Cool Gifts

Grandpa Joe bought all of the kids gift certificates to the mall. While Andres and Jeana took off walking on their own I took Jojo and Jayden to Beary Sweets. It's kind of like a build a bear shop. Jayden and Jojo both wanted bulldogs like Thor. They got to pick out the animal they wanted, then Jojo helped by stepping on a button that allowed the girl to stuff the dog as full as he wanted him. Then after each dog was stuffed both boys got make a wish on a star and stick it inside their dog. Jojo dressed up his dog in a leather jacket and jeans while Jayden decided to make his look like an electrician like Daddy with a tool belt. Thanks Grandpa Joe for the great gift.

I love my Mom!

As most of you already know my Mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2007. She battled long and hard and I am very proud to call her a "Survivor". She went through the whole thing so gracefully using Jayden has her inspiration every step of the way. This week she went to visit Dr. Mehdy who gave her a clean bill of health. He even asked her if she would be interested in talking to some of his other patients who are going through it now. He was amazed with her strength through such a trying time. She never waivered and kept her faith strong. She has officially finished all of her follow up appointments. Way to go Mom!

Goodbye 2008 Hello 2009

Another year has come and gone and we have lots of things to be grateful for. One of the things that I am most grateful for in 2008 was Jayden's stability. Because of his stability I was able to actually go to class at Delta.He has been growing like a weed. He's had no major issues this year other than a small cold. This is huge for a child like Jayden. He continues to eat pureed foods and drink bottles, relying on Mommy for his total care. In July my Mommy van was modified with a wheelchair lift, it makes life so much easier.

Jojo has had a really great year too. He played basketball, baseball, and football. He is doing well in school. The day after football season ended he was already talking about the next season and asking when it would start. He is a great big brother to Jayden. He kisses him goodnight every night. And sometimes tells me how he wishes Jayden could walk and talk so that they could play the Wii together. That breaks my heart. On New Year's Eve Jojo couldn't wait to open the bottle of sparkling cider. And ofcourse he had to drink it in a wine glass. He felt so grown up.

Andres and Jeana have done very well this year academically. Both these teens made the honor roll this year. We are very proud of them. Jeana is half way through her first year of High school and loving every minute of it. She's a cheerleader for the Stagg Delta Kings and is considering playing softball. Andres finished his final year of Northwest Trojan football and has been working out to prepare for High School. They are really great kids!

This is our super dog Thornelius Correa. He joined our family this year and has been a joy. Jose likes to play the tough roll and act like he doesn't like the "stinky dog". But we always catch the two of them playing around with each other. Thor, as we call him, really likes Jayden. He likes him so much that Jose almost had a heart attack when he found that the dog had jumped on the couch to,"play" with Jayden. He is very interested in Jayden.

It's been a wonderful 2008 and I am really looking forward to 2009 and what it has in store for our family. We hope that you all are happy and well and enjoying each day that God has made. He has truly blessed our family and we pray that he will bless yours as well.

Merry Christmas

I love Christmas! I guess I didn't realize until this year how much my children count on our little traditions that we have established for our family over the years. The day after Thanksgiving the Christmas decorations come out. Infact, this year we started even earlier. The kids were so excited to get started. I on the other hand was not. I was overwhelmed with school and finals. The last thing I wanted to think about was decorating the house. Now that Andres and Jeana are getting older they have become in charge of the tree. I no longer have to go down to the basement and drag stuff out. The two of them took pride in getting everything together. With Jojo following them up and down the stairs like a little puppy dying to tear into everything, they managed not to run him over and be graceful doing it. They did all the work and I just supervised. And I might add that our tree was absolutely beautiful! This Christmas we really enjoyed spending time with our family. The first stop was my Mom's house where Lori and all her kids and grandkids gathered together with us to open gifts. Our next stop was Jose's Tia Esperanza's house where we would eat her famous,"pasole". Jose didn't eat anything all day in anticpation of all the food at his aunts house. Our final stop for Christmas Eve was to see Jose's Abuelita Graciela. She was very excited that we came over. We really enjoyed visiting with Tio Frankie and Tia Ophelia as well. We should really get together more often. Christmas Day was spent at my Mom's eating turkey until we were all beyond stuffed. Our family is growing like crazy, our latest addition is my neice Renee's son Adrian, aka Rocky. It was nice to have everyone together visiting and realizing how blessed we truley are to have each other.

Jayden Bakes A Cake!

Can you believe that tomorrow is Jayden's 4TH BIRTHDAY? In honor of Jayden's birthday we decided to help Jayden make his own birthday cake to share with his class. In our class we use a lot of switches to help the communicate as well as play or do art activities. Making a cake was a perfect opportunity for Jayden to be hands on in

the process. His teacher Amy hooked up the blender to a switch. Jayden's job was to hit the switch with his head to make the blender turn on.

But first things first. Jayden had to help put the cake mix into the bowl. Then with assistance from Amy he put in the water. Cracking the eggs and puttin them into the mix came next.

I think I was more excited than Jayden was. After the cake was blended Amy put it in the oven to bake it. When it was done we took it out and let it cool off because tomorrow we plan on helping Jayden put the icing on. And then after all that work we'll turn around and blend the cake back up so the kids can taste it. Hey it's the thought that counts. It looks yummy! Thanks Amy!

Jayden's Big Boy Bed

Since Jayden's 4th birthday is right around the corner I figured it was time for some change. In the last 6 months Jayden has grown like a weed. He now weighs 40 pounds and is 44 inches long. He wears a size 5 in big boys, Jojo is only a 7. He's not a baby anymore and it was time to get rid of his crib. My neice Erica found this really cute all wood toddler bed. It takes up a lot less space in our room. Jayden looks absolutely adorable in it. I am not ready for a twin size bed yet. He's not that big to me! LOL

This picture was taken his first night in his big boy bed. He got a good nights rest in it. I can't believe how big he is. They grow up so fast.

Happy Halloween

Jayden got all dressed up and went to school on Halloween. He was the cutest little Peter Pan ever! He was joined by his classmates who were also dressed up. It is a tradition at Walton for the kids to dress up and then walk around the campus trick-or-treating at each classroom.

All of the early intervention children come to Walton with their families. Jayden's cousins Aliyah and Desi came to Walton to join the fun. Aliyah has recently been diagnosed with Autism and receives services through the school. She is doing great. That thing you see on her nose is actually a feeding tube. She's had trouble eating and hasn't been able to gain weight

until now. Hopefully the feeding tube won't turn into a permanent thing.

Desi was dressed as Belle and Aliyah was dressed as Cinderella. Aren't they cute?

Jojo decided to be a football player for Halloween. I was so upset that he didn't let me get him a cute costume. I guess this means he is growing up. Andres, Jeana, and her friend Amanda dressed up in all black and set out to scare trick-or-treaters. They were pretty successful too! Jose has this horn laying around that you have to plug in and it makes a really loud noise. We hooked it up to a switch and hide it on the porch. When kids came up to get candy they hit the switched and scared them.

They were nice enough not to scare the real little ones. They focused on the ones that looked too big to be trick-or-treating. They had lots of fun!

Andres makes playoffs

Andres has been playing since he was 7 years old. His youth football days are almost over. This past weekend the varsity Trojans beat the Bears sending the Trojans to playoffs. Andres has had a great year. He's been the starting center and occasionally plays offensive lineman. We are really proud of him. I can't believe that in a couple of weeks he's going to turn 14. Love you Chunk!

Football season winding down

Football season started in July for us. Andres and Jojo practiced 5 days a week for 2 hours per day. Jose turned into superdad and taxi. He faithfully went to every single practice and sat and watched every move they made. This was helpful in critiquing them on the ride home. Jojo had lots to learn as rookie. He played linebacker for the Junior Novice Trojans. He didn't get as much playing time as he'd like but it was a year of learning and he'll definately be ready for next year. Andres played center for the Varsity Trojans. He really did a great job all season. This past Saturday his team won and they are now headed for playoffs. We are so proud of both boys!

Working Mom

Jayden wasn't too interested in the bunny. But he took a really cute picture with his friends Jake and Alexis.

October represents 4 years now that I haven't worked. I took off work for maternity leave and never really came back. God had other plans for me. I have spent the last year volunteering at Jayden's school in his class which has turned into a great opportunity for me. In October I started working at Walton as an assitant teacher. I am there all the time anyways I guess I might as well be getting a paycheck. I am very excited to work hands on with each kid. They are all so special. One of my first assignments was to plan a field trip to the pumpkin patch. This can be a difficult field trip for our kids because they are limited in what they can do. But we made the most of it and took full advantage of our time there. The kids got to feel different textures like the leaves of the walnut tree or a smoothe pumpkin. We even got to take them on a hayride. I think they really enjoyed it. They each got to take a pumpkin home, but not before we decorated it with their hand prints. Each child had to hit a switch to help teacher Amy drill two eye holes in their pumpkin so we could light them up. They turned out really cute. Also the shirt that Jayden is wearing he made in class. It was a white shirt that was tied with rubberbands that made the shape of a pumpkin. Jayden had to hit a switch to help Amy turn on the device that squirted orange dye on the shirt. All of the kids wore their shirts to the pumpkin patch.

Dancing With The Stars

On October 9,10, & 11th Jayden was in a play titled, " Dancing With The Stars And The Planets Too!" The play was at the Stockton Civic Theatre. This was the 18th annual production featuring persons with challenges. It was written and directed by Bobbie Wallinger and underwritten by Thelma Stewart and The Ladybugs. This play featured children from Stockton Unified School District (Walton), School for Adults, and the Alan Short Center. We had 3 shows and they were all sold out. Jayden and his friends in the picture were rolled out on stage during Twinkle Little Star. There wasn't a dry eye in the building. The whole play was wonderfully thought out for each individual. Jayden was dressed up as an astronaut with his wheelchair decorated. The other kids were in the bye bye buggy that was made into a spaceship. It was the cutest thing ever! We are so proud of all the students and thank you to everyone who came out and supported the children. Special thanks to everyone behind the scenes that made it all possible. We'll be back for another performance next year.

Staying busy!

There is so much to catch everyone up on. Last Spring I decided to go back to school. I am back at Delta taking prerequesites for the nursing program. Lucky for me I had quite a few college credits already so taking on these classes didn't seem so bad. My first few classes were online. This worked out perfectly because with my hectic schedule taking kids here and there I could work at my own pace. It's actually been fun and challenging. Before Jayden I would've run from a challenge and now I take it head on. Hmm go figure! This fall semester I am taking Anatomy. This class has turned into a huge challenge for me. I can barely remember my name and this professor is asking me to memorize the body inside and out. Lucky for me I have some awesome girls in my class who have become the best study buddies ever. We have all become friends and are great at pushing each other in achieving our common goal of becoming the best nurses. Next semester I'm off to chemistry and I am sure I'll be wishing I was back in Anatomy. Jose and the kids have been very supportive. Do you know how hard it is for them to let me study? They've been great. It's funny to hear my kids say," Aw man, you have to study again?" But I know I am setting a good example especially for Jeana and Andres. It has become a competition in this house as to who has the best grades. My son Andres has been an enormous help to me. Before I signed up for Anatomy I asked him if he was comfortable watching Jayden early in the morning so I could go to class. He has been awesome. Andres knows how to take care of a seizure, give him breathing treatments, and make sure that Jojo is ready for school by the time I get home. I couldn't do it without him. Thanks son!

Good luck Makaiya

I can't believe that Jayden's first school year has officially ended. I can still remember when I found out that he would be going to preschool and his early intervention program would come to a stop. I spent six LONG months dreading that day. But to my surprise I had a change of heart. Last November Jayden turned 3 and it was determined that Walton Special Center was the right place for him. We met a ton of nice people including Makaiya and her Mom Latrina. Makaiya was so fun to watch. She was definately ahead of the rest of the class. And because of that she has moved on to a higher functioning class at Hoover. It was the right move for her and we are all excited to see how well she does. Ladies we will miss you! Good luck and stay in touch.

Jayden had surgery today

Jayden had surgery this morning at Lori Memorial Hospital for his ears. This is his second set of tubes. The first ones were placed in January 2006. The last couple of months Jayden has had alot of problems with his ears. I took him back to the ENT and he said it was time to do it again. The left tube was completly gone and the right one wasn't functioning correctly. Jayden is such a trooper! They took him right in, the procedure only lasted about 20 minutes. He woke up soon there after with a smile. He took his meds right away and we were able to come home. He isn't acting like he's in any pain. I am very happy with how it all went.

Always busy at school

Jayden really enjoys school. He has the most awesome teachers, Amy and Raquel. They are so great with all of the kids. Every child is unique and they make sure to focus on their strengths and not their weaknesses. Jayden loves to ride the bike. Everyday he gets a work out. Each child takes a turn in the crawler (above right), the bike, the stander, the gatetrainer, the swing, and when it's time to relax they have a mattress that vibrates. Not only does he get a physical work out but he does arts and crafts too! Jayden's teachers are very creative, they allow the kids to get messy with paint, feel different textures, and right now they are working on a book of food. Each child has their own book with pictures of different food like apples and squash. Part of the whole experience is looking at the picture, feeling a piece of food and ultimately tasting it. Jayden got to taste an orange this week, let's just say he didn't care for it too much!

The VEST

This weather has been horrible for Jayden. It's allergy season and that means that Jayden has it rough. He can't be outside in the wind so he has been missing out on things like his brothers baseball games. Lately we've had to make sure to find a perfect parking spot because Daddy sits in the car with Jayden to shield him from the wind. I have a new best friend. It's called, "The VEST". In this picture Jayden is wearing it. Simply it's a vest that I put on Jayden that is attached to a machine. When I turn it on it pounds on Jayden's back and chest to loosen up any secretions. It works like a charm by helping him to cough it up. So anytime Jayden starts sounding course I hook him up for 20 minutes. I thought for sure he wouldn't like but I was wrong. The first couple of times I hooked him up he fell asleep. I borrowed this machine from Isaac's Mom, thanks Claudia!!!!

Jayden Makes New Friends

This is Jayden's friend Isaac. These two are the only boys in the class with all these beautiful little girls. Isaac and Jayden get along great. The enjoy doing the same things. Standing in the stander, riding the bike, and it's always a competition who finishes lunch first. Believe or not, Isaac can out eat Jayden any day! This is Jayden's friend Emonie. Secretly I think she has a crush on Jayden. Every morning they lay down on the mat next to each other for a wonderful massage. And every morning Emonie smiles and starts talking everytime she see's Jayden. She is a bright little girl and so full of love. I really enjoy watching her make progress. When Emonie smiles everyone smiles. She lights up the room.

This is Jayden's new friend Makaeya. She is so cute! Everyday she blows me kisses, we tease her Mom by saying she is the "Valedictorian" of the class. She loves to show off in the gatetrainer and play on the computer. She keeps us all entertained.

This is Jayden's other friend Caitlyn. A few weeks ago before spring break Walton went on a walk on the levy. It was alot of fun. Jayden and Caitlyn are wearing t-shirts from that special day. All of the kids did very well and were very patient. After the walk we headed over to Kohl school for a BBQ and a outside mini concert.

Jayden & Jacy Reunited

Jayden took his first ride in a big airplane. He and I flew to Arizona to visit the Simmer family. He did so well on the plane. He had to sit in his own chair so Mommy had to get creative with a blanket and neck pillow to keep propped up. He listened to his IPOD the whole way. It was a pretty cool experience.

Jacy and Jayden were so cute together. She wanted me to put on a blanket on the floor so she could play with him. She really enjoyed pushing him around in his wheelchair. I am pretty sure he didn't mind bumping into the walls. LOL. I just couldn't get enough of that little girl. She tells the most amazing stories, so dramatic and well thought out. She talks with her hands and you should see the facial expressions that go along with it. Jacy's little brother Jake had the sweetest smile. Jayden liked to lay around with Jakey and just do what lil guys do.

It was a really fun weekend. Jody and I got to spend alot of time together. It was amazing how much we squeezed into one small weekend. We got to go visit Mary and RJ whom we met through Jody and Jay. We consider them family. Thanks for Jayden's Teddy Bear, he really loves it. We also got to go to a Pampered Chef party held by one of Jody's friends. And we had a BBQ at Candy's house. I had so much fun and can't wait to do it all again. Thanks for having us!

I'll be posting some more pics soon.

xoxo,

Brandy

The Simple Cold According to Jayden

You know when you or I get a cold we can usually just tough it out. We may pop a pill here and there to see us through. But for the most part it isn't very devistating to us. Tell this to Jayden. This kid has been having the toughest time this winter. He was hospitalized twice last November, and since has been to several doc appts and at least one antibiotic a month since then. Then there's breathing treatments daily, Nasonex to help him out so he can drink his bottle, and the list goes on. Right now Jayden is taking his 3 seizure meds plus 4 others just to get through each day without choking to death on boogies! Through it all he does it with grace. He is truly such a blessing. He doesn't complain, takes the meds and everything else I throw at him just like a pro. He really is my little "Professional Patient". I took Jayden to the Ear, Nose, Throat Doctor yesterday to have his ears checked. The tube in his left ear wasn't even attached to the ear drum anymore so Dr. Limb went ahead and pulled it out. These tubes have been in since January 2006 and should be falling out on their own soon. Since Jayden has been having steady problems with his ears we have made the decision to go back in two weeks for surgery to have the tubes placed for a second time. This is actually very common and I am not worried about the procedure at all. They will put him out for a very short time and he did just fine the last time. You would think that taking a few minutes out of each week to keep up this blog would be easy. I have been so busy and overwhelmed lately. You may not know but I am taking online classes right now, coaching Jojo's t-ball team, taking care of Jayden, volunteering at Walton, and trying to keep my family in order. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying every minute of it :) Love to you all, Brandy

Snow Day!!!

Today was a snow day at Walton Special Center. That's Jayden and his teacher Amy going down the man made slope in the playground. He really enjoyed it. All of the kids did. Jayden has never been to the snow. I am sure most of these kids have never been either but they sure did have fun! Thanks Walton for making each day a special day. And thanks Amy for braving the slope! :)

Love,

The Correa's