Clinic Visit

We went to LPCH to see Dr. Effinger for our monthly check-in. This past month has been full of changes and new routines for Keira and all things considering she is adjusting well. We are, however, uncertain if we are seeing some OMS issues these past few weeks.

Since starting pre-school last week, her nap has gone from 2 hours to about 30-40 minutes. It could just be the change of setting and the fact that she is now sleeping on a cot in a room with several other children but sleep disturbance is something we need to look out for with OMS and could be an early sign that something else is going on.

More concerning is the fact that she seems to be bumping into things and falling down a little more frequently. Again, many people tell us this is "normal" for kids her age but we need to be on the conservative side. Also, while at LPCH, both Naveen and Dr. Effinger noticed that Keira's fine motor movements seemed a little less fluid than in past visits. No actual tremors but just a slight shakiness that made us all take pause.

With so many little things this month we agreed to keep a close eye on her, track anything unusual and come back to see her again in 2 weeks. Of course, we are all hoping that we are being overly paranoid, but since we just reduced steroids about 2 weeks ago, Keira's body could be reacting to the change and telling us that she is not ready to be at this new lower dose.

Please keep Keira in your prayers.

Xmas Tree Hunt

Instead of braving the shopping crowds on Black Friday, we loaded up the Subaru and made our way down to Boulder Creek to Johnson Farm. This was Keira second year choosing her tree and she was super excited. Last year our tree's name was Rawhide, and K was anxious to see what Farmer Rob would name our new tree.

The day was beautiful - sunshine and blue skies!


We were able to feed the animals,


go on a hayride,


and partake in "pumpkin bowling".


We took the tractor up to the top of the hill, got off with our pumpkins and tried to roll them down the hill into the big tractor tire. If you were one of the lucky ones you got a free cookie.


We all tried once with no success and then Keira scored an extra turn by asking a stranger who had a couple of extra pumpkins if she could "please have another pumpkin" :)


Now it was time to get serious about finding a tree that would fit into our tiny condo. There are not that many small trees so we really had to go on a hunt around the farm.




We noticed a beautiful tree full of yellow leaves and naturally gravitated over to take a look only to find our perfect tree! His name was Rush and he was 3 1/2 feet tall, just the right size!

Of course we had to play in the leaves


before cutting him down.


What a perfect family day at the farm!


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Turkey Day

This was the first Thanksgiving that we celebrated with just our little family. Being pregnant, I wasn't able fly, and this is not the best time to take K on an airplane as many people are coughing and sneezing. We ended up having a great day. Keira, Nip and I woke up and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

   

 Then Naveen cooked up a feast (with a little help from K)
 

 At dinner, Keira said she was thankful for Tom Turkey.
 And, she surprised us both when she asked for another slice of turkey!

 

 The pumpkin pie from Chili Pie, was a big hit.

 Happy Thanksgiving from the V's  

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Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope that everyone has a terrific Turkey Day!



We have so much to be thankful for this year, especially the continued good health of our little turkey!
Enjoy your day with family, friends and good food.

Much love,
Crystal, Naveen, Keira +1