Firsts For All

Well, our Easter, or Pascha as we call it, was quite a shindig! Joy at Christ's Resurrection was complete with beautiful late night services, family time, and of course, sleepless nights and complimentary colds. All in all it was a wonderfully chaotic time and the kids loved every minute. Notice the three steps up to the ambo: that has been the scene of Leo's tireless stair feats this past week.

 It was definitely a week and a weekend of firsts for us and Leo. He went to a restaurant for the first time and sat at the table like a big kid. He spent three days and two nights away from his familiar home and on one of those nights he got woken up and taken to the midnight Pascha service. He was super! He also has stood unsupported for close to five seconds, and on another occasion got his first real thump on the head from the floor because off a misstep. Poor bub has got enough lumps on his head without adding to the collection! I guess though, it is inevitable that he will whack his head some, considering it is still the biggest part of his body. (Although his tummy sure is trying to change that...)

And speaking of tummies, here are a couple hungry kiddos racing to the grocery store.

 Amazingly, there were no backseat drivers, (other then me that is) and both pilots managed to agree and work in harmony to reach their destinations. Whoever came up with this idea for shopping carts has my undying gratitude! Its no mean feat to keep young kiddos happy, entertained, and also totally corralled in a grocery store. Every time I can put little man in a typical kid contraption I get a pretty big high. Gone are those days of wracking my brain and my sewing machine to come up with gadgets to help keep Leo fully supported and safe while out and about! 

Seriously, just look at this guy!! 

Life just doesn't get any more amazing then this.

Or taste better... Absolutely everything has to undergo a taste test.

The next big thing in Leo's To Do list is fix his eyes. Next week he meets with his opthamologist to check his eyes and schedule the surgery to fix his aliment issues. Not sure when it will take place but definitely in the next couple of months. Although right now there are days when little man seems like any other typical toddler, the threat of seizures and shunt failures always remains on the periphery. Perhaps someday he will outgrow his seizures, or we will find the perfect cocktail of meds to keep them far away, and his shunt may remain lucky and perfect for many years to come, but right now, I still wake up in cold sweat, straining my ears to hear his breathing. Maybe that won't ever change; the worry might always be there, because perhaps that is just what it means to be a parent. I am, daily, teaching myself what it means not to go borrowing for trouble. To still my mind and open my heart to every precious and beautiful moment in our life. So that when the inevitable bad stuff happens, I can face it calmly, and with no fear. 

Christ Is Risen! Indeed He Is Risen!