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DJH 
12:37pm Tuesday
So I've been doing P90X for about 45 days now. Anyone else?
Results for me are little-to-no weight loss, but definite improvement of body shape and tone, and elevated mood.
Let me know your experiences with it?
This post is about my son, who's about to turn 5.
He's our 2nd kid, and he's always been the more delicate of our children. Whereas our daughter has had relatively "normal" challenges, Z has gone through a bunch of stuff that has always been hard to define and even harder to treat.
When he was just a baby, we found out that he has febrile seizures, and that left us on pins and needles every time he caught a cold. The seizures themselves were terrifying, though supposedly harmless, events, where I thought I was witnessing my son dying in my arms.
He's had other challenges as well though, none of which could be defined by anything other than what sounded like made-up illnesses by the various speech therapists, physical therapists and (insert word here) therapists that he's seen. Those challenges have taken their toll on our family, with my wife and I wondering if he has the condition at all, fighting between each other about what the appropriate course of action should be, and then stressing out about whether he's making progress or not, which can be so hard to decipher when dealing with such vague diagnoses.
I say all this because my son is turning 5, and with all we've been through, I'm so proud of him and so happy to report that he's actually just a normal, well-adjusted kid who has some amazing talents. For all of the stress and worries we've had, it ultimately seems to be evolving that he just has his own personality -- he's physically very healthy, he's super-smart and he's pretty darn funny.
I guess I'm doing all this bragging because for so long we just worried that one of these many things would become a harbinger for so much more, and I feel the urge to just lie back for a second and appreciate the boy that he has become. My son is reading - and I mean REALLY reading - which, as far as I can tell, is almost unprecedented for a kid who's not even 5...and the craziest thing is that we (with the possible exception of his incredible grandma) haven't taught him how to read. He's also very organized, and very well-spoken. And, perhaps most of all, he's just a great kid who I treasure my moments with.
My wife and I were terrified about his adjustment to DK (kindergarten), as he had to transfer to a new school, a longer day and a whole new experience. This is something that's been very hard for a kid who is very aware of his schedules and doesn't like surprises. To our amazement, school has been a huge success - he's engaging, he loves his teachers and he's...well, he's like any other kid.
To be sure, he has his challenges - he moves a bit slow in physical activities, and our AYSO debut has been a challenge for him, though we've been delighted to see him get out on the field at all. He has challenges around some social situations - oddly, he's great with adults but can have a hard time with some kids. He's certainly not perfect, but we wouldn't expect or want him to be so.
So this is a long and rambling way to say how happy I am with my beautiful son, and how proud I am of our family for getting to where we are today. I guess what sums it up for me is yesterday, when we were in the car, and the following exchange occurred:
Me: (making some sort of stupid joke)
Z: "Dad, you need to stop making jokes and focus."
Amen, Z. I'm gonna focus.
Comments
Trying to catch a bug.
Comments
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Bugs are not good !!! Feel better soon.....
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well, stop it! wow I think i'v hugged you like 3 times today. Does that constitute a date? lol
Feel better my friend.
xxx
Lily
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Well, you can join the Pres of the USA in that action. God help us all with all the press on that fly catching incident! Ho Ha, Val
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What a wonderful uplifting story ! Thank you for sharing it with us. Just an example of doctors not being infallible and not recognizing the potential of some patients. I can imagine that this whole story has taken a toll on you and your wife but it seems that you both have worked together to raise an amazing young man.
Congratulations ! Give him a great big hug from me. Grandmothers love all children. xoxo pat
firelady
OK - you made the tears flow. Z is an amazing kid, so smart, so verbal, so funny. This is another example to remember when we are raising kids -that kids mature at different rates, most have some sort of struggles, but they are so very precious.
LanyL
You know Doug, kids are quite resilient, and can overcome obstacles without realizing it. Sounds like you have a beautiful family.
Mckenzie
D-When Jackson started soccer the entire first year all he cared about was running along the sideline and smiling and waving to the parents...even with the ball going in the opposite direction. I wish I had taped some of those games because his smile was all I cared about. His only goal of the seaon was when a ball rebounded off his leg and into the goal.
DrJeremy
Ha...I am cracking up at Z's response to your joking in the car. That is great! And your humbled response...even better. I have found that I have learned the most in life from my children. He sounds like an amazing kid and you have a great family. Thank you for sharing your story. It made me stop and think of how blessed I am as well with 3 beautiful, healthy children.
whoareyou
Don't know if you remember me, but we messaged back and forth a few months back about febrile seizures. I check in on you now and then to see if you've updated on your little man, and I was so happy to read this entry. I sometimes wonder how I'm going to make it until my little man (age 22 months) is 5 and hopefully just about outgrown the risk for more seizures. The fact that you've made it, and your son's flourishing despite all the anxiety for you and his mom on the way is very encouraging to me!
cherbear74
I LOVE nothing better than hearing a proud father talk about his family. There need to be more men like you in this world. There are many single moms out there with little support from the father of their children. This has long term effects on children. Your son is so lucky to have you. From all you have written, he sounds like a well adjusted kid - because you are there. You care. You love. Go ahead and brag. You've earned that right!
Liane999
It's so nice to see someone stop to notice the bliss!
LlewellynbyStorm
I am so happy for you.. and you sound like a great Dad. Keep up the good work and always remember how important and precious he is!! I wish I had realized these sooner when my children were younger.
ykk
Thank you so much for sharing this part of your life. It has been very helpful.
pathoflife