Merry Christmas!

Time always seems to fly and all of a sudden it's been 2+ months since we posted!

Our last post was right after Landon got tubes and we are happy to report that he has not had an ear infection since he got them!  He's a much happier kid and it's so nice not having to get him to take antibiotics constantly.  We had a good follow up appointment for his tubes and everything looks good so they should stay in place for 9 months or so and work themselves out eventually..

He is learning so much and is constantly observing what is going on around him.  It's fun to watch him be in awe of so many things.  He especially likes lights and ceiling fans and says "Wow!" that he thinks are interesting.  He's almost walking on his own- he's been in physical therapy for several months now and made good progress - he cruises around everything and has recently gotten really good at walking while holding on to our hands but he hasn't ventured out by himself yet.  We know it's coming soon, maybe even as a Christmas present.  He's also babbling a lot and just started pointing to identify things.  He says "all done", "cheese", "uh-oh" "dada" and "baba" (bottle) and is starting to experiment with other words and sounds too.  He mostly refers to both Gary and I as "dada".  He likes to be loud and is recently obsessed with emptying every toy bin and basket he finds!  He's not so great at putting them back yet :-)

His last cardiology check up was a few weeks ago and everything looks great!  His heart flow and function are good and there aren't any major concerns right now.  He will have his 3rd surgery sometime in the next year or two but we'll plan it several months in advance so it won't be a surprise.

We spent Thanksgiving in Raleigh and had a great time seeing my (Allison's)!  Family visits are always too short but we cherish them!  For Christmas we are heading to Michigan to see Gary's family and hoping for a White Christmas (but not a blizzard)!

Gary and I are doing well too (I forgot to give updates about us sometimes).  Life is busy with us both working but we are grateful for our jobs and I am grateful for the flexibility to be at home with Landon on Fridays.  Gary continues to serve with the high school ministry at our church and we both love the church small group we are part of with 5 other couples (and 3 other kids!).  We are also part of "Mended Little Hearts of Colorado Springs" a support group for families of kids with congenital heart defects and I have had the privilege of recently joining their leadership team.  It has been great to meet other families who share similar stories to what we've experienced with Landon and to learn more about how to parent him. This is a group of life, encouragement, support and education and we have been so blessed by it.

Christmas is always a time when we are reminded to be thankful for the blessings God has given us, including sending His son Jesus to the world for us. This year we are also especially grateful for Landon's health, laughter and love of life!