Overdue

The days have gotten away from me, and things that I keep meaning to write about I have put aside.  We've had such a busy few months.  My last post was about driving down to Columbus and testifying at the Ohio State Senate on a pulse oximetry bill.  Since then, I have gone to Columbus again in April and testified at the House of Reps.  Now we're waiting for it to be passed and it looks promising.  I took Sofia with me this time and it was a great experience for both of us I think.  I can't help but be proud of how far we've come.

In May I turned 34 and Adelaide turned 2 1/2.  It is amazing how quickly she is growing up and I know before long she won't resemble a baby at all.  She is so smart and funny is a very loving.  She is still a mommy's girl and loves to be by my side all weekend long.  The weeks have been jam packed with work.  I've been working overtime since February, which I'm not really complaining about, but it definitely limits my time during the week.  It is probably good timing because it looks like Oliver will be laid off at the end of June.  The grant funded program he was working on at the Health Department is no longer going to be housed there and the program's future is up in the air.  He will find something new in time I'm sure, but I know he's probably secretly excited that he gets to spend the summer with the girls and enjoy days with them.  Sofia will be starting another year of preschool in the fall and Adelaide will go join her at preschool next January.

On Sunday, we completed our first family 5k together.  My first race ever actually.  It was a benefit for the Gathering Place, a local cancer support center in Beachwood.  It was a beautiful day and perfect running weather.  I have lost now just over 30 pounds since January and being active and running has been a big part of that, so it was great to get out and do my first run.  And I was pretty pleased with my time of 28:47 because I was hoping for under 32 minutes.  Oliver pushed the girls in the double jogger and had an amazing time of 22:59.

Sofia is doing great health-wise.  She had a cardiology appointment at the beginning of April.  It was the first time I saw in her post appointment notes that she was "acyanotic" (NOT blue).  Her pulse ox was about 92 or 93 at her appointment.  Her echo looked great.  We had briefly discussed the possibility of coming off coumadin and restarting aspirin, but is doesn't seem like that is going to happen.  The position of her stent isn't going to allow her to be off blood thinners.  She has done pretty well on coumadin.  She definitely bruises more easily and it is hard to keep an active 4 1/2 year old from getting banged and bruised up, especially during the summer.  And her levels haven't been the easiest to control.  However, she is good about taking her medicine and swallows the pills with no problem.  She recently had a discussion about coumadin with my dad, who was also taking it post hip surgery.  Even Adelaide knows what coumadin and furosemide are!  Sofia goes back to her cardiologist in August, which is a four month break. 

We also had an evaluation with Dr. Friedman, the pediatric neurologist I mentioned in a previous post.  He was very pleased with how Sofia is doing developmentally and will continue to monitor her once per year just to keep an eye on her.

We just had some family pictures taken over the weekend and I love them.  Sofia looks so pink.  The last time we had them done was right before her surgery last year and the difference is notable. 

 

There are a few others that I will post soon because I just love them all.  My talented friend Lorelei took them and she did such a great job.  The first family picture is my favorite and is exactly what I was looking for.

We also welcomed a new niece in May, beautiful Emma Marie.  She was born at the end of May and is a wonderful new addition to the family. 






We are hoping to get up to Toronto again soon to see Oliver's parents.  We also look forward to hopefully getting a night or two away solo (would be our first time ever I think) and also celebrate our 10 year anniversary this summer.