Summer happenings

I know this post has been a long time coming, but Stephen has been very busy with collecting data for his dissertation (which is going well!) and has been occupying the computer most of the time. I finally pried it away from him for long enough to make a blog entry. Since it has been so long, I have a lot to catch up on...

My mom, Leah, and I went on a two-week, whirlwind of a road-trip, starting out in Miami. We went down for a check-up at Bascom Palmer for Leah. Our prayer was that the doctor would get a good enough exam in that appointment and wouldn't need to do a follow-up exam under anesthesia (EUA) (which Leah has gone through each of the last two summers). Praise God, Leah was cooperative enough during the exam and her eyes looked the same. So, Dr. Murray didn't see a need to do the EUA. When he asked us if we have noticed any changes, my mom mentioned to him that it appeared that Leah is favoring her left eye and seems to be turning more to the left. He said that would make sense as her right eye has more extensive damage. This was the first time we heard that there was a difference in the level of damage to her eyes, so we were encouraged by this. He said that we would need to follow up with Leah's ophthalmologist here in Gainesville to look more closely at what vision she actually has. He also said that we should talk with her about peripheral vision since Leah's damage is focused on the macula of each retina (which is the center of the retina, leaving the edges (periphery) with less damage). We have an appointment in August with the ophthalmologist and we will definitely be talking about those issues with her then!

After leaving Miami, we started the 3 day trek to Hot Springs, AR to visit my family at the lake. My aunt and uncle have just built an amazing lake home and we were so excited to get to be there to see the new place. Of course, we also enjoyed swimming in the lake, going for boat rides, and eating shaved ice! The lake is such a special place for me. It holds so many memories from my childhood and it's really neat to share it with Leah, and watch her interact with my cousin's kids, just like we did when we were little.  We got to stay and play at the lake for almost a week. It was relaxing and wonderful.

The deck had a foot rail that was just the right height for standing and cruising (and eating).

Leah really likes being outside (and eating Chex mix), so it made standing not such a bad thing.

Leah loves being in the water and with a life jacket on, she would float on her back and let me pull her around the swimming area.

She also liked to just swim with Mommy in the water without a life jacket!

Blake has always had a special bond with Leah and was so sweet to sit and play with her. Leah loves Blake!

Leah really likes boat rides. She loves to feel the wind in her hair!

Leah and Nana had some good bonding time on this trip!

Our last stop before heading home was to Atlanta for my cousin's bridal shower.  My dad's side of the family is very unique and so much fun to be around. I loved getting to be crazy with the girls (and Drew), catching up and talking. I was so grateful to my cousin Lizzie, who kept Leah so that I could go to the shower. We are excited to head up to Greer, SC for the wedding in August.

All in all, we spent about 6 days of our trip in the car traveling and Leah did pretty well. Don't get me wrong, she was not happy after the third day in a row of driving, but who would be? I mean, at least as adults we get to shift around in our seats and make ourselves more comfortable. Poor Leah was stuck in one position, strapped in, for at least 5 hour stretches for 6 days! Fortunately, I brought my iPod that has Leah's music on it and that seemed to keep her calm and content. Unfortunately, Mom and I had to listen to the same 100 songs about 100 times each. Oh well, a quiet child is better that a screaming child!

I'm so glad that Leah and I got to go on this trip with my mom. She is the most fun person to be around. She is always ready for an adventure and is the most flexible person, willing to do whatever needs to be done. It was a great bonding time for Leah and Nana, too. Thanks Mom, for driving the whole way, dealing with a sometimes crying toddler, stopping whenever we needed and taking such good care of us. We love you!