Cerebral Palsy

Aaron was diagnosed with CP back in June. This was by far one of the hardest appointments we've ever had. The diagnosis itself wasn't completely unexpected yet it was so overwhelming to hear. There was something about those words coming from a doctors mouth that was so foreboding.

The day was exhausting, too. We had two doctors appointments a couple hours apart so I pretty spent the whole time between them crying in the car and texting family to let them know the latest news. No one, including me, really know what to say. And, what was said didn't seem to be helping. Clayton didn't even go to work that day. We just hung out as a family.

I don't remember praying as passionately as I did that night since the day Aaron was born. I needed help and motivation to feel like I could get through life. I don't even remember falling asleep but I did.

The next morning, Aaron was up before I was. When I went to get him from his room, he was laying there playing and he smiled right up at me when I appeared at his crib. Nothing was different than every other morning he woke up. He ate the same, laughed the same, slept the same. Nothing was different. His diagnosis from the day before lost all meaning. It was just a label. A way for the doctors to put him in a category they could understand and treat. For me, it is something more localized to pray about.

Since then, and as always, Aaron continues to get better and stronger every day. He is able to sit up by himself for very long periods of time. Usually he just topples over when he is laughing too much from playing! His left hand and lower half have been feeling more and more relaxed. And he has almost completely switched over to chunky, crunchy, tasty table food (he's even been crying for actual food when you try to give him a bottle or just pureed baby food). And we can only thank God for these huge advances that he's made in such a short amount of time.

Soooo.....

So, we bought our first house! It's been just over a month and we are settling in very nicely. We actually saw it on a whim the night before my surgery in April. We fell in love as soon as we set foot in the front door and put in an offer the next day, which was immediately accepted. It's amazing how well things work out when they're meant to be. We actually started looking at houses well over a year ago before we even moved up to VT and nothing worked out. Even the few we did put offers on we had no luck, due either to bad inspection reports or sellers unwilling to negotiate at all. But this was the house waiting for us!

It's a cute little cape in a newer development so it's only 5 years old. It's just under 2,000 sq ft and has 4 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms with a full basement. We can totally be here for a long time. Of course, Clayton's got some big plans already reeling in his head.

The day after we closed on the house, Clayton graduated from the NJATC. And just this past week he finished up the hours he needs to get his electrical license! This has been 5 years in the making so it is quite an accomplishment. I'm so proud of my journeyman.

I will post pictures of the house soon.