(As you can see, I originally started writing this post in May! I am only getting back to posting it now. Thanks to Ryan's busy medical and birthday schedule, and lack of internet.)
Stitches South was great. I took classes with JC Briar of STR fame, and Beth Brown-Reinsel.
Traditional Knitted Gansey - Beth Brown-Reinsel
Great class and instructor. Friendly, works the room well, shows you all of the techniques needed to do your own gansey and makes sure you can do them before you leave (as long as you are willing to try). Would take a class from her again. Good handouts.
Sock Design - JC Briar
JC has a dry sense of humor, but I think we all joked around enough to where we felt more comfortable. She is a great instructor also, showing you new techniques and making sure you can do them as well. She is really good at building up your confidence so that you feel that you can be a designer, too. She is a self-proclaimed tech junkie, and loves sharing her knowledge with others, so she is a great instructor for those who aren’t afraid to take on the technical side of knitting. Good handouts.
I have waited to post until I had the latest good news about the last round of testing on Ryan. All of his bloodwork, urine tests, MRI and CT Scans show that he has no known disorders. The neurologist says we just hope now that he grows and develops well despite his hypotonia. So far, he has done just that, meeting milestones on time or ahead of time. He is quite a determined little guy, so happy and smart. I just pray that he continues to have a great life. It is just a shame that we have had to wait 8 months to find out that he is probably fine. It has been a huge emotional rollercoaster this entire year, and I would not wish it on anyone. However, the next step is to visit the geneticist for more testing. When will this end? I just ask that my friends who pray to please include Ryan in their prayers. We keep praying that he is healthy and will live a productive life. That his challenges won't be too great that he can't overcome them.
