It's been a while since I last posted. Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day!
We got Jenna's Valentine's off for the kids in her class. I tried to explain to her that they were for her friends, but she wasn't really into the whole thing. But when she got home from school, she was in a really chipper mood, so she must have understood that it was a special day.
She was the same way when she got home from school last week after a field trip to the stock show at the rodeo (hey, we're in Texas now and the rodeo is a huge deal here!). She kept saying, "Yee-Haw!" It was really funny. Then she asked for "cowboy" and I wasn't quite sure what to do... if only I had a cowboy hat... :)
So anyways, she came home with lots of little Valentine's, which brought back memories from my own elementary school experiences. I remember one year my friend and I made our own Valentine's hearts to pass out in class - we were so proud of them! I also remember making paper plate pouches in class with our names on them and lots of little pink and red hearts decorating the front. And of course I remember looking for hidden meaning behind the words sloppily written on the inside by the boys... so silly!
While Jenna was at school, I took Hannah and Cohen out for a Valentine's lunch. Then I let Hannah pick out some candy for Valentine's day. Of course some of it scattered all over the kitchen floor, but that's okay, she was having fun. And she picked out chocolate covered raisins, of all things, because they were in a Dora heart :) At least part of it was healthy!
These last few weeks have been really hectic. I'm going through the teacher credential program and writing for the magazine. We've also been making some new friends and keeping busy. We had some company for dinner on Friday night and on Saturday, we went out for an early Valentine's dinner with another couple from our special needs support group. They used to live in California for a while, and he used to be stationed at the same military base Craig was - they were there at the same time and are in similar career fields. We went to a nice Mexican food restaurant, then out for ice cream. Ironically, though, we talked a lot about our kids, who were all at a respite event, playing together. This worked out really well - both the girls enjoyed it and all of the kids were really active so Jenna felt comfortable.
And we made it to church on Sunday! I was so happy to be there and again, the kids did well. Then we braved some shopping and finally got some more things for our house. This has been a slow-going project and it seems like I never have the time or energy to go out shopping any more. Jenna did not like it, of course, which always makes shopping nerve-wracking! And we've been trying anti-anxiety medication, which has been keeping Jenna up at night - like we needed less sleep than we were already NOT getting! So we might say sayonara (sp?) to that and just deal with the anxiety. Not sure yet... but we will try to do whatever is best for Jenna.
Then there is my handsome little guy, Cohen, who refuses to eat or take a bottle. He gags on the food we are trying to introduce to him, which makes me nervous. The pediatrician said intubated babies don't like thick stuff going down their throats, which makes sense. But I'm getting a little worried, especially since she referred him to a developmental specialist, citing "some evident delays." I didn't know you could even tell this early, but apparently, there are certain things they look for. And the CT Scan he had at birth tells us absolutely nothing, as it turns out. We need an MRI to rule out certain kinds of brain damage. Well, what the heck? Here I was thinking he was in the clear. It's hard to think about all the possibilities because it makes me want to cry. And I don't want to cry all the time. I want to be stronger than that. So I am optimistic. I am praying. Your prayers are also welcome! His developmental appointment is on March 5th, so expect a post about that!
And my mom is coming out soon! I am so excited because I miss her and I know my kids will be so thrilled to have her here. I love watching them get all riled up in her presence.
I think that's it for now. Thanks for checking up on us.
