say cheeeeeese!

Alexa is going to be 2 in less than a month.  It's hard to believe that 2 long years have already gone by.  She seems so little to me still my baby in every way.  I know she will always be my baby but now she's a toddler!  While preparing for this birthday I cant help thinking how many more birthdays will we have her for.  They say her prognosis is bleak and that we'll be lucky if she sees her 6th birthday, but I cant help thinking she's going to prove them all wrong.  This year we are doing a farm party as Alexa LOVES animals, especially horses.  I've been making all the party decorations by hand to save money, and it makes me feel good like I'm closer to her somehow, it's just more personal I guess. Next week Kaylie and I are going to try to make a pinata. this could be a big fail, let's see how that turns out...

Alexa has had quite a busy week.  On Sunday we went to the zoo with my cousin's wonderful family and my sister and Kira.  The kids all dressed up in their halloween costumes and went trick or treating at the zoo.  This was a huge hit for Alexa.  She loves animals so much.  Last week we really brushed up on all our animal signs and she was able to sign a lot of the animals, not all but who really knows what an audad is anyway?  We made it just in time to see the Elephants stomp.  Apparently elephants really love pumpkins and there was a whole bunch hidden all over the place.  They would find the pumpkin and then crush it somehow.  Alexa loved this.  She's been signing elephant all week to everyone she sees.  Alexa's favorite animal at the zoo was ready for this...  a chicken!  She thought the chicken at the little petting area was hilarious.  It was so nice to see her so happy.  Thse are the moments I treasure most. 

I wish I could say the rest of our week was as wonderful as Sunday.  On Saturday night Alexa started having cold symptoms.  For her a cold is devestating.  She is up all night needing lots and lots of suctioning.  For those of you who have never seen suctioning completed before lets just say nasty, and leave it at that.  She has been so uncomfortable and breathing is more of a struggle, especially when she is lying down and cant seem to get all the junk up.  On Monday night she was especially fussy it seemed like I couldnt find anyway to comfort her.  Eventually I medicated her and then let her cry for a while.  Turns out she was in a lot of pain, as her eardrum ruptured that night.  I realized this the next day when I saw some nasty stuff stuck in her hair and upon closer inspection realized her ear was full of pus, blood and drainage.  Poor baby.  After talking to her ENT doc they said she needed to be seen and if it were a ruptured ear drum then we would need to put tubes in her ears.  Just another surgery to add to her list.  We went to the ER and of course they diagnosed her and put her on antibiotics yet again.  Meanwhile her cold just seems to be getting worse.  If it doesnt clear up by next week we'll take her in to get x-rayed since she is such a high risk for pneumonia.  I'm hoping that since she's already on antibiotics that maybe that will help clear any other infection that might try to take advantage of her weakened state. 

Alexa and sweet Isabella

Monday was a busy day for us as well as we had to drive to Springfield for 3 appoinments.  Good news her cardiologist says her heart defect hasnt gotten any worse, and that we just continue monitoring it.  Pulmonolgy wants to do yet another sleep study.  Will they give that a rest already?  I think we're up to 5 sleep studies and countless other tests that dont really seem to tell us anything.  Needless to say little love was very tired when we got home and then we had to get dressed in their costumes and head over to Meme and Poppy's for dinner with the cousins.  It's so nice seeing them all together (Kaylie, Alexa, Ella, and Kira) between them we had Princess Belle, a bumblebee, fairy and a peacock, respectively, so very cute.   They were so cute trick or treating.  Alexa would just let the older kids say trick or treat holding her little bucket out, and when she got her candy she would sign thank you.   It was a very nice night.

In between all this action we had early interventions come 4 times to our house.  Kaylie was sick with a terrible cold, and we had to continue with her school.  Thankfully I'm only getting cold symptoms now, and Kevin is here to help. 

Alexa loves to push Gabe (our cat) around in the stroller

Kevin starts his new job next week.  I cant believe he'll be home like a normal person.  He'll be working the 3-1130 shift, but it'll be nice having him come home to us at the end of the night.  The IRS is kind of frustrating as it left us to the last minute before we had any real details.  Like when his start date was what shift he was on and so on.  We were under the impression that he would be training on first shift, but apparently that is on second shift as well.  We had just set up the family sign classes for Wed evenings that day, and I had to email them right back and switch our schedule completely around.  How embarassing.  Apparently we'll be recieving 20 2 hour class sessions.  Hopefully I'll be able to really pick up a lot and be able to communicate much more freely with Alexa so we can teach her.

Yesterday was my birthday and Kev and I went on a date!  With no kids...  This is only the 3rd time we have been away from Alexa since she was born, and it was so nice.  We went out for Tai food, and even did a little shopping.  I was able to get my hair cut, which may seem small but it has been over a year since i did that.  Alexa was very concerned as to where all my hair went when she saw me.  She kept touching it and babbling, then she just started laughing.  What a silly kid.