Catch-Up! {December 2012}

We've had a pretty busy couple of months with December being just down-right insane! So, rather than bore you with my babble, why don't you just take a look at what we did.

Team Santa all the way!

We had some family pics taken by Ten Feet Photo. Here are a couple of our favorites:

We went to see Santa Claus in Canandaigua:

Afterwards, we went to Aunt Denise and Aunt Amanda's house for a Gingerbread House Party. Good times!

Jackson also got to "test drive" a mobile stander for a week, which he loved! Here's a pic, but go check out the post I wrote about it here:

We made Jackson's therapists a Christmas gift. More details can be found here.

We baked some cookies:

Jackson has finally outgrown his first pair of AFOs so we are in the process of getting him some new ones. First step was a fitting. It was right around the end of January last year that he got fitted for his first pair and this time the only difference for the fitting was that we went to Hanger Orthotics to get it done instead of coming to the house. So go check out this post if you want a little reminder of how it's done. We go back to Hanger and this Friday to pick up the new AFOs. We decided to stick with the same color and style that he has now - black with flames!

We also ordered some new lenses for his glasses. He had been using them as teethers and they were scratched to all get out. Luckily our insurance covers unlimited replacements for lenses and glasses - good to know! Jackson also had an appointment with his ophthalmologist, Dr. Markowitz, this month. It was just a follow-up to monitor his eyesight and make sure the glasses were doing their job. There have been no changes in his prescription since his last appointment but Dr. Markowitz did stress the importance of getting him to wear them all the time. Right, getting a toddler to wear his glasses all the time - good luck with that! He had actually gotten better about wearing them up until these past couple of weeks which was right around the time we picked up the new lenses. He also got some new nose pads for his frames so he might just need to re-adjust to them again. But, we'll keep trying. I know he can see the difference between wearing them and not wearing them so one of these days it will just click that life will be better if he just leaves them on. At least that's what I keep telling myself. :)

What else did we do in December? Hmmmm, oh yeah....we ate lots of graham crackers and watched lots of Christmas movies.

And then there's Christmas, which deserves it's own post. So go check out more details, here.

Christmas Day also marked the first time that Jackson really got to play outside in the snow - ever! I think that deserves it's own post too because there are a ton of cute pictures and videos to look at. So in the meantime, enjoy the pic below and go here to see more.

We hung out at home during the big snow storm of December. Well, Jackson and I did. Jason was out plowing ;)

Lots of snow out on our deck!

There's a picnic table under there somewhere!

The rest of December was spent lounging around and playing with all our new toys!

So, as you can see it was a crazy, busy but awesome month!

Read More 0 Comments | Posted By Robin

Catch-Up! {South Carolina Bound}

We went to South Carolina for a few days right after Thanksgiving. I wish I could say it was for fun but sadly it was not. Jason's Great Uncle Paul passed away right before Thanksgiving after a battle with leukemia. Both Jason and his parents expressed their desire to attend the funeral and neither Jackson or I had ever met Uncle Paul or Aunt Marie or anyone else from that side of the family. So, we all decided to drive down together to attend the services.

Uncle Paul

We left in the wee hours of the morning the Friday after Thanksgiving and were back home EARLY Monday morning (or very late Sunday night - however you want to look at it). It took us 15 hours to get down there and a little over 17 to get back. We stopped for dinner on the way back and encountered huge traffic jams due to accidents and the post-Thanksgiving travel. Jason drove most of the time but we each took a little turn here or there. We took my car so it was a little cramped but not too bad. At least it wasn't in the front seat. I'm not sure that Ken or Pam would say the same sitting in back with Jackson. ;) I packed more than enough to keep Jackson occupied and happy for the ride - DVD player, toys, books, food, etc. We did stop about once a state for a leg stretch and diaper change. He did great! And it really helped that Grandma and Grandpa were in the back seat with him to keep him company.

We got to Walterboro, SC in time to check into a hotel and for Pam and Ken to attend calling hours. Jackson, Jason and I decided to stay back at the hotel so Jackson could get some dinner and chill in the hotel room. Which meant rolling all over the room. Uncle Paul's family was so surprised that we were able to make it down there. We hadn't told them we were coming.

Saturday was the funeral service. Jackson didn't want anything to do with a Southern Baptist service. We tried it, but as soon as the choir started their first hymn he was screaming. It was too loud for him. In an effort to not further disrupt the service, he and I went outside and hung out in the side yard. After the service we went to the cemetery where Uncle Paul received a military burial. Jackson and I stayed in the car as we anticipated the gun salute would not go well either.

After a nap back at the hotel, we met Jason's parents over at Aunt Marie's house and spent some time with the family. It was great to meet everyone and get to know them a little more. Jackson was loving the attention! It would've been nicer to have met them under better circumstances but we are very glad that we were able to make the trip.

Here are some pictures from the trip.

The boys all sleeping. Ken slept most of the way down and back. Lucky dog!

Jax hanging out with Boppy at the hotel enjoying the nice weather.

Beautiful Blue Eyes

Tree at the cemetery

Jason and Ken at the cemetery

Ken and Pam with Uncle Paul's flag and plaque.

All of us with Aunt Marie

At T.G.I.Fridays in PA scooping out the drink menu.

Rest in peace Uncle Paul. I'm sorry that Jackson and I were never able to meet you in person but from all the stories I had heard that weekend I feel like we did know you. And many thanks to our SC family for the hospitality. I hope it's not long before we see you all again.

Read More 0 Comments | Posted By Robin

Catch-Up! {Halloween 2012}

So, I just realized that I teased you with a sneak peak of Jax's costume but never showed you the finished product. I know that most of you that read this blog are friends with me on Facebook, so you already know that he was a pirate with his very own pirate ship. But, I felt that it deserved a blog post as well ;) That, and we'd gotten a lot of praise for it and I wanted to make sure that we gave proper credit for the idea to the website I found it on. (And no, this time it wasn't Pinterest!).

Jackson at the Genesee Country Village and Museum's Halloween Fest - It was too rainy that day for the pirate ship, but the Lil' Buccaneer still had fun watching his cousins play.

In the months leading up to Halloween there had been several posts in the various Spina Bifida Facebook groups that I am a member of with ideas for wheelchair costumes. Which got me thinking....Jax was in a stroller the whole time last year and this year was going to be no different. So, why not try to incorporate the stroller into the costume. And in comes Google!

A quick search produced several results, but ultimately we decided on a pirate ship. We used The French Tulip's blog for inspiration. A little cardboard, duct tape and some accessories and voila! Okay, it took a while and there were four of us working on it (Jason and I on the ship, my parents on the treasure chest and a combined mast effort) but I think it turned out pretty good. I found the pirate costume at The Christmas Tree Shop for $10 - score!!! Also, a special thanks to my co-worker Alyssa for letting me borrow some of her Mom's pirate accessories.

Jax had several Halloween functions to attend and each time the ship was a little different. Adjustments and modifications were made, things were added (cannons!!!). It held up pretty well and we're going to put it in his room and use it for stuffed animal storage.

Here are some pics from the various festivities:

Version #1 at the Wegmans Harvest Party

Version #2 at my work's Halloween party (new mast)

The loot Jackson scored from my work. That is the BEST place to go trick-or-treating. An entire cubicle farm full of candy (and good candy at that)!

The cupcakes I made for work. Just wanted to throw them in there for all to see. :)

Final version (cannons added)

I can't speak for everyone else, but I think we all had fun working on this. I can't wait for next year. I already have some ideas floating around in my head. It's never to early to start planning, right? ;)

Special thanks again to The French Tulip for the inspiration and directions!

Read More 0 Comments | Posted By Robin

It's January 7th.....

Unless you have a birthday today, not many people take special note of January 7th. It's just another day to most. Well, today is not my birthday, but January 7th has special meaning to me. January 7th, 2011 was the day we found out that Jackson has Spina Bifida. I described that day in a recent post back in October. Go check it out here if you don't remember.

It's been two years since the diagnosis and I can honestly say that this is not how I pictured our life to be. From the moment we heard the diagnosis until some time after he was born, I envisioned my life to be full of surgeries, doctor's appointments, catheters, enemas, paralysis, therapists, procedures, sickness, severe developmental delays, hardship and all of the other worst case scenarios that the doctors were required to inform us about. And that is simply not the case.

Now, don't get me wrong - it hasn't been all puppies and sunshine. Jackson has had two surgeries both of which were in the first month of his life. We have our fair share of doctor's appointments, ultrasounds, x-rays and procedures. Jackson works with three therapists for a total of five visits a week. He is developmentally delayed. He doesn't walk, yet. There are days where I feel like I've failed as a parent. To see other children his age running around or speaking full sentences or just doing what a "normal" toddler does sometimes makes me feel inadequate. I spend more time arguing with the insurance company over billing than I ever used to. I do things like research the Early Intervention annual budget or what mobile stander has better reviews or how to make our home more wheelchair-accessible. These are things that I never thought I would have to do when I thought about raising a child. But in the grand scheme of things, we consider ourselves blessed. There are other children/families out there who are dealing with far worse be it either from Spina Bifida or something else.

Jackson is a healthy, 19 month old toddler with a laid-back personality. He's rarely sick. He sleeps through the night. He doesn't need to be cathed at this time. He hasn't had any issues with his shunt (knock on wood and praise the Lord!). He is a happy-go-lucky munchkin who has spoiled us completely. We have a wonderful support system of family, friends and medical professionals that help make the day-to-day things so much easier. We can't imagine doing this without all of you. :)

Jason and I have often spoke about how we were meant to have a child with special needs. Whether it is to help raise awareness about Spina Bifida, to show people that raising a child with special needs can be a blessing in disguise, to advocate for a better Early Intervention program, to fight the fight against insurance, the school system or any other program that should be helping children but are not performing to the best of their ability....the list goes on and on. But, no matter the reason God had, we will do our best to live up to the expectations.

So, while for me this used to be a day of mourning for me so to speak, it's not anymore. It's a day in addition to Jackson's birthday to remind me of what a blessing he is and how lucky we are to have him in our lives.

I mean really, how could you not love a face like this? ;)

Photo by Ten Feet Photo

Read More 0 Comments | Posted By Robin

My 2013 Bucket List

Happy New Year!!

Source: Crosscards.com

It's that time of year again. Time to make lofty resolutions that get broken within the month of January. At least that's how it always works for me. So this year, I've decided to break it down a little differently. My strategy - I'm not going to call it my list of resolutions. I'm going to call it my 2013 Bucket List. I think it makes it sounds so much more fun, don't you? ;)

My bucket list for 2013 has 13 items. Get it, 13 things to do before 2013 kicks the bucket? I know, super clever. And without further ado, here's my list

Go on 13 dates with my husband. And I'm not talking about 13 dinner and a movie dates (although I wouldn't mind seeing Les Misérables. I want to change it up a bit. We need to spend more time together as a couple. So, be warned grandparents - I see some additional babysitting in your future! I'm sure you won't mind though, right? ;)
Read 13 books. I tried really hard to not download the Kindle app onto my phone, but finally relented. And I'm so happy that I did. Combine that app with the massive amount of books that I already own but have never read and I don't think that I'll have any problem knocking this one off of my bucket list.
Try 13 new recipes. I feel like I'm in a food rut. I make the same things, over and over and over again. I want to be adventurous and try some new foods. I'm pretty sure as long as it doesn't come out of the ocean Jason will be up for this.
Complete 13 Pinterest projects. I pin. A LOT. When I'm bored, I pin stuff on Pinterest. When I'm downstairs loading the woodstove and waiting for the temp to pick up, I pin stuff. I'm a Pinterest addict. I have tons of crafty projects pinned but have actually completed very few.
Exercise 13 days each month. I was going to do some sort of weight loss figure but honestly, that doesn't work for me. So, I'm going to focus on actually exercising.
Get rid of 13 bags of stuff. We (and by we, I really mean me) have too much stuff. By no means are we ready for an appearance on hoarders, but it's time to de-clutter. If I haven't used it lately, it needs to go.

Do you see a pattern here? LOL. I know, so original with the 13 thing. Way to go, Robin.

Do 13 random acts of kindness. It feels good to help people, to brighten someone's day. At least I think it does. So whether it's paying for the coffee for the person behind me in line at Dunkin Donuts, or leaving a $1 on the vending machine at work for someone, I'm going to randomly make 13 people's day this year.
Be on time 13 days each month. If you know me, you know I'm late. Pretty much on a regular basis. Very rarely am I ever on-time or early. And I can't even blame it on having a child. I was like this way before Jackson came around. So, 13 times a months sounds like a light goal, but really it would be a big achievement for me.
Go on 13 family outings. And they don't have to be big, extravagant outings although I would like to go on one big vacation. I'm talking about a day trip to Niagara Falls or using our new Strong pass or going to the zoo. Just get away from the house as a family and spend some quality time together.
Learn 13 new things. Kind of vague, I realize but these are the types of things I'm thinking - learning to crochet, how to use a sewing machine, how to can stuff. Heck, I'd even like to learn how to do the Gangnam Style dance. It's either learning something completely new or actually doing something completely 100% on my own - enter the notorious turkey dinner. That's what this one is all about.
Pay off $1300 in debt. It's time to work on that budget and get stuff paid off. My spending habits needs to change. No time like the present to jump start that, right?
Have 13 playdates. And I'm not just talking about playdates for Jackson (although I would like some of the 13 play dates to involve the kiddo). I would like to spend more time with my friends whether it be with kids or without. Seeing/talking to you on FB just isn't the same as seeing you in person!
Write 13 notes/letters. In this digital age, the handwritten notes have gone by the way side. It's time to bring them back (and Christmas cards don't count). So, 13 people are going to get handwritten notes this year. Maybe more if I'm feeling overly amibitious.

So, there you have it. My 2013 Bucket List. I think it's attainable. One thing that I think will help knock off some of these bucket list items is to be more organized. That is my overall goal for 2013.

I found these on Pinterest and I think they are a nice reminder of what I'd like to accomplish this year as well:

Source: Tumblr

P.S. As always, my one long-standing goal is to blog more. I owe you tons of updates on Jackson and what we've all been up to these past few months. I'm working on some posts now and will get them up as soon as possible.

Peace out!

Read More 0 Comments | Posted By Robin

Another Smith Family Blog

I started this blog as a way to keep family and friends, near and far, up-to-speed on what was going on with Jackson. Jackson was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. When he was born, he had to have surgery to close the lesion on his back and then had a follow-up a month later for his shunt placement. My goal was to make sure everyone got an updateon how things were going and what better way to mass-update then the good ole interweb ;) And since everyone isn't on FB (WHAT!?!), I figured that a blog would be the next best thing.

Since then, the blog has morphed into a plethora of stuff ranging from date nights, favorite recipes (okay, haven't posted any recipes yet, but they are in the works), our dog, our house, my awesome hubby, projects from Pinterest that I actually complete, SB awareness and what's going on in Jackson's world. I'll be honest, it's 73% about Jackson and raising a child with SB, at least according to my last calculation. Oh, and pictures. Lots of pictures.

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