Since the last post...

Tripp and Nana having fun at the Franklin park in February 2011. The last picture I have of them together.

Since the last post our life has changed. Tripp is growing and developing by leaps and bounds but our hearts have been heavy due to my mama, aka Tripp's nana being told she had a brain tumor, going through surgery, having a series of strokes post-op, and being in the hospital ever since March 4th. So, blogging about life was not on the list of things that needed to be done. Mama is still in a hospital of sorts, Wesley Woods LTAC but we keep getting bad news as each day comes. She is fighting through pain and suffering to stay with us. We are waiting on a bed to become available for Mama at Hospice Atlanta Center. It is very difficult to watch my strong, beautiful mother go through Neurostorms, live with the pain of contracted muscles, and heal from two surgeries having to do with her brain and head among the other proceedures that were done to save and prolong her life like a tracheotomy, pacemaker and PEG insertion. The day after her brain tumor removal surgery when I told her she was a very strong woman she said, "I have to be." Those words along with "Red, for Georiga" were the last words she spoke to me. The nurse asked her on March 12th, "What's your daughter wearing?" and that was her repsonse. She said a few words in the weeks after leaving ICU and going to Kindred LTAC, one being "Tripp" but I wasn't there to hear her due to work. Tripp is and always was "good medicine" for my parents as my mama used to say. He knows Nana is sick and everytime I leave to go see Nana he'll say, "Nana sleep." and "Nana sick." and "Nana boo boo." I'll tell him, "Yes, Nana is still sick and has a big boo boo on her head. I'm going to go take care of Nana."

Tripp is the bright light and gift from God that he has been since conception. He's the sweetest little boy in the world! He loves to run, eat pizza, throw balls and toys to Annie, watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, eat crackers, and repeat just about everything we say these days. Some of my favorite Tripp sayings are... "Geek up" (wake up), "m-mote" (remote), "m-Mouse" (Mickey Mouse), "cha chout" (watch out). He's getting smarter by the day just soaking up information. He's counting to ten and knows many letters of the alphabet. B is still his favorite letter. He'll use it if he can't say the letter that's supposed to be there. For instance, he calls himself "Bipp" because he can't say the "tr" cluster sound. His favorite colors are green, blue, and orange. He can name them all and enjoys playing with crayons while Mommy takes a shower or pays the bills. He and I made a Father's Day card for Will and he got to use watercolor paints for the first time. He loved it so much he didn't want to put them away!

Will is an exellent daddy. I am away a lot to be with Mama but I'm comforted by the fact that Tripp loves being with his daddy and his daddy takes the best care of him. They are very close and that close relationship makes my heart happy.