"And I came home, like a stone, and I fell heavy into your arms...."

Hello friends and family!  I haven't written on this in AGES AND AGES because I've been too overwhelmed to sit down and write, and because I was afraid I'd sit here and start complaining, and I'm just not that into that (not on the blog anyway).  Adam's deployment is FINALLY over, and this past year has been busy with....

 

mischief...

 

 

house cleaning, thanks to my amazing family...

(*Thank you all again!!)

 

 

trick or treating...

 

new glasses (that she hardly ever wears, but we're trying to get better about it!)...

tchanksgiving celebration...

 

Sarai having an awesome first year in pre-school thanks to her amazing teachers!...

 

 

the best grandmother ever went on her way to heaven...

 Christmas happened...

many Mim visits to help me out at home...

 



 lots of time was spent on international phone calls...

 

Easter ...

 

 

 hair cuts were put off...

 

 

until we were finally together again...

 

(You probably already saw that, but I'm sharing again just in case.)

 

 



It has been a long and difficult year, there is just no way to pull punches there.  I've felt alone and isolated.  I was sure we would get some respite assistance for childcare.  I spent  hours and hours (which probably adds up to days) on the phone, filling out paperwork, sending letters and applications, and got absolutely no where.  My mom even put me in contact with someone from the Pentagon, and I called a local congress woman... nothing.  It's just been a frustrating and emotional year.  We couldn't be more happy that it's behind us.

The kids really picked up where they left off with Adam.  We both thought a year ago that this would be a difficult transition, but not at all really. 

He's such a good daddy though, how could they resist?!

Like I said, Sarai's first year at pre-school went well.  We pulled her out of the class she was in last summer and put her in a regular pre-school.  She has a teacher who stays with her and she is just SO wonderful.  Honestly, thank God for her.  She's amazing.  Sarai loves her class and going to school.  The kids are amazing with her.  It's hard for me to not have other parents there who have kids with special needs too, but I just see her thriving in this environment, it's been great.

Do you remember how we were doing patterning with Sarai last spring?  Or Neurological Reorganization with the guy from Boston?  Around November I realized it was just too much to handle with Adam gone.  Her tone was increasing, and she was regressing in some skills (not climbing the stairs anymore and hardly crawling on all fours, and I had a total freak out).  We found another approach with a similar philosophy (retraining the brain), but without much intense work at home.  It's called Feldenkrais, and it's helped her to regain the skills she temporarily lost.  We also got rid of traditional physical therapy altogether, sort of unheard of!  And suddenly she's crawling on all fours MUCH more, and can get herself into a sitting position.  She's constantly crawling up on furniture, and sometimes climbs right up, turns herself around and sits down to watch TV.  She's never done that before! 

Even with the improvements, slow and steady, her therapists (she sees two Feldenkrais practitioners) felt her tone is just too much.  Long story short, Sarai will actually be having surgery on Tuesday.  It's a minimally invasive, percutaneous, outpatient procedure.  She'll be doing it right in North Jersey.  If you could find some time to say a prayer that the surgery is successful and that her recovery is quick and painless, we'd greatly appreciate it!  She'll be in leg casts for the rest of the summer, so no swimming for my little fish!  But I'm very hopeful that this will be a great thing for her.

We've also been bringing her to a health kinesiologist.  If you thought we were off-the-beaten-medical-path before, you have no idea!  This woman, who I really like, has confirmed that Sarai is pretty much allergic to everything.  Wheat, oats, dairy, CORN.... did you know that corn is in EVERYTHING??  I'd love to tell you what she told me about Sarai and "the angels that are surrounding her," but I'll save that for later.  Just pray that her angles continue to try to help her out, and that Sarai listens to them.  I think she might be starting! 

Caleb is good, so happy to have his dad back home!

 

And of course I couldn't be happier myself!  Please keep Sarai in your prayers as we get ready for her surgery on Tuesday!  I'll keep you posted!  Thank you!  xoxo