Sniffles

James has a bit of a cold. It's not too bad, but he's got a constantly runny nose and he can't sleep very well. Nonetheless, he has enjoyed the warmer weather this week, and has played outside as often as possible. We have been cooped up in the house for too long; it's nice to be able to use our yard and go to the playground.

The above pictures were taken inside, however, because keeping up with James in the yard is now quite difficult. James has learned to run pretty fast, and Daddy can't chase him and work a camera at the same time.

Another wonderful skill James has developed is the ability to work a doorknob. Last week he reached up and grabbed the knob on Mommy and Daddy's bedroom door, and opened it on his own. Shortly thereafter, he opened the pantry and got himself some pretzels. So now we have these big doorknob covers all over the place, making it impossible for anyone to open a door without a fight. Quite exciting when one has to go to the bathroom.

We got some encouraging news from the cardiologist on Friday: James's QT interval was within normal range on his EKG. The doctor is unwilling to say that James no longer has Long QT Syndrome, but he said that it's possible that James can grow out of it. We still have to give James medication, and he still can't play competitive sports (not a big problem at 17 months), but if future EKGs show a normal QT interval, then the cabal of cardiologists might think about getting together and rescinding the diagnosis. Of course, that's a long way down the road. But it was nice to get some encouraging news from the doctor, and it gives us hope that maybe James will eventually not have to worry about a heart condition. Either way, he's learning to throw a left-handed curveball.