13 Months and Heart-Pounding Action

Alex turned 13 months old amid blazing heat. We haven't been able to do much, other then stay inside all day. It's even too hot to take him swimming, since he is still so young. We did go to the Chesterfield Mall after Gymboree and that was wonderful. The place was full of parents/grandparents doing the same thing we were.


On the PT front, we are going roughly once a month. He went this last Monday and did not scream or wail once with the therapist. He even received a sticker from a little boy in Speech therapy, eager to share.

My Dad goes in Tuesday, the 30th, for a heart catheterization at St. Johns in Springfield. He 'failed' a stress test a few weeks back and must get it looked it. I guess they know there is a blockage, but not sure where or to what extent. I am going up Monday and staying through Tuesday, or longer if needed. If anybody want to come to St. Johns and hang out with my Mom and I, we will be on the 4th floor Cath Lab waiting room (right past the 4th floor doors if you are coming in through the parking garage. In the 'new' part of the hospital).

You want to see WHAT?

Just when I think things are getting back to 'normal'...they don't. My Dad essentially 'failed' his stress test and is going in for a heart catheterization next Tuesday, the 30th at St. Johns in Springfield. He has another blockage, but where and to what extent is what is going to be determined. His carotid artery is significantly blocked, but was told nothing can be done about that. I am trying to figure out what to do with Alex...not sure if I am getting a hotel room or finding a sitter. It will depend on what Mom will want to do.

Pics and more Pics!

Busy time right now! Eric is back at the grad school grind. Unlike last summer, his class this summer is a full semester, meaning he is in class until the middle of August. It sort of messes the summer up, but that is okay. If people want to see us they will have to come here :) We have had all kinds of visitors in the last few weeks. Teresa, Mary, Ed, Irma, and my folks all spent some time here to celebrate Alex's first birthday.

I took my Mom to see a live taping of Prairie Home Companion at the Fabulous Fox for her birthday/Mother's Day present. What a unique experience!!

It has been raining almost daily here since the end of May. It has been raining so much that our lawn cannot get mowed in a timely manner. In the middle of all these storms, Tuesday the 2nd, we lost the tree in front of our house. It fell over and landed on the roof of the porch and was resting on the office window. Why it didn't come through the window I don't know, since it really should have. There is some damage to a few shingles and the flashing around all of the windows in the front of the house. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will find someone to do the work and fix things. So for now, there is a stump in front that just looks sad...I am going to replace it with something 'dwarf' so we won't have this problem again.


Alex is cruising around the furniture with ease. He has two different push toys that he pushes around the living room. I am hoping by the end of the month that he will be taking a few steps, since he has been standing since Easter. He still goes to PT, but now every three weeks. His therapist thinks he is getting ready to be finished. She did determine that he will not have 100% range of motion on both sides of his neck, but it will be close. He bumped up Gymboree classes about a month and a half ago and enjoys being around the other kids. He still is the only kid in the class that stays under the parachute during parachute time, all the others run away. I think that is his favorite part!