Stayin' Alive

Yes, we're still alive!

Yes, I still plan on updating this blog!

Yes, we're doing fine!

Yes, there are less than 10 weeks till college football kick-off (oops, did that one not fit?)!

I apologize for leaving you hanging for three weeks.  We've been busy, settling back into "Canada Life".  Since we were gone for nearly half-a-year, we had a LOT of doctor's appointments to make up.  In the past 3 weeks, we've been to Children's Hospital 8 times.  Gulp.  This journey is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure.

Thankfully, all of Ellie's medical appointments have gone well.  Most of them were simple follow-ups.  Our local neurosurgeon was very impressed with her tone and new abilities, post SDR.  I was so thankful that we "just" had to drive to our local Children's Hospital to see him, instead of fly out to Vancouver for a six-month follow up to Dr. Steinbok! 

Of course, there is also no rest for the therapy-weary either.  The day after Ellie and Richie flew home, she started back at her local Conductive Education center.  Precious, hard-working girl! 

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Sometimes we have to get creative when doing Ellie's stretches, in an attempt to keep her still and "loose".  Here, she's "calling" Daddy to tell him that she (and mommy) would like supper ready when she gets home from therapy.  :-)

  Catching up with our fabulous physical therapist.  Ellie was thrilled to see her again!

She was supposed to begin her intensive camp (6 hours/day, 5 days per week) today, but little Missy is sick.  It's a bummer, but, really, we've been so blessed with health over the past 6 months that I can hardly complain about a low-grade fever and stuffy nose.  Hopefully she'll be joining her boyfriends at the center tomorrow.

We've also been setting things up for Ellie to enter SCHOOL in fall.  How on earth did my baby get to be school-age?  I just blinked and all of a sudden she was five!  I'll post about that a little later.  There are many emotions that go into school registration.  I'm sure that's true for moms of typical kids, but I think it's compounded when your sweet soon-to-be-Kindergartener has special needs.  I am trying to take it in stride; trying to breathe; trying to trust.  I know that Ellie will absolutely love being in school and that the kids will quickly grow to look past her "different-ness".  But, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't scared.  This isn't the way I envisioned it.  This isn't what I wanted for my precious baby.  But, Ellie has taught me to rise above the visions and wants, and embrace the blessing of what IS. 

(See, I told you that kindergarten is emotional!)

So, overall, we're ALL GOOD.  I'll try to make sure this blog stays the same way!

Home

We made it!

The drive was long, and the van was PACKED, but everything went really well on the road.  Gotta love those audio books...

It's like a bad scene from "Where's Waldo Ellie?"

Home.

I think we're still trying to mesh our heads and hearts with geography, but, with each reunion and unpacked box, life feels more settled.  When driving home from therapy today, Ellie asked, "Are we going back to our Florida house or Canada house?"  We're all reconfiguring our compasses.

Speaking of therapy...Ellie has been having a grand ole time, showing off all those new skills for her therapists and conductors!  And I'VE been having a great time hearing the "oooh"s and "awww"s.  Perhaps our therapists are indulgent, but it's still heartwarming.

We are adding things to the "return or get rid of pile"!  Specialized toilet seat (she can sit on the potty solo now!).  First Kaye Walker (she's grown out of it!).  Fisher Price booster seat (no booster seats needed anymore!).  All things that we were using before the surgery....but not now!  Whoop!

This past week of transition and travel has been exhausting for all of us, so I'll leave you with this brief update and try to mimic Ellie:

Love y'all!