A Belated Goodbye Message to Mamaw

Yes, I am a delinquent blog poster. Jo's health has been pretty steady and there hasn't been much to write about. Her platelets went up over 100,000 for a couple of weeks and then they dropped down to 86,000 or so. For the most part, we are waiting to see if the new hip resurfacing technique is going to be an option or not. The hope is still to have one hip operated on before Christmas and the other after the first of the year.

I do have to say (a belated) thank you to Jo's mom, referred to as "Mamaw" by the grandchildren. The chill in the air today made me think that it wouldn't be a very good day for strolling. Jo's mom was here from April until the beginning of September and she took Anna strolling around the neighborhood multiple times per day, every day. Everybody in the entire neighborhood knows Anna pretty well after this summer.

I am not 100% sure that Mamaw knew exactly what she was getting into, but she handled it like a champ. Anna was pretty close to 20 lbs. by the time Mamaw came to Denver, and lifting a 20 lb. sack of potatoes a hundred times per day will wear you out. I know because on Sunday nights I was exhausted and all I could think about was getting to my office Monday morning so that I could get a little rest.

The days of carrying Anna all over the place are quickly diminishing. Anna is in love with her new walking skills and I am sure running is only a few weeks away. For now, she is trying to master going up and down some small steps.

Thanks for spending the summer with us Mamaw. You were a tremendous help and I know that Anna absolutely loved having you here!

One last cute story. Just a couple of minutes ago, two of the neighborhood girls (about 5 or 6 years old) came to the door and asked, "Can Anna come out and play?" This has happened 3 or 4 times per week all summer long. Kids are amazing. Age really doesn't mean much to them. To these girls, Anna is just another kid on the block.