HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

Well, I hope everyone had A Great Christmas and Happy New Year.
Just thought I would do a quick update, since I'm at work on New Year's Eve, saying my prayers that it stays uneventful.

We had a great Christmas,Joel actually got into Christmas this year and actually was unwrapping. He loved everything he got. He played with almost everything. Even if it was for just a few mins. One of his favorites were a big bag of duplo leggos. We had to hide them, so he could finish opening his presents.

We are still moving forward with things. Medically things are stable right now as far as his continuous tube feeds and the outpout from his little gut. "So far so good" this is our quote.

He is starting to eat more and more solid pureed foods and is exciting to watch.
He is in Occupation therapy and Speech therapy starting after the first of the year 2x's/week. We is really starting to babble and its nice to hear a few things come from him verbally.

We are finding out that he does have some normal developmental delays, which is to be expected. Especially as much as he has been in the hospital and under sedation.
They are also saying he is showing some signs of a learning disability.

We took him for a screening hearing test this last month and found out that he didn't pass. He passed completely in the left ear, but in the right ear it says deferred. So, Monday, January 3rd, we will be in Portland for a specialized hearing test. With once again, he will be sedated. Its a 2hour test that will actually show us how the brain and the ear are responding together, what sounds he is hearing and what frequencies he can or cannot hear.

It will be nice to officially now, and how we will attack this issue.

I know it seems like allot as I type this, just one more thing we have to deal with. But we are so blessed that he is no longer on the transplant list, and that he is becoming a normal rambunkhes little boy.

He is showing signs of wanting to be potty trained and he's decided he doesn't like pants on. He keeps taking both the diaper and the pants off multiple times a day.
I will post more next week for the results of his hearing test.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE and may 2011 be a yearh of Joy, change and good things to come!!!