lots to say...

Charlie has really been talking so much. It is very exciting to be able to agree or disagree with him and really mean it! He used to babble alot, in fact it sounded like he was speaking another language (think: Mandarin Chinese), and I would nod and agree but really have no idea what he was saying. Today, I picked him up from school and we walked up our steps and Sidney (our dog) wasn't there to welcome us home. Charlie looked at me and very clearly said, "Where ninny go?" He calls her ninny. I was so shocked and excited I couldn't help but smile ear to ear. Then, as I was getting ready to leave for work, he saw my fleece that I wear to work and pointed and said "that mommy coat." Well, yes it is! I am loving the fact that I can understand him more. With it, also comes him telling me "NO" very forcefully or in a very whiny voice at times, he also says "mine" about every five minutes. But I do love to hear him talk! We go back for our 6 week follow-up on Monday with ENT to see how it all looks. We'll also talk about the need for speech therapy although I'm guessing he's making enough progress to not need it. We'll see.

I am still running my butt off trying to prepare for this marathon. Last week was a tough week. I barely ran any miles and could not motivate myself to do anything. I am thinking it was my week of mental downtime after Grandma's death and funeral. I kept my miles up through that whole time and even ran both days in California. After all of that, I guess I needed to chill. Although I've read that "marathon runners" never take breaks, they keep up training through thick and thin, I am not really thinking of myself as a "marathon runner." I am someone who will hopefully finish a marathon in less than five hours. Big accomplishment yes, but I don't need to beat myself up over the need for a break. This week, I am back to running strong. Sunday I hope to run 15 miles. We'll see! Pray for good weather from the running Gods!

Alex has had some big stuff happening. He has started using a cane to walk home with at night. For those of you who don't know, Alex has RP (http://www.blindness.org/retinitis-pigmentosa.asp) which is a congenital, degenerative, retinal disease. He's going blind, and sees the worst in dim or no light. He's come a long way in trying to deal with this as he was only diagnosed about ten years ago. I also have been trying to figure out how to "help" so I am on the Philadelphia chapter of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and we had our first ever "Vision Walk" in Philadelphia this past October where we raised $86,000 for research. I give Alex so much credit for doing as much as he does being legally blind. This has progressed faster than we expected and he's really dealing with it well. I suggested the cane about a year ago as I get nervous with him walking to and from work by himself. I worry that he'll bump into construction on the sidewalk, or fall in a hole, or have a run-in with a person who doesn't realize what his problem is (his eyes look normal and he may seem arrogant bumping into people on the street). He hated the idea of a cane, still does, but I think realized that it was in his best interest that he's safe. So we made an appointment with the Bureau of Visual Services and he was declared legally blind and a nice woman came out to our house last week with his cane.

"The white cane is just one of many tools used by people with vision loss – from toddlers to seniors - to assist with safety, mobility and independence. The cane is used to check for objects in a person’s path, changes in the walking surface (from cement to grass, for example) and to check for dangers like steps and curbs. A secondary function is identification: recognized around the world, the white cane clearly tells other pedestrians and drivers that the user is a person with vision loss. There are three different types of canes that someone with vision loss might choose to use: identification, support and long canes. Identification canes are lightweight and can often be folded or collapsed to fit in a purse or knapsack when not in use. They are used to help with depth perception, and finding things like stairs and curbs."

He's a natural with it (according to this nice lady) and although it is very hard for Alex to wrap his head around the idea of using a cane, he's doing well. He practices walking home with it since him "commute" is familiar. She will come for 5 more weeks to work with him using it in more unfamiliar circumstances, and he should be good to go. Luckily he's encountered numerous people offering to help him cross the streets or telling him that the coast is clear. He feels like he "sees" better already just being a bit more confident. I am really proud of him. He's really taking this in stride and coping well. I hope he continues to feel even more confident using his cane and realizes how much more independent he can be. On a funny note, when Alex first started practicing with his cane in the house, Charlie went up to him, grabbed the end of it and started to lead him around the house...our very own seeing eye toddler!