Teenage Boy or a 2 Year Old on Steroids?

So, our darling little Brooklyn woke me up at 2:30 this morning because that was the precise moment she remembered that she never got the ice cream bar that her dad had promised her the night before after she took her medicine. I tried to tell her that it was night time, and time to sleep and that she could have one when we woke up in the morning, but there is no reasoning with a toddler on steroids! So, we got up and she had an ice cream bar, 2 waffles with cream cheese, 1/4 a bagel and 2 pieces of ham. She would've kept going but I finally convinced her we should go back to bed since it was now 4:30am. She slept awhile longer, but reeeaaally wanted pancakes when she got up, so after getting Braden and Kayla off to school, I made pancakes and she ate 5. It is pretty funny seeing her eat so much. Of course, in a normal situation, I would never get up with her in the middle of the night to give her food, but these darn drugs are so rough on her and if there is anything we can do to make her feel better, then I am certainly going to do it. I love her so much and I just want to take care of her the best I can. I just make sure I get my fill of caffeine throughout the day! :)  She actually didn't feel great today, her body was hurting & she was very temperamental, but it was great to be able to be home and be here for her and also get some stuff done around the house. Tomorrow we go to the cardiac room at the hospital so she can be fitted for a heart monitor that she will have to wear for 24 hours so they can get a more accurate reading of how her heart functions. Our nurse told us that the Cardiologist wasn't worried about her after hearing what her Oncologist said, so that gave us a bit of relief. Hopefully all the results will come back with flying colors! 

Superbowl Fun

We had a great day today! Brooklyn was feeling much better. It seems that it just takes a day or so to recover after her surgery & chemo. She did wake up at 3:30am and wanted to eat, so we came downstairs for an hour an a half before I convinced her that it was still night time and we should go back to sleep. :)  We cleaned the furniture in the backyard since the patio is done and the kids loved getting all wet from the hose. I got some snack foods from the store and we just hung out and watched the Superbowl. Brooklyn did let us know that she hated "this football show" a few times, but she got over it. I am so thankful for my family and the beautiful day we had today.

Slowin' down

We are very busy people. I'm not talking about our whole society or generation, but just our family. Partly because we have four kids and there is not time for much rest with four little ones running around, but partly because we like to be busy. We really enjoy taking our kids out to do stuff and like all being together. When Mike coaches Braden's baseball team, the girls and I always go to the practices too b/c we enjoy being outside and around other people, and it's a family function for us. Today my Mom came over to stay with Brooklyn so both Mike and I could go to Braden's basketball game. It was so nice b/c I wasn't expecting to go, but while I was there, I was sad because the last game I had been to, Brooklyn was with us. All of us were there and the girls were running around, making new friends, not watching the game at all. :) I know that we will get through these times, and we will all be out together again soon enough, but it is still a big adjustment for us. And, I have really enjoyed getting to spend more time playing with the kids, so maybe that is a lesson for us through this trial. Brooklyn was also really tired today, she didn't want to play much and rested most of the day. It is always harder on those days b/c I feel sad for her. She went through a lot yesterday though, so I am sure her little body is just worn out. I read this from Psalm 28 today, and I think it will be a verse that will help us all through the next few months: 'The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.' I know He has a plan for us through all of this, and I don't need to know it, I just need to trust Him.

Pizza never tasted so good!

I have never liked hospital shows. I get too attached to the characters and then get sad if something bad happens, and they are always filled with drama. Part of me felt like we were in one of them today. Brooklyn did great this morning getting her platelets and her chemo. She was hungry, but was very patient and we watched a movie. When we went to the surgery center, there was a lot of waiting which was tough b/c she was soooo hungry. She told everyone she saw that she wanted to eat "petaroni pizza" when she was done. When we finally got called back a little after 1:00, we got to go in the surgery room with her. It was so weird b/c everyone was just kind of talking about their weekend or their family, and here we were, sitting there, wrapped up in the fact that our little girl laying on the table has cancer and was in their hands. It is our whole world right now, and for them, it was just another procedure. It took three times for the doctor to get a good draw from her spine, which was hard to watch - those are big needles. Her heart rate was really low during the surgery & afterward, so now our doctor wants us to see a cardiologist to make sure there aren't any other problems going on. I am emotionally exhausted. I don't want anything else to be wrong. Brooklyn couldn't wait to eat, so we ate pizza in the hospital cafeteria & she was so happy. The highlight of my day was playing Twister with the kids tonight. It was so much fun. We have received so many cards and gifts for Brooklyn and for our whole family over the last week and we are overwhelmed with the generosity and heartfelt messages from so many family and friends. Your prayers and thoughtfulness are more than we could have ever hoped for and we are so grateful.

Bulkin' up

We have been learning more than we thought we would ever know about cancer, blood cells, & medications over the last week and a half. Research has shown that the best way to treat Leukemia is to hit it hard at the beginning. This kills off the majority of the cancer cells within the first month, and then the rest of the 2+ years of treatment is kind of like maintenance - to be sure that there aren't any cancer cells left lingering around the body. That is why the first month of treatment is so intense. The one chemo treatment we do at home is a steroid. Everyone has said that it could make her "bulk up" - get pudgy cheeks & a round belly and become a voracious eater. Today was the first time we saw a sign that this may happen with her. She woke up at 6:00am and wanted to come downstairs to eat. We kept her in bed until 7:00, but she ate 2 waffles with cream cheese, 1/2 a bagel and mac and cheese before 10:00am. :)  She actually didn't eat too much the rest of the day, but it was pretty cute to see her wanting to eat so much! We met our home health nurse today, and she is great. She walked us through what the process will be over the next few months and answered a lot of our questions. She also let Brookie help with drawing her blood and flushing her catheter which she was excited to do. Tomorrow is another big day - she needs to get platelets in the morning b/c her count is low and she is getting another round of chemo at 11:00am and then having a spinal tap at 1:00pm. The worst part is she isn't able to eat after midnight or drink after 8:30am. We're thinking this won't be easy considering how hungry she was this morning. I've never hoped one of my kids got up for a midnight snack, but I kind of want her to tonight so her tummy isn't so hungry in the morning! Thank you for continuing to pray for us.

Playing is fun

I have always enjoyed playing with our kids. But as the number of kids has gone up, the time spent playing with them has gone down. Partly because there is so much more to do - cleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking for a family of 6. It has also been nice that as the kids have gotten older, they like to play together, they are good friends. But, the past couple days have given me a chance to spend focused time with Brooklyn & play more than I used to. We go outside when she wants to, we color & play with stamps, we even did play dough today! Granted, we played catch with it outside, so it wasn't as messy as usual, but that is what she wanted to do and it made me so happy to do it with her. She had more energy today so that was fun. Kelsey turned 8 months today and it is amazing to think of how much our lives have changed since she was born. Our family has changed dramatically over just the last week. It has been a roller coaster of emotions, but I know that this experience and difficult couple of years ahead, will bring our family closer together. And we will play more.

One Day at a Time

Our first day home was a pretty good one. Brooklyn was tired this morning and wanted to just snuggle on the couch, but then she got a burst of energy and wanted to ride her scooter! I was so happy that it was such a beautiful day today, and we went up and down the street again and again on her scooter, tricycle and big wheel. It was so great to see her having so much fun. And she was happy to not be "tangled up" in her IV cords anymore. All the excitement wore her out so she took about a four hour nap. When Braden got home from school, we all went out to the backyard to check out the new concrete and grass that was put in the week we were in the hospital. It makes me happy to see all of them playing and marching around the yard together like everything is normal. I know Kelsey can't wait to join them! Even though we are still trying to figure out how we are going to manage what our new "normal" is, it is wonderful to hear the kids laughing and giggling together. I am learning to slow down and appreciate each moment, every day, and I am thankful.