Timmy Birthday and Easter

Timmy and his Thomas cake!

Joshua, Jake and Timmy in their Easter suits

A Family of Four

We enjoyed a busy Easter weekend. It started with Timmy's 3rd birthday on Saturday. We celebrated with Uncle Mike and Aunt Bernadette and Joshua. They brought over cupcakes and pizza. Timmy learned to open gifts with the help of his brother and cousin. Joshua gave him a Thomas train set and Jake gave him a hockey stick. All of the boys had fun playing together.

The next day was Easter and we hosted my family. I wanted a photo shoot before church and Mike helped out. The boys looked so cute in their matching suits. They seemed to like being dressed up and getting so much attention. Then, we all went to church together.

After the service, we had a few hours until my family arrived. I had prepared potatoes and ham and purchased a Thomas cake. Everyone helped out with the rest of the meal. Our house filled up with laughter and love. Timmy enjoyed another birthday celebration.

We will miss our family when we move. We also missed sharing the day with any of Jim's family. This holiday hosting may be the last one for some time. That put a slight sadness into the otherwise wonderful weekend.

A Busy, Busy Spring

Here is an update on some things going on lately. Last weekend I flew up to MA to spend the day at Hildreth Elementary School. The staff held a welcome reception which was really touching. The day went quickly. That evening I read letters written to me by the students. They wanted me to know all types of special things about Harvard. I smiled as I read their thoughts and opinions.

The next day I looked at real estate in the area. Since Jim had stayed home with the boys, I took pictures and videos to show him the possibilities. We will need to go back up soon to make some decisions.

Meanwhile, Timmy has settled in more each week. He is speaking more English words all the time. Some of his early sayings are:  careful mommy, flower, apple juice, how are you?, one, two, three, Go!, uh oh, oh no!, and Joshua. He hasn't said Jake's name but calls him Jia, Jia.

This weekend, Timmy will turn 3. I am trying to talk with Jake ahead of time to help him to know that this will be Timmy's special day and he can help. I am going to take him shopping to buy a present for his brother. So far, he has commented about how much Timmy would like monster trucks, an Iron Man suit, and other toys that clearly appeal to Jake. :)  He is a smartie.

Tough Medical News

This past Wednesday, Jim and I took Timmy to the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia for a full review of his Spina Bifida. He was a real trooper and barely cried at all. He seemed to like having Baba and me to himself all day (Jake was with Uncle Mike and then in school). The tough news came from the urologist that did a study of Timmy's bladder. The nerve damage shows that Timmy does not have great control over his bladder and bowels. We will have to soon start a regiment of helping through catheterizing and high fiber. There is no surgery to correct this at this time. Surgeries to reroute nerves are still under review.

tired out on the way home

     The good news is that Timmy's lower leg and foot muscles seem barely affected or normal. He is able to run and jump and climb like other two year olds. While I am grateful for the good news, I am sad for how his life will be affected by the nerve damage. We have a lot to learn in the next months and years of his life. We want to give him every advantage possible.

Meeting Grammy and Grandpa

 Timmy met my parents and my sister and her family for the first time today. The meeting was special. My brother Mike and I took the three boys down to their house, and then we all went out to eat at a Chinese restaurant. Later, we spent time visiting and keeping track of the boys. They were a bit wild and wound up, but everyone had a nice visit. Timmy agreed to take pictures with them before we headed home. The next time we get together will be for Easter at our house in Lancaster. We will celebrate Timmy's 3rd birthday at the same time.