We're Almost Done...

We are almost done with all of Sebastian's therapies. There a few concerns that the physical therapist has but they are nothing major. Truth be told it's probably just her training wanting him to be perfectly symmetrical in all of his movement. None of her concerns are major issues. They are more like things she would like for him to do better or things that in and of themselves are nothing to worry about but since we've had this head injury she's erring on the cautious side. I can't blame her. I have no worries and he appears to be perfectly normal to us.

He is walking and climbing. We're teaching him to run and jump and all these crazy things that little kids are supposed to learn how to do. It's fun....now. We've gotten to the part where going to therapy is fun. It's still a lot of work but we don't have all the stress of what kind of limitations will he have. Will he be able to walk. Will he talk. Will he limp or even will he be able to use his right side. Will he have vision problems. All of these things have slowly gone away and Sebastian is showing just how tough he is. He is aptly nicknamed "Tough Guy" by my dad.

So hopefully we will get the final discharge from Physical and Occupational Therapy next week. It will be good to get that behind us. We still have to deal with the neurologist but that's nothing. So long as we get him off the Phenobarbitol, I'm good. It's no big deal that they want to do another MRI in a couple of months. I know that Sebastian will be just fine. We all know that he's going to be just fine.

Birthday Pictures

Here are a few pictures of The Twin's 1st Birthday and Austin's 3rd Birthday

Tiny Miracles and Tiny Feet

Sebastian has decided to walk.

He's been walking while holding on to someone's finger or pant leg or a push toy or just about anything he can grab and take with him that is steadier than he is at the moment. He'll walk for days that way. He's been doing this kind of walking with minimal assistance for a couple of weeks now.

And wouldn't you know it he decided this week to be a bit more independent and walk on his own. He will now take several steps regularly and sometimes tries to walk everywhere. He is still favoring the speed of crawling but I think he is realizing that walking might actually be the better mode of transportation. So needless to say, I went shoe shopping for the kids last week. In preparation for the momentous occasion when Sebastian would decide to walk on his own. And here we are. He's walking on his own terms and at his own pace. He's a very independent and observant little boy. He's going to do things his way and that's just all there is to it. The boy just cracks me up. A little Weldon with the sweetest grin.

I joked with Weldon that Sebastian would walk when he decided that it was no longer the easiest way to do things. One of Weldon's favorite sayings is "what does a lazy person do?... They find the easiest way to do things." And that's what Sebastian appears to be doing. Oh well, I guess there's no denying Weldon's his father.

And while we're dishing out proof that the Twins are indeed Weldon's flesh and blood. I present tonight's example that Rachel really is a little Weldon without the boy parts.
Rachel was playing in front of Weldon's chair with her bottle and her toes. It's a favorite game of hers to see what happens when she drips milk on her toes and the floor. Weldon gets up to do the dishes and Rachel gets in his chair , leans back and resumes her game. A few minutes go by and she drops her bottle. She gets down to pick it up and Weldon tries to take his seat back. Rachel pitches a fit so Weldon picks her up and plops her in his chair. She immediately starts smiling and laughing. Leans back and gets comfortable in the chair. She grabs her bottle begins drinking with one hand and searching for the remote with the other hand. Rachel is definitely Weldon's daughter.

Little Miracles...all the mundane things we take for granted each and everyday. Smiles and giggles and crying and temper tantrums and paint drying on the wall. There a million little miracles that happen everyday all around us if we just take the time to open our eyes and see them. Please take the time to see them. It's what life's all about. Little Miracles

Austin's Birthday

Boys will be boys. It's in the blood and the hormones.

Austin turned 3 today and since we are still under constant supervision we had a small family party at home.

It was a Superman, Spiderman, Elephant, Monkey, Frog, Kangyroo Themed party.

Austin had a hard time deciding and we just didn't have the heart or energy to argue so we did a little of everything. It was a blast.

We had a house full of boys and only 2 girls. One of whom was little sister Rachel. Needless to say there was a great deal of screaming, running, wrestling and all the rest of the stuff that boys do when they play. And you had better believe that little Sebastian, a.k.a. Tough Guy, was right in the middle of all the fun. He had a blast. Austin had a blast. The other kids had a blast and I think that everyone got their kids to bed early that night even with the high sugar content of the cake and/or cupcakes.

To see Sebastian play with the other kids was beyond words. It just made my heart sing. I knew then that he would be ok. Whatever challenges he has ahead of him are nothing he can't handle. Nothing WE can't handle. He is so full of life and joy and laughter.

Everyday I wonder how it is that we are blessed with such beautiful children. They are both beautiful inside and out. And that seems to be the salve that is healing our broken hearts. Because that's what it's felt like these past months. A raw, open wound that never gets a chance to heal. But that's going away. We have hope. We are beginning to see the end and the light is getting brighter.

Austin's 3rd Birthday was more than just a celebration of Austin's birth. It was in a way, a birth of our new lives and family. To paraphrase an old cliche. We will rise from the ashes of this horrible period and be better, brighter and stronger with Sebastian, Austin and Rachel leading the way.

The State of Things

Well it's been a very crazy month. Lots of activities and lots of chaos. I think this a glimpse of years to come. We celebrated Sebastian and Rachel's first birthdays and then turned around and celebrated Austin's 3rd birthday today. In between the 2 birthday dates we've had therapy sessions and doctors appointments and parenting classes for Weldon and myself. Yes, Weldon and I have started taking the CPS mandated Protective Parenting classes. We are convinced more than ever that these classes are just a way for CPS to do some CYA for themselves. They have charged us with negligent supervision and physical abuse of a minor. All of this is via CPS and still nothing from the Austin Police Department. We are being accused of negligent supervision because I turned my back on Sebastian to lock Rachel in her high chair. According to CPS I should never take my eyes off of any of my kids. I really don't know how we are supposed to watch all 3 kids at the same time. I mean it's not like they stay in a nice grouping all day long. I find it very absurd that this is what CPS has is focused on. They can't prove SBS (Shaken Baby Syndrome) because their only reason for accusing us of SBS is the fact that the Opthamologist refuses to acknowledge the fact that small pinpoint retinal hemorrhages can occur outside of SBS, a 2 story fall or an auto accident at 35 mph.

The longer this goes on the angier I get. I can't believe that we are all being subjected to this nonsense. I hope and pray that the mandatory supervision is lifted very soon.

On the positive side, all of the kids are great. Sebastian is giggling and laughing. He peed on my mother the other day and giggled the entire time he was doing it. His naughty behavior is easier to catch now a days as he has taken to giggling when he does it. Rachel is learning to fight back. She is no longer the doormat her brothers once encountered. All I can say is that you better not take her toys or her phone because she will chase you down and make you pay. Austin is just smart as a whip. He empathizes with everyone and is an outdoor boy. He's also loving his Pre-school games on the computer. That kid is very computer savvy.

Sebastian will hopefully be discharged from Speech Therapy this Tuesday and will be discharged from Occupational Therapy when we next meet with the OT therapist in early November. Sebastian is doing better with his walking and will hopefully be discharged from Physical Therapy soon.

All in all we are healing. Sebastian continues to heal and make great improvements. Everyday is filled with tiny miracles and glimpses as to what's to come. I think we're going to be alright.