"Resolutions" for 2009

As it is for many of the rest of the world out there, the start of the New Year is a time to make resolutions so they can attempt to make their lives better. Even though I need to lose weight, I feel this year I would rather set "resolutions" in regards to Aidan.

So, without further ado, here are our resolutions/goals for Aidan's continued recovery in 2009:

- Start moving towards giving Aidan regular food. Even if we don't get to feed him by mouth regularly, it would be nice to start blending real food into his formula. We have a swallow study coming up next week, so we'll see where we stand.

- Get Aidan in preschool. This is already in progress, and I believe we will start him on March 1, but we may start the Monday after his birthday. We have a meeting with the preschool on the 27th to go over his Individual Education Plan (IRP).

- See Aidan sit unsupported. He is show some improvements in head and trunk control, but there is still a lot of work to do. We were told at the preschool that this is something they will work very hard on for him.

- Start a second set of 120 HBOT treatments. Our last set of 40 starts in April. We have seen quite a bit of progress with his last 40 soft and 80 hard treatments, so I'd love to get another round going. This would be especially helpful because we want to ...

- Take Aidan somewhere to receive Stem Cell Therapy (SCT). This is one of the big ones for us. There are two places to consider right now: Mexico or China. Mexico would be the shorter trip, but China offers many more options (more injections (4-7 over a max of 4), more cells per injection (10 million vs. 1.5 million), PT/OT during stay, and room covered in cost). No matter how you look at it, it will take about $25-30,000 to cover all the expenses for Erin and Aidan to go (someone's gotta pay the bills back home). There will soon be a new ChipIn widget or two if you would like to donate towards our expenses for either of these treatments.

Here are some links if you want to learn more about SCT:

http://www.beikebiotech.com/
http://medra.com/
http://www.stemcellschina.com/

- Go back to Oklahoma to visit friends and family. I can truly appreciate how Erin felt about being away from home now. I really miss getting to see my friends and family, even if it isn't all that often. Tentative date is the weekend of the Cowboy's first home game against Georgia.

Now, for some other updates:

As was posted previously, I lost my contract job at the end of the year. I have been on the hunt for a job and think I may have one. I interviewed for a job on Friday and had a very good feeling about it. How good? When I sat down in the conference room and for the interview and had a moment alone, I looked out and saw Downtown Charlotte. Something about that view felt very ... right. In fact, the whole thing made me feel like I was back at my last job in Tulsa, even though the office space was pretty much empty (the company is moving all IT operations to Charlotte, but the move isn't complete yet). The interview even felt like it did when I interviewed for my last job in Tulsa. The interviewer, who would be my manager, seemed happy to hear I was immediately available and appreciated the approach I take to my job. We'll know for sure the first part of next week.

Erin is in the process of creating a Valentine-themed afghan. She is deciding if she is going to raffle it off or simply sell it. Stay tuned for more details as they become available. We have also created a CafePress account and will have products available to buy there in the near future. We'll post the link as soon as we have products ready. Our other storefront is still available if you want to purchase bracelets, though.

Hope everyone had a great holiday, and enjoy your weekend!

-- Russell