Home Sweet Home

We said goodbye to La Jolla yesterday and hello to 35 degrees and some snow remnants from a few days ago.  Love it!

Eating snow in our yard Sunday

Looking up from the playground Saturday

The girls have become seasoned airplane passengers and did great on the way home.  We dodged the "buy everyone a drink on the flight because my kids are screaming" flight once again.  But I know it's coming some day!  Sooner now that I have completely jinxed us.

Some air love

Before: fresh and excited to wear her "pack-pack"

After: mid-trantrum rolling on the clean airport floor

Our tired traveller crashed on the car ride home

It was hard leaving.  The past two months flew by, and I'm beyond grateful for how comfortable and easy my in-laws made life away from home and all the time I got to spend with them.  I can't stand the word in-laws...my family.  And seeing the girls be loved on by family that we don't get to see often enough.  Priceless.  But bigger than all the typical sadness that comes with goodbyes, lies this quiet but deep anxiety.  We'll be back for treatments in December and every month or two for a while from what I understand...it's all a bit play-it-by-ear depending on how her body continues to react, change, absorb Dr. Frymann's osteopathic wonderment. But being so far away and moving into this "maintenance" stage is scary.  I've seen Abby change into a new baby.  Yes, she's two months older which is a lot in baby years.  But she's different.  She's more alive, more curious, more connected.  And the amazing fact that her seizures have stopped.  24 days!  So, it's a bit unsettling to leave it behind.  What an incredible blessing that God led us to this woman.  And I know that His hands will still be holding her whatever state we're in.

Happy November!

November -- a month of thanks, and we have so much to be thankful for.  We are celebrating our 16th day of no seizures!  I started keeping a seizure log a few months ago and it got to the point that one day's activity would sometimes spill over onto two pages.  I dreaded every time I had to open this book.  And every time Jarvie would be feeding Abby or playing with her on the floor, and would ask "what time is it?", I knew it was because we needed to log another one.  And now I love opening this book and writing ZERO!.  Maybe silly, and a little superstitious, to be logging something that isn't happening, but I write it every day and in the same way.  It helps me remember to be grateful for another "zero" kind of day.  It's easy to get comfortable in happiness, and I've already caught myself momentarily slip into taking it for granted.  No thank you.

And with more seizure-free days passing, unwanted and unnecessary moments of worry about our family's future seem to creep their way into my thoughts.  Go away!  Yesterday, I received an email from one of my girlfriends.  Part of her email: "I don't know if you will ever stop worrying, but I can say that you will find happiness in the smallest of things.  Relish in the happy moments and try not to dwell on the future envisioned."  Her words couldn't be more true and were a timely reminder.  Have I mentioned that I have the best girlfriends in the universe?  I may be biased, but they are amazing.

Relish in the happy moments.  Here's a happy moment from Halloween.  Their love for each other melts my heart.  Abby lights up when Lucy is around, laughing at everything she does.  Tantrums are even funny.  And Lucy has already taken Abby under her wing.  Reading, singing to her and jumping for joy when I bring her out from a nap.  With some jealousy and toy-stealing sprinkled in.  I don't think I'll worry about their sisterly bond or if and how they'll play together.  I think they'll be just fine :).

Another happy moment...this morning Abby extended her arms, held her weight on her own, and twisted her body like she was ready to lunge.  She wanted an escaped ball from one of her toys and it was enough to motivate some action.  Her physical therapist would be mid-backflip right now if she saw her.  A step toward transitioning from sitting to moving, and so gratifying to see her want something bad enough to go for it!

Happy November!