A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

Check out my pin! 1st Visit!!!!!!!

Saturday July 6^th, 2013 Sean and I drove Caelin to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World for his VERY FIRST visit. And let me say, magical, wonderful, spectacular is nowhere near descriptive enough for our day together yesterday. This blog post will never be able to properly express what it was like living it… watching our son dance, try to sing, point to objects and talk to us and completely glow and radiate happiness. I do apologize in advance because a moment like this one could never be properly recreated, even by the most talented writer on this planet… even by Walt Disney himself.

For many months we contemplated taking Caelin to Walt Disney World but it never felt like the right time. Plus, the thought of spending two weeks worth of groceries on one day seemed unpractical. *Now that we went, the money spent was 100% worth the memories we made. I would give Disney my money any day to experience such genuine awe and happiness with my family. These memories will forever be a part of us… but of course, that’s exactly how Disney owns half the world, after all. But since June 14^th, the day we decided to move back to Michigan, the desire tremendously increased to experience Caelin’s first visit to the Magic Kingdom and meet Mickey Mouse in person before we leave Florida.  My best friend’s dad blessed us with a one day park ticket at the beginning of the year so we knew we would have to purchase only one adult ticket since our little man would be free. Well I wanted to wait to take Caelin when he was walking well on his own because I hoped he would be able to explore more, walk up to the characters and feel more free instead of strapped to one of our hips or detained in his stroller. Then on Wednesday, July 3^rd Sean texted me while he was at work saying there was a really high chance of rain the following evening so we probably would not be able to take Caelin to his first fireworks show. I cried, not hard, but I did have involuntary tears rolling down my cheeks accompanied with a frown and chin quiver. I know it seems silly now but last year Caelin was in the hospital for this holiday, so this would have technically been the first time we could really “Celebrate America” as a family and introduce him to fireworks. It did end up pouring, by the way. But we went to the park in the morning when it was warm with a cool breeze then in the evening we did Sparklers and Pop-Its together and our neighbors across the street let off some of the box, ground fireworks. So the evening was still special and we celebrated our Independence together, after all.  But back to Disney… after I sent a text response explaining my disappointment, Sean replied, “So I was thinking we will go to Disney on Saturday…Weather is 86 and partly cloudy. We will only have one other weekend to go and that’s the 20^th and I don’t want to not be able to go cuz of weather… Still bummed?!?” At first I said, “Yes because I want Cael to be able to walk at Disney.” But as Sean explained, we could wait for him to walk and miss the opportunity to embrace this potentially beautiful day in Florida during a heavily rainy Hurricane season and get not so lucky with the other weekend… or we go this weekend and have a great day together. Well, that’s a no brainer! But Friday came and the chance of rain increased slightly, so I, being the reserved mother I am, decided we probably shouldn’t go. But with a little encouragement from my husband and my aunt Sheri with trust in The Lord, I changed my mind and wasn’t going to let a 30-40% chance of isolated thunderstorms get in the way of our first family magical Disney experience! So we went.

I packed and prepared as much as I could Friday evening so we wouldn’t be scrambling in the morning. I also made a list of attractions and rides Cael could partake in and it totaled 26! We had no idea there would be so many toddler-friendly things to do! We all went to bed early in preparation for the extravagant day to follow. But of course I reverted back to my childhood anticipation of driving underneath the “Walt Disney World” sign and that first sight of Cinderella’s castle and experiencing all the magic. So yes, you guessed it, I had the worst trouble sleeping. The alarm clock went off at 6:20AM and we happily started our day. Our little bug must have known what we meant when we told him we were going to Disney World because he awoke at 6:35AM instead of his usual 7:30-8:00AM. We were all packed up, full of smiles and on our way at 7:15AM.

Cael did excellent in the car ride, as usual! He watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while snuggled in his Mickey blanket and hugging his Singing Mickey Mouse; he was all ready for a day full of Mickey! J We got to the park, paid $15 for parking (INSANE!), purchased Sean’s park ticket and received a “My 1^st Visit” pin for Caelin! Here, the magic began! We took Caelin’s very first boat ride on the ferry over to the Magic Kingdom. He enjoyed looking over the side of the boat and watching the water ripple as the boat coasted through and pointed to the trees and plants as we passed by them in the water. He is incredibly fascinated by the simplest things of life; it’s really sad that as we get older, we lose that innocent appreciation for everything our World has to offer but what a blessing that I get to go back in time and experience life all over again through the eyes of my son.

Once we got our bags checked and walked through the turnstiles, we were in the Magic Kingdom! I couldn’t help but start singing to Cael, “We’re walking right down the middle of Main Street USA!” Upon hearing that familiar favorite song, Caelin couldn’t help but smile and rock side to side in his stroller.

First on the agenda: Getting Caelin an autograph book for the characters to sign their names and to place pictures of Cael with each one. Our next stop was going to be to meet Mickey Mouse, but we figured that many other families had the same intention, so we decided to head back to where the best rides are: Fantasyland. This area used to be called Toontown and was where Mickey and his friends’ houses were located. I was sad to see all of their little homes gone but I guess change is inevitable… Fantasyland is not yet completed but it does look really great so far.

So Caelin’s VERY FIRST RIDE was “it’s a small world.” He loves this song on his Disney Sing Along Songs DVD and I thought it would be a nice introductory ride having lots of fun colors, friendly, familiar music and smiling faces. It was a success! At first Caelin had no idea what was going on as his wide-eyed, puzzled expression showed us. But as the day went on and he rode more rides, he became more engaged and enthralled in all the details and enjoyment of each ride!

We then rode “Peter Pan’s Flight,” which was ridiculously dark, although Caelin didn’t seem to mind. During this ride Sean mentioned how crazy it is that Caelin can ride on our laps for this one being suspended from the ceiling in a flying boat and followed the comment with, “I wonder if anyone has actually dropped their kid?” Leave it to my husband to think these wonderful thoughts… good thing he didn’t have pixy dust.

On our way to these first two rides, Sean saw something called, “Mickey’s Philhar Magic.” We weren’t so sure what it was but he looked it up on the application he downloaded onto his phone with ride descriptions and approximate wait times; as it turns out, it’s a 10 minute 3-D movie. We agreed it sounded like fun so we went that direction. Caelin was incredibly adorable in his 3-D glasses! He kept them on almost the whole time and was incredibly good during the whole film! Next up, Monster’s University or Despicable Me 2? When the movie first began, Caelin was staring at the screen and actually reached out to the objects that appeared to be in front of him. Sean asks, “Was that Cael’s arm?” I chuckled, “YES!” Our little boy is the most adorable little 15 ½ month old around… reaching out for the 3D objects! That really shows that he was paying attention and engaged with the attraction! He also danced and laughed during the movie. Melt my heart with his sweet, loving reactions!

After the movie we saw Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, too, standing outside next to the “Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” ride. So we waited in line for Caelin’s very first character meeting, to get their autographs and take some pictures. This is probably the longest line we waited in all day. The characters took a couple minute “snack break,” which prolonged our anticipation for Caelin’s first character greeting. Much to my surprise, he did not cry but he was predictably hesitant and resisted their greeting. He liked pointing to them and watching them from afar in line, but up-close Caelin was not impressed. He did give them high-fives and we got their signatures so although the pictures or meeting wasn’t Disney commercial-perfect, it was still a perfect memory for our family.

The characters were right next to the Mad Tea Party so of course we had to ride the tea cups. He smiled and giggled throughout the whole ride! He would look at me then throw his head back and laugh! I think this one was Caelin’s favorite ride. And he also tried turning the wheel in the middle; it was like he knew that was how to make it spin more. But I did not want to turn that wheel and make him vomit when our day had only just begun. Daddy did not join us because he gets severe motion sickness (wimp) but he did get some great photos of our enjoyment!

Dumbo the Flying Elephant is now located right next to the tea cups so that was our next stop. With the new Fantasyland also came a new Dumbo rid featuring not one, but two identical Dumbos for less wait time. Cael loved this one, too!

After riding Dumbo, we went and got Goofy and Donald’s signatures at “Pete’s Silly Sideshow.” Daisy and Minnie were here, too, but the line to see them was estimated at 45 minutes to an hour… too long for our little warrior.

Then we ran through the Casey Splash ‘N’ Soak Station, which was a ton of fun! Cael was starting to get sleepy so Sean and I decided it might feel good for Cael to play in the water and cool off then try to rest. The plan worked quite perfectly, actually. I ran his naked body, equipped with a Mickey diaper, through the splash pad and he crawled and splashed around a little, too. Although my clothes and hair got nice and wet, it was a refreshing escape from the hot Florida sun! I do really wish Caelin was big enough to ride Splash Mountain… next time!

After playing in the water, we walked to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café and ate a little lunch while I rocked Caelin back and forth in his stroller where he finally fell asleep.

Sean and I finished lunch then explored the shops throughout the park. We made it back to Main Street USA where I realized I needed to get myself some caffeine because a headache was creeping in from not drinking my daily cup of Joe in the morning. I know what you’re thinking… I must have been really excited if I didn’t even remember to make myself my routine coffee! Trust me, if I had pixy dust, I would have been hovering over the Magic Kingdom with my kid on my back before the park opened. All I cared about was having all the necessities to provide my son with a successful and awesome first trip to Disney World! So I got an iced coffee, Sean got a smoothie and we got a cup of ice water. Of course the guy calling out the completed order was yelling in the loudest, most obnoxious manner and woke up Cael. But at least he slept for an hour… perfect catnap to pop him up out of the stroller with a smile accompanied with a reach toward Daddy and a yell for more attractions and magic… or maybe just for ice water thanks to the irresistible triad of scorching sun, wet sticky air and 92 degree weather (which felt more like 105). We then sat outside and waited for the “A Dream Come True Parade” to march down Main Street. We got great seats right on the curb, just passed the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor.

The parade was AWESOME! This was Caelin’s very first parade and he really loved watching all the characters dancing down the street and up on the floats. He was constantly pointing, clapping, talking and chuckling. The craziest but coolest part about the parade was the number of characters who came over to Cael; at least half a dozen came over and gave him individualized attention. Believe me, I have been to my fair share of parades and it is not common for characters to just stop to have a conversation with a child who isn’t going to talk back to them. These characters sat in front of him, rubbed his head, hugged him, asked for high fives, etc... The ones I remember are Jessie, Woody, Drizella, Smee, & Tweedle Dum but I feel like there were one or two more. It was seriously insane!!! I told Sean I had never seen so many characters come over in the middle of the parade and be so close to one kid for so long!!! Seriously… I never have. I am still shocked at how these characters just kept coming and how much attention our son got. Especially from Cinderella’s ugly step-sister, Drizella. She kept touching his cheeks and his head and talking about how their outfits were the same color and she would not leave until he blew her a kiss. She got to be a whole float behind Anastasia (the other sister) before she bid Caelin farewell. Even the characters on the float would point to him and wave and mouth with a bright smile “AWE” or “He’s so cute!” I told Sean, “It was like our kid had a spotlight on him! Was that not the craziest thing?” I sincerely wish we had videotaped this! We didn’t even get pictures of the characters coming up to him because it was so unexpected and we were so cramped as people crowded so tightly around us with the start of the parade.

After the parade we checked the app on Sean’s phone to see the estimated wait times for each ride in the park. We decided to head to the “Haunted Mansion” in Liberty Square because the wait was only estimated at 15 minutes. We parked the stroller, ah yes, this reminds me: they now have what I call “Valet Stroller-parkers” everywhere in the park. You leave your stroller unattended or turn your back from it, you can count on a Disney worker swiping it and “putting it where it belongs.” I still have not decided if I like or dislike this service. It’s nice because it keeps all the strollers in order but still unsettling when you turn around and your stroller is gone, which happened to Sean while Cael and I were on the Dumbo ride. Anyway, we went into the Haunted Mansion entrance and as we walked through we received a red card which helps them keep track of accurate wait times, or so we were told.  While in line, you come to a fork that gives you the option to go through the graveyard… Do Not Do It! The graveyard is nothing spectacular and the line is 2x as long. Learn from our mistake. Once we got in the mansion, I think Caelin started feeling a little apprehensive. It was very dark and eerie with loud, scary noises. He did not cry but he was very wide-eyed with furrowed brows and quiet. When we got in our car, Cael sat in-between Sean and I. He looked so small but I felt like he was so big! Throughout the whole ride he was pretty quiet but seemed to be intrigued by the ride and all the ghosts and sights he was seeing and spooky sounds he was hearing. Of course while we were riding I was singing the “Grim Grinning Ghosts” song to him and he did start swaying back and forth to the melody (or lack thereof).

Once out of the mansion, we got on the Liberty Square Riverboat and waited for it to start but we got impatient after about 5 minutes of going nowhere; so we got off on the lower deck and decided our time would be better spent elsewhere. We ventured over to Tom Sawyer’s Island in Frontierland! Here we explored the cave, climbed up and down the hills, Cael crawled through the tunnel of the play structure and we crossed the barrel bridge. Daddy crossed first then took pictures of Mommy holding Cael’s hands while we walked over the bridge together. Wowee! Was this a core workout! An excellent work out for both mom and toddler but also so very fun! Cael was giggling the whole time as the barrels rolled underneath us. We sure did wobble a lot but we never lost our balance!

Next stop was the Country Bear Jamboree. This was never one of my favorites, but I had a feeling Caelin would love it because he loves when they come on the screen during his Sing Along Songs. Of course I was right. ;) He was dancing from the beginning of the show until the very end! He was sawing back and forth, from side to side, attempting to sing along with them, clapping his hands, kicking his feet and smiling at both Sean and I. I may sound repetitive but during all of these attractions and rides I was constantly wonderstruck at how obvious Cael’s enjoyment and happiness was. He was completely comfortable in these new environments where many toddlers his age would appropriately feel apprehension, terror and distrust. But not Cael. I really do attribute part of this to his obsession with his Disneyland Adventures Sing Along Songs DVD because so many of these characters, attractions, and places appear here and play the associated songs… I really think Cael felt like he belonged here.

That’s about all that Cael could go on and enjoy in Frontierland so we strolled over to Adventureland! This is my second favorite area of the park. We first went in the “Enchanted Tiki Room.” Birds fascinate Cael so I knew he would love this attraction, just like the Country Bears. Again, Mom knows best! J He was a bit frightened and jumped when the thunder struck and echoed from the angered tiki gods but otherwise, acted with just as much enthusiasm in here as he did during the bear jamboree!

We followed the bears with the “Jungle Cruise.” Cael liked the other boats we rode and we knew he would like this ride more with all the animals. He got to see some of his favorites, like hippos and elephants in the water and zebras, lions and giraffes on land, including a zebra being eaten by a pack of lions- it’s just nature! ;) Good teaching moment about the circle of life. He also enjoyed floating by the waterfall and waving to some of the other passengers on the boat. Caelin is very much a social butterfly.

Then we went on Great Aunt Sheri’s favorite ride, “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Just like all the other rides, we timed this one perfectly and nearly walked right on! Cael sat on Sean’s lap as we explored the life of a Pirate, yo ho! Cael was starting to get sleepy at this point so he wasn’t as interested in it as much as the rides he rode earlier but he still pointed to some of the objects, like a bird and a dog. Plus he wasn’t afraid of the darkness, deep voices or loud noises, so that was good, too!

We thought about finding a place to eat after the pirate ride but instead we popped a squat on the deck in between Frontierland and Adventureland and each chowd a corn dog while Caelin enjoyed some of his food, snacks and formula from home (we offered him some small pieces of corn dog but he was not interested… his erupting molars have been really bothering him). It felt good to take a break from walking and just watch our little man look around, people watch and reflect on what a great day it had been thus far (and would continue to be).

Well we now had full bellies and Caelin was rubbing his eyes. At this point, we decided it was time for Caelin to meet the big man himself… Mickey Mouse! He was at the Town Square Theater with the Disney Princesses. We waited in line for only about 10 minutes before Cael got to finally lay eyes on a life-size Mickey Mouse standing right in front of him. This meeting was not like the others; Mickey was in his own dressing room so it was a much more private visit in a relaxed environment. When Cael first caught sight of Mickey, we didn’t even have to say anything; he smiled and let out a deep chuckle, “uhhhh huh huh huh.” Sean and I both laughed because we knew that Cael knew exactly who stood before him. Now although Cael did not take his first steps to Mickey Mouse, nor would he stand there alone with him, he still gave him plenty of hugs and kisses and lots of smiles. Mickey Mouse was the only character he really smiled for! Of course, Mom made an oopsie! I was so caught up in the beautiful, priceless magnificent moment that I forgot I wanted to get a family shot with Mickey. After we walked out of the room, I realized this. Of course it was after and not right before we walked out so we could not turn around and ask for one more picture. But I shrugged it off and started looking through the images that the assistant took while I was video recording. Of course, me being the dummy I can be, left the camera on MANUAL focus instead of automatic, so EVERY. SINGLE. PHOTO. was out of focus. My eyes instantly started filling with water as I told Sean what happened. So he, being the gentleman he is, suggested we go wait back in line. Thank God we did, too, because the line was less than 5 minutes long and we got a BEAUTIFUL family photo with Mickey Mouse. Praise The Lord!

Our last ride of the day was the Walt Disney World Railroad. What better way to end the day than with a nice, relaxing ride on the train for a last farewell to the park?! As the sun finished setting, we rode it all the way around the park, with a nice breeze cooling our overheated faces. We boarded at Main Street USA, stopped at Frontierland, then stopped at the Storybook Circus in Fantasyland then finally headed back to Main Street, getting a tour of some of the park’s biggest attractions along the way. The whole ride was about 20 minutes and we arrived back to this station at 8:53PM, just before the Main Street Electrical Parade began. We grabbed our parked stroller, situated Cael inside and heading down off the train platform to Main Street.

Of course Main Street was ridiculously packed with no spare spot for stopping in sight. So we walked to the Ice Cream Parlor, Sean waited in line for a treat and Cael and I went on the hunt for even the smallest opening. I saw a lady wearing a Fedora right outside of the Starbucks so I ditched the stroller in front of the store (hoping no one would move it or biddidy-bobbidy-boo it away) and asked the lady if we could fit in the line next to her. She invited us to squeeze into the space while simultaneously expressing that her husband would be joining her so we need to make sure we leave room for him. People are funny. Sean found us with two desperately melting ice cream cones in hand. He held onto mine with its cute little mint Mickey mouse ears on top and his (which was conveniently in a cup with a cone on top) while I adjusted Cael onto my shoulders. So I had a backpack on my back, my camera slung around my body, Caelin on my shoulders and a mint ice cream cone in my hand which was melting faster than I could eat. Life is so good! God is so good! Here we were, ending our magnificent day at Disney with an exquisite light parade! And we didn’t even have to waste an hour and a half of our evening just so we could have good seats for the parade (Yes, people started lining the streets before 7:30PM…crazies)!

We ventured into the gift shop from which we purchased Cael’s autograph book and got him his first Disney World tee shirt. It’s a 3T because they didn’t have one that was as cute as this one in his size. But he will grow into it! After we left this gift shop, it was to the exit we went. We stopped right in the front and snapped a few last photos then went back through the turnstiles, with which our day began, and onto the same ferryboat that brought us aboard this truly magical place. It was very sad leaving. That really is the worst part of the day- saying farewell to the place where many of our most treasured memories were just made. But as we were walking to the parking lot, the fireworks began. Caelin was almost falling asleep in the park after the parade so we did not wait for them to begin… He was clearly and reasonably exhausted. It’s probably better that we didn’t wait because we had a great view of them right over the water and above Cinderella’s castle. I pulled back Caelin’s shade on his stroller and he was still awake, so we stopped and watched them for a few minutes. At first he wasn’t showing much interest because exhaustion had overcome him but then as we were leaving, he smiled and pointed to them. He did in fact acknowledge and enjoy his first fireworks during his first trip to Walt Disney World. And with that, we arrived at our car parked in Simba 13 and Caelin was fast asleep. I pulled him out of his stroller and laid him down to change his diaper and put pajamas on him. Of course he woke up uncomfortable and screaming. So upset, in fact, he vomited all over the parking lot. Poor little guy had met his breaking point. He slept for most of the car ride back but woke up screaming again about 10 minutes before we got home. Although we were all so happy and full of magic while we were there, we all still had a long day and needed some good rest.

You know what’s bizarre? While I was there I had flashbacks of visiting while I was younger but they were distant, almost foreign. Although the park still has so many familiar rides, attractions and décor, visiting it now is different. I don’t just mean their elimination of the outdated Toontown or the lack of characters freely roaming the streets but also the feeling of the whole experience. For the first time, I was not there for myself. I was there for my son. So although they still mist their special concoction of Disney crack into the air, as a lovely, close friend metaphorically describes it, the magical high I got from this day was better than any visit I had in the past. And I am so grateful that God blessed us with this perfect day. I know He arranged this special day just for us, I could feel it all day long. The way none of us got burnt on a stroke-worthy Florida summer day, the way strangers and characters were (almost annoyingly) magnetized to and fascinated by Cael, the way we didn’t have to wait longer than 25 minutes to experience the most popular attractions on a Saturday at the most magical place on Earth… I could go on and on.

As I write this, my emotions overwhelm me and of course I am crying. And here is my sweet little boy playing in his foam letter corner who keeps stopping everything he is doing to come over and kiss me. I swear, you can’t teach these things to a 15 month old… I am speechless and completely smitten at how much sweetness and genuine love The Lord put into his little body. He was born for great things and he carries a little angel in his pocket while walking around with a spotlight from Heaven shining down on him… I just know it. I am so thankful Cael was sent to us and that we are the ones who were chosen for him. And I am forever grateful for every moment we have with him but especially for Saturday, July 6^th, 2013… This day is a day that will forever be remembered and goes down in the books as an all-time favorite. Until next time, Disney. Until next time. 

Mommy & Caelin in front of Cinderella's Castle.

Meeting Pooh and Tigger. 

On Dumbo!

Meeting Goofy... and my kid being Goofy.

Donald Duck!

Playing in the Splash Area!

Enjoying a pickle.

Waiting for the parade to begin!

In line at the Haunted Mansion!

Crossing the Barrel Bridge!

Daddy & Cael in front of Cinderella's Castle

Walking Right Down the Middle of Main Street U.S.A.

Caelin saying "Hello" to Walt & Mickey.

Our Family Photo with Mickey Mouse!

Love in the Magic Kingdom.

On our way to Disney World!

Waiting in line!

Nap time!

Watching the light parade!

Ridng the tea cups!

Crawling, Talking, Soon to be Walking, Oh My! :)

Caelin had THE MOST AMAZING photo shoot on Saturday, May 4th. Thank you to my very wonderful, talented, great friend Stacia from Love Script Photography for being so good to our family and capturing these precious faces to remember always. <3

13 months... now almost 14!

Climbing up his dresser!

Cool little dude.

Loving taking a lick of Mom's dum- dum!

Caelin's new bathroom!

Helping Dada paint!

Cuddling with Momma on her birthday!

Watching the sharks at the Happy Heart Party @ Clearwater Aquarium.

Getting into mischief.

Buh- bye condo on Sailwinds Blvd. We will miss you and forever cherish the memories made here! 

Since the last blog update, we have been struggling with oral feeding. Cael was vomiting almost daily from 3/21/13 to 4/21/13, which is completely out of the norm for him, and his Gastroenterologist and staff were of no help. They blame it on reflux or a virus but we do not agree with them. He has never been one to have severe reflux because he gets the medicines (Prilosec & Zantac) to prevent it. When he was originally diagnosed with GERD, his heart was failing and no one knew that; so really, it would not be a stretch to say that he could have been misdiagnosed with GERD because his heart was not properly perfusing the GI system. This lack of perfusion caused his intolerance of feeds and incessant vomiting. Anyway, Sean and I think this recent vomiting is from elevated liver enzymes. We thought about getting them tested early (scheduled for mid-May) but didn’t end up taking him, as we were waiting for labs from Cardiology to test for other issues like thyroid problems & such. We have not heard from cardio further about these tests so he will get just liver blood labs drawn next week and we will see where his liver enzyme levels are. We just pray that it is not his heart. This time of the year last year is when we were having the serious vomiting issues and it WAS his heart… his aorta was obstructed causing a major pressure gradient and poor perfusion through his body. He went to the cardiologist on March 12^th and we were told his heart looks good; that it is pumping well and his Tricuspid regurgitation appears even less than December and that is a good thing. Since April 21^st, Caelin has been getting back to his normal eating schedule and expanding his food preferences. He now eats canned fruits and vegetables daily, baked beans and has even tasted baked chicken! We pray this continues because the more real food he tolerates and enjoys, the less formula we have to supplement. Of course, some days are better than others. He will also eat soggy cheerios with formula now (did this to introduce this type of texture to him) but still prefers the crunchy, dry cheerios. He drinks at least 6 ounces of formula through his straw sippy cups and some days he does even better. I think part of the struggle with him eating food and drinking his formula is that his stomach is still smaller than the average 13 month old. We really hope he can tolerate condensing his night feeds so we can work to stretch his stomach and for him to accept more food/formula during the day. J

Caelin does have an appointment in Gainsville at Shands’ liver clinic on 5/22 for a second opinion on the elevated liver enzymes. We are hoping this drive will not be a waste and that they have more to offer than the ACH gastroenterologists. Please pray for better insight and helpful guidance!

His physical progress is OUTSTANDING! On Sat 4/6 he walked forward in his walker for the first time. Now that we live in a townhouse with all wood floors, he can move more freely with his walking toys. On Sat 4/13 Cael crawled forward for the first time and then on Mommy’s birthday (4/23) he actually crawled with several forward movements!! On Sat 4/13 he pulled himself up onto his knees while in his stroller and on Thurs 5/2 Daddy caught Cael standing up in his crib on his own for the first time. Since May 2^nd, Caelin has worked on standing on his own and is able to do it while gripping Mommy/Daddy but has not built up the confidence to pull up to standing from his knees using the couch or coffee table. He does love to sit up on his knees and play, he will even crawl on his knees while upright and holding onto his cube, walker, the couch or coffee table, etc. He is now walking from one end of the couch to the other and along any piece of furniture available. He is more comfortable walking from the left to the right (we work with him going the opposite way) and makes it to the end in the blink of an eye. He can also walk with his sit-to-stand walker on his own but he goes very slowly so we like to stay right behind him with the wood floors. The wood floors in our new home are a blessing but also a pain because he has already had about 5 big bumps with being mobile and the wood floor is not as forgiving as carpet. Needless to say, he now has 52 foam alphabet pieces in his play corner to help cushion his falls.

So not only is he crawling and cruising all over the place, he is expanding his vocabulary too and learning the names of so many things! He newest words are “Momma,” “Buh-bye,” and “Yes.” He loves to say many other things though, like “Dada,” “Hi!” “Yah,” and “Dah (dog).” When asked where his body parts are located, he can identify his legs, feet, toes, hands, fingers, eyes, nose, head, mouth, scar, and ears!!! Mommy just LOVES this! He is doing great with identifying animals and the sounds they make. He can say what an elephant, a lion, a snake, and a butterfly (waves his arms to fly) do. We are working on cow, monkey, owl, dog, and cat, too! J Each day he astonishes us with what his abilities, his knowledge, and how quickly he learns new tricks. LOVE IT!

 Since the beginning of April he has been giving Mommy trouble with taking naps because he just wants to play. Even when he is exhausted and can hardly keep his eyes open, he will sit up in his crib and attempt to get out through the bars, play with his blankets and binkies, or turn the pages on his music box.

Our trip to Michigan is still on! We plan to be there from June 8^th until June 15^th and are so excited to see all of our family and friends. We are excited for Cael to meet all the people we love and who love us! J Please pray for Cardiology clearance on May 21^st and safe traveling! Speaking of May 21^st, that is the anniversary of ECMO. Cannot believe it has been almost a year since our little man endured a cardiac arrest, requiring CPR and life support! If someone, anyone, would have told me a year ago that my son would be mobile and talking today I would not have believed that person. Even if it were The Lord himself, I would have had my doubts because our days were clouded with so much darkness and sickness. I pray every day giving thanks to God for wrapping his loving arms around our son, then sending him back to experience a happy, healthy life with us. 

Happy Birthday, Miracle Warrior!

Birthday Kisses at the park!

Uncle Brandon, Cael & Daddy at the heart walk!

Flying his first kite!!!!

Our heart walk shirts!

Our family & Piper's Family

Opening presents at his party!

Enjoying his Mickey cake!

Very much over the Mickey cake now... lol

Grandma & the birthday boy!

Brandon & the one year old!

Daddy, Cael & Momma! One Year photo session.

How many men does it take to feed a baby?

Enjoying his first ever ice cream cone!

love.this.boy.with.everything.

Drinking from a straw!

At the cardiology appointment.

Yes, he

Oh sweet smiles!

The Guys!!

Rockin' his Detroit Tiger's jacket from Grandma!

Lookin' all awesome in the Jeep at Toys R Us!

Hi Grandma, I missed you!

Opening his gifts!

On March 15^th at 4:59 PM Caelin turned ONE YEAR OLD! He received an astounding amount of birthday cards from family, friends and fans from all over the world! We are amazed and thankful that so many people helped up celebrate Caelin’s first birthday from afar by sending Caelin a birthday card, writing letters, and even sending gifts. He received some surprise gifts of crocheted hats, outfits, toys, stuffed animals, books and more! Thank you for making him feel extra loved and special! All of the cards are going into a scrapbook for safekeeping and he is enjoying wearing and playing with all the other gifts!

For his birthday, Caelin’s Grandma flew down and his Uncle Brandon drove down, too. So we (Mommy, Daddy, Caelin, Grandma & Uncle Brandon) spent his actual birthday opening presents and playing with his new toys at home. Then in the evening we went to the park and Caelin got to help Daddy fly a kite for the first time ever! It was a cool and windy evening but the sun was shining and Caelin’s radiant smile and contagious giggles while flying the kite warmed all our hearts! The day after his birthday was the Heart Walk in Tampa Bay, which was a major success. This was the first heart walk we ever participated in and we are thankful we got to all walk together and were able to raise a total of $650 as a team! What a great contribution to fighting CHD! Caelin got to walk with many other heart warriors, including his friend Piper, and some of his nurses from the CVICU. Thank you to everyone who supported us and donated. Also, a HUGE THANK YOU to Bill Tipton of Loyal Tees for creating our AWESOME tee shirts specifically for the heart walk and gifting them to us! You are a blessing! To end his birthday weekend, we had a birthday party at Seminole park on Sunday. We were able to celebrate this special milestone with not only Caelin’s Grandma and Uncle from Michigan but also with many new friends (which include nurses, staff and families from the CVICU). All the family arrived to the park early to decorate the area and set up for the party. Daddy and Brandon left a little while later to talk Caelin home to nap while Mom and Grandma stayed at the park finishing the details of the party. Around 10:40 AM Daddy woke up Cael from his nap and Cael was less than thrilled. Despite Mommy suggesting to just grab Cael and go and dress him once he got to the park, Daddy dressed Caelin at home, which increased Cael’s frustration. By the time Cael was strapped in his car seat he was screaming and choking on his saliva. Well, when he screams that hard he usually vomits… which is exactly what happened. Caelin projectile vomited all over his birthday outfit, the car, his car seat, and of course, Daddy.  So Sean had to take Caelin back inside, calm him down, clean him up and change his outfit. Caelin finally arrived to the party at 11:35 AM, 35 minutes late and after ALLLLL the guests were there, of course. Apparently he just wanted to make a grand fashionably late entrance. And boy did he ever. He did not get to wear his Mickey Mouse suspender outfit as Mommy had envisioned but he sure did rock his button up, blue striped shirt with his green tie, Khakis and Nike Shocks. Although the day did not begin as planned, it recovered thanks to everyone being so understanding, wonderful and in love with Cael! J His birthday weekend could not have been any better! We praise God for placing such remarkable people in our lives, extending our support system and giving us the greatest gift of all- Caelin!

Teeth #7 & 8 are making their way in and do not appear to have the Enamel Hypoplasia like his one front tooth, so hopefully it is confined to just that one. He had his first visit with his new Pediatrician on March 21^st. She seems great and I already like the office much more than his initial Pediatrician. Cael currently weighs over 23 pounds and is about 29 ½ inches long.  WOO HOO! He got his shots but only cried one tear out of his left eye. He will have to get shots at 15 months and 18 months to get caught up completely caught up from falling behind in the hospital. I did express some concerns about the tough transition from pureed foods to solid foods because Caelin’s gag reflex is so strong and his palate is so high. So once a piece of food hits that reflex, he brings up everything he ate previously… this is just not healthy and it is scary and sad each time it happens. Also, when he does drink fluids he often sounds wet, even when he doesn’t vomit/spit up. These two concerns brought up the discussion of trying Speech therapy again. The ACH Speech department just happened to have a cancellation that same day, so Caelin had a new speech evaluation on March 21^st. The speech therapist said he is doing really well and is impressed that he drinks through a straw because many normal children his age do not but she did recommend a swallow study to check for aspiration. Cael will have his swallow study on April 11^th and we are waiting for an opening for once a week therapy visits for feeding; the department is really busy and there is currently a waiting list. Meanwhile, we will continue to work strongly with him at home. The therapist who did his evaluation, Victoria, gave Mommy some new suggestions to try and so far they seem to be helping! Praying for continued improvement with oral feeds!

As for advancement with oral feeding, he is on 53mLs/hour for 10 hours of night feeds. We went to this rate on Tuesday, March 26^th from 47mLs/hour for 11 hours. We are beginning to condense the feeds (same volume in 10 hour period as was given in previous 11 hours) to stretch his stomach and eventually come off night feeds… this process will take months if not more than a year but we have to start somewhere. J We have no intention of getting rid of Caelin’s Mic-Key button before his Fontan but it would be nice to be rely on it as little as possible so the transition is not more challenging later in life. …Hopefully that makes sense to our readers. Lol He does drink about 3-7 ounces of formula a day by mouth!!!! This is a HUGE improvement from NOTHING just a couple months ago! On March 9th, he learned how to drink from a straw and now that is all he uses. We are done with the bottle and he really does not like the sippy cup. So straws it is! Next step, big boy lidless cup! He can also start having dairy products. We are starting him with cheese products and yogurt. The cheese is going to take some getting used to because of the texture but he LOVES yogurt! We got him the Yobaby and so far he is devouring the peach and blueberry flavors! Great sign! J His struggle comes with more solid foods like pastas, fruits and vegetables. We have not yet tried meats because he cannot tolerate the easier foods yet so we know meat is just not an option. So most of the food that he still gets is pureed but we are mashing a variety of foods with our forks and offering it to him to try to get him used to these other textures. As with everything else, one step at a time. He will also be switching from Elecare to Elecare JR. The doctors want him to stay on formula for a little while longer because he is primarily tube fed and the formula is such a great source of vitamins, minerals and overall nutrition. And with his heart defect and being so active now, adequate nutrition is crucial to his continued growth, recovery and progress.

He had a full Cardiology visit on March 12^th; Dr. Stapleton said his heart looks good and that his regurgitation appears to be even less than in December. YAY! His blood pressure was at 94 systolic, which is actually on the low end for Caelin and Dr. Stapleton is happy with it and will keep him on the same medicine. Great news! J We did receive some sad news while we there though- our other favorite cardiologist, Dr. Wilmot, chose to leave ACH and go to Cincinnati to further develop his career. We were told his passion is with transplant and ACH could not offer him enough experience in this area so he sought out a program that could. We are disappointed and heavyhearted that he left because he played such an imperative role in the survival and recovery of Caelin. We prayed he would be there for Caelin’s Fontan but God seems to have other plans. He invested in Caelin so greatly and frequently stayed late to care for Cael, answer our questions and comfort our fears. He truly has a gift and we are so thankful for everything he did for Caelin and for our family. His intricate involvement in his patients’ care is a treasured rarity and we hope his future patients and coworkers realize this and respect him for it. We miss him but wish him well and all the best during this new chapter in his life. Again, on a happier note, since Caelin’s heart looks good he has been cleared to travel to MI in June! As long as Cael continues to do well, our family will be up there! We are planning for June 8^th to June 15^th. Mark your calendars!! :D

Caelin is now going into the sitting position on his own. The first time he did this was on Tuesday, March 26; Sean walked into Cael’s room after his evening nap and he was sitting up in his crib!! He did it again on Wednesday while playing on the floor in the living room; Cael was lying on his back when I went into my bedroom to hang up some laundry, I walked out and he was sitting up! He is now pulling himself up on all fours and rocking (3/27) and he is scooting backward forcefully. He can go forward with assistance but hasn’t quite mastered the coordination to do it himself. He can scoot forward while sitting up on his knees (started this on 3/28) and we practice moving from side to side while sitting on his knees (did this first on 3/11), too. He does really love to stand and on March 9^th he started walking with assistance. Now pointing is his new favorite thing. So he will point to something, reach for mommy or daddy and then want to walk over to the object he points to. His communication skills really are fantastic! He is beginning to repeat signs that Mommy practices with him, too! He is just learning so much and we LOVE it! I remember the days when Caelin would keep his legs frogged and never let them touch the floor and did not even want to try to lie on his side, let alone his belly. He has come so far and is well on his way to catching up to be as physically capable as a normal, healthy toddler. TODDLER? That still is just bizarre but so cool at the same time. And no matter his age, he will always be Momma’s baby Cael!

During this time last year, Caelin was recovering from his Norwood and emergency bedside reopening for his shunt thrombosis. Looking back at the photos, reading the details, and reliving the emotions creates this ultimate sense of blessing and gratitude for every person who helped Caelin to recover and get to where he is today and for The Lord’s protection and guidance to help Caelin fight so strongly and live as normal of a life as possible. We pray and hope for continued recovery and many more days, years and birthdays to celebrate with Caelin! LIFE IS SO GOOD!