Top Ten

So I am ready to starting posting again. I have taken some time off, just getting adjusted to our new schedules. We have had some wonderful things happen in our lives. Things nevertheless are still hard sometimes, I guess as expected. However God has been very good to us recently and has taken care of both girls.
We flew through fall with ease, decorated our home for the holidays, and are now preparing for a long break from school and Christmas next week. I wanted to send a Top Ten list and some photos to keep everyone updated on our family.

1) Clara had eye surgery in September to correct her Strabismus. The muscles in her eyes were to too strong and caused both eyes to turn in or out and rotate up and down. The surgery was at the Duke Eye Center, which is a new facility they have added to the hospital. We saw a difference immediately, and Clara did too I think. I notice she doesn't startle as much, and recognizes faces and things more. All her therapists just say it has really helped, with everything she does. Her little personality has just really opened up! She is nearsighted so probably when Clara is 3 we will begin to talk about glasses.

2) I started a new job at a different school teaching art. God just placed this opportunity right in my lap. I started the school year subbing in the art room part time at a community school near our house. They were looking for a full time art teacher, as the teacher left. After about two months, we worked out the position as a job share. I work three days a week, and spend the other two days with Clara. This time home allows me to be apart of all her therapies, and doctors appointment. It also allows me to have time, well to be....me and do something I love... teach! Leaving my other school was one of the hardest decisions I ever made. God had placed the idea on my heart, and with an huge leap of faith I chose to leave teaching. I consider this opportunity a blessing, a gift.

3) Madeline had a rocky start of school with her diabetes. Her blood sugar was all over the place. It seemed to be just a guessing game. About the time we would adjust her insulin, we would have to adjust again. Just about a week ago she started wearing a Dexcom, which monitors her blood sugar continuously. I am not sure how I feel about it yet. It has given a lot of false positives, especially at night. It has although caught a couple of lows before she would get sick, and has shown some trends.

4) In October our family participated in Madeline's first ever JDRF One Walk. Our team Madeline's March raised over $1,700 for JDRF, which in turn will be used for research for Type One Diabetes. It was an awesome day! We had about 40 people that walked with us. Friends, Family, and even her teacher came and joined us. It made Maddie feel very special to have a day all about her. It put a positive spin on her disease, which has her at times very sad. I think seeing so many other people that have it too, made her feel less alone. It also gave her real HOPE for a  CURE for T1D.

5) Jason recently passed both lieutenant exams and will hopefully soon be promoted. We are so proud of him!

6) Halloween was super fun. Madeline had her set on a million things, but decided on a pirate costume. Clara was kinda a pirate too. She really enjoyed the stroller rides and being outside.

7) Clara is now receiving about four therapies. PT, OT, Speech/feeding, and Vision. Her development is moving at a slow pace. She is still not sitting independently. She has starting rolling from time to time from back to belly. She still is full of smiles and happiness, but shows us everyday she is very much two. She was acquired many new pieces of equipment at home. A stander, high low chair, and just today and crawler.

8) Clara had her 5th surgery scheduled December 5th, to get her tonsils, adenoids out, check her hearing with an ABR, check her airway, and a few more things. However the very night before she starting running a fever with a virus and surgery was cancelled. The surgery was something I had been waiting for so it was disappointing to know we would have to wait. Luckily just a week later we got a call that her ENT Dr. Z. could fit her in on January 5th. We are so thankful for such a quick turn around with a date as I know Tuesdays are not his day in the ER.

9) Madeline just turned 8! She celebrated again at home with friends with an art party. It turned out to be a beautiful day in December to paint, play outside and even have a picnic. I remember the day we brought her home from the hospital it was unseasonably warm day too. That warm day was one of the greatest days of my life, to know that sweet baby was all mine. It seemed I blinked and the years flew by.

10) December 13 was Clara's two year anniversary of her tracheotomy. Her ENTs and other specialists have begun to talk about reconstruction in the spring of her airway with a possible removal of the trach. He has discussed his plan, with the tonsil and adenoids removal being apart of that. Probably in the winter again she will have another broncoscopy to see her airway again and assess. All of this leaves me feeling...anxious and scared. .I have been so ready for so long to get it out and move on. However I now want the time to be right for Clara. Such a big surgery for a little girl and such a big apart of her possibly taken out. It's hard to think what it might be like without the trach, teh equipment and without all her nurses in our home. They have become apart of our family. As much as it was a life altering thing to have them here almost two year ago, it will again be life altering when they leave. I continue to take each day at a time, knowing anything can happen.

These are 10 super things going on with the four of us. I hope to start writing again. Thanks for reading, if you still do :)