22.75 months

The big news of the month is that Mad gained 1lb 4oz, and 5/8 inches

in the past 30 days!!!!

This is huge for him, and ironically enough he did it without the growth hormones that we have been waiting all month to get. I don't think he has ever gained so much so quickly, at least not in the past year. We recently started whole milk and carnation instant breakfast for his food and have gone up from 900 cal/day to 1100 cal/day. Apparently it is working. Our theory that the vomiting and retching is mostly in his head and due to his sensory issues seems to be correct, as changing him over from formula with all the proteins broken down to normal cow's milk, has not caused any increase or change in the throwing up. It has also made Jeff and I feel like we have won the lottery -the current food being SO MUCH CHEAPER!!

Maddox has gotten over his fear of grass, and can now be found running around outside with the big kids. He is always on the go and is always saying, "GO!! GO!!" He loves getting in the car to go somewhere or just making a run for it every time the front door is opened. He goes to bed late, wakes up early and aside from the two hour nap he usually takes (on the floor wherever he drops) he is going, going, going. Yes, he won't nap in his bed anymore so we've gotten in the bad habit of just letting him go to sleep wherever his narcoleptic tendency kicks in. Seriously this kid is out in half a second, mid-conversation with you. It is kind of funny. He has fallen asleep on the tile floor many a time, but he typically sleeps on the floor in the family room regardless of the noise and children hopping over him. Crazy kid.

Maddox is really into Spider Man right now and walks around trying to sing the theme song. He asks for his spider man toy by name and is thrilled when he finds the Spider Man coloring book, or pieces to the super hero memory game. He's a big fan of the man who "does whatever a spider can." He also loves Sheriff Woody. We have two, and he is sure to tell anyone who tries to play with one whose it is. "MINE!" The kid is not very good at sharing...yet. He loves cars and balls and legos, though he is always pulling off the lego men's heads. Typical boy.

We had a cardiology appointment yesterday and Maddox was very pleasant. It was a new experience. He was still and quiet through is echo(he was watching a movie) and let Dr. Allender and Nurse Melynda hold him and even gave Dr. Allender a kiss on the cheek. We learned that heart surgery is a definite in the next year. We knew it was coming, but it definitely gave me a reality check. I want to be optimistic and say that Mad will fly through this next surgery like a champ and we'll be home in two weeks and return to our happy normal lives. This is definitely possible, but I've seen too much to think that it is the norm. I am nervous and honestly broken- hearted when I think about being separated from the kids and Jeff for any length of time. I honestly think that first year has scarred me in ways that I don't care to admit and I worry about going through it again and stressing about the ways it affects the other kids. Oh well. It's not something I have much control over, so I guess we'll worry about it as it gets closer.

Maddox and I are heading to Boston in October for a few days for some follow-up appointments, which is great timing given our current timeline for surgery. I am excited to get their view of things and to have his doctors there see him. We are going right before his 2nd birthday so that we only have to pay for one ticket. Somehow it always seems to come down to money. You'd think we'd be over that by now. haha! Maddox and I will be riding the subway and walking and pretending to fit in in Boston. I'm excited to be in the northeast for such a beautiful time of year, especially after the intense summer we have had in Texas this year. Maddox and I will likely freeze, but maybe I'll just have to go shopping to make sure we are outfitted for the nice cool weather!

Maddox is a joy to have in our family. I tease that he is a punk and he is, but he HAS to be feisty and determined to survive, so I can't blame him. He has such a fun and happy personality and deals with the less pleasant things very well. I admire this little man and his fighting yet loving spirit. He is a wonderful example to our family and I couldn't be more proud of him.