Awards Banquet

Ok, Nora here is a picture of Mike and I....we attended the base's annual awards banquet. I was so not prepared for the occasion, when I realized that the outfit I thought I would wear (it fit 6 months ago)....didn't fit as I was trying to walk out the door. Oh well...Mike said, "I was still the best lookin' one there!" What a great husband and he still looks good in that uniform.

PS -- Happy birthday, dear brother Jamie!

Zach's last basketball game & Maddie seizure free 7 months

Today was Zach's last basketball game. His Uncle Jamie, Pawpaw and Nana came down from T-town and Cincinnati to watch with us. I didn't have to work so I was able to watch the whole game. It was lots of fun to see how far the team has come.....go Green Dragons...I included a tiny movie...quality isn't that great but you get the gest of the game!

PS -- Madison is 7 months seizure free today! Way to go Madison.
PSS -- had to include the second video....Zach is playing such great defense (allow he is on offense) but you can see he is vertically challenged against the boy in yellow!

St Rita's School for the Deaf

This morning Mike and I toured St Ritas (St. Rita is still Saint of the Impossible) http://www.srsdeaf.org/. It is a school for the deaf but also has an apraxic program (only one in the country that we are aware of). We have heard nothing but great things about the school so we decided to check it out for ourselves. It is a huge old institution...very foreboding....but once inside the classrooms and the climate are awesome. The entire staff speaks and signs....it was interesting to hear the deaf children speak...they reminded me of Madison. To watch the classroom function (based on the Montessori concept) was amazing. We believe that Madison would get a top notch education there but we have to wait and see if she is accepted. Her eval is on 19 March...we will keep you posted.

Valentines Day Celebration

This year we decided to celebrate Valentines day as a family. Ashley made peanut butter/chocolate fondue and ate it with bananas, marshmallows, graham crackers and some strawberries....it was all very yummy. I also made a pretty angel food cake with a strawberry/blueberry heart on it....for the next night....basically we ate our way through the holiday.

Girls Night Out

I got to spend some time tonight with some friends from college. We have been back in the states since Aug and I finally got to get out and enjoy a quiet dinner and movie with great friends....We ate at the Olive Garden and saw He's Just not that into you....a fun "girlie movie"....thanks ladies for a fun night out!

High School

Can you believe that our little girl is 13 and starting HS next year. Well the HS has already spoken with the Ashley and helped her to pick out her course curriculum, crazy...she is getting excited to start HS! The parents even got in on the action...we had a parent meeting and were introduced to the high school and all that it offers. There are over 2000 students (yes bigger than some small colleges)...but they have broken the freshman class up into family pods, where the kids stay for their entire HS career...the kids go back in May and get their lockers, and meet teachers...such an exciting adventure for our Ashley!

Steelers Vs Cardinals

Who will win? Ash and I made another football cake, as you can see! It was also another cake story....but it turned out edible. We has some friends over to watch the game, fun was had by all.

Meeting with Neurologist

Today Mike and I meet with Dr DeGrauw for Madison's followup appointment. It was a good meeting and you always learn something new. At this appointment we learned the a child's mylin (fatty tissue that surrounds the brain) grows rapidly about 75% in the first year of life and in the second year of life the remaining 25% finishes...so with that being said, Madison's last MRI showed that her mylin was at about a 16-18th progression so we thought that she would be getting an MRI done next month but as it turns out he wants to wait another YEAR so we will continue to pray that her brain/body heals itself and we will return to Cincinnati Children's for her 4th MRI in Oct 2009. We also found out that her difficult sleeping is due to the apraxia/low tone so we can give her Melatonin on a daily basis...hopefully, her 3-4x a night of waking is reduced to 0 or 1x a night....We will be running a celiac disease panel on her next month. We are wondering if her little body has any intolerances to gulten and caesin. Lastly, we have put Madison on Depakote (epiletic medication)....somehow the last time we left the office we weren't under the impression that Depakote prevents febrile seizures....this visit we were...so after much debate, research and prayer we have decided to put her on Depakote and monitor her liver function....we are hoping by the time she turns 5 she grows out of the febrile seizure disorder....keep your fingers crossed!!!!