Happy 3rd Birthday, Clay!

Clay-bug is three years old! My goodness, where does time go?!

So much great progression in the past year. Clay did lots of catching up and growing and learning and exploring this year.
-First of all...We had NO major illnesses or surgeries or hospital stays! NONE! Praise the Lord.
-He's up to 32 lbs now, which is almost 10 lbs more than he weighed last year! He's 3 feet tall, too. He just looks so grown up these days.

Plugging his trach to say, "Cheeeese" :)

-Clay started walking all on his own in March and continues to get so much stronger (and confident!). I'm just so proud of him.

-We took a family vacation in May to Tennessee, then a week later we left to visit family in Cape Cod, then we stopped by Nelsonville Music Festival on our way back home. It was such a great trip! Clay had a blast getting to see & do so many new things & we he got to meet new family... he still talks about riding the choo-choo at Dollywood...and he talks about Nanny, and the ocean and Sandy's big dog, and his cousin Le-bi (Levi), lol. We had a great time.

One of Clay's favorite things: riding the Trolly in Tennesee with Nan & Papaw

On the beach in Cape Cod (it was cold!)

 -We played lots and lots of volleyball this summer, and Clay loooooved that too. Our friends are great entertainment and Clay will keep them busy fetching balls as long as they are willing, lol! He'll wear ya out with his ball-playing endurance. He now knows how to bump, set, hit and serve a volleyball though. I'm telling ya'll...he's a natural.

Learning mad volleyball skillz from this crazy bunch!

 -He loves going to Story Hour at the Library...I think he likes the tradition of going to play at the park afterwards even better :) He LOVES the swing!

Playing at the Library. Puzzles suited him just fine until he spotted the kid's computer!

-He talks SOOOO well. His vocabulary is ever-expanding and he asks questions alllllll the time. Mommy, why? Mommy, what you do-nin? Mommy, where you go-nin? Mommy, mom, momma, mommy, mom! Hahaha. He just amazes me with how much he understands and observes and REMEMBERS! Kid's got the memory of an elephant (is that how that saying goes?)... Kinda scary, really..lol!

-Here's a big life changer: Clay is now a big brother!!! Miss Oaklee Mae was born on August 26th. She is perfect and he is quite proud :) He likes to show her off to everyone we meet...I think he likes that it takes some attention off of him, lol. He has done so well with the new addition to the family. I was afraid he'd be jealous and extra-clingy to me, but if anything it's made him more independent.
He'll help me out by getting diapers and throwing them away in the trash can. He also makes sure her swing is always swinging and playing music while she's in there...He doesn't want to hold her or love on her but I do catch him rubbing on her head and checking her out a little more closely when he thinks I'm not looking. ;)

-Big boy is totally potty trained and has been for a while now. He's starting to want to pee standing up though, so it's getting a little messy but he does really well for the most part. He can now pull his own pants up and down so that's a big thing for him, too! 
 -Clay looooooves to go to Nan & Papaw's house and is a-ok with me leaving him there to play while I go to the store or if me & Eric go on a date. He even stayed all night with them a few weekends ago and didn't shed one tear! It's no wonder though, they way they spoil that boy! He's ruint, I tell ya.
-Most of his days spent around the house he's either watching Curious George, asking to watch George, or talking about the things that George does..lol! He is obsessed. The show is quite adorable though. I learn things from watching it, so I don't feel quite as guilty about letting it occupy him...okay, I do feel guilty...but it helps me out so much!

It's just amazing how our little miracle man is developing. Someone ran into us out in town the other day and was amazed with how well he's doing...they said, "well, he's just growing right out of it ain't he?!"...I'd say he is, thank God!


We have another sleep study scheduled for November 18th to see about trach decannulation. If things have improved since the last one that was done in February, the plan is to do a bronchoscope and check his airway then we will decannulate! I really feel like he doesn't need that ol' thing anymore. I think when it's gone, he'll thrive even more. Hopefully with the eating-by-mouth-situation, especially! He is getting more and more interested in food but still doesn't like textures. I can imagine trying to swallow chunks of food with a trach in would make a person gag and have an aversion, though. So my fingers and toes are crossed for trach decannulation in a couple months! Say a prayer for us, y'all.

We're having Mr. Clayton Cash a birthday party at Nan & Papaw's house on Sunday around 3. We're doing a little costume party, so Clay will be dressing up as George...I put together a Man in the Yellow Hat costume for Eric too, lol! We'll have chili and hotdogs and birthday cake, and will be doing a hayride with Papaw's tractor...Clay is so excited about it! Come on out and join us!

So, so thankful for another year with this precious boy. He is such a joy.
Year #2 was a fantastic year... I think year #3 will be even better :)

Lots of love to you all, dear friends! XoXOXo