Odds and Ends

ODDS....

I want to start with this...

 It is the back fender of my car - Whit's dirty handprint.  A commercial the other day was advertising a mini van, and the narrator asked the question... "What does it cost to own a mini-van?"  My answer... "Pride!"  :o)  Whit was just adding his special touch to my car!... and reminding me that I need to wash it!

Doesn't this look pleasant?

That is one tired little girl after a long week last week.  

Brotherly love...

This a new way of riding a tractor... Chap sits in the seat and peddles while Whit rides on the hood!  

Ends....

We have our appointment scheduled for Whit's Meyer Center / Desmond Neonatal Follow-Up visit in July.  We have controversy within our minds and hearts about this appointment and are torn about what to do.  I visited with a lady the other day that has twins, and she advocated it, and felt it very helpful for her boys.  I am going to have a consultation with Whit's pediatrician about it, so hopefully I'll have a little more insight and a better feeling about what to do about the appointment.  

There are a few things that frustrate me...

Abortion... well, I won't go there, but just know that I DISAGREE!!  (and I get more than frustrated with that one!)

Insurance... yes, I know it keeps us healthy, but I think it gives me ulcers - which isn't all that healthy, now, is it!?!

Doctors that belittle and have the bedside manner of a stump (sorry to be so harsh, but really!)... Please pray for us as we are in the decision process of what to do with Whit and this appointment.  Three is gaining on us, where educational red flags can arise.  We want to do what is best for him, and if keeping the appointment will benefit him in the long-run, then we will go through with it.  

  

Another Obstacle Overcome

We received a few texts and phone calls today of people praying and thinking of us as we were at TCH with Whit having his ABR test done.  Thank you so much for your prayers and for thinking of us!!  

Whit fought sleep a bit (he is NOT a rocker, and would rather be in the comfort of his own bed with his cow-taggie to go to sleep).  So, having Corbett and I there holding him, fighting him, and trying to comfort him was a feat.  I had to take his choo-choo trains away from him, so offered him his cow-taggie.  He became mad at the taggie, and had nothing to do with it!!  His choo-choo and his juice were all he wanted. However, with an extra dose of the medication, he finally fell asleep so that the procedure could be done.  

He is reported to have normal hearing in both ears.  While CAPD (central auditory processing disorder) might be a great possibility.  Many of the symptoms that go along with this disorder are displayed by Whit - along with the speech and language delay.  However, complete medical confirmation cannot be made until he is older.  It is treated by techniques and therapy that we already use at this point.  She did strongly encourage speech and language therapy, as clinically he shows symptoms of CAPD.

As she was taking down his case and history, she made this comment as she was walking out.  "It is rare that you have a child with that rough of a start to have made as many gains as he obviously has developmentally!"  While, yes, we do push Whit extremely hard, and I do work daily, hourly, and sometimes "minutely" (yes, I know - not a word - but you get my point)... all glory is GOD'S!

Here are a few pictures of the procedure.  I'm sorry about the quality... they were taken in a dark room with my phone... 

Now, you put a kid who already has some issues with where he is in space with some medication to make him tired and dizzy... and you have quite a comical event.  When we weren't fighting him from flopping all over us, he was funny to watch.  His words were slurred, and he waved his upper body back and forth.  When he was falling asleep, he was sitting in Corbett's lap and Corbett asked him where his nose was.  A sure fire in the hole, as we've practiced this one many times!!  He pointed to his temple, with all effort of getting his finger to his nose!!  He would've failed a sobriety test!  After the procedure, we took him to eat.  I had picked up a red-velvet cupcake with a pile of icing on the top.  He immediately decided it was ice cream and he wanted it.  So, being soft-hearted for the morning that he'd had... he had dessert first.  However, even being sleepy and on medication - he was still stubborn and hard headed and wanted to feed himself.  So, getting his hand to function enough to get hold his spoon, and then get his spoon to his mouth was a sight to see.  He had a lunch of pure icing with a few bites of red velvet cake, and some mashed potatoes... pretty good for his high calorie diet... most of it made it to his mouth.

Whit is back to himself tonight.  Singing, playing, and running around.... and taking his shoes off in the car while grinning - knowing full well he's not supposed to.

So, another medical obstacle is complete for Whit.  We have  a few appointments hanging over our heads that we haven't pursued yet, but will need to be sometime in the near future.  He needs an opthamology appointment as a follow-up from the NICU really soon, and it is encouraged that he have another TCH Meyer Center Development appointment (that first appointment is a long story, but not a pleasant one).  He has an appointment in May for a follow-up GI appointment, and will go to an endochronologist soon, too.  As soon as we got to the parking garage this morning and walked into the elevator area of TCH Clinical Care Building, Whit looked at me and said with sad eyes, "We go home?"  He's well versed with that place, and it doesn't look like he's finished, yet. 

A million thank you's to Aunt Amy for taking Maggie and Chap to school today!!!  They had a grand time riding in Amy's car and having a special morning with her!  Also, many many thanks to Bibs for picking them up from school and bringing them back to Pearland!!  What a special treat for them!!!  They loved their special day, too!

 

What's in a Name?

Whit is going to have an ABR (auditory brainstem response) test done next Tuesday.  He will be put in a non-responsive state in order to achieve successful completion of the test.  A nurse called yesterday to give feeding (or non-feeding) instructions for the evening before and morning before the procedure.  In talking with her, she commented on the uniqueness of his name.  Then, she was reading his file and saw that he was a twin.  She said, "Oh, I just have to know what his twin's name is!"

Maggie Allyn - Maggie is the name of my great grandmother... Maggie Whittington... such a sweet lady that exhibited a great Christian example and great strength.  Allyn - My dad's middle name... Robert Allen.  The y gives it a feminine touch.

Charles Corbett, III - As the III portrays... he is a third... Corbett is a Jr.  Chap is the nickname.  Also known as "Big C" by his daddy.

Whit Ellison - Whit is my grandfather's nickname, from his last name Whittington.  Ellison is Corbett's grandfather's middle name... Ray Ellison.  

So, while they're not the most ordinary names... they're the most special to us.  

On another note...

I have an addiction... here are the results...

It's not all bad having photography as an addiction, right?   

Especially in this instance...

Forever Changed

On Friday, November 17, 2006 - I went in for a routine biophysical ultrasound of the boys. During this ultrasound, I was whisked away quickly into an emergency c-section due to Whit's extremely low heart rate.  Many thoughts raced through my mind during this quick 20 minute time-span between the ultrasound, and the moment the boys were born.  One of the thoughts that ingrained itself in my mind was of Maggie.  

She was still at daycare... unaware that her world was about to be turned upside down.  I was fearful how her world would forever be changed.  I knew it would change, but I wasn't sure how she would handle it.

She has handled it with amazing resilience and compassion.

Whit has "fun" little episodes sometimes where he loses his breath while crying.  As a result, he passes out.  Last night he had one of the worst Corbett and I have seen in a while.  He fell and bumped his head, but it was on the carpet - not that hard.  He was "wrestling" with Corbett and Maggie, and with a mixture of hurt feelings, hurt head, and tiredness... he had an "episode".  Maggie hadn't really seen it before.  She was very concerned for him last night, and did everything in her four year old power to help.  

Chap was having trouble "poo-poo-ing" (sorry for the word, but there is really no other way to put it).  He cried, and said - "I need to go to my bed."  He didn't know what else to do.  So, he went to his bed with his taggie, and just laid there.  Maggie went and climbed in bed with him, and laid with him until he was ready to get up.  She held his hand and walked him to the bathroom to help him try to go potty.

Her world has forever been changed... for the better.

I watch the boys idolize her during every-day activities by copying her, repeating her, wanting to play with her toys, and loving her.  Every Tuesday, we take Maggie to gymnastics.  A clear glass window separates the boys from Maggie.  They love watching her, and "seeing Maggie!!" 

  

She's a good one to watch!

Our Easter

In Full Bloom

"I want..." and "I Love You"

Being two, and just over 21 lbs comes with its disadvantages! Today, for the first time - Whit expressed an interest in "unnawears" (as Chap calls pull ups). I was changing the boys this morning, and Whit said.. "I want unnawears!" (Of course - he pronounced it just like Chap). I have done a mega online and store search for pull ups that would fit him. However, most toddlers ready for pull ups weigh more that he does. We have given them a try - but after a bit - they end up at his knees, with his shorts and all!

Being two, and having a sister that loved Bob the Builder pj's when she was two, comes with its perks! Chap gets the hand-me-downs and LOVES them. They do come in second best to his "train" P.J.s, but when those are dirty - "I want Bob!"

Being two, and getting the hand-me-downs last because of size also comes with its disadvantages. Whit's first choice of P.J.s are a pair with a car on them. Every night, "I want car shirt!" And that is not an exaggeration. He wore them the last two nights in a row, and I couldn't do it another night. So, as we were in their room - gathering P.J.s for the night - Chap did his usual order of selections. When the choice was "Bob!", Whit decided he wanted "Bob" too. After all, it did have four wheelers on it! "I want four wheeler!" But, he had to settle for an alligator and a lion. A far cry from the "cool" P.J.s

So, after a day of "I wants.... " from Whit - which usually doesn't bother him, all were in bed. A little while after Maggie went to bed, she opened her door and whispered..."Mommy..." I looked at her and she was holding up her hand. Through the darkness, I couldn't see what she was showing me. I asked her what it was. She grinned and gently said, "I Love You!" She was signing I Love You to me. With no further conversation, she closed the door and went back to bed.... in pink P.J.s... although she still loves her Bob the Builder, size 5-T ones!

Transitions

Tonight, we transitioned Chap to a "bigger" boy bed. Whit is still in his "big" boy bed, due to him needing that security. His bed changes to a toddler bed when we feel he is ready, though. I spent the last two weeks refinishing bunk beds that were Corbett's when he was little, and dressers that were mine and Robb's when we were little. It has been a long and tedious project, but it is complete.

Corbett was off today, and while I was at work - he diligently worked on the boys' room - taking down our changing table/dresser - and Chap's baby bed... and replacing them with the bunk beds and the newly finished dressers. He did a wonderful job, and had it all done by the time I got home from work. As soon as I got home, I asked Maggie to show me the new beds. Chap, with excitement ran to his room to show me "my new bed!!"



The transition has gone without a hitch. They have chattered and sung themselves to sleep like they always do... and now they are sound asleep.




Another transition that has been weighing heavily on my heart is one that faces my grandmother. She is 83 years old, and lives alone. My grandfather passed away in 2005, and the first anniversary of his funeral was the day the boys were born... November 17, 2006. Such a special day!

My Memaw's house was broken into a few days ago - while she was in her back yard! She has a love for gardening, and was tending to it when someone broke her window on her back door and entered her house. They stole her wallet, her cell phone, and her camera. She was unable to sleep that night, and stayed up all night in her recliner. The thought of that and the fear that she feels just saddens my heart (and infuriates me that someone would do that to her!). Because, now - she is possibly facing a huge transition.... moving. She and Pepaw lived in that house from the moment they were married... she raised two boys in it... 4 grandchildren, and has watched 6 great grand-children play in her backyard. Her life is that house... that home. Pepaw is that home. And now, ugliness is forcing her out of it.

Memaw spent the dreadful nights of Ike with us (remember... the time Maggie can't seem to shake). My kids kept her busy during the days of darkness, but her mind was on her home... hoping it was safe from the storm. And now, 7 months later, it's not safe - even without a storm.

The thoughts of a transition that she is facing has deep meaning - 62 years of meaning. More than Chap's baby bed - that once was Maggie's - that will soon be my little nephew's bed... and how I treasure that thought. And the thought of Whit's bed - we bought it with money that Memaw gave me after she sold Pepaw's truck. I can only imagine the thoughts she treasures about a house that became a home for 62 years... that she may leave so that she may be safe.