Last Trip to the Emergency Room This Year

We had another scare. Jack seemed rooted to his little couch while wearing the patch. We could not get him to play and it really seemed like he just couldn't see. That's kind of scary but then we decided to check his pupil's reaction to light. It didn't react or if it did it was a very slight very slow reaction. I immediately thought about increased pressure on his brain. It was too late to reach Dr. Stager. We called our family doctor and he said not to worry and have someone look him over next time we happened to see a doctor. My brain went into overdrive. What if we're missing something? What if this is an early sign? I called my friend Christie who is a nurse who used to work for an eye doctor. She also has a son with Apert syndrome. She asked me if he hit his head. She was thinking just like me--it could be increased pressure. So we got Jack ready and off Jack and I went to the Eye Foundation emergency room. Fortunately, we were early and there was noone in the waiting room yet. By the time we left, it was apparent that they had their first firecracker victims sitting in the waiting room. The doctor said that his eye pressures were normal and his left eye pressure was actually lower than the right. She said that his eye pressures would have to be up for his intracranial pressure to be up. She did not look at his optic nerves because she is not used to working with children and it took three of us to hold him down for her exam which took way too long because she was not used to her patient squirming around during the exam. She assured me that she really had no reason to believe that there was any increased pressure. Best of all, she gave us the golden ticket. She told us to follow up with our ophthalmologist within one week. With her discharge paperwork, we won't have to wait two months to get an appointment with Dr. Cogen. It will be reassuring to talk to him since he has been looking at Jack's pupils since the day after he was born. Well, Happy New Year, everyone. 2008 looks like another year of motherly anxiety!!!

Patch Smith

We talked to Dr. Stager today about Jack's left eye drifting upward and he told us to patch the right eye for a couple of hours every day to preserve vision in the left eye. As you can see, Jack is so devastated that he cannot even bring himself to eat. :)

Really he is doing very well so far. He did want to touch the patch when we first put it on. I would to if it was me. Then we distracted him by starting a Baby Einstein movie and giving him a snack. We'll have to see what happens when the movie is over.

Christmas 2007

We start celebrating on Christmas Eve when we get together with our Smith family members. Jack and Mommy continued the tradition of wearing pajamas to the Christmas Eve party. We get together after 8 pm on Christmas Eve so Jack and Mommy want to be ready to get right into bed when we get home.This year, it was a very small gathering. There were only 4 children at the party. Don't they look great together?
Daddy refuses to wear pajamas but Jack took a picture with him anyway.
The other kids really enjoyed unwrapping all their Christmas presents. Jack lounged back on Mommy and ate a dairy free chocolate chip cookie while Mommy unwrapped his presents for him.

McCahill did a great job handing out the presents to all the little kids this year. Of course, he got a few things, too!
Two little princesses!!!
On Christmas morning, Jack took a little bit of time going over each item.
He really seemed to like the ball pit/bouncer.
He loved spinning the wheels on his new skuut walking bike.
We got him to stand up and bounce a little bit in the ball pit/bouncer castle.
Christmas afternoon found us celebrating over at Nana's. All children and adults 16 and older play Dirty Santa. Here is everybody with their loot after the game.
The younger folks hung out and watched a movie while their elders played "Dirty Santa."
What?!!? Nana's house is really warm anyway and it really heats up with so many people in it!
Back home after the party, we spent a little more time in the ball pit/bouncer castle


and took one last ride on the bike. Jack will have to grow a couple more inches before he is really able to ride but he enjoyed having us push him.
We hope all of you had a Merry Christmas, too!

Gingerbread House

Our sweet across the street neighbor planned a gingerbread house-making party for alot of little kids. Unfortunately, Jack had to miss the first party because he had a fever. Sweet Lori planned a second party but then we got our "NO KIDS for 3 weeks" order from the ENT. Lori was kind enough to start off Jack's house and she gave us all the supplies to decorate the house. [Super Sweet Lori even made modifications to the Gingerbread house and decorations to make it dairy free.] I had this image of Jack cheerfully dunking froot loops in icing and letting me help him put them on the house.

Before we started our project, I made sure that Jack had had a snack. Apparently, his snack was not big enough. So Jack ate some dried fruit and Teddy Grahams and sort of watched me while I decorated the house.
The Teddy Grahams became part of the house, too. We decided it would be a Teddy Graham House.
Oh, Mommy, what a pretty house you decorated. Let me just touch it right here.
Oh no! What happened to the Teddy and now there appear to be some Froot Loops missing. What could have happened? Uh, what icing on my mouth?

Baking Cookies!!!

So this is not so much about baking cookies as eating them and then getting cleaned up. BUT I planned to have pictures of Jack helping me to stir the cookie dough or at least hold the bowl. He was not very interested. He actually did stick his hand in the dough (his hand was clean) but since it was not a texture he likes, he immediately pulled his hand back out. If you've got tips on making helping with baking fun for toddlers, I'm all ears.

Anyway, at first he seemed almost uninterested in eating the dairy free chocolate chip cookies. Look at this picture--it's almost as if he is just humoring me. But then he realized he was out of cookie.How could I resist? One more--he needs the calories, right?
Cookie face heads for the tub.
This shot was too cute to not include it!

What's cuter?

What's cuter than a baby stuffing his face? I say, Nothin, nothin at all.

Happy December

Hi, everyone. It's been a while since I've updated the blog. Jack was invited to have breakfast with Santa again this year. Before Santa arrived, he got to meet the Build a Bear (is his name Jeffrey or something?).
Next, Santa got to get his picture taken with Jack. We think these pictures perfectly capture the harried environment of pictures with Santa. Look at the look on his face! It's like he's saying, "What? Who?"

Jack does not really enjoy the whole face painting scene so he got a red rudolph nose and a snowflake quickly painted on his hand. He did, however, love the carousel.

Jack has not been to school since the first week of December. Our ENT has decided that he wants us to keep Jack away from all children and any large gatherings for the next three weeks to once and for all get ready of this pesky chronic sinus and ear infection. Since Jack can't be around other kids, Mommy has been subbing in as a kid. Here we are playing bumper cars.
Finally, who else could look so cute not feeling too hot and getting his ear drops?
Jack seems to be feeling fine and our ENT did give us the okay to get together with our families for Christmas. Sorry for all of those that we missed at the various Christmas parties that we did not attend. We love you and we know you want Jack to get well. We are hoping for a healthier new year!

Oh I can't believe I almost forgot to tell you all the new stuff he is doing. He is now pushing his glasses back up himself when they fall down. He is signing two-three word sentences. He seems to be experiencing a sign explosion too. It's just amazing all the signs that he knows. Hmm...I know there is more that I've not told you but it will have to wait for another day.

Thanksgiving Fun

We began our holiday Wednesday evening with a visit from Jack's cousins. Jack's cousin Alichia brought Jack's second cousin (her neice) Brooke from Georgia and Uncle Jay Jay brought Jack's cousin Crystal from California.

The girls enjoyed playing in Jack's playroom and showed him what to do with his crayons and his building blocks.
Doesn't Jack have beautiful cousins?
On Thanksgiving, we could only get the little girls to hold still for a group shot. Jack does have boy cousins but they just don't ever seem to stay in one place.
Jack is getting some teeth so his new FAVORITE thing is this teether that is chewy but also shake shake shakes.
Oooops, dropped it.

Well, I'll just pick it up.
Hee, hee, success!
On Friday, we met up with Jack's newest second cousin, Caleb, and oh yeah, Caleb's Mommy (Jack's cousin Anastasia) and Daddy were there too. Jack loved little Caleb and wanted to rub his head. He got so excited when I was holding Caleb. He did not show one little bit of jealousy.
After the game Saturday, we were a little bummed.

Sunday was Elise's birthday so we went for a little visit.

What a great holiday!