Happy Halloween!

Rawr!

Pictures & Video

Brian's new baby!

He's wanted a Corvette for a long time! He finally got one at the end of August!

One of Blake's favorite things at the playground.

Just like his Daddy!

Blake loves bath time!

Blake loves Daddy's iPhone!

Blake is a genius! He can count to ten (sort of)!

When I say a number, he says what comes next!

Smart like his mommy! :o)

I'm Baaaaaack!

It's been a busy few months, but things have finally settled enough for me to be able to blog!

Mom is doing great! She's walking, driving, & pretty much back to normal. She still moves pretty slowly & with a limp, but is much improved! Still goes to physical therapy 3 times a week. The accident was 6 months ago yesterday!

Aunt Penny & Uncle Jerry are recovering nicely from their accident as well. Granny & Grandpa Les are doing well. Grandpa Les has good & not-so-good days, but is doing pretty well considering his age.

Blake continues to blossom! He's 21 months old now & is super smart! He can recognize numbers & count to 10 (when I say a number, he says what comes next). He also recogizes a few colors & letters of the alphabet. He can identify circle, square, triangle, cross, heart, star, hexagon, & pentagon. He loves books & carries one around to read often. I've lost track of how many words he can say & he says lots of 2 word phrases/sentences as well.
He's walking & running all over the place! He likes climbing up & down stairs, but knows he is only supposed to do it while holding someone's hand.
I'll post some pics & video soon!

Great News!

Grandpa Les is home from the hospital! I don't have all the details, but he & Granny are very excited! I think the hospital recommended he go to rehab before coming home, but he didn't want to & Granny probably didn't either.
Please continue to pray for his good health & Granny's strength as she takes care of him.

Thanks for the prayers!

Grandpa Les seems to be improving a little. He's been sitting up, eating, & watching TV-an improvement from his first couple of days in the hospital.

Aunt Penny & Uncle Jerry seem to be recovering well. Haven't talked to anyone from there in a few days, so I guess all is well.

Mom continues to make great progress too. She's using her wheelchair less & walker more. She's able to do more things around the house; cooking, laundry, empty/load dishwasher. Daddy is glad about that so he can have a break from housework for awhile. Mom continues to go to therapy 3 times a week. She's doing really well!

Thank you so much for all the prayers for our family over the last several months! They are working, so please continue! We really appreciate it!

The Hits just Keep Coming...

More prayers are needed! Grandpa Les is now in the hospital with double pneumonia! He's 92, so his age increases the seriousness.
Poor Granny! She's had so much to deal with the last few months. Mom's accident in April, Jerry's accident last weekend & now this. Plus, Grandpa Les has been sickly the last few years, so she's been taking care of him for awhile. Please pray for her to have strength to get through this. I know she's worn out emotionally from all that's been going on.
I think Grandpa Les is in Anne Arundel Medical Center. Not sure how long he'll be there. If you'd like to send a card, it would probably be best to send it to their home address. I know Granny would appreciate some words of encouragement.

Frances & Lester Simmons
P.O. Box 385
Churchton, MD 20733

(If you attempt to call the hospital to inquire about Grandpa Les, ask for Thomas Simmons. That's his first name.)

Penny & Jerry continue to improve. I think Penny was able to get back up to the hospital to visit Jerry today. Jerry is doing better, but has to be a little more independent with his walker before he can go home. He really should go to rehab before going home, but I think he's already nixed that idea.
Thanks for all the prayers for our family! When it rains, it pours! They say things tend to happen in 3s, so hopefully we won't have anything else to deal with anytime soon.

Update on Penny & Jerry

Aunt Penny was released from the hospital last night. Uncle Jerry has been moved from the cardiac unit to a regular room, but I don't know the room number. He's still in a lot of pain, so please continue to pray for that to subside. They were thinking he might get to go home today or tomorrow, but I'm not sure that will happen since he's still in so much pain.

I don't know a lot of details other than that. I'll check in with Joann soon to find out the latest!
Thanks for checking in!

Thanks for all the prayers!

Aunt Penny & Uncle Jerry are getting a little better each day.

Aunt Penny is in Room 1210 at Roanoke Memorial, but may get to go home tomorrow. Uncle Jerry is still in the Cardiac Unit & should be able to go home Thursday or Friday.

Aunt Penny was given the okay today by her doctor to go up to visit Uncle Jerry in the cardiac unit. She was up there to visit twice & Uncle Jerry was sleeping both times. Maybe he'll wake up to talk to her tomorrow.

Will keep you updated as I hear more! Please continue to pray!!

More Prayers Needed...

As you know, my parents were involved in a serious car accident just over 3 months ago. Well, this past weekend, my mom's brother & sister-in-law were involved in a serious motorcycle accident near their home in VA. From what I understand, someone backed out of their driveway & into them. They are in stable condition at Roanoke Memorial Hospital, but lots of prayers are still needed.

Uncle Jerry has broken ribs & a broken collar bone. He has a big laceration on his head that required a blood transfusion. Also, the impact of the crash caused him to have a heart attack, so they put a stint in to help with that.

Aunt Penny was thrown from the motorcycle & suffered a concussion, black eye, & road rash to the face. There's blood on the brain, which they say is typical of her injury; but she's having some memory problems which is cause for concern.
Thankfully, they were both wearing helmets (not full ones though, just half ones).

We're not sure how long they will be in the hospital, but probably through the end of the week. If you'd like to send a card, here's their home address. I'm sure their daughters will be by the house some this week & deliver any cards they receive.

Penny & Jerry Seidman
1736 Richland Hills Drive
Salem, VA 24153

My grandmother is understandably upset as both her children have been involved in serious accidents in the last few months. I'll update here as I hear more information, but please keep my family in your prayers!
Thanks!

Learning to Walk Again...

YAY!!!!

Great news!

Mom took her first steps today (with a walker, of course) since the accident on April 22!!

Great News!

I know it's been awhile since I've updated on here! Sorry about that! Mom is doing really well!

Mom visited the orthopedic surgeon in Charleston this past Friday & got a great report! She is cleared to start putting weight on her feet! Yay! It's been almost 3 months since the accident & she is definitely ready!
A couple of months ago, my dad found one of those lift recliners that lifts you up into a standing position. After mom's appointment on Friday, she decided to try it. Daddy put the walker in front of her & she lifted into standing & stood there for a few seconds. She said it was very hard! Her knees have been aching ever since!

Even before this past doctor's appointment, Mom has been getting out a lot more lately. She's been to church several times, lunch at my in-laws' house, & even made a couple trips to Walmart. Daddy is her chauffeur & takes her everywhere. She's come over to our house for dinner a couple of times. She & Daddy are even going to babysit Blake for the first time since the accident this coming Friday.

Meanwhile, Blake has just started walking in the last few weeks. He's still pretty unsteady & has taken many tumbles. Unfortunately, this means we've had lots of bumps & bruises so far! This past weekend he fell & bit a pretty good chunk out of his tongue. It bled a lot & scared me to death! Then he fell at my in-laws' house & busted his lip! He looks like he's been in a fight. I guess I need to teach him to say, "If you think I look bad, you should see the other guy!" He's talking up a storm lately too. I need to put together a list of all the words he says! There are a lot!

Here are a few recent pictures! Thanks for continuing to check here on Mom's progress!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171913&id=605989335&l=32a480d21e

Doctor Visit

Mom had an appointment today with her orthopedic surgeon in Charleston.

They took x-rays & said her breaks were healing nicely. She goes back in 6 weeks. Still no weight bearing on her legs during that time. They removed the cast on her left foot from heel surgery & replaced it with a removable boot (same as what's been on her right foot all this time). She's glad about that because the cast was so heavy. She'll be able to remove both at night & it will make it easier when she showers (won't have to wrap her leg in plastic anymore).

She'll have one more week of in-home physical therapy. Then, she'll go to an outpatient place 2-3 times a week for therapy.

The last few days, she's been very discouraged & depressed. Her spirits were much better today. I hope she remains in a good mood. She loves to get visits, cards, or calls from people. They help cheer her up, so try to stay in touch with her if you can.

Granny is here until Wednesday to help out for a few more days. I know she's glad to have Granny here. And Granny has enjoyed being here to help Mom & visit with all of us!

I'll keep you posted! Thanks for checking in!

Not Much to Report...

Not much to report with Mom these days. She's getting acclimated to being home & getting into a routine with the various nurses & therapists that come by to work with her. Daddy started back to work yesterday; just half days though. Granny is in town to help Mom out while he's at work. She's leaving Saturday to go back to Maryland. So, I'll probably be in charge of helping out more with Mom next week.

Mom has a doctor's appt in Charleston on Friday with the orthopedic surgeon that performed her hip/knee surgeries. We should know more about her progress, etc. after that.
That's all I know for now!

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. We took Blake to the beach for the first time. Click the link below to see some cute pictures!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171750&id=605989335&l=fb61bfd50c

May 27 Update

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I've been a busy little bee since Mom came home. Daddy is able to move around better, so he's been getting out to run errands. And I stay with Mom while he's out. She's grateful to be home so that people can come visit. She enjoys talking to everyone as it gets boring sitting around. She tires easily though, so don't take it personally if she dozes off during a visit.

Everyone has been so great! Meals have been delivered on a regular basis; much more than they can eat! (But that's okay because I get to bring home leftovers-less cooking for me! Yay!) Mom's also received plenty of cards & flowers! That really cheers her up too!

Therapists & nurses have been in and out all week making their initial visits. One nurse takes vital signs & blood twice a week. Physical therapists come twice a week. Not sure if there's anyone else. Hopefully, they get a set schedule in place starting next week. It will be nice to know when to expect them so Mom can be ready & we can let visitors know what times are good to come.

Granny (Mom's mom) is coming tomorrow & Mom is really looking forward to that! Granny lives in Maryland & has been so anxious to come down since Mom's accident. My cousin & her husband are bringing her. She's been helping my bedridden grandfather for a few years, so she's already trained & will be able to help Mom quite a bit. Daddy is planning to go back to work part-time on June 1, so it will be good that Granny is there to help. And, Blake & I will still be there a lot too.

Mom has a doctor's appointment on June 4 in Charleston. I think they will x-ray her hip, knees, & feet to see how things are healing.

I think that's all the news I have to report for now! Mom is able to check her email & Facebook, but I'm not sure how often. She usually has her cell phone or house phone close by though, so you can call her. Email me if you need her number, hwhite76@hotmail.com.

Thanks for continuing to check on her & keep those prayers coming!

A Few Pics...

Here are some more pictures of the car from Daddy's camera. He & B were able to get closer & some better angles. Pretty scary!

Mom came home yesterday! Here's a pic of her visiting with Blake! She'll probably be mad that I posted this pic. She was worried about not having her hair fixed or make-up on. Who cares! We're just glad she's home!

Home Sweet Home

Mom made it home without incident today. She spent some time in the wheelchair in the family room, reading mail & making phone calls. She got back in bed for a bit. Then, got back into the wheelchair once Blake, Brian, & I got there. She transfers back & forth really well.

She's able to check her email more often now, so feel free to drop her a line. ljwhite@sc.rr.com
She'll get back to you as soon as she can. She has her cell phone with her all the time, so you can call her too. She gets tired easily though & isn't always up for talking. If you leave her a message, she'll get back to you soon though.

I think she's ready to start having visitors, so stop by if you can. Please call first to make sure it's a good time.

Thanks so much for all the care & concern! We really appreciate it!

Home...

Four weeks ago today (April 22), Mom left her house to go to a dinner with Daddy. Tomorrow (May 21) she returns for the first time since that night!

All the medical equipment arrived today. The dining room at my parents' house has been transformed into Mom's new room. She has a hospital bed, wheelchair, bedside potty chair, & CPM machine (machine that bends her knee). Insurance won't pay for an ambulance to bring her home from the rehab place, so Daddy is going to pick her up in the morning. The therapists will help her get loaded up & have taught her numerous exercises that she can do at home. She's supposed to receive therapy at home also, but I haven't heard the details on that yet.

Mom is so thrilled to be coming home! You can hear in her voice that she just sounds happier since she found out yesterday she was leaving. I will be taking Blake to see her tomorrow afternoon. She can't wait!

Thank you so much for all you've done so far! Already people are planning to bring dinner to Mom & Dad for the next several days. We are so blessed to have great friends like you!

Hooray!!!

Mom is coming home on Friday!!!

Daddy raised Hell; calling everyone in the main office & it worked! They tried to convince him to let Mom stay, but he wasn't having it! Mom is so excited to be coming home soon!

So many of you have said you want to come visit Mom when she gets home & she wants to see all of you too! However, please give us a couple of days to get her settled before you come over.

Thanks so much for everything!

Wednesday's Update

Still waiting to hear when Mom will be able to come home. A meeting is being held today with all therapists, etc. that work with Mom to discuss her goals & progress. We hope to have a definite answer after that meeting.

In the mean time, please pray for the family of Diane Lewis, my husband's aunt. She lost her battle with cancer last night. She leaves behind her husband-Norwood, children-Ginger Jacobs & Jody Lewis, granddaughter(s)-Skyler Jacobs& Lucy Lewis (to arrive in the next month or so), along with countless other friends & family. She will truly be missed! We love you, Aunt Diane!

Coming Home?

I went to Mt. Pleasant to hang out with Mom today. I was hoping to get some answers about when she'd be able to leave. Unfortunately, I don't know any more than I did before. We're thinking that she might be able to come home later this week, but not sure. Wednesday will be 7 days that she's been there. BCBS pre-certified her for 7 days. Not sure if re-certifying her will be a big production or will just happen automatically. Daddy is going to be there with her tomorrow. He will interrogate everyone he sees about getting her released.

She did really well today with the little bit that I saw. She transferred from wheel chair to potty chair without help and from potty chair to bed without help. She hates it there. It's a really sad & depressing place to be, so hopefully she won't have to be there too much longer.

Rehab Update

Going to Mt. Pleasant on Monday to visit Mom. Should find out more about when she's leaving there. It's looking like it will be Wednesday or Thursday.

Stay tuned...

She's Moved!

Mom was finally moved to rehab this morning! It's actually just down the road from where we lived when we were there a couple of years ago. Here's her new address:

Sandpiper Rehab & Nursing
1049 Anna Knapp Blvd.
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
She's in Room 119.

We don't anticipate her being there very long; maybe only 7 days. If you want to send a card & want to make sure she doesn't miss it, just mail it to the house.

2505 Reta Street
Conway, SC 29526

She enjoys getting cards from you all. We've been taking cards to her that have come to the house. She keeps them with her to re-read when she's sitting around.
She continues to improve each day. She's the youngest person at the rehab place. She'll be racing around the hallways in no time!
She's not really excited about being there without Daddy. She got used to him waiting on her while she's been in the hospital. Now, she has to wait for a nurse to come help her when she needs something.
Physical therapy is going to keep her pretty busy during her days there. She has therapy pretty much all day. If you happen to be in the area, visiting hours are from 12-1pm & after 4pm. Call me if you want to visit & I can give you directions if you like, 803-447-0099.

Thanks again for everything! We appreciate you all so much! Mom can't wait to get back home to visit with you & get back to "normal".

No Kidding Around This Time!

Mom is moving to rehab in the morning...finally!

She's going to Sandpiper Rehab & Nursing in Mt. Pleasant, SC. That's about an hour & a half away. We don't expect her to be there very long; 7-14 days. If you want to send a card, you should send it fast! I have the address, but will wait until I have her room number to post it. Will post it Thursday evening!

Thanks to all for checking here to keep up with Mom's progress! More soon!

No News is Good News...?

I feel like I say this everyday, but I really believe it this time!

Mom should be moving to a rehab center in Mt. Pleasant tomorrow. I'll post the address once it's official.

Thanks for continuing to check here on Mom's status & for all the prayers!

Mother's Day 2010

We were hoping Mom would be out of MUSC for Mother's Day, but it didn't work out that way. I went up to Charleston on Friday to spend a couple of days with Mom & Dad. We celebrated our Mother's Day on Saturday. My brother went there to be with her today after he worked brunch.

Going to the bathroom has been a problem, but it seems that those issues have been resolved. Daddy has been trained on helping Mom with the bedpan & changing her sheets, etc. Today Daddy took her for a ride around the hospital once she got into the wheelchair. She even got to go outside for awhile. It was the first time she's been outside in over 2 weeks!

Mom wanted me to be home with Blake for Mother's Day, so I returned to Myrtle Beach last night. We went to church this morning, then lunch with my in-laws. Came home & took a nap while Blake napped. We went to Market Common after that. Walked around, fed the ducks, had some dinner at King Street Grille. Blake ate like such a big boy; using his fork & not throwing any food on the floor. We walked around a bit more, took some pictures by the fountain, then came home. All in all, a good day!

I know Mom is sad that she hasn't been able to see Blake since all this happened, but I plan on taking him to visit as soon as she's moved to rehab.

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!

Friday Night Update

Sorry for the delay in updating. There's not been a lot of new information to report.
I'm in Charleston with Mom & Dad this weekend. It now appears that Mom will be moving to a rehab center on Monday or Tuesday. We're thinking it will be HealthSouth in Charleston, but HealthSouth in Florence is a possibility as well. Who knows! I'm beyond trying to figure out how all this works. Daddy is staying in the room with Mom now. It's not especially comfortable for him, but he doesn't want to leave her. He won't come home until she gets sent to the rehab place.

That's all I know for now. Will post again once I know more. Thanks for all the cards, flowers, etc. that you've sent to the house & to the hospital. Mom enjoys them & frequently re-reads her cards. I spent some time reading emails I've received to her tonight & we didn't even get through half of them!
I'll post the address to the rehab place once I know it. We're told she'll only be there 7-10 days or so though.
Thanks for the continued concern! We appreciate all the thoughts & prayers!

Thursday Morning Update

We were hoping that Mom would get transferred to a rehab facility in Garden City today, but they have denied her. Now, we're trying to find a place in Charleston that will take her. Having her closer to home would be better, but we've run out of options in the Myrtle Beach area. We're still hopeful that she will be able to leave MUSC no later than tomorrow.

Stay tuned....

Tuesday Update

Mom had another good day. She got a new physical therapist & she likes this one much better. She felt that she did better with the new girl today. She'll continue to see this new therapist for the remainder of her time there.

Mom & Dad met with a caseworker from BCBS today. She gave them 3 options for rehab facilities. One in Pawley's Island, one in Garden City, & one in Florence. These are all ones we already knew about it. She will make the necessary phone calls tomorrow to see which one can take her. It will depend on availability & insurance. Daddy felt a lot better after speaking to the case worker. She will see things through to the end. We are still hopeful that Mom will get to leave this week on Thursday or Friday.

Daddy had an appointment in Loris yesterday. He was hoping the doctor would give him an idea about when he'd be able to drive, but the doctor was stuck in surgery. A nurse took out the stitches in hand. He'll have to see the doctor another time to get his ribs, etc. checked out. He's still sore, but it's not as bad as it was during the days immediately after the accident.

If you want to send a card to Mom or Dad, you can send it to her home address & we'll get it to her. I'll put the rehab address on here once I know it.

Linda or Al White
2505 Reta Street
Conway, SC 29526

Or you can email a note to me & I'll make sure s/he gets to read it. My email address is hwhite76@hotmail.com.

Thanks for continuing to check in our family. We appreciate all the concern!

Monday Update

Mom continues to improve each day. She sits in the wheelchair for several hours each day. Getting into the wheelchair is still a struggle, but I think that's due to the fact the Mom & the PT don't see eye to eye. We hope to get a new therapist to work with Mom for the remainder of her time. She really liked the weekend therapist, but the girl that comes during the week isn't as good.

We're still hopeful that Mom will be leaving MUSC towards the end of the week. We were hoping she would be able to come to a rehab center in Myrtle Beach, but not sure if that will work out. She might have to go to a place in Florence (1 hour away). Mom & Dad are meeting with a BCBS case worker tomorrow at 5:30, so maybe we'll know more after that.

Thanks so much for keeping all of us in your prayers. We'll be needing them for several months to come!

Saturday Update

Sorry for the delay in updating! Mom is doing great! She has been working with the physical therapists each day. They did leg exercises with her & helped her get in the wheelchair. She sits in a wheelchair for several hours at at time. The doctors/nurses are amazed at how well she's doing!

It appears she is going to a rehab center in Myrtle Beach middle of next week. I'll post on here once I know exactly where & when.

Mom is so thankful for all the flowers & cards she has received. It's nice to know that so many are concerned & thinking about her.

I'm bringing Daddy home tomorrow so he can go to a follow-up appointment for his ribs, etc. on Monday.

Will update more when I can! Thanks again for all the thoughts & prayers!

Don't drink & drive!

Heel Surgery

Surgery on Mom's left heel is complete. Haven't heard from the doctor how it went, but we're assuming all went well. Mom is back up in the room & Daddy is up there with her. She was planning to try & take a nap.
Will post again later when I know more.

Mom's Address

Here is Mom's address while she's at MUSC. From what we've been told, she may only be there another week & a half or so.

Linda White
MUSC Medical Center
169 Ashley Ave., Room 1077
Charleston, SC 29425

The Accident & After...

Thursday, April 22, 2010
Mom & Dad (Linda & Al White) were hit head-on by a drunk driver at approximately 9:45pm. They were just seconds away from turning into the main entrance to their neighborhood, Chicora Subdivision, in Conway. They were taken to Loris Hospital (about 25 minutes away). Mom's injuries were more severe so she was airlifted to MUSC in Charleston, SC as a soon as a chopper was available. Daddy remained in Loris.

Daddy's injuries: 5 broken ribs (all on right side, under arm) & fractured sternum

Mom's injuries: dislocated & broken right hip, both knees broken, fractured left heel, & broken right ankle. There were also other fractures throughout the pelvis & legs, but those were the main ones.

Monday, April 26, 2010
Mom had surgery to repair broken hip & both knees. Daddy had been released from Loris Hospital over the weekend & was finally able to come to Charleston to be with Mom.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The physical therapists have already been working with Mom to keep her joints mobile. They got her out of bed today & into a wheelchair for about 45 minutes. Also, each leg has had several hours in a machine that bends her knee up & down a little.

Thursday, April 29, 2010
Mom is scheduled to have surgery to repair her left heel at 11am. Will update on that once it hear how it goes.

Daddy is still sore & has to move around pretty slowly. Use of his right arm is limited since all his broken ribs are on that side. Other than that, he is doing pretty well.

It appears that Mom should be able to leave MUSC at the end of next week. Then, she'll be in a rehab facility closer to home for about 2 weeks. She should be able to come home after that & receive physical therapy 3 times a week. We are told it will be at least 3 months before she can put any weight on her legs.

Will update more when I have more information!
Thanks for all the prayers & concern!

Repurposing of Blog

I created this blog when I was pregnant with Blake so I could share all the wonderful things happening with our family. Now, I'm changing the purpose of this blog. I will still post pictures & information about Blake, but mostly these posts will be about Mom & Dad over the next few weeks/months.

So many people have inquired about my parents & their recent car accident. I'm unable to keep up with all the emails, texts, & phone calls. So, I'm going to post updates here every day or so on their progress. Please feel free to continue emailing, texting, & calling me; but understand that I may not be able to get back to you for a couple of days.

Thanks so much for understanding & for all the prayers & concern for our family. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends & family!
Stay tuned...

Exciting Times!

So much has been happening with Blake recently! He'll be 14 months next week & he's really started to blossom the last couple of weeks! I've been hesitant to post about his milestones because he's behind a lot of peers. We go to baby story time once a week at Chapin Library, & it's been evident for quite some time that he was developmentally behind children that were even much younger than him. It was a little depressing to go each week & see other babies crawl, pull up, walk, etc. & know that Blake wasn't close to doing any of those things. You try not to compare or let things bother you, but it's really hard!

When December rolled around (11 months old) & he still hadn't pulled up yet, I decided it was time to take action. I found out about BabyNet through a friend. BabyNet is a free service through DHEC that helps children under age 3 that appear to be developing slowly. He qualified in a couple of areas & has been receiving services since January. He's currently being seen by 3 different people.

Lyndsay is an early interventionist & helps him a little in all areas. She's sort of like our case worker. Marissa is his speech therapist & has only seen him once so far. He's only a month or two behind according to her tests, so I'm not as concerned about him in that area. Katie is his physical therapist. She's only seen him one time, but we've seen more progress since that one visit than anything else. She first saw him on Monday, February 22. The next day, he crawled on all fours for the first time. He only went a couple of steps, but it was amazing! He's been "army crawling" for quite some time. He's also been getting up on all fours & rocking back & forth, so we knew crawling was coming soon. Also, he's just started pulling up in the last couple of days too! He doesn't pull to standing yet, but he gets up on his knees. He attempted to stand tonight for the first time, but fell down & wasn't interested in trying again. He also went from all fours to a seated position for the first time yesterday.

I'm so excited & so relieved by all the progress he's making! Everyone says not to worry. All kids develop differently, which I know is true. At some point, however, there's a real concern that he's not developing properly. I know there's nothing wrong with him & truly believe this all related to his mellow, laid-back personality.

In addition to his physical developments, he's making gains in other areas too! He can do the following:

• Give five


• Hold up 1 finger when asked how old he is


• Point to the ceiling when asked where the fan or light is


• Give a kiss on the cheek


• Blow a kiss


• Wave bye-bye


• Put blocks into the train (there's a slot on top where you put the block & it shoots out a hole in the back to put the block into a trailer)


• He eats a lot more table foods now too. Tomatoes seem to be his current favorite!


• I'm sure there are other things I can't remember at the moment. I'll update this as I remember.

Words he can say...

• MaMa


• DaDa


• No-no


• Go


• Ball


• Puppy


• Boo


• Uh oh


• Hat


• Night-night


• There are a lot of other words where he says the beginning sounds. He also repeats a lot of what he hears. So, we have to watch what we say & watch on TV these days!

That's all I have to report for now! I'll keep you all updated! He's doing something new everyday!

Family Fun

Blake got to hang out with Granna, Pappy, Aunt Wendy, Uncle John, & all his cousins this past weekend. Wade brought his John Deere Gator & took him for a spin!

Where'd my driver go?

I'll be driving in no time!

On the inside, looking out!


Blake likes to swing with Granna!

February Fun

More pictures of the latest happenings...

Granna & Pappy came to visit on Valentine's Day!

And they brought me a bath toy!

Playing with the frog & duck puppets that LaLa gave me!

Graham crackers are delicious!

Snow!

Valentine's weekend brought snow to Myrtle Beach! It was Blake's first snow, sort of! (We got a few flurries last year, but he was only a few weeks old so we didn't go outside.) The snow brought a lot of excitement to the Grand Strand. We rarely get snow & even more rarely get a few inches of accumulation. We took Blake outside, but he wasn't very interested. He didn't want to touch the snow. It was too cold for him! Here are some pics of the momentous occasion!

How often do you see snow on the beach?

A lot of it had already melted by the time I got down there to take pictures!

So Much to Report!

January has been a whirlwind so far!

Blake started the New Year with a double ear infection & really bad sore throat. Poor little guy! After a couple of weeks of antibitotics, we went back to the doctor a couple of days before his birthday & it was a good thing we did! Blake still had a double ear infection, sore throat, AND bronchiolitis! After more antibiotics & a few days of breathing treatments, however, he was feeling better & back to normal!

Blake's birthday was January 13 & it was lots of fun! Aunt Wendy came to visit & brought a cupcake and a balloon. The balloon didn't last very long, but the cupcake was delicious!




We had more visitors that night. Uncle B made dinner & we were joined by LaLa & Grandpa White. Granna & Pappy came over too! There was more cake to eat & presents to open.

Click HERE to see more photos from Blake's birthday!

January 16 was Blake's 1st birthday party! It was a blast!. The theme was football & most of the guests wore their favorite team gear to the party. Blake got lots of great toys & some cool summer clothes! We're so thankful to everyone that came out to celebrate Blake's special day; especially those who traveled from far away to come! (Thanks Mike & Jane, Sarah & Jessica!)

Click HERE to see more birthday party photos!

In the last few weeks, Blake has been moving around a lot more. He still doesn't crawl in the conventional way, but he gets around pretty fast by army crawling everywhere. He's also learned to say "No, no, no" while shaking his head. He usually gives us a big grin when we tell him no, which makes it even harder to say no to him.

He learns something new everyday & we're so blessed to have him our lives! Now, we're looking forward to warmer weather so we can get outside more!