UPDATE

Yesterday my mom & I took Emily to the opthamologist for a check up. I have been noticing her left eye turning in & I wanted to get it checked out & have some peace of mind. My mom came up to go with me, since Eric is away & I was grateful to have her with me. Emmie's eye is fine. It appears as though the eye is turning in, but it's not. The technical term for it is "Pseudostrabismus," false appearance of crossed eyes. This often occurs in infants whose facial features are not fully developed. The bridge of Emmie's nose is wide & flat. As Emmie gets older, the bridge will narrow & the folds in the corner of the eye will go away. This will cause the eye to appear wider & not have the appearance of a crossed eye. Emmie will go back in 6 months for another check up. The dr. did say she appears to be more farsighted that a typical child at her age.It is amazing to me that the dr. was able to figure that out when Emmie is only 7 months old. Because of the Down syndrome & family history of eye problems, Emmie will most likely need glasses. I had a crossed eye when I was younger & wore a patch over one eye. I am also severely farsighted. My mother had a crossed eye also & had surgery to correct the problem. This is all very minor. Whatever happens, we will deal with it & get Emmie the help she needs. I am so happy the appointment went well. The dr. was very helpful & gave us alot of good information.

Yesterday Eric got word that he will definitely be deployed in early December. Currently, he is Alabama for training. He will return a few days before Thanksgiving & leave for Washington state in early December for more training. Then he will head to Kuwait for a year. Part of his duty will require him to do work at the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. The news hit us both very hard. There was a slight possibility that the unit would not be deployed. We were holding onto that. Right now, we are doing our best to support each other. We have alot to get in place before Eric leaves. I am nervous, scared, sad, angry...the emotions keep coming. My heart breaks for Aidan. This will be Aidan's 2nd year without his Daddy. Aidan is so attached to Eric. Aidan & Emmie are so lucky to have a father that is so loving & involved, but that will make it so much harder.

I could go on & on about this, but there is no point. The situation is what it is & now we have to deal with it the best we can. Deep down, I do believe that there will be good from this situation, I just can't see it yet. I am asking you all to pray for our family.....our health, Eric's safety, Aidan & Emmie, my strength...we are going to need it. Hold on tight to your families, appreciate every moment. Also, please remember the veterans & their families tomorrow on Veteran's Day.

Thank you all for your thoughts & prayers. I am finding the joy every day! :)