The Fourth

Abby plugs her ears for the 3-Gun salute after the reading of the Declaration of Independence!

Patrick puts the tent up- a 4th of July tradition. The kids stayed up playing cards and Monopoly.

Margaret and Abby enjoyed the sprinkler at the park.

What a wonderful day. The kids were really good and the weather was great. In the morning, we went to town and the kids pushed Abby on her tricycle around Davis Street to see a car show. We watched a ceremony in the town square with reenactors and a choir singing patriotic songs and walked to the park. Then, we had a little bbq at our house for Bubby, grand-father and Mrs. Bower, my library-aide from work and her husband. The food was excellent and we really enjoyed the company. The big kids slept in the tent outside and we enjoyed the fireworks display our neighbors put on. It was a perfect day! Happy Birthday USA and God Bless America!

Summer Fun

Abby has discovered chocolate pudding! Messy, but it doesn't melt fast like Popsicles or ice cream cones.

Eating ice cream at Hackley's Store has also been a big hit this summer! We've also enjoyed going to the park, the library and berry picking.

The big kids enjoyed the pool at their camp- Belle Meade. For the first two weeks of summer, they both attended and enjoyed hiking, fishing and swimming in the pool and Rappahanock River.

We've also enjoyed "letter boxing" through the local library. This is our third year participating and it's a great summer activity. We follow clues to find "boxes" hidden at special places all over the county and then keep a rubber stamp log of all the boxes we've found.

Last week Patrick attended "sleep-away" Bible camp for the 3rd year in a row. He was happy to see several buddy's from school and enjoyed the missionary from China the best.

Margaret went to Camp Culley again this year at the local museum and learned about Culpeper history. Abby enjoyed picking her up each day and participating in some of the activities. She also enjoyed spending time with the museum cat Missy-bits who just had kittens. On the last day, the kids made a hobo stew over the camp fire and had an awards ceremony. Margaret earned the "noisiest camper" award. Great!

Father's Day Pics

Enjoyed the most beautiful weather Father's Day weekend. AP and Patrick were at the All Stars tournament Sat. and Sunday mornings, so we didn't see too much of the boys.

The girls and I gardened and cleaned the porch most of the weekend. I painted the floor Sat. night while everyone was sleeping. It looked really nice for a Sunday evening Father's Day party for Patrick. The girls made and decorated a chocolate cake for Patrick and Pops who had come out for the soccer games. The kids all made cards for Patrick and they played a family card game while I watered the flowers.

Bubby came Sunday and painted the girls nails while I worked out. Abby is doing really well with her walking and her speech seems to be back to normal. She still seems a tiny bit off balance, but her come-back made a wonderful Father's Day gift for the whole family to enjoy.

Abby gets sick and gets better, thanks be to the Lord!

Taught Abby how to do a "thumbs-up." This pic was taken at 5 am. She couldn't eat solids after 6 am so I woke her up early. She loved the Cinnamon Toast Crunch!

Dadu left the house within fifteen minutes of hearing Abby was headed to surgery. He drove til 1 am to get to the hospital! It was great having him here to help with the big kids and visit with Abby.

Abby wakes from her spinal tap. We were SO relieved she was singing and being silly...

Since we had to leave unexpectedly, a co-worker of mine took the big kids home and Bubby picked them up after she got out of work. She watched the big kids all weekend for us and brought them to visit Abby in the hospital on Sunday. It's great to have such support! Pops drove for hours and hours to visit too and Abby just lit up seeing her family. We also got visits from our pastors, which meant so much to us.

We pulled Abby in a wagon to get around and I even dug out the old baby carrier which she loved being in again.

It all started with a fever... which got up to 105.7, so I took her to the ER in town. She was hallucinating and it was quite frightening. I felt so bad for her, she was absolutely on fire. The next day we followed up with the pediatrian and she tested positive for Strep. He was suspicious that it was Strep because Strep doesn't cause such high fevers, but he started her on antibiotics. Three days later and her fever was just as high. Then she started walking strangely and a few hours later she wouldn't bear weight at all. Unfortunately, the doctor was out that day and I couldn't get her in until the next afternoon. At that point he sent us back to Culpeper hospital for bloodwork. It was awful, they couldn't get any blood drawn from her little veins and it was very traumatic for us both. When she wasn't walking or bearing weight the next day either, he told me to take her immediately to the UVA Children's Hospital in Charlottesville.

She was evaluated by the orthepedic team and they felt that she had a bacteria in her hip, which was very serious. After trying unsuccessfully to get blood (another traumatic and unsuccessful experience), they rushed her into the OR for an emergency procedure to drain the hip. Luckily, they didn't find any bacteria so they didn't need to flush her hips out. They still needed to determine why she wasn't walking, but at least the worst case senario was ruled out by Day 2 at the hospital.

After several days (a cat scan, spinal tap and an MRI) they diagnosed Abby with a virally induced cerebellar ataxia from which she should fully recover. As we understand it, her cerebellum (that part of the brain that coordinates motor skills) was likely inflamed due to a general viral infection, which caused problems with speech, coordination and balance. The MRI (taken yesterday) did not show any swelling, likely because it had already subsided and/or she was missing spinal fluid due to a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) from the day before. The MRI also showed a Chiari I Malformation that could have contributed to the problem by putting pressure on her spinal cord. This is a congenital defect where a small portion of the cerebellum sticks down into the cavity where her spinal cord enters her skull. It shouldn't have any long term impact on her, although we do have to follow up over the summer to meet with a neurosurgeon to learn more and have additional MRIs in the future to keep tabs on it. Her prognosis is good. She is expected to recover fully over time with the help of some PT and possibly some speech therapy. The doctors at UVA were great overall, and it was clear they really cared about their patients. Most of the nurses were great, too, as were the PT and Occupational Therapy folks. She got to attend “preschool” on Mon. and Tues. morning and there is a huge terrace with cars to drive and slides and other games for the kids to play. Friday and Sat. were horrible, but by Sunday almost all of the bad scenarios had been ruled out and Abby was starting to walk again. One of the biggest blessings for us was that Abby's recovery was triggered by a visit from several of her grandparents but especially Margaret and Patrick on Sunday. They were really worried about her, and she lit up when she saw them and started walking. The effect was so profound, that the doctors decided against keeping her longer (in a transitional facility for pediatric physical therapy) in order to get her home with her family, as they felt that would speed her recovery.

PT started this week, and I don't think we'll need many sessions. Since Abby used to have a therapist when she was little (she didn't roll over or sit up) the same lady is going to keep tabs on us over the summer. Over the last few days she's started walking again on her own and even has a swing in her step. She's started doing her funny dances and going up and down the stairs. She stumbles a bit and isn't running or jumping yet like she used to, but it's just a matter of time.

Thank you for your prayers and support. We are VERY blessed.

Spring pics of the girls

The girls go to the park to feed the ducks and play on the playground.

Abby brushes "Furby" our neighbor. Furby comes to visit when he hears the kids jumping on the trampoline.

Abby fills our new pool.

Memorial Day Weekend Parade and Potty Training Update

Margaret's Brownie troop marched in the Fireman's parade Memorial Day week. Abby, AP and I went out to Mexican and then waited for Margaret to march by. Abby was quite disappointed she wasn't marching too. She was so fascinated by the murals in the Mexican restaurant she let me do "pretty braids" like the ladies on the walls. When I told her they had "gold hoops" in their ears she kept asking for "gold poops" too. At the parade, she got so excited seeing "Sissy" that she jumped up and joined in! AP had to chase her down!

BTW- she is potty trained now!! She no longer wears diapers (except at night- although she is waking up dry- so I may stop doing that soon too). Now, what do do with the boxes of pull ups I have still?

Here are some pics of her with her buddy Josh, who she stays with when I am at work:

Miss Jennifer (Josh's mom) said that this week Abby and Josh went into the bathroom together to poop and insisted on closing the door. She heard Josh tell Abby he was putting his poops in the potty and Abby said "Good job Joshy, I'm proud of you!"

It brings back memories of me and Willy Hopkins in the bathtub at age 3...

What we've been up to lately...

Culpeper Spring Fling: sand art, clown, balloons, fire trucks, Thomas the Tank, a petting zoo, popcorn, etc!

A car for Abby from a consignment sale, and an easel too!

"London Bridges Falling Down..."

Margaret got into the spirit of things at the Burgandine House, the oldest home in Culpeper during the recent "Remembrance Days," the 250 anniversary celebration of our town. We saw Revolutionary and Civil War war encampment, and got to sit in WWII fighter planes at the county airport.

After a soccer game and kite festival, Abby enjoyed trying out the chop sticks at an all you can eat Chinese buffet during lunch with Bubby and the rest of us one spring Saturday.

Patrick's happy AP is almost heavy enough to cut the grass! Still not quite there though, every time he leaned forward the engine cut off. Margaret enjoyed catching a ride, but Abby preferred to sit back, eat spaghetti and watch the action.

Most of the practices and games have been rained out lately, but in this one that did take place, AP finished the game playing goalie, a position he's always wanted to try but never got a chance to. His team still won, but his coach will probably keep him in mid-field! Our neighbor is taking AP to a DC United game today with her traveling girls soccer team- needless to say- he's thrilled!

Margaret had a double ear infection and sinus infection this week. She hasn't been able to hear that well, which made lessons this week a bit difficult, but it is clearing up. All of the kids are suffering from allergies. She had another lesson today and is at her friend Barbara's birthday this afternoon.

I've taken the kids to the pool a couple of times the last couple of weeks after not going once over the winter. Abby is doing great, and the more I take them, the more comfortable the girls get, so I'm planning on taking them every week over the summer.

Counting down the days to summer!