The Terrible Ones??

Someone please tell me that there is such a thing! While Reece is so sweet and so precious, he can have his share of tantrums and bad attitudes, already at 13 months old! One example of our struggles is his constant obsession with watching food drop on the floor. Whatever finger food I give him, whether he likes it or not, has to be dropped on the floor and watched with great intent from his highchair. What really scares me is when we tell him "no" and even pop his little hand, he just looks at us, smiles that mischievous little smile, and drops some more food on the floor. Help! He knows what we are saying, but it's like a test to see what we'll say or do if he does it just one more time. Again...13 months old. Another example is his newfound independence with brushing his teeth. I've been brushing his teeth for a while now, and he absolutely loves it. However, over the past couple of weeks, he has discovered that he can hold the toothbrush all by himself. Very cute at first, but me being as OCD as I am, I freak out because his teeth are not getting properly "scrubbed." I've tried letting him hold the toothbrush while I move his hand back and forth, but he jerks his hand away. I've tried to "take turns" by agreeing to let him to the rinse scrub if I can do the first scrub, but he absolutely insists to do it all by himself. Oh my! I start and end my day by playing tug-of-war with a koala bear toothbrush. Maybe he's just getting it all out of his system before he does turn 2... Hey, I can dream can't I?

So what are some new "cute" things Reece is doing now? Well, we have learned "uh-oh" and "thank you." Maybe not the actual words, but the same sing-song voice Nick and I use when we say them. Very, very cute stuff! He has eaten both jelly sandwiches and grilled cheese sandwiches this week and did not gag or refuse them! Hooray!! He also has developed a love for Amish Friendship bread. Thank you, Carly, for the starter! The child was literally pulling my plate off of my lap this morning in order to reach that stuff! Oh, I almost forgot, Nick has taught Reece the lovely trick of sticking his tongue out while eating. I can hear the phone call now- "Mrs. Barham, I need you and your husband to conference with me after school today. Reece is showing bad manners at the lunch table, and he says that he learned it from his dad." Oh boy! Seriously, I live with 2 children...3 if you count Nassau.

Medically speaking, things are rather slow around here for right now. I did have to upgrade Reece's 1 1/2 inch binder that contains everything every doctor has ever given us, clinic notes, test results, etc. to a 3 inch binder. I've also been busy getting paperwork completed for his surgery in Atlanta. Yep... Reece's personal secretary.

As for my Mama, they moved her up to the 6th floor of St. Dominic's. It's actually called Regency Hospital. It was described as a hospital within a hospital. I believe they call it long-term acute care, and she'll be there for at least a month. They will give her physical and occupational therapy and help to get her back to where she was prior to the surgery. She's still not eating, and the pain meds have her mind so jumbled. She's extremely, extremely weak, and can't even talk without running out of breath. Standing up requires 3 nurses, and walking is nowhere near possible. Although we don't feel we have seen any improvement in her condition, the doctors told us today that she has made tremendous progress in the last week. That's so hard to believe, but I guess we have to trust what they say. We'll just keep praying that they know what they're doing and that Mama is on the right track. I miss her so badly. It's been almost 7 weeks now, and she and I used to talk at least 3 times a day. She can't even pick up a telephone now. When she gets out of there, I will never take her for granted again, that's for sure. I talked to God all the way to the hospital this afternoon and listened to some Jeremy Camp and Casting Crowns. I love praying with music. The lyrics are always just what I want to say. I truly believe the Lord was listening because when I got there, every 5 minutes a doctor or someone came in to tell us how much she was improving. Then, 4 people from Pinelake came by and prayed over Mama in a span of about 20 minutes. One powerful thing that happened was when I was sitting beside Mama on her bed, and I had my hand on her arm. She silently locked eyes with me for about 30 seconds, and I saw tears well up in her eyes. A doctor walked in, and the stare was broken. I didn't know what to make of that, and I still don't. It was just a surreal experience, and it made me even more determined to do all that I can for her. So, we're still praying for the Lord to wrap his arms around her and give her strength to carry on. If anything new develops, I'll update to let you know.

With love,

Beth