Celebration! Colette Granberry Graduation

Congratulations Colette!

Jim & Sandi Granberry included us in the celebration honoring their daughter Colette's graduation from Baylor. They had a dinner at Nicola's restaurant in Plano - among their many friends and family members were John, Debbie, Claire & Elvia Salisbury our great friends from North Carolina. (Debbie is Sandi's twin sister)

"The Triplets" aka Julie, Debbie & Sandi

John, Tom & Jim

Julie, Debbie, Tom, Claire, John & Elvia

Prosthetics - Final Step

Will received his finished leg prosthetics last Thursday. We were so happy to see that he seemed to tolerate this finished pair a little better. Not sure if they were more comfortable or if he remembered them and so he was better prepared to wear them. Thanks so much to Dr. Wanda (who designed his new prosthetics) and Brenda (physical therapist) for their commitment, hard work and encouragement to Will, Katie & Reagan. Will's new prosthetics now have 5 layers: 1st a heavy sock that comes up to just below the knee, 2-a formed sleeve that also fits just below the knee, 3-a thin sock that covers the sleeve, 4- the plastic leg form with foot, 5- tight neoprene sleeve that comes completely up to his hip (sort of like wearing a wet suit).

Will with Brenda (his physical therapist at TSRHC)

He loves Miss Brenda even if she does make him work!

Will's adoring fans (Kristen, Becky & Melinda) from the Second Floor PR/Marketing/Events Dept at TSRHC... Katie takes Will to this floor and he crawls from office to office getting lots of ooohs and claps and kisses! It's his reward for working so hard - those girls are so cute this motivational reward may work for quite awhile!

The next few weeks will be a time of transition as Will, Katie & Reagan learn to live with Will's new prosthetics. The doctor wants Will to learn to walk on his own legs but he also wants Will to wear the prosthetics for a few hours every day and begin to learn to walk on them as well. Will is frustrated as you can imagine because he is quite fast at crawling and getting to anywhere he wants to go with his own legs and he has also become proficient at "cruising" around tables etc...but his ankles don't bend, and the prosthetics are heavy, awkward and slow him down. We have already seen that he walks better in therapy just after a week of practicing but it still is hard to see him struggle and have to work so hard and to see his frustration but not be able to explain why he needs to wear them. We would appreciate your prayers for this family as they all transition through this time - for patience, persistence, creativity and humor. And please pray for Katie as she adjusts to the extra demands on her attention, commitment and time as more therapy appointments have also been added to their monthly schedule.

We were packed to the max as I took Will and Katie to the airport for their trip home yesterday. Katie laughs at me because of all the stuff I bring for Will but what can I say I'm just a sold out grandmommy...my latest motto "Have Rocker, Will Travel"...(course I also cart a pack n play, activity center and portable high chair in addition to the folding rocking chair!) - all the comforts of home (or at least as close as I can create it for our daughter and grandson!)

SAVE THE DATE !!!

WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY !!! YOU ROCK SUPER WILL!




The Dallas White Rock Marathon will be held On Sunday, December 14, 2008. This marathon benefits Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children which is a place that serves children with orthopedic needs for FREE. Our grandson, Will, is a patient at TSRHC and we love this place! For more information please go to this website that Katie & Reagan have set up:

http://www.wheretheresawillrace.blogspot.com/

So many of you participated last year by sending donations in honor of Will, attending the race & cheering, running parts or all of the race or if you couldn't be there you wore your blue "Where There's A Will, There's A Way!" t-shirt wherever you were! We hope to see even more of you in Dallas this year and we hope Will's Team will grow every year! There will be a pre-race party the night before the marathon and a post-race group photo (11:30 am on Race Day at TSRHC Tent)...and maybe some other surprises :-) If you bought a t-shirt last year we are keeping the same design so no need to buy a new shirt! If you need to know anything else feel free to email Katie at raceforwill@gmail.com or call Will's grandaddy Tom (903) 520-2083

Will on Race Day 2007:



Will Preparing for the Race - August 2008:

Storms

Last night we had a great storm in Tyler. A real downpour - even washed our huge garbage container down the street! I love to get up in the middle of the night when we have these storms and walk through our home listening to the deluge. Looking out into the night from our safe place. I love crawling back into bed with Tom hearing him and Lizzie take turns snoring. As I lay there last night, I was glad Ruby (our daughter's golden retriever) wasn't there as she has been for the last few weeks. Ruby hates storms. She feels them coming and starts freaking out long before they get here. She pants and paces and frets. When the storm arrives she looks for shelter (usually in the baby's nursery - whether here or in Midland).

A couple of weeks ago, we had gone to Dallas for the evening and returned late. There had been a storm while we were gone. When we walked in the house we noticed the child-proof gate down in the kitchen and no Ruby to be found. The nursery door was shut and paint flecks were all over the floor from Ruby's frantic scratching. I finally found her in the guest room bathtub!

Ruby has a trust issue. Storms are going to come. Jesus promised us that. He showed us how to respond in the midst of one. Trust. He slept through a storm because He trusted and knew the One in control. It's not hard for me to trust during a rain storm - in fact I love thunderstorms, the rain beating down, just curling up and spending time listening to God. But I think I am often like Ruby during life's storms. When I sense one coming, I become anxious and although I don't pace physically, I do in my mind. I become like a child and run back to childish ways. I try looking for what the world offers as shelter. I need and want to remember that God is my fortress and my strong tower - whom or what shall I fear? Nothing and no one else will minister to me.

When life's storms come and they will come again, I want to choose to be content rather than choose to cower. To choose to calm myself rather than roll into anxiety...to rest in the One who controls the waves and the winds and the "chaos" that surrounds and overwhelms. And when the storm has passed through my life I am blessed. Just like this morning's refreshment after last night's storm.

Grocery Store Experiences

Katie decided to take Will out in public with his new "legs" for the first time. We went to the grocery store. Things were going just fine until the check out line, where he lost a leg. I said to Katie "Will lost his leg." This was a first for us. I didn't know how she would respond. She located the prosthetic, picked it up and started to put it back on when the other leg goes flying (perhaps we didn't put them on right- normally they are super snug.) At this point Katie is dying laughing and so am I. It's our new normal! Standing at the grocery store, trying to put "legs" on an 11 month old. The woman in front of us wasn't sure how to react which made it that much funnier. She obviously wasn't sure if she should offer to help, should ignore it, should laugh with us, should stare.... quite funny. It was one of those times where we could have cried or laughed...


...Two days later,
Reagan & Katie took Will to another grocery store and had this experience:
Just as we're leaving the store, man (with "mental differences" I might add), comes to help us take out the groceries. He never even notices Will's legs but notices his hands. Following is our conversation (as people are watching and listening mind you.)

Sweaty, Large man getting very close to my child: "He doesn't have hands!!!!" (Said loudly with great emotion)

Katie (quick to defend my kid): "Yes he does, they're just different." (Smile, please get me to the car quickly)

S,L Man: "I'm so sad he can't do ANYTHING with his hands."

Katie: "Yes, he can do EVERYTHING!" (Smile, okay, how much further to the car...is he going to grab my child??? He's so very close to him - ever heard of personal space, mister man?)

S,L Man: "But what about BOWLING??? He can't bowl!"

Katie: (flabbergasted) "What? Bowling?!?!?!" (Had not thought of that one yet.)"He can granny bowl!"

Reagan to the rescue:"I think we can get our bags from here- thanks so much!"


I'm so grateful that we laugh more now than we cry and I am so grateful God has blessed our family with a sense of humor - I have a feeling we're going to need it a lot in the future!!!

Prosthetics - Step #3

From Katie & Reagan's Blog:


Will waiting in his hospital room (we used this room for naps). We stayed in Dallas for one week during this third step in the process.

Will & his "foot" doctor- Dr. Tony Herring (chief of staff at TSRHC)


Will & his "team" this morning. Scottish Rite uses a team approach so everyone is on the same page- therapists, doctors, surgeons, etc. This is most of his team.



Will's prosthesis- 4 layers- first, the sock, then the liner (to the left of the sock), then the prosthesis leg/foot with shoe (in the middle), & on top to suction it on to Will's leg- the neoprene sleeve. Very HOT!


Will - within moments of putting on his "new legs" for the first time



Some of Will's bricks. A precious family at our church donated some bricks in honor of Will along one of the walkways at Scottish Rite. I couldn't picture them all but they say: "Reagan Butts, Will's proud dad, "William D. Butts, August 30, 2007," "Katie Butts, Will's proud mom," "Psalm 139, fearfully and wonderfully made," and " There's a Will, so there's a way."

How very generous & thoughtful! I know Will will enjoy searching for his bricks at future visits.

An exhausted boy in his walker. Will works very, very hard every day during his intensive therapies. We all leave worn out! He typically falls asleep within minutes of leaving. Bless his heart, for the first two days, his morning session was at 10 am (when he typically goes down for a nap), & his afternoon session was at 3 (he typicall takes a nap from 2-4!). We've now adjusted to 9 am & 3:30 so that is a little easier on him but he still gets worn out!



I really admire my son. I don't know if that is typical for moms or not. He has some incredible challenges & he generally has such a good attitude & a happy spirit. These therapy sessions have really pushed him - during his regular nap time & forcing him to work so hard. Imagine relearning basic things you are really good at (like walking or sitting for instance) & having to relearn it when you are really sleepy while wearing heavy weights & with extended legs or standing on stilts, that are heated. He is literally relearning new methods for rolling, crawling, sitting, pulling up, walking, etc. And he is doing it with these long, heavy, clunky things on his leg... that offer no feeling on the ends of them. It's hard on us as we hate to see his legs & feet covered up. We accept & love his little body & hate to cover him up. I make sure to kiss his legs & feet every time we take the prosthetics off.


No parent likes to watch their child suffer. We all know there are times our kids will suffer & we may be the cause of it & it is okay... like when they are crying after a spanking or when we are requiring them to eat vegetables or when we've taken away that dangerous electrical cord they seem to always want to eat. I can accept those times. It's times like this week that I struggle with. These days aren't in "What to Expect, the First Year." I can't explain to Will why we are choosing to get prosthetics for him. So he looks at me & cries & can't understand why he can't quickly crawl into my arms & why I'm not just picking him up & taking these things off of him. And my heart breaks. I question constantly why we are doing prosthetics. My brain knows that we are doing them so that Will has options. We want him to be able to do anything he wants & realize that with prosthetics he may be able to participate in a wider variety of activities. I don't want to tell my 5 yr old that he can't play soccer because he can't wear the shoes or shin guards or because he can't run the entire distance of the field. So, I guess I'm learning what most moms know already. I have to think about the future as I watch him suffer today. I have to tell him ( & myself) that I am doing this because I love him & I want the best for him. I just hate watching my normally happy & fast crawling 11 month old struggle to go a foot & fuss. They tell me that soon he'll love his "new legs" & not want to take them off. I look forward to that day. This week has made me realize that I simply don't know if I can be strong enough to do this for Will. I don't know if I can be strong enough to do 3+ sessions of therapy at home now a week, to work with Will at home when I don't have a therapist at my beck & call, to work with Will with his prosthetics on when I'd rather just be playing with my fun baby.

Another Cousin Reunion!

Jim, Justy, Grant & Mason Brown came through Dallas and stayed at the same hotel with us two weeks ago prior to Will's week at TSRHC. It was great to see them!