Living in the Future.

Even when I was working hard to become a photographer I didn't do all that much photo "editing" in Photoshop. Nothing excessive. A dodge and burn here and there but mostly a tweak of the levels and trying to get as much done in the RAW conversion as I could. I used to think that maybe it would be best to just shoot jpeg and save myself the step. Now I know better. I need my photo editing computer up and running because posting these shots only using the editing of Picassa is killing me. I need control! Photo was taken by the wife the other day. Good stuff.

Photography frustrations aside things are going pretty well. Work has been getting better. It seems that I really did win the most recent long running battle with the insurance company and they are going to do the right thing. Although we still have occasional "events" here and there, the seizure meds are working well and the tweaking of his doses has Liam awake and alert for much longer stretches of time. Physical therapy is going well, Liam and Mom learned some new exercises today while I was at work and he just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Nursing care can still be tough because we just want to have our own house to ourselves more often but boundaries are being set and we are better at letting our expectations be known.

I hung our first Christmas wreath on the front door yesterday. Family tradition states that just like we used to say in my church as a kid "Merry Christmas and may it last 'til Easter" we will keep it hanging until Easter. The trick is to flip it over around groundhog day to get a bit more green needles for your buck. I will post a picture soon and hope to hang more lights soon to go along with the wreath.

There's still a bit of white stuff on the ground but it is icy, crunchy stuff. I'm looking for the fluffy stuff. The stuff that can quickly have you looking at more than a few inches to shovel but if you get out there before it freezes together will push right off with ease. Staying home with my wife and son during a major snowstorm is another one of the dreams I've been waiting so long to come true. During last winter we had a few pretty major snow storms with some good accumulation. Through it all, Karin and I made our way back and forth to the hospital every day. Looking forward to a day when we would be able to see our son without changing out of our pajamas. A warm cup of cocoa, the morning paper, fluffy white stuff piling up outside and my boy with me on the couch. I can't wait for that. That's why I'm hoping for big snow storms every weekend this winter.

I've started reading The Hobbit to Liam. It's been so much fun. We aren't very far into the book and I'm already struggling with my voices. All those dwarves and Gandalf along with them is proving to be a bit low for my range and I'm needing more pauses for water. But Tolkein's conversational storytelling style along with songs makes it so much fun to read. This was an important book to my family as my father was so taken with it that I can remember him reading from it at the dinner table when I was a kid. The nurses and Liam's mom read him the big large picture books showing him brightly painted penguins and elephants but I like it just the same to have Liam rest his head on my chest with only my soothing voices comforting him to sleep.

Karin mentioned the fact that we had a photo shoot for a holiday card on her facebook page and within minutes we had about a dozen emails of peoples addresses to receive said card. It was a bit strange how quickly it happened. It is incredible how this baby boy who has been so sheltered from people and germs that he has yet to meet all of his family that even live in this area has touched so many lives because of the internet. We truly are living in the future.

The Days are Just Packed.

Liam's care can be very intensive at home and with me back at work much of that falls to his mother. The weekend is the time when I need to make it up to her by giving her a break. Its a selfish act really because the hours of the day when I work are Liam's most active and alert. His twice daily medicine regimen has him pretty drowsy both before and after my work shift. The weekend is my time to play.

I wanted Karin to get a nice long night's sleep last night so I told her to sleep all night and I would handle all alarms, suction, and med doses. She let me get a few hours sleep in the morning and then the real fun began. She plopped him into my arms as soon as I poured my first cup of coffee and the two of us drifted in and out of sleep watching the TV on the recliner. There is no better way to start a weekend.

My Mother-in-Law came for a day visit and spent the early afternoon holding The Boy and catching up with us. I knew that Karin has not left the house since we came home from the hospital so it was time for her mother to take her shopping so that they could get some alone time. Karin needs more time away from it all to decompress so I was very glad that they really took their time. Liam and I spent the male bonding time reading and watching TV. Law & Oder Criminal Intent is one of Liam's favorite shows so he was happy to see that their was a marathon of it on cable.

Liam has spent close to 90% of his life on his back in a hospital bed so time in any other position is so beneficial to start strengthening his core muscles. We spent the rest of the afternoon rolling around on the floor. I snapped the photo above while we played with a exercise two. And we sat on the floor together to watch The Lion King. I forgot how much I like that one.

My Mom & Dad came over with dinner and we all had a great meal before my Mother-In-Law headed out for home and my parents followed suit a little while later. Karin and I got Liam ready for bed. Just before getting his big 8pm med regiment Liam rolled himself over onto his side. A big move for a kid with the muscle tone issues Liam has. This may be why he has been sleeping through the night lately. He can finally make himself more comfortable by repositioning instead of needing us. We'll take any kind of Independence we can get from Liam. It was a fun moment.

I don't think I could have written a better Saturday. I laughed a lot. I smiled a lot. I got to be the daddy I always thought I could be all those days in the hospital waiting for my turn to take care of Liam.