One month, plus some

First things first: Roxanne has been seizure-free for over a month. Part of me is just amazed as each day passes without seizures, and I’m ready to put the whole thing behind us. Another part of me is scared to death she’ll start having them again.

In the meantime, Roxy has been allowing her doting grandparents to visit and adore her. My dad and his wife were here a few weeks ago, and Dan’s parents were here over the weekend. I guess everybody wanted to come here and see for themselves that she’s doing well since the surgery, and Dan’s dad finally got to meet her. It was delightful to see all the grandparents making faces and funny noises to see the baby smile, plus the company was welcome. For “fun,” Dan’s mom kicked our butts playing Rummy. (And she seems so mild-mannered!)

Roxy got her first immunizations last week, and reacted typically - a bit of fever and crankiness, but not too much drama. Her latest project: cutting her front bottom teeth, with a corollary of chewing on one or both hands while drooling copiously. She is generous enough to offer her soggy hand to anybody nearby.

I finally got an appointment with a swallow specialist this week, and an appointment for a swallow study under fluoroscope in two weeks. Dealing with the feeding tube is annoying. The more Roxanne wiggles and rolls, the more the tube winds around her, like baby macramé. One way or another, something’s gotta change soon.

Otherwise, Roxanne seems more and more like a typical kid. She’s babbling almost non-stop, and her muscle tone seems to improve a little each day. She’s strong enough that she can sit on my hip while I walk. It feels very mommyish.

Here she is on her belly, where she spends a lot of time these days.