Jed-9 months

Hello! My name is Jedediah Theodore Wright. I was born October 6,
2007, on my sister Courtney's 17th birthday. The doctor says I wasn't due for another 6 weeks yet, but he decided I needed to come early as my mommy had something called toxemia. I weighed 8lb, 3oz., and was 21.5" long. (Now I am up to 26.6 pounds, off the charts for both height and weight. Not too bad for a little preemie!) I have lots of nicknames, like Jeddy, Jed, and I have  others that are too embarassing to mention here!

You might wonder what it is like for a little tyke like me to be born into such a musical home. I loved being inside of my mom and feeling that bass!  When first born, I'm not sure I appreciated the whole thing, but it didn't take me long to LOVE bluegrass music! Folks are always asking my family what I will play. At nine months old, I play anything I am close enough to get my hands on! I LOVE my daddy's dobro! I love helping my mommy play the bass on stage! My brother, Daniel, says he will teach me guitar. Why, a special lady from Newfoundland, Canada even sent me a little fiddle just my size! Sometimes Nikki helps me play that! But for now, I have eight teeth and I like to chew on anybody and anything I can reach. Time will tell what I will play!

Just last month I was diagnosed with what's called hydrocephalus, which means water on the brain. On July 11, a team of neurosurgeons and their helpers will place what's called a shunt in my head to drain the extra fluid. The doctor says everyone makes spinal fluid in their brain everyday, but what you don't use goes back down into the body and is dissolved. For some reason, the extra fluid isn't "recycling" in me, causing my head to fill with spinal fluid, and be a bit too heavy for me. The shunt will have a tube which runs down my neck and drains into my tummy.

The surgeon says I will have to have the shunt the rest of my life, but once I get used to it I will grow into my head and live a very normal life! I will even be able to play football if I really want to! Of course, I really don't care about that right now! I just want to be held and fed and adored by everyone around me!

My mommy and daddy have lots of people asking what they can do to help right now, and they feel so blessed that there are so many who care about me, my brothers, and sisters. The most important thing you can do is pray for me, my family (and please don't forget my grandparents in Washington!), and especially my doctors. 

As for the financial needs, my daddy and mommy take care of that for me, so it isn't something I worry about! My daddy still has insurance for now, which will help to pay lots of the expenses. If the Lord leads you to help in this way, (or maybe you want to write a note  for mommy to save for me when I'm older) my address is below.

Jedediah Wright

P.O. Box 821

Hazelwood, NC 28738

Remember, try not to worry about me. Just keep us in your prayers. I will be just fine! My family will try and keep you updated about me while I am in the hospital for the next few days!

Well, that's about all I have to say! I hope you like my new page and have learned a little bit about me!

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And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

 

July 13, 2008

I had my surgery on Friday, and all went really well. We are told that I had lots of fluid on my brain, but my brain tissue looks very good! (Meaning no brain damage!) I am a very smart boy and the doctors agree I am doing pretty much what is expected of a baby my age!

The surgeon said I could go home yesterday since he felt I would do better at home to recover. I was so happy to get all the tubes out of me! Now it's much easier for my family to hold me!

You can see where my softspot used to have lots of fluid in it, now it is sunken in about 1/4". My mommy and daddy got worried so they called the surgeon lastnight. He said that was a really good thing..it shows that my shunt is working well! He gave my family more detailed advice of what to look for. He says I am doing fantastic! Daddy and Mommy are amazed at how much change they can see in me already! The doctor says they will really see changes in a week's time! They are so excited for me.

I have lots of doctor's appointments over the next month to remove stitches and see how my shunt is functioning, etc. I will do my best to keep you informed. We do hope that the hardest part is behind us!

Thank you so much for every prayer! My mommy said she could feel those prayers!

Lotsa love,

Jeddy

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July 24, 2008

 

I am feeling so much more like myself these days! I am back to eating about as much as I did before my surgery. My mommy has been worried about me getting skinny. Now she is happy, since I am getting all my chub back!

We got an e-mail yesterday from a lady at my Grandma Sarah's work saying that she was praying for me, and had churches in Washington, North Carolina, Virginia, and California praying for me! No wonder everything went so well! Thank you for all the prayers!

Tomorrow my mommy and daddy say I go and get my stitches removed. I sure hope it doesn't hurt!

I am a little scared of people I don't know well right now. Please don't get your feelings hurt if I cry when you get too close to me. Alot of smiling strangers (doctors and nurses) have been poking at me lately and I guess I'm too little to understand it's been for my own good!

One of the nicest things that's come from all my feeling bad is that my whole family will hold me constantly..even more than before! For some reason , no matter how hard I cry, they will not let me out of the carseat when the car is moving. I have tried the saddest faces I could make, but still I stay in my carseat until the car stops. My daddy says the family is spoiling me, but I notice he is holding me alot more often, too!

One of my mommy's friends sent me a gift card for Wal-Mart, and told my family to buy something that would make me feel better. She sent it on vacation from a place called something like Vermont. Boy, I must be important!! She sent me the cutest Tweetie Bird car..boy, wouldn't Grandma G. be jealous?

Well, my mommy is getting tired , so we will say good-bye for now! Have yourself a very happy day!

Love,

Jeddy

 

August 2, 2008

Well, my mommy says it's been 3 weeks now since my surgery. I am feeling so much better these days! The back of my head kinda itches where my hair is growing back, but I am eating real good which helps my mommy to relax.

I am starting to trust folks again and giving my smiles much more freely these days! Not all strangers want to poke me or remove stitches, I am learning!

I have a CT scan on Wednesday and an appointment with my neurosurgeon. If I do really well, I won't have to see him again for 6 months!

I sure love playing the piano, when someone will help me sit on the bench! I will play anyone's instrument who will let me..the banjo and the dobro make a great drum. One good thing about me, my daddy says I have great timing! I know how to use the fiddle bow, thanks to my sister, Nikki. In fact, I even have my own fiddle that came to me all the way from Newfoundland, Canada! It's just my size!

Oh, and another thing. I LOVE frosting! My mommy was a little shocked the other day when my sissy was feeding it to me by the spoonful! It's so good! I really don't care for the cake itself!! Frosting for me!!

Well, I will come back in here another day.

I hope you have a great day with lots of fun, and hey, if you find some chocolate frosting, make sure and have a cup or two for me!

Love,

Jeddy

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Here I am at 10 months, showing you how I play 'Pattycake'!

(Grandma and Grandpa G., I am wearing one of my new outfits ya sent and it's so comfy! Thank you!)

 

August 10, 2008

 

Well, I did have my appointment with the doctor and my CT scan on Wednesday. There was good news and not so good news. The good news is that my shunt is working, and I am draining lots of fluid. The bad news is that I have extra fluid I should not have. The doctor used a magnet to remove my fluid at a slower rate. (It didn't hurt a bit!) I have a little more pressure in my head again, but I know he knows what's best! I have to go back in again next month, and they will see if it looks better!

I am having lots of fun these days. I do love to be held by my family! They hardly ever put me down, which is great by me! (If they do, I just fuss and look around until I meet someone's eyes..then they feel sorry for me and pick me up. Works every time!)

I have been having lots of fun going out to sing with my family lately. I get lots of attention, especially when my daddy packs me around in my new backpack! Just the other day, I sang an acapella with Nikki, Courtney, and Daniel. (They didn't hear me, but Daddy and Mommy sure smiled!) I called out for my Sissy during the performance, but she didn't hear me I guess, because she didn't look at me!

I am loving to play patty cake, and I sit really well on my own! I don't yet crawl, but I can roll my way around to get where I want. Just the other day I decided I wanted my mommy, who was in the kitchen. I slid off my sister's lap, and with her help, I ran all the way to Mommy! Who knows, I may just skip the crawling altogether and just walk!

Well, I better go for now! I'll come back another day when I have more to tell you!

Love,

Jeddy

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