I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We kept it nice and low key, spending the day with family! We are really thankful for so many things; first and foremost our fantastic family! They are always their for us in our fast paced lives. They have come to understand that our day to day routine is not that of the typical household & they really pitch in a helping hand!
We've had a busy fall season! We moved into our new home, a rancher!! We are still getting settled in, oh how quickly you forget what goes into moving. Jackson's room is on the main level which makes life so much easier for him and us. We found him a low profile bed; it looks like a big boy bed but sits low enough to the ground where he can get off and on by himself! He seems to love the independence and picked up the lay of the land much quicker than he has in the past. It must of been meant to be for him! Brendan is also enjoying the house, being close to his friends again and not having to share a bathroom with his brother. :)
Brendan just finished his 8th grade basketball season as one of the Captains! Very proud of him! He is working hard in school & recently received a positive referral :) .. Go Brendan!
On a medical front, Jackson is rocking it! He is on a break from PT, yes those of you who know me, know this was a HUGE step..his PT can attest. She was very patient with us during this transition and left the door open for questions, concerns, etc.. We are forever grateful to Jackson's fabulous therapists! They are always available when we have questions and help to calm my nerves. So, you may be wondering how he is doing after 6 years of PT and his first break - GREAT! His balance has never been better and seems to be improving weekly. He is able to make sudden stops and turns w/ no issues, walk with his socks on on the hardwood & not take spills. :) Unfamiliar environments continue to be challenging but even that is getting better.
He is also making some really nice gains in speech therapy. His therapist is honing in on some very functional language skills.. Jax has a tendency to leave off the last sound of a word so she is using lots of repetition and sound play.. She is also trying to expand his words from 1-2 to 2-3, including some of the connecting words (the, in, on, etc..) It is helping & Jax is working super hard at saying the words. This is when we wished the speed of conversation and the fast pace life moves at, would slow down. When someone asks Jax a question, he fully plans to respond, just takes him longer to recall the word and say it. Sometimes by the time he has the word, the other party has went on their way. We are trying to find a nice way of explaining to people that if they wait a minute, the response will come. :)
I need to start keeping a book of all the funny things this kiddo says. He has the best sense of humor and cracks me up on a daily basis! Especially on Wednesdays, Hump Dayyy! He says it way better than I do. :) We were saying prayers tonight & I included 'thank you for Jax having the ability to make anyone smile' & 'Brendan the kind heart to work in the special needs room at his school' ..He has really developed some nice friendships.. What a gift! Both boys are so special in many different ways!
Here are a few recent pics of the boys!
Our gratitude to all of you for still thinking about our family and keeping Jackson in your prayers. I truly believe he feels all the love and support!! You don't get to where he is without encouragement, strength and a STRONG support system!
Tina
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
