anything I had ever imagined my life to be, but I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

Jordyn is finished with summer pre-school. He has a two week break and then he goes back for the fall. He really loves school and riding the bus. I was home from work to take JD to the doctors one day and I happen to be there when the school bus came. It was the first time I was able to put him on the bus. He was so excited when he saw the bus coming down the hill. He was jumping up and down. They treat him like a little prince on the bus.....I think it's the curls! And the blue eyes! Ladies man he is.!

I had a little break from school, but now I am back to the grindstone. I am currently taking an English composition class....not my best subject, but so far so good.

Well that is all from this end for now. I hope that everyone is well. Hugs to all.

Thankfully, the last few weeks have not been that busy. Jordyn started his summer school. He kept asking to go to school, so we think that he missed it. He says that he has a good time everyday. Hopefully he will always have this attitude about school!

JD no longer receives PT. He was able to graduate from the program. He is only a month behind at the moment. She said that he may need it again in the future, but for right now he is doing well all on his own. That is thanks to Jay. He works with JD everyday. JD still isn't walking but he sure is trying to climb! Anything and everything. The house was baby-proofed we thought....had to go back through and do a double check. We had to secure a coulple of stands to the walls so he couldn't pull them over on himself. The fun years have started!!! LOL

I can't believe that my boys are getting so big. They amaze me by their innocence everyday. They are really my rays of sunshine!

What a busy couple of weeks we have had. First, we had Father's day. Poppy and Berma came over for dinner. The boys got "Best Grandpa" and "Best Daddy" t-shirts for daddy and poppy. It was a very nice evening.

Then, we had JD's birthday party on the 16th. I think that he had a good time! He had cake from head to toe! He ate almost all of it though. I still can't believe that he is a year old. Where did the time go? I can't believe that it has been a year already! He is getting so big so fast. I tell him all the time that he has to slow down and stay little for a while longer.

JD has his consultation for his hearing aids on the 18th. They did a sound field test and guess what?!?!? JD CAN HEAR LOW TONES!!!!!!!! He responded to very low tones! There is hope now that they hearing aids will work! He will get them on the 8th of August and then we are told, there is a 2 week "hell" period where we will have to fight him to keep them in his ears. He will fight until he realizes that with the hearing aids he can hear things that he can't hear without them. I can't wait for the day!

Jordyn had a ceremony at school for the end of the year. He got a t-shirt and sang a lot of songs that they had learned. Jordyn is better at sign language than me!!!! He can do some on the alphabet but has problems getting his fingers to stay where they are supposed to! He is really cute to watch. He is going to school for the summer and then will go back in the fall to the same school. He needs a little extra help that is why he is going for the summer. The socialization with the others kids will be great for him anyway.

Well, that is all from this neck of the woods. Hopefully things will calm down now, but with the summer upon us it doesn't look that way! I hope all is well with everyone and their families. Update again soon!

One year ago at this time, I was lying in a hospital bed wondering if my child was going to die. On saturday we celebrated JD's first birthday. This last year has taught me that with family all things are possible. This whole experience has been an amazing wonderful journey full of twists and turns that we were never expecting. As a family we have been able to beat any obstacle that was in our way. JD is suprising us everyday; doing things that we never thought that we would see him do. He is truely our miracle and our angel. Happy Birthday JD! Here is to many, many, many more!

Well, it is official. JD is deaf. 100% deaf. He has an appointment on the 18th of June to have his first consult for hearing aids. Even though we already knew that he was deaf, it was still a shock to hear it again. We thought for sure he could hear....at least a little bit. Oh well....life goes on I guess. Full steam ahead learning sign language. I have ordered a book full of signs.

Jordyn will be receiving OT at school. He is having some sensory issues and his fine motor skills are behind.

My grandfather is not doing well. We found out on Monday. My grandfather was everything to me growing up and he still is. Please keep him in your prayers. Looks like a trip to Wisconsin will be in the near future.

This week has been hectic. At least its friday and I don't have work for two days. School work is calling though.

JD finally had his 9 month check up! Being that he is almost 11 months old we are a little behind. He weighs in at 23 lbs 8 ozs. He is 30 inches tall and has a head circumfrenece of 45 inches. He is doing VERY well in all areas that are physical. His pedeatriction has some concerns with the neurological aspects. We have to video record JD sleeping at night so that they can get an understanding of why he wakes up so often. JD has been having "unidentified" head movements. He just recommends that we follow up with JD's neurologist. An appointment is being scheduled. His GI doctor has changed his formula once again. He is now on a formula that is completly broken down. He will not start drinking regular milk at one year. JD has a real milk allergy. He cannot tolerate anything that contains milk. Some children just have an intolerance for milk and grow out of it, JD's may be permanant. She is pleased with his over all growth. Just concerened with the whole milk thing.

As for JD in the physical area, he is doing quite well also. They were amazed that he is crawling and pulling up on things. He has even started to walk along the funiture. I think that walking is a long time off but he has a good start. He amazes us every day.

His hearning test is this week. We are really anxious to find out the results. There are times we swear that he can hear. We will say his name and he turns right toward us.

On another note, I no longer have a car. My van broke down and the people I bought it from refused to fix it even though it was an existing problem and they told me that they took care of it. I bought it on the pretense that it was fixed. Now they want me to pay 500 dollars to have it fixed. They pulled a good one on me. You learn from your mistakes right? Now we are on the hunt for another car. Hopefully we get one soon.

Well that is all from us for now. I hope that everyone is happy and healthy.

Well Jordyn had his first day of school. He is doing very well and he seems to enjoy it. He loves riding the school bus! It tires him out though and he likes to take a nap when he gets home. I had to work so Jay took pictures. When I got home I looked at them and started to tear up. My baby is growing up! School has taught him a few things although I don't think that it is the teachers that are teaching him. He has a new favorite phrase that he started to say about a week into school...."I don't want to do that." He even says it with attitude! It is cute for now. LOL!

Big news on JD! He is crawling, sitting up on his own and pulling himself up on things! He is on the move! He doesn't like it all that much and crys a lot when we make him work but he is getting it! I tend to baby him and Jay makes him work. Actually because of Jay, JD is able to do all of these things. He will make him get toys and sit by himself. I would pick JD up as soon as he started to protest. Being home with daddy has been really good for him. *sigh* both my boys love their dad. That is not a bad thing.

Easter was nice. The boys went and had dinner with their cousins and then Berma and Poppy came over to the house and had dinner with us. Jordyn had too much candy even though he didn't get that much. We colored eggs with the boys the day before and that was lots of fun too. Jordyn really had fun dipping the eggs into the colored water. JD can help next year.

Well, that is about all from our neck of the woods. We are in for a big SPRING snowstorm. That is what they are calling it! LOL They are calling for a couple of feet of snow! YEAH! (That is sarcasim by the way!) I can't wait for the nice weather!

For the first time in a long time I feel that good things are happening for our family. I have gotten a full time job, doing what I love. (I work with adults who have disabilities.) I have started classes to get my degree, and Jordyn will be starting pre-school next week. Hopefully our bad luck streak is over. That one lasted a long time!

Not too much going on. Just thought that I would let everyone know that we are still alive. Had to change the theme too. Easter is almost here!