Bass Masters

Justin and his new boyfriend best bud, Matt Green, compete in a fishing tournament on Lake Allatoona every Monday night. Check out the 8 lb bass that landed them in first place and put $500 in each of their pockets this past Monday...



Justin's, of course, crediting his new 'stache for being their good luck charm and is refusing to shave it. He thinks it actually looks good. Don't be jealous ladies. He's mine, all mine. Why in the world does he have a mustache in the first place, you ask? Matt LOVES mustaches! He dressed up as Ron Burgundy for a costume party on Saturday night.


Hope everyone has a fun/safe holiday weekend! We're heading to Pensacola for the next few days! That NEVER gets old!

Look Before You Leap

Reese and I got into a car accident the day before Davis' birthday party. Other than scaring the sh*t out of us and being such a pain to resolve, it was very minor. A teenager backed out of her parking spot as I was driving through the lot of Walgreens...and...CRASH! Right into the passenger side back door. Ignorant little girl. I'm not bitter, though. ;)

Anyway, while at said ignoramus' insurance place to trade my gem in for a piece of 'shampoop', Davis became really concerned about the fact that they drew all over my car. They drew circles around the damages and little notes on the window about specific repairs needing to be completed. You would've thought they set my car on fire with his 'duh' inside. He was so bent out of shape about it. We dropped my car off over a week ago, and he's STILL so bothered by the writing on my car. Everyday, I hear 'Why did they drawed on your car?' or 'This car is better because it doesn't have any words on it.' or 'I think they are going to be in biiiiig trouble for writing on your car.'...

We picked my car back up on Tuesday morning...

Davis (to the guy that helped me transfer everything from the rental to my car): "Thanks for fixing Momma's car."

Dude: "No problem."

Davis (to me as we're driving away): "Why did the 'mechamic' said 'no problem'? It IS a problem because he 'drawed' on your car."

Me: "Let it go, Davis. 'No problem' is the way really cool guys like him say 'you're welcome'. And it's 'drew', not 'drawed'."

I'll never have to worry about that kid taking a marker to ANYTHING that isn't paper.

Say Whaaaaat???

Davis: "What's the name of that killer whale I saw at Sea World? Oh, yeah. Shamu. You know what I like to call him? Shampoo. Shampoo. Insert twangy country accent here. Shampoo. Shampoo."

Me: "Why do you like to call him that?"


Davis: "Because I like to say that word. I like that word. Twang. Shampoo. Ha. Ha. Listen, Momma. Shampoop. SHAMPOOP! Ha. Ha."

Fun Facts And Stats About CP

• An estimated 800,000 people have Cerebral Palsy in the U.S.



• Cerebral Palsy was first known as 'Little's Disease', named after the British surgeon who first identified the disease in the 1860's.



• The estimated average lifetime cost of a person with Cerebral Palsy is $921,000, excluding hospital visits, emergency room visits, residential care, and other out of pocket expenses.



• About 2/3 of people with Cerebral Palsy are also mentally impaired.



• There is no cure for Cerebral Palsy.

Personally...

• Davis was diagnosed at 6 months old when he was still unable to lift his head up while laying on his stomach.



• He has Spastic Diplegia and hypertonia, meaning he has muscle spasms and increased tone in both legs and hips.



• He developed Cerebral Palsy from brain damage caused by hydrocephalus, the build-up of spinal fluid on the ventricles.



• Growth spurts, cold or rainy weather, uneven surfaces, and poor health are some of the things that negatively affect Davis' tone and spasms.



• He's the baddest dude on BOTH sides of the Mason Dixon Line.

Backyard Fun

Justin's been checking Craigslist nonstop for the past year. He's been on a mad hunt for a backyard playground set...one that's in good condition and doesn't cost a bazillion dollars. Thursday morning, he came across one in Canton, headed up there with the dump truck, and unloaded all this in my backyard about 2 hours later...

He had to dig up a portion of our yard to level the ground. And he plans to build a 3-sided wall around it (thus the box standing in the middle of it all) and lay mulch all around and under it.

Its features:

• 3 swings (not yet hung)


• a tire swing


• 2 slides (one on the right still needs to be installed)


• 2-story fort at the top


• picnic table and bench underneath


• Justin's going to make monkey bars for it at some point


• climbing ladder

Mr. Casey and Mr. David were a HUGE help, too!

Probably the most shocking part of all this is the fact that Justin knows how to use the Internet. :)

Holy Holes!

The 'duh' has seen its better days...

Last Comic Standing

Davis' first joke...

"What do monkeys eat for breakfast???"

You're gonna love this...

"Waffles!!!!"

He still has some kinks to work out (i.e. a punchline), but I think he's on to something...

Davis Walking 5 Months Post-Op

I can't believe it's already been 5 months! Time goes by so fast!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Z3TkgXIb8

He's wearing really tall AFO's now that encourage him to bend his ankles and 'heel strike' with every step he takes, instead of dragging his toes.


He also wears his Thera-Tog suit. The suit helps with his balance while each strap (he requires 7) triggers underlying muscles, encouraging them to 'turn on' and work. It's a pain to put on everyday and Davis HATES it, but it really helps.

\

5 years ago, today: I was released from Kennestone. Was able to touch Davis for the first time and got to see him wiggle his fingers and toes some. He was placed on a regular ventilator today and his oxygen level is staying at 21%, room air.

Summer Solstice

June 21, 2011 marks the first 'official' day of summer and longest day of this year. Today, the sun will seemingly 'stand still' as it reaches its northernmost part of the sky and begins to reverse its direction. Crazy to think that the southern part of the world is entering winter right now!

My family and I take at least 2 trips to the beach, every summer. It's something Justin and I look soooo forward to, pretty much all year. Here are some pictures from a few of those vay-cays...

Seacrest Beach, June 2007

Okaloosa Island, June 2008

Fort Walton Beach, June 2009

Okaloosa Island, June 2010

Pensacola Beach, June 2011

A little comparison...

Davis' first beach trip, June 2007

Reese's first beach trip, June 2011

5 years ago, today: Everyone voted and we named Baby Davis Gregory. Justin called down to the NICU and was told that Davis wasn't doing well. Even with the high frequency oscillatory ventilation, his lungs were still failing. As a last resort to save him, he needed to be life-flighted to Scottish Rite to receive a nitric oxide treatment (we would later find out that Davis was the first baby ever to be life-flighted to Scottish Rite for that specific reason). We watched the neonatologist baptize him and were told to prepare for the worst. Davis responded well to the medication as soon as the life-flight team hooked him up to the helicopter incubator. We were given his blanket and hat. I was unable to be discharged from Kennestone, so Justin and Dad headed to Scottish Rite while I stayed behind.

Happy 5th Birthday, Wooder!

Does anyone even look at this thing anymore? If so, thanks for the dedication!

Today marks Davis' 5th birthday and I think there's no better time than now to revive this thing!



When Davis was born, Justin and I had no idea what the next few months would have in store for us. I was encouraged by my wonderful mother-in-law, Denise, to document my experience and it's probably the best advice she's ever given me because, without it, I know I wouldn't remember much from those 16 weeks Davis spent in the NICU. I LOVE looking back on it and remembering, in detail, that crazy, stressful time in our lives. And while I won't divulge all of the mushy, personal stuff, I thought it would be nice to share my entries as each day, 5 years later, passes. Hope you enjoy...

June 19, 2006: 30 weeks gestation. I left work early, due to a thumb bleed (ha! any excuse to get out of there!). Took a nap and woke up around 7pm. Had lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. Even though mom gave me an ultrasound at her work and everything seemed fine, I still went to the hospital around 10pm because the contractions didn't go away. Nurses and midwife hooked me up to monitors and Baby's heart rate dropped. Rushed to prepare me for emergency c-section (IV started, steroid shot for baby's lungs (probably one of the worst pains I've ever had in my life), consent forms, etc). I wasn't dilated and Baby stabilized so Justin, mom, and I went to an overnight room. The contractions turned into extreme pain. I started vomiting and bleeding. Doctor said surgery could no longer be avoided. I was put under anesthesia since we couldn't even wait for the epidural to take effect. Baby was born at 5:09am on June 20, 2006. He weighed 2 lbs, 9 oz. and was 15 in. long. Baby was sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

June 20, 2006: Family, friends, and flowers poured in. I was on morphine and don't remember much from today. I went to see Baby, but was sick and weak and couldn't stay long.

IEP and Easter Egg Hunt

Davis' annual IEP meeting was this past Monday. If you aren't familiar with an IEP, it's basically an instruction manual (technical term) specific to each special needs child. His or her therapists, teachers, and parents sit around and decide on goals to set for the child in the upcoming year and special requirements needed to help him or her thrive in the school environment. I left the meeting feeling pretty good. IEP Meetings can be extremely stressful for parents. For me, it's another reminder that I have a kid that will always be 'different' and I will forever be a part of and exposed to this stuff. Stuff that I'd never know anything about without Davis. I'm better because of him. I'm smarter because of him. I'm lucky because of him. BUT...I stress about whether or not I advocated for him as well as I should have. Overall, I have so much more to think about than your every day, normal child's parent. Above sending my kid to a school with the newest equipment, the nicest classrooms, the best teachers, the highest academic scores, etc., I have to worry about whether or not he can physically get around and if his teacher is going to have a freakin' clue how to 'deal with' a special needs child. Thanks to his rights and mine as a parent, those 'kinks' will hopefully get worked out. If enforced properly, an IEP can be a wonderful program to have in place! It helps give kids like Davis the opportunity to excel and learn as much and as well as their 'normal developing' peers.

Now let's get really deep here...

Davis had his Easter Egg Hunt at school, today...

And one at G.G.'s on Sunday...

13 Weeks Post-Op And Returning Home

As you can see, from the '13 Weeks Post-Op' video, the two weeks we spent at CECO helped Davis become so much stronger. If you watch the '9 Weeks Post-Op' video, he could barely take 5 steps before his legs grew tired. We still have a lot of 'kinks' to work out, but we're definitely getting there!

Balancing on a wobbly trampoline (something he couldn't do 2 weeks ago)...

The Executive Director at CECO fell madly in love with Davis when they realized they have a common interest...Monster Trucks. When Davis asked her his generic question, "What's your favorite monster truck?" and she actually had a response, they became besties. Her boyfriend, 'Toyota James', is a real, live Monster Truck driver! She gave Davis a DVD full of truck competitions, a Grave Digger remote control toy, and cried her eyes out when we left on Friday!

We spent our last afternoon in Orlando with my girlies at the pool. They were all down for Mandy's Bachelorette Party. Davis entertained them with his amazing dance moves (Stacy...you HAVE to post the video) and Reese was her usual gorgeous self.

The drive home from Orlando...alone...with an extremely energetic and chatty 4 and 1/2 year old...and an extremely hungry and teething 6 and 1/2 month old...went surprisingly well. I made it home a little over 6 hours! I was on a serious mission!

Justin welcomed us home with these pretties...

...AND a clean house! AND an empty laundry basket! AND a bottle of wine! SO GLAD TO BE HOME!!!

Gotta have a Boogie pic...

CECO Renovations

As the result of changes in building codes, CECO was almost shut down since it didn't meet the new requirements. A handful of local businesses and organizations stepped up to volunteer their time and man power and donate money (over $100,000) needed to knock down and expand the entire back side of the building, install exit doors in every classroom, lay down a sidewalk (yes, this special needs school didn't have a sidewalk!), and repave the parking lot. Yesterday was their first day back in the building and the place looks amazing now! For the first week of therapy, classes were temporarily held at a nearby church preschool.

I don't have any pictures to share of what it looked like before, but here are some post renovation shots...

These hallways, which lead to the classrooms, are now double their original widths...

The lobby is also double in size...

Classrooms...

And the new sidewalk...

One of CECO's volunteers, who works for a local news station, filmed the 'after' portion of a documentary he's putting together to give this wonderful story some much deserved exposure.

Florida Weekend and Sentiment

Our weekend here in Orlando was spent doing things us Georgians won’t get to enjoy until, like, May...sunburns and swimming pools...IT’S SO STINKIN’ HOT HERE!

We drove to Tampa on Saturday and hung out at my girlfriend, Michelle’s, pool. I managed to stay completely out of the sun, protecting Reese, all day…somehow, though, my upper back is fried turkey. Bummer.

My dad flew in to Orlando for work on Sunday and we met him at the Gaylord Palms to hang out by the pool. This hotel was so awesome. They have an alligator and turtle filled pond winding through the whole place and a really neat family pool area with an octopus water slide! Davis had so much fun!

I took the kids to the Orlando Science Center on Friday night. Davis had so much fun in their Curious George Exhibit.

Boogs Update…I can’t believe Baby Sister is going to be 7 months old soon. I get so emotional thinking about the fact that this part of our life is almost behind us. I’m definitely excited for the ‘raising kids’ chapter we’re headed towards, but there’s NOTHING like having a baby around. Justin and I are so obsessed with her right now. It’s like we’re both clinging to every fleeting stage she enters. She just figured out how to move forward in her walker and I know we only have a few more months before she’s running around the house, trying to keep up with Brother. I just want to freeze time and enjoy her baby-ness for a little while longer…all the la la la da da da’s, the lone tooth poking through her gums, the 2 inch long hairs sticking straight up on her head…I’m so not ready to lose all that. And…scene.

And don’t even get me started on the fact that I’m about to have a kid in elementary school.