Brock loves.......

Here is Brock on his Birthday. His speech is excellent and he is very easily understood. He now knows his ABC's and can count to 10. He loves to sing songs and play with Thomas trains...his faves are Spencer and Henry and they go everywhere he does! He is a HUGE Blues Clues fan. His most favorite activity is wrestling with Max....poor little Max. :)

Brock at Christmas

Here's Brock at Christmas! He was so excited there was a "choo-choo train" in the living room. We learned very quickly that it was all about the chocolate coins with Brock.

The BIG update!

Hi everyone! After taking many complaints we have decided to update the blog....sorry but life is so busy now. The last 18 months with Brock have been very busy and might I add trying. We have definitly hit the dreadful "terrific twos". The fits are plentiful. It has been so nice to watch Brock grow up. He is so smart and funny.

Here is Brock after a morning on the go. I guess he could not wait for lunch! Brock loves to be on the go. His only words right now are "go, shoe (chew), car and key." He wakes up everyday and gets his shoes, my keys and crys at the door to go to the car!  

Brock and Mom New Years Eve! Look at that tummy! 

Look what Daun did to us???? Joe and I almost had a heart attack.  

I dont know why but he never touched the ornaments until Christmas morning. He loved the wrapping paper! 

Isn't he adorable! He loves the phone and has learned to dial off the caller id....sorry to all he has already called! 

Brock walks!!! Finally he started walking two days after his Birthday. It did not take him long to perfect his technique. 

Ok here is the picture! 

Brock Louis Romanski

Brock Louis Romanski

Christmas

Christmas was a blast this year. Although we were not with family there is something to be said for having Christmas with "just us". We had the traditional neighborhood breakfast on Christmas day. Brock never once touched the tree until we started opening gifts and he thought it was time to remodel...LOL. He was not into opening gifts this year but I am sure he will be next Christmas. The boys were both spoiled rotten. And so was Mom! The holidays were a perfect end to a very stressful year. We are truely blessed that Brock is so healthy. He has never been sick which helped aid in his speedy recoveries from surgery. Here is the picture of them in there Christmas sweaters. I tried so hard to get a good picture of them both....I finally gave up!!!

Brocks new Chair. 

Happy Thanks Giving! We are so thankful! 

We are true Texans now....we fried our turkey!!! Joe loved it and it was very very delicious. Now I need to start working on my vocab... "I am fixin' to start saying Y'all!" 

Brock and his "no-nos" four days after palate repair. It was a rough week. He did not sleep for 5 or 6 days. At the post opp. appointment Dr. Stal said he looked great and after a week were allowed to take them off. It was a relief to take them off and know it was the last time I had to deal with them. I feel a huge weight has been taken off my shoulders now. The best way to describe what I am feel now is the "after holiday blues". I have that feeling of slight depression/relief/release that comes after you have been through the holidays....or Hell. Just kidding. I can now say and mean it "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger". Corney I know..... 

Sorry Daun....just had to share.  

Brock and Joe at Texas Childrens. I can not believe that our sweet baby boy is a year old. Just as Dr. Stal promised he would have his last procedure just a few days after his first Birthday. His palate repair was a success. The ENT placed new "super" tubes in his ear. They are hopefully going to last until he is 4 or 5. I really hope so. Dr. Stal is amazed at how well his lip has healed. He said he looks at least 18 months post opp.. Thats my boy. We are using a product called rejuvination creme that is made by arbonne. I cant tell you how relieved we are to have the reconstructive surgeries behind us. Now we can just sit back and enjoy our little boy for awhile.  

Brock and Dr. Stal. Even Brock gives his work a thumbs up. 

All these new gifts.....Y'all wasted your money. We would rather play in the bucket! 

Daddy and Brock at his party. This was taken while everyone was singing. He loves the attention. 

What a doll! 

Hey this is GOOD! His first Cheeto! 

Chase Ashley and Christine! 

Brock and Aunt Melanie at his Birthday party. 

"I don't like sticky hands....so lets wipe them off on my hair!" 

Brock and his back pack! 

YUMMY! 

This is the look Brock gives when he is very curious. He loved the candle. Almost burnt his fingers. 

What is this??? 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROCK!!! Good morning baby. We woke Brock up singing happy birthday. He LOVED it! 

What a way to end the day! 

The bravest thing our little Chase has ever done. I don't think he realized it was going to fling him 30 feet in the air! He enjoyed it until he skinned his knee and then it was all over! Time to find a bandaid! 

Chase high in the air! 

Brock and Cole at the Renissance festival. What an awesome place.  

Chase was Darth....of course. He is always the bad guy!  

Happy Halloween Brock! Brock and his friend Cole were Thing one and Thing two. What a blast. Brock HATED his hat/hair. This is the only picture I have with him not screaming! 

I love this picture even though it is his 'sad face'. Brock has been teething and this is what he has looked liked all week. His scar has lightened up a bit. We are massaging it daily...its like putting a cat in the bathtub but the change has been worth all the trouble! 

Silly Brothers! Brock so loves his Big Brother. It has been so much fun around here now that Brock is mobil (master of the crawl) Chase plays and giggles with Brock. Here you can see Brocks profile. I think he nose looks great. Much better than I anticipated....as far as his profile goes. 

Brock and his bed.....He HATES IT! 

Auntie Lisa, Cody, Brock and Chase say goodbye. :( 

Auntie Julie and Uncle Ron. IT was a great 5 days and I can't wait to do it again! 

Meet my crazy in laws.... :) Auntie Julie and Lisa came to meet Brock and some how this happened............. Poor jackalope...didn't even get away with his dignity! 

Brock one month post opp. His scar is still really red and from what I have been told it will be that way for up to a year. Still he is beautiful and it is just a miracle! 

Big Brother Chase on his first day of school! The night before he picked out his clothes for the big day and then puked all over the floor. Turned out to be much more than nerves and spent three days sick with the stomach bug! 

he loves to dump out the toys! 

This is us at the wiggles. I'll have to thank Joe's CEO for the awesome suite tickets. The boys loved it. 

never leave your shoes outside in Texas! 

Here is one with no tubes! His upper lip will be a little red until it is completely healed. It may be up to a year. I love his smile. Look how his big blue eyes light up. 

Heres a big smile. His upper lip will be tight for awhile. We have to message the scar 30 min. everyday. I dont start that unitl tomorrow so please wish me luck. He is so fiesty it might be impossible! 

Brocks "all better" now!

I wanted to put in some new pictures of our little man tonight. He had the nasty tubes removed from his nose today. It was a great visit: nothing too evasive, the plastic surgeon agrees he needs more nose work and we were out of there in world record time. Brock is back to his old self. Eating and playing great and now he is crawling. It is all over now. The next procedure is November 15th just after his birthday.

Big Brother Chase starts Kindergarten on the 17th! I can't believe he is five already. He is so excited he can't sleep at night. He has also discovered Rock and Roll and blasts music like a teenager! He is getting too big way too fast.

Love Tarah

Just a little reminder for you. This is what we started with... I still cant believe how wonderful he looks! 

Here is a different view! 

I can't wait until the swelling is down and the scabs come off and you will be able to see it better. The lip shape is great! The surgeon also did more nose work this time to shape his nostrils! 

Here it is! Brock mins. after surgery! I couldn't take my eyes off his face! 

Brocks midnight supper, the last real meal for two weeks....He was dead asleep but like everyday willing to eat anything in sight! 

This is Brock at the hospital the day before lip repair...he loves the pagers and screams when it is time to give them back. 

Brocks new smile.

Brocks surgery was a success. He was first case so thankful he did not have to starve too long. We saw his new smile at 10:00 am. The surgeon, Dr. Stal, tried his hardest to get us back to see him before the swelling had set it. That way we could see what he would like after the swelling went down. Before we went back he said to us "the repair was a 10 on the scale of difficulty. Don't get your hopes up." My heart sank. I don't know what he was talking about....It may have been hard but he looks AMAZING. It is nothing short of a miracle. Dr. Stal is a very gifted surgeon. Brocks whole face looks different. His big blue eyes look even bigger! It has made him look a little older too.

The recovery has been rough. The first 24 hours was extremely hard on all of us. It is so hard to watch your baby come out of a comatosed state and be in so much pain. I think what makes it even worse is that he is now old enough to get MAD! And boy was he ever angry. He would go from me to Joe to Grandma searching for the person who could take all the pain away. Whenever someone new came to visit he would go to them to see if they had the magic touch. He is doing much better today. Now we just have to deal with the arm restraints which of course he hates. He needs constant supervision so that he doesn't touch his face. His circumcision has healed nicely so that relieved alot of his discomfort.

I am so thankful to have my mother here. She has taken the night shift since the surgery and I am able to get plenty of sleep. She also has kept the laundry and house work up and I will always be forever greatful for that. Chase has been in vacation bible school all week. He loves his brothers new smile and spends lots of time helping him "try it out". Believe it or not Brock is already smiling! What a trooper he is. He is now starting to sleep better too!

Thank you all for your kind emails, phone calls and flowers. I can't tell you how much you all mean to us.

Tarah

Going to the hospital

It is with a very sad and heavy heart that I take Brock to the hospital today for yet another procedure. This time they will be erasing what I have grown to love the most...his smile. His smile will no longer be so wide that it encompasses the room mearly by its size. What at birth I wanted fixed so badly is now what I secretly long to keep. I have photographed it endlessly from every angle and that should bring me peace but it will not be the same in person. It was what was created by God through my body and no matter how hard I wish it would not have happened I do not want it taken away. I am so blessed to have Brock because he has taught me that a mothers love is stronger than any love in the world. I am thankful that I am lucky enough to experience this pain first hand. So off I go to rip Brock from a peaceful sleep much like he was riped from from my womb. For everyone that knows Brock I am sure you too will be feeling my pain. He is so strong..beautiful...sweet....MINE.

Love Tarah

"To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God." (Psalm 25:1a)