Neuro Update

Josh had his annual appointment with Neurology last week and I'm happy to report that the appointment went well. I wasn't expecting that there would be any issues - I know that Josh is doing awesome. In fact, there probably isn't a day that goes by that I don't marvel at the true miracle that he is. To see him walk and run and jump is amazing. You really and truly cannot tell that he has had a stroke.....and brain damage?.....if I hadn't seen the MRI scans I wouldn't believe it myself.

Sure I have noticed that he does have some difficulty climbing at the park - particularly up ladder type structures while other kids younger than him fly past him.....but is it because of the brain damage that it takes him longer to 'figure it out' or require considerably more practice to get it, or is it just because he is a cautious child. We'll never know and frankly it doesn't matter. He's awesome and I am so proud!

Now on to a potty training update. I think we're about a month into the potty training process with moderate success. We have good days and bad days - today was a bad day, so hopefully tomorrow will be better.

The good news is that I am starting to see that he grasps the concept and is able to understand that pee pee goes in the potty and not in his pants or on the floor. And there have even been times that he has told me that he had to pee or has asked to sit on the potty, but honestly those times are few and far between.

It's at the point now that I can sometimes tell when he has to pee. He gets fidgety, crosses his legs, sits on the floor, holds himself or gives some other indication that he needs to go - except if course actually verbalizing the need. And when I ask him, 'Josh do you need to go pee?' it's always met with quick 'No! No pee pee potty!' But of course I know it's not true so I rush him over to the potty in double time and he goes. He is always sooooo proud of himself afterward. His face is just beaming with a smile from ear to ear.

With a little time and a lot of patience I know we will master this whole potty training thing. I think our biggest obstacle will be getting Josh to stop what he is doing long enough to get himself to the potty on time. I think that is what is holding us back. He knows that he has to pee but doesn't want to stop playing to go. It gets frustrating at times but we'll get there - eventually.

Before I go I want to share one of our earlier potty training experiences. It was probably our second week in and I was having Josh sit on his potty hoping to catch him at that right time. He had his water cup on the table beside him and I was feeding Jessica on the sofa. He grabbed his water and took a sip and then when he thought I wasn't looking or paying attention he shook his sippy cup between his legs and into his potty and then stood up and did his best to convince me that he had peed in the potty. What a kid!

I'm going to leave you with a few photos. The first requires a bit of an explanation. I've recently received a big bag of girl clothes from a friend whose daughter has recently outgrown them. The clothes are mostly size 2 and 3.....so Josh's size. One morning I asked Josh to grab a shirt from the pile of laundry [that I had just folded and had sitting on the table] for him to wear that day, forgetting that I had a few of the girl shirts on the table as well. He saw this one and insisted that he wear it. And wear it he did.....all day. He was pretty cute and proud - showing off his shirt to everyone.



This second picture is of Josh and I on Mother's Day. He must have wished me a Happy Mother's Day a dozen times that day and I relished it every...single....time. (:




And I guess I shouldn't leave out sweet Jessica so here's a picture of Jessica on Mother's Day as well. What a sweetie!


Thanks for checking in!