Two pieces of news that I would have never envisioned typing even a couple years ago:
Ginny is currently making her second annual attempt at a garden; I would say, her second garden, but that would be an overstatement the size of say- voting for Ron Paul. I got nothing against Ron; he is probably a great guy and sharp too; but he’s not going to be our next President and whatever last year yielded, it certainly wasn’t a garden. If something actually comes from the ground, I will be happy to call it her first garden.
We have a bet. If she grows any sort of pepper that I will actually eat (and I love all kinds of peppers, and she planted ad naseum) then I will take her on a date to Doe’s. Doe’s is a steak place that charges more than we typically pay for vittles. I love peppers. Ginny loves steaks. It’s all so confusing, I know. She’s thrilled and watering and crossing her fingers. I’m still waiting on a pepper, and saving money just in case.
Possibly even more of an indication that you need to go ahead and invest in your apocalyptic bunker soon- I am trying to grow grass. I’m not a yard guy, but I decided that I wanted our kids to be able to play barefoot in the backyard. My logic went as such…we have kids. We have a backyard. When the kids play in the backyard, I can almost pull the rare feat of reading the paper on the deck. We should grow some grass- for the kids. So, I water my yard each evening- the one torn to pieces by our recent construction- and wonder how I got here.
Well, if that update seems lame, then you’re getting it. Our world is tightly-focused on family and we don’t leave the house much. Ginny and I remind each other often that it’s a season; and we’re trying to weather this season on each other’s team though often seasons such as this one can trick us all, making us feel as though the other one is actually the opponent.
I’m not vaguely saying that our marriage has been a bit difficult in this process. I am outright saying that our marriage has been a bit difficult in this process. And if you know Ginny and I, then you know then you know that the issue is me. I just pop this little marriage update in so as to not romanticize where we are. With us outed, I am so honored to walk through this life with Ginny and thankful for the foundations that our relationship sits on. Keep Dr. Phil at bay. I am more in love then I have ever been. Seeing Ginny’s joy through all of the spinning- and sometimes crashing- plates has been a lesson to me. She is always a lesson to me. Suffice it to say, it has been a transition in so many ways. New lives entering family units always are.
Some of you have inquired as to how things have gone with figuring out Lena’s diagnosis and all that is related to that. We have had appointments with a neurologist in Kansas City as well as a vision specialist in St. Louis. We found all of it very encouraging and helpful. Going through the following, that may be hard for you to imagine, but remember that we knew nothing.
Here’s a brief overview, and thanks for caring.
On the neurology-front, basically there are three items to grasp in order to understand Miss Lena:
- She experienced a lack of oxygen, similar to a stroke, around birth that caused a brain injury in the back portion of her brain. This portion of the brain deals primarily with sight as well as resulting in messages not traveling as well back there (delays).
- Secondly, from what we know of her birth history and family, it is likely that drugs or alcohol were present in her time in the womb. The result of such would be various delays.
- Lastly, due to her orphanage experience through the age of five, she was denied many of the interactions that supply necessary stimulation for brain development. Whereas, Lena needed more work and attention, she received less.
- The doctor’s advice was to stimulate her by all means necessary while her brain is still in development mode (reading, singing, etc.). This was great news and accompanies life in Mooneyville already.
As for vision:
- She is near-sighted. This is the only doctorly tidbit that we could have told you already. She pulls things so close that only her nose stops it. However, the doctor was quick to explain that she is not as nearsighted as Ginny. Something I could not stop laughing at even though he intended no joke and just sort of carried on in his doctor way- while I continued laughing.
- If an adult sustained the brain injury that Lena did then they would be blind, but because it occurred so young and the brain is a fascination, her brain basically re-routed in a way whereby she has vision.
- Most telling, some testing revealed that her eyes do not track together. Therefore, her brain receives two different images. This explains her desire to cover one eye most of the time as doing so allows her to focus.
- We are headed back to St Louis at the end of this month in order to follow up and see what can be done about this.
After writing all of that, I want to be sure you know that we don’t measure our daughter by anything a doctor could possibly say- good or bad. She’s our daughter. She’s enough. And we think she is perfect.
All in all, I guess you could say that there are quite a few things growing around the Mooney house. I am hoping immensely that I am one of them.
Two pieces of news that I would have never envisioned typing even a couple years ago:
Ginny is currently making her second annual attempt at a garden; I would say, her second garden, but that would be an overstatement the size of say- voting for Ron Paul. I got nothing against Ron; he is probably a great guy and sharp too; but he’s not going to be our next President and whatever last year yielded, it certainly wasn’t a garden. If something actually comes from the ground, I will be happy to call it her first garden.
We have a bet. If she grows any sort of pepper that I will actually eat (and I love all kinds of peppers, and she planted ad naseum) then I will take her on a date to Doe’s. Doe’s is a steak place that charges more than we typically pay for vittles. I love peppers. Ginny loves steaks. It’s all so confusing, I know. She’s thrilled and watering and crossing her fingers. I’m still waiting on a pepper, and saving money just in case.
Possibly even more of an indication that you need to go ahead and invest in your apocalyptic bunker soon- I am trying to grow grass. I’m not a yard guy, but I decided that I wanted our kids to be able to play barefoot in the backyard. My logic went as such…we have kids. We have a backyard. When the kids play in the backyard, I can almost pull the rare feat of reading the paper on the deck. We should grow some grass- for the kids. So, I water my yard each evening- the one torn to pieces by our recent construction- and wonder how I got here.
Well, if that update seems lame, then you’re getting it. Our world is tightly-focused on family and we don’t leave the house much. Ginny and I remind each other often that it’s a season; and we’re trying to weather this season on each other’s team though often seasons such as this one can trick us all, making us feel as though the other one is actually the opponent.
I’m not vaguely saying that our marriage has been a bit difficult in this process. I am outright saying that our marriage has been a bit difficult in this process. And if you know Ginny and I, then you know then you know that the issue is me. I just pop this little marriage update in so as to not romanticize where we are. With us outed, I am so honored to walk through this life with Ginny and thankful for the foundations that our relationship sits on. Keep Dr. Phil at bay. I am more in love then I have ever been. Seeing Ginny’s joy through all of the spinning- and sometimes crashing- plates has been a lesson to me. She is always a lesson to me. Suffice it to say, it has been a transition in so many ways. New lives entering family units always are.
Some of you have inquired as to how things have gone with figuring out Lena’s diagnosis and all that is related to that. We have had appointments with a neurologist in Kansas City as well as a vision specialist in St. Louis. We found all of it very encouraging and helpful. Going through the following, that may be hard for you to imagine, but remember that we knew nothing.
Here’s a brief overview, and thanks for caring.
On the neurology-front, basically there are three items to grasp in order to understand Miss Lena:
- She experienced a lack of oxygen, similar to a stroke, around birth that caused a brain injury in the back portion of her brain. This portion of the brain deals primarily with sight as well as resulting in messages not traveling as well back there (delays).
- Secondly, from what we know of her birth history and family, it is likely that drugs or alcohol were present in her time in the womb. The result of such would be various delays.
- Lastly, due to her orphanage experience through the age of five, she was denied many of the interactions that supply necessary stimulation for brain development. Whereas, Lena needed more work and attention, she received less.
- The doctor’s advice was to stimulate her by all means necessary while her brain is still in development mode (reading, singing, etc.). This was great news and accompanies life in Mooneyville already.
As for vision:
- She is near-sighted. This is the only doctorly tidbit that we could have told you already. She pulls things so close that only her nose stops it. However, the doctor was quick to explain that she is not as nearsighted as Ginny. Something I could not stop laughing at even though he intended no joke and just sort of carried on in his doctor way- while I continued laughing.
- If an adult sustained the brain injury that Lena did then they would be blind, but because it occurred so young and the brain is a fascination, her brain basically re-routed in a way whereby she has vision.
- Most telling, some testing revealed that her eyes do not track together. Therefore, her brain receives two different images. This explains her desire to cover one eye most of the time as doing so allows her to focus.
- We are headed back to St Louis at the end of this month in order to follow up and see what can be done about this.
After writing all of that, I want to be sure you know that we don’t measure our daughter by anything a doctor could possibly say- good or bad. She’s our daughter. She’s enough. And we think she is perfect.
All in all, I guess you could say that there are quite a few things growing around the Mooney house. I am hoping immensely that I am one of them.