We officially survived our first year since the addition of Cash, and did so with flying colors I might add!
My last post was at the end of September, easily the longest stretch without a post. This is probably a good thing, as this blog is more a catharsis for me than anything. That being said, I must be handling and coping with my emotions better these days. Or maybe weve just been too busy for me to think? In either case, its been over 3 months since you last heard from me, so I am prepared to give an update on our hero and villain, as well as the cast of remaining characters in our play of life.
Hero=Cash
I could almost stop there. He is one. He always will be. He defines it, as far as I am concerned. What an amazing little boy he is. So full of laughter and smiles, surprises and curveballs. He continues his therapy 3-4 times per week and always makes his doctor appointments on time. Meanwhile he meets his therapy goals and throws in the occasional "Dadda" or "I bubba" for good measure. He is just now beginning to roll over unprompted, and weve found him on his back a number of times when he left him on his stomach. He hasnt started crawling, or rolling back to front, but his head control and sitting up is coming right along. Long road ahead, but he keeps putting the proverbial foot in front of the other. He makes me proud.
The oxygen is completely a non-concern at this point, though weve added weekly breathing treatments for the slight wheezing he has on occasion. His appetite is undoubtedly Franek. The boy could chew through a bamboo prison I kid you not. Oh, and while speaking of chewing, he has three teeth on the bottom! The tops are not quite there. Preemies are known for having "out of order" teeth ruptures. Stage 3 foods are the staple now with an occasional wafer/toast. The diapers are filling as quickly as his gut.
He has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. They speak to me like the blue waters of Roatan. Calm, yet with purpose; Cash can stare a hole through you. I literally get hypnotized at times. His disposition is first rate, and he has avoided any colds so far. RSV shots are on the docket to assist in that venture. His hair is coming in great on top, even long. The back, not so much. Until he sits up on his own, the back of his head will likely not grow much.
It is important to note that he is officially a world traveler! He has now visited two foreign countries and survived a cruise. Those who know us well can attest to the seriousness with which we take travel, so this was a blessing for him to not only join us, but enjoy and tolerate it well. One more blessing to count for sure.
Villain=CP
Its here, its not going anywhere, but it wont consume us anymore than it has. Our new normal includes this barnicle of antagonistic bullshit(Breathe Matthew). However, it does not and will not define Cash or us. Its kind of like having to take work with you on vacation. You know its there. You have to deal with it. How and when you deal with it is up to you, just do yourself a favor and get it done while most others are sleeping so not to disrupt the family time. Get it? Fortunately for us, we love our partners(therapists, nurses), so their visits arent always so clinical. We talk family, politics whatever. Taming the CP is the goal. You cannot kill it. There will never be a day that goes by that I won't think "My son has CP" or "Remember, Cash has a different race to run".
--Whiskey break--
Ok, back. Like I was saying, Cash's differnce is what makes him special. His being special is what gets me through the day. Its an odd position, but one that somehow remedies itself when you allow your head to run the full circle. Its when I stop half way around the bend that I get in trouble. Interestingly, right now anyhow, Cash doesnt seem to mind his foe. He laughs in its face, farts then rolls over and says "I bubba!" How can I get upset over that? I can't.
Heroine(s)=Savanah/Kimberley
I could almost always pair these two up, and even more so now as Savy grows up. She is her mother, no doubt. Not just in looks, but in mannerisms, thought process and attitude. Spittin' image for sure.
Both are amazing with Cash, but lets start with Sissy(Savy).
Sissy got her name by being the big sis. We call Cash, Bubba; Savy is called Sissy. I know what you are thinking, "Somebody likes Urban Cowboy". That was actually an after thought, but I'll take it. Great flick. Savy is doing very well in school, keeps her room decent and takes a shower at least 3 times a week with a little coaxing. I don't understand her avoidance of the shower, cuz as soon as she gets in she doesnt want to get out. Tolstoys War and Peace could be read faster. I'm not kidding, we have to kick her out after 30-40 minutes. We've listened in and have discovered she turns into the director for any given Disney production when she is in her aquatic office. I attribute 30% of our water bill and 15% of the electric bill to her thrice weekly cleaning sessions. We have seen a slight up tick lately in frequency of showering, so the average may be closer to 4 times weekly. Hopefully by the time she hits 5th grade we can count on a near daily occurence, however I am concerned for our pocketbook if that happens.
Speaking of clean, Kimberley maintains her squeaky clean image. Still chugging along growing her business while just as effectively keeping both myself and Savy in line. Her travel schedule has settled down a bit as of late, but for a couple months it seemed she was gone at least 8 days a month. Maybe thats just in my head and its actually 4 days, but in either case, I miss her when she's gone. We are working on that, diligently.
Sticking with the Greek Tragedy theme of the play references Electra=Finances
Speaking of trying to keep Kim off the road, weve recently made several financial decisions. I'll save you the minor details but the big ones include moving, trading in my truck for a small car and a spending freeze on non-essential items. I would encourage everyone reading to call your cell phone, cable, internet and insurance companies; I did, and managed to save $300 a month! These things add up. These changes along with the big stuff have had no affect on our happiness or convenience, but in total amount to tens of thousands a year. We now save more than we spend, which is an amazing feeling. In case you were wondering, we chose the Dave Ramsey method to do this, though I made a couple modifications to the program. Overall though, Dave is a great coach and his books "Total Money Makeover" and "Financial Peace" are easy to understand, direct and effective reads for those serious about a dramatic change in their financial life. We've literally saved as much in the last 6 months as we had the 3 yrs prior. It can be dramatic. The best part is, we can do more good with our savings and not feel so afraid to let more go to charity and the like. Its a great feeling. Enough with my preaching. Finances will have you kill yourself and your mother, if not careful.
__________________________For the first time ever, I just deleted 2 paragraphs of something I wanted to say but didnt. Maybe some day I will________________________________________
2012 sucked for the most part. It was a very tough year. I hope noone tries to tell me otherwise. Something like, "But look how beautiful Cash is, didn't 2012 end up great?" Blah blah blah. It sucked, and it sucked bad. I'm biting my tongue here. The first 5 months were miserable, and that followed two months of complete hell. I pray I never see another year even close to 2012, and my wish for all of you is that you never have to endure something similar. Some of you have, many of you will at some point. All I can say is, have your relationships prepared, have your heart in the right place and hold the fuck on.
I welcome 2013 with open arms, cuz if I can have 12 months close to what I've had the last 3, I'm gonna be sittin' pretty with my girls, my boy and a fruity drink on the beach somewhere.
Here's to hoping 13 is just a number! Cheers to each and everyone one of you. Happy life, happy wife, happy children, healthy bodies and tidy home. God bless you and talk to ya soon!
Pura Vida
