Monday, September 08, 2008

7 on the 7th!


We had Caden's little family party yesterday. (I decided that when our kids start school they no longer get big family parties, just little ones with grandparents and anyone else who chooses to come. Otherwise it just felt like we were seeking gifts from people that we only see a couple times a year.) Ok, off my soapbox...

Trace spent Saturday night with Nana and Papa and the rest of us went to church so that Caden could just lay around on his birthday morning. It turned out to be a great choice he really enjoyed his 'alone' time.

A little reflexion on the past seven years... (feel free to skip)

Caden was born on a Friday morning, two weeks early. I'll never forget the scowel on his little face as the docter lifted him up for us to see for the first time. His babyhood was not an easy one for me. A pretty fussy baby who was stingy with the smiles unless he was in a really good mood. Toddlerhood wasn't an improvement. He had speech difficulties on top of sensory issues on top of a very opinioated personality! When I recently looked back at his original diagnosis I couldn't believe how far he has come! Speech therapy made him totally understandable within a few months of starting which in turn decreased the tantrums a bit. Therapy for his sensory issues helped him a little but helped me even more know how to respond and react to him. Time, I think, has been the biggest help. And maturity. I still have to cut the tags out of shirts, and toss a perfectly good pair of shoes - because "they hurt!" But I no longer have to carry him everywhere because of weakness in his muscles (low tone). Now he can run up and down a soccer field! There are other patterns and issues that we have either managed to work through to an understanding, or are still working on but he has made such huge progress!

While Caden and I seem to butt heads a lot there is also an extremely sensitive side to him. He is always asking me to play with him or sit with him on the couch. Bedtime is our special time together to talk about anything he wants and he loves that. He can be an awsome brother to both of his siblings (when he wants), often thinking of them when he is getting something special. As our little comedian he can get us all laughing over the oddest things. And he never tires of helping his papa out in the yard. It has been seven crazy years and so many things have changed in his short life! I hope the next seven bring more growth and joy together. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CADEN!

2 comments:

Stacy said...

Yay! Happy Birthday, Cadan! What a sweet mommy you have. Coco, you have your hands so full with 3 kiddos and a busy husband. I love that you and Caden get special time together before bed... he's a blessed boy!

Anonymous said...

Coco,
Your kids have gotten so big! I hope that all is well with your family. Sorry, that we have not kept in touch over the years. You can email me at: trisha_bartkowski@yahoo.com.