What the future may hold...

Although it is sometimes difficult for me to think too far into Will's future...articles like these give me a lot of hope.  If programs like this are getting started now, just imagine what is possible:)

Going to College
Job Training

Memorial Day Fun

Will had a fun and busy weekend!  We went to the zoo, attended a few cookouts, played in the pool, had some ice cream and took a walk at the park! 

Will trying not to splash in the pool with Ava and Jonas since we can't get our ears wet until Tuesday:(

Will playing with Harper, his girlfriend from Colorado.  Will thinks Harper is pretty cute and she really likes his toys:)

Will watching the Bison with daddy at Batelle-Darby Creek Metro Park.

Hot, tired baby after a long weekend!  So starts another miserable summer without air conditioning:(  What happened to spring?

Go Indians!

Will went to his 3rd Indians game this weekend and had a great time!  He was really good and clapped along with the crowd:)  Aunt Amelia even taught him how to give a high five!

Will also got to play with his friend Jillian on Saturday!  They had a lot of fun playing with all of Jillian's toys and tried their hardest to share.  Jillian read Will a book and even tried to push him around in her little car:)

Now for a quick update.  Will had his 18 month checkup on Friday.  Aside from yet another bout of thrush, he had a good checkup.  We were glad to hear that Dr. Parsons thought his ears looked good despite his grouching at me the rest of the week and she was happy with his weight, height, heart, ect.  We have officially given up the bottle at night, which means we have to come up with another way to get milk of magnesium for the ever-present constipation:(  We have tried with a syringe that past 2 nights and Will was not digging it.  This may be because it tastes terrible or may be because by the time we get to the milk of magnesium, he has already been held down for eardrops and thrush medicine!  Will is still drinking out of the straw like a champ!  I couldn't be any happier:)  He drank an entire honeybear of watered down apple juice at the game so I know he can do thin liquids out of the straw as well.  Will also has been walking quite a bit behind his little car.  It is a little rough, but it is a good start and he has fun getting back and forth with it and  having Ron and I cheer him on:)

Tube Time

Ear tube surgery went great!  We were there and gone in just 2 hours this time and everything went smoothly.  Will was pretty grouchy and tired until about lunch but was playing and wrestling with Ava by this afternoon.  He even managed to scratch poor Miss Lillian:(  The doctor replaced the left tube but just cleaned the right one.  The only bad news is that the doc was not so keen on Will continuing his swim class so he is done with swimming for now:( 

Ear Tubes Take 2!

Will is having his ear tubes replaced tomorrow.  He was at the ENT last week and upon examination of his ears they decided that the left one is plugged so they need to go in and clean his ears and replace both tubes.  They concluded this AFTER he screamed his head off for fifteen minutes while they tried to clear them in the office:(  The good news is that his hearing was really not being affected based on his audiology screen.  Also since we have been through this before, we know it really is an easy surgery.
Will also went to the new Endocrinologist at Children's last week.  She was great.  She explained everything in a clear, concise way and answered all of my questions.  Since we were back at Children's too, everything flowed together since they already have his entire life history in their system.  I am happy we made the switch!  We got his labs back right away and all his bloodwork was in the normal range, so we are still doing well with the current dose of thyroid medicine.  So we will keep doing what we are doing and check back every couple months.
So please say a prayer for Will tomorrow.  Although I know this is a quick and minor surgery, anything that involves anesthesia and my baby makes me a little uneasy.  Will is a trooper...I am sure he will be back to knocking things off the coffee table or removing EVERYTHING from the kitchen cabinets by lunchtime!

Lillian Louise

I have a new little love...her name is Lillian Louise!

My sister had her baby yesterday.  Everyone is very excited about Lillian, but especially Ava since Will is getting a little too big to hold and is more into wrestling with Ava than cuddling with her!  It is hard to believe that Will was that small just 18 months ago.  It was a little hard for me to visit and see those familiar and dreaded hospital hallways and to realize what I didn't get to experience by having Will in NICU and all the saddness that I went through those first days. 
Will is continuing to drink out of the straw like a champ, so I posted a video as proof since I hardly believe it myself!

Drinking From a Straw...Finally!

Will drank 6 oz from a straw today!  With just a little push on the honey bear (straw cup that you can draw liquid into by squeezing it) he drank his chocolate milk like he had been doing it all his life:)  I have been using the honey bear on and off for about 6 months now with no success but I guess he was probably so sick of me trying it every couple of weeks that he thought he would just give in.  Proof positve that Will does things in his time...not because me or anyone else wants him to.  I have no idea where he gets this stubborness but I am thrilled that he decided it was time!

Cowboy Will

Will has had an eventful week!  This past weekend we spent in Nashville TN hanging out in 'Honky Tonks' and watching daddy run the Country Music Marathon.  Will really loved the live music and danced and clapped along with the tunes:)

Will also has been standing himself up in his bed!  This falls under the 'most parents hardly notice when their kid does this, but we celebrate it at our house' catagory.  Will continues to pull himself up on more things around the house and is getting braver with letting go.  We couldn't be happier when he pulls stuff down off of something because he is standing himself up to explore!

Will's Peek-A-Boo skills are also getting better:)  He is finally finding his face and almost has mastered finding his eyes!  He loves to play this game.

Will also started his swim class tonight.  He loved the pool!  He kicked and splashed and even went under water...not by choice!  I think Will is going to be a little fish:)

This is BEFORE daddy dunked me...

This is AFTER daddy dunked me...

Will also went to the ENT today.  We got some good news and some bad news.  Good news is that his Audiology test showed that while he still has mild hearing loss, it is not getting any worse.  They are still unable to tell at Will's age which ear it is and exactly what frequencies are affected but we know he hears us and the test proved that.  The bad news is that the second test that they did on him confirmed that his left ear tube is plugged and will have to be replaced:(  Replaced, as in another ear tube surgery.  So he will have surgery again in a couple days to replace the left and possibly the right ear tube.  Which I know from before is a quick and easy procedure but the timing isn't the best.  Not sure there is ever a good time:(  Although after holding him down and hearing him wail today while they tried to unplug it in the office, I will take the anesthesia anyday!  Poor guy:(
We also have lots of fun things coming up as well...second Mother's Day and Father's Day, Graduations, Weddings, friends visiting, lake season, a new baby cousin...we will keep everyone updated on all our exciting adventures!