Palm Sunday with updates

Brooke "singing" in church. Singing is in quotations, because I'm not sure how much actual singing she did. But in her defense, she was only in Sunday School one practice day and didn't really have a chance to learn the song....due to us having to miss out on church for a couple weeks because of Brenna's chicken pox, etc. Anyway, such as it was, she still went up there and sang out the refrain!
(she's the one just in front of the lady in the red dress trying to keep the girl in the yellow dress from bolting - haha!)...And yes, that is Brenna squealing (in delight) that you hear towards the end of the video)...

Speaking of Chicken Pox, we did take Brenna to church on Sunday and have been out and about with her some. She is in no way contagious or needs to be isolated anymore. She only has a few spots now that are diminishing daily and have all scabbed over. It is now starting to look like she just has a few bad mosquito bites or something. The reason now we limit her exposure to the outside world is because of all the stares and comments. It makes me want to slap someone! Seriously, people can be mean. :(

As for me, I am still forking over $20 once a week to my local neighborhood eye dr. Don't get me wrong, I trust him completely and def want the best treatment for my eyes and vision, it has just gotten beyond expensive to deal with this. Now, I am at the point where I am taking optipred (steroid eye drops) 4 times a day and Valtrex once a day (oral anti-viral med). At my last appt with him, which was today, my vision is ok most of the time (just "ok"...not great...as in, I can drive ok), but probably 30% of the time, I lose the ability to see. Things get blurry or fuzzy. He assures me, as of today, that it is healing properly. But the problem now that I face is that I apparently have substantial scarring in the cornea. He is seeing me weekly and keeping up the treatment plan to try to limit the amt of scarring. Only time will tell and he advises it's a slow process. Today, I asked him if there is permanent damage, if it's something that can be fixed with glasses/contacts. He again said only time will tell, but he is hopeful that if I have damage permanently, that he *thinks* (emphasis on 'thinks') that I would be able to use glasses/contacts to correct the remaining problems.

Either way it's not great. I mean, I went into this with 20/20 vision and now at the minimum...I'm looking at needing glasses/contacts or possibly even having to just live with the damage that's been done. Ugh. So, as for now, we're keeping up the treatment plan to minimize the damage and see what happens! And next week, I'll be seeing him again. One week at a time.

In other news, I think we're on to something with regard to Brenna and her eating habits. We were struggling with her acceptance to take in more finger foods and less baby foods. We had problems with Brooke with this and really didn't want to face it again. (Brooke was on baby food till 15 mos or so! yikes!) Anyway, I just didn't get it. It's not really a texture issue - she'd eat the chunkier baby food and cheerios and a whole stinkin breadstick! And it's not the flavor...she likes bananas in a jar, or pears in a jar? And the other day, after church we were at Souper Salad and Brad started spoon feeding her fruit pieces (fruit cocktail-like stuff) and she went to town! Which is the same exact stuff I had been throwing out on her plate to try to get her to eat! Good grief! Apparently, we've discovered, she just wants to be spoon fed! Well, if it's something wet, gushy, nasty, etc. She'll hand pick up apple bites or cheerios or bread (as I mentioned), but if it's wet and soggy and otherwise gross to the touch, put it on a spoon baby! So that's that. I can't say as I blame her. I don't like to eat wet mushy nasty stuff with my fingers either. LOL Now, she's eating all kinds of stuff. Oh...and her favorite - is HAM! My dad brings us a baked ham every time he comes up. It's also very good and juicy (he buys a Picnic Ham - it's a lot cheaper, but lots tastier!...just a little smaller). Anyway, Brooke has always really liked it and now Brenna does too. We tear off small pieces and she will go to town on some of PaPoo's ham. :)

So, now, we're getting ready for Easter. I'm not too hopeful that Brenna's spots will be gone for Easter Sunday, but that's what Photoshop is for right? ;) It is looking promising though that by her birthday (her BIRTHDAY?! ...sniff...sniff...), she will be spotless - fingers crossed!

And for a funny Brooke story to end on...

Brenna has also gotten real bad about separation. Especially from me, but definitely from me and Daddy. Anytime we set her down and walk into the other room, you'd think by her screams, we'd have burned her with a hot iron. Anyway, so the other day I was at the store and Brenna and Brooke were home with Daddy. They were both playing peacefully on the floor. Brad says to Brooke (sort of rhetorically), "Well, I gotta go to the bathroom, is that ok?" Brooke never looks up from her work and says very nonchalantly, "well, it's ok with ME....(pause)....but I DON'T think it's going to be ok with Brenna." Sure enough, as soon as he stepped one foot outside the living room doorway, the screams started. LOL