They say a picture's worth a thousand words. If that's the case, then the above ought to tell you how well Aidan has been adapting and adjusting to being a part of our family ... and how Lily is adapting and adjusting to having a little brother. Aidan seems to have slid comfortably into our lives, as if this is where he belonged all along.
We gather every night for bedtime prayers in Lily's room and sing and pray ... that is, after they get out all the "sillies," of course. Brother and sister say good night to each other. Aidan's "good night" consists of a breathy "nigh-nigh" with hands folded together by his head. Thankfully, we are able to lay him down in his bed and he goes to sleep without any problems (it's Lily who still calls out for mommy and daddy several times before she goes to sleep). We don't even have to hold him or sit with him anymore. That went by the wayside a couple of weeks ago, and our spines are grateful.
Aidan's still getting a bottle with PediaSure in the morning and evening, but he's become quite adept at using a cup now. He still can't get a good seal on his mouth, so some inevitably dribbles out on occasion. For the most part, however, he does a good job keeping his chin at just the right angle so he doesn't lose too much liquid.A couple of weeks ago we had an appointment at Children's Hospital in Seattle. We met with a host of doctors, nurses, and surgeons getting us prepared for Aidan's upcoming surgeries. He will have his cleft palate repaired first, sometime in July or August, if all goes according to plan. Then, after that heals (approximately 3-6 months later), he'll have his upper lip and gum line reconstructed. When he turns 7 or 8, he'll have another surgery.
The first Sunday in May our congregation held a shower after church for Aidan. We greatly appreciate the love and support the people of our church have shown us. We were "showered" with clothing, gift cards, toys, and a money tree to help with some of Aidan's upcoming medical expenses. One of our church members made and decorated two beautiful cakes for the shower. One had a baseball diamond on it, the other (above) had Aidan's name in Chinese characters plus more baseball stuff.Thanks for checking in with us!
