Inspirational Video

The following video is from one of our online friends...TheGibbs.  Their blog is listed at the right as...Our Little Gibblet.  Greyson Gibb recently had the opporunity to attend The Conductive Learning Center and this video showcases some of their students.  Grey is the adorable, little guy with the superman shirt on. 

When you think you are having a bad day, watch this...it helps put life in perspective.  It takes some people every once of their being to stand up or roll over...so grab a kleenex.

The Haircut =)

The reason for the haircut...Mommy knew they were going to shave the back part of my head for the decompression surgery so she wanted it cut so that the top could be put up in a ponytail or pigtails and not hang down in my incision. It took two cuts to get it wear Mommy wanted it.

Aunt Debbe cut it the first time and boy, was it a beautiful cut.  I look so sweet. =)

Later...the same day....Mommy realized it wasn't short enough.  We happen to be at Aunt Bree's house so Mommy asked her to cut it some more.  This is the result. 

As Mommy always says, "Cuteness at its Finest!"

Happy New Year!!! Welcome 2010!!!!

Just to catch everyone up with me and my cuteness, here are some pics from the week of Christmas.  During the Christmas weekend, Mommy, Daddy and I went to the Magical Forest at Opportunity Village in Las Vegas.  Here, Daddy and me are hangin' with Santa. 

We went to our annual BoomBox Parade.  I love it because I get to sit on Daddy's lap and pretend to drive.  I have to adjust the radio to the right station so I am in sync with the parade floats.

Mommy and Daddy let me open one of my Christmas presents early because they were afraid I wouldn't be able to play with the hoop at Christmastime because they THOUGHT I was having the decompression surgery.  As most of you know, I didn't have that surgery so now I am just a stud at hoops. =)

Mommy loves these pictures.  I am deciding what I want to eat from my upside-down menu ;-).  Then I am actually eating the bean dip at El Palacio restaurant.  If you know me, you will know that I hardly EVER put food in my mouth so Mommy's glad she captured it on film.

When I was in the hospital, I got this cute, little tea set so I couldn't wait to get home to have a tea party with my pals.

Pic of Oma and me.  I love standing in my braces.  I am SOO big =)

Here is our little family at the Long House in Bullhead City.  Love the Tim-Tim Tree lights.  (That's Ciaran's way of saying Christmas tree.)

  Opening presents Christmas morning.  Love this one!!!

Cute, little, devious ANGEL!!!Grant, Daddy and I were checking out baby WesleyOpening the biggest present in the house.  An easel from Grant and Cassidy!!!Playing with Paul, Cassidy's Daddy and her Uncle after Christmas dinner. This little lady is Lilly...she is Grant & Cassidy's new doberman.  Opening MORE presents ;-)  This adorable purse was from my brothers' Mommy, Felicia.  Thank you for all my presents!!Shootin' some hoop with Daddy, Grant and Lilly.  I was trying to be brave and pet the doggy.  I like Lilly's house soo much, I spent most of the day inside it.

Cool Christmas Tree

 

The Neiman Marcus store in Dallas, TX held a contest for the most creative Christmas Tree.  The trees would be displayed in the store's front windows.  (This was actually from last year or the year before...Mommy can't remember)  The young man that created this one was a patient at the Scottish Rite Hospital in TX.  If you look closely, you will see that it is wheelchair wheels that make up the base.  The next row are crutches, the third tier are forearm crutches and the top star is made up of prosthetic hands. 

How Genius!!!  There is beauty to all of our equipment =)

Merry Chrismas Everyone!!

Merry Christmas everyone!! The Riley clan had a wonderful Christmas Eve at the Reed House, then a fantastic Christmas dinner at the Trainor House in Henderson.  I got lots, I mean LOTS of presents from Santa, my brothers, Blake and Grant, my aunties/uncles, friends, etc.  On Saturday, we went to the Magical Forest at Opportunity Village in Las Vegas.  It was spectacular.

 I am doing well and my incision is almost healed.  Mommy is not convinced this surgery fixed all of my issues.  She does think my eyes and the nystagmus is better, especially when looking straight at someone.  One will still cross when I look to the sides.  My back is still jacked to put it mildly.  I still don't sit very still; I have no balance.  Mom's not sure on the bowel problems also...we'll see. 

Thank you for your prayers.  I am sure you are dying to see pics of me, especially since we cut my hair before the surgery.  We thought I was going to have the decompression so we cut my long blonde locks and boy, am I a cutie pie with short hair.  We are still trying to find out if our CPU is salvageable.  If not, we need to buy a new tower.  Bear with us.   

Going Home!!

We are going home!!  I am being discharged, then we are going back to the Ronald McDonald House and cleaning out our room. I am doing very well today.  Yesterday afternoon was actually a tough time for me.  I vomited, had a slight fever, had squirelly eyes, didn't eat from 11am until 10 pm last night.

But, I am better now and I am saying, "C Ya" to Phoenix Children's....

Doing Great!!

I am doing great.  I am very sensitive to pain meds.  Once I am off them I come around and get back to MYself.  I think if all is well, I may get to go home today or tomorrow.  The spinal shunt is very small and it is doing its job by draining my spinal cord.  Dr. Moss wants to do another MRI next month to see how my cerebellum is doing and how far it is pulled down and to see if the syrinx continues to be drained. 

I have been in more pain with this tiny surgery because it is in the thoracic region of my back.  Your thoracic vertebraes are attached to your ribs.  I can feel pain in this region, whereas last year I had surgery in my lumbar-sacral area and I have much less feeling there.  So, hopefully in our next post, Mommy will be telling you that I was sent home.