Year

Well, what can I say this year has put a lot of "years" on us. It certainly has been a difficult one but one thing is for sure, no matter what we have been through we have been blessed. Blessed by so many prayers said for Mason and our family, blessed by love, kind words, donations to help our family, messages of encouragement, food to help us get by, but most of all we have been blessed because we still have each other, ALL of us. There were many times this year when we didn't think that was going to be possible. So many complications. Josh and I still have our marriage and our love for our boys and our love for each other. God has carried us through every step of the way when it HASN'T been easy. And I know no matter what next year has for us that God will continue to be with us every step of the way. We have been blessed and we must remember that, no matter what may come. We thank Him for his provisions in our lives and for allowing us to be together this New Year's Eve when at one point in time we thought it was impossible.  But God is the "I'm possible."

Mason says Happy New Year! He had to go and get his synagis shot today. No fun!

The best New Year's eve yet spent with both of our boys. We love them so. We made Christmas cookies (since we didn't get around to that due to the stomach virus).

 Working with the cookie dough.

Mason even helped.

 Happy boy! He loves his sweets!

 Playing with the icing. 

We had dinner and then we got out sparklers to have outside. Corbin was a little unsure but will do anything as long as his Daddy is by his side. He sure loves his Dad and is going to have a hard time when he has to go back to work on Wed.!

We are thankful for all of you this year that have kept up with our story and have prayed for our family. You have touched our lives and God has heard your prayers. We look forward to continuing to share our story and blessings with you in 2013.

This is what it is about

Watch and listen. This is what Christmas is all about. Just heard this on Klove and it is unbelievable. So often we forget the true meaning of Christmas but this is it all summed up into one:

Quick update: We all got the sickness (except for Mason thank the Lord) but we all survived it. Mason has a lot of congestion and was given a nebulizer and albuterol to help get rid of it and is doing pretty good just having difficulty taking foods by mouth (thank the Lord for the gtube)! I will do a much more detailed update about Christmas later but just wanted to share this.

Perspective

As the days until Christmas come closer and my family still is under the weather and I get frustrated I still must remember perspective. Exactly as my mom said earlier today on facebook, even though this year has been a tough one we have been blessed. We have 2 sweet amazingly perfect little boys at home with us and we WILL celebrate Christmas when everyone is well (as we should celebrate Christmas every day of the year). I have always LOVED Christmas and celebrating it and have wanted to pass these traditions down to my children and look forward to doing this in years to come and God will get us through this time right now. We are blessed and are fortunate to have Mason alive and doing as well as he is doing! Below is a "guest post" from my mom, Cathy (picture taken by Gail Jones Photography).

It's all perspective......
This Christmas will be very different for my family. Right now Corbin is getting over a GI bug and still has a fever.Lauren Jump Matthews is staying down stairs with Mason in total isolation. Josh Matthews is staying upstairs and quietly comforts Corbin each time he heaves. All of our plans for a family Christmas dinner (although with oxygen tanks and feeding tubes) seem to be dwindling away. But there is a lesson here as well. Christmas is not just about all the bows, wrappings and cheery songs. December 25th is just another day on the calendar. We can celebrate ANY day. And we have so much to celebrate. The odds were so stacked against Mason even "being" this Christmas. And yet, I can hold him.....and look at that precious face......and rejoice. Maybe this Christmas won't be like we planned.....but we can still celebrate.....and look forward to next year.....and be thankful for the many many ways we have been blessed. There are 20 families in Newtown, CT for whose Christmas Days will NEVER be the same. So.....here is a big hug.....from my family to yours.......and a wish for a very blessed and Merry Christmas. Ours truly is! 

Prayers

Please pray for us as Corbin has the vomit flu and that no one else (especially Mason) would get sick. Thank you.

Follow up

We got a good report today from Mason's neurosurgery appointment. Tomorrow we are headed to the peditrician to follow up on his cold. He is coughing a lot and they just want to check him out. His oxygen requirements have stayed the same for the most part. Otherwise we are getting the boys ready for Christmas! They are excited!

Mason's version of Rudolph. (Red light from pulse ox).

Memories

We are enjoying this Christmas with our boys and love how involved Corbin has become at this age. He loves searching for our elf, Hermie and absolutely dances with glee when he finds him every morning. He can spot a nativity in no time when we are out and about. The other night my mom and I took him to see the balls at Friendly and then to see the waving Santa.

I remember this so vividly from when I was a child.

He was SO excited!

We also went to go see Santa. Corbin told him he wanted a jeep, bounce house, and a trampoline. And presents for Mommy and Daddy and Mason (sweet boy). 

And tonight we put the finishing touches on this years gingerbread house. Corbin had a blast decorating and even saved the candy and didn't eat any until he had permission (unlike Daddy). Here is the end result:

 Proud boys.

Follow up

We are pretty sure that Mason's vomiting was all due from his shunt draining excessively. Once they adjusted it and his head filled back up he seemed to be better and has kept his food down. He continues to take the majority if each feed by mouth only leaving 5-10 cc left. He is becoming interactive with me during feeds and will hold onto my shirt and watch me. We are going to work on social interaction and over stimulation with his therapy. We met with the CDSA today and he was fussy and seemed to get overstimulated easily. They said to consider him almost 1 month old considering his "adjusted months" have been spent most in the hospital. So we are hoping we will get some positive interaction and experiences now. Please continue to pray in these areas and for Mason to be healed neurologically.
We did get a call from Brenners today that Mason did test positive for the rhino virus so basically he has a cold. Treatment is still the same... Nothing. So we have learned that Mason is very temperamental with his shunt and will get very irritable, sling his head back in pain, and a new one:vomit everything. This is if it isn't working or if it is draining excessively. Atleast he lets us know!