Friday, September 29, 2017

Hudson's busy September

Hudson has had a busy month and we want to share all about his many adventures!  We are still waiting for cooler temps ;)


Speech is going well.  His vocabulary is expanding and his newest words include shoes, bear, avocado, drink and please (when prompted!)  His favorite thing right now is "carrrrrs".  Anything with wheels is a car to him and his therapist is encouraging us to work on deciphering among car/truck/bus/boat/etc.  So far it's just "carrrrr"!


He has had several medical appointments this month.  His routine ophthalmology follow up went well.  His vision is still great and there have been no big changes.  For now we will continue to monitor and we will patch his left eye two hours per day in hopes of forcing his non dominant (right) eye to strengthen.


We visited Scottish Rite Hospital for the first time.  The primary referral was for orthopedics.  This Spring we confirmed that his left hip is dislocated which causes there to be a significant leg length discrepancy.  The doctor says that nothing will be done about that but that they will keep an eye on the dorsiflexion in his right foot.   We also met with a developmental pediatrician as well as several sweet therapists who fell in love with him :)  After their brief examination they gifted him with a new teddy bear and toy "carrrrr"!  Before we left they encouraged us to visit their orthotics department who graciously allowed us to rent this stander for a year.  He already has the hang of it and it allows him so much freedom and independence!  We also have stationary stander ordered which will allow us the convenience of keeping one stander to school next Fall.


He was molded for a new set of AFOs!  Sure Step seems like the most quality brand so we requested those this time!  We chose a dinosaur pattern since he is really into "dinos" these days!


We met our friend Oliver at the zoo one morning.  These two enjoyed rolling around together!


He has attended numerous football games and does so well!  Here is our sweet little bear cub cheering on the Baylor bears!


One afternoon we visited the Magnolia Silos to grab cupcakes.  He enjoyed swinging with his favorite brother and sister.  What a lucky guy :)

Friday, September 15, 2017

Hudson is 2.5!

Hudman is two-and-a-half and is sweet as can be :)  He now weighs 27 lbs 4 oz, measures 30.62" long and has a head circumference of 19.12".  He wears size 5 diapers, size 3T clothes and just got his 20th pearly white! 


On 8/13 he enjoyed his first skate!  Our church children's program hosted a 'back to school' night at the local skating rink and he had his own wheels in which to participate! 


He still does PT and OT weekly and works hard to accomplish new goals and skills.  He also recently started speech twice a week.  He loves to stop and visit the fish ("nosh") on the way out each time.


He is a lucky dude to have two helpful siblings who love him like crazy!  They are both his favorites :)  Soon after this photo was taken we found our own similar train table at a garage sale bargain price!  It is a great height for his chair. 


Once upon a time a friendly Starbucks employee offered him whipped cream in a tiny sample cup.  From then on he expects one each time I get a drink at the Target Starbucks.  Silly boy!


Our guy is a great eater and sleeper!  He loves life and brings joy to many.  He especially likes hats, fish, "carrrrrs", books, baths, and dancing. 


He is doing a great job at using his wheelchair.  So far we have taken it to church, medical appointments and the children's museum.  He enjoys exploring on a new level!  He makes new friends everywhere we go.  Many people are impressed to see such a cute little guy maneuvering around so well.  


He loves playing with tracks and automobiles.  He is becoming more vocal and his little personality is coming out!

Monday, September 11, 2017

SBANT Walk-n-Roll 2017

Thanks to the overwhelming love and support of friends and family (aka "Hudson's Heroes") our first SBANT "Walk-N-Roll" was a huge success!!  We sold 187 team shirts, donated over $1,300 and participated to raise awareness of the Spina Bifida community.


Smith super kids :)


"Sometimes, real superheroes live in the hearts of small children fighting big battles."


Smith party of 5!



We are honored that so many family members joined us to walk.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts :) 

"A HERO is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." -Christopher Reeve