Happy December

I can hardly believe I missed an entire month of blogging! Man oh man, the time does indeed fly by faster the older you get. Now, on to the latest and greatest...

After three rounds of antibiotics, Jesse is finally over his ear infections. He still has quite a bit of congestion and an accompanying cough, although the volume of mucus has decreased during the last couple of weeks. The doctor suspected he was experiencing a bit of acid reflux which was irritating his throat and causing excess mucus production; she prescribed Prilosec once a day and it seems to have helped some. Jesse will undergo a sweat test for Cystic Fibrosis on Monday, 12-4-06, at Childrens Hospital. We're hoping and praying the test is negative... it'll be a nice relief to finally know. Sometimes, I think the hardest parts of life are the unknowns we all experience from time to time.

Jesse has also been evaluated by an Occupational Therapist, a Physical Therapist, and a teacher from the local school system. His cognitive and fine motor skills are age-appropriate, but his large motor skills are developmentally delayed. Therefore, he qualified for Physical Therapy offered by our school district and the Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He'll work with his PT 2-3 times each month with the hope that we'll be able to strengthen his upper body enough to allow him to sit up, pull up, and eventually stand up on his own.

We've made the final decision to homeschool our oldest child, Kayley, starting in January. The paperwork is done and has been sent off to the state, I've been putting together lesson plans and scheduling field trips, and we've been preparing Kayley for the change as best we can. I'm a bit apprehensive about the transition, but am also very excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Kayley is a hands-on learner, a do-er, and it has been very difficult for her to sit at a desk for hours and hours in a public school setting. I think she'll be able to really excel in a homeschool environment and will feel better about herself as a result.

On Saturday, November 11, we saw Bill Clinton speak at the Girls, Inc. "Lunch for the Girls" fundraiser. As we had anticipated, he was inspirational and hopeful. It was an exciting opportunity to hear him speak and benefit a wonderful organization in our community.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, we lost the transmission on our van during our trip home from visiting my Grandmother in Northern Iowa. Just when you think you might be getting ahead a bit, something comes along and snatches that hope right out from underneath you. Sigh.

Hope all had a happy Thanksgiving holiday... Christmas is just around the corner. Here's to the holiday season. Cheers.