I figured I at least needed to get the holiday pictures posted before Valentine's Day- so here are just a few. We are having some technical difficulties involving hard drives that have kept me from being able to access all our latest photos. Hopefully more pictures, including some from our family vacation to Disney, will be coming soon. It was a busy holiday season, but we still made time to relax with family and friends.
Playing with Christmas toys
Cousins toasting 2011 (no worries- sparkling apple juice is yummy!)
At the Auburn basketball game
War Eagle fans
What a money shot! Yes, that is mommy's bra that Alexander found and tried on as a necklace-hahaha!
The Gladdens on a geocaching adventure
Oh what fun it is to ride...
We had an amazing start to the holidays at an Indigo Girls concert at the Tabernacle in Atlanta. I have seen the Indigo Girls live too many times to count, but this concert topped them all. It was a fabulous venue that felt like a small party with friends. Shawn Mullins also played at the concert, and I have been listening to his albums since. Check out his new song "Light You Up."
Some IG fans might say the girls sold out by making their recently released Christmas album- I, on the other hand, can't imagine what could make me happier than the Indigo Girls singing Christmas music!
Alexander's health issues took us on a roller coaster ride through the holidays, beginning with a brief admission to the hospital for dehydration just before Thanksgiving. Despite his health challenges, it is hard to get too down being around such a cutie pie- Alexander amazes us with his wide-eyed outlook and sweetness. He is a lovable little guy, and I thank my lucky stars for him daily. Alexander is getting more verbal all the time, and he says the cutest things- "I like it," "hold you," "I'll try it," and "I love you too" are some of my favorites. He is happiest when he is around his cousins or his play group buddies.
We currently have Alexander's feeding tube and ear tube surgery scheduled for February 14th. The decision to get a g-tube for Alexander has been, by far, the hardest decision we have ever had to make. Since Alexander's diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis in September, we have tried to educate ourselves on EoE and have seen many doctors to discuss possible treatments. EoE is a fairly new diagnosis in the medical community, and we are having to make many decisions without long-term data to guide us. Like so many things in life, the decisions we make for Alexander regarding his treatment are not black and white. There are not instructions to follow or easy roads to take. Bill Cosby wrote: "In spite of the six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything. You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage." Our hearts have been full of love for our little guy since the day he was born. As we continue on this journey we become more and more courageous. We are hoping for a little luck as we head into a difficult month for our sweet Alexander.
