Max is finally really starting to talk! So, Max has been in speech therapy forever I think, LOL, and has learned a ton of sign language, which has been amazing so we can communicate, but Steve and would always say, I wonder what his voice will sound like, and just couldn't wait to hear him utter some words. Of course, he has over the past several months, said DaDa...and Papa, of course not Mama!! :) - then ba and nonsensical things, but it seems like all of the sudden, over the last weeks, he is really trying and all of the sudden Bye came out, then more, then finally Ma! He mostly needed prompting, but he is getting it. Then on Saturday after an overnight at Grandma and Grandpa's, he came in and said, Hi!! I was like what!!?!??? So, needless to say, we are so thrilled to hear his amazingly sweet voice starting to talk and make himself heard. I think as he gets physically stronger, his words come more and more. You can tell he is so proud of himself  and so are we!!

How Strong is Max!

I posted a picture on my blog to best describe this, but we are always telling Max how strong he is as we help him to conquer his goals. It has gotten to be the funniest thing, we say..."how strong is Max!?" Then he has started holding up his hands and clenching really tight making the funniest faces, like yes, look at me, I am sooooo strong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is so hilarious. You are so strong Max!! We love you! And you really are getting so strong! :)

Max's First steps!

It finally happened...on May 1st, 2012...during Physical Therapy, Max completely walked on his own for about 5 - 7 steps! His therapist and I were playing a game with pretend bugs...she had the bugs in one part of the kitchen area, and I had the basket on the other side, and we asked him to take a bug and bring it to me to put in the basket. We have done this from sitting to stand and getting him to stand on his own, then asked more and more of him. He has taken like a step or two almost on his own and then falls into you...today, he really for the first time, walked completely on his own from point A to point B! It was crazy amazing! He is stilling wobbling around like a drunk man and falling, but he did it! I so badly wished he would just take a few steps by his 2nd birthday, which is coming up on May 20th, and yes he has done it and I wish came true! Now of course, I am greedy and switched my wish to walking from place to place in the room when playing rather than going to the ground to crawl, or pull along holding onto things or me. My  back is soooo ready to not be bending over anymore, LOL! Go Max!

My Brave boy

Hi eveyone! Well, we are on day 10 of Max's Growth Hormones that he needs to be on and he is such a trooper. I cannot lie, it's been pretty heart breaking though. He needs this shot every night to help him not only grow properly, but mostly at this point to gain lean muscle and help his metabolism, which he desperately needs, but giving a 23 month old a shot every night when he doesn't understand why you are doig this to him is heart wrenching! We had a wonderful nurse come over and go step by step to train us on how to put together the shot, mix the drugs and administer the drug, practicing on fake body parts...then came the real deal. He cried so hard. We had to pin him down and cause him pain that he didn't understand...and it only took a day or two for him realize when he saw the needle coming, he needed to run and then we had to pin him down, awful... So, like any parent, we now bribe!! LOL! Even though food is not what we do in our house given his circumstances, you have to do what you have to do. So, we save a special small treat with his milk that he only gets after his shot. We try to explain it and show him the treat...I am happy to say on day 10, he seemed to atleast understand he had to tolerate it to get the treat. He let Steve hold him while I gave the shot. He did cry when the shot went in, but settled pretty quick when he got his treat. What a long way a half of graham cracker goes!

Boys will be boys!

Max has always been on the sidelines with the kids in the neighborhood...now that he has started walking using his walker outside since the weather had been so nice, he wants to be out with everyone all the time! We had a rain last week, then it got nice, but left big puddles and the kids were jumping in the puddles. Max begged to get out of his stroller, then crawled into the center of this nasty puddle and splashed around, sat in it, got completely dirty, picking up dirt in the water etc...then the other kids joined in and all got soaked. Of course I had to scoop him up when it was time to go in and I got soaked in nasty sewer water, we stunk! He loved it because he got to get naked when we got in, and get a bath! :) All the little girls kept looking on saying, gross!!! Oh boy, I am just waiting for him to now pick up bugs and worms...LOL!

What a beautiful day in Chicago!

Hi everyone! Yesterday, March 5th was such a beautiful day! It was warm enough outside to be out with a light jacket, so around 5pm all the mom's and kids starting coming out with their kids to run around...(our community is gated in, so all the kids play in front of the house and we all watch for cars pulling in) For almost two years, I go out there and carry Max or he has to be in his stroller etc...and as he is growing, he is getting heavy! Plus, he wants to be out with the other kids, so it has gotten tough this past summer and fall. Well, today was the first really nice day and Max and I went out and now that Max can walk using his walker, he was free to roam the village! I put him down with his walker and the smile on his face was unbelieveable! I wish I could have caught a picture of him. I did get a picture that is a bit fuzzy, but you can see him walking. He had the best time walking with the other kids and everyone made such a big deal of him. He was ear to ear smiles. Man, I can't wait for summer already!

Max Update

Hi all! Well, we just had our meeting with the Endocronologist this morning and all of Max's tests and his sleep study results came back great, so we are medically approved for GH...(Growth Hormone). For those of you who don't know, Max's condition has given him very low muscle tone, just ONE of the reasons he is so far behind physically. Growth Hormone is not just for "growing", but will help Max with his Lean muscle mass and hopefully make him stronger and help his metabolism as well to push things through his body better. With the good, comes the potential bad (side effects), which we won't mention, since I believe if you don't put it into the Universe, maybe it won't happen to him! We are very nervous to start Max on potentially a life long drug, and hopeful it will only bring him positive things and that it gives him all the benefits it is supposed to give him! We should be starting it in the next few weeks, once we sort through insurance and the medical group comes out to show us how to administer it...yes, we have to give him shots ourselves every day, yikes for us!! :) Boy, we have done more medical things in our home in these last two years that I thought I would ever do in my life time, but realize we are much stronger in the stomach than we thought! LOL - Please put positive thoughts out for our Maxie pie that this only makes his life easier and better :)