Big Boy

Ben has really taken off this last month. He can crawl faster then I can run after him and he has started pulling himself up on everything. His favorite thing to do is stand at the coffee table and eat his dinner. He can stand by himself while eating and at times, watch Sprout. Yep, life is hard here in the Hughes home! Ryan and I are exhausted at the end of the day, Ben keeps us on our toes! He has come down with a nasty cough and a low-grade fever, but I'm hoping that rest, Tylenol and some tlc will help him feel better in a few days. I have a call into UCSF but I have a feeling, they are just going to tell us to monitor him and come in if he gets any worse. Hopefully he won't so please keep him in your prayers.

Thankful

I wanted to do a Thanksgiving post earlier but we were out of town for Thanksgiving and I have since come down with Mastitis. This is something I would not wish upon anyone. The good news is that I am not contagious and don't have to worry about staying away from Ben. I wanted to do a David Lettermen-style "Top 10" things to be thankful for.

10. A roof over our head. Yes, it isn't a roof that we own but I am thankful that everynight we have a warm, dry place to sleep.

9. Ryan's job. In these times I am so grateful to have a steady income. Even if we wish it was higher, so many people are without. This is not lost on us.

8. Our health insurance. When I get the bills in the mail and see what your insurance is paying versus us, I am thankful. With Ben's CF, we could quickly spend hundreds of dollars a month on medical bills. Luckily we don't.

7. Our CF families/friends. I don't know what I would do without the internet. I have connected with so many other CF moms that have become a huge support to me. Even though I have never met these women, I feel closer to them then ever before.

6. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For every dollar that is donated, 90 cents goes directly towards finding a cure. They want a cure as badly as we do. If you have a chance, visit their site HERE.

5. Our CF team. The team at UCSF consists of people who generally care about Ben and his health. They want to see Ben grow to be an old man. They have the attitude Ryan and I need. We are thankful for all their work and advancement in finding a cure for CF.

4. Our friends in Sacramento. We are so glad to be back where we belong. Our friends are there for us when we need a babysitter or just to get out of the house. I can't wait to see the team we build for Great Strides 2010. We have so much support.

3.Our families. We are so lucky to have supportive families that will help us through any troubled times. It's amazing how many people love Ben and would do anything for him. We are so thankful to have you in our lives.

2. Benjamin. A little man that has brought us more joy then we could ever have imagined. He is our whole world. We are thankful for his health and how well he is doing. We won't stop until there is a cure. It's all for him.

1. My husband. My soulmate and great love. He works hard for his family and always wants to do more. He would give Ben and I the world if he could. I can't wait to grow old with him. I love you, Ryan.

He's gonna be so mad

One day, my son will be mad at me for putting these up. However, I happen to think that he has the cutest butt ever and I have to share it with you. I hope he can forgive me.

Look out!

We were finally able to tape Ben crawling. The little man moves fast!

Ben Crawling from Margaux Hughes on Vimeo.

We'd like to wish Boppa a Happy 5?th Birthday!!

Photos

Last week we had our photos taken by the wonderful Jill Carmel at Jill Carmel Photography. I told her I wouldn't post up any photos due to copyrights but if you click HERE you can see a couple on her blog. Just scroll down until you find us.

Helicopters

Lately Ryan has taken an interest in flying helicopters. RC helicopters that is. He was given one by a customer of his and flies/works on it during his spare time (which isn't much). At first Ben was afraid of the helicopters, mostly because they make a loud noise but he has become more and more interested in them. He even likes them. It's a great distraction for CPT time. Ryan just flies the helicopter around the living room while I do Ben's CPT. Then Ben will sit on Ryan's lap and watch him for awhile.



Stay tuned. I'm still trying to get a video of Ben crawling- I'm usually running after him!

All it took...

..was a posting about Ben not crawling, to get him started. That's right, our little man has FINALLY decided to crawl!! He is so much fun to watch. He isn't very quick but does manage to get around. Of course, Ryan and I brib him with things to crawl towards, ie things he shouldn't have (like the remote, our cell phones). He has been giving lots of kissing lately, which is really just him coming at you with an open mouth. He loves to look at himself in the mirror and slams into his face to give himself a kiss. I'll post a video of Ben crawling when I get a chance.