NO! :-)

If you know my son at all, you would know that this boy loves the word "no." Whenever he's asked a question in which a "yes" or "no" response is appropriate, the first thing out of his mouth99% of the time is "nyoo." (His version of no...with a slight twang!)

Then many times, if its something favorable, he thinks for a minute, and after this initial response will then say..."yeah!"

For example: Me: Cayden, do you want some nums?!

Cayden: "Nyoooo."....."Yeah!" :-)

This brings me to a conversation we had had multiple times in the days leading up to Christmas...It makes me chuckle every time so I thought I'd share.

Me: Cayden, are you a good boy?!

Cayden: Nyoo. (shaking his head vigorously)

Me: You're not?? Are you a bad boy??

Cayden: Nyoo. (now laughing a little, and still shaking his head)

Me: Is Santa gonna come to our house?

Cayden: Nyoo. (now with a more serious face, eyebrows turned down, really contemplating

this one)

Me: Are you gonna get some new toys for Christmas?!

Cayden: Nyoo.

So not once did he change his mind to "yeah" for any of these questions...but he sure thought long and hard about what I was asking! And as it seems, Cayden is, in fact, a good boy. And Santa did come to our house. And Cayden did get lots of great new toys for Christmas! He makes me smile. :-) Such a little ham!

The Best Christmas Gift.

I can breathe.

I mean, I can really breathe.

The kind of breath that you can feel from the top of your head to the very tips of your toes.

And I am Thankful.

Today we received the very best Christmas gift. The One Gift that I was most hopeful for. It came early, not on Christmas morning, and wasn't wrapped nicely with a bow. But it made my whole heart happier than any material possession ever could.

We heard the news today that Cayden's genetic testing was all normal. My baby is safe, and his parents can breathe. Really breathe. The genetic counselor told me that these tests rule out 95% of all possibility of an Osteogenesis Imperfecta diagnosis, and then I told the genetic counselor that she made my Christmas. And then I cried. I hung up the phone, kissed my baby boy and gave him a good squeeze and told Meme the news - Of course I would have told Cyle first if he happened to be standing there watching me cry like Meme was! But he was at work. So then I called The Daddy. Cyle was as elated as I was of course, and told me a story of how he asked for a "sign" today and actually saw something earlier in the day that was his "sign" and he new everything was going to be okay. AND IT IS. This means more to me than I could ever explain in words. This means the health of my son, the future of our family and children to come, this means...we can breathe. So that's what we'll do. I know that nothing I might receive this Christmas will even come close, but I will cherish this season, and truly love and enjoy every minute I spend with my family and friends. Everyone has been SO SO SO supportive to us through all of this, and I know that our strength and Cayden's has been helped by all of the prayers and well-wishes. I could never thank all of you enough.

I'm off to breathe...and snuggle my baby. :-)

Merry Christmas!

...

Still Waiting...

A Bit of Good News!

Yesterday, Cayden had an appointment with his Favorite doctor...

the wonderful and brilliant Dr. Ballock!

This appointment was a follow-up to last months appointment, during which we were told that Cayden's club foot repair was being so well maintained that we would be able to take a trial "One month without his 'special shoes' at nighttime." So we did. And yesterday was the day we returned to have him check out Cayden's feet to see if going "braceless" for that period of time reversed any of his results.

And the verdict...

NO MORE BRACE!! Yep...We're done!

After 15 months of repair and maintenance of my boy's precious little feet, we're done. Of course, if in the future he needs a second surgery or has any reversal of repair we may need to go back to the brace. But I'll take it!!

I'm amazed by this for so many reasons. First, the fact that Dr. Ballock is so freakin' good that my baby's once so twisted little feet are SO much better (and so functional for him) in a mere 15 months. This "defect" that seemed like a nightmare to us for what seems like so long, is now hardly even an issue. Of course we'll see Dr. B every 3 months...just to check in! I'm amazed...and SO thankful. That's all :-)

But I cannot give the good doctor all of the credit on this one! I am so so so proud of Cyle and myself for being so very diligent in the things that we needed to do in order to succeed in this. We followed our instruction so well, and for that I'm thankful too (can I thank myself for that!?)! Needless to say, Cayden has been my little Champion through it all as well. He rarely made a fuss when The Daddy and I spent so much time strapping his poor feet into shoes that could NOT have been very comfortable. But it became routine and he did it. Night after night. So along with everyone else, I'm thankful that I was blessed with such a strong, tolerant and brave little boy.

It's been a roller coaster these last 16 months...but when we receive good news after working so hard, everything seems to fall into place and I'm reminded of the joy I've been blessed with!

"I did it!!"