First Week In Italy: VCUG, Ropes Course & 11 Months Old!

It has been a busy first week in Italy.  Maria and I arrived by airplane last Monday to join the 4 boys who had made the 3 days journey by car.  Tuesday morning we drove to Parma so that Maria could have her kidneys checked and to have a "VCUG" test to check her urinary reflux.  This is an invasive test where a catheter is inserted and a radioactive liquid is inserted into her bladder.  When she pees xrays are taken to determine the level of reflux (that is, how high her pee goes up into her kidneys).  This is a very basic explanation but you get the idea.  In November her reflux was at the highest level, which was worrisome as any UTI she got (which these babies are very prone to contracting) meant that infected pee was going directly into her kidneys and potentially causing damage.  The good news now is that her reflux has decreased- from level 4/5 to level 2/3.  There is some concern about the size of one of her kidneys but for now we are relieved.  She will continue to receive daily antibiotics and more tests are in her near future, but we now have hope she may not need corrective surgery!

Wednesday Paolo returned to Kyiv.  He will not return until July 25th, a long separation for all of us.  In the meantime we are keeping busy!  Gio attends camp at the local pool every weekday from 1-6 (perfect timing considering Maria's nap schedule and Gio's love of sleeping in the morning!).  Maria is loving the pool herself and even has fun on our daily runs (trying to get Enzo and myself back in shape!).  Pepper is full of energy and is busy exploring our garden and hunting butterflies. Unfortunately he has not yet caught the mole which is slowly destroying our yard!

Today Maria turned 11 months old.  Hard to believe we are so close to her first birthday!

Here are some photos from the last week....

Enzo is thrilled to have a yard again....and freedom to roam about on the fields all around our house!

After the trauma of Maria's medical exams in Parma, she had a good snooze all the way home. 

There is a new dog living in the house at the top of the hill.  Enzo is thrilled to have a new buddy (and a sand pile in which to lounge!).

We arrived to find a new resident at our house...a mole.  

She is slowly destroying our yard.  Oh well. 

Not a well-lit photo, but I am thrilled with the geraniums on our balcony!

After a busy week at camp I promised Gio that he could decide what our activities would be on the weekend.  He chose to go to the local ropes course/adventure park both days.  Here he is climbing through a puzzle box.  

The ropes courses are really fun for Gio.  He mastered all 4 of them and is eager to grow 20 more centimeters so he can do the big ones!

Excuse the repeats of photos many of you have already seen on Facebook.  Here are two of my babies hanging out in our yard.  Such a treat not to have to check the grass for cigarette butts and broken beer bottles!

Don't tell Paolo, but Gio and I picked out a new cat house for Pepper.  He loves his new hideout!

Gio woke Maria up on her 11 month birthday morning by climbing into her crib.
She was thrilled to have him there!

Daily apple- her favorite food!

Last night we walked/scootered to our local pizza place for dinner.  Enzo came along to eat the crusts.  Along the way we encountered this stunning rainbow!

Big girl with BIG hair.  1 month to go before birthday cake!