February Rewind

This month was so much of a blur, that I feel like I need to give a quick day-by-day recap. I missed a few important events, so let's rewind to around the beginning of the month and revisit:

February 2nd: Mira's vision specialist appointment, which can be recapped here.

February 3rd: Mira's IEP.

February 6th: Jonah's IEP.

February 10th: Mira seen in ophthalmology and her rough seizure day, which can be recapped here.

February 13th: Mira gets her new lightweight stroller! After my post on the 12th, our schedule became very hectic and I missed out on perhaps one of the most important days so far this year. Thanks to Variety KC (and the tireless efforts of Deborah Weibrecht) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of KC (BCBS), Mira received a brand new, lightweight stroller that can be lifted by just Sarah or myself - it was a must have for us, in the absence of having a converted van, since her other new chair (her permanent one we received through insurance at the end of 2016) is extremely heavy and nearly impossible to lift with one person. Now, we have so much more flexibility with taking Mira just about anywhere. We are so incredibly grateful to have this chair for her. On the afternoon of the 13th, Variety KC and BCBS hosted an afternoon event and formally gifted Mira her chair. Mira was in a sour mood most of the afternoon, but we managed to make it through and met some extremely generous people in the process.

February 14th: Had to travel to Halifax, Nova Scotia, then drove to Moncton, New Brunswick (2+ hours away) right after it had finished dumping over 70 cm of snow on Monday. Happy Valentine's Day too. When I arrived in Halifax, the airport was already cleared and into Moncton that evening, they were still digging out and hauling off snow. Sarah and I spent the evening texting from 1,900 miles away.

February 16th: Sarah has to take Eli to the orthodontist, to adjust, clean and/or repair his braces, for the umpteenth time. Gets hectic as his appointment is first thing in the morning. I am leaving Moncton, trying to drive back to Halifax mid-afternoon, during another impending snowstorm, that brings very high winds and of course, more snow. I get stuck, along with a few other cars and 18-wheelers, about 10 km outside of Moncton, lodged in 60 cm of snow on a highway exit ramp that the New Brunswick DOT had not plowed yet. Two hours, DOT plowing, and one good samaritan (with a huge shovel) later, I am off the exit ramp and back on the road. A normal 2+ hour drive takes over 6 hours, with a majority of my 'scenic' drive looking like something out of 'The Shining' - my knuckles frozen from digging myself out and from tense driving for hours on end:

February 17th: Goodbye Canada. Depart Halifax at 5:30am (Atlantic Time - 3:30am CST) and head home, which takes most of the day. Arrive home in Kansas City to 65 degrees and sun.

February 18th-19th: Mira and I take advantage of the weather and do a ton of walking outside, all in her new stroller, which is fantastic! It was so much lighter, easier to maneuver, and certainly takes infinitely less effort pushing up hills. We spent the entire weekend outside and in the sun. Mira is in a solid mood most of the weekend, only getting cranky when we were inside and idle.

February 20th-21st: Have to jump back on a plane and go to Virginia. Still exhausted from my Canadian trip and ready to be back home before I even get to the airport. Kids are finishing another 4 day weekend, while recovering from colds, flu-like symptoms, and fevers from weeks before. I start feeling cruddy by the time I get to Virginia on Monday afternoon. Finally arrive back home in Kansas City about midnight on Tuesday.

February 22nd: Sarah again has to take Eli to the orthodontist. More adjustments and repairs.

February 23rd: Mira has 3 intense tonic-clonics at school and is wiped out the rest of the day. I am burned out at work and absorbing all of the sickness that was passed around the office and every flight I was on.

February 24th: Feeling full-on flu symptoms and end up staying home from work and in bed all day. I feel terrible for Sarah, who just spent 6 out of the last 8 work days holding down the fort with the kids, as she is exhausted too. Spend the weekend slowly recovering.

February 27th: Having a coughing fit on the couch and end up bursting a blood vessel in my right eye. Have to go back to the airport for an global entry interview I have had on the books for months. Cannot reschedule and go in the afternoon. Still having great weather in KC though, so bonus there.

February 28th (Today): Mira has a Lupron shot in the morning in endocrinology. As she is quickly approaching 12 years old, we will ultimately start having conversations with her endocrinologist about when we should stop the injections and let puberty continue. For now, we are maintaining the course and will have the discussion at her next round, which will be in 3 months. And on this, the last day of February, I look back and can honestly say that the month has been an utter blur.