Dear Diary, It's me Nathan
Dear Diary,
It’s been a while! In fact, you might not even recognize me anymore! Since my entry last April during my massive digestive system overhaul, a LOT has changed! I had a couple more stays at the hospital through June. Then in July and October I had all my fingers and toes released (which by the way makes this whole typing in a diary thing a million times easier) and then my skull got reshaped in December. I look pretty different. In fact, my 5 year old buddy down the street thought my “head got switched!” :) From what I can tell, they did a pretty good job. My forehead seems bigger now and the shape is different but they say it will help my brain be healthy while I grow. Why I can’t just take a Flinstone Vitamin like Madison to be healthy I don’t know... I’m just glad the swelling is all gone now so I can stop wearing those preppy button down shirts all the time.
We had a pretty busy December. My surgery was on the 1st, then after we got home we had a funeral for one of my great grandfathers (I’m glad I got to meet him in August) and then we went to Maryland for a few days the week after Christmas! That was an awesome time! I got to meet my 95 year old great grandfather on that side and he was SO glad to finally meet me! Maddie and I had lots of fun playing with him and my cousins! I can tell Mom and Dad had a great time too... They just seemed a little...different... They laughed a bunch and I saw them hugging and snuggling lots too. I don’t know what made it so different but for the first time since I was born 15 months ago it’s like they didn’t have some huge, intense thing coming down the pike that was looming over their minds. Personally, I think they make too big of a deal out of the surgeries and stuff - it’s really just like a long nap and when you wake up, it’s a whole new you! (Makeover: Hospital Edition) Still, I am glad that I shouldn’t have to have any more surgeries for 2-3 years!
My therapists are glad for no more surgeries too! They are all the nicest ladies and were super excited to see that even with my new forehead I still smile with my eyes when I want to flirt with them. (Women are so easy. Cut your eyes and snuggle and you’ll have them eating out of your hand forever...) Anyways, the speech, physical and occupational therapists are all really excited that I have made so much progress! I’m only using my feeding tube for meds now, and I use bottles or baby food for all my nutrition! I’m crawling up the stairs, pulling to standing and cruising along furniture. (I also wrestle with Daddy every day - he says that is DEFINITELY therapy!)
There are still a few odds and ends... I saw an ophthalmologist again a few weeks ago and he says I’ll probably get glasses at some point this year. I think having glasses will give me a distinct advantage. Yes, I’ll be able to see better (yada, yada) but I think they will look pretty good on my face too! The biggest question will be what style... Hipster? Classic? Sporty? Good thing I have some time to decide... I’m also still having some trouble with my swallowing as I eat. I have a nasal scope in a few weeks and hopefully that will help everybody know if that’s because of something anatomical that needs to be addressed or if it’s something that will keep getting better the more I practice. Fingers crossed (‘cuz I can to do that now!) I won’t need surgery. We’ll see. So far I have a perfect record for 2015 and I’d like to keep it that way!
I’m really looking forward to this year. I feel like resolutions are bit much for a kid my age but there are a few things I am going to keep working on...
It’s been a while! In fact, you might not even recognize me anymore! Since my entry last April during my massive digestive system overhaul, a LOT has changed! I had a couple more stays at the hospital through June. Then in July and October I had all my fingers and toes released (which by the way makes this whole typing in a diary thing a million times easier) and then my skull got reshaped in December. I look pretty different. In fact, my 5 year old buddy down the street thought my “head got switched!” :) From what I can tell, they did a pretty good job. My forehead seems bigger now and the shape is different but they say it will help my brain be healthy while I grow. Why I can’t just take a Flinstone Vitamin like Madison to be healthy I don’t know... I’m just glad the swelling is all gone now so I can stop wearing those preppy button down shirts all the time.
My therapists are glad for no more surgeries too! They are all the nicest ladies and were super excited to see that even with my new forehead I still smile with my eyes when I want to flirt with them. (Women are so easy. Cut your eyes and snuggle and you’ll have them eating out of your hand forever...) Anyways, the speech, physical and occupational therapists are all really excited that I have made so much progress! I’m only using my feeding tube for meds now, and I use bottles or baby food for all my nutrition! I’m crawling up the stairs, pulling to standing and cruising along furniture. (I also wrestle with Daddy every day - he says that is DEFINITELY therapy!)
There are still a few odds and ends... I saw an ophthalmologist again a few weeks ago and he says I’ll probably get glasses at some point this year. I think having glasses will give me a distinct advantage. Yes, I’ll be able to see better (yada, yada) but I think they will look pretty good on my face too! The biggest question will be what style... Hipster? Classic? Sporty? Good thing I have some time to decide... I’m also still having some trouble with my swallowing as I eat. I have a nasal scope in a few weeks and hopefully that will help everybody know if that’s because of something anatomical that needs to be addressed or if it’s something that will keep getting better the more I practice. Fingers crossed (‘cuz I can to do that now!) I won’t need surgery. We’ll see. So far I have a perfect record for 2015 and I’d like to keep it that way!
- Stay out of the hospital.
- Sleep through the night. Every Night. (Or at least 3-4 in a row.)
- Learn a new language, preferably English.
- Walk by myself so I can chase Madison when she takes away a toy I’m playing with.
- Try lots and lots of new foods and get better at swallowing and feeding myself so maybe I can convince Mom to let me try a “smash cake” again for my second birthday since it was an epic fail for my 1st.
- Pray for Dad and Mom as they catch their breathe and try to establish healthy rhythms for our family. It’s kinda like the last 15 months were a massive earthquake. and my prayer is that they keep trusting God and letting him guide them through some of the “after shock” stuff as well. Things don’t feel as dramatic right now but I know there are still some deep things they are working through. They are different people than they were 15 months ago but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I’ve heard adults say “The only constant is change.” Which is almost true. Change is always to be expected but it’s not the only constant. God is constant. There was a lot of upheaval last year - lots. So much so that I heard my parents saying they aren’t really making predictions for this year. Sure they hope, and they have guesses but they were saying that more than anything they want to keep pressing into Christ and being reminded of how a relationship with him is more valuable than anything - even circumstantial stability - because their relationship with him is the place they are most known and also the most loved and therefore the place they find the most peace. I’m gonna keep praying for them to that end.
Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders."
Deuteronomy 33:12
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