This past week has been fantastic; the sun has come back into our lives, both literally and figuratively. As you can see from the photos, we've had a blast enjoying the outdoors and finally having the opportunity to experience summer. We took a trip to Rhode Island last Sunday to visit Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Scott for the day, and our time with them included a few hours at Burlingame State Park and Maddy's first encounter with sand and a lake. Though she was a bit tentative at first, she eventually came around and began to enjoy herself. We've been on lots of walks and have endeavored to embrace every moment we have to soak up the sun. This afternoon's main activity was a trip to the Goldstein's pool with Papa. The water was very refreshing; it took Ethan, Papa, and me a while to get in (bbrrrr!) but Maddy seemed perfectly at home and had fun splashing!
Ethan's headaches have subsided (thanks to medication), which has meant a return to life as "normal." It's been such a relief to see him up and moving around, having fun with Maddy, returning to work, and feeling optimistic about the future. Though Ethan's doctor confirmed the diagnosis of MS when we saw him this past Thursday, there is finally a treatment plan that we can look forward to and feel good about. The general philosophy of the neurologist, which is to emphasize the healthy state over the disease state, has been essential to our confident outlook. We are fortunate to be in such good hands! Ethan will be having another round of infusions to treat his current attack, and will begin self-injecting a medication three times a week that will modulate his immune system and prevent a relapse in years to come. We have decided to participate in an upcoming MS Walk, and have been so moved by the outpouring of love and support from our family and friends. Things are definitely looking up, and I will (of course) continue updating the blog with news of Ethan's progress as we move forward. For those of you who have been concerned about Ethan's health, the video at the start of this entry should be quite reassuring that he is doing just fine!
In Maddy news, she's become quite an eater! We seem to have come to a place where traditional "baby" food is no longer appealing. This goes beyond an affinity for Cheerios; Maddy will literally scrunch her nose in disgust or even scream in protest if she isn't able to actually pick up her food and eat it. This has led to some interesting menus the past week. She's eaten veggie burgers with avocado, zucchini-ricotta pancakes with vanilla yogurt, turkey dogs with baked beans, and whole-grain muffins with sliced bananas or peaches. Sounds good, right? It is...except for all of the preparation I am now having to do! Ah, love. She's worth every bead of culinary sweat. This latest picture was taken after her dinner tonight: steamed broccoli and mini-cheese ravioli dipped in carrot-tomato sauce. Notice the grip on her bottle; she's starting to try to drink it herself, except she doesn't understand that she has to tip it upwards in order to get the water out! I try to help, which she occasionally allows, but she's into being quite independent and willful these days. I wonder where she gets that from? :)
We're looking forward to the upcoming week, which includes playdates and classes galore. Good times! We also need to catch up on returning phone calls and e-mails, so if you've been in touch recently, please know how much we appreciate your love and concern and that we'll be getting back to you as soon as we can!
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