Schwalk Family

MIRACLE

2010-06-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, sweet little Bradyn, you are our MIRACLE!! We were not at all prepared for what was in store for us just over three and a half years ago when you were born. I very vividly remember the oh so long days in the NICU, right by your side day and night for over two months. I still can see them wheeling you away to surgery (twice), as Daddy and I cried and held each other tight in the hallway. I will never forget the heart wrenching lows we experienced, followed by the highest highs, which filled our hearts with hope, only to be brought back down again by more horrifying news. To say it was a roller coaster ride is an understatement! Few children have been through what you have. Most adults would not have survived what you did! Here you are, approaching your 4th birthday! Each day has brought a new day of struggles for both of us. You face it head on and I get my strength form you, knowing that if you can do it than I have absolutely no excuses. You amaze me daily with your strength and ability to make anyone smile. I still long for the little boy that we dreamed of. Making messes and getting into everything. Getting dirty and doing "guy" stuff with Daddy and Grandpa. Please forgive me, Bradyn, as I am still coming to terms for everything that will never happen. Please be patient with me as I am still coping with losing that little boy. Just know, my sweet Bradyn, how much I love the little boy that you ARE, JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!! We are so blessed by you and I can't express how much joy you have brought us.

Bradyn had the honor of being on the Children's Miracle Network telethon a couple weeks ago. It was so much fun and such a neat experience. We got to do a radio interview and a television interview with Andy Justice. Bradyn was a little fussy so our time got cut short, but it was still fun. We got to tell just a little bit of Bradyn's story to help raise money for the Children's Miracle Network, which gives BSA equipment to take care of babies in the NICU and kids in PICU, both of which we are pretty familiar with.

His shirt! Very appropriate!

I love this one. Looks like he is showing off his shirt!

Waiting to go on live TV. Yes, live TV... At bedtime... with a fussy toddler. You do the math!

Just before our radio interview.

Always smiling!

On the radio.

This is Boston. He is a seizure alert dog! Pretty cool!

Kisses from Boston

Miss West Texas, Perryton native Whitney Sparks, was there too! Bradyn really liked her, as you can tell!

"Rest" time with Daddy.

Bradyn and Olivia have grown quite fond of each other this summer!

Aren't they so cute?

We love our little pool. I am thinking we must get a bigger one next year.

Gracen swam with us last weekend. So much fun!

Bradyn and Grammy floating!

I know I have not shared that much of Bradyn's story on here before. I just felt like sharing some of what he (and we) have been through in his 3, almost 4, years (and this was just the tip of the iceberg). Hug your babies tight and don't take one moment for granted. When your children are tearing up the house and you feel like you can't ever keep it clean, be thankful. I would give anything for Bradyn to tear up our house. When they are talking a lot or being loud and you just want a moment of silence, be thankful. What I wouldn't give to hear Bradyn talk to me. We never in a million years could have imagined that this is the path God chose for us. It is our life, and not many people understand it (nor do I at times), but what I do know is that Bradyn is truly a MIRACLE!!!

Bradyn's 1st last day of school!

2010-05-28T20:53:00.001-07:00

WOW! I can't belive today was Bradyn's last day of school! Seems like just a few weeks ago I was so nervous about sending him. Now I am nervous about him NOT being in school all summer. He has come so far and I don't want him to regress any. One of Bradyn's aides, Miss Cassie, is going to be keeping him some this summer. She is wonderful and really loves Bradyn and he loves her too. I am certain that this will help him stay on track all summer. I don't want him to get used to being with me all the time and then have to start all over agian when school starts.

In the mean time, we are really ready to sleep in. Bradyn is up several times a night and usually starts sleeping good just before time to get up. We have to wake him up and he is not happy about it. We are also ready for some pool time. We got ours up and it will be warm by next week I hope.

Bradyn was nice and cozy this morning before we had to wake him.

Bradyn was surprised to see Grandpa at school for his program!!

Miss Cassie siging and dancing with Bradyn

Mommy and Bradyn

I promise this time....

2010-05-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

OK this time I mean it. I am going to stop being a lazy blogger and do a much better job keeping this thing up to date.

This spring has been a busy one with Dr. appointments. Bradyn has had a few check ups with his neurologist, neurosurgeon, dentist, and pediatrician. Other than some recurrent pneumonia, he has been really healthy this spring. It has been so nice to have him feeling well.

He is still loving school. He now rides the bus and loves that too. He often comes home with prizes for doing good at school. I could have never imagined him doing so well in school. What a blessing that is!!

Now we are gearing up for summer!! No big plans this year except for lots of swimming and fun! I have finally talked Jarrod into getting a small pool for the backyard!! I can't wait to play in it with Bradyn. He loves the water and it is great therapy for him.

Bradyn in his Easter best! We had a wonderful Easter with family!

Bradyn playing with Daddy! One of Bradyn's very favorite things to do is play on the bed before bedtime! This is his happiest time of day and my favorite too!

Bradyn still loves his swing! We have moved in to the backyard since our dogs are now staying in their pin full time. I love having a yard to play in.

This is what I found when I decided to clean out Bradyn's closet. A little ridiculous! It has been one of his favorite toys since he was only 4 months old. I kept all the old worn out ones. I decided we could keep the first one and let the rest go. Sorry Leap, we are out of room!

This is Bradyn's new big boy room! He has not slept in it yet, but we are hoping to make a transition soon. He still does not sleep much so I am not looking forward to shaking things up.

He loves his new bed!! To play on anyway!

This is Bradyn's new BFF Olivia! We have been waiting for her for a very long time and we love her very much!

Happy 100th day of school!

2010-02-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

Today I got to go to Bradyn's school to help them celebrate the 100th day of school. We got to wear our PJ's for the special day! I was so happy to get to go to school with Bradyn to see for myself just how good he is doing. I was so amazed!!! He does so good!! He never once cried or fussed. He sat in his wheelchair like a big boy and sat in his tumble form chair for circle time and snack time. He was so happy! This is the biggest blessing to me to see him doing so well. I had been so nervous about sending him to school at 3 years, but it has been so good for him, and for me too. I spent the entire year from his 2nd to 3rd birthday preparing Bradyn and mostly myself for the transition to school. I never dreamed in such a short time that he would not only be adjusted, but actually enjoying it!! PRAISE GOD!

I told him that Grandpa was here to get this smile. Mean I know, but what a cute picture!
Bradyn got so excited when the months of the year song came on, and every song. At the start of each song he would get so happy and excited. Especially during the months song, he was so cute!

The Worst Blogger EVER!!!

2010-01-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

So if there were an award for the worst blogger ever, I would win! There has been so much going on in the last few months I don't know where to start. I guess I will pick up where I left off. Bradyn was sick last time I updated. Well, he missed 2 whole weeks of school but he finally got over H1N1 and pneumonia! Once he finally kicked it, he was soooo happy and did great returning to school.

He has been doing so good in school. He has made it up to 2 and a half hours a day now!! He doesn't even cry when I drop him off AND he is not crying when I pick him up! This is a HUGE blessing for me. I am so happy that he is handling it so well!

We had a wonderful holiday season. We stayed in Perryton and spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas with our amazing families. Jarrod's family suffered a great loss on Thanksgiving day. His uncle Allen lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. He fought it for a very long 6 months.

Medically Bradyn has been keeping us very busy. He has not been sick so that is good, but it has been one thing after another since Thanksgiving. He has had trouble with his platelet count being very low, his blood sugar also being very low, his thyroid is "sluggish" (this is what the nurse said), and his most recent, a little trouble going weeee (and I don't mean on the swing). So he has had lab work done several times this last month and goes in next week to check his thyroid since starting his new med for that. They think most of this trouble is due to his seizure medication. It can be pretty harsh on his little body. I am hoping that we don't have to change meds because it can be really hard weaning him off of this one and getting the new one where it should be so he does not have any seizures. I guess we will deal with that when and if we have to. Oh, some great news... since he has had so much trouble with low blood sugar they started having us put flaxseed oil in his formula and he has chubbed up a bit. He now weighs a whopping 28 pounds and I am thinking I am going to have to find him a new winter wardrobe before winter is over!! At his 3rd birthday in October he was about 25 pounds (and was wearing mostly 24 month stuff) so he has really packed it on lately!

In spite of all this, Bradyn has had the best month of his entire life! He has been so happy and silly. He has been such a good little boy and is starting to entertain himself a little! He has been babbling a lot and really interacting with us! It is so fun to see him like this! He also had a very successful trip to the grocery store the other day! He rode in his wheelchair and did not cry or fuss the whole time. He was just happy and smiling and it was so cute! I was one proud momma! When people see us in public they ask how old he is and then say, "Oh, that is such a fun age". I usually just smile and agree, although I have not really been able to describe any age as "fun". Don't misunderstand me, Bradyn is the best thing on this earth and we love him more than anything. When he smiles I still smile too. When he laughs my heart melts like it is the first time I heard him laugh. This is the first time in Bradyn's life that I can say that we are having so much fun! I guess it is because he has been so happy and feeling so good. I thank God every night for days like today and pray that they continue each and every day of Bradyn's life!

PLEASE PRAY FOR BRADYN!!!

2009-10-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

Bradyn has been a sick little boy for almost 2 weeks. It all started with his last seizure on the 16th. He was pretty tired for the next few days, and really not himself. Then on Wednesday, the 21st he got a fever and started coughing. He was worse the next day so I got him in with the Dr first thing Friday morning. He tested postive for H1N1. Since then he has been up and down several times, getting fever and feeling really bad at times then alright at times. Today we took him to get a chest xray because he was really sounding bad. Now he has pneumonia too:( We have been doing breathing treatments and he still got it. To top it all off, the nurse forgot to call in Bradyn's prescriptions so when Jarrod got to the pharmacy at 5:30 they didnt have anything for Bradyn. Of course the office closes at 5 so when I called I got the answering service. By this time it was 5:45 and our pharmacy closes at 6 (really hate small towns at times like these). The on call Dr just called us back at 7:45 and after I told him everything he said he was very concerned about Bradyn. OK, so I am a little scared now. God, please watch over Bradyn tonight and help his lungs clear up quickly.

Another Emergency:(, Bradyn turns 3!!, and the First Day of School

2009-10-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

Well, if there are any readers left out there, this is for you! WOW what a busy few weeks. I had been preparing Bradyn, and myself, for school for quite some time. He had another birthday, the big 3!! We have also unfortunately had a couple of "emergencies" as well. On September 27 (one year to the day since his last seizure) Bradyn had a bad seuzire. It lasted about an hour this time, which is much shorter than last time. We spent a few days in Northwest Hospital in Amarillo and found no reason for the seizure, other than a viral infection (probably). We got home just in time to get ready for the big birthday party! It was so much fun and Bradyn really enjoyed his party this year. I cant believe that he is 3 years old already.

On the next Monday, Bradyn started going to school. I was so nervous about this. I got to go with him for the first week and he did pretty good. He is now in his third week and he is getting a little better each day. It is so hard to wake him up in the mornings because he is still not sleeping good. His teachers are amazing and he is slowly getting used to them and the other children.

This past weekend (cant figure out why he does it on the weekends) Bradyn had another seizure. It is the scariest thing, seeing him unresponsive. I will NEVER get used to seeing him that way, no matter how often it happens.

Wake up Bradyn, you are 3 years old today!!

Bradyn's cake (made by mommy)

Bradyn painting his pumpkin at the party

He LOVED the cake, or should I say icing, he is allergic to wheat, so no cake for him

More please!

Bradyn's bat handprint ppumpkin!

The kids at the party

First day of school, he was not this happy at school

Such a big boy!

Its Been A Long Time Coming

2009-08-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

I have been horrible at blogging this summer. I guess we have been a little busier than usual this summer swimming and spending time with family almost every evening. It has been a great summer and Bradyn had enjoyed it all. He REALLY loves being outside and I have noticed that every morning he is fussy until we go outside for our walk. He has also spent a lot of time in his swing.

I have been working with him on making decisions. It is hard because I have to watch him closely to see how he reacts to my questions. I will ask him if he wants to play with his stars and then I will ask him if he wants to play with his Leap. I have to watch for a reaction or watch his eyes to see if he actually looks at the toy he wants. He always smiles and gets excited for the toy he wants. We are also working on using different tones of voice to make sure he really knows what I am saying and not just reacting to how I am saying it. When I ask him if he wants to go swing I will use a very monotone voice and he still gets excited and kicks his legs and smiles. He is also starting to make several new letter sounds. He will also put 2 or 3 sounds together. This is very encouraging that maybe someday he will be able to communicate with us!!

It is now less than 2 months until Bradyn's third birthday! He will be going to school when he turns three. I am very nervous about sending my baby to school already, but I know it is just something we have to try. Please pray for Bradyn and for me during the next few months, first that I am able to work with him to get him better prepared for school (mainly getting over a little of the spoiled rottenness that we all are responsible for) and second that Bradyn's transition and adjustment to school will go smoothly. He does not do well with people he does not know, noises, and other children. This is going to be a rough adjustment for all of us. Also, could you all pray for Bradyn's teachers, that they may have the knowledge and patience to handle Bradyn.

Now some pictures:

I know I already blogged the link to these pictures, but they are so good I had to put them on again.

His eyes are NOT edited!! Aren't they beautiful!!

You can see the huge lymph node on Bradyn's neck. This is an indicator that he still has mono.

Can not decide which one of Bradyn and I that I like best.

Daddy was doin the hot diggity dog dance!! It is Bradyn's favorite!

Campin out with Mamaw (in the backyard)

Fun Day in the Pool

2009-07-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

Oh, what a great day. Bradyn got up extra early so Jarrod got up with him so I could sleep in. I love it when I get to sleep in because it is usually the best sleep I get. We got a lot accomplished around the house this morning. It is great to have a long weekend and have Jarrod around an extra day. After naptime we went to Nesie's house to swim. Bradyn has especially enjoyed the pool this year and I am sad to say that this was actually the first time I took the camera. We all had a great day and can't wait until tomorrow when we get to do it all again!!

I can't believe my nephews are strong enough to hold me on their shoulders. Colton Shane- age 10

Hunter Dean- age 11 (almost 12)

Bradyn likes to chill on the floatie. Notice the crossed legs. He was relaxin!!

Bradyn loves to swim with Mamaw. He kicks his legs like he is running a race. He gets so excited. Unfortunately it does not wear him out enough to sleep better.

Beautiful Blue Eyes

Bradyn and Daddy rest after swimming.

Hunter showing off his strength. I was pretty impressed.

Family Pictures on the Beach!

2009-06-13T20:47:00.001-07:00

Check out this link to view our family pics from Florida. It takes 18 minutes unless you: 1) click on the squares on the lower right corner, 2) click on the 1st photo to make it larger, 3) then click the arrow to go through them. Enjoy!

http://www.photobiz.com/slideshowbiz/slideshow.cfm?slideshowID=66458&photographerID=3204

FLORIDA FUN

2009-06-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

WHAT A WEEK!!! I just has the BEST vacation of my life. Mom and Dad took us all to Florida for the week and we had the most fun. We went to Discovery Cove where we swam with dolphins, stingrays, and snorkeled. We hit the beaches, which were so beautiful. We swam in our own private pool. We shopped till we dropped. And of course we ate till we popped. We had so much fun and I am already planning the next trip. Mom says it will have to be in 2 years so she can have plenty of time to save. Thanks Mom and Dad for the memories and the best vacation ever!!

Me and Mom at Discovery Cove in the lazy river. It was a tropical paradise!!

Jarrod and I in the lazy river again.

This is Thelma. She took us all for a ride on her back.

Bradyn had a blast at the beach!

The pool was fun too.

Me, Kurt, JJ, Gracen, Mom, and Dad all went parasailing. It was so fun. Even Mom thought it was fun!

Gettin ready to go up to 1200 feet!!

Dr. Update

2009-06-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

On Friday, May 29th, Bradyn had 2 Dr. appointments. The first one was with the surgeon to check his little boy parts. THANK GOD!!! OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!!! He will not need surgery to fix his parts (at least for now). We will watch through the years as this can still be a problem later, but for now we are good.
His 2nd appointment was with his pediatrician. We got lab results from some allergy testing. Bradyn is "highly" allergic to wheat and "moderately" allergic to eggs, peanuts, and soy. I was completely shocked hearing this news since Bradyn eats bread and eggs everyday and he was on soy formula for over 2 years. So I am researching foods that he can eat, which I am finding to be almost nothing. He is a very picky eater anyway and the things he likes he now cannot have. So I will be searching for things for him to eat and if anyone has any experience with this please leave me some advice. Thanks

Gettin Ready to GO

2009-05-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

Only three more days until we go to Florida!!! My parents are taking us to St. Pete's Beach. It is on the gulf side about 25 miles from Tampa. It has been so long since we have been on a big family vacation. We have some really fun stuff planned and I will try to post some pics sometime next week.

In the meantime we have a pretty busy week scheduled. Tomorrow I have a meeting with Bradyn's teachers from his school. He will be going when he turns 3 and they have to do some meeting at least 4 months prior to that. On Thursday, Bradyn has occupational therapy and speech therapy in the morning. I am going to lunch with my BFF Niki and then we are going to get pedicures!! Mom took off the afternoon to finish getting ready to go so she is going to keep Bradyn while my feet get prepped for the beach! On Friday Bradyn has 2 Dr appointments. The first one is with the surgeon to make sure his boy parts are where they are supposed to be. I am happy to report that all of our "part dropping" prayers have been answered. I am almost 100% positive that they are now fine and no surgery will be needed. Of course we have to get the ok from the DR. Then he sees his pediatrician for a check up. I am interested to see what they say about his mono. His lymph nodes are still really large. Then on Saturday morning we are off to Florida for a week!!

I have not taken ANY pictures of Bradyn since my last post. Isn't that horrible! I have taken some pics of our friends, the Silvey's, children so I will share them.

Caleb, a recent kindergarten grad!

Isaac

Benjamin

And Willow

Dr. Update

2009-05-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

Another trip to Dallas is behind us. We had a bit of a wild trip this time. On Sunday our flight was delayed an hour. We found out it was delayed ten minutes after we had gone through security. It kept getting pushed back. It was lunch time for Bradyn and in Amarillo's airport there is not anything past security except for vending. I had some rice krispies packed so he snacked a little on those. It was 3:oo by the time he got to eat. Poor guy was starving so we stopped at the first place we saw. He was very patient with us, thankfully. We got to the room and he was SO happy to get to stretch out on the bed and play. We were too starving so I went to the Blue Goose to get our food. Bradyn ate again with Grandpa and I. He loved the rice and beans and had a little fajita as well. After supper Grandpa volunteered to play with Bradyn so I could hit some nearby stores. Of course I did not pass up the chance to shop. I brought Ben & Jerry's back to the room. Bradyn ate all of my brownie from my sundae. I think he would have eaten anything I gave him.

His appointment was first thing Monday morning. It went pretty good. The Dr. changed up Bradyn's melatonin (sleeping medicine which does not work). He said to try giving a little less because sometimes higher doses make people dream a lot and that can wake them more. I am willing to try anything at this point. Bradyn had lost a little weight ): I can't figure out why he is not gaining. I am sure the pediatrician will have some input on that. (We go on the 29th) We got finished at the Dr and had time to go back to the room and rest. Grandpa again said he would play if I wanted to shop. So I managed to find a few more stores!

We got to the airport at 1:15 and decided to go ahead through security and find somewhere to sit. Once again our flight was delayed an hour (to start with). It was 4:00 before we boarded. The crew needed to do some "cleaning up of a little mess" from the last flight before we could take off. So we sat for another 45 minutes. Little Bradyn was almost at the end of his rope. About half way through the flight he started screaming hysterically. He screamed the rest of the way, all the way through the airport, and all the way to White Deer. I don't know why, but once he starts, he just can't calm down. We were very tired and glad to get home. I am a little nervous about our upcoming flight to Florida. I thought he would do fine, but after this trip I am not so sure. Three hours is a LONG time to have a screaming kid on a plane.

Weekend Getaway(s)

2009-05-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful week! We have enjoyed the weather to its fullest this week, playing outside every chance we can.
Last weekend Jarrod and I got to go to Amarillo for the weekend to celebrate our 8th anniversary. We ate until we were miserable on several occasions. I especially enjoyed the food since I have been dieting since the first of the year. I am proud to say that I have lost 31 pounds! I really needed some new clothes since I have nothing that fits. It is much more fun to shop for smaller sizes instead of having to buy larger. Bradyn spent the weekend at home with Grammy and Grandpa. He had lots of fun and enjoyed the spoiling.
This Sunday Bradyn, Grandpa, and I are heading back to Dallas for an appointment with the neurologist. We will again be flying since Bradyn does well on the plane. We will be home Monday evening.

Uncle Kurt came by last weekend while we were gone. Looks like Bradyn was happy to see him.

One evening last week we went to the lake to play and cook out. Our friends John and Niki and Nolan and Salem Silvey, along with their 4 kids, came too. It was so pretty and the kids had a blast.

Bradyn spends a lot of time in his swing. He got a horrible heat rash last week so I have had to limit his swing time a little.

Bradyn has recently outgrown his dairy allergy!!!! I am SO glad he can have dairy now. I am trying something new everyday with him. As you can see he loved the chocolate ice cream.

He was trying so hard to get to his train. He is a strong willed little boy!

F.R.O.G.

2009-04-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

Forever Rely On God!

Today was the most amazing church service! Pastor Mike said a special prayer for Bradyn and for us. We went to the front of the curch and the congregation gathered around us. It was AMAZING! Some of the ladies in the church make quilts for people in need of prayer. They put them at the front of the church and during prayer time people go up and tie a knot in the quilt and pray for the person. Today Bradyn got a quilt that has frogs all over it. This is perfect for Bradyn since his absolute favorite toys are his Leap Frogs. He got his first Leap when he was four months old and since then no toy we buy measures up. We have since bought several replacements for the original Leap and we keep a few back ups in the closet so we can pull out a new one in the event of a worn out Leap. I was so excited when I saw the frogs on his quilt!

Thanks Mamaw, Grammy, Grandpa, and Papaw for being with us in church today. We are so glad you all could share this special day with us.

To Grandmother's House We Went... and Easter Fun Too

2009-04-12T13:53:00.001-07:00

Here I am catching up on 2 weeks of events in one post,.....again.

Last weekend Grammy took me and Bradyn to Ada to see Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Burr. We stopped in OKC on Thursday night to stay with my dad's sister and break up the trip a little. Bradyn was a trooper and even slept good in aunt Wanda's dark, dark bedroom. (I am thinking that we need some dark curtains in our room too) We got around Friday and headed to Grandma's house, which is only a little over an hour from OKC. Due to a SEVERE case of constipation (for Bradyn) it took us three hours.

We had a great weekend in Ada visiting with Grandma and Grandpa and of course shopping. We went back to OKC on Sunday evening for the night and headed home Monday. It was a great weekend and Bradyn was the best little boy.

Grandma Peggy with Bradyn and me
Grandpa and Bradyn

We spent this Easter weekend at home. We enjoyed the rain on Saturday and did stuff around the house. We had Easter with Jarrod's family that night while all the family was in town. Lots of yummy food and Easter eggs. The kids had fun trying to find the "money egg".

Bradyn got a visit from the Easter bunny on Sunday morning! He really loves his new Mickey Mouse PJ's. Grammy and Grandpa went to church with us. Bradyn really enjoyed having them with us. Grandpa and Bradyn especially enjoyed the music as they danced and giggled. It was too cute! The service was great and there were so many people there that they had to open up the walls in the back so people could see from the lobby. It was wonderful. We ate our usual Sunday lunch at Grammy and Grandpa's house. It was a great day and a great Easter.

Bradyn's eggs

This is his Easter outfit this year. I love the bright color on him.

Is it just me or does he look like he is ready to be in a "Miami Vice" episode.

Easter goodies!

Showing off his new PJ's

Our Family, this was actually the best picture and Bradyn is not even looking.

Bradyn got goodies at Grammy's house too.

Nothing can ever replace Bradyn's little Leap. He LOVES him so much and like chewing on his hand for some reason.

Cutie. I love getting close ups of his sweet little face.

Overdue Pictures

2009-03-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

So much fun in the swing...even on a cold day.

Bradyn loved his spaghetti!

Not too sure about the popsicle.

Ok, the popsicle is good too!

More fun in the swing, but today we had to have sunscreen AND a cute hat.

Bradyn has been feeling pretty good. He was a little fussy on Friday, but it could have been from Thursday's Dr adventure. The mono sleeping still has not set in, although he did not wake up very much last night. He really needs some good rest so he can get over it faster. This evening he was breathing pretty loudly so we will start treatments at full force and hopefully fight it off.

A shocker!

2009-03-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

Lab results came in today. Bradyn has mono. I was totally shocked. So we got anti-viral meds and antibiotics to start. I was kind of surprised to get the antibiotics since mono is a virus. They said since his nodes have been swollen for so long, and the lab work indicated that this has been going on for a while, they wanted to go ahead with antibiotics as well. He has been having labored breathing and I think a sore throat so maybe they will help with that. I really did not see this one coming. NEVER A DULL MOMENT.

I am exhausted so I better get to bed, as I never know what kind of rest the night will bring. I promise... new pictures soon.

FYI

2009-03-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. It's been over a week since my last post and a lot has changed since then. Bradyn has been off of the medicine to help him sleep (which did NOT help him sleep) since Tuesday. He is back to his usual night, up several times, but usually still happy in the morning. Since he has started his new formula he has been having a hard time keeping it down. He has spit up only a few times, but he is gagging a lot, even when he gets just a small amount, like a half ounce. I think I spoke with the Dr. every day last week regarding this matter. We tried increasing one medication and ended the week with a new medicine to try. He seams to be gagging less so I hope it is going to help.

Another issue last week is the enlarged lymph nodes in Bradyn's neck. He has had one on the right side for quite a while. Some days is looks very large and others it is hardly noticeable. Well, last week he started getting some on the left side. So Friday we took him to the hospital for lab work. He was so good. He did not even flinch when they stuck him and they got it on the first try!! I guess he is pretty used to needles. They said it would take a few days to get all the results back so we are just waiting.

I have been busy working on Bradyn's scrapbook. I just made the change from traditional scrapbooking to digital. I should have done this a lot sooner, but I was trying to use up some of the prints I had already ordered. I am LOVING digital!!! So much faster and no mess to clean up. Needless to say, I have not uploaded any new pictures so I will try to post again this week when I get them on the computer. Hope you all have a great week and God bless
Kaci

Hanging In There

2009-03-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

It has been a pretty rough week in the Schwalk house. Bradyn's new sleep medicine was causing some negative effects. He was up almost all night from Monday through Wednesday, and napped very little on those days. He was SO restless he could not close his eyes and relax. He was not eating very much, having some tummy trouble, having tremors, and as you can imagine, was very cranky. On Thursday I called the Dr to see if we had to ween him off the medicine or if I could just stop giving it. He said that he really wanted us to "hang in there" until Tuesday so Bradyn would get two weeks on the medicine. He seemed to think that Bradyn would make it past a few hard days and then get better and be able to sleep. Thursday night went a little better, but still much worse than before the medicine. I was not expecting it to get better when on Friday night, a miracle occurred. BRADYN SLEPT ALL NIGHT LONG!!! (except for 3 very small awakenings) I was shocked. I did not want to get my hopes up, but I was excited to know that it is possible for him to sleep good. He had not slept all night since he was under six months. Saturday night was not so great, but I am having an easier time "hanging in there" , and who knows, it just may work.

On Saturday we went to our good friend, Adlee's birthday party at the gymnastics place. Grandpa and Bradyn discovered that trampolines are even better than bouncy balls. He squealed and laughed. It was the cutest thing. I think the Easter bunny might have to figure out how to get a trampoline in Bradyn's Easter basket!

He was having a blast

I took a few turns, but I could not make it as long as Grandpa.

Gracen came to the party too.

This is Emmerson. Grandpa was chasing her and she thought it was so funny. She would tell Gracen to "tell your Grandfather to chase us"! Deonne, I got another cute one of her, I will just email them to your mom so you can have them.

All WIRED up!

2009-02-26T12:32:00.001-08:00

WE SURVIVED!! We made it through our week of four Dr. appointments and our weekend trip to Dallas. Bradyn's cat scan went very good and he does not have to have one for a year, as long as nothing comes up. We spent the night in Amarillo Thursday night since we were leaving Friday for Dallas. Bradyn was a very good boy on the airplane again. He slept the whole way to Dallas. We had to be at the hospital Saturday morning for the EEG. He was the BEST little boy. He got aggravated at times, but overall, he did pretty good (even though he got less sleep than usual).
Bradyn's Dr was very pleased with the EEG. He is not having ANY seizures!! This EEG looked better than the last one he had in 2007. He gave us some new medication to try to help Bradyn sleep better, hopefully.

Bradyn had 27 wires glued to his head for 2 days and very long nights.

WHAT IS GOING ON UP THERE?
Grammy did the Hot Dog dance a few times!

We attempted to swim at the hotel in Amarillo, but it was too cold. So we just stood on the steps for a picture.

This is Bradyn's new swing. Daddy and Grandpa built a frame for it. He loves it!! He could not stop smiling.

FUN

My Head Is SPINNING!!

2009-02-18T07:19:00.001-08:00

WHAT A WEEK! And it is only just beginning. Monday we had two Dr. appointments. The first one was at the dentist and it went great. We also saw the pediatrician. Bradyn is still not gaining weight so they want him on some new formula that is VERY pricey (over four times as much per month as his old formula). Also, Bradyn's little boy parts have not dropped like they are supposed to by this point. So when we go back in May we are scheduled to see the surgeon (the same one that did his reflux surgery and his feeding tube) and if they are still not dropped, then he will be having surgery this summer. It makes an interesting prayer, asking God for parts to drop!

Tomorrow (Thursday) we are headed back to Amarillo for a cat scan and to see his neurosurgeon. Just a check up.

Bradyn has had a horrible week of sleep, worse than usual. He is really jerking and jumping a lot and waking a lot. I called the Dr in Dallas and we have moved his seizure test, EEG, to this weekend. I did not want to wait 2 more weeks. He has been so tired. His eyes stay puffy all the time. Poor little guy. So we will stay in Amarillo tomorrow night and fly out Friday. He goes in the hospital Saturday morning and will hopefully come home Monday. I am glad we are going now, but I know it is going to be a rough weekend.

Me and Bradyn spent Valentine's weekend at Grammy and Grandpa's because Jarrod went to OKC to a bull riding thing. While he was there, he won a trip to the national finals rodeo in VEGAS!!! I will definitely be going on that trip!

This is Bradyn's Valentine's project.

He LOVED his chocolate and caramel kiss!

Grandpa getting him with the bouncy ball.

Kisses from Grammy

Kisses from Bradyn

This is Bradyn's new stander. He is not very fond of it.

Day 2 in the stander. Not much better.

A yummy treat. He wanted the whole thing in his mouth.

Sticky face!

Bradyn in the big D

2009-02-10T17:40:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it! We went to Dallas on Sunday for Bradyn's neurologist appointment. Bradyn was the BEST little boy!! I was really worried because our plane left Amarillo at 2:00 and he did not get a nap that day. He fussed for a couple of minutes when we got on the plane, but he was calm by the time we took off. He was so good the whole time!

His appointment was on Monday. It went pretty good. The Dr. wants to have us back in a month to have another EEG (test for seizures). He wants to admit Bradyn to the hospital and run the test for 2 days. He will have about 20 wires glued to his head the entire time. It takes some major entertaining to keep Bradyn compliant during the test. We will definitely be bringing some grandparents along on this trip. His last EEG was when he was 14 months old so I guess it is time for another one. The Dr said that he is mainly concerned about watching Bradyn at night. Since he does not sleep and he is usually very jumpy in his sleep, the Dr wants to make sure there is nothing going on.

We headed back to the airport after the appointment. Bradyn had snuck in a very rare morning nap so he was still happy. He was happy and playing the whole way back to Amarillo. He even got compliments from 3 fellow travelers on what a good boy he was! Needless to say, we will now be flying from now on. We stopped at one of Bradyn's favorite places to eat, Dyer's, in Pampa and got home at 8:30 last night. We were still pretty worn out, but it was a great trip. I am so relieved.

Mommy is so FUNNY!

Bradyn had some very timely shoowees during the trip. I changed him on the shuttle bus. We were the only ones riding and the driver said to go ahead. He also had a shoowee on the runway on the way home and not 1, but 2 shoowees from Perryton to Amarillo on the way!

Flying high!

Once again, Grandpa was the best help. Bradyn absolutely adores him.

Just Livin!

2009-01-28T12:08:00.001-08:00

I know it's been a while....not much new to report here. We have been at home everyday (except for one quick trip to Amarillo Brace and Limb for a minor adjustment to Bradyn's braces) and it has been wonderful! We have had several nice days that we have been able to get out for a walk. Bradyn loves his stroller, as long it is not in one of Mommy's favorite stores. Ha! We spend lots of time strolling at the school across the street from our home. He also enjoys the swings and sliding with his Grandpa. I am not brave enough to take him on the slide by myself.

Bradyn had to have his braces adjusted because he manages to get out of them. Little weasel. The guy at the brace place said he has NEVER had a kid be able to get out of their braces, especially when they are on as tight as I have to put them on. Leave it up to our little guy!

This week Bradyn is fighting a little cold. I hope that is all it is. Yesterday we had to take him to have his throat swabbed for strep. That came back negative, thank God! We have been on a strict breathing treatment regimen and I think he is going to be alright.

Daddy gets the job of beating Bradyn's back after his treatments.

He was so tired he did not even fight it.

Bradyn and his cousin Gracen!
More cousins! Bradyn, Hunter, Jordan, Colton, and Rileigh.

Grammy got Bradyn some big boy hair gel for his stocking. I thought he needed a mohawk!

Please keep us in your prayers as we are preparing to go back to Dallas to the nuerologist. We are going to fly this time to save lots of time and a little money too. This will be Bradyn's first time to fly and I am a little nervous about how he will handle it. Thanks

Not AGAIN!

2009-01-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Life is just full of twists and turns. The past two years have sure kept me spinning. Just when I think things are going great, life takes another turn for the worse.
It all started on Monday the 22nd. Bradyn was sick with the tummy bug, but by that evening he ate a little and felt like playing on the bed (his usual night time ritual). The next day he was not feeling great, but I was certain he was getting better. On Wednesday we went to Grammy and Grandpa's to have Christmas with the Haberthur's. He enjoyed the kids and was still not 100%, but again I was not alarmed. On Christmas day he was pretty fussy and I was not able to get him to eat. He acted like it hurt when I gave him fluid in his feeding tube. We tried to give him small amounts throughout the day so he would stay hydrated. Around 2:00 he started throwing up again so I called the Dr. They wanted us to bring him in to Northwest for an IV since he was probably dehydrated. Bradyn's takes seizure medicine 3 times a day and it is very hard on his liver. He must stay hydrated or his liver could be damaged. So we packed up and headed to Amarillo. Grammy and Grandpa went along for support and to keep Bradyn entertained. Thank God they came along.
We were supposed to come home the next day, but you know how hospitals are. They did not get orders written in time so we were to stay another night and make sure Bradyn was not going to be sick again. The nurse brought in Bradyn's night time medications and I immediately noticed that one of them did not look right. I told her that I thought it was wrong and she assured me that the pharmacist had diluted it and that it was right. Within a matter of minutes Bradyn was jerking and screaming. I knew that he had an overdose. I told them that I thought he had gotten too much medicine and again, the Dr. said that if it was an overdose that he would be very sleepy. She thought that Bradyn was screaming because he was having tummy cramps. Bradyn had a horrible night, jerking and screaming throughout the night. He would not lay down without screaming and jerking so we took turns holding him all night long.
His heart rate was dropping VERY low and we were getting scared. The nurses could not figure out what was going on. Bradyn was so drugged he could barely open his eyes. FINALLY at about 3:00, after I again insisted that there was an overdose, the day nurse said she would do some checking. SURE ENOUGH I WAS RIGHT. Bradyn had gotten 10 times too much medicine. The Doctors were very angry with the pharmacist and they were in the hall speaking back and forth pretty loudly. The pharmacist finally apologized to the Dr., not to us or to Bradyn. By that time we were able to get Bradyn to wake up a little. His heart rate came up that night and by the next morning he was fine.
I felt like we were in the NICU all over again. We did not know what was wrong and why his heart rate was so low. We were so scared and felt so helpless. We are still recovering from our Christmas vacation. I told mom at least it felt like we all got an extra long Christmas break!

Bradyn's IV. They really hurt in the foot. He always cries when they have to go there.

Thank goodness Grandpa was along to keep Bradyn happy.

Our family Christmas picture!

Bradyn did get to open a present. It was Elmo live. He is not too sure of Elmo yet.

Daddy had him laughing by the last day.

It's Almost Here!!

2008-12-23T21:11:00.000-08:00

Oh, what fun it is... I love Christmas time!! We have been preparing for weeks now, shopping, cooking, making cookies and gingerbread houses, going on a sleigh ride, and wrapping ALL of those presents. Out of town family arrived today. We are ready to celebrate!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!

This is Bradyn's Christmas church outfit. He has never had a vest. It was pretty cute.

Just me and Bradyn playing.
Gracen and Bradyn are the best entertainment for Grandpa.
Mamaw, Hunter, Colton, and Jordan went to church with us on Sunday. Jordan especially liked "comoonon" (communion).

Jarrod is the BEST dancer!! (Pause the Playlist before viewing video)

2008-12-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Sweet Isamari

2008-12-03T19:22:00.001-08:00

On our trip to Amarillo, Bradyn, Grammy and I got to stop and see our dear friend Isamari. She was Bradyn's favorite nurse while he was in the NICU. She took extra special care of him. We are so thankful for her and we are glad that she is still in our lives.

Sweet picture!

This is Isamari's little girl, Mia. She was pregnant with her while Bradyn was in the NICU.

Leg Braces for Bradyn ): ...Part 2

2008-12-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

Today we went to Amarillo to pick up Bradyn's braces. It was another long day and he was such a good little boy. Bradyn will now have to wear real shoes (he only wore Pedipeds before, they are really soft and flexible) so I guess I will have to do some shopping!

This was BEFORE

His braces are camo. Daddy an Grandpa are so proud.

He did not like the man putting the braces on, as you can see.

SO MAD

He did really great after the man left him alone and he wore the braces for 2 hours. He even ate lunch in them. He is supposed to work up to wearing them all day.

Happy Turkey Day... and catchin up

2008-11-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

I have been taking so many pictures with my new camera and I am really falling behind. We have not been very busy these last couple of weeks, just playing at home and enjoying the nice weather. Bradyn is trying to get another molar so he has been a little on the edge.

This was at Jordan's birthday party. Mamaw and Bradyn were practicing standing. Such a big boy.

He was having the best time paying in the tub. He kicked and kicked and even got the floor wet, and me too!! I was so happy to see Bradyn playing happily in the tub and making normal little kid messes!

Bradyn Had the best time at the park with Grandpa!

Kisses on the swing!

Leg Braces for Bradyn ):

2008-11-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday we took Bradyn to Amarillo Artificial Brace and Limb to get his legs casted so they could make braces for him. They are supposed to make it easier for him to stand correctly. He was such a good sport and did not cry while the guy worked on him. What a little trooper! I am praying that Bradyn will do just as good with the real braces.

Just waiting.

Bradyn was actually playing with me.

It only took about 10 minutes for the cast to dry enough.

Then he cut it off.

Grandpa came along to help me out. Thank God for Grandpa!

Happy (early) Birthday to Me!! and Christmas too!

2008-11-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

For my birthday and Christmas this year (yes I know it is a bit early) I got a new camera. I LOVE IT!! Here are some of the photos I snapped over the past week.

I was bouncing Bradyn on the couch and he was giggling so cute.

Notice the bean in his nose.

Beautiful blue eyes!

I love getting close ups of his sweet face. The new camera does a great job with close ups.

I have been trying to scrapbook and I came across some pictures of Bradyn before his first "real" (non-surgical) hair cut. I can't believe it was so long and always looking crazy. I just had to share this photo so everyone could see.

Bradyn, the Little Fisherman!

2008-11-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

Bradyn was the cutest little fisherman for Halloween. He even had little waders and a fishing pole. He loved trick-or-treating. This was his first time to go. We even got to go to the Fall Festival at church for a while. He did so good with the large crowd and noise.

I told him that Grandpa was here to get him to smile. Pretty cruel, but it got a smile.

Too cute!

Bradyn's 2 Year Photos

2008-10-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

I thought these were soooo cute!! I will upload more when I have a chance.

Fall Fun!!

2008-10-20T19:30:00.001-07:00

I finally got Bradyn some pumpkins this past weekend and I wanted to let him decorate one for the porch. He painted a spider on his pumpkin using his handprints. Isn't he creative!?! I think I had more fun than he did.

This was quite a mess. We somehow managed to get some on his cheek.

An artist at work!
The masterpiece!
Add some googly eyes and some stickers and......taa daa, a scary spider!
Bradyn showing off his work of art.
Playing in the leaves.
He really was not very happy, I was just able to get him smile a couple of times. He did not like the leaves.
Bradyn is such a little thrill seeker. He loves to romp and play hard. The other night Jarrod was throwing him up and he was laughing so hard. It was so cute.
So much FUN!!
I think Jarrod was more worn out than Bradyn after playing so hard.

Bradyn's Second 2nd Birthday Party

2008-10-13T19:01:00.001-07:00

The second's time's a charm. Since we had to cancel Bradyn's first 2nd birthday party we rescheduled for last weekend. The second 2nd birthday was so much fun. Bradyn was a good little boy and loved his cake this year. I am so proud of how far he has come with his eating. Last year he just cried as I forced him to eat some cake. This year he ate a whole piece and loved every bite! Of course there were lots of presents, too!

The birthday boy! This was the only picture that he was looking and smiling. Gracen wanted the dogs to sit on his chest for the picture.

My sweet boy! I can't believe he is 2!
Some presents made Bradyn laugh....
and some made him cry.
Of course Grandpa provided bouncing as entertainment!
The cake had to spend a couple of weeks in the freezer. I decorated the cake this year. It was hard work, but I enjoyed doing it.
Blowing out the candles.
YUMMY!!
Where's Bradyn? There he is in the middle of all the presents!

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY BRADYN!!!

2008-10-03T19:49:00.001-07:00

Bradyn is another year older today!! We did not do much, just spent the day around the house, ran errands, and packed for our trip to Dallas (leaving in the morning). Since we had to cancel the big party last weekend, I am hoping we can do it next weekend. Of course he got some presents today too.

This was about 2 seconds after he woke up. I started talking to him and he was not quite sure why I was so excited.

It did not take long for him to get excited as well.
Happy birthday to me!!
Grammy stopped by on her way to work with a present.
Grandpa stopped by for a morning bounce session.

Daddy helped Bradyn open a present from us. His very own MP3 player!
Cutie!
He loves his MP3 player!
Mamaw singing Happy Birthday.
Birthday kisses from Mema!

Bradyn Survives Another Scare!

2008-10-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

We have made it through yet another terrifying event. It all started Saturday night. Bradyn was fine all day and fine when I put him in bed. He was only down about five minutes and I heard him. I was not worried because that is normal for him. He was squirming around a little but really did not wake up all the way. I felt the sheet and it was wet. He had thrown up and did not wake up. I thought it was strange, but I was glad that he did not wake up and get upset. I got him up so Jarrod could change the sheets. He started to act like he was going to be sick again and he opened his eyes a little. His lips started twitching and his eyes were fixed to one side. He also started drooling a lot. I yelled for Jarrod to come in the room and told him something was wrong. We could not get Bradyn to respond to us at all.
I called Grammy and Grandpa to come over and he did not respond to them either. I started calling his doctors and they said to take him to the ER. I really thought his shunt was failing and he would need to get a new one. By this point his neck was totally stiff and he was still drooling and his eyes were still fixed. The ER quickly decided he needed to go to Amarillo (duh). I was so scared. Bradyn did not respond even when the nurses stuck him with the needle. I got to ride on the ambulance with him. He was still not responding to us.
The EMT's were in contact with Lifestar (the helicopter to get to Amarillo quickly) the whole way. We met them in Stinnett and flew on to Amarillo. He was still not responding. The flight took 20 minutes and I had to ride in the front with the pilot so I did not see Bradyn. The nurse gave me a headphone so he could talk to me the whole time.
We finally arrived at the ER at Northwest Texas Hospital. They began evaluating him and doing several tests. He got stuck several more times with no response. Finally when they had to stick him in the foot he jumped. His CT scan showed no change from the previous exam. That meant that his shunt was working. The doctors were puzzled. All of his lab work came back normal. Again, they were puzzled. There was not any apparent reason (yet) for Bradyn to have this seizure.
They put Bradyn in Pedi ICU. The ICU doctor said that she wanted to send us on to Dallas in the morning since that is where his neurologist is and there is not a pediatric neurologist in Amarillo. That meant that we would be getting on a medical plane in just a few hours and going to Dallas. By about 4:00 a.m. Bradyn started running a fever. It was going up quickly. It got up to 104.7 before it finally broke. They had the thermostat set on 60 and Bradyn was packed in ice and it was still rising. He was only in his diaper and he had a fan pointed on him. Jarrod and I were so cold. We had on sweatshirts and covered up with blankets. Since Bradyn got the fever the doctor said she was now concerned that the shunt was infected. This would mean that he would need surgery to remove the old one and put in a drain. They would give him antibiotics for a couple of days and then go back to surgery to put in the new one. The trip to Dallas was cancelled. The doctors came in and put a needle in his head where the shunt and took some spinal fluid to test for infection. That too came back normal. They finally decided that a virus caused all of this. He spent a couple of days in ICU and then moved to a regular room for a day.
We came home on Wednesday. We were sooooo tired and glad to be home. I am so glad that it was only a virus, but I am also scared that it will happen again. In an instant life can change. We are so thankful for Bradyn and glad that he is alright.

This is like the one Bradyn and I rode on.

We did not have the camera so I got these with the phone. After he was feeling a little better we had to keep him entertained. Grammy discovered that he loves peppermints. He ate several in his mesh chew toy.
Poor Bradyn cried a lot in the hospital.
More peppermint! He got so excited and would kick and smile.
Let me out of here!
We had to buy a new bouncy ball so Grandpa could bounce Bradyn. We decided we need to pack an emergency bag that will have clothes, bathroom stuff, and a bouncy ball.
The wagon kept him happy for a little bit.

Chug-A-Lug Bradyn!!

2008-09-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

Today Bradyn drank 4 ounces from his sippy cup. Just a couple of weeks ago he was not really drinking enough to measure. His favorite is pedialyte and water mixed. He has also become quite the little burper. Way to go Bradyn!!!

I "UV YOU" TOO

2008-09-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Today at lunch Bradyn was fussy and did not want to eat. I let Grammy play with him for a while and then she tried to feed him. Of course he ate better for her. I can usually get him to eat but I guess he needed his Grammy today. She was saying "I Love You" while she was feeding him and he was talking back to her. Out of nowhere he said, "Uv You"!! It was so cute and very clear. Bradyn is such an amazing little guy. He is such a precious gift and we are blessed by him everyday.

Bradyn and Grammy lovin each other.

This was this morning. Bradyn likes to stand at the couch and watch his leap up on the couch. I can never get a picture of him standing because I have to be right behind him in case he decides he is ready to "sit down". I was able to get this one of his legs though.
He was trying to see where I was going and lost his balance. I had to catch him.
Bath time can be so much fun.

That's A Wrap

2008-09-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

We spent about 30 minutes this morning trying to pose Bradyn for pictures for his birthday invitations. He was smiling so cute, but he kept getting excited a turning his head before I could get the picture. I finally got some cute ones of him looking.
Bradyn has not been feeling well, again, for the past few days. I am hoping it is just his teeth (getting 3 new ones) and nothing more. It has really made him feel yucky.

This is my favorite from the photo shoot, even though I was moving and it is a little blurry.

This was the first picture I took, and one of the best. I did not realize the hat made him look like a little homey.
Jarrod worked all day Saturday and Sunday so Bradyn got lots of grandparent time. Mamaw took him for a ride.
This is Bradyn's Bobcat jersey that Gracen picked out for him.

Oh, What a Night!

2008-08-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

We have been very lucky up to this point to avoid the tummy bug. Jarrod had it a few weeks ago, but Bradyn nor I had been sick...until last night. Bradyn was fine all day and we were getting him ready for bed. I sat down to give him his night time medicine and he starting to get sick. I decided to call the Dr. to see if I needed to get anything before the store closed. She said that if he continued we would need to get him to Amarillo for a CT scan or MRI to check his shunt. Throwing up is one of the first signs that it might be failing and he would have to get a new one. She said to give some chamomile tea to help calm his stomach, if it was just a bug. We decided we better call Bradyn's neurosurgeon as well. He said he wanted us to go ahead and head that way. He did not want us 2 hours away if things really got bad. So we pack up and headed that way. At that point the tea was not helping and he was not keeping any of it down. Bradyn slept some of the way there. He was so tired. By the time we got there he was a little better and was ready for bed. I finally got a few drops of tea to stay down and we went to bed. We (as in Jarrod and Bradyn) got about five hours of sleep. Bradyn woke up this morning ready to eat and play. I was so relieved. The thought of surgery is so scary. Last night reminded us that it could happen at any moment. Of course I was always aware of this, but this scare really woke me up.
Not many pictures this time. We have been busy painting Hunter and Colton's rooms. They turned out really cute.

We went outside for therapy on a nice morning. His physical therapist brought bubbles and Bradyn really watched them. Gracen spent the day with us while JJ and Kurt went back to school. She was rocking Bradyn and he thought she was funny.
Bradyn and Colton. Two cuties!

Where Does the Time Go??

2008-08-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

Wow!! Another month gone by since my last post. It seems like we have been really busy, but I guess it is just day to day life. We have not traveled any since vacation, but we are gearing up for several Dr appointments in the next couple of months. We celebrated Hunter's 11th birthday. It just does not seem possible. He is really growing up fast.

I got to have a girls only weekend in OKC last weekend. Niki found out she is having a boy and a girl so we had to shop till we drop, and that we did. It was quite amusing trying to find a parking spot at Penn Square on tax free weekend. I ended up parking illegally. We decided we could split the ticket and it would still beat driving around all day looking for a spot. We were not the only ones with the idea and we did not get caught. We went pretty hard for 2 days and found some really cute stuff. We had a great time and many laughs. We decided we needed to have a trip like this once a year, but next year we might wait until it cools off just a little. The thermometer in the car read 122!!
Here are some pics from the past month. Enjoy

Tummy time again. We do this several times a day. He is getting much better at holding his head up.

This is one of the only times Bradyn did not scream through therapy so I grabbed the camera.
Bradyn had an explosion in his pants this afternoon! It required a mid afternoon bath, the disposal of a towel and a pair of shorts, and a load of laundry. Shooo weeee Bradyn!!
I got these pics of Bradyn in his towel after the clean-up.
This is Bradyn's "pretty in pink" shirt. I think it is so cute on him.
Bradyn was talking to Grammy.
Happy Birthday Hunter. Nice back flip!
Bradyn was so fussy before the party and I never thought he would want to swim. I should have known that Grandpa would cheer him right up. He had the best time and swam for about an hour.
He was laughing so hard when Grandpa swung him around real fast.
He had fun with Mommy too.
Gracen lost a tooth while she was swimming and then she lost it in the pool. I think the tooth fairy came anyway.
Colton's cannon ball!
Jordan's cannon ball!

We're Camped Out

2008-07-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

For everyone who has been anywhere with my dad, brother, or grandpa, you all know their famous saying, "We're Camped Out". It can be heard several times on every trip we are on, at any time of day or night (Kurt). So of course on our vacation to Lake Texoma it started before we even left the house and was said and texted to cell phones late in the night.

We had the best time at the lake. Bradyn loved the water. It was much warmer than the pool so he was happy to play in the lake. On Monday, mom, me, JJ, Gracen, and our driver, Kurt went to Dallas to the American Girl store. This was quite an experience and brought back many childhood memories. For anyone with daughters, I highly recommend a trip to the store. On Tuesday I fished with the guys, or should I say they watched me fish while they held their poles in the water. On Wednesday, me, mom, Bradyn, and grandma went to town for some shopping. On the way back we were hit by a truck and totaled grandma's car. Thankfully nobody was hurt, just very shaken. We had to get a new carseat because the old one was covered in glass. On Friday, we took Bradyn for his first boat ride. He loved it! I was nervous about the life jacket, but he had a great time. On Saturday Bradyn rode the golf cart and loved it also. He had a great trip and ate really great too.

Grandpa and Bradyn are "Camped Out" on the porch.

Swinging on the porch. It was nice to have a place in the shade to swing.

The fish Mommy caught.

Bradyn on the boat.

I finally let grandpa catch one while I was holding Bradyn.
Having fun on the boat.
Bradyn and Grandpa Burr.
Bradyn in his new carseat.

Riding on the golf cart.

Not too fast ladies!

Bradyn and his great-grandparents.

FYI: New to Bradyn's diet (all during vacation) are: green beans, squash, zucchini, fish, polish sausage, baked potatoes, hash browns, and eggs.

Sweet Summertime

2008-06-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

I've been falling behind a bit so there are lots of pics on this post. They include Father's Day, Gracen's birthday, a popsicle feast, and just some fun around the house. We are having a great summer and are getting ready to go on vacation to one our favorite spots, Lake Texoma. I am so ready to get a trip to somewhere besides the Dr.

This is the face Bradyn makes when he hears the word, "Yeah". For some reason it really hurts his feelings. Pretty sad, but also very cute.

Bradyn really enjoyed the popsicle at Nesie's house. It was all over him and did not come off, even in the bath. I guess he will wear it off.
I love this picture.

This is at Gracen's 7th birthday party at the Sunray pool. It was so fun.

I don't know why I have to make that face when I am making Bradyn smile. The face again.
This was on the way home. He was so fussy and ready to go home so we left the party early. Of course he perked right up as soon as we got on the road. Sometimes I think he just gets tired of being around so many people.
The birthday girl.
Bradyn's favorite cousins.
I got this new stroller at Babies-R-Us and it is the best. It is so much better than the larger one we used when he was little.
Gettin ready for the lake.
I hope he thinks the life jacket is fun when we get on the boat.
Bradyn, Gracen, and Posey on Father's Day in Sunray.

Mo Money!

2008-06-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Since the day we brought Bradyn home from the hospital, Grandpa has been emptying his pockets in Bradyn's banks. My plan was to wait until Bradyn was old enough to take it to the bank and understand the excitement of it. I realized that it was getting to be an unsafe amount of money to keep in the house so I emptied all of the banks (including the make-shift Girl Scout peanut can) and took it to the bank so they could use the change counter. Can you believe he had a whopping $561in those banks!! The teller made an official check out to Bradyn so we could take it to deposit in his Edward Jones account.

I had to carry all of this into to the bank. SHOW ME THE MONEY!!
Bradyn visited with Mamaw while I had the change counted. It took a while.
Bradyn helping Grammy make the deposit.

One Fine Day

2008-06-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

Today was such a great day. Bradyn was in a good mood from the time he woke up until he went to sleep. He was a good boy at church and almost made it all the way through the service. Grandpa got home late last night from the mountains and Bradyn was excited to see him. I would ask him "Where's Grandpa?" and he would get really excited and look at the door, waiting for him to come in. When he did finally get to see Grandpa he was so happy and squealed. It was too cute.

Since the weather was so nice and Bradyn was happy, I wanted to see how he would react to the pool. He had a blast!! This makes me SO happy and hopeful that this will be something we can enjoy all summer. This was such a great day. We sure do enjoy them when we get them.

Mommy and Bradyn "just keep swimming, just keep swimming"

Mamaw and Bradyn havin fun!
Drying off with Daddy, and playing too.
This was Friday in Grammy's kiddie pool. Bradyn was not too sure about the cold water so he did not really get wet.
Grammy and Grandpa got a new sidewalk so Gracen and Bradyn got to put their prints in the wet cement.

Home Sweet Home

2008-06-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

Wow! I feel like we have been around the world in the last few weeks. Jarrod and I got away for our anniversary (to Amarillo) for the weekend. Of course we ate at our favorites, Abuelo's and Outback. It was nice to have a break from the everyday routine, but we were ready to see our little buddy.

Memorial weekend Bradyn and I went to Denver to Aunt Linda's with Grammy and Grandpa. It was a long ride for Bradyn but he was a good little guy. He refused to nap in the car so Grammy and I did LOTS of entertaining. It is so pretty up there. We got to hit the outlet mall and once again we ate a lot.

Last weekend we took Bradyn back to the Dallas doctors. He got a good report and they both saw improvements since the February visit. We will go back in four months for another check up. Mamaw went along on this trip. Bradyn really enjoys his grandparents. I don't know what we would do without them.

This week Bradyn is back on his regular schedule and we are both glad to be home for a while. The Dr. told us we could try giving Bradyn Melatonin to get him sleeping better. So far it is hard to tell if it is helping, but I am hopeful. On a typical night Bradyn is up every hour, at least. Since he was on steroids last May he has not slept, nor have I.

Bradyn does therapy on this blow up thingie. It helps him get up on his hands and knees. He usually just kicks himself off of the front end and ends up on his face.

He wore this cute speedo hat to Hunter's track meet. It was so hot and he did not last long. On the ball again.
Yet another cute hat.
This was on the first leg of the Denver trip. Still happy to be going somewhere.
I can never catch him smiling because he is so excited and looks back and forth. I have to be fast. Watchin Barney.
Lovin Barney!
FYI: NEW TO BRADYN'S DIET ARE: bread and butter (really loves it), chocolate chip cookies, Starbuck's coffee cake, Ramen noodles, chicken noodle soup, french fries (another fave)

Spring Fever...LITERALLY

2008-05-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

I guess it had been a while since anything major had happened in our household. A couple of weeks ago Bradyn started coughing a little bit. Nothing to worry about. He got a little worse each day until Sunday, the 4th (I think). He did not sleep at all the night before and he was so miserable. The next day his throat and chest started sinking in when he breathed. OK, time to worry. Jarrod and I took him to Amarillo and sure enough, it was pneumonia with a little ear infection on the side. Luckily he did not have to stay in the hospital. We started a strict breathing treatment regimen and were to follow up with the Dr. in a week. We went back this Monday, the 12th and he was all better. He did not even have to have an x-ray. This was the first time Bradyn has been on antibiotics since he was in the hospital and his central line got infected. I guess God figures Bradyn has enough to deal with without the normal childhood illnesses. I agree.

So pitiful. Waiting for a treatment.

Feeling much better today.
Helping Mommy get ready. Who's that?
He's funny!!
Who said men can't multi-task?

The Cutest Picture

2008-04-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

We had such a great day enjoying the nice weather. We spent lots of time strolling around the neighborhood. I snapped this adorable picture.

Bradyn and Mamaw playing in the yard.

FYI: Fruity Pebbles and steak are new to Bradyn's diet today. He loved them both!!!

Just a Spoonful of Sugar!

2008-04-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

Well, Bradyn has found a new passion in his life. Meatloaf! He was so excited eating it that we captured some footage. I am still working on uploading it so I will post it as soon as possible. He ate so much I thought he would get sick. Instead, he followed with some chocolate cake. He is my boy after all. It it so great that he is eating now. I am so happy that eating makes him happy and he gets excited about food. This is a major accomplishment for him.

Bradyn has also discovered sweets. On Thursday at about 2:30 I still had not had lunch and decided to have some peanut butter and crackers to hold me over. I noticed some chocolate frosting in the fridge and thought, why not. I put a big blob of frosting on top of the peanut butter. I sat down and took a bite and Bradyn got very excited and thought he was getting a snack too. I gave him a bite and he loved it. He soon decided he did not need the cracker, just the peanut butter and frosting. Can we blame him? He proceeded to eat all of the peanut butter and frosting off of all my crackers. Since it was close to medicine time (Bradyn takes seizure medicine 3 times a day, it is a capsule that we open and pour onto food and feed him) I thought I would let him take it with the sweet treat. I GUESS A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR REALLY DOES HELP THE MEDICINE GO DOWN.

Yummy

All clear Mom, gimmie more!

Even on my cheek!

That was so good!

2008-04-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

I just found this webiste and played around with it a little. It was so fun and free too. They have tons of layouts to choose from and it was easy. I am always playing around when Bradyn naps, which is not much usually, so I enjoy it when I get a chance.

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Hello and Welcome

2008-04-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

I am new to the blogging world. I will try to keep it current. I guess I will start with some recent pictures of our precious Bradyn Andrew!! Enjoy! This is his hat he got for Valentine's. It has a matching swimsuit.
Ready for church.

He just ate almost a whole donut! This is a major accomplishment for him (and for his mommy who works many hours trying to get him eating).

This was after Grammy broke her ankle and stayed at our house while Grandpa was gone. Bradyn and Grammy enjoy "activity" time on the porch.

This is Bradyn in his Easter outfit. So handsome.