NO MORE CAST BABY!

This last Thursday Braxton and I went in for another follow-up appointment. Let me just tell you the week before this appointment Braxton decided he was done with this cast. He started peeing and pooping in it. It was horrible!! That cast smelled horrible and I seriously tried everything, including Lysol all over it. As I was carrying him in the doctor's office all I could think was this doctor has to do something because I am a NEAT freak and I cannot take it anymore. Seriously people when I get home from working at the hospital I HAVE to shower before Braxton can even touch me, I take hand sanitizer everywhere including next to my bed, and I wash my hands constantly. I may have an issue, but that is besides the point. I am clean and I could no longer stand that my own child smelled like this. It was out of my control. Well anyways we get in and I explain this to the nurse and she was like oh I know these casts are such a pain blah blah blah. But my amazing doctor walks in and says no worries lets just get rid of it. I wasn't expecting that at all. 4 Week and 2 days, man my son is a champ! I didn't think he would get it off till atleast 5, but sister is not complaining. The worst part was the loud cast cuter. It took a while for Braxton to get use to it, but I just explained it was like Handy Manny's power tool and then it was cool. It took a while to get the cast off and when it did come off I wasn't expecting Braxton's reaction. He was bawling, the same way he did when he broke the dang thing. He actually cried to have him put it back on. Seriously broke my heart right there. Once we got home we took it easy. Braxton is really sore, but by the end of the evening he was sitting up. Everyday is a new improvement. He hasn't started walking on his own yet, but does take steps. He has gotten a couple baths which has been wonderful!!! He smells so wonderful again and I will never take baths for granted. My favorite thing is just holding him again and feeling his little legs wrapped around my waist. Man its the little things. You honestly don't know how much you miss something until its gone. I am just so proud of my Braxton. He is amazing and he makes me so proud. I love him more than he will ever know, but I would appreciate it is this is the last broken bone:)

I also just want to personally thank everyone for everything they did for us. For your prayers, your cards, your gifts, your time. It all means sooo much. We have such an amazing support system and we wouldn't have made it through this without you all!

THANKS!

I never knew I could love someone this much...

This Monday marks my 2nd Year of Marriage to the man of my dreams. Also on Monday we will officially have been together 7 years. Crazy right? I am 24 years old and I have already spent 7 years of my life with the man that completes me.

I still remember those high school days. To be honest the first time I met Conrad I wasn't too happy with him. See my good friend Jenn talked me into going tanning, even though my Momma told me not to. Well it was bad enough that I went, but worse that I decided to go the whole time because I knew nothing about tanning beds and I have always had skin that tanned easily so in my head I thought no big deal right? Haha you all know that was wrong, I was as bright as an apple and it hurt like no body's business. I know you are wondering where is she going with this story. Well I had school and I begged my mom to let me stay home, but she said absolutely not that's your punishment. It was horrifying. I tried all day to keep my head down and have no one notice me. Yeah everyone noticed. Well at lunch I sat with my friends and this boy keeps staring at me I finally look over at him and he goes, "Whats up Rudolf?" Yeah that man was my now husband. I remember leaving the cafeteria that day saying that Conrad Bontrager is the biggest jerk ever.

Well shortly after that Conrad and I became friends through a mutual friend, who is one of our best friends still, Joel Bennett. Conrad was a football player and I was a softball player so we saw each other a lot in the weight room at Penn. Conrad decided to use this to his advantage and we started playing each other in basketball. I usually won these games. Conrad will tell you he let me win, but don't believe him this girl has skills:). Anyways one thing lead to another and Conrad and I became inseprable. We were friends from the very beginning and we had the best time together. I will never forget the night Conrad asked me to be his girlfriend. It was October 25th, 2003 & we have been together ever since.

Conrad and I have went through some of the hardest times in our lives together and some of the best times. Through it all we have made it. Conrad is my very best friend and he knows me inside and out. He helps me through everything and he believes in me when I don't even believe in myself. Marriage isn't easy it honestly wasn't meant to be. It takes work and drive, but oh my word is it worth it. We made a commitment to each other because this is where we want to be forever. I promise to never give up and he promises the same.

To my husband I could never tell you enough how much I love you. Thanks for never leaving my side. You are the reason I do everything I do. Thanks for always believing in me and making me smile every day. Thank you for giving me an amazing son. You are truly the love of my life and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us in the future.

Hey Husband Goodbye Husband

Seriously this is how I feel right now. With my husband being in audit he is traveling all the time. For example he left for California Monday and is returning tonight around 11:00pm. Then leaves again Monday for another week. This happens very often and it becomes really difficult for a full-time student and full-time mother to accomplish it all and still feel sane. I really am doing the best I can. It is just really hard, not to mention I just got wonderfully sick over the last few day. Through it all I actually am proud of myself for how well I am doing in school with everything going on. Part of that is truly because of the wonderful support system I have. Just an example, Monday night my mother took complete care of Brax while I studied. She seriously spoiled me rotten because she was also so concerned about me. I know understand why because I have my own child, my mom still sees me as her little girl. She paves the way for my success. She wants it just as much as I do. My parents are amazing people and I would be lost without them. I am so grateful for them for their help as Conrad and I are accomplishing our goals.

With all going on I will say though we have been enjoying ourselves in the open areas. With Conrad gone a lot we really take advantage of our time together. Last weekend we went to Conrad's rugby game, but other than that we were at home. I did homework a lot, but we just took it easy. It is really nice.

Even tonight Braxton and I just sat outside and watched the stars and talked. It is amazing what Braxton has to say these days. We had so much fun and I must have told him a hundred times how much I love times like this with him. We have some amazing conversations about anything and everything. He is becoming such a big boy. He has an answer to everything and always finds a way to make me smile.

Well that's all for now. Next Thursday Brax has his check up with the surgeon. Lets hope that cast is coming off, because we are all so over that thing:)

Perfection!

You wouldn't even know this kid has a broken femur by these pictures taken by my wonderful friend Jenn at Braxton's school. I am soo blessed for all those amazing ladies there and how they treat Braxton..but seriously look at these smiles. He is crawling and making sure he doesn't miss out on the fun. Nothing will stop this boy, he is always so happy! These pictures just put me in a good mood. I could stare at them all day:)

Braxton's Recovery..

Braxton has been doing awesome and I am so proud of him. Today we went for our followup appointment and I was a nervous nelly (that's a word right). Anyways the doctor looked at the X-Ray and informed us the bone has not moved! WONDERFUL! It also is showing that it is starting to heal. I am soo happy! Braxton should be losing the cast in about 3 weeks. I cannot wait. I think we all hate that cast, but let me just inform you on some funnies that we have had with it. First of all I get out of breath carrying Braxton up the stairs to his bedroom. That cast is so heavy. The other night I took him up and he wanted to sing our prayer, I was gasping for breath trying to sing. My son just looked at me like I was crazy, but seriously that cast gives me a workout. Also it's getting colder out so we had to find pants that fit over the cast. I ended up buying size boys 8-10 pants. Seriously they are huge, but they work. Here is the issue with them though, every time we have to put Braxton in the car we have to pull the pants down because you cannot buckle him because of the bar in his cast. Therefore, you are in the parking lot pulling your child's pants down and 9 times out of 10 his diaper will fall off exposing our poor child's private areas to anyone who cares to see. He seriously always yells at me, "Mommy my diaper, my butt is showing." I always laugh, but then I am also dying just to keep the kid in my arms because like I said I am carrying a lot of extra weight. One positive thing about this cast is Braxton has fully become potty trained even through this monster of a cast. He poops on the toliet still (which is truly an entertaining experience if you ever witness it, but for the sake of my child's privacy I will keep it to myself) and pees in a urinal. It is so funny in the middle of the night when he has to pee I can hear him yell Mommy grab the urinal, it isn't even I have to pee. He is a pro I am telling you. I don't enjoy it though and I cannot wait to we go back to just using the ordinary toilet. Lastly, whenever we go out to eat or to a friends house, we have to bring pillows. Your normal booster chair or high chair just doesn't cut it. We went to Applebees the other night and I am carrying my body pillow likes its normal and the hostess goes um are you guys sleeping over tonight? Hilarious right? I really wanted to say No jerk my son's leg is broken have some sympathy, but I just smiled and laughed.

I really cannot believe how much our routine has changed because of this stupid cast and when the day comes when its gone I am seriously having a party and every one is welcome to come! I hate that cast more than anything and I hate that it is on my favorite little boy. I have to say though it takes more than that cast to stop my child. Yesterday he started crawling. I couldn't even believe how awesome he does it. He is going to have some serious arm muscles when this is said and done. He just amazes me at how he wont quit. If he wants it he is going to do it. Makes me so proud.

Since Braxton isn't quitting neither am I. The week I missed at school seriously killed me as far as catching up, not to mention I was completely sleep deprived. I have been busting my butt and I am starting to feel so much better. Thank God for not giving up on me.

Our Life may be crazy, but we stick together through it and that's what I love about my family. We keep fighting. I love my boys more than anything and without them I don't know what I would do.

Not the news I wanted..

Well last Friday I took Braxton in for his follow up appointment. Braxton kept crying that he didn't want to go in and he didn't want anymore surgery. I explained to him repeatedly that we were just getting an xray. Well we went in and did the xray and the first thing I thought of when I saw the picture was that doesn't look good at all. The doctor said it actually looks worse on film, but the bone was just in range. Unfortunately, if it moves anymore we will be going through this all over again, meaning more surgery which I promised Braxton we wouldn't be doing. It totally killed me and ruined my entire day. The doctor told me he really doesn't think the bone will move anymore because Braxton's pain is so decreased. I can only hope because I don't want us to go through this again. This Thursday is when we will have the next xray, so we are praying for no movement. Please keep us in your prayers and we will keep you posted!