Playing catch-up: Leila's doctor visit, Josh is home and I graduated!

First, sorry for taking so long to post about these things. I feel like I've been in a haze the past week. It's been quite busy!!!
Leila saw the doctor on Friday and basically he said the hole in the heart is "insignificant" but the bicuspid valve was his concern. He said it could be an issue in 5, 15 or 50 years but eventually it WILL be an issue. He feels that since it is not affecting her now that she should not be subjected to a surgery to repair it and I agree. The older she gets, the more she'll be able to handle the surgery and the longer we wait, the more likely a new way to repair her valve will be invented which may mean no surgery. Who knows? Think how much medicine has changed in just the past 20 years! So for now we will go once a year for an EKG and ultrasound to see how small the opening is (it's supposed to open to a full circle but hers opens like a fish mouth) and how much leakage is occuring (right now, it's minor). For now, she's the same Leila who keeps up with Leah just fine and you wouldn't know there was anything wrong just watching how active and lively she is!!!

Saturday Josh came home and he gets to be with us for a whole 7 weeks! Hooray!!! Four months of separation down, 16 more months to go after this visit. We will get through it! :) I am just amazed at how much easier it is to load the girls in the car, run errands, give baths, make meals, etc with the extra adult around. :) I really feel pampered! Tomorrow he will take the girls with him to visit his family. Meanwhile Andrew and I will stay here while he finishes school and then go see my best friend and meet up with Josh and the girls on Saturday. I can't imagine what I will do with the free time for the rest of the week while Andrew is at school!!! I'm thinking about treating myself to a pedicure so my feet will be pretty later on this month for our cruise. I may also take a nap! :)

Sunday I finished my last course for my Master's degree. I graduated with a 3.75 GPA. I gave myself permission to get the B's since I was playing single mom for the last two classes. The perfectionist in me REALLY had to force myself to accept those B's!!! Yes, I'm nuts. :) How did I do it with Josh gone? I hired a sitter 1-2 times a week and ate at the deli with free Wifi and had dessert at Books A Million with free WiFi (if you have the discount card) while typing away. It feels good to be finished. I don't plan to go to work right away but I am eyeing an online high school as a POSSIBILITY for next school year, but very likely in the future. I really want the freedom of when Josh comes home for his two week mid-tour leave (likely to happen in December 2009) to be able to drop everything to spend time doing something as a family. I don't want to be tied down to a job to stop that from happening. I do plan to pick up my blog designing again after the new year and I have a lot of things to put on ebay. Anyone who knows me knows I can't have NOTHING to do!!! :)

I am spending this week playing catch up and getting ready for traveling. I FINALLY got pictures hung up on the wall and the Master bedroom and Andrew's bedroom organized exactly how I want them. Since Josh is taking the van with him I've spent the day getting Christmas presents in boxes and all the supplies for the girls packed so when I take our little Nissan to meet him I'll be able to fit everything else inside. We still have a ton of boxes to unpack but we have January.

I finally finished the claim for the damage to the boxes covered in hydraulic fluid. The grand total? $5,700 and change!!! I'm not holding my breath for the full amount. We'll see.

I'm also trying to get last minute details for our cruise arranged. One night is a pirate night and I'm making cute shirts for the family. Josh, Andrew and I have our hats and eye patches as well. Josh wanted me to point out that we will NOT be sailing around the Horn of Africa so the only pirate we are likely to see is Jack Sparrow! :) We leave on my birthday so I am quite excited about enjoying a birthday that is way too close to Christmas for enjoyment. :)

Speaking of birthdays, today I went to the eye doctor and kept giving my age on different forms, etc. Finally while I was alone in the exam room waiting for my eyes to dialate I was pondering about my upcoming birthday. I started doing the math and realized that I had been giving the wrong age!!! I am a year older than I thought! How sad is that? :)