Our new Shayla Bee Family!

Ok, so we have been on vacation this last week and I am just now getting the chance to blog! We-well Carter- received an incredible blessing last wednesday from a group of people called Shayla Bee. They are an awesome groiup of people who help families with children in medical crisis, permanent or temporary, children with special needs, etc with lower income...and someone (my friend Lindsay) nominated Carter and our family...The Shayla Bee Fund board voted and approved our family as the 31st family they have helped financially! We feel so excited to be able to get some much needed things to help Carters quality of life..We are wanting to purchase him a stroller- which is really turning out to be harder than I thought because of Carter's size..last night my best friend gave me an idea and so I am going to check into a few other avenues...Carter needs a stroller at times but yet there are times he really doesnt want to be in a stroller...he is mr. independent but yet does tire at times. Another thing we are looking at purchasing Carter is a mini trampoline with a handle...for those of you who know Carter well, you know that Carter LOVES to jump...and he doesnt get the exercise that other 3 yr olds do because of his diagnosis...so Cody and I really think that this would be right up his alley. Academically there are some things we are wanting to get also to help him more with learning...Learning for Carter means lots of repetition. What is left we are going to keep up for him so we can get other things as he grows.
So, Shayla Bee showed up at our house last wednesday...how they showed up was very awesome! Our little town of Rembrandt was awakened by a clan of 20+ motorcycles! We could hear them coming as they pulled off of Hwy 71 onto the blacktop coming into town, it was SO exciting to hear all these motorcycles and know that they were all coming for OUR CARTER! Carter absolutely loved the motorcycles and also the "Bee" that greeted him! I was concerned that he wouldnt know that all the noise and excitement was for him, but I think he had a pretty good idea as everyone was looking at him!! He was happy and loved it all! Thank you Shayla Bee for your generous hearts..this memory will never fade and brings tears to my eyes when I think about how you blessed our Carter and Us. What a GREAT group of people!

Also, we went to Sioux Falls on the 19th and have the results back from Carter's Pediatric Endocrinology appt..his thyroid functions came back all normal, so no worries there...but we also got the growth hormone (IGF1 level) back- just yesterday-and his numbers were not in normal range..Normal range is 54-178 and his # was 23...So we take him back in 6 months and if the # is again consistently low, it is very likely that Carter will begin growth hormone treatment. It is kinda good news in my opinion...kinda explains alot and makes sense with Carter..he has a BIG belly, always has appeared younger, is shorter for his age, etc etc. My maternal instincts have told me for a while now that there is an underlying issue as far as Carter's growth goes..
Well, thats all for now! Thanks for reading!

Consuming Thoughts.

I am sitting alone in my kitchen in the quiet because Camden and Carter are both napping. Its nice to be in peace, but my head keeps thinking too much. As a Mom, it is natural to worry..As a mom of a special needs child, I worry even more. Carter brings me so much joy..That child is so special to me. I can't even begin to tell you just how special. I wanted him, even when I knew that he was maybe going to have problems, I WANTED him. He is such a blessing in my life and he has a PURPOSE. Some people may think that he doesnt know much, or that he doesnt always walk well..but that is not the case. Carter, if you would get to know him, could teach you more about life than some college professor. Carter has taught me to open my heart up to others, to love more. I never thought that I was close minded before Carter, but looking back- I was. Carter has taught me to never give up, to keep trying, to fight. Things have not come easily for him, but hes never stayed down after falling- he gets right back up. His personality is, let me try. Let me do it- on my own. But dont get me wrong, if he needs help- he will ask. Carter can be very passionate with the things he loves, ie: cars, swimming, walking. I have noticed how he studies things..He probably has 50 hotwheels and 1/2 of them he seems to know what they are...corvette (he says corbette), trailblazer, toyota, cadillac, etc etc. He can count to 20, he knows his ABC's...lately I have been pointing to many many different things asking, "whats that?", and 9 times out of 10 he knows...My son is learning...My son is amazing me...He is doing SO much more than the doctors once told me he would do. He is walking, he is talking, he is learning. And hes doing all of this while going thru surgeries here and there..6 surgeries for a 3 year old might not be a record breaker, but its a lot still. Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum and Hydrocephalus might he what his diagnosis is, but its not who he is.