Smart & growing boys..

I had to post the following stories because they are so heartfelt to me in many different ways.

Like a lot of 8 year old children, Jax likes to lay in our bed at night and sometimes if we fall asleep too, he gets to sleep in there. (No complaints as I love to snuggle with him.) So.. a few weeks ago, Jax was trying to sneak into our bed & asked Eric "I sleep dad bed" .. Eric told him not tonight.. a few minutes later Jax asked to get down, Eric assumed he was going to go to bed but after he got down, he found our throw pillow on the floor, scooted his little butt up there, grabbed a nearby blanket and said "night night floor." Of course I was so proud of him for doing his own problem solving but also deep down for displaying such "typical" behavior. Eric and I both remember Brendan coming into our room with a handful of blankets to make a pallet on our floor. It was just very heartwarming and sweet all around. Jax is really coming into his own and attempting to solve problems w/ no influence from those around him. :)

Another sweet story (I'm just full of them tonight) - Jax was asked to be the honorary ball boy for the high school basketball team and was told Brendan could assist him, as he is much cooler than his mom. :) I was a bit nervous at first having Jax on the hardwood floor courts (in case of a fall) combined with all the noise & commotion that comes with a good game. BUT, his very awesome big brother took great care of him!! Brendan introduced Jax to the coaches, players and managers who were ALL very kind to Jax. It was a very proud moment for us; seeing Brendan protect and care for his brother amongst his typical crowd, it was very special. Love these boys!
Big thanks to our PT who helped make this possible and her sweet son that helped out too, THEY ROCK!

A situation that happened just today made me really reflect on where we are now and where we have been.. I think these situations are meant to do that and put in our path for a reason. Jax had a vision appt., as we were leaving the office a lady was chasing us down the hall.. I figured I had forgotten Jackson's water bottle, doc report, etc.. (as that happens more often than not) .. The lady instead asked if she could please say a prayer for us. She said she hadn't done this before but felt compelled to pray with us. She said she understood if we were not comfortable with it .. I told her we would love for her to say a prayer for us, it was less than 30 seconds and extremely heartfelt. She went on to say how beautiful Jackson is and the grace she hopes for us. It really took me back to a time when I paid attention to the people staring at us at restaurants, swimming pools, the mall, etc.. and how it would bother me so bad and bring out the "feisty" side of mom. BUT, today my first thought was not that she is approaching because of our "situation" because really our situation is "normal" to us & we don't let the looks bother us anymore .. that my friends, means we are growing in our journey (thanks my good friend, she knows who she is, for your listening and understanding) I was also very open to her prayer and knew it was coming from a good place!

We visited 2 high school 8th grade orientation nights last week & boy was it an experience! My baby is growing up and will be in high school next year! It is definitely an exciting time but also a little scary :/  Brendan seems more than ready for this next chapter in his life.. and in turn so are we (with a bit more anxiety!)

Jackson's IEP is tomorrow! Wish me luck, they can be very productive but also emotionally draining. We are blessed that he has such a great school team who all work together for the greater good of our little guy! Regardless of the warm and fuzzy feelings we get at times, we still have to be on our toes and doing some of our very best advocating for Jackson's needs!

We are grateful to those of you that continue to read our blog and send your support! It really means a lot to us, more than I can say!

P.S. For those that read the last update, we did get xrays of Jackson's pelvis and back. Good news, the pelvis is unchanged which in the world of hip xrays, is a good thing! The back, however wasn't so lucky, the degree of his curvature has increased some. The doctor isn't overly concerned but it is something we will need to keep a close eye on. The PT is going to show us some nightly exercises to help maintain the back muscle strength. She continues to be a fantastic resource for our family!

Tina

Dogs and thoughts..

One of Jackson's favorite nights of the week is when we go to puppy class! He is on the waiting list for a service dog and part of the process is being able to attend basic training classes. It is a nice chance for us to get to see what goes into the training and for Jackson to get used to the 'key' words that are used with all the dogs. I'm very intrigued by the entire process & inspired by the volunteer families training the dogs! We will need to be very patient as it will probably be awhile before Jackson actually gets "his" dog. We know it is worth the wait but so hard when you are this excited! :) Jackson was able to walk around with one of the dogs (not the one he will get) that is currently trained as a mobility dog. He was smiling ear to ear and kept telling me "no help", it was so amazing to see how a service dog is going to open so many doors for him! 

  
We've come to the time in our journey when you start seeing people stare, for whatever reason, and continue to ignore it. I wonder as I think of those with disabilities, do people see past the disability and get to know the person? Their is someone under the walker, wheelchair, speech impediment, awkward gait, etc.. that is funny, kind, smart and perceptive of the world around them. I just wish more people would get the chance to get to know these wonderful souls that we tend to group our 'uncomfortable' folders, more so because we just don't know how to act.. it all comes down to just being yourself and acceptance of those who are 'different'. People with disabilities didn't do anything 'wrong' to be where they are today, they are just like you and I with the same heart and tendency to be accepted by society. Please take this part of the post as a "this is what happens..", not by any means a judgment on anyone!

Jackson's poor left leg is starting to bother him! It could be a variety of reasons, anything from ultra tight hamstring, knee/hip issues or spine. He is getting a series of back/hip xrays this week, hopefully everything will look okay. We have also been doing more stretches throughout the day to see if that will help. He puts a lot of pressure & weight through that leg since it is his stronger one. We are so proud of him for all his walking but pray it isn't creating any "new" issues! 

The boys have enjoyed spending time with both set of grandparents but they all leave this week to enjoy warm weather places. :) We pray that they have safe travels! Jackson would rather be with his grandparents than do much anything else! We are grateful for all their help! Mimi Debbie celebrated her birthday yesterday, Happy Birthday to the best mom a girl could ask for! I love you so much!

Time to prepare for the week! Thanks for standing by us during this journey! Your positive words and encouragement keep us moving forward. :)

Unfortunate that the Broncos took such a crushing loss today.. hope to see Manning back next year!

With love,
Tina