Carpe Diem

It is cheesy, but it is the truth.  Since things have started to steadily improve with Alli we have taken advantage of every opportunity we can to get the girls out of the house and get ourselves out of the house, as well.  Our weekends have been full of good quality family time.  We've taken the girls out to eat, gone to the pool, entertained friends, and managed to have a date night without stress.  It has been wonderful.  However long it lasts, it feels like a gigantic weight has been lifted from my shoulders.  We still give Alli meds 3x day and she still has intermittent spasms (and a cold right now), but she hasn't vomited in over a week and she is making developmental strides every day.  This weekend we have noticed her being much more vocal.  She is definitely trying to communicate with us, which is something we haven't seen from her since before her surgery. She continues to try to roll over.  She rolls consistently on to her side and will hang out there for a while, especially if I have her baby einstein turtle in front of her, but she hasn't been able to make the full rotation.  It will happen any day, I'm sure.

Samantha has been venturing out for new experiences, as well.  Last weekend I took her to mass with me for the first time in over a year.  I was nervous about how she would do, as she demonstrates all of the most charming 2 year old qualities these days - tantrums, high pitched squealing, throwing herself on the floor, etc.  To my surprise, she behaved very well.  There was a moment of awkwardness when we walked in and got settled.  She looked up on the alter, pointed, and exclaimed "King Cole!"  She has a Wee Sing dvd at home called King Cole's Party and she evidently mistook the priest for King Cole.  It's possible we need some more time reading "the Child's Guide to the Mass" and less time with King Cole's Party.  Lately she has taken to calling us by different names.  Mine aren't so exciting, however, she lovingly refers to Jason now as Jason Jay and also Baby Daddy.  Baby Daddy came from dinner one night when she was naming everyone at the table and their relation to Alli.  For whatever reason, Baby Daddy stuck, and now she uses it on a regular basis.  She has also developed an affinity for shopping.  This week, before school one morning, she came up to me as I was standing at the kitchen counter, tapped my leg, looked up, and said "Go to Target sweetie?"  If only I could have scooped her up and driven her right over there.  It melted my heart.

Jason and I finally made it out together.  We ventured over to Local Three on Saturday night with our good friends.  It was so nice to have a night out.  It was great food and great company!  I had to cancel plans with him a couple of weeks ago to see the Zac Brown Band because Alli was feeling so miserable.  So, it was especially rewarding to be able to go out and know that she was just fine at home with Megan. Though, I would have loved the concert, I think I would have been distracted the entire night.  I felt much more comfortable leaving on Saturday.

This week will be a busy one.  Alli will start PT with her new in home physical therapist, Brittany, on Tuesday.  Samantha has her end of the year party on Wednesday morning.  Alli has OT on Thursday.  We also need to work in a weight check with Dr. Blumenthal and blood work to see if she is having a negative reaction to the depakote.  Depakote can cause liver toxicity, so her blood work will be managed regularly.  Finally, Samantha has her last day of school on Friday.  It has been such a great first year at Montessori.  We're excited for her to go back next year and work her way in to the primary classroom.  She will get to return in the fall as the Big Fish in the Toddler II pond and then will hopefully move around the middle of the year to the Primary room.

There have been many prayers of Thanksgiving over the last few weeks.  I continue to say prayers to St. Anthony as we work through the treatment for infantile spasms, but we mostly focus on prayers of thanks for how far Alli has come and the peace that has taken over our house.  Thanks so much for everyone's continued messages of support and prayers.  They have been amazing and I'm certain give us the strength to get through days that seem never ending.