Woodland Antics

We've discovered one more thing these two have in common. Asthma (diagnosed after a trip to the ER)  Poor guy.   He's being so adult about it.   Although, this morning he mentioned that there's a lot of dust in the schoolyard  and suggested he should probably stay home to prevent an asthma attack. Well played little dude! (of course this mama didn't bite) Living room camping... with the best Dad ever!

I came home on Saturday and found this as soon as I walked in. My friend gave me a lift to the hospital where I met up with Ry and the kids.  As soon as I saw a tear-free Reed just relaxing with frozen vegetables on his head the jitters and knotted stomach I had the entire ride (only ~8 minutes) dissolved.  He was okay. A couple of hours later he had tissue glue on his wound. (what a great alternative to sutures)  Ryan waited in line to pay. Because we're not permanent residents we don't have a medicare card which is a total bummer.  The universal health care system here is fantastic.  Typically when we visit the doctors we have to pay out of pocket and then get reimbursed from our insurance.  That said, what we pay out of pocket is about the same amount we would pay as a co-payment in the states.  That alone says something about the health care system state side. {I really should write a post comparing the US, Canadian and Australian health...

L ife is so busy right now and you know I will take bustling around with my two healthy, happy children while walking across fire barefoot any day over where we were 3 years ago...  A disappointing day We were so excited for today. The plan was to take Fiona off the ventilator and see how she was. I really thought I would have a weaker version of the old Fiona back. Ryan and I had breakfast together and discussed the fact that I had such big expectations. I felt there was no other way to be. I realize now I am in a different world here and in this foreign land you can not allow yourself to get too excited. Darn it! Fiona was taken off the ventilator a bit before 12. She was not her old self at all. She was extremely irritable and her movements were jerky. The reason for this? Well there COULD be one or a combination of many. perhaps she was withdrawing from the meds, or maybe because what is going on in her brain or she could have been agitated because it's a scary feeling to s...

I think of Fiona's time at Childdrens Hospital in Washington D.C. everyday.  When she makes a strange movement I stand frozen just staring at her making sure she's not having a seizure.  When the kids eat I'm all over them about chewing & sitting properly.  Mostly I think about how good life is having my children safe and sound.  Everyday worries are put in perspective as I remind myself, as long as our family is all together I need nothing more. February is a month I find these thoughts surface  with more intensity than usual.  It was three February's ago that I wrote updates in the Care Pages. I think since writing them I've probably re-read them only a few times. They don't do justice to that time in our lives.  Nonetheless I've decided to re-post those notes in this space over the next couple of weeks.  I write in this blog for a million reasons, the greatest of these is for Reed & Fiona.  I want them to have a recorded histo...

In July Fiona greeted the day properly before her MRI. Here she is watching the sunrise and dancing. Results came in that her brain, although still damaged, had started to repair. Everyone was happy including Ry and I. Nonetheless we shared a moment of disappointment. Recognizing our expectations were too high we decided, next time we'd better emotionally prepare ourselves. Next time we'd make an earlier appointment. Next time is here and we are ready. Fiona's MRI is at Children's on December first at 6am. Please pray, send posivibes, sacrifice a pig...whatever your thing is, please do it with Fiona's healed brain on your heart. Since you'd be thinking of her anyway, maybe keep in mind that she'll be under general anesthesia. This always weighs on me. Oh and starving her for 8 hours is slightly intimidating too. While you're praying for her, maybe you wouldn't mind an extra one for me and my sanity. If you have an extra minute send ...