Appendages

I realized I never really 'updated' about my arm.  It took about 3 full months to reach "clinically healed".  I'd been doing physical/occupational therapy for ~6 weeks over an 8 week period at that point.  The doctor was able to twist, turn, shake my arm and I had no pain.  The X-ray showed that my bone was starting to grow back.  He estimated a full recovery in about 6-7 months post injury.

As for me... I'm good.  I can do all daily routines again.  It took about 3 months for me to feel like I was back to normal.  However, carrying a child in my left arm and some things that require a lot of manipulation, pushing a stroller with just my left hand, are still hard.  Although, I can do them, just not for very long.  The scars are looking really good.

Mentally, I am still pretty freaked out.  I still can't carry Reid while walking without a little fear creepy up in my throat.  Weston, I can mostly carry, and walk just fine... but still no putting them on my shoulders!  And stairs, well, let's just say, between a broken leg 10 years ago, a super sprained foot 1.5 years ago due to stairs, and me having "small bones" I don't EVER rush down the stairs.  For me there is always time to take it slow.

About once a month, I still need to do a good rub on the scar tissue.  It's still building up and probably will for up to two years.  When the scar tissue builds up, I have more pain because the scar tissue pulls on my muscles/ligaments/tendons, etc.  So I just have to give myself a deep arm massage, and I'm mostly pain free again.

I was very surprised how hard the trial was, but I am so grateful for the love and support I've gotten.  I'm so very grateful for the recovery and our super cool bodies that are self-healing!


The Battle Scars:

What 18 months old looks like the second time...

Weston turns 18 months old in less than a week.  His time with us is flying, except at church.  Sometime around 16 months, I could just tell he's ready for more than keeping quiet for 3 hours or wandering the halls.  We are very excited for nursery to start, so he can have lots of interaction and playing with toys time.

I am loving and still being surprised at how different two boys can be.  Some major recaps of Weston's life.

- Sleeps all night long.  Once his teeth came in, I rarely hear a noise from him until morning
 - Got his teeth in the order of: Bottom right center, top left center, then the following bottom and top teeth to give him four.  Then it looked as of the bottom right one was going to come in for forever, and he was so darn cranky, then one night I noticed he had  a bottom left and top left molar broken through!  The right molars weren't far behind.  The next four teeth are kind of a blur, but by 16 months he has all four top and bottom teeth, and molars.  We are still waiting on canines.
 - Runs everywhere, especially after big brother

- Is trying to WALK down the stairs... he is super fast on his belly, but he likes to be like everyone else.
- He says: uh-oh, whoa, yay! (sometimes with clapping), yeah yeah, Da-ddy, Mom-y, no, hi, bye,  buh-boo (peek-a-boo) and then tries to repeat almost anything we say that is 3 syllables or less
- He loves to say BYE, and wave really big.  Any car leaving or person passing us, clearly need a "BYE!" accompanied by a large arm wave and opening and closing hand
- LOVES to read books and make animal sounds
- Still loves to play cars, especially right next to big brother
- Learning how to push toy trains along their tracks (instead of just destroying the tracks)
- Uses pacifier for bed time and church only (although, he is really sneaky and goes and gets it out of his crib often)
- Climbs on tables as much as possible
- Often goes digging in the trash can... I have to careful watch him, so he doesn't eat any of it.
- Healthy eater  (when he's not throwing his food)
- LOVES sweets: after Reid who didn't like sweets, this kid is a pro at conning anyone into giving him dessert, and he DOESN'T stop... he loves the sugar!
- Loves to dance.  Any music anywhere, he's dancing.
- He's VERY ticklish... and he loves being tickled
- Loves to be held and cuddled while drinking milk and/or watching TV, he rarely will sit by himself (this makes for jealous sibling rivalry)
- Is a thrower.  I'm wondering if we have a soccer player (Reid) and a baseball player (Weston) in our family, because wow, they very much do one or the other.
- Has just started showing interest in coloring


Things that are different with the 2nd one:
- When he screams because he doesn't get what he wants, I am much more calm
- He is tricky, he wins over the hearts of everyone by being SO SNUGGLY!, but then when he is hungry and I try to make dinner, he will stand at my feet and scream because he needs snuggling
- We are much bigger suckers for the cute stuff.  When I go get him out of his crib, he usually puts down his pacifier and elephant and monkey stuffed animal blanket things.  On occasion, he'll hold on to one of them, and just give you this "please I can keep holding him" look, and he wins everytime

The oh so loved monkey (and blue elephant) that he loves to carry around

- All the bad things that brother does, he immediately mimicks
 - Is easier in some ways because it is was big brother does, so he automatically does it too.  It's kinda nice.

But regardless of any struggles or pains, we love having him.  His smile is infectious.  His laugh is too much to take. Reid does enjoy having a playmate, while it is often one-sided, there are multiple times I LOVE to hear them giggling together, and I confess to even letting them get away with something they shouldn't do a little longer, just because they are bonding and having fun together.  Weston is so tender and gentle, he's much kinder to the dogs, and will some day be a great big brother to some one else.

Because who doesn't love a bum in the air sleeping pic (I actually think he was awake and was hiding)