Hello friends...I have been a huge slacker this month on blog posts. It's been a crazy month - lots of fun holiday stuff with family, friends, and the kid's schools; work is finally getting back to normal for me (I took a new job leading our MSN PR efforts); and....our normal, day-to-day life is busy. I was telling a dear friend the other day that we're trying really hard, but there are days where I don't feel like a superstar in anything. Trying my best at being a mom (not only with Taylor, but providing equal time to the big kids), trying to do a great job at work (while keeping my type-A personality and competitive nature at bay) and balancing it all. All I know is that we're doing the best we can. The big kids seem happy and I'm trusting that we're doing the right things for Taylor, so we're making it everyday - and usually having lots of fun. I have been really looking forward to going to Missouri to see my family for Christmas (we're leaving Christmas day in the afternoon!) and taking a few deep breaths to relax. But, the weather in Seattle has introduced a mandatory relaxation window - while a bit inconvenient, I should be grateful!
We have had snow, snow, snow since Wednesday - lots and lots of snow. The kids haven't had school and we haven't been able to get Taylor to therapy. Our house is at the top of a super icy hill and it's very treacherous to drive down. We have a car parked at the bottom of the hill, but it's a half mile walk to get there from our house. Not a big deal (although certainly slow going) with the big kids, but it makes me nervous to carry Taylor on the icy sidewalks. She still fits in her infant carseat, so she's protected in that (on three sides anyway), but it's still nerve-wracking. So, we've been quite housebound - we all ventured out on Friday because wepredicted that she had an ear infection and she needed to see the doctor for antibiotics. David took her while the big kids and I were dropped off downtown for Christmas/birthday shopping for David. I ran out of time with the surprising snowstorm and his birthday was yesterday!
Taylor had a tough week, even though she had a break from therapy. She had really yucky diapers early in the week, threw up 3 times on Wednesday, and had really restless nights Wednesday and Thursday nights (ahh....ear infections). She finally is looking better and it's great to see her smile and laugh again. We've tried to do her exercises at home, but know we aren't as thorough or proficient as her therapist. Since we're missing a lot of days next week when we leave for Missouri, I'm disappointed we didn't make every therapy session this week. As much as it can be a drag for all of us, it also gives me comfort that we're helping Taylor and that she's making some progress. It's still slow going and while we appreciate every gift, there can be many weeks where we don't see any discernible progress. Patience, patience, patience....
We also found out some interesting news from her genetics testing. As it turns out, I (Lisa) have the same genetic variant that Taylor does. This is actually good news (it seems like reverse logic). Basically, the geneticists say that if someone "normal" like me can have the same variant, the chromosomal abnormality that Taylor has is likely not the cause for her brain condition. Who knew I had a chromosomal abnormality all these years? Chances are....so do a lot of people that have no idea. The good news for us is that the genetic testing didn't definitely link Taylor to a more serious condition - the OK news is that we still have no idea why she has her brain condition. Increasingly, we're starting to realize that this genetics stuff seems ahead of its time - presenting lots of questions and not a lot of answers. So, in the hierarchy of doctor visits, we're going to let this one go for now and revisit when she's older (unless Dr. Spector has other specific recommendations).
The good news - although she doesn't have a lot of new tricks - she is a happy gal and really enjoys laughing at her big sister and brother. We'll post some of our new family pics that really illustrate how happy she is. She can be a bit of a pokerface around other people, but around our family, she is so happy. Today we watched the big kids play outside in all of the snow through the window - mounds and mounds of the stuff - I've never seen anything like it in Seattle. We're so unprepared for weather like this that David was shoveling our driveway, sidewalk, and decks with an oar - we don't even have a shovel! I'm not sure there is a greater joy than watching David and Jacob play snow football, tackeling each other and laughing as they ran around the backyard. Or watching Lauren delight in making snow angel after snow angel and rolling balls for snowmen. Taylor laughed at the snow and the kids making frozen faces at her through the window. It has been a magical few days where often, I've taken a moment to embrace the specialness of the day. Christmas really is such a magical season and I'm so thankful for all of our gifts.
We have had snow, snow, snow since Wednesday - lots and lots of snow. The kids haven't had school and we haven't been able to get Taylor to therapy. Our house is at the top of a super icy hill and it's very treacherous to drive down. We have a car parked at the bottom of the hill, but it's a half mile walk to get there from our house. Not a big deal (although certainly slow going) with the big kids, but it makes me nervous to carry Taylor on the icy sidewalks. She still fits in her infant carseat, so she's protected in that (on three sides anyway), but it's still nerve-wracking. So, we've been quite housebound - we all ventured out on Friday because we
Taylor had a tough week, even though she had a break from therapy. She had really yucky diapers early in the week, threw up 3 times on Wednesday, and had really restless nights Wednesday and Thursday nights (ahh....ear infections). She finally is looking better and it's great to see her smile and laugh again. We've tried to do her exercises at home, but know we aren't as thorough or proficient as her therapist. Since we're missing a lot of days next week when we leave for Missouri, I'm disappointed we didn't make every therapy session this week. As much as it can be a drag for all of us, it also gives me comfort that we're helping Taylor and that she's making some progress. It's still slow going and while we appreciate every gift, there can be many weeks where we don't see any discernible progress. Patience, patience, patience....
We also found out some interesting news from her genetics testing. As it turns out, I (Lisa) have the same genetic variant that Taylor does. This is actually good news (it seems like reverse logic). Basically, the geneticists say that if someone "normal" like me can have the same variant, the chromosomal abnormality that Taylor has is likely not the cause for her brain condition. Who knew I had a chromosomal abnormality all these years? Chances are....so do a lot of people that have no idea. The good news for us is that the genetic testing didn't definitely link Taylor to a more serious condition - the OK news is that we still have no idea why she has her brain condition. Increasingly, we're starting to realize that this genetics stuff seems ahead of its time - presenting lots of questions and not a lot of answers. So, in the hierarchy of doctor visits, we're going to let this one go for now and revisit when she's older (unless Dr. Spector has other specific recommendations).
The good news - although she doesn't have a lot of new tricks - she is a happy gal and really enjoys laughing at her big sister and brother. We'll post some of our new family pics that really illustrate how happy she is. She can be a bit of a pokerface around other people, but around our family, she is so happy. Today we watched the big kids play outside in all of the snow through the window - mounds and mounds of the stuff - I've never seen anything like it in Seattle. We're so unprepared for weather like this that David was shoveling our driveway, sidewalk, and decks with an oar - we don't even have a shovel! I'm not sure there is a greater joy than watching David and Jacob play snow football, tackeling each other and laughing as they ran around the backyard. Or watching Lauren delight in making snow angel after snow angel and rolling balls for snowmen. Taylor laughed at the snow and the kids making frozen faces at her through the window. It has been a magical few days where often, I've taken a moment to embrace the specialness of the day. Christmas really is such a magical season and I'm so thankful for all of our gifts.
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