Hello friends and family!
Hope the New Year is finding you all happy and healthy. We had a wonderful Christmas week with our family (Nan & Pop and Uncle Mark & Aunt Kathy came in from Michigan), and as always Olivia enjoyed everyone’s company. She was, of course, bright-eyed every time Pop played Christmas carols on the piano for her. With the holidays behind us, we’re back into the routine and keeping as busy as ever. We’ve been fighting never-ending illnesses, but we’re doing our best to keep Olivia from making a trip to the E.R., or worse ‘ be admitted into the hospital. She’s not been herself since well before the holidays, and we’ve been through four rounds of various antibiotics. She’ll be o.k. for a week or so, but then she inevitably goes downhill again. We’re not going to try any more antibiotics; if things get really bad we’ll go to the hospital. But so far we’ve been able to handle everything at home, and since it’s RSV season (and she always gets worse when she’s admitted) we’ll do everything we can here. Even her doctors recommend this. It’s a constant battle to do what’s best for Olivia, but along with our nurses’ help we’re keeping her as comfortable as possible. It is always a possibility that this current condition is Olivia’s new ‘normal’, in which case we will figure out how best to handle it and move forward’one day at a time! Carter and Will have also been sick for a long time; they are fighting reoccurring ear infections that we’re hoping have just about run their course (fingers crossed). Eric and I have stayed healthy, which is quite amazing given the lack of sleep we’ve been getting lately! But we’ll get through it, and every day we are so grateful for everyone on Olivia’s team who helps keep her as comfortable as possible and out of the hospital.
We’re keeping up Olivia’s schedule as much as we can, so her days are busy with physical therapy, music therapy, in-home school, and services that the school district offers (vision, speech, and occupational therapies). There are certainly days when Olivia sleeps right through her sessions, but most of the time she pulls it together and pays close attention to what’s happening. All of her teachers and therapists are so fantastic and patient with her and she seems to really enjoy the attention and stimulation. Will and Carter are in school as well (actually day care, but they like to call it ’school’!), for three hours three days a week. They just love it, and it gives me a little much-needed break. The boys are growing like mad and talking a mile a minute. They definitely keep us on our toes with their two-year-old behavior, but they really are great little guys and they have so much compassion for their big sister. They always talk to Olivia, show her their toys, read to her and give her lots of hugs and kisses ‘ without even being asked! They are so adorable with her, and have been such a blessing to all of us.
Thank you so much for keeping Olivia in your thoughts and prayers. As always we appreciate your support! You all help make this journey easier, and we are so grateful.
Sincerely,
Christine & Eric