update!

I changed the settings on the blog, so anyone should be able to leave a comment now. I know some people were trying and not able to do so.

Yesterday was an okay day, lots and lots of complaining about so many different aches and pains that I lost track of what was actually hurting! Last night he spiked a high fever and totally lost it. It’s hard to explain, and I know that those of you that know Jack find it hard to believe…but it’s like he literally loses control of his emotions and just starts screaming about everything. Jon and I were wondering what to do to calm him down. I suggested to Jack that we get in the shower and I promised him that it was just to relax and play…no pin care. We stuck him in there and within minutes he had relaxed. I got him a bunch of squirt guns and he sat in there for an hour happily playing and singing. At this point, Jon and I didn’t know if we should hug him or wring his neck. I got him out of the shower and we had a little talk. He had gotten himself so worried about everything he hears us talking about…how he needs to sleep, the infection, the fever, etc etc etc that he just could not settle down. Sometimes I can’t believe this kid is only 6 years old, he takes the weight of the world on his shoulders, and obviously this process is more than he can handle. So, I talked to him and told him the infection was better and the fever was gone (not true, but he needed some reassurance). I told him the doctor said his leg was doing so perfectly he didn’t have to come back for 2 weeks (that’s the truth!) and that if he doesn’t sleep tonight it’s no big deal (meanwhile thinking, "please God, let this kid sleep tonight"). The look of relief on his face was priceless. So, we went downstairs, watched some Ice Road Truckers and I massaged his leg. He did eventually fall asleep and he did have another very restless night, but it was better than previous nights.

So, Jon and I have decided we need to be REALLY careful about talking about anything in front of Jack. He has a HUGE tolerance for physical pain, but the emotional pain of this is more than he can handle. This comes as a shock to us, as he is SUCH a reliliant kid...but everyone has their breaking point and I think we've surpassed his a few times now. Lesson learned....

This morning so far is going well. He has learned to transfer himself to his wheelchair and out. Out of the blue, I hear him yelling, “mom get the video camera, I want to show you what I can do.”

And here's a picture of him doing his favorite thing, going as fast as he can and then letting go. It's actually quite amusing until someone gets run over.

I gave him a shower and did some serious pin care. He hates this and to be honest…I really do too! There are 9 pins and I have to get in there and clean them out, push the skin back, all the while the shower water is soaking me and Jack is screaming his head off. It’s so important to do though and if I didn’t do it early in the morning, I’d reward myself each day with a drink! He definitely has a couple of infected pin sites that I’m hoping the antibiotic clears up soon.

Anyway, it’s almost noon and today (less the shower) has been very low drama and actually quite enjoyable. The boys are playing dominoes now and watching a new movie from Aunt Jen and her family.

I wanted to take a minute and give a big shout out to my 2 little ones. Amelia, who is typically a mommy’s girl and is only happy when attached to my hip (literally) has taken a complete 180 and now is happily entertaining herself most days crawling around putting small choking hazards into her mouth. Okay, I could do without having to dig the choking hazards out of her mouth all day, but the fact that she is happily entertaining herself all day is a blessing. And I know I am completely biased...but how cute is she? This is how I found her this morning.

And Max….he is just a gem. He patiently has been understanding that I am busy with Jack and he seems to be Jack’s favortie target of releasing some frustration. He takes a beating well...what else can I say? Max is a kid that is just wired to be outside all day and he has been SO great about staying inside playing games with his brother. Anyway, I just can’t say enough about Max and what a trooper he is. He starts tball tomorrow and I can’t wait for him to be the center of attention for a while…doing his favorite thing in the world! Here's Max on his birthday: