looking to the future

A decade has passed...  

Ten years ago on a cold, wintery day in December I held my seven day old baby while the doctor poked and prodded his eyes over and over again.  I remember my husband and I sitting there thinking that this was just a routine visit.  Something was noticed upon Aidan's eye examination before discharge but I just knew that our minds would be put at ease after this examination.  I had no clue! Ten years ago this month our perfect little life was turned upside down in the blink of an eye.  I sat in that office and listened as this doctor quickly diagnosed my sweet boy with Congenital Glaucoma.  I just scooped my baby up and held him in my arms, rocking him back and forth.  I remember every.single.detail...my heart had been shattered.  I broke down in tears, so scared as the doctor then told Eric and I every grim detail of this disease and what to prepare for if the eye drops did not work to bring Aidan's eye pressures down.  I remember every single detail of that morning.  I remember crying hysterically while we checked out at the front desk.  I remember calling our family after we sat in the car for a few minutes, processing what had just happened.  I remember all of them dropping whatever it was that they were doing to get to us.  I remember my sister, walking through the door of our home, tears streaming down her face while she grabbed me and  hugged me as hard as she could.  I remember it all.  Things moved pretty quickly after that day and some things are just too hard to put into words.

Fast forward to today, Aidan is my hero! He has been put through the ringer and has went under anastesia more times than I care to remember.  He always comes through each surgery, each eye examination with a smile on his face.  It has been a decade ago this month that our world was turned upside down and all of the surgeries began...so many unknowns...so many ups and downs...so many times my faith had been shaken.  I was scared to death on the day of his diagnosis.  I had never been so scared in my life.  I educated myself on this disease very quickly.  We have encountered doctors with less compassion that I would have hoped for but today we know Aidan is in the best of hands and we look forward to a bright future together! Aidan is happy, he is thriving, he is your typical ten year old...full of life, full of laughter, full of smiles:)

Aidan is my hero! 

Lunch time...simplified!

This awesome company sent me one of their lunch boxes to review and I am so happy to do so! I was in search of a lunch box that my son could take to school and not have to remember little pieces to pack up and bring home (It would just lessen a lot of frustration all around).  He needed some simplification during his school days and I think that I have found something awesome that could help him out during the day...the Planet Box!

The Planet Box is made of quality stainless steel so no worries about Plastic.  It is an all-in-one lunch box, offering different sized boxes with a different number of compartments in each.  Our particular Planet Box is the Rover and offers five segmented containers to hold all of your healthy goodies:) All you need to do is fill, close and latch...that is it! No more searching for empty containers for school lunches the night before, in hopes that you will find the matching lid (it may have been left in the cafeteria, in a desk, etc.).  I find this lunch box to be just what my big guy needs! And all he has to do is open and get to eating before time's up to pack up and get to learning once again:) Best of all? No more smelly lunch box at the end of the day!

Five little compartments for all of the goodness.  

Just fill and close.  Everything stays in its spot once latched!

Fun magnets to choose from in a variety of designs!

 ...and look at this cool carry case! Planet Box offers a variety of colors and styles to choose from! The pouch on the front can easily hold a water bottle and more!

These cute little containers are called dippers.  Do you want to pack liquid food? Just place inside and seal!

Now comes the fun part...filling the Planet Box! I enjoy it now and takes me no time at all!!

I think my Logan will love using his new Planet Box!! No more sifting through and cleaning each individual container after school, no more making sure the plastic is clean enough for the next days lunch.  Just open the Planet Box at the end of the day, rinse and air dry.  This lunch box will carry my kiddo through his school years.  The Planet Box is an eco and easy way to pack healthy meals.

To learn more about the Planet Box, you can visit http://planetbox.com/

Fall Family Fun!

Well, Fall has officially arrived and what a great one it has been thus far!! The weather has been so nice and the boys have been able to spend most of their days outside! Yesterday we visited Brown's Berry Patch for the first time! They had so many activities for the kids; jumping pillow, wagon rides, face painting, goat feeding, apple picking and so much more! It was definitely worth the long trip out there:)

...and these are a few of our favorite things!

This blog is in need of an updated post! I thought this would be the perfect time to review this amazing little lunch box that I am sure will provide endless hours of happiness filling!! My middle little is in need of some simplification during his days at school so I thought that the Planet Box would the perfect way to start! I will review this ingenious little product after I have received it so stay tuned!!

Team Aidan!

     As many of you know, our oldest boy was born with Glaucoma.  On Saturday, May 11th we will be hosting a Kids Fun Run benefitting the Children's Glaucoma Foundation.  This event will be held at Casey Park in Ontario from 9:30-11:30.  The event fee is $10.00 and all of the money raised will go directly to the Foundation.  Come on out for a morning of fun! We will be holding raffles throughout and a facepainting table will be set up for the kidlets.  You can register the day of the run and all kids registered will receive an awareness bracelet.  A light snack and drink will be provided after the run.  The trail is of packed dirt so please wear the appropriate sneakers.  Run it, walk it, skip it, dance it...we just ask that you have fun while doing it, however you choose to get it done! Feel free to bring others along too! Come on out on Saturday May 11th, wear green and show your support!! We hope to see you all there!!

In Honor Of My Aidan...

     Last Thursday, Aidan had an appointment with his cornea specialist to follow up on some eye swelling. Well, great news! The swelling has gone down and his eye is stable for the time being. My reason for writing this entry is to express how truly proud I am of my boy! I left from that appointment feeling a sense of pride that shines through every part of my being. We waited 30 minutes to even get in a room, playing thumb war and rock, paper scissors to pass the time and help with the boredom. Once in, he had his eyes checked and pressure measured by two nurses before his doctor even came in. Though very tired of the waiting and sick of the pressure checks Aidan never once complained. It was evident through the pressure measurements that he was uncomfortable and wanted it to be done and I didn't blame him. If I could I would switch seats in that exam chair in a heartbeat! I was ansy for him and wanted to just see the doctor so that we could be on our way, stopping at the store so that Aidan could get that pack of Pokemon cards that he had been longing for.

     The above mentioned appointment tipped off this blog entry.  I was just so amazed at the level of cooperation this child exuded that day, as he does with each and every one of his exams.  Yes, he does get ansy and yes, he does get bored but wouldn't you at his age, given the time he has to wait to even see a doctor?  I have had this feeling inside of me for quite some time now.  A feeling that never seems to lessen.  A feeling that can cause my chest to become tight and each breath become a little faster.  A feeling that, at times can overwhelm me and rock me to my very core. It is a feeling of anticipation before each and every eye exam and pressure check; before each and every surgery.  It is a fear of the unknown, as my mind can easily wander to a very dark place but I have chosen not to.  Aidan is my hero; a brave, brave child that has had to deal with so much in such a short time.  He has learned at a very young age to tip his head back at the exact angle as we slowly instill eye drops, up to six drops a day now.  He has learned to just blot his eyes gently after the drops work their way in, even with the stinging and burning going on.  Aidan has learned to sit ever so still in the exam chair as the doctors and nurses poke and prod at his delicate eyes.  He keeps right up with his buddies, just ask any of his friends:) Aidan is my inspiration.  He perserveres, he has overcome and he just does what needs to be done.  Aidan is not defined by Glaucoma.  This beast of a disease will not define who he is.  Glaucoma will not defeat him.  Aidan is a nine year old boy who runs, plays, acts silly; he is an amazing friend, brother and son.  Aidan is a good student, a great reader, writer and mathematician.  He shows compassion and love for his family and friends.  Aidan has adapted to his world so much better than any of us can understand.

     The pictures below are from Aidan's Inspiraiton Through Art session.  Inspiration Through Art is an amazing organization that provides photo sessions to families of children that have been diagnosed with a life-long illness or disease.  Aidan had the wonderful privilegde of participating and he was granted a session all his own.  This boy is so beautiful, so full of vim and vigor, full of life, passionate about the world around him and is truly thriving! I love my Aidan!

A special kind of love...

     My older boys have a special bond with one another.  It is a bond that will hold tight forever! I do have to say though that since Grayson has entered our lives, I have seen a spark in my boys that makes me smile from ear to ear.  A kind of compassion and love between siblings, that only siblings can share.  Both Aidan and Logan just love to give their baby brother lots and lots and lots of kisses and cuddles and it warms my heart right up! They will kiss him before they leave for school in the morning, they will kiss him as soon as they get home and they will kiss him all of the minutes in between until bedtime...only to start right up again the next morning!  They never miss that opportunity to show their love that they have for this baby!! They spend their days playing with him, teaching him new things and just loving on him.  Grayson loves the attention they give him; belly laughing when Logan plays peek-a-boo with him or trying to mimic Aidan when he tries to teach him his name.  It is all so wonderful to see! Aidan and Logan are awesome big brothers and I am so grateful for this!! I am so proud of them, so, so happy that they show the love that they have for Grayson for all to see!!!

They all just ADORE each other!!!