MY BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!!!

Well Terry's birthday party was a hit! He had a ball! He was so excited by everyone being here and all the stuff he got! Should have seen his little face light up! It was wonderful just to watch him. He had a lot of fun opening his presents, but I think he liked the cards more. The cake...well that was trip to watch, as soon as we put the cars cake in front of him he went for it! It was so cute. He was so tired by the time it was all over that he was starting to get grumpy...no wonder right. We gave him his bath and tried to get him settled for bed, but he was just so excited that it took him a while to fall asleep but once he did he was out cold. Nothing could wake him up right now! I went in to check on him and he didn't even move and normally he will move when you open the door, but not tonight. I can not believe he is already 2 years old and he has over come some really big things in his first 2 years of life, when you sit back and look at it you wonder how he did it and managed to still smile, but he does! He smiles all the time! Terry is suck an inspiration to me and a lot of people! Some people can not believe he is as happy as he is given all he has been through! People should learn from children who go through a lot just to lice. You always hear complaining about how hard life is... well have you ever thought how hard life would be if you couldn't walk on you own? or how hard it would be for you if you couldn't use your left are? No you probably have not... well my son can't walk yet or use his left arm very well but you will not hear him complain, he just makes it work and keeps on getting it! I thing you should be thankful for what you have and things you can do and every once in a while think about a child that can not walk or can not use their arm(s). Try to imagine life without walking...and just be thankful you can because in a flash your ability to walk could be gone.. Terry is an amazing child who has beat a lot of odds! I am thankful for what he can do and what he has and as long as he is happy we are happy, and I really do not worry about things he can not do right now because I know he will one day! It might take some time,but we have all the time he needs!

I AM TURNING 2 TOMORROW...WAY TO GROW

Well this is it! My little guy is turning 2 tomorrow. He is not a baby anymore! Well he will always be my baby! He has been through so much and he is doing so well! He is doing great with his AFO's and he has been getting good at standing up. We are working on strengthening his legs so when he gets his gait trainer next month he will be ready to go! I know there will be no stopping him once he gets going. Oh what I wouldn't do to see him walk across the floor! He is getting around pretty good on his own when he is on the floor. We call him our lil "side winder" because he looks like a sidewinder snake when he scoots across the floor it is really cute to watch. It really goes back to all the doctors tell you when they say "your child will develop his own way of moving around and communicating" and boy has he! Terry is suck a special little guy and he brings happiness to everyone he meets and he loves whole heartedly. He always has a smile on his face and a hug to give to anyone who wants one! We are so happy he is turning 2 tomorrow, but I can't help but wonder where did all the time go? Has it really been 2 years... yes it has! And I know where all the time went it went to many many doctor appointments, 3 hospitalizations, 3 surgeries and many therapy appointments, but terry is doing well and has gained a lot from all we have to do! Through it all he still manages to smile! He really is an AWESOME KID! soon I will be posting pictures of his adventure to "DREAMCATCHERS RANCH" in Toano Virginia. He really loved being around all the horses and he already has a favorite...tatertot! it was really neat to watch him interact with the horses and see how gentle the horses were with him and how gentle he was with the horses! So COMING SOON: PICTURES OF TERRY AT THE RANCH. So please check back in a few days to See them.

SUMMER FUN

Well Terry got his first "summer " cold and he has been feeling bad for the last week or so. He is feeling better now. Today we went outside for a while and he really loved it. The lil guy loves to go outside... but then who doesn't?? Terry has been on an antibiotic and a steroid for the last week and he is doing much better, and sleeping much better too, which means I am sleeping better too. Whoo hoo! He is progressing with his standing. He is able to sit up now if you help him by holding his legs for him, it is really cute to watch him accomplish it! He smiles from ear to ear when he does it....Some of the things we are going to do this summer include, going to Washington DC to the zoo, going to busch gardens, water country, and spending a week in Virginia Beach. Terry is a water baby so I know he will enjoy spending a week at the beach. We are also going to go to Blue bird gap farm to see the animals and feed the deer and duck and horses. Terry has therapy many times a week so he is a very busy little guy. I think he likes it that way! We are always on the go! It has been that way since the day he was born.

just a little about me and what I like to do!

So as you can see this picture was taken a few weeks ago... but I thought I would update on some of the things that Terry loves to do, and as you can see he loves to fingerpaint...he is really good at it too. He also loves to play on the floor with his toys and...he has mastered the art of moving around. You know Terry can not walk yet, but he sure can scoot around on the floor with the best of them! He gets from one spot to the other in no time flat! It is really cute to watch him scoot all over. He continues to do well with his standing exercises and he is beginning to strengthen his booty and thighs. There is nothing he wont do or at least try his best to do. This is one tough little guy who had the determination on a lion. I don't believe there is any thing that will hold him back once he gets going. As you can see he is a really happy boy, even when he is sick.. which he is right now. I took him to the doctors today and he has a massive upper respiratory infection, sinus infection, bad cough.. but the put him on meds and he is feeling better, never mind mommy's loving care right! He has been tired the last two days but he seems to be sleeping much better tonight. He took a long nap today and that did him a world of good. There is nothing better than rest when you are sick! I have learned a lot from my son, and one thing is... never let anything keep you down.. when a hurdle is put in front of you , you have to jump over it and keep going. That is what TERRY does all the time, he just keeps jumping and gettin' it! Some times it is really hard for me to watch Terry strugle and sometimes it breaks me down but I have to remember that he is a tough guy and he will be fine, even if he has to struggle right now, in the long run it will all be worth it and he will be fine, but sometimes i just cry because i wonder "why" why my son? what did he do? what did we do? it really tests your faith.....

TERRY'S AFO's " MOONBOOTS"

Well as you can see Terry is doing GREAT in his "moonboots" every since he has had them he has been standing... with out help and he is getting stronger every day. He has to work on muscle tone is his booty and thighs. We work with him several times a day and we believe he will be trying to walk here real soon! We have faith in our little one and we know he will do it. He just needs time and we have the time. He still can not crawl but we will work on that. It is kinda hard to crawl when you have limited use of the left arm, but there again he is getting better with that to. Terry is a true "MIRACLE" baby and he has done nothing but surprise us from the beginning and i know he will continue to surprise us! He is doing more and more, the boy never stops. he has figured out how to get around on the floor, nothing stops the little guy. Terry is teaching us a lot at the same time. We love to just watch him and see what he is going to do next. He amazes me every day. He brings love and happiness to everyone that he is around... even strangers smile when they see terry. I can't thank the doctors enough for the care the have given to our little guy! And all of his doctors expect him to go far.. well all except one. But i wont say who that is. He knows who he is! I just choose not to listen to him when he says things like "terry shouldn't be doing this or that" i mean how does he really know???? That's right he DON'T. All in all we are pleased with Terry's progress and we will keep you up dated on his progress. Thanks for all the prayers!

adapting to life with a special needs little guy

OK where to start now... this is a picture of terry and his surgeon after his major surgery in December 2007, so now Terry is getting PT,OT,and Speech therapy. He is doing quit well in all of these. he will be 2 in about a month and a half. He still can not walk,or crawl, but he just got his AFO's and he now is learning to stand. He is trying his hardest... and he is doing it. we have no doubt that he will master the crawling and walking thing. it is going to take some time but we have all the time to give him. He is so happy and lovable and no matter what is thrown his way it don't break his spirit. It is alot of work with terry but i would not give it up for the world, I am constantly doing something with him, weather it be PT,OT,or ST. I am pushing him to do what i know he can do. I know sometimes he gets mad because he don't want to do it, but he still does it. It can be overwhelming at times, but when i get to that point i just look at him and remember why i am doing this..... for him! There are so many doctor appointments, scans, EEG's,EKG's, MRI's. But we get through it. Sometimes i think it is harder on me than it is on him. To know what he is going through, and at times i feel helpless. I cry alot...in the shadows where no one can see me, i do not want people to think i am weak or that i cant handle it.. that is so not the case. i can handle it... it just gets hard sometimes. I feel like i am doing this all by my self, but i know i am not, terry's care involves everyone in our family. But most of it is on my shoulders, but then that is all part of being a mom! I hate it when people label my son, nothing angers me more! If you do not know my son and his situation who are you to judge! I don't judge people, and yet people are always judging him and my family... What the Hell! How can someone talk about a child, let alone anyone? unless you walk in my shoes, don't judge me or anyone in my family! Terry is a beautiful, happy little guy who loves his family! andwe love him too

SETTLING IN WITH THE "NEW BOOTY"

Well here we are getting used to life with a new booty and having to be so careful with him and all his stitches. we all adapted well, and Terry did fine once home, eating well growing like a weed. Happy as ever. having stitches all across his tummy and in his bottom didn't seen to bother him. mid January he had to go back under anesthesia to have his stitches removed and have his bottom dilated. this was an out patient surgery... thank god for that. after the surgery we had to dilate him every day once a day. then it went to every other day. Then we got to once every 4 days, on March 28, 2008 terry went back in to the hospital for yet another surgery.. but this one would be an easy one.... CLOSING OF HIS COLOSTOMY!!!!!!! WHOOO HOOO! So he had surgery on his daddy's birthday and he did well. post op was a little rough, but he did fine. We knew he would. He spent about 3 days in the hospital. They wanted him to have his first bowel movement while in the hospital in case something went wrong.. but nothing did. He pooped like a champ. It didn't take long for him to adapt to pooping. He is such a trooper! we had to play with his diet and keep him from getting impacted or constipated.. boy was that a chore, and it took a lot of adjusting but we got it right and now terry is going great. He still has alot of obstacles in front of him, but it don't keep him down. he is a wonderful guy!