Things seemed to be going great all week, but have taken a turn the last couple of days.  Monday was relaxing with daddy at home one extra day.  Cody was still rather quiet and calm.  We watched a couple of movies ("What happens in Vegas" - don't bother.)  We also finished season 6 of "24" - DO bother!  24 is AWESOME! 

I dreaded Don going back to work Tuesday, but knew it was inevitable.  I was a bit nervous about being home with both boys alone - and tending to Cody's incisions all by myself.  So I asked my part time helper to come over for a few hours - but she got the stomach flu and couldn't make it.  So my mom drove up for a few days whicih was a good thing because Cody got increasingly agitated, nervous, manic, and had more seizures as the week went on.

Wednesday we went to children's for a "wound check" with the neurosurgeon, Dr. Ojemon.  He said the wounds are healing perfectly and even cancelled the 2 week wound check because he said we wouldn't need it.  We were long off the codeine and tylenol and Cody was tolerating everything nicely (as far as the wounds.)  So it was great to hear that things were going smoothly from the surgeon.  Cody had a great ABA session Wednesday too and a great speech session.  But it was Wed. late afternoon that he just got weirder and weirder.  I have no idea why and have stopped trying to wrack my brain for the answer.  Was it the codeine tweaking him out?  Didn't seem plausible since it had been out of his system for so long.  Same with the Tylenol.  The wounds seemed a slight bit itchy but he only reached for them a couple of times a day.  None of his meds had changed.  He wasn't constipated - didn't seem to have any gastro issues.  Who knows.  Sometimes with Cody you just have to chalk it up to the fact that things "changed" and he doesn't tolerate that well sometimes.  He enjoys his routine and the same-ness....and instead he was lugged to the hospital...has bandages on his body...couldn't take his daily fun bath...etc.  So we'll leave it at that.  But it's been grueling.  I've been up since 2:30am with him.  He just woke up ready to party so I gave him a snack and in about an hour he was drowsy again and fell asleep.  But on the hour after that a seizure woke him up.  It was so sad to see him finally able to drift back off to sleep, only to be awoken 15 minutes into his slumber.  It's so weird when you're laying next to him -- watching him sleep - and I must have a 6th sense because inevitably when I look over at him his eyes go from locked shut in deep sleep - to wide open and frightened instantly.  IF there was an accompanying sound effect it would be "BAM" when his eyelids fly open and his eyes fixate.  Then I know it's coming.  A few seconds later he starts the familiar shake, scream, flail, etc.  Then it's over after a couple of minutes and BAM - eyes tighten and back to sleep.  Crazy existence.  So I'm tired.  He's tired.  Mom's tired, Don's tired.  When Cody's up all night, we all are.  The screams could wake up the dead.  And we have a small house. 

School starts Monday and I think that will be a nice change for Cody.  He likes routine.  And getting in the car every day at 8:15 to be dropped off at the same place to the same people suits him.  He has a 1:1 nurse that is wonderful so it will be a nice outing for him every day.  Three days he goes for 6 hours....2 days he goes for 3 or 3.5 hours.  It will be nice for me to have some down time too - and time to spend with Casey.  I'm actually going to our church's daytime Bible Study on Tuesdays after I drop Cody off.  They're going through Beth Moore's study on Daniel - should be fantastic.  I just love her.  My friend Loretta was gracious enough to take Casey at her house during the study.  So that will be a nice treat for me.  The study has a daily workbook which will be good for me too - it's so easy to put off time in the Word till "I get done with the next thing" - only problem is, it becomes midnight and I've still put it off and I fall into bed without cracking it open.  I saw a great message on TV the other day saying that God's Word (the Bible) is actually his breath - it's alive - it's a living breathing document.  It pours life into it's reader.  I need that and so often I neglect it until everything else is done and I'm just too tired.  When I try to "do" my day on my own, I am a tangled mess of tears, anxiety, sugar searching, caffeine searching, edgy temper, and worry.  So I know it will be good to gather with other women and have the accountability of doing this daily workbook. 

I'm going to try to find some fun activity for Casey and I to do together.  He gets bored in this house.  He needs a Gymboree type of place where he can tumble, explore, socialize with other little ones.  If you know of something, let me know.

That's it for now.  with love, Shawna