Our Hope

By sharing our story and our experiences with this birth injury we will hopefully educate people. Knowledge is power. Our hope is that you will read this blog, share it with your friends, and they will share with their friends. Then in some small way we have prevented other families from having to go through what we have.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Another first!

Jadon pulled himself up to stand on Friday. Yes, the same days I posted on the blog that he was trying really hard but had only managed to go to his knees. He must have heard me! LOL!

He was really, really proud of himself. The first time he did it he had a huge grin on his face. I started clapping and cheering. Jadon got excited and starting doing a little dance and fell on his bottom. Ooops!!!

Later in the day he did it again and I was able to take some pictures. When he was still standing after I got a few pictures I decided I would take some video. It was perfect because I captured him standing, falling, then pulling himself up again!



Later in the weekend I took another short video of him standing up at one of his play tables. He is balancing enough here to actually let go with his good hand and play with the toy.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Jadon Scoots!



It is official! Jadon is mobile! He has been mysteriously moving around the living room for about two weeks now. I would put him down in one spot and look back a few minutes later to find him across the room. I would watch him for awhile and he would not do anything. He would just look at me and smile. Now he is moving all over all the time. I captured this video yesterday. Things are a little crazy in the background but you can see how he has figured out his own way of getting where he wants to go. I am so proud of him. A mom is always proud when her child accomplishes mobility, but in Jadon's case it is even more special. I will admit that there were several moments early on when I truly wondered how he was going to manage. Lots of people told me he would find a way and he certainly has. He is amazing!

He has also been trying really hard to pull up things and stand also. He has gotten very good at pulling up to his knees but has only managed to stand once or twice. For almost nine months old he is doing great though. He is definitely one determined boy.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Cameron's Smile Family Picnic

Jadon, Me, Anise, and her son Cameron.

We went to the Cameron's Smile 2nd Annual Brachial Plexus Family Picnic on October 17th. The weather was a little chilly but not too bad. We got the opportunity to meet and talk to many other families with children just like Jadon. The youngest was four months old and the oldest was 14. It was nice to see children that were a little farther down the road than Jadon. The guest speaker was Mr. Kenneth Levine, a lawyer from Boston, Massachusetts. He had a lot of good information and advice.

I also got to see Anise again . She runs the website Cameron's Smile. Cameron is her son and she runs the St. Louis support group. I got her information from the therapists when we went to St. Louis Children's Hospital for the consult. I emailed her not long after that visit and she has been a HUGE support for me. Whenever I am frustrated, worried, or have questions about anything she has been there for me. We got the meet briefly in Philadelphia. Their consult with Dr. Kozin was the same day as Jadon's first post surgery follow up appointment.

Jadon got to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse also. He was not sure what to think about these huge mice. He just kept staring at them. We spent all afternoon at the picnic and had a really nice time. It is nice to spend some time with people that COMPLETELY understand what you are going through because they have lived it.

Jadon meeting Mickey Mouse.