NO MORE DIAPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the second time in about a week-long period, I get to say something here that I didn't ever truly KNOW I would get to say!!

GARRETT IS DONE WITH DIAPERS!!!

At age nine, we have been able to do his appendicostomy flushes nightly that produce a bowl clean-out so that he is continent all night and day, but he still woke every morning with at LEAST a very soaked diaper, and 6/7 nights a soaked bed as the diaper couldn't handle that amount of urine.

For months, every night he has asked to please not wear a diaper. We have tried several nights without one on, but the bed is so soaked in the morning that he even realizes he needs it again. But then about ten days ago when he asked to try a night without a diaper, I allowed him the chance, and he was dry on the first morning! Great, but then it never lasted past one morning....but day two he was dry also. Day three there was urine everywhere, but I thought we might as well let him try for the best two out of three. Day three, dry. Day four, dry, but then he ended up in the hospital for 24 hours and had to put one one because he needed rest and the amount of IV liquids going into his system didn't allow any forgiveness in the bladder department. We came home and ever since last Thursday night, he has been DRY in the morning in just his boxer briefs.

PRAISE THE GOOD LORD!!!!!!!

Garrett is so excited coming into my room (sleeping later also now-past 6:00) every morning to report that "my undies are dry" with this precious, proud grin on his adorable face! I think that he is sleeping much better in the mornings because of not wetting in the diaper.

We have cut the late tube feeding and are shuffling it around to earlier in the day, if needed, and I am sure that helped, but it wasn't a huge enough volume that it should cause his issues he had at night.

I wish I could put into words the pride he has in this new milestone. He is just to proud and so so so relieved to be done with diapers! One night he told me he wanted them out of his room, so I took the plastic, stacking organizer that held chuck pads for the bed, wipes and diapers out, and the next day we took the diapers from the organizer to his class at school, as there are kiddos who still use them there. The next night he said that there were still some in his closet and asks me to take them out. So then I took out all the diapers, even two big cases of them! They are by the front door waiting to be picked up by someone. I kept one case for "just in case," but my heart tells me that he is done.

So while some parents of nine year old boys bask in the glory at their son's first large game kill, first Salmon catch, first hike up Mt. So-and So, a report card with fabulous marks, or a hit over the fence, I know that relative to my boy, this is massive, ground-shaking, earth-shattering news in his special life. I cannot put into words how thrilled I am for his ego and pride and maturity, that he conquered a challenge that appeared to be so huge and out of his control!!!!!!

To celebrate, we bought a bike that we fitted with training wheels as he has been asking, just this week, to be able to start learning to ride a big boy bike. His Daddy-O presented the bike to him tonight as a token of how proud we are that he decided to kick out the diapers and SUCCEEDED!!!! On a heartbreaking note, however, at bedtime he looked at me and very seriously said, "Mom, if I have a wet bed one morning, will Daddy take my bike away?" I almost melted into a large lake of tears!!!! I assured him that the bike is truly his and that unless he did something bad with the bike where we took it for a day or two for him to re-think his decisions, he would never lose the bike!

Garrett's smile just after Oscar game him his surprise bike!

The kid melts me. He truly does. Each day gets sweeter, and I adore his beautiful soul more every moment!

Godspeed,
CL