First Steps

Lately Carson has developed a strong desire to be on his feet more. More than ever he is cruising along furniture to get to his destination instead of dropping to the floor to crawl there. One of his favorite activities is walking back and forth from the couch to me, or between Nate and I. Currently he uses his sticks (fore-arm crutches) to get around and he is doing very well with them. Obviously these primitive steps are just the beginning. We hope that with his determination and hard work he will be able to turn these steps into walking independently. Regardless, we are so proud of him!

Big boy bed... sort of

Last night Carson slept in his new "big boy bed." Nate and I have been meaning to transform his crib into the toddler stage for quite some time. I found a toddler guard rail online (way cheaper than the wooden version you can buy for this crib) and finally the make-over was finished :) Carson couldn't be happier! Of course, as you can see, he still has his be-loved bumper which he snuggles up to every night, and also his peep (pacifier), so clearly we are making baby steps.

Carson is very proud of his new independence.

He can climb into his bed on his own!

He can also get down on his own, an ability we will never take for granted.

In this photo he has just slid down from his bed and is beginning to take steps towards me, another new thing he is doing! It's more like hurling himself forward while moving his feet rapidly but it is very exciting to see him venturing into it. He has always been pretty cautious so it's incredible to see him trying to take steps even though it usually results in falling at the end. It's a big step for him to let go of his surrounding supports (furniture, people, or his crutches), so we are so proud of him for trying!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's a little late for a Thanksgiving post, but I just wanted to update that last week we left Carson's Ophthalmologist with yet another new prescription because his vision keeps improving! So thankful!

The Perfect Costume

It has been pretty busy lately! It's already mid November and I'm finally posting Halloween pics! October was a crazy month for us. Carson completed another intensive therapy session at 1 Plus 1 Therapy. Many of you know the intensive session routine: wake up, go to therapy, go home and collapse, go to bed, repeat. We did this every day for 3 weeks and although it was a tiring schedule it was also amazing. Carson always makes such great progress during these sessions and it's so fun to see him gain more strength, ability, and confidence throughout this time. Anyway, it was actually quite a miracle that Carson had a costume for Halloween. We were able to squeeze in a shopping trip to Target and thankfully they had the perfect costume... Elmo, of course.

Carson was very proud of his Elmo costume. Elmo is pretty much his hero (Although Thomas the Train is gaining popularity with him again).

We even had an Elmo pumpkin.

Carson Trick or Treated around our block riding in his wagon. He even used his "sticks" to walk to some of the houses to say, "Candy!" ("Trick or Treat" never really took off, although he did say "Thank you" at least.)

At one point Carson got confused and started handing out his own candy to nearby trick or treaters. So cute:)

Here's a few photos of Carson at 1 Plus 1 Therapy. Bubble time is his absolute favorite. Here's a picture of him mastering 1 stick like a pro! At this point he is learning to stand with the support of only one stick while he uses his other hand to pop bubbles. His balance is getting so much better and he's pretty comfortable and confident standing this way.

In this photo (above) Carson is playing with a marble toy. His only support is the thin, red rope which actually moves about 4" either direction. In other words, he's learning to maintain his balance while standing. Just a few short months ago he was using his walker to stand which is very stable and now he can stand while holding onto a wobbly rope. Great progress!

Carson's walker has been sitting in his closet now for about 3 weeks. We have officially and completely transitioned to the sticks. It's still a bit awkward for him and at this point he's a little slower using the sticks compared to the walker. He also falls once in a while which is quite a dramatic scene. Yet, these are the necessary challenges in order to progress. The sticks have significantly less support than his walker which means that he has to work harder to balance and stabilize on his own which is a good thing.

Thankfully Carson has actually enjoyed all these transitions. Every morning when he woke up he was so excited to go to therapy and he has never asked for his walker back. He's a pretty easy going little guy... we'll see how long this lasts!

Stroll N Roll, the results!

Oct 15th started out as a windy, cold day. Actually, "windy" is a huge understatement. It was strong, pounding, mean, wind. And it wasn't just gusty, it was constant fan on level 3 crazy wind. Leigh and I showed up at the park to begin setting up with our volunteers (let me just say, we had the best volunteers ever! You'd think that by how great they were we we're paying them tons of money, but nope, they we're just awesome for free!) anyway, it was so windy that we pretty much had to do "plan b" for everything! None of our signs stayed up without excessive amounts of ugly duck tape which was very discouraging to have to use. And our raffle items didn't even last a second on the table before blowing half way across the park. It's the sort of situation where you just want to either cry or laugh hysterically at the craziness of everything!

Somehow, with lots of help, we figured it out. This group was pretty hardcore and wasn't going to let a little (okay, a lot) of wind stop them. Despite the weather, we were able to do the walk, the raffle, and serve lunch at the end! We had over 20 teams signed up for the event and even though Leigh and I were so busy and only had time to say 2 words to a few people, it was awesome to see so many kids with spina bifida and their families and friends there to support them and our organization!

The families at the event just made me so proud! These families conquer so much on just a daily basis already. They worked so hard to raise money for the organization and then showed up in a wind storm to support individuals with spina bifida. I wish that I had more time to meet everyone there. These families are my new heroes!

I'm excited to announce that the Stroll N Roll event raised over $20,000! Isn't that incredible?! I'd also like to share that Carson's Crew raised just over $5,500! I am just blown away by the generosity of everyone. I can't tell you how blessed I felt every time I opened my mailbox to see another check waiting for us! Not because of the amount of money but because as the donations poured in I was reminded how many of you care about us and the things that are important to us. Many of you graciously tell me how you are inspired by Carson's life, but let me say also that it's because of your support, prayers, and encouragement that allow us and inspire us to hopefully make a difference.

At the risk of sounding like I'm giving an awards speech or something, I really do have to say:

Rollers and Strollers, you amaze me. Let me just say, that if you think kids with SB are determined and strong, you should meet their whole family.

Carson's Crew and Carson's Club, I have no idea what I would do without you. You guys have stuck with me through everything! No one has encouraged me more than you.

Carson's Crew supporters, your contributions are like fuel. Not only will they go along way within our organization, but they encourage and motivate me as an advocate for Carson. Your donations are such a blessing to my family and my community.

Leigh, did you know that you have turned me into the type of person who plans events? If it weren't for you, I would be too chicken to do this sort of thing. Your friendship has made me a better person!

The Stroll N Roll!

By now, you have probably heard of our upcoming event, the Stroll N Roll! Because of this event, my house has been in a complete state of chaos, the clutter and laundry are pilling up, and the little free time I have has been completely devoted to this event. My friend, Leigh, and I are planning the event and it has been tons of work but also tons of fun! And although my life has been extra busy because of this, more importantly, our local spina bifida association will be able to continue to serve west Michigan families.

Several years ago, I have had the privilege of meeting and connecting with other families affected by Spina Bifida. These families are strong, inspiring, and amazing. I am a better person for knowing these families and their incredible children.

The first family I connected with was during my pregnancy. Many of you know the story of how I came to know, Leigh (who was actually my neighbor!). Together, and scared to death, we somehow navigated through our complicated pregnancies and experienced the joy our miraculous little boys! Sometimes I just can't even believe how fortunate I am to be blessed with such a friend.

These past few years I have really begun to understand why "it takes a village to raise a child." The families I have befriended have become the most valuable resource when it comes to needing advice on Carson's care. It is because of these friendships that I am so proud to support the valuable work of the West Michigan Spina Bifida Association.

The event, the Stroll N Roll, is kind of like a walkathon where participants form teams to compete in raising the most money. My team is called, "Carson's Crew." And there's still time to donate!
Throughout the past few weeks I have been blown away by the generosity of my friends and family. For many of you, several years ago, you probably would have never imagined someday donating to a Spina Bifida organization, actually many of you probably would be saying "spina what?" Myself included. Then Carson was born and here we are. It has been amazing to see how God has opened my eyes to a new community that has blessed me so much and that I can hopefully contribute to. Thank you for joining me in supporting this work!

Proud Moments

Last weekend we had the amazing experience of watching Carson walk down the aisle for his uncle's wedding as the ring bearer! Leading up to the event we weren't sure what to expect. Carson is usually pretty social in big groups and parties but he also can be shy at times. The day before we practiced over and over again with toys at the end of the aisle for motivation. And once the big day came he did great! He loved it! As he walked down the aisle he paused to say "hi" to everyone and seemed to love the attention.

It was a proud moment for us. Obviously we we're very proud to see him walking down the aisle with his walker. The ability of walking the 20 feet was milestone he has worked very hard for. Even a year ago it would be hard for me to fathom him walking that distance in his walker. A year ago he was just starting to crawl. Even after his first birthday he was not yet sitting independently. Now here he is, age 2 1/2 and he is walking very well in his walker (and progressing to forearm crutches too).

And although the walking was a proud moment it wasn't the most significant for me. My child being able to walk is not what makes me proud. If he couldn't walk, I would be proud of him. I would be proud of him no matter what.

What struck me was how proud I was of who he is. His little personality. The way he loves to perform, show off, scrunch up his face when he smiles. The way he tells his story of personal triumph just by walking across the room.

Nearly 3 years ago when I found out about Carson's diagnosis during my pregnancy I had this sudden feeling that I no longer "knew" my baby. It's strange to explain, but I felt as if the baby I knew was suddenly gone and was replaced by someone else I didn't know at all. It was terrifying. I mourned the idea of the baby I thought I once had and tried to get used to a new idea of who my baby really was. It was such a scary time. Of course it was the same baby all along and I had to cling to my faith that God had a plan for him all along.

As I watched him walk down the aisle and throughout the rest of the day those memories came rushing back. How could he have ever felt like such a stranger to me? It was Carson all along and I'm so blessed it was.

Here's Carson and the flower girl making their entrance at the reception. How adorable is he?!

Cooling off with some lemonade

Family photo