Week in pictures

I have to believe at some point our life will slow down. But for the time being I don't see that happening. I sold clothes and other baby stuff at the Twin's Club sale Friday and Sat. Eric was an excellent Mr. Mom for 24 hours. Both boys are sick with colds, and when Cole is sick he is a bear. No sleep last night, and it isn't looking good so far tonight. We are suppose to do the Walk for Babies 3 mile walk tomorrow morning in downtown Indy. But the forecast is calling for rain and we are not taking two sick boys out into the rain. It is very disappointing because we look forward to walking all year long...but we are also exhausted and the rain/colds give us an excellent excuse to stay in bed a little longer in the morning. Here is a recap of this week in pictures.

Cole: Friday at school in the taos. MUCH happier.

Gavin diggin' in the dirt at TherAplay.

Cole and all his lady friends (including Tiger the horse) at TherAplay.

Gavin presents Old McDonald on keyboard.

Getting the TAOS

Today was the big day. Cole got the long awaited TAOS walker. He was less than thrilled to receive this new edition. We are hoping with time that he will begin to enjoy being upright and start to explore his world on his own.

Once again it makes me realize all the things in life that I take for granted. How lucky am I that I can walk? That I can take out the trash, and walk the dog, and go to the bathroom all on my own. How lucky am I that I have Cole in my life and he can teach me to appreciate every single step in life.

End of construction

Everyone has been working so hard to get the pool ready. The boys have had lots of fun watching the trucks and are sad that it is all over.

Gavin got the opportunity to drive the "Bobtruck" with Dave our landscaper. He thought that was really cool, but didn't care for all the dust and dirt in his eyes.

And here is the final product. It turned out better than any of us could have dreamed. We've made it very accessible for Cole. The sidewalk slopes to the pool with no stairs. He even has his own water jet that sits 4 feet back from the side of the pool, that he loves to stick his hands and head into. April has been so nice that we have been in the water a couple times already. Looking forward to a long and hot summer!

April in Indiana

Gavin has been incredibly busy being 2. He is non-stop motion. Exploring, exploring, exploring. With spring finally here we've really been enjoying our time at TherAplay. While Cole rides, Gavin and I feed the horses and walk the grounds. It is a wonderful farm.

Gavin getting a kiss from his new buddy.

He is also busy learning colors, numbers, shapes and letters. Here is a video of Gavin preparing for his upcoming visit with Papa and their discussion of the current economy.

Cole continues to do great. He is really starting to explore his world. I found him the other day sleeping on his tummy, crammed into the small end of his crib and completely happy. A first for sure.

Do you believe in Miracles?

We have returned home from an extremely successful trip to see Dr. Nuzzo. If I hadn't seen it first hand I would not believe it. What Dr. Nuzzo does is truly a miracle. Here is our story.

We arrived in New Jersey on Sunday. Cole did great on the airplane. No fussing, nothing. Loved taking off and the noises, and he fell asleep 10 minutes into the flight.

Monday we met with my friend Aimee and her son Jeff. Jeff also has CP and Aimee and I met online in a preemie support group. Jeff had the same surgery last June and they just happen to live in New Jersey. It was great to see the boys roll around on the floor together and Aimee could not say enough good things about Percs. and Dr. Nuzzo.

Later in the day we met with Dr. Nuzzo and discussed what to do. He decided to only do Percs. on Cole's hamstrings, forgoing the gastroc and adductors believing his range of motion was good in those areas. So no casts! He also decided to do alcohol blocks on Cole's pectoral and adductor muscles.

Tuesday we arrived at the hospital at 5:30am. Got checked in for 7:30 surgery. I loved Cole's Tiffany box colored gown. It is a good color on him. Don't you think?
We then met with Dr. Nuzzo and got ready to go. They let me walk Cole into the operating room and be with him until he was out. Cole was a champ in surgery. Surgery lasted less than an hour and then I sat with him in the recovery room from 8:30 to 12:00 while Cole napped and tried to wake up. They were great and didn't rush us out until Cole was ready. Every person we encountered on our trip was fantastic. Very friendly, and helpful. Loved our trip to NJ.

So this is the brave patient. He has immobilizers on his knees to keep him from curling up into the fetal position. He wore them for the first 24 hours and then just has to ware them at night until he breaks that sleeping habit. He has a tiny incision on the back of both knees and those are bruised. Both NOTHING else. He does not seem to be in any real pain.
So here is where the miracle comes in. Today we fly home and take off his little braces in the Detroit airport and let him roll around on the floor. Immediately he starts to explore and roll side to side. Grabbing at my jacket and zippers and really trying to roll to his tummy. He gets to his tummy and presses up on his elbows. Smiling the whole time. Talking, talking, talking. His speech is exploding. He went from one syllable words to repeating sentences. I was messing with him and asked him is he wanted me to get out of his face and he repeated "get out of my face". It was awesome.

I can't wait to see what he does tomorrow! If this is all the change we see in Cole, that alone will be worth the time and cost of going to NJ. I am so proud of him.

Heading to New Jersey

Tomorrow is the big day. Easter, of course, but also Cole, Mom and I are heading to New Jersey for Percs surgery. We have been talking about this day for a year now and just pray that it brings some positive changes to Cole's life. We see the doctor on Monday for a consultation. Surgery is Tuesday morning. Outpatient. And then we return home on Wednesday. Cole will have casts on his legs from below the knees down for 4 weeks. Eric is staying home with Gavin. Please keep Cole in your thoughts and prayers. And pray for patience from the other passengers on our flight. The Coley-Man is very unpredictable.