Saturday morning...

In the news

Patrick was recently in a NASA news report and since I'm a proud wife, I thought I'd share it!




NASA Link

Huntsville Times article

Happy Birthday Levi!

Dear Levi,

Today is your 3rd birthday and we have been looking forward to this day!  You have grown so much this year and you look like a preschooler and not a baby anymore.  A few weeks ago we celebrated your birthday with a Train birthday party.  The whole family enjoyed watching you in your conductor's hat, blowing your train whistle and mesmerized by the big train we rode.  We love watching you figure things out... taking toys apart and examining the details of how things work.  

You love animals!  Any time you see a dog, cat or squirrel you want to hold it.  You've gotten very good at climbing on the trampoline yourself (without a ladder) and bouncing with confidence.  These days you especially like doing whatever Josiah is doing... coloring, drawing, cooking, swimming and playing "bad guys."  It's so fun seeing you play together.

The past few months you have also found your own way to help Abby.  You have become very compassionate and sweet in the way you tell her good night, bring her toys and help mommy care for her.

You will be in a big boy bed soon, especially since you've been climbing in and out of your crib for over a year now.  You can't wait to be in 'Siah's room!

We love you sweet heart!

Mommy and Daddy

Untitled from patty hull on Vimeo.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to our very own spectacular, loving, attentive and wonderful Father.

We love you Daddy!

Abby, Josiah and Levi

Wordless Wednesday

Abby in May

It's been a busy month for Abby.  Home-bound school has come to a close for her.  The summer will conclude her school based services in our home.  Next fall she will attend school again. (more on that later)

We've been to her orthotist at least 3 times to have her AFO's adjusted.  The long seizure she sustained in February has left it's mark, and now her muscle tone is much tighter in her legs and right arm/hand.  This has caused her heals to develop sores as her muscle tone forces her feet into a "ballerina" pointed position.  I think we've finally found a comfortable fit.

This month we've also decided her reflux symptoms have officially returned.  I think we were in denial. She had been doing so well until her medications ran out (in Feb) and we couldn't refill without a visit to Birmingham.  We gave it some time to see if she could tolerate being off her meds.  The finger biting, moaning and crying and sleeplessness were all resurfacing again.  Last week we saw her GI doc again who put her back on Nexium twice a day.  I can already see an improvement!

Two trips to B'ham in a week for doctor appointments, the second for her yearly neurosurgery visit yesterday.  Thankfully it went very smoothly and she is clear for another year!

Up next is an OT eval for her hand.  It seems to like staying in a fist and curled toward her arm more than we like.  She could possibly end up with yet another piece of equipment... hand splint.

Those precious hands.  As I was holding her on her exercise ball today she held my hand, as she has done so many times.  It struck me how much those hands have changed.  The first time she held my finger tip that was all she could hold... her hands were so tiny.

Aunt Christy's pinky finger

tiny hand at 23 wks gestation

Chalk Art

While enjoying a cool morning outside recently the boys dug out their chalk.

Josiah showed me his finished 'Earth' drawing... connecting 'America' and 'China' was the word "Airplane".  He explained that we were going to take this airplane to fly to China to get his new brother.  It was pretty sweet that he came up with this all on his own!

Levi enjoyed marking over all of Josiah's art...