Who? Who? Who is Two?!

The day started off pretty well.
Nick was woken up by sister Katheryn singing 'Happy Birthday' to him!

And he came downstairs to a bunch of presents on his new chair (I've loaded this picture a dozen times and saved it different ways in different files and it still comes sideways!)

All he wanted to do was play with the dinky cars! (Uh oh, I feel a 2 year old attitude coming on)

 He was quite upset that we really wanted him to open those wrapped boxes and put down those cars!

 But he eventually found something he liked better!

And then it was party time!

All of our friends and family to come celebrate with us!

And Nick got lots of things he liked!

Every present we opened, he wanted to play with immediately!

So this...

 Turned into this...

And this...

 Before we got here.

And of course birthday cake time!

Wow Mom! Take a look at that cool cake!



Um, Mommy, did you know all these people are singing?

 I think they are singing for me!
I'll play shy (and give them a show)

OK time to blow!

Yup, I did good!
That's how you do two guys!

Time to eat!



Yummy, let's share!

That was good cake!

Happy 2nd Birthday! I know you had a great day, and have lots of fun ahead of us this year!

The 2 year preview!

In the last 2 years we went from this

1 day

6 weeks

9 months

Last year!

15 months

STANDING!

18 months

Loving animals and touching EVERYTHING

22 months

Look at that attitude coming through!

23 months

Liking this independence-thing

Almost 2!

Preview done!

Now you have to wait until after the party (and when a have some time to post) to catch a glimpe of my litte 2 year super-hero!
Happy Birthday Nick!

Big Boy (tear!)

I know a little boy who is going to be 2 years old soon (2 weeks - eek!)
So Nick wants to show you what he got!

And when I see him on Katheryn's bed and how much he loves it, we knew that it was time.
The time for the Big Boy Bed.

You know, the one where they have a little more freedom. You can't just pull up the side rail and walk away, tell them to sleep but know that he won't climb out of bed. Nope, Kyle and I thought it was time to give Nick a little bit more freedom. To show him that he could climb out of bed if he wants to. A little independence.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only mom who wants my kid to get into trouble. Yes climb out of bed in the middle of the night, yes grab that toy you want, yes hit your sister back (oops did I just write that).

So the Big Boy Bed is kind of major.

Katheryn thinks the bed is great! She gets to climb into bed with him, she gets to bounce on the bed with him. And he gets to bounce on the bed with her!

We came up with the best idea! How to let Nick enjoy his new bed, but still give him the freedom to get in and out with his limited mobility?
2 levels of bed. The top mattress is a twin/single. Which gives Nick lots of room. Then the foundation or boxspring is a double/full. So Nick's bed has a step! A built in step.

We actually had to order the mattress and boxspring separately so when we had the mattress we just put it right down. But we got the boxspring all set up - it looks great!

We are working on getting him to back down the step (with the plain mattress he was going down face first). And I'm hoping that the conductive education and working with the plinth (the wooden table) he is getting comfortable pushing down like that.

So far, so good. Nick has been sleeping well in it. We even let him sleep in extra the first morning so that he could wake up and get himself out of bed!
He's such a big boy! (tear)

2 years

2 years and everything has changed.

I wish I travel back in time to that day. I wish I could be with myself, who was all alone in downtown Toronto and hearing those words. I wish I could have been there when I had to tell Kyle over the phone, because it was 'just a precaution and he might as well stay home with Katheryn'.

I wish I could be there, as I sat on the subway wondering, hoping, praying that this would all go away. I wish I could have been there as I was stuck in rush hour traffic unable to say the words to my mother who was on the phone.

I was all alone, but even in a room full of family and friends, it was still just me. I didn’t know! All I wanted was answers that would not come. I wish I could sit there and give the answers, or at least what questions are important.

I wish when I heard the words 'terminate the pregnancy' I could have been there to show myself that it wasn't necessary. It was a horrible decision to give a mother. In our world of medical advancement, healthcare and great strides in research, why is that even an option anymore?!

I wish I could be there, to sit beside myself and show beautiful happy pictures of my child. Healthy and happy. I wish I could say that spina bifida are not swear words, that it is not a death sentence or quality of life issue.

I wish I could be there to say that everything will be ok. That our family will adapt and be better for it. That the worry and concern about every little thing does not take over and tell myself that spina bifida is not our life.

I remember being worried if we would be able to go to the cottage, if he would be able to swim? Go to school? Play sports? Have fun with his sister? Be part of the family?

All of those concerns that seem so silly on this side of it.

And when I think about how my parents were concerned for ME, how we (Kyle and me) would survive this turn in the road. I wish I could have sat down and showed them that they were concerned about the wrong things.

Don't worry about how life changes when you hear the words "spina bifida". Life changes the moment you see that plus sign on a stick, the moment you wake up in the morning. Life changes! Some changes are expected and some come out of the blue, but that is the nature of life!

2 years ago I wish I knew that doctors don't know all. That sometimes they are horribly, horribly wrong (the words 'burden to your family' comes to mind).

You adapt, you grow, you laugh, you love and you live!
(You really don't care that the kitchen is a mess, but it matches your sons face!)

I remember sitting at a stop light. Staring, wondering, worrying. Wanting it all to be a dream. Why was this happening, why to us, why can't it just go away?! What was my life going to be like, with either choice we made?

I so wish I could have seen into the future, and seen myself now. And know that everything would be ok.

And how in 2 years later everything has changed. And I would never, ever want to take that back!