Happy doctor, Happy mama, Happy Max

Max's doctor appointment on Tuesday was finally filled with positive news! I was so nervous, as I knew she was going to send us on to an infectious disease specialist if the fever wasn't gone - fortunately the fever stayed away and when Dr. Hanson walked in the room, she was visibly thrilled with what she saw. She told us she had been looking forward to our appointment all day, and could tell immediately when she walked in the room that he looked and felt better. He passed all of her neurological tests along with a general physical exam and she said we don't need to come back until January, unless something comes up! We are tired of being regulars at Sanford clinic, and Max is so tired of going to the doctor, so this was very good news! Dr. Hanson said she had been very discouraged at our last appointment, which I sensed, so to see her jumping up and down with excitement at this appointment was so fun.
We are taking baby steps back to normalcy.........Max went to school to visit his class this week and made me so proud as he stood in front of his class answering their questions about his long absence. He hates having a lot of attention drawn to him, but I think he soaked up the celebrity status a little bit that day:) Max spent the week trying to get caught up with school work and is now ready to go to school on Monday for math time in his classroom. The kids only have school Monday and Tuesday so the plan is to attend school for about an hour for those two days, then try half days after Thanksgiving for the week, and then add full days without physical activity for the following week - going back to school is going to be a process!
Max's appetite has been huge, his energy level increasing, his spirits great, and his hair........LONG! He is refusing to get it cut and for now I am honoring his wishes:) Grandpa is threatening to cut it when we head to Sioux Falls for Thanksgiving, so Max is a little on edge about being left alone with Gramps.
It is so fun to be writing positive news finally! As things settle down, I continue to try to sort this all out in my head......everything that has happened, and what to do with the lessons we've learned from this experience and the knowledge we've gained. Mostly, I just try to be grateful everyday and live in the moment. Although I have always felt that I am grateful, the sounds of Darren and Max wrestling, the kids playing together, and just normal everyday activity (including Max's nonstop obnoxious burping) around our house bring an even greater appreciation than they did a month ago.