Update...

This blog is long overdue for an update! Michael is now a straight A student in 9th grade!! I can't believe it! He is now standing around 5'4" and about 120lbs. A far cry from 39" and 36lbs when we started this whole GHD journey.

He is still taking his injections, and we now have a nightly pill that he takes as well. He is looking forward to getting his driver's license at 16. Which, he still has over a year to go, but he talks about it quite a bit already. He told me he wants a Jeep like ours...Oy vey! So far, no girlfriends to report as of yet. This whole kids growing up thing is taking some getting used to. Where did my little babies go??

"NORMAL"!!!

It has been quite a while since I updated this blog-so I thought I would recap what has happened since last update.

Michael had another growth checkup and bone age scan done; and the results were: His bone age is no longer considered "delayed"! His bones have caught up! We still have to do the injections, but just to know that right now is where he would normally be without GHD, was kind of comforting. He has also entered puberty....

We have moved! Last December we started our trek across the country from Washington State all the way to Pennsylvania. We made several stops along the way to see relatives, including a month down in Florida, before we finally made our way here.

Michael is doing well :-) He is in 7th grade now and still loves his hockey! He is signed up for Spring Hockey and is excited to finally have his goalie gear. He has been wanting to get goalie gear since playing goal in last year's tournament. He has lost another baby tooth, and as of May 1st he will officially be a teenager =shrug= . No more babies for me.....

My big 7th grader!

Completing a zip line course in Florida

With his brother at Daytona Beach

Hugs from 'Lil Bro!

A New Update!!!

Well, the school year is now almost over. Michael has had a few 'FIRSTS' this year. He went to his first school dance. He joined the choir and has sang in his first choir concert. His second one is coming up on June 3rd. He had his first girl invited to his 12th birthday party! I think he has even had his first crush on a girl :) So, yes, it has been a year full of 'Firsts'. He also recently started giving his injections himself. Surprised the heck out of me! I got to admit, it was actually kind of sad the day he did it. All I have to do now is remind him and he gets it all done himself. Never thought I would see that day. Since not much is going on that is really newsworthy, (all that tends to belong to his brother unfortunately), I will post pictures taken throughout the year.


He is in the red jersey in the center.


Halloween. They both won prizes for their costumes.


Ready for the game to start....


Practicing for Goal


12th BIRTHDAY!!!


I think we are on Year SIX of Star Wars!

Update....

Michael is now in the SIXTH grade!! Hard to believe we started this whole journey when he was in the FIRST grade.

My little man is not so little anymore. He is a big JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLER! Hard to imagine that he was just barely over 3ft tall when we gave him his first shot. Now he is over 4ft tall, wears a size 7 shoe(adult size mind you), and weighs nearly 80 pounds. He is ice skating, swimming, and playing ice hockey. He has caught up to the 5th percentile, and is doing just great. His former endo. has retired, and this week will be the first time he sees the new doctor. We need a new prescription for his meds and that is pretty much it. Simple. He takes the shots with no problem and for all purposes he is a regular pre-teen boy.

First Day in New Zealand

Well, I made it to New Zealand in one piece. Here on my own for three weeks for a work related trip. Well, not totally on my own, but the boys are back home either holding down the fort or burning it down..LOL.

Have not had a chance to take any pictures yet--we have been busy today with work related stuff. I just got off around 5pm. Had to hitch a ride with some of the crew as the main bus left a few hours before. But, I had work to do, so no big deal. Got back to my room (ok, small apartment is more like it) changed, then went to the store and got some food. We have a little kitchen in our rooms (I know, I am really roughing it on this one..) so I got some food thatI can make for dinner, and some sandwich stuff. The weather here is rainy and chilly for right now. They are just coming out of their winter here in NZ (being south of the equator and all)..so it is not exactly brilliant outside. Anyway, just wanted to post real quick before I eat. I am posting all my NZ stuff on Michael's page because he wanted me to. Michael, I love you buddy and I miss you! I can't wait to get back home to you guys!!

Busy Day!

We had to get up a little earlier to make Michael's appointment this morning. Fine for us. Not so fine for Mike as I had to leave him with Nicholas. Michael decided to pick out his clothes for today last night and sleep in them. (I suppose it does save some time..right??) Nick was already up when we left and I changed him and gave him his morning milk sippy. Mike got up when we left and gave Nick some crackers.

Michael was measured at 51" and 63lbs. He has crawled back to the 5th%ile on the charts!YAY! While we were there we renewed his prescription and took two viles of blood. He was a champ the whole time, and even told me that it did not hurt. (Although I could see his face contort somewhat when they were looking for a vein) He did not even want me to hold his hand. Truth be told, he could have done most of this all on his own-all I seemed to do was drive him there. He has done this so many times that he is a pro and takes it with a grain of salt. No change in the doseage for now. That might change when they get the bloodwork back with his hormone levels.

We got back just as Tracy was walking up to the door to start with Nick. Michael wanted to go out to lunch with just mommy, so after we dropped off his meds we were off again for a mommy/son lunch. We walked around Target for a bit and picked up some training pants for Nick and Michael got a Star Wars Lego set. Nick is now working with Stephanie for his last session of the day; then it is dinner,bath,bed and we start all over again tomorrow.

Another Growth Checkup

Michael had another growth check with Dr M. yesterday. He is now 49.6" tall and 62 lbs!! Dr M. did say that his growth velocity has slowed down a bit since last year; which he said he did expect that to happen sometime; so he increased his doseage to 1.05 from .08mg. He is very conservative about the doses, and Michael has been on a very low dose for about three years now and has been doing very well. He also said we might think of looking into ADHD for him as well. Michael has a very hard time focusing. We can tell him to do his chores or read, and one minute later he is taking a bath-he forgets that we told him to do something else. We will see as the year progresses, but we do notice that Michael has a harder time controlling himself than other kids his age.

As for Michael himself, well,he has become very interested in being in a band. He told me today that him and his buddies have started a band :) Oh the teenage years are going to be a blast...LOL!

My Rocker!

SLEDDING!!

Michael took this picture of the lake by our house.


We got Guitar Hero for Christmas, and ever since then, Michael has turned into quite the rock-n-roller. He is getting into bands like Guns 'N Roses, Aerosmith,and Black Sabbath. This is his last day of winter break. We have had fun during his vacation-staying up late, watching movies at home, baking cookies, and playing in the snow. We went to see the movie "Bolt" last weekend and I enjoyed every second of time with him. He is getting to be so grown up. I know that might be crazy to say since he is only 9 right now, but his tenth birthday is right around the corner and he is looking forward to getting his very own dependent I.D. card! He and Mike do a lot of the "manly" chores around the house, and even the not so manly ones. I need to make another appointment with his Dr and get a refill on his meds. I have measured him against the wall, and he comes to 49". Above are some pictures from his winter break.

Halloween, and etc.

I know it has been a while since I updated this blog, not because I don't want to, just because we have been busy with work,school,therapies,etc. These photos were taken on Halloween night. Michael was a Ninja. The boys had the day off of school, so we had been running errands and working on Nick's costume ALL day. Honestly, I was glad to get the night over with. I heated up some ravioli for dinner, and we went out trick-or-treating first with the neighbors and their kids. After about an hour doing that,Michael and I dropped Nick off at home(he was getting out of sorts) and then just Michael and I went out. It was great just walking with him down the street, chatting about things, enjoying the nice weather. Just him and I. No yelling, no homework, no pesky little brothers, no rush. It was nice. Since then, the weather has turned much colder and wetter, and we are back to reality. Now we are being forced to change schools-after we fought to get Michael accepted into his current school, now we are being told that both boys will have to attend the school closer to us because too many kids from our neighborhood are going where they are at now. UGH! I love the school they are at now!! That is the reason we chose that school! Tuesday night we watched the election, and needless to say were quite happy with the results! Michael was so excited that Obama won! He was really into this election, and they even had a pretend election at school(although, he will tell you it was real..LOL!) He was watching as every state reported their ballots, and for a while, it looked like Florida was going for "the other guy", Michael flat out yelled "Mommy! We got to call Nana and tell her to change her vote!!" LOL! It was funny. Typical Michael.

Snapshot(s) Sunday

Look at those leg muscles!



Some photos of our last soccer game of the season.

Ramblings.....

We had another soccer game today at noon. It was rainy and the temps hovered around 60 degrees, fall has definitely appeared. They won 4-2 I think. Did not get any pictures as it was a crappy day out, and we watched the game from the Jeep. We brought Michael and one of his friends home from the game and they played video games for a couple of hours. Michael is now at their house, spending the night. Anyway, at his new school, Michael comes across a lot more handicapped kids than he ever did at his old school. Last week we had a chance to really discuss the fact that he is around so many of them now. Michael told me that he did not like the handicapped kids because they could not use their legs to walk, or run, etc. I don't think he meant that he did not like them, I got the impression from what he said that he felt bad for them. I told him that he could find some other things that he possibly had in common with them, other than playing sports. I told him that "I bet they like video games just like you do. Or the same tv shows". He was trying to wrap his mind around the idea that some kids cannot use their legs. He has seen Dwarfs walking around, and he knows that if he did not have his medicine that he would be a dwarf also. Technically I guess you could say that he still is one, but his form is just treatable nowadays. He told me "Maybe if they used their legs more they could learn how to walk?". "Maybe" I said. "But there are also conditions where they will never be able to use their legs" I continued. Then, I told him that people would consider Nick to be handicapped. "He is not handicapped!" he retorted. "He can walk and run". I then told him that some handicaps you can't see, and others you can. Then went on to say "I don't think Nick is handicapped either, just others might consider him to be." I think being in the mix with all different kids is going to be good for him. I have also recieved reports from him that there is a kid that bullies him. The first I heard of this, I told him to tell a teacher about what happens. The next day he told me the kid had pushed him down again, and he went and told his teacher. If it happens again this week, then I am going to the school to report it to the principle.

Living on the Spectrum: The Dread of Soccer Season.......#links#links

Living on the Spectrum: The Dread of Soccer Season.......#links#links

New Look.....New School

I thought Michael's blog could use a fresh new look. Michael is now in the FOURTH grade! I can't believe it!! He is going to the same school that Nick is in this year, and so far, this school seems to be a little tougher academically. They have homework every night, including Fridays. Michael is growing and eating well. At his last checkup I think he was around 56lbs, and just over 4ft tall. He is playing soccer again this year, and we have a game tomorrow. I will post more then with some pictures!

Goodbye Maggi...

I will miss you and love you forever. Hope you are having fun in heaven.

New Update

This month has been real busy. Last weekend Michael had his Starfire soccer tournament and we spent most of the weekend in Tukwila. He only played for the first half in the last of four games; but he did very well. Overall, they tied 3 games and lost one. Michael was kind of upset the coach only put him in one game. I can't say that we were exactly happy about it either. The medicine that he takes for his growth has one minor set-back: It makes him hyper. It was fairly un-noticeable when he was younger as he was ALWAYS on the go. But now that he is getting older, it is noticeable..and is starting to set him apart from the other kids his age. As if his size was not enough, now we have this added to it. Why can't my boy get a break? For about a day and a half he was forced to sit for hours on end, the coach would get mad at any of the kids if they went to play on the playground in between games-but the other kids would get to play in the games-Michael just sat more on the sidelines. Anyway, I digress...

The weekend prior to that; we took the trailer out camping at a KOA campground in SeaTac. Michael had a WONDERFUL time swimming, and going for walks. We also played Monopoly, and just enjoyed each other's company. We are planning another trip in July and we can't wait!! Don't know exactly where we will end up going as of yet--we all want to see our good friends in Spokane; and we also want to see the Bavarian Town of Leavenworth,WA. So many choices!!

We are also thinking of sending Michael to the same school as Nick next year. I am going tomorrow to see what I will have to do in order to make that happen. Michael told me he wants to see his brother at school during the day..just like everyone else..he says. Him and Nick share a very close bond.

My Baby Turns Nine!!

Thursday, May 1st, at 6:25pm Michael turned 9yrs old! He got a couple of presents that night, and as a complete surprise, I let him go to a movie with daddy on Friday morning. Yes, he skipped school. Oh well. I work from Tuesday to Saturday, so it was really the only time they could have gone. I figured, What's one Friday?? Anyway, he had his birthday party with his friends today and he had a really good time. He got quite a few presents:

From us: A new Monopoly game, Star Wars Legos, Speed Racer legos, a skateboard and pads.

Aunt Christy: our new fave game, Electronic Battleship
Nana & Grandpa: Wal-Mart gift card
Grandpa: $25
Friends: A puzzle, Speed Racer cars, a Super Soaker, and more Legos.

Our soccer tournament is coming up on Memorial Day weekend! Not much longer!

March Update

Michael had a science project to do this month. We built a volcano(that is it in the pic) and he had to make it erupt. He took it to school and it erupted in the school yard with all of the other "volcanoes". His was the most abstract. He helped to make it and decorate it-so it was HIS project. We had fun making the clay and decorating it together.

We had some behavior issues that popped up this month and were dealt with. He is now back in soccer, and will be back in karate next month. Speaking of soccer, his team won their last game today. We let him play in the last one, and he did really good. His coach is starting up a league off base to go to a tournament next month. Michael desperately wants to go; so it looks like we might have more soccer to come.

Tonight I took Michael in to work with me. He got to do all kinds of cool stuff! He said he had a great time and it was nice to just get some time alone with him. He got quite a few treats tonight that he normally does not get. He had two sodas, some candy, and we went to Burger King for Dinner. This boy chowed down on a Whopper Jr. plus french fries and was asking for more!! I remember just a couple of years ago we could barely get him to eat anything; and now look at him!

February Update

This month has been busy for Michael. Around the first of the month he tried out for a soccer team down in Olympia. We should find out if he made it the first part of March. The first day of try outs was 40 degrees and raining-Michael was very cold and he barely made it through the hour long practice. He went back on the second day dressed a little warmer and did much better. He is also playing soccer on base with the 9-11 yr olds. They practice twice a week for two hours at a time, and he also has karate twice a week. We are going full steam here 4 days a week, and games on Saturdays. He also has a tournament in karate coming up in either March or April.

Dr Appt and other stuff

Wednesday Michael has his Dr appt for a growth check. He is just a hair shy of 4ft!! I mean seriously, they said 47.75 inches! He now weighs 53lbs. All of this finally puts him in the 3rd% on the growth charts!! I feel this summer will really put some gray hairs on my head with all the roller coasters he wants to ride...UGH!

Yesterday he tested for his orange/white belt in Tae-kwon-do. They also did a little sparring. There were tons of kids there for testing so it took about 3 hours. He got his belt though and he did really good. Here are a couple of photos:

Sparring

Testing for his belt

Recieving his new belt from one of the Masters.

Holding his old belt; wearing his new one
Today we went to Auburn to watch his best friends from Spokane skate at their meet. We were only able to stay for a couple of hours because I have to work tonight; but we had a great time watching them and talking. The kids don't have school tomorrow-so right now Michael is over at a friends house spending the night. It is supposed to snow for the next day or so, so we will see if they get a snow day this year.

Man with Red Hair....

Today I took Michael to get his hair cut. He originally wanted them to color it as well, but the place we went to does not do that. So, afterwards, we went to Sally's Beauty place and found some red hair dye. We also found some blue hair spray stuff that he also wanted. Here are some of the pics from our event of dying hair:

checking himself out in the mirror

what a goofball!

what happens when you eat too many carrots!!

This will be a busy week for Michael. He has a doctor appt. on Wednesday. They will draw blood to measure his hormone levels and probably take an x-ray to see what his bone-age is now. Then on Saturday he tests for his next belt. We have to get up early and get everyone there by 8:30am and we will spend the morning at the meet. Sunday we hope to meet up with our friends from Spokane and go skating. Should be a fun weekend!