Vacation

The end of the school year is always cathartic for me but this year was special. I was on leave with Jacob for 3 months, 10 weeks of which were consecutive, with recurrent pneumonia, neurosurgery, and specialist appointments. As I was cleaning and organizing my classroom, I was already looking forward to the next school year. A new year. A full year. Jacob will begin weaning his medication in September when I go back to school and in October he will transition to the public school system for his therapeutic services.

My last day was Matthew's first day at Jacob's school. Both boys will be going there 2 days a week through the summer and 5 days a week beginning in September. Auntie Mary, who has been Jacob's "playground assistant", said that Matthew and Jacob were holding hands today through the gate that separates the toddlers and infants from the pre-school children.

I'm still sad about Miss Edie, but her classroom is now filled with... babies. Jacob is not a baby anymore and he is doing really well in his new classroom. His social emotional development is far more advanced than mine.

Matthew also did really well today:)

Big Boy

Auntie Betsy visits Jacob at school...

Toddler 2

As I was packing up Jacob's belongings, I looked around the classroom and I was sad. Very sad. My eyes were watering and I was embarrassed for crying. I quickly thought of other things... Where did Matthew go? Why is the rug so dirty?

Jacob will be moving to the Toddler 2 classroom (next door) on Monday and he will be leaving Miss Edie (dee-dee) and Miss Hannah (nah-nah) who have loved him all year long.

I am very sad.

Sandbox

Jacob and Matthew played nicely in the backyard this afternoon giving me hope for the summer when I am home with them for 8 weeks. Jacob has been using two hands more and more. Today he grabbed both rings of the monkey bar and walked back and forth to "swing". He was so proud of himself. I am loving that he knows when he has accomplished something.

What will become of Jacob?

The question that fueled my anxiety and fear so long ago.

I have the answer.

He is becoming Jacob.

Status

Jacob had a follow-up appointment with his pulmonologist yesterday and he believes that Jacob's pneumonia was aspiration related to acid reflux. Since Jacob has been on Prevacid, he has not needed his Albuterol inhaler for three weeks. He is 85% improved from a month ago. I am so relieved and thankful that we decided to seek the advice of a specialist. Unfortunately, for months we were told asthma, asthma, asthma but he does not have asthma. He will need to take Prevacid for years and we will have to see how he does next winter when the flu and cold season peaks.

Jacob has a new thumb brace that he will wear during the day to keep his thumb out of the way of his fingers when he uses his right hand. When I asked to put it on him at school to see how it fit he said uh-uh. And when I asked him where it was supposed to go, he gestured towards the garbage! He did put it on though and it does make a difference without restricting the movement of his hand and fingers.

I feel so lucky.

The Stem Cell Revolution, Part 2

Amanda, my step-brother's wife, knitted Matthew's My (blanket), over four years ago when she was blind. Check out this clip...

License to Drive

"Tactah." You want to drive the tractor. "Yah. Yah." "Bih." The big tractor? "Yah." "Me."

Jacob figured out that if he sat in the middle of the two seats of Matthew's John Deere Gator, that he could press the pedal with his left foot. He cannot steer however so Mommy and Daddy walk alongside while he drives. His new obsession in stark contrast to "shuvoh." I liked shovel better.

He also drives the small tractor, which I prefer because it actually has greater therapeutic value. The pedal is on the right so he has to apply pressure with his right foot to propel the tractor. It took him about a week to be able to do this on his own. Every time he drives, he holds on with two hands. I love watching him open his hand and grasp his fingers and thumb around the steering wheel.

He is also learning how to climb on and off of the Gator by himself using two hands.

STOP is our next lesson.