Long Time, No Talk
Long time no talk! I had to read my last blog post to see exactly where we left off! The past few weeks have been extremely busy - in the best way possible. Free moments have been few and far between since juggling a birthday, Halloween, routine doctor appointments, and a trip. So, let's get right to it.
Party like its 2016
On October 27th, Hudson turned ONE. That marks 12 months that Morgan and I managed to keep a little human alive without killing each other in the process (little victories!)
Morgan's parents and little sister's family flew in to be part of the celebration. We had a Trolls themed party complete with an amazing custom Trolls rainbow cake by Hudson's Aunt Ruth. I am still in awe of her talent as I look through pictures.
Dress to Impress
Halloween was a fun time around the house however, some (us) had more fun than others (Hudson). Morgan and I dressed up as Trolls while Hudson went as Max from Where the Wild Things Are. Let's just say that Hudson was less than impressed. Although the attached pictures show otherwise, I promise we don't torture our child.
Frequent Flyer Miles
On Halloween, we met with the transplant team and were given permission to travel to Boulder, Colorado before the holidays.
Though it was short notice and involved some last minute planning, taking the trip to Colorado was absolutely worth it. Hudson did wonderfully on the airplane with minimal fuss and maximum cuteness.
Being home made me realize just how much I needed to recharge and relax. It was special to have Hudson hang out with family and friends and for us to explore my hometown as a family (for the first time!)
Halloween also marked the day that Hudson officially started crawling and he hasn't stopped moving since. My blood pressure, and patience, have already been tested as he continues to pull himself up on anything and anyone. We will begin taking bets on when he will start walking (psssst...insider information: he is already doing assisted walking)
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Hudson had his routine blood draw and clinic visit on Tuesday and all his liver numbers are still looking beautiful so they pushed us to monthly visits and blood draws! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our transplant team but we've earned enough Seattle Children's frequent flyer miles for awhile.
We were also able to discontinue two medications. One medication targets two viruses called EBV and CBV - both common viruses to you and I but extremely harmful to people who are immunosuppressed. They will look at Hudson's labs in a month and if there is any increase in his numbers, they will start him back on that medication.
The second medication, or supplement that we discontinued was Iron. Hudson was having an incredibly difficult time with this supplement so I spoke with the doctors about alternative ways to get his body Iron. It was agreed upon that we would focus on getting him his Iron naturally (through various foods and drinks) and if his labs show any decrease in a month, we will start him on it again. This is one of the times that I have to trust my gut and be an advocate for Hudson and I am crossing my fingers that it works out.
Giving Thanks
With the holiday season here and Thanksgiving in a couple of days, we wanted to take the time to let everyone know how grateful and blessed we are to have a support system filled with caring and compassionate people like you.
I have had what I would call two big "traumas" in my life. During both times, I have been impressed, appreciated and comforted to hear from people near and far, old and new. I think it speaks volumes about a person's character to take a couple of minutes out of their day and send a message or well wishes. With that, I would like to take a minute out of MY day and let you know how thankful I am for all of you. Thank you for being genuine and kind and thoughtful. Thank you for being an example of what it is to be good and decent and making me want and be a better person. Thank you and please keep being that way.
We hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving and gobbles 'til they wobble.
Cheers,
Jordan, Morgan, Hudson, Dude and Jax