The "plan"...

Carter has done well the past few days, most of our "events" have come from travel issues. I am happy to say now (fingers crossed) that Carter and myself will be leaving UMC Monday morning at 10 am. The UAB AirCare team will be flying us to Cinncinati.  Hesitantly, we booked Brandon a flight the same day and he should arrive Monday night. The so called "plan" is for Brandon to stay with us for the first two weeks and then he will return home to go back to work and my Mom will come stay. Brandon has family that lives in Ohio, about 3 hours away and we are planning for them to come visit as well. We are excited about this, since they have never met Carter.  Little by little Carter's personality is peeking back into our lives.  He is not blowing kisses or waving bye-bye to all of the nurses yet, but he has started mooing like a cow and quacking like a duck.  He loves to put his hands together and bow his head like he is praying and I have to say it's the sweetest thing!  We have yet to figure out how he can hardly talk but let someone come in to try to do something and if I'm not right beside him he says "I want my Mama!"  I have a feeling he can say a lot more than we think.:)

I know most of you reading this will be SHOCKED to read this, but the last two days I left Carter with my Mom for about two hours during his nap time and went to do a few things that I really needed to get done before leaving Mississippi for a month! For all of you that don't know I usually do not leave Carter's side, hence the reason he has a bed instead of a crib when he is admitted into the hospital. I literally sit by him 24/7. I am his comfort and it is the only way he will rest and I wouldn't have it any other way. So whatever works I do. I did mention before that he is a little spoiled, didn't I? So anyways, while out of the hospital, in the real world I seem to think more clearly. Today I started to wonder if both Brandon and myself were in denial. Here we are with our child about to be flown in a jet to another state, because no one in Mississippi knows how to treat him. We are just sitting here! Were not running around freaking out, we are just sitting here! Is this normal? Have we seen Carter sick for so long that we just don't see it anymore? Is there something wrong with us? Now I'm not going to say that we don't worry, but I honestly believe God has spun us into our own little world to protect us.  It's undescribeable and I have to say at times I worry that I am not worried!

Brandon and I both see Carter as Carter.  We do not see a sick little boy who is living with his bladder on the outside of his body, or has severe intestinal issues.  He is just our Carter.  A cute, sweet, very intelligent 17 month old little boy that we love more than words could ever express.  I guess we see Carter as God sees and created him.  PERFECT!  As frustrated as we get with his not so perfect body, it's the one God chose to give him and in time we will figure out all of it's kinks and straighten them.  So I guess if we are in denial about everything that is going on right now, it's ok.  If that's how we are managing right now we will just have to stay in denial.  I hope to never look at Carter and see a sick little boy.  I hope I continue to look at him just the way he is PERFECT!  It's only by His blood and through His mercy that Carter was created this way and it will only be through His blood and through His mercy that Carter will one day be healed!

For the first time in MONTHS Carter wanted to put something in his mouth, he loves salt and put a chip in his mouth.  He would not swallow it, but he put it in his mouth and sucked the salt off of it.  This is a big deal and we were so proud of him!

Go RAVENS!

MOM! You are not suppose to take this apart!

NOT happy about his hair-do!