Fun on Ice & Water!

Well, we didn't have any ice in Tyler, and we were not able drive to Dallas as anticipated on Saturday or even on Monday for that matter due to icy unsafe conditions; however, we did make it to Gran & Poppy's today before all of the ice had melted. This allowed Kennedy some fun time "sledding" on the ice with her cousin, Jacob! Her little face was enthralled with the newly coated white scenery of the backyard! Seeing her eyes light up with joy gliding across the ice warmed my heart on this chilly day!

Drake was able to experience something new and fun today, too! Gran and Poppy gave Drake a Christmas present a little early, an easy to use hydrotherapeutic system. It is a personal therapy pool for our house that goes in a shower or bathtub. It is from a company called www.waterwaybabies.com It comes with a pool that is 30x30inches, thermometer and a neck pillow. He did a great job and really seemed to enjoy it! We loved seeing how active he was in the water! We will be adding 45 minutes of water therapy to Drake's daily routine. I will film a video of him tomorrow and post it to his Facebook Team page! 

We had planned to come back to McKinney because I was supposed to run my first 1/2 marathon in the Dallas Marathon, but unfortunately the race was canceled due to ice. This didn't stop me or many other determined runners on Sunday. Some wonderful ladies put together an amazing run in Sulphur Springs which was dubbed the NOT Dallas Marathon! So many wonderful people from the town volunteered their time & some even their homes as restroom stops along the route. The outpouring of support and encouragement was outstanding! I ran with my brother-in-law, Aaron, and one of his coworkers, Heather. We finished in 2hr 10min! 

Kennedy & Jacob enjoying the ice!

Ready to go again!

Checking out the tree again as soon as we arrived! 

His first time in his therapy pool!

Snuggling with mommy!

Listening to his music in the kitchen while we cook dinner.

Nurse Lisa soothing his gums. Teething is hard on this little guy...& the rest of us, too!

The NOT Dallas Marathon! 

Warm, Cozy & Cranky

Inclement weather has hit North Texas, but I am glad to say that we made it home safe & sound before the bad weather hit the area. Gran & Poppy are dealing with downed trees on their vehicles and driveway, but luckily they still have power! My heart and prayers go out to all of those effected by the ice storm, and I am grateful for the men & women who are working tirelessly in freezing temperatures to restore power ASAP. How fortunate are we to have walked into our cozy home on Thursday afternoon to a crackling fire in our fireplace! Thank you, daddy! Having Drake off of oxygen this winter is allowing us to enjoy our fireplace again. We didn't even realize how much we missed it last year, but we are certainly glad to have it back. 

Even though we are warm & cozy, poor little Drake is dealing with teething his top 4 teeth. So far, only one has broken through, but they are all close. This makes him cranky almost 24/7, which is draining on all of us. We can give him Tylenol or Motrin for pain management, but it isn't a fix-all. Since we can't give him anything orally, I've been dissolving teething tablets in water and injecting that into his Mickey button. Anything I can do to help is well worth the effort! Helping him hold his hands to his mouth so that he can suck on them for soothing has been my best bet. Unfortunately, we cannot use Orajel because it isn't safe for babies with swallowing issues. 

Thursday morning before we headed home, we met with Drake's neurologist. We were pleased with our visit and that he is seeing slow progress with Drake; slow progress is still progress!!! He has increased Drake's seizure medication since his weight has increased and we were starting to see some small seizure activity again. We will take him in next week for blood testing to make sure he is adjusting well to his new dosing. 

We were scheduled to head back to Dallas tomorrow in preparation for my first 1/2 marathon on Sunday; however, the Dallas Marathon has been canceled for the 1st time ever due to weather. While I am disappointed, at least I get to spend more time at home with my little family. Uncle Aaron and I will just have to regroup and choose another race to train for in early 2014! 

Speaking of running, that is exactly what we have to do to keep up with Kennedy these days! Her balance has improved tremendously and she gets wherever she wants to go very quickly! When she heads out of the room at Gran & Poppy's, you can guarantee she has made a beeline for the stairs. That is exactly why we have a gate there! Lately she has also managed to: update the status on Lisa's (Drake's nurse's) Facebook account, send a text message from daddy's phone, turn on Gran & Poppy's tv, and unpause and start playing daddy's xbox game! I can't wait to see what she does next! 

Enjoying the lights and ornaments! 

Checking out Gran & Poppy's tree!

Looks like she found a teddy bear!

Visiting the neurologist

Fell asleep sucking his hands during tummy time. Poor baby! We need the rest of these teeth to come on through! 

The Eyes Have It

Today we took Drake to see the Eye Doctor.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with his eyes, but based on his medical history, we are being sent to the Retinal Eye Association, for further testing to see what he may actually be seeing.  Cortical Visual Impairment is a broad term, but in Drake's case, it probably means that the communication from the cortical portion of his brain to his eyes is short circuiting.  It is not that he isn't seeing, but he isn't interpreting everything that he is seeing.  Luckily with the Showdrop Program, we have already been addressing this issue, and with his dark room program, we are already seeing improvements with his visual tracking skills. 

Over the past few days Drake has been dealing with a stomach bug, plus his teething has caused this issue to be an even bigger problem.  He has been on pedialyte and was doing well, so we switched him back to PediaSure.  His system did not tolerate the change, so he has been back on pedialyte.  The pediatrician wants us to keep him on the pedialyte and then try soy milk for a week before returning to PediaSure.  

On Thursday, we are going back to the Pediatric Neurologist.  This is always a hard visit, but Dr. So is amazing!  We hope he will see some of the improvements the Developmental Doctor saw recently.  Everyday is a new day with our little man.  We hope to make it home to Tyler on Thursday before the weather deteriorates completely.  We are suppose to come back on Saturday, as I am suppose to run in the White Rock Marathon (my 1st 1/2 marathon), weather permitting.  Let's all pray that this bad weather doesn't get this far south!  

Kennedy is literally running everywhere! We are doing our very best to keep up with her. Brian installed child-proof locks on the cabinets and drawers over the weekend. We thought she would be upset, but she just kept trying them one by one and moving on to the next.

Our house is decorated for Christmas! Luckily, Drake and Kennedy actually napped at the same time over the Thanksgiving holiday for a couple of days, which allowed me some time to decorate. Plus, Brian was able to get lights on the outside of our house, too! The Gilstrap's are officially ready for Christmas!

The smile that melts my heart!!! 

Little does she know that daddy is installing locks on the cabinets...hehe! 

Umm...daddy, I'm still awake. 

Kennedy loves ringing the bells at Gran & Poppy's! Yes, we are germaphobes based on the hand sanitizer in front of her! 

And it was only a matter of time before she discovered the piano! 

Dancing with Jacob this afternoon! Love my sweet nephew! 

A Happy Thanksgiving!

I have to admit that not being surrounded by extended family does make it not really feel like Thanksgiving. However, we have more than enough to be thankful for around here: all 4 of us are together, Drake is off of his oxygen, for the most part everyone is healthy (Drake has been suffering from a bit of a stomach bug, but is improving on Pedialyte), and Brian's grandmother sent us a wonderful Thanksgiving feast! Brian's dad, Papa, and his brother, Uncle Matt, have been here with us, too. 

Even Uncle Matt mentioned that it really didn't feel like Thanksgiving. I quickly reminded him that I was not wearing lounge wear and had even put on make-up; therefore, this was indeed a special occasion. Kennedy has been a big fan of both the ham and turkey that her daddy fried. Yes, I did say both and yes, there were only 4 adults here to eat. Needless to say we have a few leftovers. 

The best part of this Thanksgiving holiday has been that every day feels like a Saturday. I keep thinking I will need to pack for Dallas tomorrow, but we still have another day! Yes! More family time! 

      Celebrating with our little turkeys! 

   A couple of cutie pies! 

   A boy & his dog lounging and watching football! 

   Sucking his thumb all on his own!!!

    What do you do when you are given pajamas that zip up and don't allow access to your Mickey    button for a night feed? Why, your Uncle Aaron creates a custome Mickey Button Hole, of course! 

Quick Trip

We had a fun weekend at home with Brian and intended to stay home over the entire week, but Drake was due for his Synagis shots in Dallas this morning. It's better to be safe than sorry, so we drove into McKinney yesterday afternoon just in case freezing temperatures hit overnight. While we were there, Drake received his shots and had PT and Speech therapy. Not bad considering we were only gone a total of 24hrs. As always, I absolutely hate seeing him get shots (a necessary evil). He starts crying as soon as they wipe his legs with alcohol, and my heart sinks. 

Drake has started sucking on his hands, and even being able to hold his hands to his mouth on his own for short periods of time. He was using one hand to hold the other hand in place this week. It was the most remarkable sight! I even snapped a picture of him. One of my friends brought us a playhouse toy that her son has outgrown, and Kennedy was beyond excited when she saw it. She is having a great time exploring and discovering every new thing it can do. We adore seeing the smile and giggle she gives us when she discovers something new! Speaking of discovering something new...while we were in McKinney for Drake's appointments, Kennedy walked into the living room and found my parents lit Christmas Tree. My dad and I watched as she stood in awe...she was saying so many things, but we could only make out the word "Wow!" 

Once again, Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and we are settling into our safe haven of home. It is still not safe and we do not feel comfortable being around our extended families for the holidays...maybe next year. When it comes to Drake and Kennedy, we can never be too safe. Brian's brother will be here with us and his dad will be bringing us dressing, pie & all of the trimmings from Brian's grandma on Thanksgiving evening. We may not be cooking a Thanksgiving dinner, but Brian insist on frying his own turkey. I'm sure it will be amazing & I am really looking forward to it! 

Helping hold his hand to his mouth to suck his thumb! 

Miss Priss!

Cheesy grin!

Sweetie pie!

Ready to check the mail!

Obsessed with her newly discovered bracelet...the rim of a mason jar! 

My little snuggle bug!

Exploring the new playhouse toy!

Coming through the door!

Sucking his finger.

Happy to be home!

Sad that daddy walked out to go scouting for ducks :(

In awe of Gran & Poppy's tree.

Exhausted from his long day and double shots :(

On the Move!

Kennedy is now literally on the move all of the time. We have realized that it may be impossible to snap a photo of her that is not blurry for a while. Oh, well! She is always curious when someone comes to the house to work with Drake, and she desperately wants to be a part of everything. Today she joined Drake for his spinning portion of his Snowdrop program, and she was smiling and giggling the entire time! Speaking of giggling, Drake has started laughing lately. For now, it is a silent laugh, but it is definitely a laugh. We are eagerly awaiting the day that a sweet sound comes out when his face lights up with happiness. 

He is continuing to impress us with his developing strength. The amount of time that he is able to hold his head up has at the very least doubled. He used to only be able to do it for a few seconds at a time, but now he can do it for a full 30 seconds or more each time! Also, he is able to repeatedly and consecutively hold his head up for longer periods of time! In addition to that, he is becoming more aware and gaining more control over his hands. We absolutely LOVE seeing him learn how to move his own hands to his mouth. This is a big step and gives us lots of hope!

    Totally on the move...She is everywhere!   

     Daily exercises!

    Helping her brother with his spinning!

    All dressed up!

    Bath time for baby girl!

    Sucking his thumb without any help!

    

      

Baby Steps

Both babies are experiencing Baby Steps this week, and we are so thankful.  Drake's steps are causing some discomfort--he is cutting teeth.  Thank goodness for Tylenol and Motrin!  The doctor has told us that he has been slower in cutting these upper teeth because he is not able to hold onto and naw on toys/hands like Kennedy and Jacob. Even though this is making Drake very uncomfortable, we know it is a good step for our sweet boy.  Soon he will have the upper teeth to go along with those little bottom ones.

Then there is Kennedy--within a short week, she has truly taken off with her walking.  She is going everywhere!!  Her balance improves daily.  She is just so cute, especially since she is so petite.  We are having trouble finding shoes small enough for her that also are not slick on the bottom.  Babies who are this small usually aren't walking.  Her Daddy really enjoyed watching her improve and master this major milestone over the weekend.  

The holidays are fast approaching, and we regret that we cannot spend these with our entire extended family.  We are once again staying away, especially for Drake's health.  Maybe by next year he will have a stronger immune system.  For now, we will be content enjoying our holidays as a family unit on our own.  Drake has already had 3 bouts with congestion and had to go back on oxygen since Fall started.  We will do everything possible to keep our little man healthy.  That has to be our main goal.  The only people with whom we can spend any time must have a T-DAP and a flu shot.  Even then, we need to be sure the person/persons are not experiencing any symptoms of congestion or cough at all.  Even though Kennedy seems to have a much stronger immunity than her brother, we still have to make sure she is not exposed to something and carry it to Drake, accidentally.  

Lifting his head for short time to see the lights from the TV! Very impressive!!!

Working on motor skills while playing with beads 

Baby on the move!

She is loving walking :)

Just being cute!

She loves books!

Snuggling with Gran!

She is walking all over the house, but still checking to make sure we are watching.