They grow up too fast.
Bronson is ten in this picture.
Ty is six.
It seems like yesterday,
but it was a lifetime ago…..
Archive for the ‘Tylon’ Category
12
Jan
Ty’s wallet
Internet, meet Ty's wallet. He is OBSESSED with it!
Funny story, this wallet…. He had a pretty cool wallet that I had to take away after he decided to get into a fist fight with his sister Shaylee over Thanksgiving break. The day he went back to school after break, he cried to his bus driver that he had "lost" his wallet and Ty's bus driver felt so sorry for him that he gave him this wallet right out of his own pants.
Ty can charm the socks off of anyone I tell you.
Anyway, Ty likes "things" always has. He is a collector of stuff. He cycles through the things he collects. Currently it's plastic.
Look at this face. He is in LOVE……. with his wallet full of plastic.
He looks at them and tells me about them.
If he knows what they are, he asks if we can go there.
"Borders? Buy books?"
"Good reading Ty."
"We go?"
"No Ty it's bedtime."
"We go morrow?"
Bronson comes down to see what all the fuss is over and gives Ty a few more cards.
"you nice fronkin"
He checks them all out and then puts them back in his wallet. Over and over again.
until every last card is tucked in safely.
It's the little things in life that make Ty happy.
Little plastic things.
He may get it from me.
23
Sep
Ty loves Eli
Have I ever told you how much Ty loves Eli Manning? He LOVES him. We don’t know where this came from. I am a Dallas Cowboys fan and Brandon loves the Chargers. Besides those two teams, we have always rooted for the Colts, because Peyton Manning is AWESOME.
Well, about two years ago Ty learned that Peyton had a brother, and he wanted to know more and more about him. He asked a hundred and twenty questions a day about this guy. He began to obsess, and he became a fan. That year, Eli took the Giants to the Superbowl and it made Ty’s life. Ty stood in front of that TV and watched the entire game. In the final moments, he got so excited he couldn’t contain himself. When the Giants won he cheered until he cried. (tears of joy of course.) It was the coolest thing ever.
One of my readers learned of Ty’s obsession, pulled a few strings, and scored this book for him. It arrived in the mail today.
I have awesome readers.
A huge "thank you" to Simone and her sister Syrone for making Ty’s LIFE!
"It mine?"
"Yes Ty, It’s your very own. Eli wrote your name in it."
"I put it…. my backpack? I put it …. my room? It mine!"
"It’s all yours Ty. Put it wherever you want, as long as it’s out of Pickle’s reach."
Thank you Eli. You made my little guy VERY HAPPY!
*This book is tucked snugly in bed with him at the writing of this post.
08
Sep
Ty’s 1st day drama
He bawled all morning. It’s the saddest thing you have ever seen. It traumatizes all of us because Ty NEVER cries. So this is unnerving. But when the bus it finally pulled up to our house, he dried his tears on his shirt, yelled, "Bye Mom" over his shoulder, and got in and sat down. We all stood out on the curb and waved and waved. He didn’t look like he was crying when they drove by. I hope he is doing okay.
21
Jul
Today
We had swimming lessons-
Then we raced like crazy people to Anaheim for Jazzi’s hairdo.
I left Shaylee in Anaheim with Jazzi so I could do the other hundred things I had to today. In fact, I haven’t even seen Jazzi at the writing of this post. She is in bed asleep and I am only getting to see the pictures. Thank you Shay for doing this most unpleasant job and taking pictures for me.
Meanwhile…
Ty got his braces on-
He is such a pansy. He was excited and terrified and he continued to talk to us even with this contraption in his mouth.
"I done?"
"No, not yet."
"Almost?"
"No Ty, stop talking."
"Not scary huh?"
"Shut up Ty, you keep getting your teeth wet."
"I good huh?"
"SHHHHHHHH"
Ty looks around
"I done?"
…
He gave the office a run for their money.
I made it home from Ty’s appointment just in time to get Kate to ballet, sans Jazzi, and Jace to his swim meet. We were late, but we made it for a warm up.
Brandon returned to Anaheim in the traffic to fetch the girls and made it back just in time to witness our boy kick some ass in the meet. I can’t wait to see the official results of this heat because I think Jace may have won it. BUT, we will happily take a second. Jace is a force!
I didn’t think I could pull it all off this morning, but we did it. "We" being the key word.
11
Jul
Ty’s birthday pictures
Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Ty Ty. Happy Birthday to you.
Now Chanting-
Cha Cha Cha
Cumbaya
Giddy up Giddy up
RA RA RA!
Make a wish and blow them out.
Still blowing.
Still blowing.
Still blowing……….
Yep, still blowing.
"Ty don’t spit on the cake."
"okay mom."
a few more blows.
yep a few more
Finally! That took forever to blow those suckers out!
YAY TY TY!!!
Absolute Joy
Aww BLISS!
04
Jul
Happy Birthday Ty Ty
Happy Birthday Tylon Jacob!
You are fourteen years old today!
I have started this letter/blog post about five times in the last hour and I can’t seem to get past the first sentence. ( I keep choking up.) As crazy as you make me about your birthday, and all the activities you want to do, and all the plans, and all the yapping I listen to for months and months, up until it actually happens, it is all worth it when we wake up on July 4th and you are still with us.
When you were born the doctors said you wouldn’t live to see your first birthday. Oh how we partied on your first birthday, and then the 2nd, and 3rd, and 4th. We have been partying every single year on your birthday because we know what a miracle it is that you are still with us. We do not take your birthday’s for granted. We celebrate each 4th of July and the nation celebrates with us. Parade’s, picnic’s, fireworks, and celebrations all across the USA. I think God knew exactly when to send you to earth. He knew that you would want a PARTY!
The special needs you face are common. Mental retardation and heart problems are nothing out of the ordinary. But the chromosonal abnormalities that you have are extraordinary. Trisomy 9p is so rare that it doesn’t even have a name. The exact amount of extra material and where it was translocated is unique to you. The Drs have very little information about your genetic makeup. We think you are just a nut! You learn at your own speed and in your own way. Your big head is right in front of mine this very second trying to read what I write. You can pick out a few key words and you are making up the rest. You think I am telling the world that we are going to Target to buy you a new helmet. I love you Ty, but get out of my way!
You are both a challenge and joy, much like a typical child. I wonder often what the hell I was thinking when I brought you home, but I honestly can’t imagine this family without you. You are like the glue that holds us all together. You were and are the first piece of this family puzzle. If you hadn’t been such a joy and so rewarding to raise, I would have NEVER adopted all these kids. You started it all boy. I know when I read this to you, you will understand very little, but to the last sentence you will say, "I didn’t start it, I not."
There are not words to properly express my love and adoration for you. You wouldn’t understand them even if I had them. But you do know shopping and food, and that, I can do. So baby boy, let’s go to Target! It’s your favorite place on earth, and lets shop till we drop, and then eat till we’re sick. I will even let you stay up late and watch the fireworks, because it is, after all, your day.
To borrow your words, "I lucky" to be your mommy.
Happy Birthday Ty.
01
Jul
Counting down
Forgive the interruptions from Brandon and Parker during the video, and ignore Ty’s crooked teeth. He has been seeing the orthodontist for over a year and we are ALL patiently waiting for a few more teeth to come in so we can put the braces on. Otherwise enjoy this kids excitement. IT IS ALL WE TALK ABOUT!
08
Jun
Friendly advice from TY
It is not smart to break rules on haircut day.
It’s not smart to tell your mom you hate her in the middle of a haircut. At least wait until the haircut is finished so you don’t look like a DORK at school on Monday.
Life lesson’s from Ty Ty.
Tylon Jacob
I found Tylon while working as a phlebotomist. He was one of my regulars on a list of AM blood draws in South Davis Community Hospital. Ty was the first pediatric draw I was ever scheduled to do. I was nervous. I didn’t want to hurt a baby. I love babies! I had a pep talk the night before from my supervisor. She told me, “Never sweat drawing a baby. If you can’t hit a vein the first time in an extremity, go for the scalp. Newborn’s heads are very vascular.”
I psyched myself up the entire way to the hospital. ”Go for the head. Go for the head. This was no different than all the other veins I had been poking. A draw is a draw.”
I did everyone else on my list first. I saved Ty for the end. I walked in his room and over to his bed. He was the tiniest little black baby I had ever seen and he was sporting a major fro. He had more hair than body. My heart sank. If this baby had veins in his head, no human eye had ever seen them. I sure as hell wasn’t prepared or instructed to shave this baby. I did the draw, and, thank God, got it from his arm. I left with his blood, but left a tiny piece of my heart in that room.
I found myself thinking about Tylon for the rest of the day. I told anyone that would listen to me about this darling little baby. He was so cute and tiny and had the most beautiful eyes……
I was very excited, three days later, when his name was on my list again. I, again, saved him for last and was successful with my first poke. I took off my lab coat, sat it on the chair and picked him up and held him. He looked up at me and our eyes locked. I knew this child. He knew me. For being “mentally retarded” this baby was present. He was engaged and focused. We stared at each other for 20 minutes. I was melting fast. I sat with him in that rocking chair in his room and started flipping through his chart. This was before all the HIPAA(privacy act)laws. This was back in the day when bedside charts were just that. Hanging on the bedside. I read his diagnosis.
Trisomy 9p. (that means he has an extra piece of the 9th chromosome)
Chief complaint:
ASD, VSD, PDA (holes in his heart)
Compromised lung capacity ( his lungs only worked at 50% of their ability)
mental retardation ( because of his extra chromosome he would be severely retarded)
IUGR (low birth weight)
young maternal age (birth mom was 13)
Adoption failed
I stood up, put Ty back in bed, walked out of the room and straight to the nurses desk. I was being pushed. I wasn’t thinking. I was doing. I wasn’t conscience of the words before I was saying them. I was speaking without thinking.
I approached the desk and I asked to speak to his social worker and pediatrician. This baby didn’t have parents? He was going to be adopted but the placement failed? I had questions,BUT I had answers too. I would adopt him. I told the nurse at the desk, ”I WAS GOING TO ADOPT HIM!”
It was as if I was having an out of body experience. I was saying things I couldn’t imagine myself ever saying. I was standing there at the desk. I was writing down adoption agency phone numbers. I was calling from the nurses phone to speak to the pediatrician. I was getting information faxed to me from the geneticists. I was trying to make plans to take this child home. At some point I would wake up and realize I was a 23 year old mother of three. I was barely living over the poverty level and had a husband that most likely would say, ”What the hell are you thinking? HELL NO.”
I remember driving home that day from work. I cried the entire way. I was feeling overwhelmed and scared to death. I knew this baby had touched my heart. I knew I felt like he belonged to me. But I didn’t have a clue what to do about adopting him. If we could afford it. If we were capable. I knew I needed to get the ex on board, I knew I needed to convince him and everyone else that this child was mine. I felt it in my bones. I knew it in my heart and my head. I was his mother.
The ex was easy, he knew I was crazy, but he didn’t question me with Ty. He had never heard me so full of conviction. He didn’t know how to react other than say, “If you feel that strongly about him. Let’s try and adopt him.”
The adoption agency was just about as easy. This baby was dying and couldn’t have open heart surgery without parental consent and insurance. They didn’t seem to care that we were young, didn’t know a thing and were clearly off of our rocker. They met us on a Thursday. The following Tuesday I was bringing Ty home. I was Ty’s mom. I had known it from the very moment I held him. Tylon Jacob belonged to me. I vowed to never poke him again. I wasn’t the lab lady anymore. I was “mommy.”
We had a long road to health. I was madly in love with this little guy and terrified of having to bury him. I spent months in the hospital with him. I spent years doing feeding tubes, monitors, oxygen, medication, open heart surgery, ICU with RSV, 33 pneumonia’s, half of them requiring hospitalization. He was a sick little man and more anomalies were discovered every time a new physician looked at him. We would fix one thing but find two more things that needed to be fixed.
I know that Ty and I had made a deal long before earth. I would be his mom. He would be my son. I have never looked back. I have never doubted my decision once. I know I am capable of handling whatever I need to. Ty doesn’t have a very long life expectancy. I hate to think about the day his heart doesn’t work anymore. I hate to watch him tire out chasing the kids and having a hard time catching his breath when he runs on the beach. I hate that we don’t know when it could happen, only that it will. He has surpassed all expectations. He was never going to see his first birthday, He was never going to talk, He was never going to reach puberty, He was never going to learn. That child that “WOULD NEVER” has done it all. He is my hero.
Ty changed my life. He started it all. My mother once said, “Tylon looks like a raisin in a bowl of rice pudding.” She was referring to his skin color in our family. I knew at that moment, we needed more raisins. It didn’t matter to me that Tylon didn’t “know” what color he was, I did, and clearly others did as well. I didn’t want to hear that again. So I began the quest for more black faces. I am proud to say I now have more raisins than rice!
