Halloween 2011 in Pictures.

Despite the picture documentation, I did attend these activities...I even dressed up to the last one.

We like our family and friends.

And, Deak really likes the candy bowl.



Time.

Building a relationship with Abby is not easy.
She has just got this solid exterior, and it takes a lot of work to crack through and figure her out sometimes.
It is labor intensive and time-consuming...
But trust me, if you put forth the required effort, it is infinitely worth the reward.

I took her to Chili's tonight.
Deak took his first step, and for some reason my heart needed to share that moment with her.
She was so excited and said he will "walk in January, because that's when he likes to do things."
I love the way she believes in him.

She likes being with just me.
I like being with just her.

She chatted about her class, her best little friend and a girl who "gets into everyone's business." 
She expressed concern over the choice her friend made to share her "crush" with the "nosy girl" because she is certain she will tell him (I told her she was right.)

I found out two boys like her, and I can tell she is kinda stoked about one of them, though she will go to the grave before admitting it aloud.
She said that when the nosy girl told her he liked her, she replied "Gross" and the other dude never had a chance because he is a BYU fan.

She said the "nosy girl" likes the boy who likes her (Abby).  I told her to watch out for girls like that, because girls can do some mean things about boys.
She nodded her head, but only to appease me.
She knows she can take that girl any day.
Mostly because she just doesn't care.

I talked to her about my first crush and the pukka shell necklace he wore to school everyday.  He asked to be my boyfriend right before my parents told me we were moving to Utah.
I was crushed.

She giggled.

My heart was filled to the top with gratitude that I got such a dang good kid.  I am so unbelievably proud of her. 

My first baby, born with an old soul.

As we walked out of the restaurant, a couple of boys that looked to be around her age elbowed each other and watched her walk around the corner.  She turned her head, looked their direction, then up at me, and smirked.

I asked her if she knew them.
She said, "No" with a smile.

Man, we are heading for trouble.

My invested time tonight was repaid tenfold.

(Dressed in self-proclaimed "Utah Colors" to church after the beating they had against BYU:)

*PS...mention this post to Abby, and you will pay deeply...

One Little Step.

I wasn't sure Deak was 100% today, he wasn't terrible, but just kinda seemed a little off.
I cruised in the door from work, snagged he and Abby and began the trek to Shriner's for our biweekly physical therapy appointment.
I walked inside Shriner's carrying my 40 lb little big dude, because I did not have time to think about putting the stroller inside the car, and made it a mere five minutes late.  Which is pretty much considered "on time" in my world's clock.
Mark, Deak's therapist, set up an awesome game with a real bowling ball and pins to encourage Deak to stand up from a sitting position and move his body forward, stepping if necessary.
Deak was a butt head.
He screamed bloody murder for the first 15 minutes, the only exception being each time the ball hit the pins and made a crashing sound.
Deak's therapist and I questioned his health and wondered if he just wasn't going to be into tonight.
It totally sucks when Deak isn't "into" it because it is such an investment of time and energy just getting there.
I was ready to be done.
I know I've done it a million times, but I don't care what kind of steel your awesome mom suit is made of, a screaming child can only happen for so long before your heart just hurts.
Deak's therapist said, "Let's just try one more thing."
I reluctantly agreed, already having moved closer to Deak in an attempt to pick him up and carry him home.

Something changed.
Maybe the new toy, maybe Deak's choice to give in rather than fight...
Whatever the reason was, he decided to cooperate.

Deak sat in his little red plastic chair, stood up and grabbed the table to stabilize himself in order to play with the toy the therapist had placed just outside of his reach. 
He made it easy at first...
and then gradually pushed the chair back....

Deak is no dummy; He'd instantly recognize when the chair was placed to the point where his arm span could not reach the table without movement forward.
Then, he'd whine about it.
And then he'd turn his little head towards my direction and his eyes would look at me and say, "Really mom?  Really? You're going to make me do this crap myself?"
Mostly, he gave up.

But, then....he didn't.

He stood up, quickly stepped forward with his right foot, and then grasped onto the table as if he was holding on for dear life.

One little tiny step.

One little tiny step that I was told he would never take.

One little tiny step that stole my heart and stirred my soul.

I turned to the therapist and said with welling tears, "He did it.  He took a step.  That was his very first one."

The therapist's smile may have been bigger than mine.

I am realistic about this step.  I understand it will take time for this little beginning to become a big ending.

But this ride...this ride of hope that this boy has brought me on...is worth every single second.

My boy can walk.

He.can.walk.

 (The first time I saw him)

From this...



to this.

*I am still doing the private thing...when I have some actual time (It's kinda a pain).