I've been working on watching/listening to 36 hours of training for foster training, to renew our foster care license.
During one of those broadcasts, Anthony was playing under the table with his blocks.
Blocks on the bench, while Anthony is under the table.
One class was 5+ hours and on brain development.
It was outdated and LONG, but was fascinating!
After all the medical stuff we've endured the past 5 years, so many things made so much sense and make me want to do more to help ALL our children have healthier brains!
He was excited to eat these fresh cookies, even though some were burnt!
Kelly's school had a homecoming day with an 80's theme.
Hard to tell in this picture, but she really had herself dressed like and looking like Madonna.
One evening, Anthony was bringing a stack of plates to the table for dinner and tripped.
No plates broke (thankfully!), but he did hit his chin and bite his tongue.
It was a long bite, but he was eating dinner within 20 minutes.
He didn't stop bleeding though, for about 30 minutes.
I called our pediatrician as their office was closing, to make sure they wouldn't need to do stitches because it was such a long bite. Because there's NO WAY Anthony would tolerate that unsedated.
The nurse laughed with me (at the idea) and said to keep watching his tongue for a few days and make sure it didn't get infected.
He was eating popcorn that night, and was fine. Whew!!
One day, Anthony stripped down to his pullup and put on a hat and grabbed a bag.
He decided he was going on an adventure.
For Kelly's homecoming dress, I was making a sample one, to make sure the pattern would fit right and would look decent.
It turned out AWFUL!
Since I only half-way finished this one 2 days before the dance, I sent Kelly to look at the store, and if there weren't any there, we'd go to the mall that night.
If no luck there, we'd make another pattern the next day.
Thankfully, the first store had a dress that would work!
And, it was on SALE!!
During my foster care training hours, I've been letting Anthony watch some more educational movies.
He loved Disney movies while going through chemo.
Now that he's learning so much so quickly, I started having him watch Sesame Street and Dora.
He likes Elmo and talks to him.
He says Dora too!
The bus dropped off Anthony one day and the driver was warning me that Anthony must have wanted to have more color. I was worried that he colored all over himself.
He just had made a blue line on his nose.
Kinda cute, I think.
Our minivan needs some engine repair and our station wagon needed brakes.
Enough so that I didn't feel comfortable bringing Anthony across the mountains for his hearing test.
I just couldn't get a spare morning to bring the car in!
So, I got a rental car for the trip.
I think it was a 2013 model of Ford Escape.
Not a great color (my opinion), but it was SO FUN!!
Moonroof, too many buttons to figure out in 2 days, and so much space, along with the cargo space.
FUN, FUN, FUN!!
Someday I'll get a new car.
Anytime Anthony's had any procedure with anesthesia, they've been super careful about cold/cough symptoms. If there are ANY, even a tiny cough, they WILL NOT put him under sedation.
His Down syndrome makes him have smaller and floppier airways than typical children, and it just isn't safe or worth sedating him unless it's a life-saving procedure or very important chemo.
So, Anthony and I had a nasty cold for a couple weeks before his hearing test.
The hearing test was to be under sedation, with electrodes measuring his brain hearing nerve responses to sound, to determine what and how much he can hear.
I didn't want to drive over to Seattle if he was just going to be sent home and have the procedure rescheduled because he had a runny nose 2 days before.
We went to our local doctor to have him listen to Anthony's heart and lungs.
All sounded clear, no fevers, and only one cough per every couple hours.
So, our odds were good that they would sedate him.
We got to Seattle and everything went fine.
Coming out of anesthesia though, Anthony signed "Mom" first thing.
He fussed at the nurses enough, they had me come back to comfort him.
Parents are very rarely allowed back in the first recovery room.
This was my second time being brought back for him.
I think he's figured out the system.
One thing I learned is that the anesthesiologist does not stay in the operating room during the whole procedure.
I figured with all the hoops they have us jump through for safety with Anthony with his small airways and heart weakness, they wouldn't leave his side.
I was eating lunch in the cafeteria while Anthony was in the OR.
Walking out, I saw our anesthesiologist. I turned around twice to make sure I wasn't hallucinating, then called my good friend who is a nurse.
I was shaking and didn't know what to do!
She reassured me that once a child is hooked up to all their monitors and is safely "asleep," there is enough team members in the operating room for the anesthesiologist to leave.
The monitors will catch any issues, and the team has the expertise to take care of him.
Whew! Scary.
Anthony still has severe to profound hearing loss in one ear (deaf in that ear, basically) and it is permanent hearing loss.
The other ear actually improved by one point!
This means Anthony might get a sign language interpreter in his school!
On our way back over the mountains, we stopped at a McDonalds and gas station.
I saw someone's paycheck on the ground and brought it into the McDonald's.
The employee was so relieved and didn't even realize she had lost it!
Look at that face!
Our friends brought us a couple buckets of YUMMY apples and so Maggie has made a couple of pies.
They are so delicious!
Waiting for Lilly or Maggie, Anthony was creative with his cars.
Lilly tried out a new hairdo.
and facedoo
Our lawnmower needed new parts, but it took a month for them to come.
Andy had to mow each line 4 times to get it the right height.
We went to the Wings 'n Wheels Festival in East Wenatchee.
At the obstacle course, Anthony went under each thing only after the junior high student did.
Josh was dressed like Wayne's World.
Coastal Farm and Ranch provided a small petting area, with a horse and goats.
Anthony loved the goats after his initial consternation.
He followed them around, with his arm around their backs, and petted them.
He supervised other people feeding the goats, but wouldn't do it himself.
The girls got some bracelets and tattoos at the fire station.
We all had fun going to the station too.
I didn't get a pre-homecoming picture of Kelly and her date, not my fault!
Here she is after she got home.
Apple Blossom Floral made her beautiful corsage!
We love them.
While watching General Conference, my good friend AnnaGene thought I could use some love and brought her famous, delicious cinnamon rolls over.
They were so good, and such a great treat!
I had/have been ill for about 6 weeks now, and have had no energy, plus body aches.
It was so nice to be thought of.
Penny was yawning, not eating Anthony.
He just likes hats and red bags.
Lilly posing.
It's always fun when Daniel comes over to visit.
Anthony was pretty interested in what Daniel was creating.
Anthony telling Maggie what to do with Woody after her meet.
He charmed a woman from another school district and "made" her pick him up, then hugged her.
I was worried she was holding him for a long time since he's heavy and hurts backs.
She was not concerned, and actually said he made her day.
Looking at shadows
We painted the black trim on our front porch.
Anthony wanted to climb as high as his daddy.
Daniel stopped by again.
The day before, he left an hour before the mail came, with the package he'd been waiting for.
Daniel was making a poster for Kelly's school.
Boy bonding with video games.
