Hopefully the last

On the first day of summer last year Camden broke his arm. He jumped off a swing at his Nanna's house 600 miles away. After 2 surgeries Camden had a plate and screws put in. A year later it was time to take the hardware out.

I was happy to see Froggy made it to the surgery. Sadly Froggy has been left behind these days. This time around Camden wasn't as nervous. Maybe because he was able to play Minecraft until the sleepy medication hit.

We woke up at 4:30 AM so waiting in the recovery room was even more torture! I was worried about bringing Ailyn with us. She can be very naughty in public. But, she was an angel! I think she was worried about Camden. She kept asking where he was. 

The surgery took a hour. We were able to go in and see him 30 minutes later. He did well waking up. They gave him a "nerve block", a shot that would made his arm numb for 12 hours. 

Ailyn was so happy to Camden! And, even barely awake, Camden cringed at the thought of a kiss from his little sister. 

The doctor gave Camden his hardware. It was a lot smaller than we had imagined. It was pretty cool to see it. He proudly will show it off to anyone who will look.  

Froggy was by his side the entire day. He was still pretty loopy most of the day. Aaron and I had to go to Ailyn's IEP metting that was not able to be changed. A huge thanks to Heather and Carter for coming over and watching the nuggets.

It was a quiet day with Camden laying down all day!!!

"The best part of having surgery is getting to stay home from school"- Camden

Our good friend Connor came over for a sleepover. They love to sit and play Legos or Minecraft for hours. I had been having a hard time keeping Camden still the second day. I caught him surfing the stairs with a boogie board. He was giving me a heart attack every time I turned around. I would threaten him that I was going to take him to the hospital for a cast. His doctor was VERY strict about keeping calm. A simple push up could break the bone again. The screw holes in the bone have to close. It takes a full 6 weeks to fully heal.

6 days later...................

I get a call from the school nurse. Camden was out at recess and fell playing SOCCER. His teacher told me she had warned him 5 minutes before. Of course he fell on his arm. So off to the ER we went.

THANKFULLY, he did not re-break it! The brace had saved him. It's going to be a long long six weeks. There is no keeping him down. He had an appointment with his doctor today and he again was very strict. And, maybe he will listen this time......

Another HUGE thank you to our friend, Lynn!! I had all 4 kids when I got the call from the nurse. Aaron was busy at work. Lynn came over right away. Thanks Lynn! OXOXOX

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You're 4!

You are no longer a toddler. You are officially a big girl. I'm glad you still let me call you "baby" because " my baby" is what you'll always be. 

Every year you amaze me with how hard you work to overcome your struggles. In this past year you have learned to walk independently without your walker, learned many new signs, have started making great progress in your speech and have started to play with your peers. 

There is not a day that goes by that I don't look at you and think what a miracle you are. Your stubbornness (and, boy are you stubborn) keeps you fighting for your goals daily. 

Your go to school 5 days a week. You have great teachers and an aide who helps you with all the things you need help doing.  The teachers say you walk down the halls like you are a queen. You expect everyone to stop and say hello. You wave to everyone. Mommy was so proud to see you taking steps in your classroom. I watched as you played "London Bridge" with your friends. At the end of every school day, you see my car pull up and run with your walker to me. You have the biggest smile on your face. 

You're a Mommy's girl. When your not in school you are never more than 2 feet away. If I walk out of your sight you yell "MaaaaMaaaa" very loud. My favorite time with you is when we sit on the chair together. You sit on my lap and watch your favorite channel, Baby First. You look up at me and try to talk to me. Most times I understand everything you say. At bedtime you lay on top of me and demand me to play with your hair, scratch your back or arms. You have to sleep on me all night long. If I move you, you will find your way back shortly. I don't mind it one bit. 

You love your Daddy! He takes you to work on Saturday mornings. You always return telling me that I was sleeping when you left. Your favorite thing to do with Daddy is read books. You two get very silly together. You love when he throws you up in the air and spins you around. You can do this forever! 

Your relationship with Camden has its good days and bad. Mostly bad. You still like to pull his hair, throw his Legos, scratch him and do things you know he will get very mad at you for. But, you try. I can tell you have a lot of love for him. If he hugs or kisses you, your face lights up. Camden recently had surgery on his arm. You asked 345 times where he was while we waited for him. I think you knew what surgery was like and were very concerned. You were so happy to see him  in the recovery room. Those good days make me very happy. The bad days, I can do without.

You call our puppy "Ga Ga". You make sure to say goodbye to him every time we leave the house. We are trying to train Cash to walk up the steps with you. You hold on to his collar and he slowly walks up with you. I have to hold on because if Cash gets distracted he will forget what he's doing and run. I think you two will be the best of friends.

Your favorite thing to play is babies. You swaddle them, put them in the car seat, walk them around the house. I love to sit and watch you play. You are so gentle and loving.  Your Ipad is another favorite. You learned how to use it very quickly. It's amazing seeing what you know through all your apps. You're learning letter sounds, numbers and shapes. The other day you impressed Daddy and Mommy playing the game "Memory" on one of your apps. Your memory was amazing and you got matches so fast!!! 

I wish I could leave out your behavior. But, its a huge part of who you are.  Ailyn Rose! You are the naughtiest little girl I have ever known. If you see a cup filled of anything, you don't think, you will throw that cup so fast. Nothing can be in your reach. You will destroy anything. I have to be 10 steps ahead of you at all times. You love to get into trouble. I have to laugh it off because its all day everyday. Thankfully, you are cute and sometimes very sweet. But, never trust you. 

I can't wait to see what this year brings for you. Each day you amaze us with something new. The hard work you put into all your therapies should be a lesson for all. Even though some days are tough, you work harder than any kid I know. I never hear you complain.

  Mommy, Daddy,Camden and GaGa loves you so very much! Keep fighting baby, we are all cheering you on! 

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March Of Dimes walk 2013

 This was our third year walking for the March Of Dimes. I would like say say a HUGE HUGE thank you to all of you for helping us raise $1,170!!  Our Strawberry's Patch team came in number 9 in the county! We appreciate all your love and support each year! Thank You!

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