New Year 2010

We are happy to bring in a new year and leave 2009 buried behind us. I think the odds of us having a much better year are pretty high!

Travis often talks about doing things for "the first time in his life," meaning his new life! Today, he cooked breakfast for the first time in his life. The end of December, he went fishing for the first time in his life (that sounds pretty odd if you know how many thousands of times he's been fishing!). Last Friday, he walked into a restaurant for the first time in his life. This month, for the first time in his life, he has been able to completely shave, shower, and get dressed without my help. I don't even set out his clothes. He stubbornly decided to do it himself. We reorganized so he could reach everything, and he's doing it! It has taken hours and hours of work for him to be to this point. These little every day tasks are now great accomplishments. This "new life" is very challenging.

At times, I feel like I am cheating when I bend and pick something off the floor or climb the stairs, or walk across the room in an instant. For Travis it can take minutes. Why does it have to be so easy for me and hard for him? In retrospect, Travis has always put new limits on himself, like taking up a bow or muzzleloader instead of a rifle for the hunt. He didn't put these new parameters on himself, but it is not beyond his abilities to still accomplish his desires. For that, I am grateful.

On January 7th, Travis had his one month follow-up appointment for his jaw surgery. Had I really blended up food for an entire month? The time just flew for both of us (although Travis swears he will never eat soup again)! Dr. Hicks was very pleased with Travis' bite alignment and how well he was healing. He allowed him to eat soft foods, like noodles and scrambled eggs, for the next week. Then move into more solid foods the next week. We are into that next week and Travis eats normal foods very comfortably. I am amazed! Five weeks ago, he had his jaw sawed in half. Today, he is eating everything I eat. It's unbelievable! He has about 6 more weeks to go before the bars across his teeth can be removed. He'll continue wearing rubber bands to train his bite for that time span as well.

The biggest news is that Travis is back up at his office! School started January 5th. Travis set a goal to be up in his office that day. He took only one crutch and his pureed lunch and stayed there all day, and the next, and the next...He spends his time attending classes, five of them!, and studying. The change has been really good for him--the routine, the academics, the social atmosphere, everything! I am amazed at his stamina to be up there all day. He is so determined to get better.

It's been a happy-sad time for me. For seven months, I have devoted most of my time to Travis. He has been my life. I shed a few tears and had a big lump in my throat when he left for work the first morning. I felt happy for us and somewhat relieved, but a little lost and sad too. I asked Emily, "What are we going to do with ourselves?" She said, "Well...what we used to do." That, we are trying to do. Life seems almost "normal" now. I have been catching up on all the piles of things that I've let slide. We've been cleaning out the closets and shelves. I actually read a book! I hold the baby more. The change has been good--for all of us.