Back to School

Back to school time... and we've got a brand new schedule here. Brady is going every day but Wednesday, full days, plus taking the bus! We're only on Week Two of this, but it has been a huge blessing. They also plan on phasing in Wednesday mornings and eventually bringing him in all day Wednesday by the end of the year. He only has one more year of preschool after this one, then he will be moving on to kindergarten.

Brady spends half the day in the classroom, the other half in the Learning Center, where they work on ABA type therapies and other therapies needed for his development. He is doing fabulous, not being completely wiped out all day, but coming home eating huge amounts of snacks and crashing by 8.

The school has noticed huge strides in his abilities. I see it everyday, just in his interest level and his thirst for being on the move, climbing, exploring... who knew how bored he was before??

We went to an Augmentative Communication Clinic last week -- this is our third time going and I love the info we receive there. They try different modes of communication, from pictures to switches to computer programs. I get a very detailed recommendation packet from them upon which I will go over with the preschool. Some of the items -- switches PEC system -- the school already uses. They are very excited to hear about the suggestions and always find ways to incorporate them into his schooling.

Summer days 2009

It seems like we have a new child who lives with us. Who would have thought that a little open heart surgery would bring out this energetic, seemingly understanding our words, jokester. But it has happened - every day we are marvelled at Brady's new found freedom on getting about the house, eating more and interesting foods, and cracking himself and us over little sideways looks and get-away tactics. And that is what, in a nutshell, we've been doing this summer.

Summer at the preschool was fabulous - Brady bonded with everyone, but most especially with the director's son who took it upon himself to be Brady's best buddy as his teacher. Every morning there would be water play before the kids would move inside for snack, but outside was definitely Brady's favorite time. A water-baby he certainly is, as has been tested all this week since we've been on vacation in Maine. Even now, we are heading out to the beach and water park, which is only a concrete slab of spritzers and sprayers, but where we spent over an hour as Brady led us around from one spray to the next, dousing his head under the showers.

Yes, led us - we are working more and more actively on walking --holding two hands, holding one hand-- as he tries to balance himself. His biggest obstacle is that he is trying to walk so quickly he is off-kilter and looks like a drunk at two in the morning. Using the walker he zooms by so fast he doesn't have to worry about that. But now, although he realizes how advantageous it is to walk unassisted, he is realizing he might have to slow down. Even though the boy doesn't talk, be assured I know he is none to pleased about that.

We are excited to be starting school in another week. Brady will be going four long days AND take the bus... oh my! We're even more excited that his WS friend Lucien will be in his class - how can we get any luckier than that?? We have always been blessed to have so many friends in the area, including his friends Coleman and Clare only a hop-skip-and-a-jump away, but to actually have them go to school together will be terrific.

The little man is climbing on the back of the couch to the air conditioner right now... time to get going to the beach....

Welcome to the Club

I will post Brady's Walk photos and results in a few days, along with a little speech I said at the After Party.

In the meantime, I wanted to post an amazing letter a fellow WS mommy and dear friend Laura recently wrote. This is how it is.

My dear friend, I am so sorry for your pain.

Don’t worry; no one else sees it, I promise. To the rest of the world, you’re fine. But when you’ve been there, you can’t miss it.

I see it in your eyes. That awful, combustible mixture of heart-wrenching pain and abject fear. God, I remember the fear.

I see it in the weight of that invisible cloak that you wear. I remember the coarseness of its fabric on my skin. Like raw wool in the middle of the desert. You see, it was mine for a time.

I never would have wanted to pass it on to you, my love. I remember so well suffocating under the weight of it, struggling for breath, fighting to throw it off while wrapping myself in its awful warmth, clutching its worn edges for dear life.

I know that it feels like it’s permanent, fixed. But one day down the line you will wake up and find that you’ve left it next to the bed. Eventually, you’ll hang it in the closet. You’ll visit it now and then. You’ll try it on for size. You’ll run your fingers over the fabric and remember when you lived in it, when it was constant, when you couldn’t take it off and leave it behind. But soon days will go by before you wear it again, then weeks, then months.

I know you are staring down what looks an impossibly steep learning curve. I know it looks like an immovable mountain. It is not. I know you don’t believe me, but step by step you will climb until suddenly, without warning, you will look down. You will see how far you’ve come. You’ll breathe. I promise. You might even be able to take in the view.

You will doubt yourself. You won’t trust your instincts right away. You will be afraid that you don’t have the capacity to be what your baby will need you to be. Worse, you’ll think that you don’t even know what she needs you to be. You do. I promise. You will.

When you became a mother, you held that tiny baby girl in your arms and in an instant, she filled your heart. You were overwhelmed with love. The kind of love you never expected. The kind that knocks the wind out of you. The kind of all encompassing love that you think couldn’t possibly leave room for any other. But it did.

When your son was born, you looked into those big eyes and he crawled right into your heart. He made room for himself, didn’t he? He carved out a space all his own. Suddenly your heart was just bigger. And then again when your youngest was born. She made herself right at home there too.

That’s how it happens. When you need capacity you find it. Your heart expands. It just does. It’s elastic. I promise.You are so much stronger than you think you are. Trust me. I know you. Hell, I am you.

You will find people in your life who get it and some that don’t. You’ll find some that want to get it and some that never will. You’ll find a closeness with people you never thought you had anything in common with. You’ll find comfort and relief with friends who speak your new language. You’ll find your village.

You’ll change. One day you’ll notice a shift. You’ll realize that certain words have dropped out of your lexicon. The ones you hadn’t ever thought could be hurtful ...Dude, that's retarded... Never again. You won’t laugh at vulnerability. You’ll see the world through a lens of sensitivity. The people around you will notice. You’ll change them too.

You will learn to ask for help. You’ll have to. It won’t be easy. You’ll forget sometimes. Life will remind you.

You will read more than you can process. You’ll buy books that you can’t handle reading. You’ll feel guilty that they’re sitting by the side of the bed unopened. Take small bites. The information isn’t going anywhere. Let your heart heal. It will. Breathe. You can.

You will blame yourself. You’ll think you missed signs you should have seen. You’ll be convinced that you should have known. That you should have somehow gotten help earlier. You couldn’t have known. Don’t let yourself live there for long.

You will dig deep and find reserves of energy you never would have believed you had. You will run on adrenaline and crash into dreamless sleep. But you will come through it. I swear, you will. You will find a rhythm.

You will neglect yourself. You will suddenly realize that you haven’t stopped moving. You’ve missed the gym. You’ve taken care of everyone but you. You will forget how important it is to take care of yourself. Listen to me. If you hear nothing else, hear this. You MUST take care of yourself. You are no use to anyone unless you are healthy. I mean that holistically, my friend. HEALTHY. Nourished, rested, soul-fed. Your children deserve that example.

A friend will force you to take a walk. You will go outside. You will look at the sky. Follow the clouds upward. Try to find where they end. You’ll need that. You’ll need the air. You’ll need to remember how small we all really are.

You will question your faith. Or find it. Maybe both.You will never, ever take progress for granted. Every milestone met, no matter what the timing, will be cause for celebration. Every baby step will be a quantum leap. You will find the people who understand that. You will revel in their support and love and shared excitement.

You will encounter people who care for your child in ways that restore your faith in humanity. You will cherish the teachers and therapists and caregivers who see past your child’s challenges and who truly understand her strengths. They will feel like family.

You will examine and re-examine every one of your own insecurities. You will recognize some of your child’s challenges as your own. You will get to know yourself as you get to know your child. You will look to the tools you have used to mitigate your own challenges. You will share them. You will both be better for it.

You will come to understand that there are gifts in all of this. Tolerance, compassion, understanding. Precious, life altering gifts.You will worry about your other children. You will feel like you’re not giving them enough time. You will find the time. Yes, you will. No, really. You will. You will discover that the time that means something to them is not big. It’s not a trip to the circus. It doesn’t involve planning. It’s free. You will forget the dog and pony shows. Instead, you will find fifteen minutes before bed. You will close the door. You will sit on the floor. You’ll play Barbies with your daughter or Legos with your son (or vice versa). You’ll talk. You’ll listen. You’ll listen some more. You’ll start to believe they’ll be OK. And they will. You will be a better parent for all of it.

You will find the tools that you need. You will take bits and pieces of different theories and practices. You’ll talk to parents and doctors and therapists. You’ll take something from each of them. You’ll even find value in those you don’t agree with at all. Sometimes the most. From the scraps that you gather, you will start to build your child’s quilt. A little of this, a little of that, a lot of love.

You will speak hesitantly at first, but you’ll find your voice. You will come to see that no one knows your child better than you do. You will respectfully listen to the experts in each field. You will value their experience and their knowledge. But you will ultimately remember that while they are the experts in science, you are the expert in your child.

You will think you can’t handle it. You will be wrong.

This is not an easy road, but its rewards are tremendous. It’s joys are the very sweetest of life’s nectar. You will drink them in and taste and smell and feel every last drop of them.

You will be OK.

You will help your sweet child be far better than OK. You will show them boundless love. They will know that they are accepted and cherished and celebrated for every last morsel of who they are. They will know that their Mama is there at every turn. They will believe in themselves as you believe in them. They will astound you. Over and over and over again. They will teach you far more than you teach them. They will fly.

You will be OK.

And I will be here for you. Every step of the way.

With much love....

Brady's Walk 2009

On Sunday, April 26, at 1 p.m. the third annual Brady’s Walk 2009 will be held at D.W. Field Park in Brockton to raise money for the Williams Syndrome Association New England Region.

As many of you know, my son Brady, was born in October 2005 with this genetic condition that affects 1 in every 7,500 births which causes physical and cognitive disabilities. The money raised will go to the Williams Syndrome Association (http://www.williams-syndrome.org/). This organization is pinnacle in aiding research efforts, WS education, and bridging a community of support and friendship. This Fall, the WSA will be holding the first-ever Regional Conference to help families in all aspects touched by this syndrome - medical, social, behavioral. We are excited to help bring this conference into being!

Brady is now three-and-a-half years old and has been on fire! In October he started preschool at the Bellingham Early Childhood Program four mornings a week, where he also has all his therapies. He is thriving at this school he loves, having fun with friends and at the water table, his favorite. He is using his posterior walker to get around, and is practically racing in it -- we are hoping that he will soon just start walking without it.

Health-wise, this has been a positive year. Brady had open heart surgery in February where he and I camped out at Children's Hospital for 10 days. Thanks to all of you for your prayers, visits and gifts... as scary as the situation was, it was well worth it -- as just spending one afternoon with him NOW can attest to! The surgery has done wonders for his energy level and aptitude. He doesn't slow down, cruising around and talking up a storm. It seems there is a light on the horizon now, as his development keeps moving forward at a great speed.

If you would like to join us in the Walk, please do! Last year we had over 85 adults and children (and two dogs!) participate, by walking, scooting and bike riding. We've seen the walk grow every year, both in numbers and in the size of the check we are able to donate to the WSA. We also have some fabulous raffle prizes this year, generously donated... a couple of nice surprises!

Donations for Walkers are $5 for a child, $10 for an Adult, or $25 for a Family. Attached is a pledge sheet if you would like to get additional sponsors. (Checks are to be made out to WSA.) Please let me know if you are walking, so I can order your t-shirt and send you information for the day. You'll also get details about the After Party, always fabulous with food, entertainment and fun!

If you aren't able to come but would like to donate, please email me and I will let you know the address. Checks are to be made out to WSA. If you would like to donate a raffle prize, please email me at farrell4503@comcast.net.

Thanks in advance!
Kerry Farrell

Brady's Walk 2009!

Sunday, April 26... same place, DW Fields Park, Brockton. Time will probably be 1 pm - I just need to coordinate with my partner in crime! More details to follow~

Back in the saddle again

It's been a whirlwind since coming home from the hospital. Brady has taken off like a rocket and I am amazed at how different he is.

When we came home from the hospital that Tuesday night he was off crawling around, cruising... I had to call the nurse's station to make sure it was okay. They said whatever he was doing himself was fine, he wouldn't push himself to get hurt -- but I was amazed at this kid and his obvious forgetfulness over having open heart surgery just a week earlier. And he didn't slow down. His energy level was one thing --quickly crawling around, cruising more, jumping in bed every morning when I walked in to get him up-- but the other was his intent. Now you can see he has his eye on something and is going for it. Two minutes out of my eyesight the other day got him three-quarters up the basement stairs. Not moving the dog food bowl quick enough gets the food spread out all over the kitchen floor. Little, typical things that every two-year-old does that Brady is finally doing at three.

Being feisty has been a real interesting aspect as well. His squirming and quickness made it especially hard to pick him up, especially since I couldn't pick him up under his arms until two days ago. We started back at school last week, where they noticed an instant improvement. They were happy to report how opinionated he has become - a sure sign of development. Of course, that excitement will probably begin to wane and we'll have to start some behavior modification, I am sure!

Health-wise, Brady only lost a few ounces, which was amazing. His eating has improved. His recovery with his incision was remarkably quick. He has a different look on his face, he smiles more easily and readily. It actually frustrates me in one aspect, because I am wondering how he felt before the surgery -- he has a more relaxed look about him now. I have never been so aggravated over his non-ability to converse with me. What I wouldn't give for just a simple, "I feel great, mom!"

(You'll note in these pictures Brady is actually doing SOMETHING... very little laying around now... he's outta here!!)

Almost Over

It's Sunday night and we're on the countdown for home. It looks like it'll be tomorrow or Tuesday, depending on when Brady will start drinking more on his own. He has had fluids the past few nights because he is drinking minimally, although he started eating better today. I really don't want to go home until I know he is not going to dehydrate.

Even as I type this, Brady is rolling over on his stomach, pulling into sitting position. He will probably pull himself up and stand against the crib rail. He did this a few times today and scared the daylights out of me. He looks great though!

I am a little nervous about going home -- how do you keep a three year old in one place?? I have been told that whatever he does on his own is fine, although he's not supposed to crawl. Yeah, right! This is going to be an interesting six weeks. Plus I can't pick him up under his arms - which is basically how I always pick him up. He's gone and gained all this weight, and now I have to pick him up like a baby, under his head and bum. Not TOO hard! Of course how can I complain... almost done!

Day Five

Today was a little more exciting. Brady has had a couple days of chest PT, where they banged on his back to loosen up the junk in his chest. It's done wonders and he sounds clearer each day. He had a temp - only around 100 degrees - that they think came from all the mucus, since his white cell count they had done in the labs this morning came back fine. But for a few hours we were watching his temp and making sure it didn't go up.

Eating wise he started off great - ate a whole yogurt mid morning - but never dove into the apple juice that was offered. Finally, during the evening I used my brain and warmed milk for him. So far he has taken 10 ounces. I think tomorrow will be a better day. We're also going to take him for a ride around the floor - -woo hoo! Tom will bring Michael up after the Pinewood Derby, which is great since I haven't seen him since early Monday morning. Can't wait!

Day Four

Cardiologist: Well, after his echo and we see how well he eats, he can go home tomorrow.


Me: WHAT?!?!?!?

Cardiologist: (smiling) Well, only if you're comfortable.

Me: Yeah - ummm... we're not going anywhere.

Yeah - we have open heart surgery on a child with Williams Syndrome and a dehydration issue and you suggest you go home without eating or drinking successfully for a few days? You better smile, doc!

To be fair, the cardiologist suggested this before he realized he wasn't eating or drinking. Once he realized that, his tune changed. Brady in general is doing better, he just needs to get off the fluids and start eating and drinking more. They put him on fluids at night to keep him hydrated, but we try to encourage drinking by mouth during the day.

He had his echo which showed that "you could drive a truck through his aorta, not that you'd want to do that," his doctor comically told us. When the tech did the echo she had to use a red iodine to prevent an infection -- it looked like a bloody mess, which I accurately scared my mother with when she came back in the room. Hey, when you're in the hospital for five days you need a little comical relief. :)

But what the echo showed was fabulous: the SVAS is completely gone -- how strange is that?? The pulmonary stenosis is still there, very mild and slowly lessening, but will be followed by echo, of course. It also showed that there is a little aortic leaking -- which I don't understand but apparently is common and not a big deal. Really?? It seems a little freaky to me, but I'll go with it.

We had a lot of visitors today; Kathleen and Cooper came over, along with Grandma, Josh, Pa, Doris and Amy. Teresa and baby Violet came which was extra special so I could meet the newest little one. She's so tiny -- Teresa kept reminding me "She's only three weeks, Kerry!" but she made Brady look so big - not an easy feat!

Day Three

It's hard to believe that only two days ago Brady had open heart surgery. He's not jumping around or eating much, but today they took out his lead wires to his heart and took him off oxygen, as well as started to give him his pain meds orally instead of through an IV. They were set to take off his IV, but since he only drank a couple of ounces and ate half a pudding, they decided to give him fluids to keep him hydrated.

Brady is still mostly sleeping, getting a bit agitated right at the time when he is due for pain meds, so he is far from 100 percent, but slowly and surely he is making amends. The bandage covering his stitches came off today, which is a bit scary to see. There is a small bandage covering his bottom stitches they needed to reopen yesterday, and I'm already starting to hear the rules that will follow us home - no lotions or powders on the stitch site for months, no picking him up from under his arms for weeks and weeks... I think this will be an interesting set of rules we will be bringing home.

Tonight Nance and Stef came by with buffalo wings- yum! It was a fabulous treat during these long days. Grandma came again today with yet another present for the patient, of course :)

Day Two

Mr. Brady is sleeping. We are in our room on the cardiac wing, sharing with a one-month-old little girl who will have heart surgery on Thursday.

Today has been a long one. It started off good - they took out the breathing and feeding tubes around 4 a.m., with little crying from Brady, and then he went right back to sleep. His morning was uneventful, mostly sleeping. Late morning they attempted to take out the chest tube - usually the nurse can just pull it out and tie off the small stitch. His did not pull out. The attending surgical consult could not take it out either, so they contacted Brady's surgeon and he came up to check on him.

After deliberating, they decided they needed to undo his bottom three stitches and take out the chest tube that way. This would mean intubating Brady again and giving him sedatives. The whole procedure took little time with great success. Since he was sedated, they planned on keeping him intubated for a few hours, then, as he woke up they would excabate him.

Well- Brady apparently didn't hear that plan! Something common with three-year-olds is manipulating the tube with their mouth and tongue. This is what Brady did, thus knocking his tube out of the trachea. They had to excabate him and manually gave him oxygen while they determined if he was able to breathe on his own or if they needed to intubate him for the third time in the day. After watching him for about 10 minutes, they could see he was breathing on his own so they didn't need to do it again. Phew!

After a nap-filled afternoon, Brady moved into his room at 7 p.m. He has had about three ounces of apple juice and still sleeping. In the morning they will take him off the oxygen. Grandma was here all day (thank you!!) and Grandpa came too, which was great. I'm wondering how much energy this little rugrat is storing up that we will see tomorrow. :)

Day One

It's been a long day. Not going to bed til 2ish, getting up at 4:45, a little catnap around 10... I am ready to drop. I am sitting on a bed at the Best Western next to Children's, hoping to get more sleep that if I was laying on the little bench behind Brady's twelve beeping machines. Completely zonked until tomorrow, the little boy doesn't even realize that I am gone, which is of course the only reason why I am here, and not there.

The day started pretty well - not too much traffic driving in, then Brady crashed pretty quickly on the sedative they gave him. By 7:45ish he was whisked off to be prepped. By 9:25 they had made their first incision. Not too long later he was on the bypass machine, then at 10:50 the surgeon was walking out to meet us. Things had gone very smoothly to repair Brady's supravalvular aortic stenosis. They also removed a flap that was over the coronary artery, which, apparently, is common with WS kids. And since they were hanging out around the heart anyway, they repaired his little VSD.

He's been pretty much plowed since then; in fact they decided a short time ago to wait to excabate him until tomorrow so he can continue to be sedated. The docs like their patients to be awake to be excabated, but then they would have sedated him again to rest and they didn't want to put him through that back and forth. Brady tends NOT just lay down and chill out, so I think it is a good plan.

So here I sit, with a borrowed laptop (Thanks, Lisa K!!) and a help figuring it out how to work it (Thanks Lisa R.!). I will be able to keep up with everyone over the next week while we are here. Thanks especially to Nanci for all the advice- I am using it all!! And once again, thanks to everyone for their prayers, gifts, Michael-sitting, and dinners... I know the BEST people!

Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the big day - open heart surgery for Brady. We need to get to Children's by 6:30 a.m. and they will start the sedative and be ready by 7:30... wow!

Pre-op went well. He still has a runny nose, but no fever. His white blood cell count was high, but they said it was probably because he had been fighting the virus. As long as he doesn't have a fever, we are good to go.

I have had so many good wishes and prayers, gifts and food come my way -- THANK YOU ALL!! It is a relief to to worry about anything at home, it is all taken care of. Brady is on about five church prayer lists, plus Tom's father's cousin's nunnery - can't beat them! They've got the closest conversations to The Big Man!

I will have a laptop (again, another generous friend) so I will update while I am hospital bound. I will also be on Facebook too.

Thanks again to ALL of you!! Talk soon~~

Random Thoughts

The countdown is on - less than a week now until Brady's surgery next Monday. Funny, time doesn't stop for you to catch up and get everything done when there is something big on the horizon. Luckily, I have had numerous friends and family offer their help in terms of watching Michael, the dog and feeding Tom, and I appreciate them ALL ... I'm taking people up on them as well! Heck, I'm even asking people who didn't offer just because it made sense depending on timing and the fact that Michael wants to play with their child. :) Shy? Nope, not me!

Brady got a runny nose this past week, so I kept him out of school earlier than I planned, but I was able to bring him in so he could pass out his Valentines on Tuesday. He had gone to his FIRST non-relative/non-Mom's friend birthday party from a girl in his class a few weeks ago. He had gone barreling in to the play area with his walker and the kids were all, "Brady! Brady! Brady!" Once they entered the bouncy-filled room, they quickly sped off, but for the first 15 minutes he was the center of attention. :) It was fabulous!

I was lucky enough to see Teresa, pre-Violet's entrance into the world, and meet another WS mom, Tammy. Her son is the same age as Brady and their issues are very similar, so it was great to compare notes and get some advice. I am so glad I got to spend time with them, especially since I missed the January meeting of the WS moms at Laura's (due to trying to get everything done and poor timing) and sickness has kept away Coleman's and Lucien's families.

I am getting a lot of helpful advice from other WS moms whose children have gone through heart operations, and it has been such a blessing. I've been asked if I am nervous, but I honestly haven't had time to think about being nervous. I plan on staying with Brady at the hospital, which means an 8-10 day stay, so trying to get everything organized and done before I take off is all I have been doing. I am borrowing a laptop so I can keep the updates going and continue my ever-growing obsession on Facebook. :)

Amidst all this, we have also had some hard times. My Aunt Sadie passed away on February 1, and it's so hard to think she is no longer with us. She is in our prayers, and I know she is looking out for Brady as well.

I am confident this surgery will do wonders for my little man... I think he will really take off once he has the energy. He already has the drive, it is obvious just keeping him home these past few days. With no fever, no aches, just a runny nose, he was definitely going full speed. How is he going to top this?? I can't wait to see!

Woo hoo!

Even with Brady's sickness for two weeks, he gained SIX OUNCES this past month - he is now at 22 lbs. 1 oz. I was certain he would have lost... man, I wonder how much he would have gained had he not been sick?

I beat him, of course - I gained back all my sickness weight lost :) Oh well....

Kids Bunco

Once a month a group of overtired, kid-free, husband-free, anxiously-going-out mothers gather to play Bunco, a fun dice game that you need not pay too much attention to play. This is great so that we can chat, eat and drink and still play - I highly recommend it to everyone!

One mother suggested getting the kids together for a Bunco night of their own, since many times they are trying to sneak in to play at ours. Everyone turned in $5 and the kids played for dollar-store type prizes. They had a blast.

The mother who organized it suggested giving the $60 raised to the WSA in Brady's name. She is always present at Brady's Walks and visited us in the hospital when Brady was born. Her daughter is just a month younger than Brady and was his first playdate at two months old :)

Thanks, to everyone who came to Kids Bunco and supporting the WSA - and thanks to Shari for putting it all together!

Surgery Update

Brady's surgery has been slated for Monday, February 9; plus we get the added bonus of spending all day Friday, February 6 at the hospital (7:30 a.m. start time!) for pre-op. I also added a Genetics appointment for that day, switched it from January since we were going to be there anyway.

I have to call the cardiologist and ask him a few questions, because I am being asked questions I don't have the answer to! It was a surgery we knew was going to happen, he told us we were having it, so I was all set. We got our summary letter he always sends and there's a few more things they are "concerned" about that I don't recall talking about... or perhaps we did.... even with my mother there it's all info way over my head. Brady has his weight check on Wednesday so I may even ask her a few questions.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! It has been a whirlwind this past month, as I am sure it has been for everyone else. On top of our regular holiday activities, Brady set off a week of sickness beginning Christmas Eve that spread to everyone in our house, plus my parents, my sister, my brother, my father-in-law, two of my sister-in-laws, and my brother-in-law. Now, while we can't be certain that Brady was the original culprit (it IS December in New England, germs are everywhere!) there is a lot of finger pointing at the two-and-a-half foot tall cutie. Everyone is on the mend now, and after going a little cabin fever we are moving into the new year with open arms.

We're always talking about what to give the kids for gifts - I have to say we did well with Brady this year. He didn't need a lot of clothes, but he did get a few outfits that are adorable and pajamas and socks that he did need. He received music CDs and a Veggie Tales Silly Songs DVD that is a hit (with Michael too - he loves "Oh where, is my hairbrush?"). He received Pampers, wipes, Easie Eaters (bent forks and spoons so he can feed himself easier), a few toys but nothing insane. A new backpack for school. The Wiggles toy car (see in pic), a wave drum (loves!), puzzles with big handles (by Melissa & Doug - found cheapest at AC Moore) a music table, a new swing for the swingset and a trampoline that we played with at the WSA Christmas party that he LOVED. Tom did not love putting it together, but I know Brady will love it and it will be good for him.

A friend and I were discussing how Christmas was pared down this year with the economy the way it is and all. She noted that she gave her son just a couple of the items on his list and he was extremely pleased with them and didn't mind that he didn't get the entire list. She said, "I realized right then that we've been doing too much; he was happy with what he got." Something to remember and stick too, even if the economy turns around. I am sure that we're all being taught a lesson by someone above because it seems we all seem to overkill. I think I have a good head on my shoulders, but I know places where we can cut back that would be good for our minds, never mind our wallet.

OK, soapbox #1 is over! Here's a toast to my fellow WS moms and friends out there to a fabulous and healthy New Year -- clink, clink!