Fall is Here!

Fall has been so much fun for us. Nolan went on a field trip to the fire station with his school. Jeff went with his class. They got to tour the station and sit inside the fire truck. He also joined them on a trip to Blake's Apple Orchard. Nolan had fun riding the "train", picking his own pumpkin, picking his own apples and playing with his friends. We had many Halloween celebrations. First, we went with the Wyckoffs to Greenfield Village. Nolan just wanted to walk like usual. He wasn't real interested in collecting candy. It was decorated really nicely and the boys had fun. Nolan dressed up and trick or treated at therapy, then came to visit mommy at work. The next day, he had a Halloween party at school and then went to the potluck at Jeff's office. On Saturday, we went to the Zoo Boo. Again, Nolan was mostly interested in walking, not collecting candy so much. He dressed as a Detroit Tiger. Surprise, surprise.

Earlier that day, Jeff had his championship game for the flag football team he coaches. When we got to the field, Nolan ran a half mile around the track without stopping! This is the kid that we weren't sure if he'd ever walk. I just couldn't believe it. He was so happy running. I was for sure he would tire, but he didn't. I made him stop after a half mile.

For November, we have been focusing on preparing the house to put it on the market. We thought it was in decent shape, but many things go unnoticed until you really evaluate.

Nolan continues to go to gymnastics. He likes it for the most part. He does prefer to do his own thing; however, lately he has been following the coach and the group. His favorite is the trampoline for sure. At his last physiatry appointment, the doctor noticed a remarkable difference in his trunk strength. The only thing we can attribute to is gymnastics. Gymnastics has had a two-fold purpose for us and it seems to be serving Nolan well.

Nolan has been out of therapy for three months and will return at the beginning of December three days a week, one day of OT and two days of PT. He will continue his ST at his old clinic to make it four days. We hope to have him graduated by Spring when his SLT has her baby. Our goal is for him to start preschool at the therapy clinic for three semesters to fully prepare him for either mainstream preschool or go straight to kindergarten.

We are looking forward to being home for Thanksgiving. We will have to finish up the house and hopefully get the pictures taken for the listing. We will probably go to Maggiano's for dinner again.

Nolan's language is growing by the day. The concepts he understands and the words he knows surprise me everyday. He is such a joy to be around and just plain fun. Our newest adventure is learning how to play Memory. Nolan can easily beat me without me letting him. Saturday night, he left the living room and went into his bedroom. We noticed it was very quiet which usually means trouble. I peeked in and he was sitting at his table and had his Memory cards all laid out and was studying them. It was so cute. We continue to try to find things to challenge him daily, which is a challenge for us! I think that after Christmas, we will try phonics and reading/spelling.

Horribly Neglectful

Gosh, I have been horrible about updating this blog. I didn't intend for it to be that way.

Nolan finished his PT and OT at his current clinic at the end of August. Nolan and Jeff are hanging out now during the day and getting a little, much deserved break together.

Nolan continues to go to his daycare for three hours a day. At the beginning of September, they moved him to the next class. At 27 months, they moved him into a classroom with 30 - 42 month olds. I was very nervous about this move as Nolan wasn't even old enough, yet alone the developmental concerns. They assured me that Nolan would do great and he has. His verbal skills went through the roof. The teacher reassured me last week that Nolan fits in perfectly with his peers which is such a relief to me. He gets to do a lot of fun art projects, go on field trips, play outside with his friends and learn how to socially adapt. This situation has turned out better than I expected.

September 25 was our ten year anniversary! We spent the weekend in Manistee at the second home of a friend of my sister's. We had fun just hanging out and relaxing. Nolan had a great time running along the beach and playing on the playground. He loves a good see-saw. And of course, his cars came for the ride, along with Buggie, Snake and Ninny. Our backseat was filled with his favorites. Jeff bought me a gorgeous diamond wedding band and I bought him Tigers playoff tickets...which we didn't get to use. :o(

Nolan started gymnastics a few weeks ago. We go with our friends Cindy and Cole. Nolan loves having a buddy there. He is getting better physically by the week. I can see the difference it is making. We only have three weeks left, but we will continue into the next session. His favorite activity is a long trampoline. We practice a lot at home, too. I think that I have seen more improvement from 4 weeks of gymnastics than the last 90 days of therapy.

Today was Nolan's evaluation for his new PT clinic and I can't be more excited about the possibilities. Kevin was able to recognize Nolan's past hard work and develop a plan for the next year. I am so proud of Nolan. No one works harder than him. He was down to his diaper showing Kevin all his best moves. Ha, ha, ha. Kevin is a two time spinal cord injury victim who can walk. He is such an inspiration and I feel confident he will really help Nolan. Kevin will be a strong figure for Nolan as well. He's got a great plan and I can't wait to get started. I have all the confidence in him and in Nolan! Kevin joked today that Nolan won't be a soccer player, but a football player. I tend to agree. He says he is built for it. I tend to agree with that, too. :o) Nolan and Kevin got along great, but I know that he will challenge Nolan to be his personal best. Who better to learn from than someone who has been there before?

Well, we have a full October. Jeff is coaching the Lions for City Mission football this year. We look forward to Halloween as this is Jeff's first Halloween with Nolan. Nolan will be dressed as what else??? A Detroit Tiger!

Tonight while I was watering my plants, I saw a flock of geese heading north? North? Summer's almost over!

Nolan continues to have appointments with his ophthalmologist to track his progress since his eye surgery. Nothing but good news every time thank God. We are supposed to be patching his good eye still to hopefully train his eye that was operated on; however, we are not successful. I refuse to hold down my son and wrestle him at this point. The doctor believes that Nolan's surgery was a success and will be worth it eventhough we aren't patching. He really doesn't believe at this point that it will affect the results dramatically.

Nolan had his teeth cleaned again. This time not so good. He continues to be cavity free but he was sweating through his shirt by the time we were done by three of us holding him down. How the doctor did not poke his tongue, I do not even know. We are going to wait another year before attempting this feat again.

We have had lots of company lately and it's been a lot of fun. We had the Weatherly's and the Wyckoff's over for a UFC party. Lots of people, little house. The kids had fun...I think and were all asleep by 11 p.m. I am amazed that Dominic and Donovan slept at our house the first time they came over.

Aunt Melissa came to watch Nolan so that Jeff and I could take Derek and his girlfriend Lauren to the Tigers game. It was 94 degrees and I thought I was going to fry to death. It was "ot in icky" as Nolan would say. I somehow survived although the Kid Rock beer didn't help. :)

Last weekend, Grandma Pietchak, Aunt Melissa, cousin Derek, Great Aunt Mary and Great Aunt Georgia came over for what I call an indoor picnic. Derek and Jeff went to the Lions game followed by the Tigers game while the girls stayed home and visited. It was the first time Aunt Mary met Nolan and visited our house. What a special treat. They all showered Nolan with beautiful gifts which he didn't seem to mind. He loves his Hot Wheels.

Nolan's language is developing at record speed (as far as I am concerned). He is reciting his colors, shapes, letters, numbers and animals. His gets especially proud when it is nighttime and he doesn't want to go to bed so he tries to speak very clearly and use big words like rectangle to impress me. Although I am so proud of him, he still needs his rest.

Tonight was his first night in his big boy bed. We decided it was time to get him a new bed. We haven't had time to go and buy his twin bed yet, but we had a toddler bed in the basement that my old boss Liz gave me. I brought it up, cleaned it off and put it in his room. He wouldn't leave! I kept asking him if he wanted to play in the living room and he said, "NO!" He did really well tonight getting in and staying in. He got out once to pick up the car he dropped, that's it. He's now peacefully sleeping like a big boy.

Off I go, Project Runway starts tonight!

Summer's Flying By!

I just can't seem to keep up with this blog.

We had a great Father's Day weekend. On Saturday, I got to go to Archiver's and scrapbook. I met a friend from work and we had so much fun. And, I got to sneak in some shopping at Kohl's because they close late. On Sunday, Jeff went to the game early and I waited while Nolan napped. I headed to the game and could not find a parking spot. I drove around forever. We finally got there during the sixth inning. We were able to catch the last few innings and most importantly, Nolan got to run the bases. We carried down and around the field and he got to walk out onto the field around the warning track to first base. He was thrilled and did so well. He stopped at second base to point at Paws and then headed to third. He made it home without any issues. Jeff picked him up and he started screaming. He wanted to do this on his own. He walked up all of the stairs. He was so proud of himself and we were so proud of him. We went home and had wings for dinner and an ice cream cake. It was an awesome weekend.

You will see in the pictures that I have posted that Nolan got a new gym for the backyard and loves it. We had friends over and the boys had a blast.

We spent the Fourth at the Domrase's. Jenny and Katherine were in town from Appleton, Wisconsin and we were so excited to see them. The kids had a great time, but Nolan was extremely tired after the day.

Saturday, the 11th, we headed to Alabama. We stopped in Nashville for the night. We really liked it there. Sunday morning we headed to Alabama. We stayed at a beautiful resort in Florence and had a wonderful time. Nolan had a great time running around and swimming in the pool. Nolan did great sleeping in the hotel and we didn't mind the extra sleep. We headed home on Wednesday.

Thursday was back to the grind of therapy and appointments. Nolan got new orthotics, but hasn't been able to wear them since they are giving his feet problems.

Friday my sister came for the weekend. She watched Nolan so that Jeff and I could go out on a much needed date and alone time. We had a hard time without Nolan, but we had fun.

Monday morning was Nolan's eye surgery. He did great and is healing well at home. We go back Thursday for his follow up to see how he's doing.

Check out all of the new photos and videos.

Looking Forward to the Summer

It seems like it has been too long since I sat down and posted. Life has been moving too fast for my liking. A few weeks ago, Nolan's sitter decided to return to work and we were all so sad. I swear that Nolan said Marcia constantly for a week and a half. She unfortunately lost her grandmother, so we had to stop going there fairly quickly after she gave us her notice. We were so disappointed that she wouldn't be able to watch Nolan any longer. In fact, I was denial for some time. We found a Christian daycare close to home and between Jeff and my offices. They are able to take Nolan for just three hours a day. He gets there when the kids are waking up from nap, they have snack, go out to play and then have some free time. He does get the best all worlds: time with Dad, time with his friends and time with Mom. He seems to be adusting well to his new environment. He's warming up quite quickly to his teachers and friends. He unfortunately was so lucky with the germs. He was off on Wednesday and Thursday with a fever. This week he has really come around. He doesn't cry when he's dropped off and he is starting to connect and participate more.

On Memorial Day, we were able to go out to the farm and see Nolan's cow, Charlotte, and her family. The Thomas' did a great job like usual with farm day. They had pigs, chickens, kitties, dogs, a horse, the cows. Nolan brought his friend Allie to share the experience with him. They both fell asleep really quickly when we got back in the car.

We've been to two birthday parties and have had so much fun. One was at a park and Nolan paid no attention to the birthday boy or the party. He played continuously until I had to carry him screaming to the car. The other party was just as fun. They had a bounce house and a new playset. Nolan ate his first piece of cake ever and ice cream. Jeff and I were so excited. He was so cute eating it. He wanted to sit with the other kids and I didn't think anything of it. They asked if wanted cake and I said no. Then, I thought lets give it a try. He picked up the cake and ate it like a piece of bread. It was so cute.

Last weekend, we met Grandma Pietchak, Aunt Amanda and cousins Cameron and Rayna at Potter Park Zoo. We had a great time and Nolan got to take a ride on a camel. Check out the pictures. He was so funny.

This weekend we are really looking forward to spending the weekend together for Father's Day. On Saturday, Nolan and Daddy are going to the Tigers and Mommy is going scrapbooking. On Sunday, we are all going to the Tigers game together.

Birthday Week and More...

Last week was a big week for us!

On Wednesday, I taped my first radio interview on Wednesday for Stroke Awareness Month. It was an hour long interview with Michelle Taylor and a neurologist. I was very, very nervous, but I think I did ok. Michelle was great and helped me along the way. The interview was edited and air on local radio stations on Saturday and Sunday. It was hard to listen to myself. Jeff taped the interview for me. I have been listening to it and studying it to see how I can do better. My next interview is tomorrow afternoon.

Friday was Nolan's birthday and it was a great day. He woke up and we let him walk into the living room to see his new drum set. He ignored it at first, then figured out all of the great noise he could make. Jeff also bought Nolan his first baseball glove. We went to the chiropractor and then to lunch. We ate at Texas Roadhouse and he had his favorites and they all gave him a "Yee Haw". He was revolting against his nap so we went to the zoo. We played on the play structures for awhile. Nolan climbed up to the top of the big slides by himself, sat down, swung his legs around and slide down the right way on his bottom. I was so proud of him. He's never done that before. We decided to walk around and look at the animals for a bit. On our way back to the front of the zoo, we crossed paths with our birthing instructor. What a time for her to see Nolan, on his second birthday. Should couldn't believe how big he was. After the zoo, Jeff came home for a few minutes for dinner.

Saturday morning, we started by having our family pictures taken. Nolan did really good. He was so adorable in his outfit. What a handsome man he is. After pictures, we had lunch and Nolan went down for his nap while Jeff and I put together everything for his party. When he got up, we headed off for his big afternoon at Gymboree. He had a lot of great friends and family there. They did a great job and Nolan and his friends had a great time. We were so happy that everyone could come and enjoy the afternoon. It is so much more there when you know everyone. I think Nolan really enjoyed it and was sad to go. We went to dinner afterwards with Grandma and Grandpa Domrase, Uncle Chad, Aunt Crystal and cousins Macy and Reed. When we got home, we opened presents. Everyone was so generous to him. He loved all of his toys. We didn't think he'd ever go to bed. In fact, he slept with his monster trucks from Owen. What a great day Saturday was. I was so proud of Nolan. I think that he did a great job and really kept up with his peers. It is great to see considering he wasn't even close before.

On Sunday, Jeff had his fantasy batting practice at Comerica Park. Nolan and I sat in the stands while Jeff batted. He did a really good job almost hitting a couple out of the park. Next year he will I bet. After that, Nolan and Jeff took me to my favorite mexican restaurant for Mother's Day. What a treat. They also bought me a beautiful Mother and Child necklace that I adore.

Not much else can top these past few days. It was the best weekend I have had in a long time. Everything was full of fun and family.

Nolan has been doing great with his speech. His therapist e-mailed me today and said that he is doing fantastic and progressing wonderfully. She said that he is recovering much faster than she had anticipated. She is quite shocked. Besides trying to master the name of Miss Marcia, Allie, Addison and Mr. Andy, he learned pizza and banana this week.

Check out all of the new photos to the right.

Whoa!

Not sure what has happened to our past few weeks. A lot I guess.

Jeff went on a trip with his parents to Toronto for a Blue Jays/Tigers game. He said it was a lot of fun and we hope to go together someday soon.

We had a nice Easter this year. Nolan wasn't too impressed with his basket and it's contents this year. Hopefully, next year he'll be more interested. We went to the Tigers game on Easter Sunday. It was finally a sunny day, but not too warm unless you were in the sun. We had a lot of fun back at the ballpark. That means that spring is officially on its way. Nolan hit a milestone this year. He was able to hand his ticket to the usher and WALK through the gates of Comerica for the first time. He also received a special gift for kids after he went through the gate. After that, he took off running through the park. It was so awesome to see him enjoy his freedom. It was truly a blessed moment. Nolan really loved his first ride of the season on the carousel and of course, his Big Boy french fries!

The following week we had so much to prepare for our trip to Washington. My sister graciously agreed to watch Nolan while we were gone. We thought that taking him with us was a lot of work, but I think that preparing for someone to stay at our house was just as much work.

We left Sunday morning at 5 a.m. and headed to the airport. I am happy that we went on an early flight because there wasn't much going on at the airport then. We arrived in Washington a little after 8 a.m. We took a cab to our hotel, but couldn't check in. We decided to walk around a little before heading to Nationals Park. It was such a beautiful day there. We got to the park early and walked around. Jeff caught some batting practice. I did everything I could not to pass out from exhaustion. We enjoyed the game and their beautiful park. Before the game ended we headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap and headed out for sightseeing and trying to find a place to eat. We found a hole-in-wall pub that was hosting an adult kickball league group and found some beer and food.

Monday morning we started out with CPR training. It was great to revisit that. It's been two years since we have been trained. We were given CPR training kits. They are really neat. They are intended to share with people who need to learn CPR quickly. The rest of the day consisted of great training and information. We also prepared our issues for the next day. I learned so much about cardiovascular disease, stroke, programs, Congress, lobbying, everything. It was amazing. I felt so empowered to share our story. That evening concluded with a banquet where the AHA presented their national awards.

Tuesday morning we started out very early and headed to Sen. Stabenow's office. She was a very gracious host. Then, another lobbyist and I headed over to the House building and met with three other offices. Then back to the other side of the Capitol. Then back again to the House side for a few more meetings. Boy, was I whipped. After that I headed over to the Capitol steps for our group picture and then off to a special reception in a private part of the Capitol. My lobbying was so eye opening, inspiring and motivating. Not one person I spoke to heard of pediatric stroke, let alone in utero stroke. I feel so proud to be able to share Nolan's story with others. There were 5 other in utero stroke survivor mothers there from other states. Hopefully, our stories will have a lasting impact. I headed home after the reception...that is after 11 hours of straight walking. Who knew I could go that long without my feet hurting. Jeff and I took a small break and then headed out for dinner at the Billy Goat Tavern for beer and hamburgers.

We headed out Wednesday morning and got home around 11:30 a.m. Boy, had my baby Nolan changed. I felt like he looked so much older. He was so mature to me. I missed my baby more than words could ever express however I think he knew that we were doing something important. Nolan's language had exploded while we were gone, he was saying all of these new words and phrases. It was completely amazing and made the trip even more worthwhile. My sister took great care of him and I could tell. When we got home, he went absolutely crazy. It was awesome to see excitement.

We had a hard time getting back to work on Thursday and Friday after all of our excitement. On Saturday, we went to Derek's baseball game and briefly visited with my mom. Then, we headed back for a big night. Nolan stayed at Miss Marcia's and Jeff and I went to The Heart Ball where Nolan was a featured survivor. Again, an amazing experience.

We will hopefully have an uneventful weekend. Next week, we're going to the Tigers game with Cindy and Cole, Nolan sees the ophthalmologist for an update, I am doing a radio interview for stroke month, Nolan turns TWO, we have family pictures, Nolan's party and then on Mother's Day, Jeff is participating in the Tigers Fantasy Batting Practice. Whew! Then, I think we can rest.

I have uploaded pictures from DC to the right. I will be adding some video from soon of Nolan's solo drumming performance.

Here is a link to some of our pictures from the Ball:

Detroit Hour Magazine:
http://www.hourdetroit.com/Hour-Detroit/April-2009/Metropolitan-nbspDetroit-Heart-Ball/index.php?cp=2&si=20

Shutter Booth:
http://www.shutterbooth.com/EventGallery/April/AHA/target10.html

Where Have I Been?

I just noticed that three weeks have passed. I have been getting ready for Washington, D.C. and am growing increasingly nervous. I feel such an obligation to be effective. Since I was selected to be a part of Lobby Day, a lot of great things have come our way. We were chosen to be the featured story for the Midwest Affiliate, which includes 11 states, for the You're The Cure blog. I am not sure what I will totally be responsible for yet, but I said, "Yes!" From what I understand, I will be keeping a blog of the activities in DC. I was also contacted about using Nolan's story and picture for the Heart Ball here in Detroit on April 25. Also, they are sending out press releases to local media about me participating in Lobby Day so hopefully, that will generate interviews and above all awareness about perinatal stroke.

Nolan is doing amazing and we are continuing to sign. He recently tried to sign I Love You. He doesn't quite have it, but I knew exactly what he was trying to sign. It was so precious. And tonight, he said I Love You to me after I put him in bed without me prompting him. It brought tears to my eyes. I woke up yesterday on my birthday to the sweet sound of him calling me. His language has really been improving and now we are working on two word sentences. His physical and occupational therapy are going just as well. We're still waiting for his Theratogs suit and he will be getting new braces soon. He is almost grown out of the ones he has.

Nolan got the opportunity to go to two Easter egg hunts. His first one ever, he did well. He wasn't sure what exactly to do. They started the day with a puppet show which Nolan watched entirely without making a peep. He found a lid in the backyard and that was probably his most prized find. His second one was this past weekend and he really did a great job running around and grabbed a ton of eggs. He loved being in such an open space and running around. He certainly loves his freedom. We went to our friends house for lunch and a visit from the Easter Bunny. It was very reminiscent of the Santa Claus visit. Nolan had a great time pushing his friend Allie in a car on the sidewalks. And on Easter Sunday, we will be going to our first Tigers game of the season.

Jeff is in Toronto tonight with his parents watching a Tigers game. We will also be going to a Nationals game in DC. Hopefully, he will get his baseball fix this summer. Nolan said Baseball tonight for the first time and I videotaped it. I can't wait until he gets home tomorrow to show him.

Little Black Bear

Wow, have we been going through some things this week. We don't know if Nolan is taking a pre-requisite course for the Terrible Two's or what, but I can only compare his behavior to that of a black bear that has gotten into someone's house. Do you ever see those videos? You know, where they go through the house tearing everything apart, turning everything upside down and growling???? That's what happened to my sweet little Nolan. We think that he actually might be going through a growth spurt. He is quite hungry...just like the bear, too! We're hoping he calms down a little soon. He is wearing me out at night.

I decided last night to take him to Gymboree again so that he could get some of his energy out. He again played for the full hour and a half, sweating, running, everything. He loved it so much that we decided to have his birthday party there. He cannot get enough of it.

We went to the neurologist for our quarterly check-up today. She, too, was impressed with Nolan's progress. She feels that his other specialists are taking good care of him. We graduated to bi-annual appointments! Yeah! We will only need to see her outside of that if there's a problem. We seem to be getting good news on Nolan's health all around. They weighed him there and said he was 34 pounds. I thought he was 28, but Jeff has been taking him to his well baby appointments, so I must be behind.

We're in the WHITE ZONE!

Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss! Today, Nolan had his developmental tests for 22 month olds. It tells at what age level he is for different categories. They take a score and put it on a grid. You either fall in the black range (very bad), grey range (bad to not so good) or white range (ok to excellent). Well, we FINALLY fell into the white range for a few categories!!!!!!!! Yeah Nolan! He was in the white for Fine Motor Skills, Problem Solving Skills and Personal/Social Skills! He was still in the black for Gross Motor Skills and Communication Skills. But that's totally ok. For Gross Motor Skills, most of the questions were things that he has not been taught to do yet so I have no doubt that he will learn. We have been the black range in all categories month after month after month after month for the last 13 months. Gosh, this has been a GREAT week for Nolan.

And, this is the first weekend since December that Nolan hasn't been sick or recovering from being sick. Can life get any better? Although it is still early in the weekend, I am very hopeful.

So, Nolan's new obsession is sticky notes. They are everywhere. I let him take a pad to bed because he *would not* let go of them. I went in a half hour later to check on him and he had posted about thirty of them in his crib and then fell asleep. Busy guy...

He also is of the belief that the calculator is a phone. He holds it up to his ear and talks into it constantly.

His new phrases this week are uh oh, oh yeah and oh no. The oh no cracks me up because there is intonation and it is very clear.

Unbelievable!

We took Nolan to the physiatrist today for his quarterly appointment. He said that Nolan was a completely different child physically than he was three months ago. He said that he could not believe how much he has improved. He said that his prognosis for him has changed signficantly for the better. He encouraged us to allow him to walk which is slightly contrary to our therapist's advice, but we feel comfortable with him walking as it keeps his hamstrings loose. The doctor said he had great range of motion and did not feel any tightness in his knees, hips or ankles. It was great, great news to hear. He said that Nolan could go forward with his theratogs suit, he has seen mixed results from it. He does believe that a little of everything has contributed to his success: night brace, day braces, therapy, ultrasound and activity. We knew that he was doing exceptionally well, but it's nice to hear it from the doctor. We look forward to Nolan gaining more strength and agility and walking full time soon.

His language has really been picking up and he is signing more frequently. I love to listen to him jabber all night. And, his singing is heavenly :o) except when he sings, "merrily, merrily, merrily". He sings it about three octaves higher than he should. It is so cute, but ear piercing. Ha, ha, ha.

Sick Again...

Just when I didn't think Nolan could get sick again...he came from the sitter's house on Friday with severe congestion. We are averaging one illness a month for 2009. That's not a good average. This time we treated it homeopathically and that seems to be working just fine.

To take our mind off things, Allie came over to play with Nolan while her mommy and daddy went on a date. Wow, I did not realize how much harder it was with two! Nolan has such an easy spirit most of the time, it's easy to keep track of him. Allie is full of life and I experienced things that I had never experienced as a mother before. She loves everything. I had to admit to her mother that I had lost her temporarily. Allie found her way into our storage ottoman where we keep the toys. So funny.

Of course, Jeff and I caught the wonderful cold and have been suffering as well.

Nolan had his x-rays this week to check for leg length discrepancies. We will get the results next week at the physiatrist's office. This week, we are having our quarterly check ups with all of the specialists. Nolan saw the ophthalmologist today. His recommendation was to continue patching, but increase it to three hours a day. He also said that it is likely that Nolan will need surgery to correct his eye sometime after he turns three. This gives us plenty opportunity to research more options and get other opinions. His physical therapist has recommended a theratogs suit. I am not 100% versed on these, but you can see it at http://www.theratogs.com/. They say that this will attempt to perfect his gait. We'll try anything non-invasive at this point. We have seen great results with Nolan's speech therapy and sign language courses. Every few days, he seems to be saying or signing something new.

We are preparing for our trip to Washington, DC. Jeff and I are going a day earlier to enjoy DC before all of my training and lobbying activities. We are so excited to go. This is Jeff's first time to DC. Our hotel is a block or two from Capitol Hill. It's a gorgeous view!

Cindy and Cole came over for dinner tonight while Daddy got his new cable installed. I was convinced they'd send a serial killer over, so Cindy came to support me. Then, the guy started explaining all the features and I was lost. I do not have brain power for that. Cole and Nolan had a great time playing together. It was so awesome to see them interacting.

Nolan has discovered the love of stickers, thanks in part to speech therapy. We have also found that he loves paint with water. His creativity is so sweet. He will be an artist like his Daddy for sure. His love of jazz music now has to be shared with none other than country! It was a surprise to us because we don't listen to country. And as my sister says, he loves the Free Credit Report.com commercials, too. He's so funny, he loves all these little things that seem so weird to me, but it's just his personality.

Nolan's social skills seem to have improved as well. He seems more interested in engaging other children. At least he did twice today. I feel so blessed to witness this little man's adventures and achievements. His smile melts my heart and makes me so thankful for everything.

Exciting News and Other Stuff

I found out on Friday afternoon that I was chosen to be an advocate representing Michigan at the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Congressional Lobby Day 2009 in Washington, D.C. I will be going to DC to share how stroke affected my life twice; once with my dad and once, of course, with Nolan. I could not be more humbled and thrilled to represent Michigan, my family and stroke survivors. I will get the opportunity to meet with lawmakers and raise awareness about fetal stroke. I was also awarded a scholarship to cover my expenses. I was one of eight chosen from the state. I will also be responsible for any media coverage and returning to my state to follow up with legislators to help push priority items through. Please pray that the lawmakers' ears are open to what I am going to share with them and that it can make a difference in someone's life.

Well, we tried the pictures in the tuxedo again...bust. I don't know what his issue is, I just wish I could capture his adorable little self in that tuxedo just once! It would melt your heart.

We basically have the bathroom on lockdown because Nolan is obsessed with the toilet. Hopefully, that too will pass or at least summer will come soon so he can get his water fix in the pool.

Nolan is finally feeling better, but continues to eat like a wild animal and go to bed early to catch up from his illness. He must be going through a growth spurt, too.

I took him sledding yesterday...bust. He screamed at the top of his lungs the minute I put his snowsuit on and continued screaming the entire time on the sled. I ended up having to carry his 30-pound behind all the way home. Next year, we'll give it another try.

My sister came over this weekend and we got to go shopping on Friday and Saturday and scrapbooking Saturday night. It was a great weekend. Nolan and Daddy stayed home and played. I forgot how much I enjoy scrapbooking and reminiscing.

Bite My Tongue

No, Nolan is not done being sick. He had an ear infection earlier this month, then had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics. And, he just had another visit to the ER for another bad virus. Poor baby. This time, he had to have an IV. I think that this is the worst he has ever been. It's been stressful on everyone. I got to the point where I just started throwing everything away. I don't have time to clean everything. I think he might be feeling better.

Today was his celebratory photo shoot to mark his walking debut. I hate to say it, but it was a bust. We bought him an adorable tuxedo and he was fine until he walked into the studio. I don't think that we got a single shot of him looking at the camera. We are going to take him to Penney's this weekend to see if we can get any shots. He looks just precious in his tuxedo. So handsome! I think that the photographer was sick of listening to him scream and cry. Oh well...

Nolan was on a roll when we got home. I heard water splashing and found him swirling my car keys in the toilet singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat. He loved it, I thought I was going to puke. So, on top of everything else, I had to clean up him and the bathroom. While I was doing that, he had an accident in the living room and got it everywhere. Then, I had to clean that up. It's never too early to start drinking, right? Thank goodness, he was ready to go to bed on time.

These past two months have been challenging for us to say the least. We are making it day by day. We are still looking forward to when we can take a weekend and get away. We'll see...hopefully soon. Above all, it has been a time to reflect on what is most important to us in our life and the things that have gone wrong are trivial.

I don't have the energy to put photos on here, but I have posted them on flickr. Go to the top right here and you will see them.

Back to Normal...Whatever that Is

I think that Nolan is finally done being sick. It occupied all of January 2009. He went to therapy, the sitters and then came home and we eye patched and played...just like normal. I miss our normal schedule. I decided that he needs to eat better. He ate a big bowl of peas tonight with his dinner. He loved them. He laid them out individually in a line on his tray and said a letter of the alphabet with each one he laid out. It was precious.

He has really been singing his songs lately. He loves ABCs, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Five Little Monkeys, If You're Happy and You Know It, London Bridge and tonight I caught him singing This Old Man. Because he knows tunes so well, what I have been doing to help him with his letter sounds is sing an entire song saying that sound and he will start repeating the sound. It has helped to initiate more sounds. He's been saying ma-ma more which is a hard sound for him. He is starting to learn more words, too. Language for him takes concentrated effort, but he's picking it up quite nicely. He's been asking to go, "night, night." What kid does that? I get so excited when he learns something new. It's fun for me and him. He is using his signs more and if he doesn't say the word, we are requiring signs to get what he wants.

Nolan has been walking like crazy for the past two days. He can walk from room to room without assistance and without falling. However, he is picking in the drawers now. I found my calculator hidden in his room. He loves to push the grocery cart that Grandma Pietchak bought him for Christmas except he will only allow certain things in the basket, namely his blanket and his baseball bat. Gosh, he is so funny. He was pushing his cart so fast down the hallway, he fell to his knees. The cart was still moving and he was still hanging on so it dragged him on his knees a little. He started laughing so hard I thought he was going to stop breathing. He hasn't figured out how to do it again.

I can't wait to see what he has for me tomorrow...

Same Ole, Same Ole, Plus Some New

Not too much new going on here. Nolan continues with his PT, OT and SLT every week keeping his daddy very busy during the week.

Two weekends ago, we had friends we met at Nolan's first daycare over for dinner and so that the boys could play. Cole was able to show Nolan how to use some of the toys that he has been afraid of, i.e. Sit 'N Spin, motorcycle. The boys had a lot of fun and got to sit for dinner at their very own table.

Cole's mommy, Cindy, said it is the most he has ever eaten for dinner. Nolan showed him the way.

Nolan just loves to write on the easel he got from Grandma Domrase for Christmas. He especially likes to use both hands. You can see more pictures at the top right of this page.

Nolan continues to love trying to walk. He is so persistent. Check out his video at the top left. He is so precious to me. I love his spirit.

We took Nolan to his first Pistons game on Sunday. We didn't even make it until the start of the game. He all of a sudden got really fussy so we had to leave. When we got home, he had a fever of 103. Jeff took him to the doctor and he has an ear infection. Then, today he had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics just when we thought we were in the clear. I regret giving him the antibiotics in the first place.

We do have some exciting news. We will be having someone come to our home starting this Saturday for the next fews weeks to start teaching us ASL. We are so excited. We have heard from many parents that this will ease Nolan's frustration with not being able to talk. So, we will be using ASL and talking at the same time. I am nervous about being a good student!

Oh Boy, More Goals!

I used to like goals, now they stress me out. :o) Nolan went for his speech evaluation yesterday and he was diagnosed with severe expressive language disorder and dysarthria. I have much research to do, but here is the basics of it. Expressive language disorder is the ability to understand language better than speaking. It is due to his brain injury. In retrospect, I do find him engaged when I speak; however, he does not participate or imitate. Dysarthria is a disorder caused by paralysis, weakness, or inability to coordinate the muscles of the mouth. This goes hand in hand with eating problems. So his stroke has caused his oral motor muscles to be weak, therefore creating difficulty in eating and speaking. His stroke has also impeded him from being able to formulate words and simple sentences. The therapist needs to see him twice a week along with providing a home program for us to follow. We have been practicing since yesterday and I have realized we have a long way to go. At first thought, this is very overwhelming. However, we are going to work with all of our therapists to find exercises that engage him physically and mentally that make the most effective use of our time. I am a little nervous about the outcome and his prognosis because at this point, there is none. However, in retrospect, I felt the same way when he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. We will just need to work hard, be consistent and pray. It worked for his physical disabilities and I am sure it will work for his communicative disabilities. I just forgot how overwhelming this is in the beginning.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Does it ever end? I know...no. We've been working on patching Nolan's eye and he is doing extremely well tolerating it. We are up to 45 minutes a day and it gives us the opportunity to play at the table and work on fine motor skills. He loves his beading toys and his puzzle pieces. We have realized that Nolan doesn't use his right eye much, who knew? He is getting noticeably better at focusing and controlling his right eye and hand. I am very pleased with what he has gained in just a few days.Friday night was the best night ever. I was standing at the kitchen counter and I saw Nolan take two steps. He fell and got up and took four steps. I took him out to the living room and he took a few steps and fell a couple of times until he stood up and took 10 steps. I couldn't believe my own eyes. His perseverance is admirable. I am so proud he is my son and that we get to share this journey together as a family. We never knew when or if this day would come and it was worth the wait! I took video of our night and it is posted in our videos at the top right of the page.

Saturday I was in a very scary accident. I thank God that I made it through and I couldn't wait to see Jeff and Nolan afterwards. God protected me that morning...He knew I was needed here. If you accidentally saw that video first instead of Nolan's first steps, sorry about that.

Sunday we went to Donovan's 4th birthday party at the Bounce House. We had a great time and it was great to see Nolan enjoy himself and really get involved. It can be hard going places because we are usually on the sidelines watching others. But this time, he got to participate. It was so much fun. He was a little nervous at first, but once he got going he absolutely loved it. Then of course they served his favorite...pizza. He couldn't have had a better day. I think Jeff enjoyed it just as much. He was sore the next day. I kept having to remind him it wasn't his party.

Nolan is up to four therapy sessions a week and it consumes most of Jeff's free time although I do know that he enjoys his days with Nolan. We go tomorrow for his speech evaluation and plan of care. After that, we have only therapy and no more appointments for three months! Yeah!

Nolan's New Adventure

Today was Nolan's ophthalmology appointment. Doctor said that Nolan's right eye is wandering out more as Jeff and I have been seeing. It is intermittent, which is good. Doctor also said that eye is a little higher as well. So, it looks up and out to the side. The doctor said that his vision is good, his eye health is good and he doesn't see double or anything strange. He said that kids Nolan's age can ignore the bad eye and just use the good eye. Over a period of time that will make his weak eye worse and harder to correct. Our job for the next two months is to patch his good eye for two hours a day to force him to use his bad eye. This will help to strengthen his weak eye. I about fell off the chair at this point of the appointment because Nolan is extremely adverse to anything near his face, let alone on it. Tonight, we got in about 10 minutes of patching. I took it off just before I thought he was going to pass out from hyperventilating. This will be just like everything else we do. We will need patience, consistency and have to work ourselves up to the goal. Here's how we did tonight...

If anything good came of the situation, Nolan seriously drained his sinuses.

Oh, there were two huge successes in the exam room waiting for the doctor. Nolan clearly said, "Yessssssssssssssssssssssssss." We have been practicing that for months. The "s" sound is difficult for him. Then, he crawled to the center of the room, put his hands on the floor and stood up with no support. He then squatted down, picked up his blanket and returned to the standing position without falling or needing support. This is necessary for him to be able to walk and he has been practicing this for months as well. I see his first steps coming very soon...

Christmas #2, New Year's and Great-Grandma's Wedding

We had a busy vacation. On Saturday, we celebrated Christmas with the Domrase side. Nolan had a lot of fun seeing his cousins Macy and Reed. He certainly missed seeing his cousins Katherine, Shannan and Eryn.

Here's a picture of Nolan with his Grandpa Harry. They were giggling after playing a game of peek-a-boo.Then, Grandpa Harry brought out the polka music. Nolan loved dancing to it with his daddy.

Nolan opened a lot of nice things from Grandpa and Grandma. The biggest hit of all was probably the box that his easel came in. He got to play with it for one day at home before it had to go out for the recycling.

We couldn't stay for long because Nolan did not take a nap so we were working on borrowed time. We couldn't get a picture of all of the grandkids with Grandma and Grandpa, but we tried.Nolan loved to push his cousin Reed in the swing...sometimes faster than Reed wanted to go.

New Year's Day, we headed back for Jeff's grandmother's wedding to George. They make a wonderful couple.

Nolan and the rest of us all got sick Thursday through Sunday to round our vacation. We're all still recovering and needing a lot of rest.

You can check out more pictures from the holiday at the top, right of the screen under Our Pictures.

Nolan continues to excel at therapy. We are so proud of him. He amazes his therapists every week with his progress. This week, we will be going back to the ophthalmologist to see about correcting his weak eye and next week, he will undergo an extensive speech and swallow study. I have been told that the therapist that we will be working with is the best they have for children with swallowing issues like Nolan's. I pray that she will help us to help Nolan want to eat something besides Organic Morning O's. We have another long road ahead of us, but persistence, discipline and perservance have given us much success before and hopefully, it will again.