New territory

It's been a week since I've updated.  It's been an ok week with good and bad mingled in there.  That's about normal right?  Piper started the week off super happy.  She took to Steven pretty quickly, which was something I was worried about.  She didn't seem to mind it that a strange boy was coming in her room to get her out of bed or that he was putting her in her carseat or high chair.  She was pleasant and happy and sleeping like a champ.  But then halfway through the week she came down with a fever and things have been tough for her since then.  She hasn't slept well or eaten very much at all.  We are on the third day of a continual fever.  Her symptoms seem to be an earache but she may be teething also.  Anyway, she is sad and cries a lot.  Aside from Isaac, she seems to be hmy sickest baby.  It's very sad.

PT is going well, I think.  It is frustrating to go and do such basic things and find them to be so difficult to do.  This is my first experience with a recovery from surgery so I really had nothing to base my recovery on.  It's surprising how little my leg can do.  I keep tripping and end up putting weight on my non-weight bearing leg.  The Physical Therapist said I ought to try a walker instead to give me more stability.  We borrowed one from a friend and it is just so cumbersome and gets in the way and I'm not sure it's much better than the crutches.  I have to hop on one foot to move the walker and that is hard as well.  I'm just praying that I can get the hang of the crutches better.  

The boys are doing well.  We got progress reports this week and they are all three doing well.  Eli is loving school and has good friends and is just blossoming in school.  This week some friends have had him over for playdates and that has really helped him be happy this week.  Isaac got to eat lunch with his teacher this week and he was so excited to have that special time with her.  And Will is busy trying to finish reading his 25 books with projects for school.  It's a great challenge for Will as it gives him an excuse to have his nose buried in a book.  

Mike is doing well too.  He is kind of studying for the GRE and contacting professors at various schools to see if he can get a feel for what school he wants to attend.  He's been stressed at work trying to get all his deployment stuff done as well as teach all his classes.  Then he comes home and takes over doing laundry, bathing the baby, cleaning dishes, etc., etc.  He goes to bed very tired but I think he is balancing things very well and I can't express how much I appreciate the way he takes care of us all so happily and kindly.  

One of his stresses was his car.  It broke in Alabama and he got if fixed but now it's broken again--the transmission I believe.  He finally decided to buy a new car.  He bought the cheapest new car he could find.  He bought a red Rio Kia Hatchback.  Once he made the decision to buy a new car he seemed so much less stressed.  

Anyway, that's our week.  It's been rough in a lot of ways but we knew it would be going into it and I think we are all making the best of things and in my opinion, things are going smoothly and everyone seems to be happy (minus Piper with her sickies).  

Finally, I have pictures to post from the week:

Two of our friends have sons with birthdays on September 11th.  Both boys passed away.  Our family decided to do something to show we were thinking of our friends.  I can't do much with my knee but we could send balloons to Heaven.  It wasn't much but hopefully they know we love them and are thinking of them. 

Piper is all over the place when she feels well.  She loves climbing onto the couch, going upstairs, discovering what is in the pantries and fridge, etc.  She has recently been letting go of things while standing and she thinks that is the coolest trick ever.  

Piper does get dressed sometimes...

19 miles!  The lowest we've ever had on a car was 63,000.  Neither of us have owned a new car before.  This one needs to last about fifteen years.