Florida... Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom!!!

We continued our Florida trip with a visit to the Magic Kingdom! Alexander was so excited to ride some rides and see all his favorite characters walking around. He was on the look out for Captain Hook, and we were all a little afraid he would not see him. Sure enough when we got there Captain Hook was at the castle doing a show with Mickey Mouse! It was the greatest start to the day! Alexander truly had a magical time at the Magic Kingdom. He rode so many rides while he was there and saw so many different characters. It was definitely hot, and we had to take many shade and water breaks!!

The next day, before the conference began that evening, we headed to Animal Kingdom to see some animals! It was pretty hot that day, so we did not stay too long because we have noticed the heat is hard on Alexander. He loved the safari ride and was so excited to see the elephants and giraffes. We had an amazing time, and we are so grateful that Alexander has been able to experience so many different things in his life!!

Alexander, Mommy, and Daddy in front of the Castle!

Alexander, Daddy, Mimi, and Nana on Dumbo!

Nana, Alexander, and Mimi in front of the Animal Kingdom Tree!

Florida... LEGO Imagination Center!!!

This year, the annual SMA conference was held at the Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. We loved attending the conference last year, and knew we did not want to miss it this year. We decided to head down a few days early to have a little fun at a few of the parks before the conference. After two days in the car and finally arriving at the resort, we headed to Downtown Disney to take Alexander to the "Dinosaur Restaurant". While we waited for a table, we went over to the LEGO Imagination Center. Alexander loved the LEGO store, and got to see Buzz and Woody!! He loved everything about the store, and loved seeing two of his favorite characters. This was a great first night in Florida, and he definitely was ready for some fun after two days in the car.

Alexander with LEGO Buzz!

Alexander with LEGO Woody!

Alexander picked out this toy to spend some of his birthday money on!!

One Busy Boy!

Things have been pretty busy the last couple of months. I feel like it was just yesterday Alexander turned 3, but it has been two months already. Alexander has been doing really well considering everything. He definitely has some major determination in him. He finally has mastered rolling onto his belly again, but once on his belly he is stuck. We are extremely proud of this milestone because we were told after his diagnosis that he would never roll again. Maybe he will not completely master rolling back to front and front to back, but it is pretty amazing to know he is still trying with all his might! Alexander's has a new best friend as well! Right before Alexander's birthday, we found a stray dog in the middle highway. This was a sweet dog that did not seem to have a home. We did what we could to find its owners, but no luck. So...... Alexander has another dog!!! Our other two dogs are big, and Alexander really can't play with them very well. This dog, PEPPER, is perfect for him. She is so gentle and loving and a welcome addition to our family!!!!

Alexander began going to preschool in April. We debated on what we were going to do for his schooling, but as social as Alexander is... We decided to send him to a regular preschool, as long as he doesn't start getting sick. He went two months before summer break started, and he LOVED school. He has grown in so many ways. His speech and endurance have made huge strides. We are extremely happy with his experience in school at this time, but know that we will have to watch out for all those kid germs in the fall and winter.

Alexander's First Day of Preschool!!

Alexander and his new friend, PEPPER!!!!

Alexander and Kaitlyn at Easter!

He loves his little cousin!

Alexander's 3rd Birthday!

Alexander turned 3 on March 31! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our sweet lil man! Alexander got to go see his new preschool on his birthday, and then we spent the afternoon at Chuck E Cheese!!!! Chuck E Cheese is one of his favorite places to go. He loves to play the all the games and NEVER wants to leave once we are there. I really think he enjoyed spending the day with Momma and Dadda at his favorite place! I know I am biased, but Alexander is just an incredible child. When he struggles physically, I can see the strength and determination in his eyes to accomplish his goal. He is amazing, and we are so lucky to be his parents.

Alexander and Mommy on the carousel!

Alexander and Daddy playing basketball!

Alexander playing with his new toys!

G-Tube

The past few months have been very hectic and busy. Alexander went into the hospital in February to have a G-Tube placed. We tried and succeeded for a year and a half to postpone this, but we knew the time was here when his weight was no longer going up. He was so amazing in the hospital considering it was his first hospital stay. They did an NG-Tube trial to be sure his body could handle the feeds before putting in the G-Tube. He did fine with it, so they went forward with the G-Tube. The surgery went well, and he was able to go home the next night. He is doing fairly well with the G-Tube, and it has healed up very nicely. It has definitely been a struggle trying to find the perfect diet and method for doing Alexander's feeds. We are using the Kangaroo Joey pump at night for five hours at a slow rate, and he is doing really well with this. We are very grateful for the pump suggestions by the Gustafson's because the pump has worked well for Alexander with no problems! We are still working with and adjusting his day feeds to get the right amount of calories in him daily without him getting too full. We have seen a huge difference in Alexander's strength since the G-Tube was placed, and we look forward to finding a set schedule that works well for him.

Alexander in the hospital with an NG Tube.

Alexander with his cousin Kaitlyn at Riley Hospital!

Alexander in the Riley wagon... Time to go HOME!!!

New Bath Chair

Alexander FINALLY received his bath chair! I was so excited to give him his first bath with it. I knew he would love being able to sit up in the bath and play. We have been laying him down in the tub with towels under his head. It worked well, but we were excited for him to be able to sit up and play in the water. I got everything all ready, and it was time for his first bath in the bath chair. Alexander got in his chair, and as the tub was filling with water he immediately started asking for his toys. He absolutely LOVED his new bath chair, and it was so incredible to watch him smile and play so easily. I am so thankful for equipment like this because it lets my little boy experience many things despite his SMA.

Alexander in his new bath chair!!

That smile is PRICELESS!

Alexander's iPad

For Christmas, Alexander was blessed to receive an iPad from his Mimi. We did a ton of research on the iPad, and knew that Alexander would be so lucky to have that technology in his hands. He is such a smart little boy, and is often frustrated when he can not physically do something that he wants to do. We knew that it would be both fun and educational for him, and would be useful to him for many years. We wanted him to have this so bad, and we were so blessed that his Mimi was able to get it for him. On Christmas day, he opened it and immediately figured out what to do. He was instantly in love with it, as was everyone in the room watching him use it. He now plays with it ALL the time, and has already learned so much from it. We have tried to keep it as educational as possible, with some FUN thrown in. I am so impressed that he can figure it out without us having to teach him. He is one blessed little boy, and we are so blessed for this kind of technology.

Alexander with his iPad Christmas Day!

Alexander playing his "Animals" game!

Alexander and Daddy playing with the iPad!