Gracie and the McCammon Gang: November 7

Seems like a lot has happened since my last update. We have had our share of illness the last few days and will be glad to move on. Last weekend Gracie, Josh, and I had some kind of stomach bug that wasn't terribly bad but had me down Saturday & then we stayed home from church Sunday. Then on Monday of this past week, Ben came down with a fever and then Zach the next day (while we were in Boise for another appointment for Zach). By Thurs I figured out it must be strep throat and took them in on Friday. At first the doctor really thought Mono uggg(!)..... but decided it was a bacterial infection of some kind and wi/ hours of the antibiotic both were doing much better. Josh then came down with it on Friday night but we got him right on the antibiotic and he is fine today (Sunday). We missed church again partly because I though Josh would be still sick this morning and we didn't want to take Gracie so she doesn't get sick before her surgery. (Though the germs are abundant around this house...) Wednesday was our middle son, Ben's, 14th birthday which he spent in bed nauseous and feverish. However, we had a fun family party Fri night.

I don't know how Gracie has not come down with it. Zach took her up in the Burger King playland (which she LOVED - screaming all the way from the slide to the steps back up each time)- before we knew he was getting sick. Then keeping her away from sick kids is almost impossible. I had to put both boys in their room because she just can't resist trying to get them to play with her or stealing their food or drinks- or tv remote (most coveted thing in the house). So far she has just sneezed a lot yesterday and today but doesn't appear to be sick at all. Her preop appointment is tomorrow (Monday) and we will also go get portraits of her and the family. Her surgery will be at 10 am on Thursday and it sounds like we will likely bring her home on Friday. Please be in prayer for her (& us!) on that day and the next few as her mouth heals.

Her absolute favorite thing is being outside and she will sometimes bring you your shoes and say "cluck, cluck" as she likes to see the chickens and ducks. She actually gets quite frustrated if she can't go out so even in the rain, like today, I bundled her up and had boys take her out for awhile a couple times. I guess cluck, cluck, ow, and ma, ma are her main really English words. She has said many other words but doesn't repeat them. However, this wkd she started saying "hello" and repeating it over and over like a parrot. She also attempted "wet" and a few other words but the "hello" is very clear! She is actually sitting with Dan "watching" an old movie. She so rarely sits and does anything- although now she is chirping like a bird and pretending to read a magazine. We had a skiff of early-season snow so got pictures of her seeing snow for the first time. It was just a little and she didn't seem too impressed but she will be soon.