I SO should have written this the day it happened, because I wanted to remember the exact date, but sometime 2 weeks ago - around early March, TJ came up to me, gave me a hug, and said "I love you". This is the first time he has just said it on his own without me telling him that I love him first. Very sweet, and something I want to remember. Matt and I were talking tonight about how TJ is very quick to give hugs to his immediate family, he is very loving when it comes to hugs and kisses, BUT... he does not like to say I love you. It is very rare that he will even say it back to us, so for him to just come up to me and say that was really sweet!!
I think I already wrote about him breaking Matt's external hard drive that had all of his pictures and sermons on it... (I think Matt recovered them all - thanks to Rob!!!) That was also the day that he got out the back door and hid from us for way too long - Matt ended up calling 911 while I was on my way home (driving very quickly). He was in the back yard, and all the gates are locked, and there is no water in the pool - so he was not in any big danger - but it was very scary for us!!
I don't think I have written about the day that he took his diaper off and actually squatted down and aimed for the dog's water bowl and YES - he did pee in it!!! I am thinking that might actually count as a step towards potty training though - lol ;)
We went to AL for spring break (hope to have pics up soon), and he was a showboat and a handful the entire time. He refused to talk to anyone the entire time we were there. He figured out very quickly that if I said "no" he still had a chance with his grandaddy (my dad). It was so funny, he wouldn't talk to him, but he would take him by the hand and lead him to where/what he wanted. My dad kept giving him pennies and change...and as we were loading the car to come home after being there for a week, and TJ not saying hardly anything - he stopped before getting in the car, turned to my dad and said "Thanks for the money". That little stinker!!! I guess at least he said thank you at some point.
He fell in love with my nephew, Dawson. This is cute because Tyler has always loved Dawson. Dawson is Madison's age,12, but he has always been so good at playing with and entertaining Tyler who is 3 1/2 years younger than him. This year he was so good at entertaining and playing with TJ who is 10 years younger than him. One night after taking all the kids to get pizza, we dropped Dawson off at his house, and TJ cried until he fell asleep that night because he didn't want Dawson to go home.
I was very happy to get some pictures of all the kids with my mom, my dad, and my granddad. But I was excited the most about getting pictures of TJ with my granddad. I only had 1 picture of the 2 together, and that was when TJ was a newborn. With TJ getting sick so often, and my granddad being in poor health, it isn't easy to get the 2 together - not to mention we live 9 hours away. It wasn't an easy task getting pictures though! For some reason TJ kept growling at my granddad - lol. My granddad loved it though, and he just growled back ;)
We actually made it the entire week with TJ only breaking one thing - that was a picture frame and happened within the hour before we left - go figure.
His appetite has increased a lot lately, so I am trying to wean him off of some of his pediasure. He has been taking 4 cans a day, but we are down to 1 or 2 a day, and so far his weight is holding pretty steady - he has lost a little bit, so I may have to go back to 2 every day with 3 cans occasionally - but he is doing better with gaining weight and with eating more; so that is good. He has always been a good eater - not picky, but just didn't eat a lot at any given time.
He is still having apneas every night, even with oxygen. We go back to pulmonology in April, will see what he says then. So far it has been that he will have to remain on oxygen until he is old enough to tolerate and wear a CPAP mask/machine.
I do think his seizures have decreased lately. I need to ask his night time nurses if he has had any with them. I am hoping (cautiously hoping) that MAYBE he is outgrowing the seizures!!
