life lately.

Let's see...where do I start? 

It's been so long since I've updated.  I've been battling "blogger's block"---I have not been able to put together a post to save my life.  Also, it doesn't help that the only hours I actually have time to sit and blog are late ones...and I usually just give up and go to sleep.

So, here goes nothing...

We had a very blessed and merry Christmas.  Our families are amazing and we had many Christmas celebrations to attend.  I feel like we were literally on a schedule from Wednesday-Saturday.  That is not easy to keep with two kids...2 & under.  But we survived and are so thankful for the time we were able to spend with our loved ones.  We were also proud to finally be able to bring Coy to all of our family functions.  It's so nice to see him play and have fun with other kids and interact with everyone.  Of course, we still have to be careful with him, but we know that living in a bubble is not possible nor fun. =) 

Coy has been doing amazingly well and seems to be growing up everyday.  He makes us laugh so much.  Santa brought him a Step2 Kitchen and I don't think he's stopped 'cooking' since.  He loves it and it's so much fun to watch.  He's always been a fan of pots/pans/bowls/kitchen utensils that I thought he would like it.

He is so smart...we are amazed at some of the things he does and understands.  He will follow our 'commands' and do what we ask of him (most of the time).  He's still not as verbal as we'd hope, but he's definitely making progress.  He seems to be learning new words/sounds every day or two.  He really is trying hard at speech, and I'm confident one day it'll click for him. 

He continues to attend ST once weekly, OT every other week, and PT monthly.  For a couple months now, his OT & PT have noticed a hesitancy to be on an 'uneven' surface, walk down stairs, etc.  I had noticed at the park he did not want to stand up on the higher surfaces.  It was as though he was afraid of heights.  This lead his therapist to question whether his eyes were functioning together...and whether his brain was accurately perceiving what he was seeing.  So, we were referred to a Vision therapist for further evaluation.

He's been twice to VT and we found out Coy's VOR (vestibulo-ocular reflex) on the vertical axis needs developing.  In other words, we need to be working with him to look at objects higher than his eye-level.  People without this reflex have difficulty with spacial awareness, i.e. they are off balance, stumble, fall often, have trouble reading, poor drivers.  On his 'bad days' Coy will walk with his arms out (he's trying to balance himself and find his center of gravity) and will trip and fall over things on the floor.  The degree of symptoms vary greatly on how he's feeling, if he's well rested, over stimulated, congested, etc---and most days he does just fine.  We will continue to see the VT once monthly for evaluations. 

Other than that, he's just a normal, energetic kid who loves to play.  He is so affectionate and sweet.  I think he gives me 10 kisses a day and his sister gets 20!  Oh, and daddy gets a few too!  We love it!

Cydney is our little 'Gerber' baby and I can't believe she's already 5 months old.  The time has flown by!  She is rolling over, laughing, cooing, smiling, and kinda prop sitting.  She weighs just over 15 lbs already and loves to eat.  I love her rolls and everything else about her.  She is the prettiest girl in the world to me and I can't believe how blessed we are to have her.  I look at her sometimes and just can't get enough.  It is almost still not real that we have her and God carried us through our incredible difficult pregnancy.  Blessed, we are. 

I can't think of anything else for now....I'm sure that's plenty to comprehend in one night anyway! =)  We still feel so blessed to have you all part of our lives! 

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to make a quick post and wish a Merry Christmas to all of you!  We are so thankful for all of our blessings this Christmas and are really cherishing this time together.  We hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas full of love, peace, and joy! 

Happy 2nd Birthday Baby Boy!

We can not believe our baby boy is now a toddler.  A two year old.  A happy and whole little man.

Two years ago today, we were told he would not be born alive.  At only 23 weeks, he would not survive.  It's hard to fathom the miracle that we have.  A little boy so full of life, it's hard to keep up with him.

What a joy he is to so many.  A loving son, grandson, big brother, nephew, cousin, and friend.  With always a smile on his face and kisses ready to give, he brightens the room wherever he is. 

We celebrate today with happiness and tears.  We are so thankful for the past two years.  He is more perfect than we could have ever dreamed.  A miracle among us, or so it seems. 

We thank you all for your part in our lives.  The support and prayer, love and care.  You are part of this story and we will never forget.  Humbled to the core that you love our little boy.

Forever we will know that our God is good.  That miracles exist and angels live.  What a reminder we have looking at Coy. 

A two year old today, but forever and always our baby boy. 

Happy Birthday Coy!  We love you so much baby boy!