its been so long.

i feel like so much has happened in the past week and a half or whatever, but when i look back and think of what i want to say.... nothing really needs to be updated.

i had 3 shoots last week which was my big "woohoo starting to work again!" wkend and its been really nice. i like to sit in the office and edit sometimes in peace and quiet. well, listening to pandora, of course.

last wkend A and S had their first soccer games of the season. A had a fab time, like always. S fell twice and was over it for the rest of the game lol typical. open house for Aidan was this week as well. which was so fun. EJ and reese stayed home (with miller who was sleeping) - bc reese couldnt be out in that crowd. all of her teachers just have such wonderful things to say about her. I am so proud. She recently was asked to join the gifted/talented class for the district and already fell in LOVE with it. such a sweet little learner :)

labs this week were uneventful. we were in and out and they were pretty good. ANC was 2,500, which means it was on the decline, but we knew that would happen. but sodiums were awesome - even though we've only had to give her DDAVP shot once in a while... luckily we are such good I/O trackers lol

i started back to LTF this week. i really *really* wasnt a fan of the other gym that i tried out for a while. and the gym is the only place where i feel like i can let out stress. honestly, ive cried to EJ about not being able to go and do something for *me*. i am not a girl who wants to go get a pedicure. i dont want to shop it out. i want to feel GOOD about myself and work out. so thursday morning at 5:30am, i took spin. woohoo. i went friday morning, too. and hopefully will get back again tomorrow (cardio) or tuesday (yoga sculpt).



friday i picked aidan up from school and then came home and puked on my own driveway. which then spiraled into the worst 36 hours in a LONG TIME. my flu test was negative, but i got tamiflu anyway bc, well, with a chemo kid at home whose counts are on the decline, carenow pretty much just wants to make sure youre covered. pretty sure its norovirus... ive felt okay today. still pukey though. sawyer has a sore throat and is on a zpak. we've both been masked all wkend. and EJ is running around the house with lysol as if its his job. i mean, it IS his job right now.



on friday morning, we went to pick reese's boot up :) i was so excited. wearing it doesnt bother her too much so thats good -- today we stood her up by the couch. its so amazing not to see her knee buckle into hyperextension anymore. it forces the bottom 1/2 of her leg to be at the correct "angle" to prevent that - and also, obviously, puts her foot in the right position. she can't stand long, but hey -- we'll get there. im a proud momma bear :)



so now its sunday. we lost an hour of sleep last night, but thats okay bc my kids are already in bed again :) this week is spring break so tomorrow i figure out how i can take all 4 to reese's PT and OT (hardy har lol), but then later this week, A and S will go to the lake with my parents for a couple of days. they are so excited. im going to edit tonight. and relax. and try not to puke lol

....and i start to count down the days til reese's next MRI. which is the 19th. which is so close... and i am so very nervous. i try not to think about it, but i just cant help myself. every time i look at her i think "she's doing so awesome. learning so much more! talking so much more! using her right arm!! she has to be getting better!!" .... but is that true? please pray that these meds are kicking that tumor's ass.



:) oh and #gingerfight



I did want to show this last photo -- this is her last eyelash. I had been watching them, counting them down... 6... 4... then finally 1. you can see the little stubs of blonde next to them. but now this one is gone. so now we wait for the photo of her first eyelashes, right? 

as a whole.

as a whole, life seems to feel.... good.

reese feels good.

we went for chemo on tuesday. cisplatin first. then etoposide (vp-16). i got there at about 3pm. got a room about 3-4 hours later after hanging out in the infusion room. and then they started chemo at, like 9pm.



one round of etoposide the next late afternoon and we were sent home. high sodiums (about 153?), but we were comfortable handling that. the next afternoon we went back for another etoposide and now we'll just go back on tuesday for labs.



reese has puked a few times a day. we stay on top of it with zofran. one night we did alternate between that and ativan, but over all, it doesnt bother her necessarily. she just pukes and goes back to bed or back to what she's doing after we clean her off and change her clothes.

they say cisplatin's side effects of puking "peak" at day 4-5, so we still have a bit... but she feeeeels good.

she talks, she uses her right hand as an assistant and is much more aware of it, she laughs all day, is sneaky ;), and is just overall so normal.



i made the mistake of watching her "going home" video last night. she was so different. its no wonder that the oncologist is just amazed at "how good she looks!!!" - she was just so weak. didnt really hold herself up, was so... sideways (with her eye and smile) compared to now. all of it was so different.

so today i am thankful of how good she feels. and praypraypray that she only gets better with every chemo treatment.



this past week, ashley and i went around town scouting for new locations. we drove around town with kids upon kids packed into my car.

on thursday night, i let loose. i let aidan and sawyer have a time to remember.

 

today was a fun day, too. aidan had soccer this morning, then dance at 1pm. we went and ate lunch, came home for naps, then i took ASM to the park while EJ took reese to some guy store that i have no interest in ;)

they did their fave thing almost the entire time.... the swings.

 
tomorrow we have nothing, really. hopefully not a lot of laundry puke.

after my vent session a post or two back, i feel better. i feel like we are at a place where we just are getting into a rhythm and its nice.

i wanted to add this, too -- MILLER'S FIRST BIRTHDAY VIDEO!! ***click!!

also, in the IGs you'll see aidan's hair all up and cute for dance --- i don't think i posted this on my blog, but HERE is aidan and 3/4ths of her mini squad performing their dance for only the 2nd time. and may i say, i think she's awesome ;)

and to answer this question, which i get asked a lot:  when is the next MRI? this i am not 100% sure about, but i *think* it is going to be before we start the next round. that will be 2 months. i will ask on tuesday. :)

alright, on to the IGs of the past few weeks!! (punkfictionv4) -- remember the first hospital pics here are from her sedated hearing test to get a baseline (etoposide can reduce high frequency hearing....)