I apologize for being so far behind in my posts; the holidays really threw me off. We had a wonderful Christmas. We didn't have any family come in town so we just did our own thing and spent it with our many friends out here that have become like family to us.
Christmas Eve was spent at my friend Valerie's house who was brave enough to put on a nativity with 23 kids. They all looked darling and it was a fun way to help the kids learn the Christmas story. Ian was a shepherd and was totally excited to be dressed up and participate but because he hasn't been around other kids for a while, especially that many, he kind of freaked out. He took off his costume and kind of hid the best he could. Afterwards, we headed home and opened our traditional Christmas Eve present (pajamas).
Christmas Day the kids were so excited. I heard Ian run into Emma's room at 4:3o in the morning and we had to convince them to go back to bed. Somehow, we got to sleep until 8:00 and then we all headed down to open presents.
The kids played with their toys for an hour or so and we all loaded up in the car and drove to Children's Mercy Hospital. I am over a group of girls ages 8-11 at church, and they made 14 fleece blankets. I realized the hard way it was too many for me to deliver on my own when I was there for Ian's last appointment, so we took them as a family. Ian was so excited to go to the hospital and give his "friends" a new blanket on Christmas. My mom had also made some hide and seek bags with some kids and we took those as well. Being in the hospital on Christmas has to be the ultimate bummer so hopefully, it helped to cheer them up a little.
We are so grateful for all the wonderful friends, family, and neighbors we have. We can never express enough thanks for all the acts of love and service that have been done for us this year. We have truly been blessed and had our share of miracles.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Easy Peasy
I have to say I love being in maintenance. Ian had his appointment for the month yesterday and everything looks great. He got a big dose of chemo, he will be on steroids for 5 days, and then just the oral chemo for the rest of the month. Can Santa penalize little boys for being grumpy and naughty when they are on steroids? If so, Ian is in big trouble. Luckily the Santa I know is pretty understanding.
Lauryn was sick on Sunday so to be safe, I sent her to work with Mike so she wouldn't be around the other kids with lowered immune systems. The last thing we want to do is get everyone sick for Christmas. I had totally talked up how much fun Emma would have with Ian because they have a big playroom and usually have some kind of craft going on as well as Wii's and a huge movie selection. Well, I think Emma was wishing she was sick and that she got to go to work with Mike by the end of it because they just opened a new floor for Leukemia patients and there is nothing there. They have really big rooms that you hang out in but there is no common area where you can play with toys and the other kids so the time went by pretty slowly. They will eventually do something to change that I am sure, but for now, I know to bring more entertainment for us. The good thing is though, Ian's doctor is on the new floor on Mondays and part of Tuesdays and on the old floor on Thursdays. We almost always have Thursday appointments so we will get to meet on the floor that is more fun.
By the way, I was only joking about the whole Edward/Jacob name thing. I know I am a dork, but I am not THAT bad. (If you are not a Twilight fan, just skip over this paragraph, you wouldn't understand). Besides, even if I wanted to, I don't (not that there is anything wrong with it for those of you who do) Mike would never allow it. But like I said, I don't want to. Really.
Lauryn was sick on Sunday so to be safe, I sent her to work with Mike so she wouldn't be around the other kids with lowered immune systems. The last thing we want to do is get everyone sick for Christmas. I had totally talked up how much fun Emma would have with Ian because they have a big playroom and usually have some kind of craft going on as well as Wii's and a huge movie selection. Well, I think Emma was wishing she was sick and that she got to go to work with Mike by the end of it because they just opened a new floor for Leukemia patients and there is nothing there. They have really big rooms that you hang out in but there is no common area where you can play with toys and the other kids so the time went by pretty slowly. They will eventually do something to change that I am sure, but for now, I know to bring more entertainment for us. The good thing is though, Ian's doctor is on the new floor on Mondays and part of Tuesdays and on the old floor on Thursdays. We almost always have Thursday appointments so we will get to meet on the floor that is more fun.
By the way, I was only joking about the whole Edward/Jacob name thing. I know I am a dork, but I am not THAT bad. (If you are not a Twilight fan, just skip over this paragraph, you wouldn't understand). Besides, even if I wanted to, I don't (not that there is anything wrong with it for those of you who do) Mike would never allow it. But like I said, I don't want to. Really.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Our Family's Big News
I am not one who likes a big deal or a fuss made over things, especially when it centers around me. For example, the day I got married was so embarrassing for me. I hated all the attention and about died when I had to kiss Mike in front of everyone at the wedding.
With that said, I have been keeping a secret for quite some time now. This will probably explain a lot for those of you who have noticed I am more flakey and appear to be eating too many cheetos. I didn't want the fuss and I also knew that while many would be thrilled, others would think that we are CRAZY. However, I cannot keep quiet on this matter much longer for it is starting to become obvious. Most of you will be surprised to hear that Ian will be getting a new baby brother in May. Yes, it was planned and yes we know what we are doing. Ian is doing very well with his treatment and we are in a place where we can physically and mentally handle this. I feel great and the kids are SOOOO excited. They keep telling me that they wish it was May already. We had the ultrasound today and the baby boy looks healthy.
The first my own family heard of this news was today. They are excited but can't believe I waited so long to break the news. At least it will go faster for all of you now.
Ian said he can't wait to teach the baby how to play Lego Star Wars and is more than willing to share his room. I am sure he will try to put a lightsaber in his hand the second he comes home from the hospital.
We are trying to decide on names. Any suggestions? I am kind of thinking about Edward or Jacob.
With that said, I have been keeping a secret for quite some time now. This will probably explain a lot for those of you who have noticed I am more flakey and appear to be eating too many cheetos. I didn't want the fuss and I also knew that while many would be thrilled, others would think that we are CRAZY. However, I cannot keep quiet on this matter much longer for it is starting to become obvious. Most of you will be surprised to hear that Ian will be getting a new baby brother in May. Yes, it was planned and yes we know what we are doing. Ian is doing very well with his treatment and we are in a place where we can physically and mentally handle this. I feel great and the kids are SOOOO excited. They keep telling me that they wish it was May already. We had the ultrasound today and the baby boy looks healthy.
The first my own family heard of this news was today. They are excited but can't believe I waited so long to break the news. At least it will go faster for all of you now.
Ian said he can't wait to teach the baby how to play Lego Star Wars and is more than willing to share his room. I am sure he will try to put a lightsaber in his hand the second he comes home from the hospital.
We are trying to decide on names. Any suggestions? I am kind of thinking about Edward or Jacob.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
I Love My Rascal
Ian has been a rascal from day one. He had that little twinkle in his eye right from the start. At 4 months old he would purposely look everywhere except at me. I would even get right in his face and he was able to avoid my gaze just to be a stinker (come on, am I that hideous?). When we go on errands to the store I see his little hand fly out as he is using "the force" to open the automatic doors. He is constantly stealing things from me or the girls so that we will chase him around the house to get it back, all while running and laughing the whole chase. He upset the girls because we had just finished decorating a gingerbread house and while we were upstairs getting ready for bed, he snuck down and ate all the gumballs and gumdrops off the house.
The rascal traits I absolutely love in him are also going to be the ones that cause me to go prematurely grey. I was at the gas station and I meant to simply start the pump and sit in the car as the car was filling because it is FREEZING. I turned around to get back in the car, and lo and behold I see Ian sitting in my seat laughing hysterically at me with all the doors locked. Me being the genius that I am, had left the keys in the ignition and my coat on the seat. I knocked on the window and he simply laughed harder at me. It took me about 5 minutes of pleading and begging and bribing before he finally unlocked the door. I told him that it wasn't funny to which he replied "Yes it is." I didn't know if I should laugh or keep up the pretense that I was mad so I kept on my biggest poker face and drove away. Lesson learned. I will never leave the keys inside the car again.
He knows how to push everyones buttons and while he can get us all worked up, he can also be the sweetest little thing. Out of the blue he will tell me that I am his best friend. He loves to snuggle and cutely sticks his feet and arms out on my lap when we wants a massage. He understands so much of what is going on. I know I never give him enough credit for it. Last night he told me, "Heavenly Father and Jesus are helping me get all better." He is doing great. We only have to go to the hospital for treatment once a month now. He is on a low dose of oral chemo that he takes every night without complaint. He has a ton of energy and isn't nautious. His hair is growing back in and he no longer looks like the pale, frail, boy he was 6 months ago. We are still limiting how often we take him in public and are careful about where he goes to try to avoid infection or illness so many of you may still not have seen him around, but he is doing well. I feel so blessed.
The rascal traits I absolutely love in him are also going to be the ones that cause me to go prematurely grey. I was at the gas station and I meant to simply start the pump and sit in the car as the car was filling because it is FREEZING. I turned around to get back in the car, and lo and behold I see Ian sitting in my seat laughing hysterically at me with all the doors locked. Me being the genius that I am, had left the keys in the ignition and my coat on the seat. I knocked on the window and he simply laughed harder at me. It took me about 5 minutes of pleading and begging and bribing before he finally unlocked the door. I told him that it wasn't funny to which he replied "Yes it is." I didn't know if I should laugh or keep up the pretense that I was mad so I kept on my biggest poker face and drove away. Lesson learned. I will never leave the keys inside the car again.
He knows how to push everyones buttons and while he can get us all worked up, he can also be the sweetest little thing. Out of the blue he will tell me that I am his best friend. He loves to snuggle and cutely sticks his feet and arms out on my lap when we wants a massage. He understands so much of what is going on. I know I never give him enough credit for it. Last night he told me, "Heavenly Father and Jesus are helping me get all better." He is doing great. We only have to go to the hospital for treatment once a month now. He is on a low dose of oral chemo that he takes every night without complaint. He has a ton of energy and isn't nautious. His hair is growing back in and he no longer looks like the pale, frail, boy he was 6 months ago. We are still limiting how often we take him in public and are careful about where he goes to try to avoid infection or illness so many of you may still not have seen him around, but he is doing well. I feel so blessed.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Ian's Thanksgiving Day Weekend
I just barely got the results from the kidney scan and VCUG Ian had done last Tuesday. Although his right kidney has enlarged significantly since his last ultrasound, it is still functioning as it should. The Doc felt we could continue to watch it at this point and not have to do surgery or anything at the moment. He will have a follow-up appointment to have another ultrasound done in 3 months so hopefully, it will be the same or better. The original hope was that it would correct itself on its own so we'll just sit tight and wait. I have hope it will do just that.
Ian's grandparents came in for Utah for Thanksgiving and he was spoiled rotten of course (we all were actually). They unloaded present after present for the kids and they are still on a sugar high from all the treats they were given. I barely had to lift a finger as they suggested that we go out for Thanksgiving. We ended up having a nice relaxing dinner at Mimi's cafe. They served turkey and all the trimmings. Easiest Thanksgiving I ever made! All I had to do was make reservations.
On Friday, we went to Independence MO to the LDS vistor's center there. We have been meaning to go for a while but this was the first time we actually made it. They had a big Creche display with 300+ different nativity scenes. The kids loved the playroom. It had a covered wagon with a play horse pulling it that you could sit in and pretend you were driving, a well with a bucket you could lower and raise, and a little house with dishes and stuff. (I forgot my camera, bummer). We also headed over to the Liberty jail. Ian was so excited and kept saying, "We are going to jail!" It is usually not a good thing, but I let him be excited instead of explaining that to him.
We (Mike, his parents, and myself) learned the hard way that we are to never again play a game of chickenfoot with Ian and the girls. They absolutely smoked us! We didn't stand a chance of winning. Unfortunately, it wasn't just once. It was night after night. It was an absolute embarrassment. The kids had a blast though and were so proud of their winnings.
We also spent a lot of time going through old family videos (some much older than others). It is amazing to see how much Ian has grown in the past 6 months. I don't know if he would have shot up like this on his own, or if some of it can be attributed to the steroids.
I was horrible about taking pictures when they were here. Mike got a lot of video though so I'll have him turn some into still shots and then we'll post it so you can get an idea of the weekend.
Ian's grandparents came in for Utah for Thanksgiving and he was spoiled rotten of course (we all were actually). They unloaded present after present for the kids and they are still on a sugar high from all the treats they were given. I barely had to lift a finger as they suggested that we go out for Thanksgiving. We ended up having a nice relaxing dinner at Mimi's cafe. They served turkey and all the trimmings. Easiest Thanksgiving I ever made! All I had to do was make reservations.
On Friday, we went to Independence MO to the LDS vistor's center there. We have been meaning to go for a while but this was the first time we actually made it. They had a big Creche display with 300+ different nativity scenes. The kids loved the playroom. It had a covered wagon with a play horse pulling it that you could sit in and pretend you were driving, a well with a bucket you could lower and raise, and a little house with dishes and stuff. (I forgot my camera, bummer). We also headed over to the Liberty jail. Ian was so excited and kept saying, "We are going to jail!" It is usually not a good thing, but I let him be excited instead of explaining that to him.
We (Mike, his parents, and myself) learned the hard way that we are to never again play a game of chickenfoot with Ian and the girls. They absolutely smoked us! We didn't stand a chance of winning. Unfortunately, it wasn't just once. It was night after night. It was an absolute embarrassment. The kids had a blast though and were so proud of their winnings.
We also spent a lot of time going through old family videos (some much older than others). It is amazing to see how much Ian has grown in the past 6 months. I don't know if he would have shot up like this on his own, or if some of it can be attributed to the steroids.
I was horrible about taking pictures when they were here. Mike got a lot of video though so I'll have him turn some into still shots and then we'll post it so you can get an idea of the weekend.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Ian's Big Weekend
I realize that this should have been written on Monday for the title to make sense, but time always seems to get away from me. Ian's Nana and Grandman were here for the weekend. It was cute because he was so excited to see them, but shy at the same time so when we picked them up from the airport, he had a blanket over his head. The blanket slowly (about 2 minutes) worked it's way down and he had a blast the whole time. He informed Nana that she could sleep in his room but he was insistent that Grandman sleep in our basement (it's unfinished, not luxurious at all).
It took about 10 minutes and Nana already had the kids going on Thanksgiving Day Crafts. They made turkeys with tailfeathers by tracing their hands and feet and Indian headbands. Ian had an appointment on Thursday and his counts were up to 1090 so we went to the movie theater and saw what my girls really wanted; High School Musical 3 (don't waste your money). We also had brunch with my Aunt and Grandpa and then visited with Grandma. As if that wasn't enough, we also went to the Arboreteum and a park to try to take advantage of the nice weather on Sunday. Ian did more in 3 days than he has done in the past 3 months.
His next appointment is on Tuesday. He is having a kidney scan done (VCUG) and should be getting a dose of Vincristine so he should be nice and nautious for Thanksgiving. Luckily the Zofran seems to works pretty well so he should be able to enjoy it.
I promise to be better about posts. Sorry to keep you hanging for so long.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
EMO, EMO, EMO
Somehow, I always forget the effect the steroids have on Ian's personality. The first couple of days I am always thinking, "Man, this kid is grumpy, he needs a nap." and then the lightbulb comes on and I remember it's the meds. This week has been no exception. He is so completely Emo. A perfect example for you is just about 10 minutes ago, Ian told Emma he wasn't going to play with her and be her friend because she called what he calls medicine "pills." He freaked out started crying and was yelling, "It's not pills, it's medicine. It's medicine Emma." Pretty much the same thing, but I know better than to even try right now. He'll get over it in a few minutes and then I'll talk to him when he is calm. It's pretty comical actually since I know he'll be completely different in a few days once they are out of his system. I can deal with this short term.
Ian had an appointment 2 days ago for his kidney. When he was born, he had what they call hydronephrosis which is where the kidney gets larger because it isn't draining right. They have done a few tests, and it seems to function fine and the last few ultrasounds looked like it was pretty much staying the same size or even getting a little smaller. I figured, as the doctors did, that he might grow and fix the problem (they believe it is due to his renal tube having a kink in it and they thought as he grew, the kink might straighten out). Unfortunately, the doctor said that his kidney has swollen significantly since his last ultrasound 2 years ago. They are going to do one more test (VCUG) to see if it is functioning properly. If not, they will have to perform a minor surgery to fix it. It is supposed to be pretty simple especially because the kink is closer to the kidney than to the bladder. We may not have to do anything though. It is all going to be based on the results of his VCUG. I hope it's ok. I'd hate to put him through anything else right now. He's already been through the wringer and he isn't even close to being dry.
Ian had an appointment 2 days ago for his kidney. When he was born, he had what they call hydronephrosis which is where the kidney gets larger because it isn't draining right. They have done a few tests, and it seems to function fine and the last few ultrasounds looked like it was pretty much staying the same size or even getting a little smaller. I figured, as the doctors did, that he might grow and fix the problem (they believe it is due to his renal tube having a kink in it and they thought as he grew, the kink might straighten out). Unfortunately, the doctor said that his kidney has swollen significantly since his last ultrasound 2 years ago. They are going to do one more test (VCUG) to see if it is functioning properly. If not, they will have to perform a minor surgery to fix it. It is supposed to be pretty simple especially because the kink is closer to the kidney than to the bladder. We may not have to do anything though. It is all going to be based on the results of his VCUG. I hope it's ok. I'd hate to put him through anything else right now. He's already been through the wringer and he isn't even close to being dry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
