Days of Summer

Our days of summer have been filled already with ice cream, play dates, coffee, doctor appointments, the kiddie pool, vacation Bible school, bikes, friends, and snuggling. We certainly can not complain. One highlight already is washing dishes. Yes, washing dishes. Since there is no dishwasher besides myself, it is a household chore that is not my favorite. Fiona loves to 'help' but as Whitney has grown and become more aware she feels left out so I try to wash them while they are playing or napping. I have been brainstorming for several months how I can involve Whitney and make it fun for all of us. I have even had a few ideas that were not taking safety into consideration. Needless to say mommy was quite excited about finding a solution.




A little health update on all of us. Matt is great. (; Fiona had her first successful dentist experience. She opened her mouth the whole time even when it was not necessary (super cute). Whitney had a clinic appointment where we spend the day in a office and several doctors flow in and out visiting us. This is an appointment where I always feel a little anxiety going into because you are never sure what information you will leave with. They were all very pleased with Whitney's progress and I would even say a little impressed. They did suggest that she does not have any more x-rays unless absolutely necessary since she has had so many but they did not fully answer my question as to why. They also think that since Whitney has learned so much in the last few months that we are at a pivotal point in her growth and they want her to have physical therapy 2x a week for 12 weeks. This should bring us to the start of the school year for The Conductive Learning Center. Last appointment we were told that she looks like she may be an L2. I do not think I even told you because I was so disappointed. Now they say L5! These letters and numbers translate into what function she may or may not have in her life. I think I have finally learned the lesson that I am not going to let the definition of what level define her or me. We will just have to wait and see what mighty work God does in her life. My back is doing fairly well. I am still seeing the chiropractor on a regular basis and as long as I do not hold Whitney for very long I am okay. I think I better sign up for another 5K to try to stay strong. (I am telling you this to keep me accountable, so feel free.) Here are a few more pictures for you:

Grandmas come for a visit.


I know, Whitney is on the potty but I love this picture! This is a great example of Fiona helping her sister without any prompting. She is helping Whitney take off her AFO's and I have been so proud of her stepping up to help in so many situations. We were at a play area today and Whitney was crawling around and a little boy was pushing her arm a few times. I was watching and waiting to see how she would respond. Fiona stepped in and put herself between to two of them and then pointed me out to the boy and his mom saying, "That is my mommy." I must look pretty intimidating or something. (: It was great.
Thank you for checking up on us!

Happy Birthday Fiona and many more

Time has flown by and we now have a 4 year old! These past 6 weeks have flown by as well so I have much to update you on.

Fiona
Fiona's birthday was so fun watching her genuine excitement for everything. I was reminded of that child like awe of not being able to believe that you are a year older overnight. It is so precious. Fiona is a light in our life and we are so thankful for her and the special role she plays as Whitney's older sister.

Here are a few things to know about Fiona:
She has been picking up after me since she could walk.
She can not wait to ride in a school bus.
She tells me when I am not driving in the right direction and is usually right.
She has always been very observant noticing when I am not having the best day and when I wear a new shirt.
Her laugh is very contagious.
She is Whitney's greatest encourager and fan.

Whitney
Whitney had her 6 week follow up appointment this past week. Her hip looks great! She said she does not need to see us for 6 months! Fabulous news. I feel as though a load of worry has been lifted.

Remember how we were a little concerned about Whitney's speech. Well, she decided to go to full sentences. Her first sentence was, "My baby's dress." Now she is reciting her prayer before meals.

Physically she began to 4-point crawl across rooms. She can now go quite a distance and is loving her new freedom. She began training on a walker a few months ago and is now able to do up to 5 steps unassisted with the walker. We are developing by leaps and bounds lately. This is our last week of Conductive Learning Center for the school year and I think we will all miss our new friends. Fiona and I have been pleasantly surprised to find great friends through CLC. Fiona now can play 'my legs do not work and I need AFO's' with other children who understand what she is playing. They help each other 'walk' and crawl. I have also found a support network of great women. These are just a few of the surprising blessings we have encountered.

Family
Good news is that our house is officially done! Several months later after thousands of dollars of water damage the work is completed. This means no more strange men roaming about, uninterrupted nap time, and a remodeled home.

This past week we needed to move out of our home for the refinishing of our hard wood floors. There was much to move in preparation for this job so, after much lifting and continual lifting of Whitney my back decided that she had enough. I spent almost 5 days in bed... We are all still here with a humbled and sore mama. I am under orders not to lift Whitney so I am forced to be creative. Please pray for a quick recovery and a good attitude.

I almost forgot to tell you about the race! It went great. Thank you all for supporting me and Whitney's school. It has felt wonderful to be running again and working towards a goal. Thank you for the encouragement and hopefully I will be on the road again soon getting ready for another 5K.