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Well, we are all hunkered down for the Blizzard of the Century here: flashlights powered, shelves and fridge stocked, medicines refilled and blankets on the ready. The grocery store was out of shovels last night, so my ever-industrious husband made one out of a storage tub lid, duct tape, and broom. Bring it on, Snowmageddon '11.

While I'm sitting here waiting for our apartment to be transformed into an igloo, I thought I would offer a quick update to let everyone know that we are still alive up here. It's been a much-too exciting start to the new year (nothing says "Happy New Year" like meeting your out-of-pocket maximum less than two weeks in to January), so we've just sort of been lying low lately. You know, watching re-runs of The Office and eating a lot of frozen pizza.

I took Ave for a check-up with his neurologist last week. This man is nearly impossible to book an appointment with. After Ave's seizures we really needed to get in to see him, but his next available appointment in the city was in April. Seriously?

So, we had to drive an hour and a half, in the snow, to the south suburbs last Thursday to see Dr.Taco. He was sporting his usual attire: fluorescent green Hawaiian shirt, slicked back mullet, Mickey Mouse stethoscope. All in all, he had nothing but encouraging things to say. He said that Avram is more than likely to outgrow the seizures than to keep having them; at some point they should stop. We are going to stay on the Keppra (which is, ironically, the same medicine my dad takes. They're anti-seizure med buds now.) for a year and then wean him off to see what happens. I can't say I'm a big fan of trial-and-error medicine when it comes to my baby, but they're the pros. Neurology is not one of my leisurely hobbies so I guess my job here is to trust.

I also learned that I should say he has "Cortical Dysgenesis" instead of "Schizencephaly." Tomatoes, tomah-toes.

Not only does he have the Keppra, but they also gave us a prescription for an emergency rectal dose of a medicine to stop seizures. Chalk that up for another thing to freak out potential babysitters.

"Ok, here is a list of all 10 signs his shunt may be malfunctioning. If you think that's happening, call us right away. If you can't reach us, call the Neurosurgery On-Call Pager. If you can't reach them, go to the Emergency Room. If he has a seizure lasting 5 minutes or longer, put this up his rear-end. Then, call the Neurology On-Call Pager. If you can't reach them, call this number for the Children's Hospital. If you can't reach them, go to the Emergency Room. Here are the instructions for his medicine, which he needs to take between 7-7:30pm tonight. And just in case, here are the numbers for his Pediatrician, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Neurologist, Neurosurgeon, and Ophthalmologist."

So whooo wants to babysit?

I wonder what parents normally leave with the sitter. What, like the Poison Control number?

Anyways. Back to the update.

We took Avram to see Dr.Rob Bell for his nine-month check up on Saturday, and that appointment also went swimmingly well. I'm just crazy about this pediatrician. I mean, the guy had on a watch made from Legos. And he rides his bike to work everyday.  And he makes the most fantastically corny jokes. So endearing.

Our little man is now 31 inches tall and weighs 22 and half pounds, putting him in the 94th% for height and 85th% for weight. Thatta boy.

The appointment went like almost exactly like all our appointments with the pediatrician have gone: the doctor comes in, sits down, and just talks with us for half an hour. Avram pulls out his Frank Sinatra routine and babbles and smiles the whole time, just charming everybody half to death; then Dr.Rob Bell makes jokes about him being malnourished.That's usually Avram's cue to spit up all over the floor, but we managed to skip that scene this month.

Then, the nurse came in to give him his shots. She took one look at him and said,

"Wow, he's got a lot of stripes on. He looks like he should be in prison."

"....what?"

People say the most bizarre things.

Probably the most exciting news I have to share is that the little man started sitting up all by himself this month. He has officially graduated from Slug Baby status. He gets so pleased with himself while he's sitting that he does these terrific little bounces and starts flapping his arms up and down, like he's about to take flight. He's becoming a professional roller as well, and when he gets stuck underneath a chair or against the couch he finds it absolutely hi-larious.

I really needed something good to happen this month, and something very, very good has happened.

Anyways. All that to say, we are doing just fine. Jason is successfully making connections to find a job back in our hometown for this fall, I'm planning on scouring our apartment of all things unnecessary in preparation for (hopefully) moving this summer. The Lord has been kind enough to put the perfect doctors along the banks of the river for us here in Chicago, but I think in the long run having family close by is a infinitely more important than having the right doctors close by. We just need to be back around our family. And I mean, let's be honest, who else is going to babysit?

The big sitter, nine months old