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Wednesday Update: 12/28/05

Ok, so I’ve been bad and haven’t posted for a while…SORRY! You can see that I did write one last week, but just never got around to getting it online before now. Things have been so busy that I have struggled to find time to sit down and write. But, here I am at last!!

Let’s start with Christmas…it Christmas was wonderful and we had a great time visiting with our families!! We were blessed with wonderful gifts, company, and food! Thanks to a few friends and my mom, we had plenty of yummy cookies, candies, and treats! We are so spoiled! Christmas Eve we spent with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and niece. We enjoyed time hanging out, snacking, and playing with our little Meghan. We also had our first official OUTING that night…to our church’s Christmas Eve service. It was so good to go and see the warm, familiar, and loving faces of those who have faithfully held us up in their prayers for so long. We received many warm hugs, hearty handshakes, and well-wishes. It was so wonderful to be in the presence of such a supportive group.

Christmas Day we hosted Matt’s parents, sister, grandparents, aunt, and cousin. We all squeezed around our dining room table for a good meal and enjoyed the familiar stories and antidotes which Matt’s grandparents are known for telling…and retelling! HA! Matt and I were so happy we could spend time with his cousin Heather and her mother Linda, from Michigan. We hadn’t seen them since August, and we loved having them over.

We had several visits from friends over the past week, here at the house. It has been so nice for us both to have friends at our place again….it seems like so long! We are looking forward to having a party with all our friends when Matt is feeling better. I think we’re going to hold off on that, and have it later on this spring/summer. I just know that he’s going to be feeling a lot better in a few more months, and will be much more able to enjoy himself.

Today we had our first therapy sessions at Penn Ave. It was good to meet some of the therapists that we’ll be working with. Today was mostly an informational visit with each one, checking to see what he can do, and talking about goals we have for his rehab. I think he’s going to do well there and continue to make the progress we know he’s capable of. His schedule is pretty screwy these next few weeks, as they compensate for the holidays and vacations, so I’m not sure what it will be normally just yet.

We’ve been settling in here at home pretty well. We’re starting to figure out a system for doing things together. Matt is being very patient with me while I strategize every detail…that’s just my nature! I have to make sure he knows that I’m going to do X, then Y, then after that I’ll work on Z and A….and if I have time, then B…etc. I’m a planner, what can I say? We are still working on the basement stairs. We went down them again this weekend, and he did better than before. We still struggle though, with the railing being on the left side. I think we may consider putting in another one on the right side. He just does it so much better that way. I want him to feel comfortable and to want to go down there to relax. Right now, we only go down there when we know we have a large chunk of time to spend there…got to make the effort worth our while! I know it will come in time. We’ve…well, I guess I should say I’ve had my moments of doubt and frustration, worry and fear…but I keep telling myself, this is the worst it’s going to be. That he’s only going to get better from here, and things are going to get easier and easier. It’s sometimes hard for my physically to care for him and help him to do all the things he needs to do…but I know I have it in me to do them and I press on. Matt’s spirits have been good and he has been very understanding and patient with me…more than I have been with him and this whole situation, I have to admit. I can only assume his strength and determination inspire you all as much as they do me!

I’ve been home with him this entire week, and think it’s going to be hard leaving him and heading back to the office next week. I guess I feel a little like a mother with her child…dropping him off at a new daycare for the first time. I’m so protective of him, and feel so strongly that I need to be with him as much as possible, that it’s hard to leave him. I know he’s fine…but I have a hard time with it. I do plan to start working more at the office while he’s in therapy by the end of next week…then working from home when he’s done with therapy. I’m sure once we settle into a more regular routine, it will work itself out, and my anxieties will fade (as they do with any transition).

In the meantime, we are looking forward to a nice, low-key New Year’s Eve…watching movies and eating popcorn together. We are looking to 2006 to be a year of big changes for us…we can’t wait!

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