December is here!

I have no idea how it is Thursday already. And December 1st, too?! Will somebody do my Christmas shopping for me please? I feel like my head is spinning. Literally! This week I learned that the dizziness and extreme fatigue I've been feeling off and on since last summer is due to inner ear damage (??). My inner ear (balance) is not communicating well with my vision, and therefore causing a list of lovely symptoms that interfere with my everyday life. This week has been the worst of it, and I feel like I'm about to lose my mind! I've started vestibular rehab (very similar to what Elijah does, coincidentally), so I'm hoping this will eventually help.

Another disappointing part of the week is that Elijah is not only still pooping his pants frequently, but now he has reverted back to peeing in them, as well. UGH! I don't even have words to express how frustrating this is. I've had people say, "He'll do it when he's ready!" Well, yes, trust me, I understand that, but goodness, he's almost five! That and, he knows how to use the potty. He just chooses not to do so.

Sammy is in love with the Baby Signing Time videos. It is adorable! He asks to watch them constantly by doing the sign for BABY and saying, "BWAA-BWAA," which is his way of singing the baby signing time song. He can do most of the signs on the videos, and thoroughly enjoys watching them. They were always some of Elijah's favorites as a baby, too. In fact, Elijah still enjoys watching them!

A couple quick funnies..

Elijah has been reading like crazy lately. He even gives the tougher words a try. On the yogurt he was eating the other night, he was trying to make sense of "99% fat-free!" His first attempt was: "Ninety-nine dollars February!" :)

One of Elijah's recent hobbies involves watching videos I have recorded over the years of him and Sammy. He will sit at the computer and watch them repeatedly. He loves them! In one of the videos I took while he was in the hospital last summer, I tripped over some of his lines while filming and let a "Crap!" slip out of my mouth. Of course, our smartypants boy picked up on that and has been heard saying that very word in recent days. I've explained that I shouldn't have said it and that I don't want him saying it. The other day he tripped over something and started to cry, then stopped himself, yelled, "CWAP!" and continued crying. THEN, at the dinner table, he said, "So. Mom. What word you said?" I said, "I don't know what you're talking about." I could hear him sounding out the letters under his breath, "Cuh-Cruh-ah-ap," and then he said, "It starts with a C and ends with a P????? With an R and A in the middle????" Oh my goodness, it was so hard not to die laughing! Since then, we have been working on having him say BUMMER instead. So far there's about a 50% success rate. We'll keep working on reversing the damage I've done.

That's about all I've got today. Thanks for checking in!

Still photoless

I have been so bad about taking pictures lately (there is a reason for that...I will explain at a later date), and I always feel bad publishing photoless posts. Our computer has also been out of commission, so that's another reason why we have been fairly absent.

Will you pray with us this week for another HEALTHY week for Elijah? His heart cath is a week from today, so his health is very important leading up to that. I really hate to wish time away, but I am eager to be beyond November 9th. Sometimes I wish they would spring hospitalizations/procedures on us so we wouldn't have time to worry.

We didn't really celebrate Halloween this year, aside from eating a ton of candy and treats (and continuing to do so). I think Elijah is still too young to enjoy it and I was getting tired of buying $20+ costumes that he wore for three minutes. Next year!

Elijah is doing great! We are SO THANKFUL for his good health lately. He never showed a single symptom from being exposed to the flu a few weeks ago (thank you, Tamiflu). He is talking more and more every day and he is showing a ton of interest in walking. We're at least a couple months away from full-fledged independent walking, but it is so nice to see this new confidence that he has.

I'll end for now with a funny story from last night. I was sitting in the chair in Elijah's room with him before bed and he had his head resting on my shoulder. In the middle of saying prayers he started fake snoring. I said, "What are you doing, silly?" and he laughed like a crazy man and kept doing it. I love this age. It's so much fun!