progress

Well I guess whether I like it or not, the first day of school has come again.  And like it or not, my mom had to leave and go back to her own life.  We loved every minute she was here.  Julian was her little shaddow all summer.  He wore her out I am sure but he definitely preferred her over anyone.  We are looking forward to when she is able to come back this way in a couple of weeks.  I will be starting my NINTH year of teaching.  Crazy it has been NINE years!!  Seems like just the other day I was 21, just graduting, bridesmaid in a million weddings, picking out an apartment, worrying about my first day of school, and buying my purple furniture.  Well nine years later and I am still worried about the first day of school.  Only now I know that the worrying is pointless.  Even though I must say I am less prepared this year than ever.  Being at a new school and not knowing what's happening and adding being cripple to that has slowed me down a lot but like it or not, Monday will be here and then Monday afternoon the kids will be gone. So much to do and too much pain to do it with.. Speaking of pain, my knee is still very achy but I guess PT is going well.  I started off at 23 degrees and it's been 3 weeks and today I made it to 80.  My doctor wanted me to at least 90 by Sept. 7th.  I'm confident I'll make it for sure.  Was hoping I wouldn't be limping much by the time I hit 30 in less than a month but I'm afraid that's not very realistic.  Limping or not I am very blessed to be 29, oved, healthy, happy, and employed of course. 

Oh, in other news!!!  We are moving next week to go along with long days at school and PT!  Even though I am not excited about the stress of moving, I am SUPER excited about our new house.  As soon as we get out of this one it is going up for rent.  I am so excited to set up our new house and all the extra room we will have to actually fit our things and ourselves.  Chaos, our dog, gets a little less room in the backyard and a little less shade but if we could figure out a way to get that guy to stink less, he could join us inside a little more.  Julian might have a place to put some of his toys besides just in the middle of the living room floor.  Yay we are moving.  Pray for Jerry and his recruits!  The knee, first week of school, and Julian are a little too much for me to handle and he has assured me that he will get it done.  Luckily the two houses are not far from each other so that will help a little. 

Julian started back with Ms. Sylvia on Wednesday.  Jerry dropped him off and I think it was a heart breaker for everyone involved but Julian survived and he is back to his normal self excited to see "Ta Ta" everyday.  He is such a drama king!  He likes everything just perfect even when you arn't sure exactly what "perfect" is.  Especially when he is throwing, bouncing, dribbling, shooting, or kicking a ball.  He might get a little of the competitiveness from either of us.. take your pick.  My competitiveness and his daddy's impatience :).  He is talking more and more.  We tried all summer to get him to say "Grandma" and of course he said everything under then sun but Grandma.  Of course when he came home on Wednesday and she wasn't here, he was asking for his "Grandma" just as clear as day.  Did I mention he is obessessed with her.  He can pretty much repeat anything you say.  For some reason he acts like he thinks he's cute.  I have no idea how he got that idea.  :)  He is so smart.  He knows exactly what you are saying and he is very clever about how he responds.  Sometimes he acts like he doesn't hear you and other times he does it just the say you say.  His fro is getting bigger and bigger and most everyone thinks it's time for a hair cut but neither daddy nor I are ready for that yet. He is still struggling with his sleeping really bad.  His time of perfect sleeping left and has not returned for us yet.  I'm hoping getting back into a routine, will help him and I tremendously. He still loves Barney but now he is watching a lot of The Backyardagins.  Mainly because it is the cutest cartoon every created.  Grandma, Jerry, and I all agree that it's hillarious.  With characters with names like "Uniquequa, Tyrone, Pablo, Austin, and Tasha"  how could you ask for anything better.  Their dance moves are the best.  The opening song is pretty slow and when Julian dances to it he almost tips over he's moving so slow.  It's funny. 

Well I am exhausted and my men are playing  a little soccer in front of me so I better go get in on the game.  Well... at least a little with my good leg. 

Pictures of the new house coming soon. 

trip to the beach

I've been saying I would like to take Julian to the beach sometime this summer but I am just now getting where I can half way endure the pain of sitting in the car for a long period of time.  So today we had nothing to do and we decided since I can not get into my classroom yet to move in, I guess today was the day for the beach.  Julian loved loved it!!  He would have stayed all day but Grandma and I decided it was time to go after about one hour.  He got the experience of running, splashing, chasing birds, etc...  but we would have fried if we would have stayed much longer.  It was a short trip but very very sweet.  I hear a lot of crap about how bad Galveston beach is but for just a little 1/2 day trip to splash around at the beach I think it's pretty great.  Next summer it will be ON and crackin.  Julian and I have some making up to do on all our beach, water park, museum, and every other kind of play place. 

Knee Recovery

It has been 41 days since surgery.  Thas is 6 weeks today I guess.  I had my first post surgery appointment 10 days after surgery and since then, I have worried, worried, worried, waited, wodered, etc...  I needed an apointment every week I think just for some confirmation that everything was on schedule and everything was ok.  It hasn't been the funnest summer for me or for my son or Jerry or my mom.  They have all given their whole lives pretty much to help me and to take care of me.  And for that I have no idea how to thank them for that gift.  They are the only reason I am not depressed and crying everyday.  (even though i do have my days)  It's a horrible feeling being so helpless.  This summer has definitely given me a different perpspective on thing.  Being so active, it is very difficult sitting back and letting others do everything for you.  So I finally had another doctors appointment Tuesday 7/27 and I was reassured that everything is normal and i'm not going to just have a stump leg for the rest of my life.  He is confident that with a lot of hard work, I should be back to normal.  I really just wanted to know that I would be able to drive in 2 weeks for our first day of school.  He couldn't guarantee that but I started PT yesterday the 28th and I understood quickly what he meant by HARD work.  At first my PT will be in the water and I guess I will work my way to land things like walking and the bike and things.  It's hard sitting there and watching the look on the PT's face when she sees my scar and sees how far i CAN'T bend my knee.  My doctors goal is for me to be able to bend my knee 90 degrees in 6 weeks.  Yesterday I could bend it 25 degrees with the PT pushing hard and me almost screaming.  So I have a lot of hard work for the next 6 weeks.  Prayers appreciated!!    "with God all things are possible"

Summer 2010 Trip to KC

We have had quite a summer!  One of the big things I considered before deciding on doing the surgery this summer was that "Julian is only 18 months"  he will enjoy doing more next summer.  Which I still believe to be true but also have a hard time with the fact that he has been stuck in the house with me and his grandma and daddy all summer.  They take him out as much as possible but the mosquitos here are NO joke.  There is no wind to blow them away or distract them.  They are miniture mosquitos that are on a mission for the blood of little innocent toddlers.  :(  As a result of my inablility to care for my child this summer,he has become incredibly attatched to his grandma.  It's going to be a sad day for the both of them when she has to return to her life and leave him in the care of his mommy and daddy.  This boy LOVES his grandma.  But really.. what's not to love.. She is a complete blessing for giving up her whole summer to care for him and I.  I knew she needed a break and needed to see her other amazing grandchildren so I sucked it up and decided to make the 7 hour trip home.  We had a great trip.  Maybe not the safest way of traveling because sitting in the very back has not seat belts and with the hard seat and NO shocks on my back tires my back and booty were about to die but we made it and had a great visit.  We stopped in Cedar Hill on the way there to visit with my Plummer Family and had a great time with friends.  Stayed with Deb for the night and then had brunch with the Henry's on Sunday morning before Tanya's baby shower.  Can't wait to see pictures of that sweet little girl.  And more importantly find out the name!!  While we were in Knox City, Julian got to spend a lot of time with his cousins, aunt, uncle and great grandma.  He immediately took to Riley Paige.  It took him a little longer with Carson but he finally opened up to him.  He went out to their house pretty much everyday and loved being outside playing the whole itme.  He loved the dogs but I think he loved the horses more.  He loved seeing the "Moooooooos" too.  Here are some pictures from our trip

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Jabber Jabber Jabber

Went to my check up today with the doc and everything is looking great. It was my first day out of the house and I must say it felt fabulous! I am supposed to go back in 4 weeks and I will most likely start physical therapy after that. So for the next 4 weeks basically I can do what I can do and can't what I can't. So whatever I can do with my brace and my cruches, i'm good to go. we'll see. My little man has been great duing this whole thing. My MOM is HEAVEN SENT!! Julian and Grandma are a little attached right now. which is a little difficult for me over here helpless. But I am so glad they are getting to love on each other so much. Since we came back from TN, Julian has become a little Jabber mouth. Literally he never stops talking. He jabbers jabbers and ends his "sentence" with a word like "ball, dada, juice, cup, etc..."

Here is a video clip of out little Jabber mouth. He is very annimated in his stories that he tells. This particular story that he was telling my mom this day must be a never ending story because he is still telling it to us yesterday and today. I'm sure it's "to be continued" till tomorrow also.

Post Surgery

I am officially on day 4 of my recovery. The doctor who did my surgery seems very up on his game. He is the team phisian for the Rockets. I was very confident in his ability. Being knocked out is the weirdest feeling. Knowing there was 3 hours of your life that you have NO clue what happened. The original play was to do a Lateral Release (basically just reposition the knee cap), Tibial Osteotomy (break the to of my shin bone and repositon it using screws and stuff), Medial Plication (i really don't know what that part was) and a Trufit Application which was place fake cartlidge the be placed where i have none and a cyst has been formed. Evidentally when he got inside thre he wasn't aware of the ammount of harm that had been done to the back of my knee cap so he had to add anothe procedure to the mix called a Microfracture (which from what i understand is when they drill little wholes into the back of your knee cap to break it in several places which will start the natural healing process.!!

All that to say, Thanks for all your prayers! I am alive and God is good!

Watching Julian run my mom and Jerry ragged, is a struggle for me. It's had to sit here so helpless. But I am blessed with a wonderful mom and an amazing man to take great care Julian and I.

18 months

Julian was 18 months last week. He is doing great. He had his 18 month well check appointment on Tuesday and he is doing great. He has gained a couple pounds which is something I was concerned with being as his diet is very very limited. After he as diagnosed with all his food allergy stuff I was supposed to be contacted by Texas Childrens to get an appointment with a nutritionist to help with his diet. I called a million times just to be told I can't call, they have to contact me. They never did. When I was at his pediatrician, I told her and she got the nurses on it right away and before I left the office, I had an appointment set up for July. I'm not sure what all I can even get him to try but it will be nice to hear what he should be having and new ideas to try.

Julian truly is the funnest little guy to hang out with. He is talking more and more and we can understand more and more every day.
He loves Barney! I have never been a fan of that purple dinosaur thing but he was introduced to it at Ms. Sylvia's house and if you ever see him sing wheels on the bus doing all the motions, or "I love you, you love me," and watch him hug and kiss you and then when the show is over he gives you the remote and ask for "Ben" :) You cant resist but let him watch it because he's too cute. :)
He loves the water. I've taken him to the fountains in the Woodlands and taken him swimming a few times and he loves it. He likes to blow bubbles in the water.. STEP ONE! He will kick and paddle when you're holding him. STEP TWO!
He doesn't know how to walk any more... He only runs. It's the cutest little run you will ever see.
I am so glad to be out of school!! I love my summers. This summer will be interesting and a little painful I'm afraid but my mom will be here to help with me and Julian so I am looking forward to that. Since I only had 2 weeks of summer being able to walk, I've been trying to make the most out of it. Today I think we will go to the park, swim, and play in the sprinkler.
Jerry left last night to drive to OK City for a wedding he is in.. Julian and I will fly out in the morning to Tenn. Jerry will be driving there after the wedding and meeting us there for his Mom's graduation on Sunday. I'm afaid Jerry will be very very sleep deprived.
Wish us luck. Our last flight experience a couple months ago didn't go so great.
Here a couple pics we had taken a couple weeks ago.

Say a prayer! Safe travels, and successful knee surgery next Friday!! Thank you Jesus, AMEN!