The 2010 Mrdutt Christmas Letter

So Chris and I are lazy. Just plain 'ol lazy. About 6 weeks ago, I preached to Chris my intention to pull out all our Christmas decorations, decorate around the fireplace, and have our picture taken for a Christmas card. Today is December 20th...picture has not yet been taken. I'll get it done by Christmas. Maybe. If you pay me.

I don't like writing Christmas cards. It brings back bad memories from after the wedding trying to get thank you cards mailed. (I apologize if you never got one...its been 4 years...its prolly not comin'). I do like getting Christmas cards. I consider myself lucky getting so many from our friends and family even though we don't send them ourselves. You spoil us. P.S. You all look fabulous. I'm being totally serious. If we were that good looking, I would definitely have a picture included on this blog post.

Dang we're good looking.

So because we seem to be in the theme of "less is more" this year, you get the Mrdutt Christmas Card/Letter via blog. Lucky you. ;) I say less is more because it's 5 days til Christmas and other than our tree and our manger, all of our decorations sit on the front porch in totes. Oh well, there's always next year.

Thinking back over 2010, I can't really even tell you what happened off the top of my head. Hold on, let me pull out my planner and cheat...

Oh DUH! Chris's brother Matt got married to Anna on January 8th. What a weekend that was! The weather was pretty crappy, but we all arrived safe and sound. Chris was a groomsmen and Mason was the cutest darn ring bearer/mini groom. The wedding was a whirlwind as we tried to take care of Mason amongst all the visiting with family and friends, but gorgeous, nonetheless. Welcome Anna to the Mrdutt family!

If that wasn't enough for one year....Katie and Ben got married on June 5th. Although, I think the celebration started sometime in March. It felt like every weekend for those last three months was booked with either a bridal shower, or a bachelor/bachelorette party. I'm not complaining...that was some crazy fun! The wedding, of course, was cooler than ours. I much prefer being in a wedding party vs. being the bride. If I could do mine over, I'd steal all her ideas. Katie's planning really paid off b-c everything was perfect and sentimental in some way. We were lucky to be such a big part of it. Chris, Mason and I were all in the wedding party. This day, like Matt & Anna's day, was a whirlwind. I welcome you Katie, to the Mrdutt family. I welcome you Ben, to the Konkol family. Wow - still weird.

My favorite part of the year (sorry guys) was the summer. It felt like the first summer that we really got to enjoy our 2 1/2 year old. Things seemed so "normal". We went up to Dummy Lake many times, went camping a few times, and had a great 4th. Mason has been great to travel with this last year, I feel like we are finally in a good routine with him. He's great in the car, even for long distances...with the right Mickey movie in tow. I hardly hesitate at all when it comes to making travel plans.

We attended 2 more weddings this fall...both of close friends. I guess this was the year of weddings. Congratulations again to Kristen and Kim!

Late fall was a bit rough for Mommy, as I anticipated the changes coming with Mason near his 3rd birthday; and after the somewhat devastating but realistic news from our geneticist. Regardless, Chris and I pulled ourselves out of that rut and are approaching the new year with lots of hope and optimism. Mason has been keeping himself fairly healthy and we are proud to say he made it OVER ONE YEAR without another seizure. I cannot stress enough how great an achievement that is, especially with no increase in meds. We had a few close calls with high temps, but nothing was triggered. Thank you God.

Addy is still hanging in there...although her hip dysplasia seems to get the best of her some days. It's been especially rough the last month or so. Regardless, her demeanor is still the best we've ever seen in a dog, and Mason adores her. Nothing puts a bigger smile on Mason's face than when we get home each day and are greeted by our puppy. We love our pup.

On a much more joyous note, the Mrdutt family welcomed another baby this December. Matt and Anna welcomed Marek Joseph to the world on December 3rd at 2:19 am. He's a perfect little boy and I can't wait to see him again this week. I look forward to seeing him interact with Mason as they both get older.

So here we are, December. Our house is a disaster and it doesn't bug me like it usually does. I have a new outlook lately...that I need to spend less time worrying and more time enjoying. But I'll save all that for my new year's resolution post. (Oooh, it's going to be a good one.)

To wrap up this random Christmas letter, I'll leave you with the list of things Chris and I are thankful for this holiday season (in no particular order):

• Our supportive and loving family and friends. Our lives are enriched by each and every one of you. We are glad you choose us too.
• Our son Mason, who shows us everyday how important the little things are. Seriously, it sounds cheesy, but "hi" is truly the most awesome word I've ever heard.
• Our jobs....and our kick ass coworkers. You all make work fun. It's not work if you like it, right?
• Eachother.
• A safe country to live in.
• A God that blesses us each and every day with his guidance and love.
• Smartwool socks. (Hahaha, they make angels sing you know!)
• Food. More specifically: Mexican Food, Chinese Food, Fast Food and food cooked by people other than me.
  
• Will someone cut me off, please?
  

Merry Christmas All!

Love,
Chris, Jen & Mason Mrdutt
(and Addy too)

The famous Mason pout!

It might make us bad parents...but sometimes we provoke our kids to catch those cute little memories like this one.



It's been hard to catch this famous Mason pout on camera...but it's been accomplished.

I'm not even going to mention how many attempts were made to get his reaction to be this perfect. *Wink Wink*

Turkey Day, Deer Huntin' & Getting Da X-mas Tree

I thought I was being clever and combining 3 posts in one...but after spending about 45 minutes on this, I'm thinking I should have written one at a time over the next 3 days so I could give more detail...

Oh well, hope this isn't too overwhelming for ya.

Turkey Showdown 2.0 - Chris vs. Jen

Last year, Chris and I both made a turkey. Our friendly family was too scared to declare a winner, so this year, we made it mandatory.

I made an oven-baked Maple Butter turkey. I was pretty happy with it, it was very juicy. It was very sweet though too, which made the gravy sweeter than you would expect a gravy to be.

My turkey in the oven...

My secret gravy ingredients. (I guess they aren't so secret anymore).

Basting my bird.

My finished bird.

Chris made a Cajun Deep Fried turkey. Chris was ecstatic about how his turned out. I'll admit it, it was pretty good. Not as moist as mine (hee hee - had to get one dig in there), but good.

Chris "preparing" his bird.

Making the marinade.

Chris's turkey after injection. I think it looks like it just got out of a car accident.

The deep frying kitchen.

Carving the deep fried bird.

The votes were tallied - and because Jim refused to place a vote, the final count was 5 to 4. Jen took the "W". To be fair, two of the votes came from my ever-loving nieces, so I told Chris that we could consider it a tie. I thought that was fair of me.

Mason getting ready for his nummers.

The family joining around the table.

Yummy desserts.

The tryptophan (aka alcohol) kicking in.

What's in that bottle, Jim?


Thank you everyone for a great family gathering!

Deer Huntin' at the Mrdutts

Chris told me I had to shoot a gun before he would take me deer hunting. Been there, done that.

Under the new mentoring program with the DNR, my hunting was actually legal!

The Mentoring Program (via the DNR website): It's easier than ever to introduce someone new to hunting in Wisconsin. Anyone 10 or older can now hunt without first completing a hunter education course. He or she must be accompanied by a licensed hunter, hunt within arm's reach of the mentor, and follow other rules.

Opening weekend, I hit a forker buck, but after hours of tracking, couldn't find it. Luckily, we heard that the neighbors ending up getting it. Saturday morning, I took a shot at a doe, and missed. (Before you pick on me too much, it was like my 5th time shooting a gun.)

So Saturday evening, we decided to hunt in Ben's stand, mostly because it was a closer walk from the house. As the clock neared 4:00, Chris said "Jen's going to shoot a deer in the next 1/2 hour." He was close. At 4:32, a nice sized doe walked out into the corn field. I sighted it in, took the shot and boom, down it went. It was dead before it hit the ground. I was a bit high, I shot the back out and took a good chunk out of the lungs. For my friends with the queasy stomachs from the sight of blood, I suggest you not view the next two pics.

So next year, I'm taking hunter's safety for real. Chris promised me a heated stand. That was my main problem, I was freezing. If I had the tolerance to stay out there a little longer, I would've bagged that buck this year. But it was too...damn...cold. :)

Getting Da X-mas Tree

Getting our Christmas tree at Pleasant Valley Tree Farm has been a tradition since Chris and I met. Chris worked there in high school/college so we have a weird loyalty to the place. The trees are pricey, but gorgeous. It took us less than a minute to walk off the wagon and find our tree.

Our Tree

Who's that freak that jumped in our picture?

The "Other" Mrdutt Tree - Hey, that face looks familiar.

Gramma Mrdutt and Mason cuddlin by the fire while they shake and wrap our tree.

After a long 4 day weekend, I'm actually ready to get back into the swing of things. I am determined to get all of my Christmas decorations up this week, before the Mosinee Christmas parade this coming weekend. The parade has always been the real kick-off to the season for me. The baking will now be in full force as well. 75% of my Christmas shopping is done, so I plan to spend the next 4 weeks taking in all that I can of this Christmas season. Speaking of which...time to fire up the fireplace and have a brandy slush!

Enjoy the season!

Emotional Mommy

You know that feeling when you're excited about something for somebody but for you it makes you nervous as all heck so you have a hard time struggling with your emotions? It's called being a MOM. Today was a emotional mommy day.

Michelle and I entrusted the care of Spence-man and Mace-meister to Chris while we went to Mosinee Elementary to meet with 4 lovely ladies - Mason's future special ed teacher, physical therapist, occupational therapist and speech therapist.

When we first got there, we signed in at the office and walked down to the classroom. They were expecting us, so we were introduced to the teacher and then sat down to observe the classroom for about 30 minutes. There were about 10 kids in there, only two girls. They were eating lunch. The biggest surprise to me was to see how "high functioning" all the kids were. If I saw 9 of those kids in a normal classroom, I wouldn't suspect a thing. There was 1 boy, 4 years old, in a wheelchair like Mason's. He was feeding himself, and drinking his cup with some assistance. My first thought was...shit. Mason is going to be the hardest one. I think Michelle was thinking the same thing.

*Pause for emotional mommy breakdown*

I questioned (to Michelle and in my head) why they were pushing us to join the Monday/Wednesday rotation. There weren't any kids in there that I would compare to Mason. As we came to learn, this was likely done intentionally to ensure Mason gets more one on one time.

The kids wrapped up lunch and started an activity on this cool board that allowed them to "dress a turkey". It was like an interactive wall dry-erase board. Very cool tool. Michelle says to me "Where did the kid in the wheelchair go?" Come to find out, they took him in a separate room for speech therapy. I realized that they do find a way to give some kids one on one time during activities that do not necessarily "match" where they're at developmentally.

During all this I'm hearing sniffling and comments about getting sick and I'm thinking...that's it...he's coming here in a bubble.

After storytime, they laid the kids down for a nap. (Shoot. Mason doesn't just "lay down" for a nap.) Once all seemed to be in order, the teacher took us to a conference room to meet with all 4 of them at once to talk, ask questions, etc.


So down the hall in this tiny conference room, we all sat and stared at each other. I wasn't really sure where to begin even though I'M the one that requested this observation time. They talked a little about the typical day, how they do all the busy activities in the morning, snack time, more activities, lunch, story time, nap time, activities, home. Wowza...very structured. Then, a few of my concerns came out (not necessarily in this order) and we came to realize or were told about solutions.

1. Mason takes 2 hour naps.
They can work around this. Most kids take 45 minute naps, some don't nap at all. Mason will likely adapt to this schedule...or, if he doesn't nap, will likely sleep when he gets back to Michelle's at 2:45/3:00. Also, Mason needs a nuk to fall asleep, and is usually rocked to sleep. They LOVED this. I think they are going to fight for "cuddle duty".

2. Mason needs to be fed, cannot feed himself.
Not a problem, the cafeteria will provide some of his food. They have teachers assistants to help. Told them about what he eats, what he drinks and how.

3. Diapering facilities.
They have them...and they do that.

4. Bus - is there an aide (a familiar face) on it with him?
No, he would get on the wheelchair van with Michelle's help in the morning, ride in the bus with 1 or 2 others, and a teacher's aide would get him off the bus at school. They work the early childhood bus around the other bus schedule, so he will arrive at school after the other kids and will head home before the other kids. Kids learn to love the bus. My biggest concern is him driving by Gma and Gpa's each day and screaming all the way to school because they didn't take him to Gma and Gpa's. I think Michelle is still worried about this and wants to drive him to school. (I'm working to convince her otherwise).

5. Mason needs lots of one on one attention.
In anticipation of Mason, they increased one person on their staff from part-time to full-time. This kind of makes me giggle, I'm not sure why.


We talked about what Mason's daily activities are, what he's eating, what he likes...all kinds of stuff. I gave them the tips about books (he's obsessed with page turning), about Mickey Mouse (good tool to keep him occupied) and about door knobs/drawer handles (if he sees them, he wants to grab them). This is the stuff they really jotted notes about. I'm sure all those tidbits of information are extremely helpful in learning what makes him tick. We also talked about his understanding, how he knows more than he can express. We talked about his expressions, and how he'll show you he's tired, or hungry, or pissed off. We've learned them, and now this staff of 4 plus all the extras (nurse, bus driver, teachers aides) need to learn them too!

At one point in this talk we tried to convince them it was a good idea for the Spence-man to come to Early Childhood with Mason. They didn't take the bait. Darn it. (Seriously though, that would be SO beneficial for both of them.) Come January, Spencer is going to be super upset about Mason getting to leave on a bus just like both of his sisters...but. not. him. Better stock up on bribes for that day!

What's SUPER COOL is that Chloe is going to be right next door for the first 5 months of school. I wonder if we can have a plan in place to have "Chloe to the rescue" if they can't calm Mason down. Can THAT be written into an IEP?

We discussed Mason's medical history. Heart is good to go, shouldn't be any more issues, I explain. Seizures are another thing. We need to make sure he doesn't get sick or need to have an A game when it comes to him getting sick and/or fever.

At the end of our talk in the conference room, the speech therapist says "I'm excited actually. This is my first VCFS kid". I explain that if it were for VCFS alone, Mason would be highly functioning. It's the brain disorder that's got him so delayed. Regardless, I think all 4 of these ladies are ready for the challenge.

After our discussion, we took a tour to see the other classroom they use for therapies. Lots of fun new things for Mason to do. On our way to the room, the PT asks me "So how are you feeling about all this?" I was honest. "I'm completely freaked out actually."

The entire visit lasted about 1 hour, 15 minutes. An emotional 75 minutes...and I'm still freaked out. However, this is going to be so great for Mason and I'm hoping the additional therapies and socialization really help him to grow. That keeps me excited about this process even though I feel like I'm losing "Mommy control". It's one thing to send your baby off to your sister's house each day, a sister than has raised 3 wonderful kids...but a whole other thing to send him off to a building full of strangers.

*Break for mommy tears*

So Dear Mason buddy - prove mommy's worries unnecessary and make this a seamless, positive transition. Learn. Grow. Make Friends. Be Happy. Love, Mommy

I shot a gun!

I've been telling Chris for years that I could shoot a deer if I went deer hunting. I've even joked about taking hunter's safety and going along with him. However, I choked last year when it came to signing up for hunters safety because I knew a 12 year old boy that would have been in my class. It wasn't the 12 year old I was nervous about, it was his father...who is married to a coworker of mine. (You know who you are.)

So anyway, in my joking again this year, Chris said that I am not allowed to go deer hunting with him unless I shoot a gun. I am 27 years old and I have never done it. Well...today was the day. I whined all morning about how cold and rainy it was but I did it anyway.

I started with a 22.

Then a 12 gauge.

Then a 30-06.

I murdered a pumpkin.

I'm not bad. (My shot is the one to the right of the target.)

So Chris, can I go deer hunting now?

Botox, Gait Trainer and Oil - What do they have in common?

Our brains are overwhelmed with information from today. As always, just the pace of the day and Mason's tolerance were challenging at times, but overall, Mason was in a great mood and very accepting of the constant questions, prodding, and interruptions in his routine. I'm going to recap every detail as best I can.

We started the morning off with a hip x-ray. Results are good. Mason needs to continue with the weight bearing time to ensure the hips continue to form normally.

Then off to PT. Mason was pretty good during this appointment, and when he would get a little fussy during his stretching, Mom's rendition of "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" calmed him right down. The stretching and measuring showed that Mason's heel cords and hamstrings are incredibly tight. More about that later. Mason's mood started to deteriorate a little bit at that point...you could tell he was fighting the urge to nap.

Quickly afterwards, off to OT. We put Mason in the kid cart and got him to do some coloring on paper, but for the most part, wanted nothing to do with it. He spent a majority of this appointment screaming. We did talk about getting a gait trainer ordered and started on this process of this by taking measurements and picking the color (my favorite part!)

Then neurology came in (the nurse) to take Mason's measurements. Mason weighs 30 lbs, 3 oz (with clothes), so we'll go with 30 lbs. His length is 91 cm. He is at the 25th percentile for height and weight. I didn't catch his head circumference, but know its at the 10th percentile.

Shortly afterwards, Mason fell asleep. Of course, as always, then it was time for the speech appointment. We talked to her about what words he is saying, how he's communicating, etc. We mentioned the fact that the geneticist had told us we should look at alternate forms of communication and she cautioned us to wait on that. Reason being, if insurance approves a device, and we learn that it doesn't work, it is extremely difficult to get something new. Apparently, the school also has this equipment for us to try in the meantime. We talked about the new consonants that Mason should work on, M, N, D, etc...but the facts are very real to us. Mason doesn't close his lips, like hardly ever. So it's quite possible that I'll never hear Mama, and Daddy will never hear Dada, but doesn't mean we aren't going to try like hell to work on it. ;)

While still napping, Physical Medicine came in. This doctor is my favorite. Quick...to the point...has a plan. She will help us by writing the physician referral necessary for the gait trainer. She also thinks it's time for Botox. Even while sleeping, Mason's legs were very tight. There are 3 ways we can approach the botox shots...with no anesthesia, with versaid (so Mason doesn't remember it) or with full sedation. Because of the work with all the other methods, we chose no anesthesia. Our kid is a tough kid...the shots will hurt, but it would all be over in about 20 minutes. The botox actually blocks the connection between the nerves and the muscles, and takes about 10 days to be fully effective. The botox effect on the muscles can last from 3 months - 6 months. We had originally thought we would be upgrading to new AFO's this visit because Mason can slide out of his current ones, but we're going to wait to see how Mason fits in them after this round of Botox. It will be about 8 shots, 4 in each leg...and if there is enough "juice" left, perhaps a little near his thumbs, since they are always tight under his other fingers. So, the insurance preapproval was put through, and we were hoping it would get approved right away, but no luck. We'll be going back in about a week to get it. We also thought we might increase Mason's baclofen prescription, but Mason is at his maximum for his weight. So...if he gains 3-4 more lbs, its a possibility. However, we're really hoping this new plan with Botox will relax him enough to sleep better at night so that an increase in baclofen is not necessary.

The last visit was with Dr. Koehn. We are not increasing his seizure meds, as he has not had any episodes for a year, but we know that not increasing him to counteract his weight gain will likely have some seizures peek through at some point. It's scary knowing they will happen again at sometime, but we do know they have a tendency of coming when he's got a fever, so at least we'll be a little more prepared. It scares me this flu season to know they are more likely, but Mason got his flu shot, so that's the least we can do.

Then off to lunch.

In the afternoon, we got a wrap-up of the care plan, even though we receive mailings of all the doc reports in the mail. I think the wrap up meeting can be eliminated...but that's just my opinion. The one good thing out of the wrap up meeting is that we talked about getting a handicap parking sign to use when we have Mason's full kid-cart in tow. Unloading Mason into his kid cart is difficult in a typical parking spot. I feel guilty thinking we're working the system in some way, but that will pass as we learn the convenience of traveling with Mason and having closer parking. ;)

Then, the last visit of the day - Dietician. After reviewing Mason's current diet, there were some definite concerns that Mason's diet is not complete. So we will be adding a pediatric multivitamin, Vitamin D and probably some oils for Omega-3's. And when we need oil, who do we call? For those of you that read this, and don't know this, Chris's brother Ben has a seed-pressing business and lots of oil available. The ideal oil the dietrician would like to try is flax seed oil. It will be a very little amount in Mason's food daily, just to get the brain-growing Omega's that he needs. With this addition of oil, his milk intake will need to be decreased so that we don't turn our baby into a "Buddha baby", in the docs words. We will also try some other proteins - refried beans, yogurt, cottage cheese, to enhance his protein intake. We are looking at the possibility of Pediasure, which scares me because Mason had such bad constipation on this at one point. However, if this is added, other things would be decreased. Also, apparently we can get a prescription for Pediasure to have it covered by insurance. Crazy!!!

Long day...and now Mason is napping. He didn't eat really great today, so I'm sure he is going to wake up very hungry in a few minutes...so I better get prepared.

Thank you all for keeping up with us! I hope the medical mumbo jumbo didn't bore you too much!

Special Needs Clinic Visit 3 (or is it 4)?

This Tuesday is Mason's special needs clinic...I think this is the 3rd, maybe 4th one? I can't believe I'm not sure. It's always a long day but each time we go, we become more prepared on how to handle the day and know what to expect. This week's visit goes something like this:

7:45 am - Check into Special Needs Clinic
8:00 am - Radiology, x-ray of Mason's hips
8:30 am - 12:00 pm - OT, PT, Speech, Neurology and Physical Medicine
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - Lunch
1:30 - Visit with Clinic Coordinator to go over "results and plan"
1:30 - 2:30 - Possible visit to Orthotics to fit for new AFO's (braces)
2:30 - Dietitian
3:30 - Head home

We hope to accomplish a lot of things during this visit. We need to order a gait trainer. Need. We've figured out how to get our insurance to pass things through so we're ready for this next battle. Just need to secure the quote.

With Physical Medicine, we need to talk Botox. The baclofen (muscle relaxer) isn't keeping up with Mason's tight muscles, so we might need a med that can better target his problem areas. We might also increase the baclofen as an "overall" relaxer. We're hoping this will help Mason sleep better at night. Mason only sleeps 6-7 hours/night, and some nights can have up to 5 interruptions. Mason also takes a 2-3 hour nap during the day, which is GREAT on weekends...but we'll give that up if it means a solid 9 hour stretch of sleep at night. If the baclofen doesn't help, we are going to ask about a better relaxer for night. If Mason doesn't get restful sleep, its not going to help his progress at all during the day.

I requested the dietician appointment. Mason has been eating baby pureed foods and whole milk since 8 months of age. I'm concerned that he is not getting enough protein, among other things. I'm sure they'll suggest Pediasure, which has a habit of clogging him up. We could go back to Carnation Instant Breakfast in his milk...but he doesn't like that as much as he likes his Hershey's strawberry syrup. ;) Spoiled kid.

BIG DAY- Hoping for lots of new ideas! I usually bring the laptop along for blog updates but I think I'm going to leave it home this time and take lots of old-fashioned, hand-written notes that I can combine into one big blog update.

As for right now, I'm going to go sneak in a nap since Chris and Mason are napping too!

Trick-or-Treat?!

Mason's first trick-or-treating adventure occurred this year. We loaded him up, mickey costume and all into the wagon and followed the cousins around the block. Mason got a few things in his candy bucket, mostly things he can't have...but when we got back, he devoured half of a reese's pb cup. So many kids to see!

The rest of our trick-or-treating crew - two witches, a vampire, a bumblebee and buzz lightyear!



Hi!

Never a dull moment...

One weekend each year, the Konkol and Mrdutt families get together to cut wood at the Mrdutt farm. They do this as a "thank you" for allowing everyone to use the land during deer hunting season. It's a boys weekend, but the girls go along to play inside with Mason, and take some time to go shopping. This year, George, Mark, Ben, Chris, Jim and Randy all spent the day cleaning up some major wood piles.

While the boys worked away, the girls went shopping. Mason, Barb, Katie, Mom and I all piled into our trailblazer and visited the nearby Grain Bin Market and Bakery, and then the Country Cabin. Mason wasn't in the best of moods, as he is fighting a slight cold, so we decided to head back to the farm. The trailblazer was acting up, so Mom, Katie and I piled into Mom's Buick to head to Pleasant Valley Tree Farm to do a little more shopping. Barb was nice enough to stay home with Mason.

(Note: The trailblazer was in all-wheel drive, so it was "missing". Oops.)

The tree farm was very busy, with lots of people checking out the corn maze, the many kids activities and the hay ride. For us it was a bust, as we were craft shopping and their store had already transitioned from "fall" to "Christmas". So, we headed back.

Mom was driving, and we were pulling from Hwy 25 to Hwy FF. I was laying in the backseat, fighting a slight headache I'd had all day and Katie was making fun of Mom because she started slowing down about a 1/2 mile before our turn. We were about to turn left, waiting for a truck to pass, and then slowly started our turn when....

Crash.

I jolted up to our car being plowed into the ditch. We had no idea what happened, it happened so fast. Katie and I were okay, but we looked over to Mom and she was bleeding from the head. Mom was asking what happened, and I was getting her bleeding under control while Katie hopped out and checked on the other car. I called 9-11, as did another person that stopped.

Thankfully all of us are okay. We aren't sure about the other couple from the other car. They did not appear to have any injuries but the man was airlifted by helicopter because of some memory issues. The woman complained of chest pain. We never did catch their names.

Had that car hit only 1 split second later, who knows what could have happened. I'm not sure Mom would still be here. I was also on the driver's side in the back, so who knows...

We took a few pictures of the damage:





We made the news.

The one thing I'll always remember from it was when Mom asked one of the EMT's to move slightly to the left as they were talking to her, to cover up her view of the big white cross right outside her door. This corner has a history in that neighborhood of being unsafe.

Regardless, it was one of those moments that scare the crap out of you and make you realize how lucky you are to be living. You count your blessings.

I'm going to go hug my boys now. :)

WARNING: Dramatic Post!

I struggle to find a way to start this post and not have everyone out there scared that I'm losing my mind...because some days I truly feel like I'm losing my mind. Days where I can't focus on anything for more than 2 microseconds because my mind is flooded with horrible, unrealistically insane thoughts and I have a pounding headache to the point I think that if someone with a cheery smiley face comes up to me I just might jump at them and literally bite their head off.

Days like this S.U.C.K. Days like this make me want to drop everything I'm supposed to be doing and run home and crawl into bed and not deal with any of it.

Then the realistic Jen comes back.

I will try to keep all the overly optimistic people in mind as I write this so that I don't scare you too much, but just so you know, I am NOT the overly optimistic type and overly optimistic people drive me crazy...so please, keep that in mind also.

Today was Mason's medical genetics appointment. The last one we had was at 6 months of age. I've been putting this appointment off for 2 years...mostly because I didn't think it had value...I mean c'mon, we've gotten his diagnoses...what else is there to know? I also put it off because I didn't want to deal with what I knew was going to be said.

Our first genetics appointment was with a Genetics MD and a Genetics Counselor. I believe that they do this to have the "medical" person in the room with the facts and the counselor to make sure you are mentally okay with what they are saying. We had both today, too. The MD kicked things off by asking about Mason's progress.

MD: So what can you tell me about Mason's development?

Me: He can sit unassisted for a little bit, is starting to roll, is starting to take steps.

MD: So can he stand holding himself with the help of furniture (or anything)?

Me: No.

Michelle: If he's sitting on a couch, eventually he will fall to the side, he can't hold his trunk in one place.

MD: Okay, so this is what I think...

Prepare to have a round of bullets unloaded at your chest at point blank range...(again, drama)...

"Because we've seen what Mason's progress has been over the past 3 years, which has been very slow, it is my medical opinion that he will never be able to walk. He may be able to take steps, which should still be a goal of yours, but he will not be able to walk himself around as a normally functioning adult".

UGH. Pause for me to collect my thoughts...

Then we got talking about his speech. Mason should be able to talk...and its not the "system" he's been given that is preventing him from talking, its the brain to organ connection. Mason's cortical dysplasia is the biggest inhibitor of anything for him. It is what has caused his tongue thrusting, muscle inconsistencies, cerebral palsy and developmental delays. If Mason had VCFS alone, he would be a highly functioning individual. His VCFS symptoms are definitely on the lower end of the seriousness range. It's the cortical dysplasia that fucked everything up. Pardon my French.

So, again, in the MD's medical opinion, Mason will never be able to communicate through speech or signing. His brain cannot send the messages to his hands or his voice to communicate the way he needs to. It was at this point that she brought up the possibility of other devices, such as devices with pictures that he can hit to show what he wants or "switches", where he can answer "Yes" or "No" when prompted with questions. She explained that it can be very frustrating for individuals like him to communicate without adaptive equipment. (I agree - but for the parents also!)

Up to this point, I did not picture myself with a full grown son moving around assisted in a monster metal contraption, wiping drool from his face, having him move a switch to answer me yes or no. I just didn't.

Whew...Lastly...

There is a tiny chance that the cortical dysplasia is not a result of the VCFS. There are cases of VCFS with cortical dysplasia, but very few. Our Genetics MD is going to send Mason's brain MRI to a nationally-renowned brain geneticist. Talk about medical advances...apparently he can view the images to see if they suggest that the two are not genetically linked. If he suspects that they are separate, we may get more genetic testing for Mason. If Mason's genetic tests show that the cortical dysplasia is from a different gene altogether, it may be necessary for Chris and I to have more genetic testing....which again, means that the idea of more children is on hold.

Keep in mind that this is a very tiny chance...but part of me wants that confirmation before making a decision for another child. I mean, Chris and I have proven that we can handle a lot, but let's not push the limits here!

So baring all the other unimportant details, that was my day. My super crappy, head-pounding, tearful day. I'm still considering the "drop everything, go home, get into bed, ignore it" plan...but I'll get over it. Life goes on. At the end of this day, I still have an incredibly supportive family, a great husband and a cute-as-hell, happy son.

But for now, allow us to drown in a little self-pity.

You know what this day needs? A simple "Hi".

Simply "HI"

If this post seems a little different the reason may be that this is Chris and not Jen. Yea, yea I know I don't say much on here. I would like to think that is because Jen does a wonderful job at this and I save my post for those very exciting times that merit my comments. Well tonight is one of those times. I was down cleaning up the kitchen when I heard Jen yell my name, and to hurry upstairs. Jen and Mace were playing on our bed and she asked Mace to say "Hi". After some coaxing and fighting a huge smile Mace said HI. I know it doesn't seem like much, but the last round of seizure took that word away from him, and we never knew if he would get it back. I'm so proud of our little man.....

HI HI HI

~Dutt

Happy Anniversary sweetheart!

I've been married to this great man for 4 years. For 4 years, this guy has put up with me and all my craziness...and that alone has earned him his angel wings, I'm sure.

Mason and I are so grateful to have such a wonderful man in our life...keeping us happy, keeping us laughing, keeping us safe and keeping us loved.

Happy 4th Anniversary Sweetheart!

The Adventures of Mommy Mrdutt

Being a mom is full of adventure. I've done things as a mom that I never imagined I would have the stomach to handle. When my son is constipated, I've assisted with extraction. When my son is sick, I've had him puke on me and will sit in puke for as long as it takes to get him back to sleep through a sleepless night. When he has boogers, I pick 'em. Everybody has seen me do it.

Tonight topped the crazy moments of mom-hood...for a mom that can handle just about anything now. For those of you with weak stomachs...do not read on...

Mason was in his stander, watching Mickey Mouse (who else), while I was enjoying a glass of wine and catching up with people on facebook. Mason was starting to get annoyed (aka tired) so I walked over into the living room to let him out of the stander and change his diaper. I had forgotten that his G-tube extension set was still attached and looped through the stander, so when I pulled him out, the entire Mic-button came out...of his stomach.

I FREAKED. We thought this could happen at some point, as the balloon holding it in can shrink over time but the balloon didn't look small at all. In fact, its usually filled with 5 ccs. This one still had 4 ccs in it! (for those you wondering what CC's are, its a unit of measurement, same as mL).

I laid him on the floor, called up to daddy, and we put in a new button. They aren't kidding when they tell you its important to have an extra on hand. We could have put the old one back in but it was due for a change anyway...I had even placed the order for a new one today!!!

So of course, the first thing I say to Chris after the new one is in and Mason is calmed down...I need to blog about this....

Fine! Here's Your Update! :)

I get bugged weekly, if not daily, to update our blog but I don't like to update unless I have some news-worthy stuff to share. It does make me feel good, though, that our lives seem interesting to people other than us. :)

Our September started out with an incredibly relaxing weekend up at the lake. Chris went goose hunting while Mason and I spent the weekend indoors, cuddling and watching Mickey Mouse. It was a pretty chilly Labor Day weekend, but it was sooo relaxing. Our summer flew by, so it was a nice way to wind down and get into fall-mode.

We also went to Pumpkin Palooza this month. For those of you that were at our wedding, do you remember the monster pumpkins that drove up next to the reception hall that night? Those monsters belong to my aunt and uncle, Denise and Randy. They have been growing monster pumpkins for years and have a party to celebrate fall and pumpkins. I didn't take many pictures at the event, as I was occupied with my new HTC Hero phone, but here are a few:

Then, this past week, we took a trip to Marshfield to pick up an early Christmas present for Mason. We thought it would be another month before this came in, but I got a shocking phone call last week that it was ready to be picked up!

Chris and I would like to take this moment to thank all Portage County residents that pay taxes in the County of Portage to help fund the insurance that Chris receives. We would also like to thank all the healthy Portage County workers that keep the premium costs low despite the incredible cost our family is probably adding to the "bill".
This incredibly unique piece of equipment was ordered over 8 months ago. We fought a bit with insurance, but finally got it through. This baby costs $6300 retail. Our cost: a $200 co-pay.

I got a call today to schedule Mason's first IEP visit with the Mosinee Elementary School psychologist. It's scheduled for October 11th. I put this date in writing on the blog because I think it's going to be the day that Mommy Mrdutt officially loses it. Thinking about Mason going to school these past few months have had this Momma sick to her stomach...and the start of the process frightens me even more. I know Mason will be in good hands...I know many teachers in the Mosinee school system...but no matter how much people tell me...I'm still freaking out. It's probably best to let me freak out. I guarantee over the next few months that there will be tears, anxiety, panic attacks and unrealistic rants. I'm just preparing you all.

Other than those tidbits of news, things have been pretty normal. You know, the Mrdutt normal. Chris is getting ready for opening duck hunting and I'm occupying my time with the BBA (Bad Bowlers Anonymous - a super cool group of folks that get together to go bowling once a week) and keeping this house in order.

So, I leave you with an updated pic or two of the Mace-meister:

Peek a boo!

Give me that camera!


Check back in a week or two for more updates...and stop buggin' me already! :)