Overall, that has been the case here. Other than the horrible bout with croup at the beginning of the year, Bryce has been relatively healthy. He even seems to have a little more strength than he has for a long time. Yes, I am knocking on wood as I write this! I am just so thankful that this has been the case. The only thing we have been doing differently is that we have been feeding him more and more real food by way of a blended diet. Although I have NO idea if this makes any difference or not, I like to believe it does! : ) I hope that he will continue to stay healthy as he begins his journey as a Kindergartner on Monday!
Yes, he will be starting kindergarten this coming Monday and Annalise will start preschool. I am so not ready for school to start again! I know they will both love it though, and that is what makes it all okay. Annalise will be in the same preschool class as Bryce was for the last 2 and a half years. It's nice to know the teachers already and know that I like group there. I was sad to hear that one of the aides there, Karen, has transferred to another school. She was always so good with Bryce and even involved him in playing soccer with the other kids.
As for Annalise, she continues to move along...although a bit slower and more labored these days. A couple of months ago, she and her oldest brother had Hand, Foot, and Mouth virus. They ran a fever and had a mouth full of horribly painful cancer sore like blisters. Although Annalise's symptoms seemed to clear up much faster than William's, she never has quite regained the strength that she had before she became sick. For at least a month, I kept the hope that her regression was nothing more than lingering effects of the illness that she would soon "get better" from. Unfortunately, it looks like that is not the case. She is still able to walk in her walker, but for much shorter periods of time. Her legs have become super tight again and she scissors constantly as she tries to move. That along with her overall weakness makes it a challenge for her to move her little walker forward. She will often walk for a very short distance and then say, "I just so tired, mommy. I need you hold me." We have had to use her wheelchair for her much more often when we are out. It breaks my heart. We are also having a harder time understanding her. She slurs her words a bit more and has a hard time getting enough breath out to make the sounds come out at various times throughout the day. Don't get me wrong though, she is still a little fighter and she continues to try hard to do everything she possibly can...by herself whenever possible!
I will be updating with some cute pictures and fun videos from our most recent trip very soon. One funny thing Annalise did the other day: we had just finished dinner and she was dunking the rest of her roll in her cup of water. I cleared a few dishes and as I came back I saw her pour the cup of murky water right over her head. As she sat there, hair covered in water and pieces of soggy roll, she said, "I take a bubble bath!" She then picked up her peach slice that was sitting on her plate and running it across her hair, she said, "and now I combing my hair!" She cracks me up!
