Shame on me for promising pictures and taking so long to come through.  My new computer and I have had a year long battle with my getting pictures off of my camera and into some useable format.  Now that the computer can no longer really be called 'new' and my camera was completely full of pictures, I have figured it out. Here are the long awaited pictures, at least long awaited by a certain auntie I know ;)

William at my Grandma's house, stealing a cookie and thinking he is clever!

William enjoying some popcorn with his Grandma during half time at a Mustang's game:

A few shots from our vacation to northern Minnesota:

William's first trim:

(forgive the messy mirror- he was also learning to brush his teeth and he splatter stuff everywhere)

William, unsure about artificial wildlife:

William playing at the park, it was the only time I could take his picture- the rest of the time he moves too fast:

A shot of William in a fun house mirror with his siblings:

William sitting in an empty bathtub either telling us he wants a boat or that he IS a boat:

William tired after a hard day of travel, asleep in his Happy Meal:

This one is a bit dark, but sweet.  William and Daddy snoozing in a chair:

William checking out his cake on his 2nd Birthday:

And finally William sleeping angelically- after tearing around like a tornado all day:

William continues to do very well.  He has gotten through this season without any raspatory complications.  He's had, and presently has, various cold bugs all of which he seems to be handling as well as any toddler.  He walks, runs, and climbs faster than any grown human can keep up with.  There are no residual signs of a problem with his hip.  He continues to receive physical therapy services once a week as we work to build his core strength, but if is monkey-like climbing is any indication we will soon have passed this hurdle as well.  Developmentally William has caught up to peers his age.  Mayo does not wish to see him again until this summer, a full year after the last time they saw him.  It will likely be our last appointment.  

I post here very infrequently in large part because William's journey has merged with the rest of the family.  I am proud to say that he has graduated from being a special needs baby to an active, sometimes troublesome toddler.  I am happy to say that his father and I get upset with him for his outright naughtiness sometimes, like we have with our three older children before him.  William lead us on a an incredible journey that I feel has left a lasting, positive, impression on many people.  

This is one of the last posts to this blog.  It no longer really makes sense for me to continue to update on one person in our large family.  While William continues to be amazing, his three siblings are equally so and I keep a blog about our family as a whole at another address that I would be happy to share with anyone who wishes to visit.  I will likely post again when we complete our final milestones in this upcoming year and then I will leave this site to bring hope to fellow pPROM parents and to share our incredible journey with anyone who wishes to see all we have accomplished. 

This is William in November of 2006:

Compare that to all the above pictures and just think about how far we've come!!

I thank each and every one of you, whether this is your first visit, or your last, for the love you have shared with us.  I know my son is here because strangers, friends and family all loved him before he was born and all prayed, wished and hoped that William would join us in this world.  Thank you for helping us save our son.  God Bless You All!!

Its raining today.  It should rain today, that makes it feel like the world is crying with us. 

My good friend and her sweet baby "Scooter" lost their fight this morning. At 2:58 this morning at just 23 weeks 5 days Brendan Michael was born and stayed just an hour here on this Earth.  He was 1lb 4oz and 11 inches long and perfect in every way.  His tiny lungs just didn't have the ability to keep him here with us and he will be forever remembered, and forever missed.   His sweet mother and father very much need your prayers as they begin this journey of grief. 

Sweet Brendan, you have made an impact on the hearts of many.  You are so strong and so brave.  Your mother loves you so and cherishes every moment you had together.  Your daddy is so proud.  We all miss you.

No footprints are so small that they cannot change the world.

Hello William Watchers!

I'm pleased to write that William is doing very, very well.  So far we have not seen any sign of the perviously seen hernia.  I've been given lots of theories.  One possibility is that the hernia healed because hernias used to be treated by applying constant pressure through a truss.  What is a diaper taped up tight? A truss.  It could be that by reducing the hernia (pushing it back where it belongs) and then putting that diaper on snugly the hernia could heal.  Or, it really was a floating testicle that has fully descended now (but, forgive my saying so, he's a gifted man if that is the case).  Or it was a Hydrocele, a pocket of fluid in the inguinal canal, the path that the testies descend through.  Hydrocele's either are harmless and resolve themselves or are the precursor to a real hernia.  It could be any of these, or something else entirely- we may never know.

William is still receiving PT every week.  He is not such a good sport for his therapist.  He's friendly and out going for everyone else, but for her he clings to me like a monkey.  However, he is making good progress.  I think he could walk if he just wasn't aware he was doing it.  This morning I watched him walk using just the flat side of a door for support- he's very, very close!  He is standing more and he is moving around a lot more.  He still shows a lot of favoring to the one side, but that is why we have PT. 

He is starting to talk a lot more and he says fun things like "Whats that?" and "Hey- look at that?"  He also points to birds in the yard and yells "Kitty!- Woof woof woof".  He's a wee bit confused.

I shall check in again soon- hopefully with some new pictures, but that is the report from the land of the William.  Hope everyone is doing well!