Wendie Dickenson here.

Thought it was high time that an an update about our family was in order.  So much has happened since Trae's last entry three years ago.

Our little boy, Gideon Michael, is no longer so little.  He will be six years old this year.  He goes to a school for children with severe special needs, and he seems to like it there.  (Gideon was born four months early; he was left with brain damage, profound mental disabilities, and does not walk or talk; he can hear and see, though.)

In addition to all this, Gid also has seizures (epilepsy) and gastric reflux disease.  He has to be fed by way of a tube in his stomach because he cannot chew or swallow by himself; if he does, there is the risk of him choking and ending up back into the hospital again with yet another life-threatening respiratory illness.  It's really bad when he gets sick because he is so weakened.

These times are the worst, as you can very well imagine.  Either Trae or I spend every weaking moment with our oldest child at the hospital while my mom and dad watch our other two children, three-year-old Emmaline Grace, and one-year-old Judson Patrick.

Since Gideon has had the stomach tube placed (two years ago), he doesn't seem to get sick nearly as often, but during flu or cold season, we worry our heads off because there's no telling when and/or if he will get sick.  When our other two children become ill, we have mom and dad take Gideon to their house, so he doesn't catch their colds or flu; we cannot afford another health crisis involving our oldest (and perhaps most vulnerable) child.

We had a pretty good New Year and Christmas; glad it's over.  Emma and Judson loved the haul they got from Santa Claus; Gideon was more interested in the lights on the Christmas tree and the noise of the wrapping paper as presents were unwrapped.  He did seem to like his soft, furry toy bunny; when we held the bunny against his cheek, Gid laughed and cooed happily.  He loves things that are soft or furry.

At his school, Gideon has therapy, but he also can hang out with children his age, and he can get the stimulation and learning he needs.  There is no telling how much he is capable of learning since his brain was so damaged at birth, but we are willing to try anything to unlock our son's mind; hopefully that will help him develop beyond the level of a six-month-old infant.  We'd like to see him become a typical little nearly-six-year-old boy; that is one of our dreams for our son.

Juddy is too little to realize that his older brother cannot walk or talk and cannot play with him, but Emma knows that her older brother is special, so she helps us take care of him.  She is a very good little helper.  We watch her as she tries to change his dlaper or bathe him, and we help her pour his special liquid "food" into his stomach tube or let her hook up his feeding bag on the IV stand by his hospital bed every night.  She also sings and purrs childish nonsense into his ear, telling him that she loves him and that she's glad that he's her brother.

Emma is probably going to be a nurse when she grows up.  She already shows love, compassion, and empathy for the less fortunate, and this is a great way to teach her about tolerance and differences in others.

Well, I have to go.  Time to wake Juddy up from his nap and also Emma.  I also have to make sure that Gid is okay and tend to whatever he might need, be it another diaper change, a physiotherapy session, or changing his position, since he cannot turn himself over.  I will write in here again; sorry it's been so long!  I hope you understand, but raising a child like Gideon is not easy!!

Take care and God bless!

~Wendie Dickenson, Waxahatchie, Texas.