Wednesday, July 16, 2014

No More "Babies" in the House

Russell is officially a toddler today. It is his 1st birthday!! Time Flies!

When I put him to bed last night, I told Josh to give him love and that tomorrow he wouldn't be a baby anymore. Josh's response was- Wow! His birthday is such a happy and sad day. Josh was referring to Russell being sent to the NICU and our journey with pneumothorax's, breaths per minute, and d-sat's. He has come such a long way. First of all, he is huge. He eats and eats and is so active. He loves to climb, babble, and follow the big kids. He has developed a sweet personality. He has learned to shake his head back and forth to respond. So far, he only knows the direction of no. He is off of the bottle and loves a huge sippy cup of milk. He is our completer... He made us a family of 5. Complete- we are complete.

I always ask Josh how he is feeling. I also let him know that others ask me about him because they don't want to bother him. He is always so taken back by this. Why don't people just ask me? is always his response. He said something to me that really makes sense. One night while relaxing on the deck... Josh to me- You know, Lori, (He is always serious when he uses my real name and not my nickname...) just because I was given the official diagnosis doesn't mean I automatically started feeling bad and have issues everyday.
When I started this blog, I thought I would have more updates and news about Josh's MS. Turns out, I really don't. Oh, I am so thankful for this. Yes, he has his quirks and to be honest, we are not sure if some of these are from MS or just from aging. For example, his right foot bothers him a little. In the morning and night, it is crampy. Is it major? Nope. Just a quirk. Does it happen all of the time? Nope. Just occasionally. I usually  rub his foot and it helps. Is it my favorite thing to do? Nope. Men's feet are not my thing. It is just something I can do to help.
Josh also told me that for the past few weeks, he really hasn't thought about MS. For once, he said, it hasn't consumed him. Hallelujah! I think this is one of the best and biggest hurdles I think he has jumped. Sure, it is on his mind, but I think he is coming to terms and dealing with it in better ways.

I am off to shop for our family birthday party for Russell! Anabelle has decided he needs an Elmo party. Really, it is mainly for Jack and Anabelle. Russell has no clue. He is just going to get his favorite... spaghetti and a big fat cake to smash!!