Illinois trip

We’re home from our annual pilgrimage to the heartland.

My fears about Roxanne freaking out on the airplane were unfounded. She was great! No crying or screaming, just a little fussy boredom until she fell asleep. She’s amazing. On the day we flew to Illinois (June 20th) United Airlines had computer problems that caused 4-6 hour delays for some folks. We were lucky that we only had to wait on the plane for an hour before we took off. Actually, we were lucky that we made our flight at all, because ALL the parking lots were full when we arrived at the airport. I’ll save that story for later, but it was quite the adventure to get 4 bags and a baby checked in and through security in record time. Kudos to Dan’s daughter, S, for hauling more bags than any biped should be required.

Dan’s whole family lives in the exurbs of Chicago: his parents, brother, sister, and their kids, so it was quite a reunion. All together, there were 7 adults, 8 kids and 3 dogs. This is my sixth summer visit to the in-laws, and Roxanne’s first. Here is last year’s entry about our Illinois trip. This year, we did most of the same traditions: walking Dan’s parents’ dogs, going to the bakery with the kids, playing games with the family, etc., but with Roxanne along for the ride, everything seemed different. The logistics were often more complex, but it was fun to expose Roxanne to so many new things.

The best part was how attentive and loving the family was with Roxanne. She basked in all the cuddles, hugs, talking and toys, and watching all the commotion around her. The more time Roxanne and I spend around family, the more I wish I lived within a few miles of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Then again, if we all lived near each other, maybe our gatherings wouldn’t be as frequent as I imagine, and we wouldn’t be so happy to see each other. But I still think it would be good. Roxanne had so much fun with all the Illinois family members, I feel kind of bad that she’s home with just me now. Ah well, she’s very adaptable.

Here she is with Mama Margaret.



In other news, Roxanne has finally been weaned off all her anti-seizure medication, and still no seizures. I’m nervous, but hopeful that she will continue to do so well.

I'm back

Yes, I know I previously admonished bloggers who don’t update often. Mea culpa.

Roxy is doing well. She is right on the verge of crawling – she gets on all fours and rocks. Plus, she sits up well for long periods and scoots along the floor on her butt. Can I also mention that she sleeps with her butt in the air? CUTE.

I’m doing well, too. I’m trying to work a couple of days a week, when I can find babysitters. Lately, things seem to be coming more into balance. This is good. Roxy and I took a road trip last week to visit my aunt and cousin up in Pennsylvania. We had a great time with the family, and the change of scenery was very welcome.

Along those lines, we’re going to visit Dan’s family in Illinois this week. It will be Roxanne’s first plane trip, and frankly, I’m nervous that she’ll scream her head off. But she is always full of surprises, so maybe she’ll be fine.

As of now, Roxanne is still dependent on her feeding tube, so we decided to schedule the G-tube surgery for her on July 9th. I think the whole eating orally thing is going to be a long haul, and the NG tube isn’t helping. I’ve been looking into intensive feeding programs – they are sort of like going to a rehab hospital after surgery – where Roxanne would have feeding therapy 3-4 times a day for a couple of weeks. There is one associated with UVA Hospital that looks promising, but we’re still exploring our options.

I need to get packed for our trip. Here’s our girl.