New House, New School and Surgery

NEW HOUSE

We've moved! We've been in the new house now for almost 2 weeks & are almost done unpacking. I've finally even started putting stuff on the walls. This house is so great! It's only about 2oo square feet larger but man, it's such a better fit! We actually have storage! AHHHHHH! For a family of 6 with a mom (yep, that's me) that's a pack rat...We need all the storage we can get. My Stephen finally has an organized garage! The kids are so happy because they actually have a backyard to play in & I have a linen closet & a walk-in pantry! Thank the Lord!!!!

So, the cat's outta the bag!? I'm the teacher! When I was little I always said that I wanted to be a Doctor or a Teacher & now I'm both! We started home schooling a little over 2 weeks ago & it's going great! It really is a HUGE undertaking but I love it. I feel like I have so much more patience with the kids & now I know exactly what they are being taught. Last night Stephen & Andrew worked on a Science experiment & made their own water filtration system w/ muddy water, dirt, bleach, rocks & other goodies. Isabella, Noah & I danced around the house to learn the tempo & beat of music. I really feel like I'm bonding in such a special way with the kids. It's been so amazing!

SURGERY

Just days after moving into the house & beginning our homeschooling Maggie had her first surgery. Just a couple minor ones but still a very long day for our precious girl! Maggie had to get an EEG, MRI, Tubes in her ears & Ankyloglossia Surgery (clip her tongue). Maggie's Neurologist, Dr. Teodori ordered the EEG to make sure she's not having seizures & the MRI to get better pics of her brain. We had to be at Phoenix Children's Hospital at 9am & that was her last meal for the day. I was so afraid that she would be starving & fussy all day but she was such a trooper. I swear she is the strongest child I've ever seen! Her EEG was scheduled for 10am but of course didn't begin until 11. Luckily daddy had a 1/2 day & caught the tale end of it. The EEG is where they put those funny thing all over her head to measure her brain waves. The pics really make it look worse than it is! After that we got to have lunch together in the cafeteria & then were headed back for her MRI. This is the moment I've been dreading for months. ANESTHESIA! They were gonna take her from MRI (Radiology) to the OR to put tubes in her ears & to clip her tongue. It was so hard to see Maggie go under. The Anesthesiologist said that she would go through a little spasm before she completely fell asleep & that's when I lost it! Her little hangs clenched up & her whole body stiffened! OMG! It was horrible! We waited in the waiting room for about an hour & a half. Her ENT Dr. Mancuso came out & said that she did AMAZING! We were so proud of our little girl!