1 Year Home - Aug 20th

I know...I haven't posted in a while. It has been a busy couple of weeks again. Now that Mason is crawling around, it is next to impossible sit down at the computer for more than a couple of minutes. Our mobile little guy doesn't spend more than a few seconds in each spot and then he is off to the next. He usually crawls right past his toys in search of some trouble spots like the dog dishes, electrical outlets, curtains, stairs, etc. I guess they look more exciting :) He has also learned how to pull himself up on the couch and chair and is starting to cruise around. I can't believe how fast he is developing physically.

We had the chance to celebrate Mason's homecoming anniversary on August 20th. I can't believe he has been home for 1 year already! Time has gone by so fast! Mason has far exceeded everyone's expectations and has healed and progressed so quickly. The only piece of medical equipment we have left is his feeding pump. I look at him today crawling around and it is hard to believe that just over a year ago he was fighting for his life. We want to thank everyone for their prayers and warm wishes over the last year. We also want to thank everyone involved at UCSF and UofM for giving us hope that one day we would be able to bring our little boy home. It has been such a wonderful and rewarding year!

Mason on his first day home, 8/20/07

Mason 1 year later!

Since our last update, we had the privilege to participate in a CDH dinner at the UofM Ronald McDonald House.on Aug 12th. There were about 6 CDH families that joined together to cook a summer dinner for the RMD House guests. We volunteered to grill the hamburgers and hot dogs at our house since we lived close. Travis was such a trooper and he grilled 60 burgers and 30 hot dogs when he got home from work. It was wonderful to have a chance to help out the residents at the RMD house. Although we didn't stay at the house (since we live so close to UofM) when Mason was in the hospital, most of the families that we met had stayed there. UofM is a major center for CDH and heart defects, so many families come from great distances to receive care. The RMD House provides them a home away from home so that they can concentrate on their loved ones.

Travis hard at work grilling

In other news, Mason has started to take a few steps forward with oral eating. He is now drinking some water, about 1/2 ounce per day. For most I am sure this won't sound like much, but for Mason it is HUGE!! Just the fact that he is willing to drink is a big step forward for him. He is also willing to put some things in his mouth to lick. The most popular items are animal crackers, puffs, and goldfish. This is also a very big step for Mason. It shows that he is now willing to experiment and taste a little. Hopefully he can continue this upward trend :)