Some Updates

Austin is ten months old today. They made it home last Thursday just in time to finally have him evaluated in Texas for the physical therapy he needs to treat torticollis. He suffers from a traumatic birth and the military has taken its sweet time authorizing necessary treatment. His head shaping helmet will arrive this week as well. Again, despite the fact their insurance won't pay for the $1500 helmet, they had to have a prescription in order to obtain it. They had the process completed when it was time to leave Georgia in October and had to start over with referrals in Texas. He has lost vital time to treat as he should have been in the helmet months ago. There simply isn't much our government touches that is better off as result. *steps off soap box

And now he looks just like his mom!

Anyway, the therapy assessment was fruitful as they evaluated several aspects of Austin's development. He scored five months ahead of schedule in his comprehensive ability. The boy understands far more than most give him credit and it explains where his frustration enters the equation. He comprehends more than he can communicate. And puts to rest fears an incompetent army physician laid on Lauren's heart when observing Austin's diet was full of vegetables and proteins. She wanted Lauren to eliminate solids in exchange for formula rather than treat the formula as the secondary food source. Lauren questioned how a baby was supposed to suddenly be exclusively on solids by 12 months if at 10 months he wasn't supposed to eat them. The response warned her he wasn't getting quality brain development, which frightened his parents. *Apparently I am not fully off that soap box.

This weekend we spent a lot of time outside enjoying rare sunshine sightings. Ty was invited to a birthday party at the trampoline park Sunday and watching him with five of his classmates had me questioning how his teacher accomplishes anything in her classroom. Holy energy Batman.

My parents purchased Greg an Ohio State nutcracker for Christmas and when I attempted to put it away with the other Christmas decor, he objected. The compromise was supposed to have him taking it to his office to guard his desk. It hasn't left this position despite my asking about it regularly. Thanks Mom and Dad and I mean that in the most sarcastic manner possible.

I signed up (reluctantly if I am being honest) for a photography course after stewing about spending the money for weeks. Today we had our first assignment. We needed to share an image that expresses who we are as a photographer. I spent hours polling friends and re-visiting images I have adored in the past for one reason or another. In the end, I selected this shot because it embraces who I want to be in this field, a photographer who captures authentic images in real time. Seeing Ava with her pants not fully back in place, a half eaten apple in the bathroom and her exhausted mother trying to keep up told the "I am almost two" story beautifully.

While I worked on my photography course this evening, Greg handled bedtime.

That went well.

Fifteen minutes later......because Mom is boring.