If You Haven't Heard...

This is the reason I haven't been blogging much lately. I am 19 weeks now and feeling much better. Hopefully, I will get back into a routine and stop being so lazy.

The last edition to the Gappmayer Family due out January 2014.

Easton's Yard Sale (Part One)

I don't have any pictures from the yard sale (yet). My sister was the photographer for the day and I haven't had a chance to get the pictures from her, but I will. Let me just say, though, that it was a SMASHING success. From set up (at 4:30 am) until the last item was hauled off (at around 4 pm) everything went fairly smooth. It was great! We couldn't have done it without all the help of family and friends and strangers who donated time, items, talents, location (Orem Family Pharmacy was PERFECT!!!!) and everything else that I'm sure I don't even know about. Really, it was an amazing day! Thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, and THANKS!!!

Cuddle Bug

Easton is either a great sleeper or completely horrible. This night it was bad! In fact, so bad that I ditched out around 1 am because he had already been crying for three hours and I just couldn't take it anymore. I put him in his crib, shut the door, and walked away. By walked away, I mean I went downstairs and closed the door so I could only just barely hear him crying. Sad I know, but when you are only getting a couple hours of sleep at night you get pushed to your limit fast after a few nights.

This is what I found the next morning. Apparently, Eric had gone in to get him not long after I ditched out. They cuddled up in bed and slept the night through. You might not be able to tell, but East has Eric pushed all the way over to the edge of the bed so he is just barely hangin' on. I guess Easont just needs three fourths of a queen sized bed to get some good sleep. Love it!!!

Another PTTF Race

This past weekend Easton had another race with PTTF. It was a little different because they had help organizing it from a kid who was helping for his Eagle Scout Project. His name was Zach and he did a great job. We were really glad East could participate and have another great race experience.

Not too sure about not having Uncle Bill push him, but of course ended up LOVING it!

This was the most kids PTTF has ever had at one race. It was awesome to see so many racers.

Newspaper Story

Just wanted to share this awesome article that was in the Daily Herald on Wednesday. So grateful for the Brookside 2nd graders who are working so hard to help earn money for Easton's wheelchair. Click here to read the story.

Four Generations

We had the opportunity to get a four generation picture the other day. Grateful for these men and all they have done to bless our lives. Can I just tell you how much I love that Grandpa Great is holding Easton's little hand!?! Easton has found a special place in Grandpa Great's heart and vice verse. Love the memories we have been able to capture with these wonderful pictures!

Surrounded By Goodness

We as a family are surrounded by goodness! Amazing family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers have stepped up. So willing to help in our time of need. We have received such an outpouring of love and support that all we cannot even express how grateful and humbled we are. THANK YOU to all who have become involved in our Wheels For Eastie cause. Really, grateful and humbled are two of the best words I can think of to describe what has been happening in our home lately. We are surrounded by goodness!

Army Crawl(ish)

Easton is starting to army crawl a little bit more all the time. What was once none, turned into one arm pull, and has now become 3-5 arm pulls. He inevitably turns on to his back after awhile because, let's face it, it is easier and faster. But the fact that it has gotten better, even a little, just proves to me how much this kid can do. This day he has scooted all the way to the door then switched over on his tummy for the last foot or so just so he could see what he was doing. He was so close to getting outside, which was his ultimate goal, but Daddy just snapped a few pictures and put back  in the house.

Racer Boy

Thanks to the amazing, wonderful, fabulous organization, Push To The Finish, Easton got to run his first race of the season this morning and like last year, his Uncle Bill got to push him. He wasn't quite sure that he was going to enjoy it when we first got there, but after he got a blanket and his binki he was pretty happy to chill in his stroller and let Bill push him at his lightning fast pace. The course was super confusing and not too organized, so Easton and Bill ended up with just under 3 miles after a few wrong turns, but it was all good. We can't say enough good things about Michelle and Andrew (the PTTF organizers.) Go to there website and watch the Studio 5 bit. It is awesome!

Easton Learns To Nod

Just in the last week or so, Easton has started nodding. Most of the time it is pretty appropriate and meaningful. Not always, but more often then not. It is so exciting because it is adding one more way for him to communicate. He is such a smartie pants and I LOVE all the new things he is learning and that I get to be here to experience them as he is learning!

Wheels For Eastie

So for the last several months, Eric and I have been going back and forth on whether we would get Easton a power wheelchair or a manual one. A power chair wasn't even in our thought process until last summer when Easton's PT said that she felt like he would be both physically and mentally capable of handling one. AWESOME! I thought. Lets do it!!! Lets give this kid the most independence that we can.

 

A month or so ago I told his PT that we wanted to be able to pick up and pay for the chair in September and she told me that we had better start trying to get him qualified then. What?!? What does that mean? Well, in order for the insurance to approve and pay for their portion of a power wheelchair, a person (no matter the age) has to be able to show that they can operate it. Meaning, if I tell Easton to go left, he will go left or if I tell him to go to his room, he will navigate down the hall and into his room or he has to be able to go up and down the ramp that would let him in and out of the house. Makes sense, but COME ON! What two year old is going to be able to do that?

 

Insurances will only pay for a new wheelchair every five years so if we don't go with a power chair now we would have to wait until he is seven or eight before we could get a new one. So why not wait a couple of years until he qualifies? Well, for one he is getting hard to haul around. I think of myself as a pretty strong lady, but 25 pounds of dead weight can be alot after awhile. Also when he turns three next year he will start preschool with the school district and they STRONGLY recommend kids have a wheelchair for class. Kind of a Catch 22 situation.

 

Well, on Wednesday we got a loaner/practice wheelchair from the nice folks at Intermountain Wheelchair. We will hopefully be able to use it for the next few months to get Easton comfortable with the idea of a power wheelchair and also give him enough practice to qualify for one. We will have to videotape what he is doing and hope and PRAY that it will be enough to get him his own chair sooner rather than later.



Yard Sale

In either May or June we are planning on having a yard sale to raise money for Easton's wheelchair, a wheelchair van, and all other medical expenses that come up for him (therapies, hearing aides, etc.). If you have ANYTHING you would be willing to donate for us to sell please contact me and we can figure out a way to pick it up. Thanks so much for your love and support!

Hide And Seek With Daddy

Easton and Eric have come up with their own version of hide and seek lately. Easton thinks it is the best thing ever. He has fun trying to get to Eric as fast as he can. The scooting and rolling are his main mode of mobility. He has just started to army crawl a little more, which is what his PT prefers so we are really trying to encourage that. As long as he is moving though, I am happy and, more importantly, so is he.

He Loved His Birthday Food

For his birthday Easton got to eat mashed potatoes all by himself and he loved them. Most of them ended up on his face, the tray, or the floor, but it was all about the experience. He also couldn't get enough of his cupcake. He thought that was the best thing ever!

Happy Birthday Easton

I can't believe it, but my little guy is two today! How time flies. It seems only yesterday we were heading to the hospital. I can't say it enough how he has changed our lives for good in so many ways. He has brought more strength to our marriage, more patience to me as a mom, more love to us as a family, and more service in our home. I am so grateful to be his momma. He are some fun pictures from the past (ones that I love, but never posted cause there would be too many if I posted every picture I loved!)

He looked so cute with his little helmet. Glad that is in the past though.

One of my favorites. Easton loves his daddy and his daddy loves him.

When he is tired he will fall asleep even with a fun toy around.

No, he isn't sleeping here. I would say that 65-70% of the pictures I take of this kid his eyes are closed. I guess his eye reflexes are really fast! And this is the best day of bottle holding that we have ever had. Usually it is just propped with no hands involved.

He loves "big kid food". Most of the time it doesn't make it in his mouth, but he has a really good time trying.

Waiting for the PT at the pool. He could live in the pool if I would let him.

So funny to watch him eat with a spoon. It is all just practice and he makes a good mess of it.

First bath sitting up. He loved it almost as much as the pool.

We went to the store today to get some ice cream for his birthday. Usually I lay him down on a blanket in the cart, but he acted like he wanted to sit so we tried it. He was a CHAMP!!! He just kept smiling and laughing. I loved it so much I had to take pictures and I almost started crying. I am sure the other Maceys shoppers thought we were crazy! :)

Walking In The Walker

Until the last 2-3 months, Easton has not wanted to put any weight on his legs. If you were to hold him up in a standing position he would have crumbled back down. Lately, however, he has learned that he LOVES to stand. He likes being in a supported standing position because he can see things better, reach things more easily and whatever other reasons he has in that little mind of his. This walker is on loan to us from Kids Who Count (KWC). It is the third one we have tried out and by far our favorite. He only tolerates 15-20 minutes in it at a time, but that is way better than the 5 minutes in the first walker we tried. We will continue working on this with him in hopes that one day he will be able to walk around in it all the time on any kind of surface and then even beyond that be able to walk around without anything at all. :)

 

 

Some Of Our Angels

We have so many "angels" that are helping us all the time. Again I can't thank all of our family and friends enough for all that they do. I know I can call any number of people at any time and I would have the help I need. We are really blessed to come from the families we do and to have made so many GREAT, AMAZING friends in the few areas we have lived.

 

We also have been blessed to have therapy "angels". These ladies come into our home every week or a couple of times a month and have become family to us. We love them and could not do all the things that Easton needs without them. I know it is their "job", but I also know that for them it is more than that. They treat Easton and all of us like they are part of the family and we LOVE it!!! Thanks for all you do our therapy family!

 

Karen is Easton's Hearing Therapist. We work on
his listening skills and communication with her.

Kim is E's Physical Therapist. One week she
comes to our house to work with him and the
next we go to the pool for therapy. As you can
tell, Easton LOVES the pool!

Holly (on the left) is E's Equipment Specialist
(There is a better name, but I can't think of it!).
She is in charge of keeping track of all the
toys and equipment they lend us and also thinking
of new ones that would be good for E.
Mary (on the right) is his Occupational Therapist.
She works on feeding and fine motor skills with East.

Donna is Easton's Speech Therapist. We are working with
her on figuring out the best way for Easton to communicate.

Blue Eyes Like His Daddy

 I am always getting comments about Easton's beautiful blue eyes and I always tell people that he is lucky because he got them from his daddy. He does have beautiful blue eyes, but I think more than that is that his special sweet spirit SHINES through them and you can't help but notice.

Sleep? What's That???

Easton is a horrible sleeper. He has been for most of his life. I think we had a good couple months around 6-8 months, but it has been so long ago that I can't even remember for sure. I think he wakes up alot because he loses his bink and can't get it back in himself. So most of the time he just needs to be "re-binked" as we call it and he will go back to bed. Not too bad except he does this 2-5 times a night. I decided that most nights aren't good, but sometimes he has really bad nights where he will wake up and stay up. Yuck! He will sleep through the night if I spike his bedtime bottle with some Benadryl, but that is obviously not my first choice so I try to not do it much. I've always prayed for patience and this is something that has given it to me (or at least helped in this instance). How can I get mad at a cute little boy like Easton, even if I am going on 2 hours of sleep. (I know I am not alone in the lack of sleep category so just to let you know I am feeling for you!)

So Many People

We have an amazing support group. There are SO MANY PEOPLE who love and help us. Family, friends, therapist, doctors. We could not do most of the things we do without the help. I've come to accept that fact, but I still don't love accepting or asking for that help. Especially asking. I've told a couple friends lately that I feel like a charity case. Not because others are making me feel that way. I think just because I am CONSTANTLY asking for and receiving help and I am not giving much in return. I read an amazing talk from President Uchtdorf about being a grateful receiver and have been trying to use the principles I learned from it. I am so grateful for good people who surround us!

First And (Hopefully) Only Hospital Stay

Like I said in our family blog about Christmas 2012, none of us were feeling too hot. Easton had been sick starting Thursday nightish into Friday morning. Cough, congestion, not eating well, vomiting, fever, lethargic, etc. Poor kid! I was taking care of him the best I could while working, getting ready for Christmas and then getting sick myself. Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who is pretty smart. Tuesday and Wednesday night I has slept downstairs in our recliner so that I could kind of breathe and get a little sleep. Apparently, East slept okay Tuesday night, but Wednesday night he didn't do so hot. Bad enough that when I was able to drag myself upstairs Thursday morning the first thing that Eric said was that we needed to get Easton to the doctor. So I called and made an appointment. The earliest they could see him was 11am so we got ready and headed to Orem.

Yeah, Easton's pediatrician is in Orem. He started in Provo. Moved to SF/Payson and now is back up in Orem. I would find someone else, but he knows Easton so well and he knows me and I trust him so I HATE the thought of starting over with a new doctor. Thus, we drive to Orem to go to the doctor. I didn't trust myself to describe what had been going on with Easton over the last week so I asked my sister to watch the other kids so that Eric could be at the appointment with East and I. Good thing too, because he pretty much decided to send Easton to the hospital after just a quick glance. I probably would have just started crying had I been alone, but luckily I had my rock ERIC there to help me think things out.

We headed over to the Peds floor at UVRMC, where the started and IV, drew some blood, and sucked out some boogers for testing. Poor baby boy was so tired he didn't even put up much of a fight. They started an IV fluid bolus and then tapered them off after and hour or so. He also got a dose of antibiotics because he had a double ear infection. His temp spiked after a couple of hours and his oxygen dropped and he started breathing fast so the suctioned him out, gave him some ibuprofen and started him on some oxygen. Eric left eventually and got the other kids and took them home, while Easton and I settled in for a long night. He slept better than he had in a long time besides the nurses checking on him all the time and by the time he woke up in the morning he was a whole other kid. He was alert and talking and moving and SMILING and eating. It was so nice to see. We did fluids for a few more hours. His booger test came back positive for RSV and Influenza B so we made sure he did okay off the oxygen and by 5pm we were ready to go home. He has been a superstar since he has been home. You can tell each day he is feeling better and better. He is almost completely back to his old self. So GLAD!!!

Chapstick

With Easton being sick and not eating well, his poor little lips have been really dry. I have been putting chapstick on him constantly. The first few times were kind of weird because I kept thinking this might be something I have to do for him my whole life. Not that it is a bad thing, but it is just one of those things that I take for granted that I can do myself and that he may never be able to do. Let's hope I am wrong and one day he will be putting on his own chapstick.