Camdyn: an update

Since starting Camdyn on Focalin XR, we've seen a enormous change in her behavior.  She spends hours drawing, cutting, coloring.  The odd thing is that most of what she'd draw would be the same thing over and over and over again.  She would sit there listless, with a blank stare, and just sort of methodically draw picture after picture.

It was hard to watch her like that.  Even Riley said she wanted the old Camdyn back.  We stopped giving her that dosage and called her pediatrician, who then prescribed her a lower dosage.  So far, it seems to take the edge off the hyperactivity.

One of the stacks of pictures she was mass producing.

 

Cute garland she made for the end of her bed.

 

So, we're trying to fine tune the dosage amount...find that balance.  Camdyn has her team: family, her pediatrician, and her aunt (another pediatrician) supporting her.  

It will all work out.

Fondue and Family

My brother and sister-in-law came in town from St. Louis to celebrate Christmas.

Camdyn loves Christina!

 

Booth met his cousin, Oz, for the first time.  He showed off by proving he could leap over Oz in a single bound.  Oz, was not impressed.

 

Cooper and my brother, Brendan.  Cooper is usually glued to his side when he's here.

 

 

Cooper wearing his new hat from Uncle Brendan, who is a computer engineer at Boeing.  I don't think Cooper has taken it off since.

Booth making himself comfortable on my sister, Meghan.

 

Rowyn, the drama queen.

 

Talking to Cinderella on her palm phone.

Dancing for her audience.

My brother made Fondue for dinner.

I'm sad they live so far away and wish we could have meals like this more often.

Christmas 2010

If it were up to Cooper, Christmas morning would have started at 5 am.  We managed to coax him back to sleep for a few more hours, but by 7 the whole house was up.

I was ahead of the game this year, I had our video camera charged and ready to go...because last year someone neglected to check it and it had a dead battery.  I turned it on and starting taping Christmas morning...or not.  Some idiot one neglected to buy a new tape.  Ugh.  I guess there is always next year.  So, pictures it is.

Cooper found a family gift that sneaky Santa must have hidden behind our Christmas tree.


That afternoon, we headed to my parents house for dinner, presents, and for a Christmas surprise.
 

The top window on the left that you can just barely see through the tree was my room growing up. 

The surprise?

My sister, Rosa, whom we haven't seen in almost 20 years had flown in for Christmas. 

God has blessed us; 
family, friends, food, shelter, health, love.  
Yes, we certainly are blessed.


Merry Christmas!
Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Cookies and Babies

On Christmas Eve, we decorated cookies.

Rowyn was quite fond of sprinkles.

Yes, she licked the frosting knife...on more than one occasion.  Christmas is the season of sharing.

Most of the sprinkles came from The Calico Bean Market.

Sugar high in full effect!

We have a new baby in the family and we got to meet her on Christmas Eve.  My cousin Ben and his girlfriend, Erin, had baby Aubrey last week.  She's beautiful...they couldn't have asked for a more perfect Christmas gift.

Christmas Eve

After swimming, we went to my parents house to celebrate.

 

And to open presents.

 

The kids love to run Papa's train, it even smokes with the push of button.  Rowyn derailed it at least a handful of times.

Grammy with our four, just after church, so no one had time to destroy their outfits yet.

Aunt Meghan got in for a picture too.

 

Meghan and Mom and my bokeh shots...

having fun on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas, I hope yours was full of friends, family, and fun!

A dip on Christmas Eve

My sister and her boyfriend stayed at the Midway while home for Christmas, so we took the kids for a dip on Christmas Eve.

Big sister Riley helping out Rowyn.

Camdyn was a little excited. ;)

Splashing with Aunt Ca-Ca (Caitlin).  Lucky Aunt Caitlin is practicing her swimming, because she's off to Costa Rica for a wedding.  Lucky girl.  I'm not jealous at all.