Outside Of The Box Family

It's Cliché but true - Culture Shock is a thing! It's been 10 days since I last posted and WHY?  I know it's cliché but oh so true.  After a year abroad, living a lifestyle completely different than most, we can officially say we are in CULTURE SHOCK!   What's the difference?  The international locations were explored did not require a vehicle.  We were able to walk everywhere, the grocery store, the pool, the beaches and lots of restaurants.  Walkability and less car-focused.  Is that a phrase?  You see, no matter where we are now in the states, we have to drive.  We need a car AND I am driving for more than 5 minutes anywhere.  It seriously feels like everything is at least 20-30 minutes away!  It's just baffling how much time our family is spending in the car even though we are not even on a road trip! We have gone from walking 15K-20K steps a day to barely hitting 5K-10K steps a day.   We drive to get groceries, we drive to go to the library, we drive to follow-

  It took a few days for Enzo to settle back into a life outside the hospital.  I think he misses all the pretty caretakers that gave so much love to him.  But he is back, alive and kicking and having a blast trying to live life to its fullest!   Here's a fun little adventure we went through the day after Enzo was discharged.  Long story short, we had to wait for Enzo's discharge date to be confirmed before reserving a place to stay.  The reservation for the Airbnb stated it was in a neighborhood called Avalon in Jacksonville.  However, it was "near" Avalon in a not so great area and the pile of trash in front of the house was only the first clue that this house was not going to be occupied by us that very night.   Holes in the walls, floors, and a lot of other uncomfortable displays of ruins had us head south towards my mom's neighborhood where we were fortunate enough to get a hotel room for our family.   The next day we realized that the combination of Spring B

  After 84 days on the 5th floor of Wolfson Children's Hospital, the very dedicated staff of nurses, caregivers and more lined both sides of the corridor outside Enzo's room cheering, waving little banners and blew bubbles as Enzo and his primary nurse, Nevresa walked (actually ran) past them.  Enzo was loved by many professionals who welcomed us into their 5th Floor Family.  They were always so positive, caring and faithful to Enzo's needs (and the rest of the family).   We had many caretakers but Nevresa was the day nurse who had more hours with Enzo than anyone else. The relationship between the two is special and simply demonstrates how “beyond textbook nursing” a day in the life of Nevresa has truly made Enzo’s stay more bearable.    Without a shadow of a doubt, Tessa has fused her knowledge and experience as a Child Life Specialist to develop a wisdom like no other in helping our boy Enzo (and our family) cope with an almost three month stay at Wolfson Children’s Hosp