Nothing really worth posting about but I promised I would...

I've sat down at my computer every day since I last posted, with the full intention of following through with the goals I listed for myself this year, but each time I've done so I realize I have nothing interesting to write about.  My days are pretty mundane, following the same routine every day.  Wake up, feed the kids breakfast, play until Cale's therapists arrive or take him to school, eat lunch, take a nap, make dinner, and go to bed.  Winter, I've discovered, is far less exciting as an adult than it was when I was a kid.  I can't wait until my kids are old enough to fully participate in winter activities.  Then, and only then, will I pray for snow.

We do have one thing planned on the horizon.  Cale, Alex and I are traveling to Denver in March to spend an entire week at Denver Children's Hospital.  I'm not sure if I've talked much about this, but doctors are speculating that Cale may have certain food allergies that are causing a disease known as eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease.  It's a big name that characterizes inflamed intestinal tissues containing abnormally increased numbers of eosinophils, a specific type of white blood cell often associated with allergic disease.  To make a long story short, you may remember previous posts about Cale's vomiting and discomfort after eating meals.  That was when we traveled to Seattle and Cale underwent a colonoscopy and an upper gastrointestinal scope.  Doctors found the presence of eosinophils in his esophagus and bowels which lead to the diagnosis of this disease.  Since then, Cale's vomiting has gotten significantly worse, to the point where we were changing his bed sheets during every nap time and bedtime.  Cale was throwing up eight to ten times a day and we became increasingly worried about his weight and nutrition.  If you or I were throwing up eight to ten times a day for months and months we would have wasted away to nothing.  Cale did lose weight but somehow he never became malnourished.  We were referred to an allergist here in Missoula and she recommended that we start Cale on a hypoallergenic formula, all the while eliminating all other foods from his diet.  This was extremely disheartening and frustrating since we were finally starting to see progress in his eating of solid foods.  He has been on the hypoallergenic formula for just over a month now and although his vomiting has decreased (he usually only throws up about once a week now), he still shows extreme discomfort after eating that prevents him from being able to engage in the activities he would like.  When we talked to his pediatrician last month, I just wept in her office and begged her to get him in sooner to see someone that could "fix" this problem.  I was done cleaning up vomit every twenty minutes and I hated getting Cale dressed in the morning only to find that the clothes that used to be too small for him were now too big.  I can't even explain the worry.  March, his pediatrician explained, was the soonest anyone would be able to see him.  So, we fly to Denver on March 9th and return on the 17th.  We've been told this hospital has the best program in the nation for this type of diagnosis and disease so I'm very hopeful that we will finally get some answers.  The best part is that even though Cale will be in the hospital for an entire week, we will be able to take him back to our hotel at night so that he doesn't have to spend the night in a hospital bed!  Another bonus is that my mom is planning on coming with us so we will have the extra support.

Enough of the medical stuff.  In other news, Cale and Riley are doing pretty fantastic.  Cale has finally learned how to go up and down the stairs all by himself!  He's always been able to go up the stairs on his own but he definitely preferred to be carried. (When I say he goes up and down by himself, he crawls up and scoots down...we're still working on walking up and down them)  One day I got the bright idea to just tell him "no" to being carried.  You have the ability so by golly you are going to use it.  I have no clue why it took me years to figure that one out.  He still whines and sometimes even cries when we tell him he has to do it on his own, but hopefully he will soon forget all about the days when he used to be carried.  Riley cheers him on and they have fun seeing who can get down the stairs the fastest.  Cale and Riley are also starting to get the concept of playing board games which has been incredibly fun to see.  They do a great job of taking turns and since they're still young enough, neither one of them has learned how to cheat...it's great!  I can see many board game nights in our future.  Riley continues to be her spunky self.  She is speaking in full sentences and going to the bathroom on the big girl potty 90% of the time.  She loves playing with stuffed animals and putting on mommy's lip gloss.  She randomly comes up to Alex and me to tell us that she loves us which is probably the best feeling a parent can ever experience.  She's becoming more and more independent each day and I can just see the years flashing before my eyes.  Pretty soon and she'll be wanting to shave her legs and wear a bra!


Yesterday I attended BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) for the first time.  It's absolutely perfect because I can drop Cale off at school at 8:45, be at the church by 9:00 when BSF begins, and then be home in time to meet Cale off the bus at 11:15.  They have a terrific children's program and I can already tell that Riley is going to love it!  I'm excited for BSF because it will force me to get into the Bible each and every day.  


Well, I guess I had more to talk about than I originally thought. :)  I hope everyone's year has gotten off to a great start and hopefully I'm able to keep up on a pretty regular schedule of blogging.