The world's BEST Husband/Dad!

I am so proud to say that I have the world's best husband! It is so sweet to see him shower Andrew and me with love and affection. Here are just a few examples: 1) Today we fed Andrew his first bowl of cereal (photo above) and Curt had him eating like a pro! 2)If I ever can't get Andrew to eat (like when he came out of surgery and they would not let us go home till he did) all I have to do is give him to his father and he will eat. 3) My husband is so good at changing diapers! For those of you that have experienced a baby "BLOW OUT" you know what a mess they can be. Ten million wipes, one new diaper and one new outfit later you have a clean baby. 4) Curt is a morning person so when he is home he will take Andrew in the mornings and I get to sleep in (this has major bonus points for me cause I love sleep!!) 5) If you know my husband you know that he has nicknames for everyone, Andrew's is Scribbins and mine (this month) is Lovley. 6) He is a hard worker and provider for our family 7) He can always make me laugh! 8) He LOVES Jesus! Curt is passionate about his relationship with Christ and is an example of a godly husband and father for our family. Curt, thank you for all you do for our family, I LOVE YOU!

Andrews Brain

Is stable...we met with the neurologist today to discuss Andrew's progress and his most recent MRI. The MRI revealed pretty much what the Dr. had expected. The part of his brain that is affected is sandwiched between two healthy portions and it is possible that these will compensate for that which was lost. The small portion on the right side of his brain that showed damage on his first MRI didn't even show up! The doctor was well pleased with Andrew's progress. He said that he is further along than a lot of other kids he sees with similar experiences.

Questions we had for the doctor:

In light of his history and the most recent MRI, what are the chances of him 1: having further damage done to his brain? 2: future seizures?

1: Little to none
2: Higher than a normal kid...but less than 50%

What do we need to work on?

-Cognitive...Stimulate him as much as possible. Speech, etc are directly connected with this portion of the brain so we need to read and talk to him as much as possible.
-Physical, Occupational therapy. Work with his right arm and leg to ensure they develop properly

Will we ever know why this happened?

-no


Overall we are encouraged by the visit, thank you all for your continued prayers and support.

P.S. As I wrote this Andrew rolled over from his back to his tummy for the first time ever.

Into the Wild

Mandy and I recently enjoyed movie marathon night. The picture show I enjoyed most was “Into the wild”. I'd read about this kid Chris McCandliss and have been anticipating this movie for quite some time. Its been my experience that most things in life usually end up letting ya down. Not so here.

What I liked:

Chris renamed himself Alexander Supertramp, what a sweet nickname!

Supertramp’s reckless pursuit of truth

With the exception of his parents, the relationships he forged on his journey were full of humility, insight and grace. This reminds me of the one who is full of grace and truth.

The soundtrack

Notable Lines:

More than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth. (quoted from Thoreau)

Money makes people cautious

If we admit human life can be ruled by reason the possibility of life is destroyed.

...and a bunch of others

What I didn't really like:

They really beat up on Chris' parents, I don't know for sure but I have a feeling Sean Penn (director) embellished Chris' relationship with his folks...then again he did cut off all contact the last year or so of his life.

I could have done w/o all the nudity...but I guess thats how hippies roll.

If your into movies you can also read my friend Stephanie’s review of "Gone Baby Gone"

Hard Day Part 2

Today I broke just about every piece of yard equipment I own.

For a couple weeks now I have been unable to start my mower. (magnify the picture 1000x and you can read GTS-Guaranteed to Start written next to TORO) This morning I was tinkering with the carburetor (like I have any idea how it works or what might be wrong). As im loosening what appears to be an important bolt/valve/piece, it shears off completely. So I have taken a bad situation and made it worse. Sweet.



I figure at least I can weed-wack, then I will borrow my buddies mower. I go out to the shed to get the string trimmer. Im greeted there by a maggot infested rat and its awful stench. After fighting back vomit chunks and poking around some more, I find his half decomposed brother nestled into my jeep soft top. Apparently before they died, the two of them thought it would be a good idea to chew holes in it.

I clean out the shed and get to work with the string trimmer. About half way through the front yard, it inexplicably stops working...ok???

Well at least my hedge trimmer still works. Maybe I can at get something done after all...As I am trimming the overgrown hedges in my front yard, I accidentally sever the only extension cord I own. Oops...It gets better. When I unplug the the cord, somehow it tears male end of the trimmer's plug completely out...trashed.






Thankfully, my neighbor friend let me borrow his nearly new mower..i didnt feel so bad when the little flap that keeps the grass from flying everywhere broke off. Apparently it was already busted.

Hard Day

Andrew went in today for scheduled surgery to repair a minor birth defect on his pee pee. As any dude will tell you, there is no such thing as minor surgery when it comes to that part of the male anatomy. He has been in tremendous pain and discomfort all afternoon which has been difficult for all involved. For those who pray, please do so that he may have a speedy recovery.

He also had a follow-up MRI. I will post updates as they come available.

Curt