Friday, April 30, 2010

Small Talk Six: Before I Lay Me Down To Sleep



Want to join in? Go here to learn how and to view the weekly list
Small Talk Six topics for 2010.

It will be interesting to see how each participant interprets this week’s topic.


Today’s topic is “The last 6 things you do before you close your eyes at night.” You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc . . .

Oh, this one will be easy!

  1. Let the dogs out to go potty.
  2. Go potty myself.
  3. Get into bed.
  4. Set my alarm.
  5. Tell Hubby goodnight.
  6. Turn on the CD player so I can listen to an audio book.


If you would like to play along you can do so over at Momdot.
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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Friday Fill-Ins #174

pink and blue


And...here we go!

1. I was ______out with the Aunties and my mom tonight eating dinner and playing Hand and Foot_______.

2. ____When I went on my mini-vacation_____ and I left my book ____at home :(___.

3. Why ____did I leave it at home? I don't know______.

4. ______Peggy_______ was in my thoughts today.

5. One of my father's favorite sayings was _______"As long as I don't argue with myself I will be okay"_______.

6. ____OH____--I know that feeling!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __having NO daycare kiddos after 6pm___, tomorrow my plans include __keeping daycare kiddos all day___ and Sunday, I want to __relax and read some more of my wonderful book___!

If you would like to play along hop on over and visit Janet at Friday Fill-Ins.






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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Lexi Update: Day 3 of Anitbody Infusion

For those of you who are new to my blog, Lexi (whom I provided daycare for since she was 19 months old) is now 7 years old and was diagnosed in June 2009 with stage 4 Neuroblastoma at the age of 6. If you are a mother and do not know about this form of cancer, please do some research and learn about it.

Lexi's mom, Jen has set up a website on Caring Bridge where her she can update everyone at once and where everyone can leave messages for Lexi and her family. Jen says that she uses it as a sort of therapy. They enjoy reading words of encouragement, it does them good. I copy and paste what she posts to share with those of you who follow her story but don't want to visit the Caring Bridge site.

Alexis in a tree at our house.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 1:18 PM, EDT

Hello! Alexis is now on her 3rd day of the antibody drug. She has been doing fairly well overall. She hasn't vomitted since Monday evening which we are thankful for and her pain continues to be controlled with the morphine. She has been needing regular doses of morphine, but as soon as the morphine is given her intense pain disappears. There have been many moments where she states her pain is a 10 or even a 12. Luckily it hasn't lasted too long. Since Monday night, Alexis has pretty much had a consistent fever even with regular doses of tylenol. The highest it has been is 103.2. The fever is a side effect of the medicine she is receiving so her doctors are not worried. She hasn't been eating much but she has been drinking a lot which helps her fever so I am glad we are able to at least get her to do that.

Yesterday, Alexis's two main goals were to play with the Wii and to have a massage. The nurses put in consults for rec therapy to bring her a Wii and to have a massage. By mid day both of her wishes came true. The massage therapist, Peg spent almost an hour yesterday and today giving Alexis a massage with the speical request to use a comb. The past two days, Alexis's mornings have gone very well. She has been very chatty and comical to the nurses. A few people have commented on how cute she is and she has replied "I know, people tell that all the time". By lunch though she has been exhausted with the amount of medicines so she has been taking a lot of naps. Today, it has been hard to tell if her pain is just pain or if it is constipation or nausea. The doctors are going to order some medicine for constipation so hopefully that will work. In the meantime they are treating her for pain and nausea! Which means a lot of sedatives.

Alexis hasn't been up to doing a lot of crafts this stay but she has watched a lot of movies. She has been requesting that I lay with her in her bed and watch TV, so we have been doing a lot of that. I don't know who has enjoyed that more!

Today the doctors came in and said Alexis's sodium levels are low. To increase her levels the doctors are putting her on fluids for a day or two.

Yesterday, the nurse practitioner, Faye, came in and talked to me about Alexis's upcoming schedule. I quickly relaized that I needed to read the protocol again because I had forgot a few things. Anyway, Alexis will be admitted next on May 17 th for 5 days. During this time she will be receiving a different drug that will infuse for 24 hours a day for 4 days. The side effects are not anticipated to be too bad. After this, Alexis will be able to go home for one week and then she will be admitted again for another 4-5 days. This time she will receive the medicine she is receiving this round and the medicine from the second admission. These two admissions will both be part of the second round. Faye also said that Alexis will start the retinoic acid on Tuesday. The bad thing about this is that she will need to take this medicine two times per day and it doesn't come in liquid form. Alexis has never swallowed pills before, so we know it is going to be a challenge. Each dose she takes involves 2-3 pills at a time.

Yesterday, Child Life came in to help Alexis practice swallowing pills. To practice they used candy. They started with nerds, then worked their way up to the largest size which was a mini m&m. I wasn't in the room, but as soon as I walked in the door I was told that Alexis did very well. Then Alexis started coughing. Alexis said that the m&m was caught in her throat. We encouraged Alexis to drink and even eat a peice of melon but she still felt like it was caught. We haven't practiced since, so we will need to do it again. I just hope this experience doesn't scare her from trying again.

Just a few minutes ago, Dr. Ranalli came in and had me sign a form saying that he explained all of the sde effects of retinoic acid. He even handed me a book size patient booklet about the drug and a special card that has my ID number on it to access a speical website and to share with the pharmacy. I couldn't believe how elaborate the process was. It must be an important drug with a lot of special precautions required.

Right now my dad is visiting us and Alexis is sleeping. Alexis was very cranky before her nap. I think all of the differnet medications are catching up with her. Before her nap, one of the volunteers came in to see if Alexis wanted to make a tote bag using a t-shirt and fabric markers. Alexis told her that she really wanted to make one but not today, another day. She also turned Mary the rec lady down, which she only does when she is absolutely exhausted or feeling very yucky.

Alexis wants to Thank everyone for all of the e-cards. We have enjoyed reading them. I am so thankful that I am able to be here with Alexis. It means a lot to both of us. Thank you for all of the messages. Again we feel so fortunant to have such a great support system!

Take Care,
Jen


If you would like to catch up on Lexi's story, you can read all about her here. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers because her battle is not over yet.

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Another New Thing I Fell In Love With!


Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda



Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda

Boy, my mini-vacation sure opened my eyes up to a few new things. One being Blue Diamonds Almond Breeze Vanilla Milk and the other being this Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda Cheese. OMGoodness it is so yummy. I do have to say that it is a hard dry cheese (like a real parmesan cheese). I can just sit and eat and eat it.

Now for a little bit about this cheese:

All Dutch exporters pack extra aged Gouda. But Rembrandt extra aged Gouda, like his namesake, stands out from all the rest. Competing against over 1,800 cheeses at the prestigious 2002 Nantwich International Cheese Show (UK), Rembrandt was awarded the coveted "H.T Webb Trophy for Best Continental Cheese. Rembrandt also garnered the First Place award in the Best Dutch Cheese class. But what makes Rembrandt so special? Like Rembrandt Van Rijn, whose use of light and color remains a testament to the creative impulse K.H De Jong's cheesemakers have melded the best old-world aging practices with modern quality controls to produce a consistently superb and artfully delicious extra aged gouda. While some producers force age their Gouda, De Jong's cheesemakers would never stoop to such a practice. The cheese will grace your table just as Rembrandt's timeless portraits and etchings remain a standard against which all artists can be judged.

Product Metrics:

Country: Holland
Milk: Cow
Rind: A firm orange rind
Aging: 1 Year
Consistency: Semi-hard and slightly crunchy
Taste: Honey, caramel, butterscotch - with a slight, spicy finish of aged whiskey
Brand name: Rembrandt
Rennet: Enzymes
Height: 2.5
Length: 6"
Width: 2

Now, I did not know that it is an imported cheese. lol I have looked for it at our local Wal-Mart and well I couldn't find it there but I have been told that you can find it at the Kroger Market Places. I haven't checked the regular Kroger stores yet. You can buy it for $10 - $15 per pound. Yes, that is expensive but it is soooo yummy. I bought it for $15.99 per pound at Balducci's Food Lovers Market in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. The chunks were between $8 and $10 each.

Cheese info and picture came from Cheese Supply. I was not paid in any way for this review. I purchased this cheese on my own.

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Product Recalls: Step2 Toy Drums | NBC 4i

The following recall has been announced:

- About 21,000 Step2 toy drums, made in China and imported by the Step2 Company LLC, of Streetsboro, Ohio, because the plastic clips used to attach the drumsticks to the drum can break. The small broken pieces present a choking hazard to young children. No injuries or incidents have been reported. This recall involves Step2 Basic Rhythm Drums, which are sold with two drumsticks that can be stored in clips on the sides of the drums. They were sold at Toys R Us, Burlington Coat Factory and other retail stores nationwide from August 2009 through March 2010. Details: by phone at 866-860-1887; by Web at http://www.step2.com/recall/ or http://www.cpsc.gov.

From Step2.com/recall/

Step2 Basic Rhythms Drum: Plastic Clips


For drums sold from August 2009 through March 2010

Models: 890232 & 890212
UPC: 3353889029

Plastic clips on the side of the drum for retaining the drum sticks could break. The broken piece could pose a choking hazard if a child puts the broken piece in his or her mouth. Affected drums have plastic clips on the side. Drums without the clips are not affected.

Please inspect the drum (see pictures to the left). If the drum has green plastic clips on the side for retaining the drum sticks, immediately stop using the drum and destroy it.

Fill out the form below to receive a replacement drum without side clips, or call Step2 toll free at (866) 860-1887 between 8 am and 7 pm EST Monday through Friday.



This information was received from Step2 and NBC4i.
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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Now That's a Chair




Your can see all my Wordless Wednesday here.
If you would like to see more Wordless Wednesday pictures you can visit 5 Minutes For Mom, MomDot, Jolly Mom and Life Down Our Lane and Go Graham Go.



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Post It Note Tuesday!










If you would like to play along, click on the SupaMommy post-it at the top.
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Lexi Update! Antibody Infusion

Here is another update for you from Lexi's mom!

Praying for Lexi

Monday, April 26, 2010 6:46 PM, EDT

Hi Everyone!

Scot, Alexis and I have been at the hospital since 7:30 this morning. Alexis has been moved to room 5320 for the rest of the week. Alexis loves to receive ecards, so if anyone would like to send one just go Nationwide Children's hospital homepage and click on send an ecard. The best thing is that it is free! Make sure you write down her room number because you will need that.

Alexis is in one of the special transplant rooms. It felt strange walking into the room without having to wear gloves or kick out things that fall on the floor.

Alexis's treatment started at 9:30 this morning. Things have gone better than expected thanks to all the meds that the nurses and doctors have given her. Before the treatment began they gave her zofran, tylenol, benadryl and morphine. After all of this, she was still wide awake! The nurse told us that she could have more morphine after 11am. Alexis didn't complain of any pain until about 11:30am when she said that she was having gas pains. After a few trips to the bathroom, we realized it probably wasn't gas pains but where the antibodies were attacking the cancer cells. Last week Dr. Soni had told me that when kids still have active cells there tends to be more pain in that area when receiving the antibody therapy. One of the areas where she still has live cells is in her pelvis area. When we realized this we quickly asked for more morphine and the pain went away. I was glad our nurse Amy was quick because Alexis was having severe pain (what she called a 10 and usually she says her pain isn't more than a 6-7). Right before Amy walked in with the morphine Alexis was telling me that she wanted to stop the infusion! Unfortunantly, while Alexis was getting her morphine she vomited all of her breakfast. After this we learned to ask for more morphine as soon as she could have it.

About two hours later, right before Alexis could have more pain medicine, she started complaining of her neck hurting. Again her right shoulder was another area that had cancer cells. After getting sick again, the nurse practitioner ordered her regular regimen of nausea medicines! Throughout the day Alexis has had all of them. They have helped her to eat or should I say drink! She has had a popscicle, a fruit freeze from Taco Bell and some fruit punch. It is almost time to complete the infusion for tonight so she should be okay for the rest of the night.

The other talk of the day has been the black and blue mark (actually black and red) under my eye!! Yesterday, I was pulling a blanket off of Alexis's wooden curtain rod in her room and it fell and hit me in the eye. It was the worse pain I think I have had since labor! I let out a scream and layed on Alexis's bed crying in agony. Later, Scot said that it sounded like I was scared as if I saw a mouse. I told him that I was scared! I was scared of what my face was going to look like! It turns out that I was very right to think that. It only took a few hours before it started turning black. Now you may wonder why there was a blanket on the curtain rod! ALexis's new fabric blinds are white and she says that it lets too much light in! Oh, the things we do for our kids! All day Sunday, Scot and I talked about what lousy timing I had! I told Scot I would have much rather have gone to work with a black eye then to go to the hospital where people we don't know well come up with there own conclusions! When we first arrived to the hospital people did seem afraind to ask so I started telling them! The first 24 hours I had terrible headaches from the pain. I was finally able to get rid of the pain around 2pm, so I hope that is the end of it!

We are finally one day down and three more to go!

Take Care,
Jen


If you would like to catch up on Lexi's story, you can read all about her here. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

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Woot, I Have 5 Winners!!

The winning comments for my Pedigree DENTASTIX gift pack giveaway are:


Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

143 26 37 40 49

Timestamp: 2010-04-27 13:42:45 UTC


143. Donna said...

Tinker Bell...she was part Collie, part German Sheperd, she was given to us by a lady who lived in an apartment, we had a large yard. I was 10 years old when she arrived and 21 when she died. She was the best dog ever.....

Donna
dwarrington1@gmail.com



26. Kelly said...

I follow you on twitter. (dkad23)
Kelly Deaton - secrets_girl23(at)yahoo(dot)com (aka) dkad23(at)gmail(dot)com


37. Wendi P said...

I follow you on google friend #2, thanks!


40. Team JC said...

I am a follower! #1
schaefer7382 (at) aol (dot) com


49. Abbie the Basket Hound and Humans said...

I just started following your blog.
second entry


Congrats to the winners. I will be sending out an email shortly. You then have 48 hours to respond to that email before I have to draw another winning comment.










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Monday, April 26, 2010

Kelly's Chance ~ Book Reveiw

Kellys Chance, Wanda E. Brunstetter (Paperback)

Title: Kelly's Chance
Subtitle: Brides of Lehigh Canal Book One
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc
Publish Date: 1/1/2010
Author: Wanda E. Brunstetter

About the book:

Life for Kelly McGregor is a daily drudge of driving her overbearing father’s mules along Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Canal. She dreams of one day owning an art gallery where her own drawings and paintings are on display. But these dreams don’t include marriage. . .not after seeing what her father has done to her mother. How then can Mike Cooper, a general store owner, make her realize he is different than her father and wants to support her artistic talent? Will Kelly learn that dreams can walk hand in hand with a love created by God?

My review:

I will have to say this is one fantastic book. As a matter of a fact my Hubby was watching a movie on DVD and I read all but 3 chapters while he was doing that. It is 224 pages and once I started reading it I was amazed at how good it was. Well not really amazed because I love all of Wanda E. Brunstetter's work. She is just an amazing writer. I am on my way to reading all of her books. This however is the first book of hers that I have read that was not about the Amish. This is an fast and easy read and I highly recommend it to everyone, even the teenagers. I am sure that you will love it.

This book is about Kelly McGregor, the daughter of a man who works his daughter to her limits in the canals driving the mules. Kelly loves her family very much and would do nothing to upset neither her father nor mother. After seeing the way her father treats her mother and her sister running off and getting married, Kelly decides that she will never marry. Then she meets Mike the shop owner and things begin to change for her. Ooo, I better stop there before I tell you what happens.


You can buy this book at:
Amazon.com for $7.89
BooksChristian.com for $8.00
Barnes and Noble for $7.89

I would like to think Angie Brillhart, Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for the copy of this book.


Images and book information was collected from Wanda Brunstetter's website and NetGalley. I was not paid for this review, however I did receive a copy of this book to read and do the review on. My opinions are based on exactly that, my opinion.
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My Everyday Promise Bible ~ Book Review

My Everyday Promise Bible

Title: My Everyday Promise Bible
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Publish Date: 9/1/2009
Author: Phil A. Smouse

About the book:

From the creator of Jesus Wants All of Me, this brand-new book for kids ages 3 to 5 is packed with age-appropriate promises, devotional thoughts, and fun, colorful illustrations. My Everyday Promise Bible features 365 daily readings on a promise of scripture, carefully written so kids can understand. Author and illustrator Phil A. Smouse, a winner of the Retailers Choice Award, has created an engaging way to introduce youngsters to God's faithfulness, by showing His promises of scripture.



My thoughts:

I loved this book. I shared it with my daycare kiddos and one of them has asked to take it home so that she can share it with her family. Every page has a verse on it along with a picture and a few sentences to help describe and explain the verse so that the kiddos will understand it better. This is definitely for the young and the old. You can see in the picture above how the pages are laid out. They are easy peesy. This is definitely a book that I will be sharing with my daycare kiddos for years to come.

I would like to thank Angie Brillhart at NetGalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc for the copy of this book.

You can purchase My Everyday Promise Bible at:

Images and book information was collected from PhilSmouse.com and NetGalley. I was not paid for this review, however I did receive a copy of this book to read and do the review on. My opinions are based on exactly that, my opinion.
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My GIVEAWAY Ends Tonight!

If you haven't already, hop over and enter to win my



Pedigree DENTASTIX gift pack giveaway.

It ends tonight at midnight.



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Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Husband Tree ~ book review

The  Husband Tree

The  Husband Tree cover
excerpt

Belle Tanner buries her third worthless husband and makes a vow over his shallow grave. She’s learned her lesson. No more men.

Silas Harden just lost his second ranch because of a woman. The first deserted him when times got tough. Now he’s had to quit the whole state of New Mexico to avoid a trumped-up shotgun wedding and the noose of matrimony. He’s learned his lesson. No more women.

Belle needs hired hands to move a cattle herd late in the season and there’s no one around but seemingly aimless Silas. She hires him reluctantly.

Silas signed on, glad for the work, though worried about a woman doing such a thing as hiring drovers, only to find out he’s the lone man going with five woman, including a baby still in diapers. After the cattle drive is over, he might as well shoot himself to speed up the process of being embarrassed to death.

A fast approaching winter.

The toughest lady rancher you’ve ever seen.

A cynical cowboy who has to convince five women he’s right for their ma. . .and then convince himself.

And one thousand head of the crankiest cattle who have ever been punched across the backbone of the Rockies.

My thoughts about the book:

Well, I sat down yesterday to start reading this book and could not put it down, so needless to say I read the whole 320 pages and loved every minute of it. After burying her last Husband under the tree, Belle promised her girls that she would not remarry. Her past 3 marriages were not good ones and she had decided that she was done trying to be a wife to another no-good husband.

Before winter were to set in, Belle realized that she needed to get her cattle to Helena so that she could sell them. It was late in the season and she was having a hard time finding some hands to help her on the cattle drive. She came across a man named Silas Harden, whom she hired to help her and her girls out.

Silas had not had very good luck with women himself and he also decided that he was never going to marry either. But their was just something about Belle that Silas enjoyed and something about Silas that Belle enjoyed.

I loved this book just as much as I did the first book of the series. It was definitely a fast read for me and one that I didn't want to put down. Another great book by Mary Connealy! Thanks to Angie Brillhart at NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for this book.

Title:
The Husband Tree
Author: Mary Connealy
Subtitle: Montana Marriages Book 2
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc
Publish Date: 1-1-2010

You can find this book online at:


If you would like to read my review of the 1st book in the Montana Marriages series, called Montana Rose, you can do so here.

Images and excerpt are from Mary Connealy's website.
I was not paid for this review, I did however receive a copy of the book in return for the review. The opinions of this book are mine and mine alone.

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Did I Hear Almond Milk?

OMGosh, I recently went on a mini-vacation to my Aunt Rita's and Uncle Curtis's house and I am glad to say that I have 2 new loves in my life. This first one being Blue Diamonds Almond Breeze Vanilla. Regular milk does not like me therefore I do NOT drink it...at all. No calcium coming from milk for me. Now, I have to admit that my Aunt's family in Maryland eats things different than we do here in Ohio. They love health foods and are vegetarians. EWWW, I need my meat. lol Well anyway, she had me taste this Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze Vanilla. And wow, did I love it. I came straight home and went out and bought me some right away.

I bought a half-gallon at Wal-Mart for $2.86. Now while that may seem high for a half-gallon of milk, I am definitely fine with that. I am the only one who drinks it in my house. My daughter says that she will stick to cow milk and Hubby, well I won't even ask him to try it. You could say it's a mind game with them. lol

Anyhow, I have used it in my coffee and it was delicious. I have used it in cereal and it was delicious. And just to drink a glass is also delicious. AND, it's only 90 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per serving. Compared to 130 calories and 5 grams of fat in 2% milk per serving.

You can visit Blue Diamond to see all the FAQ's, and you will be surprised at what all great things that this milk has. Here are few great things:

  • No MSG
  • Made in a Peanut free plant
  • It's Kosher
  • No eggs
  • No Trans Fat
  • No Wheat or gluten
  • No BPA
  • Made in the USA


Refrigerated Almond Breeze family shot.


Almond Breeze® Vanilla

Almond Breeze® is a non-dairy beverage made from real almonds, all natural, smooth and creamy with a hint of almonds. Almond Breeze® is a great tasting non-dairy beverage without the thin, chalky after taste of rice and soy beverages.

Enjoy Almond Breeze® chilled by the glass and on your cereal. You will love how it froths in coffee drinks, enhances fruit smoothies, and blends cup for cup in your favorite recipes.

  • Gluten, cholesterol and lactose free
  • Excellent source of calcium, vitamins D & E
  • Good source of vitamin A
  • A refreshing alternative to soy and rice non-dairy beverages

Now, you can visit Blue Diamond and get yourself a $1.00 off coupon so you can head on out to the store and buy yourself some and try it.



Information about Almond Breeze comes from Blue Diamond.
I did NOT receive any compensation of any sort for this review. This is my own opinion of what I think.

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Friday, April 23, 2010

Lexi Update! It all started 9 months ago....

Here is an update from Jen, Lexi's mom, on how Lexi is doing:

Praying for Lexi

Thursday, April 22, 2010 9:52 PM, EDT

Hello Everyone! Today is what Alexis's doctors call her 76th day post stem cell transplant. It has actually been a little over two months since Alexis has spent the night in the hospital and we have thoroughly enjoyed our time at home! We have however, spent many days traveling to and from the hospital for appointments, scans and radiation during this time..

Next week will be the nine month mark since we began this journey. I can't believe it! Even though Alexis has continued to be very strong, I think the past two months at home has slowed down the adrenalin rush for all us. Lately, Alexis has almost daily made comments like "Why do I have to have cnancer or I wish I never had this cancer". Scot and I just remind her that we wish she didn't have it either but that she does and we will get through it together!

Two weeks ago today, Alexis finished her last round of radiation. Her body reacted really well to the treatments. She had very little nausea ( with the help of a nausea med, Zofran) and a high energy level. Her appetite wasn't very good but she did eat some. After the treatments, it took a little over a week for the nausea to subside completley and she did start to be more tired after the treatments. The good news is that she never required any transfusions or more stem cells. Right after radiation, Alexis told her nurse practitioner, Micah that she never felt hungry and that food did not taste good to her. Micah gave us a prescription for a med that increases appetites and now two weeks later Alexis is eating triple of what she was eating! We couldn't be happier. Her weight is down to 37 lbs so we have decided to keep giving her the med for at least another week!

Right after radiation ended, no time was wasted before the BMT team started scheduling Alexis for another long round of scans and procedures to test every area of her body. The scans showed that the cancer activity has decreased but unfortunanly, it is still present. In January, Alexis had 5 areas of cancer activity in her bones. Currently, she only has 3 areas!! Dr. Soni told us that since it hasn't been long since radiation, the radiation could still be working to kill the rest of the cancer cells. If the scans were taken again in two weeks we could pitentially see more improvement. The hearing test has shown another slight increse in hearing. We haven't noticed a difference yet but she could have trouble in large groups. Yesterday, I took Alexis to her bone marrow aspiration and CT scan. The bone marrow was a much different experience than before. In the BMT department, they do not go through the operating room, instead they put the patients into a twilight sleep and I was actually able to be in the room to watch the entire procedure! The nurses and PCA were a little worried about me because I had not ate anything. They thought for sure I would be queasy! But actually, I did very well. I couldn't really see much. All I could see was the drapes covering her body and the tools they used sticking out of the drapes. It was a little disturbing on what they actually do the more I think about it, but I will leave that part out for those of you with a weak stomach! When Alexis was being put to sleep, Child Life came in and played with Alexis to distract her. It was wonderful. Then, after Alexis was asleep they talked to me and expalined exactly what the nurse practitioner was doing. After nine months, it still amazes me how supportive the hospital can be for their families. We are truly lucky to live so close to a hospital that strives for the best possible care for our children! When Alexis woke up about 20 minutes after the procedure, she was in pain. It was the first time with all of her treaments that I have seen her cry and repeatedly state ow it hurts it hurts. The nurse brought her some morphine very quickly and the pain did go away.

So what is next... well, when we were at the hospital yesterday, I was told that our first appointment to be switched back to oncology was moved from Monday to Friday(tomorrow). I didn't really think to much about it until later in the day when I saw Alexis's oncologist in the hall. Dr. Ranalli started telling me that on Friday he was going to start having Alexis take this injection called GMCF (it is a med like the neupegen shot I use to give her after chemo to increase her counts except that there are more side effects to this med). He stated that I would give her this on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then she would be admitted on Monday for 4-5 days to start the antibody infusion. I was shocked! I wasn't expecting for the next phase to start so quickly. When I said to him "so soon" he just stated, Monday will be day 80 we need to have this started by day 100! I was hoping to be a little closer to day 100 but I guess we need to just go with it! I can't lie though, I was very disappointed. Alexis was just starting to eat more normally and Scot and I both wished we had more warning. Maybe, it is just that we are dreading what is about to happen, who knows! We have been told that when Alexis receives the antibody infusion that she will be accutely ill. We have been told to expect extreme bone pain, tremors, and more. The side effects are suppose to end as soon as the infusion is over, but the bad thing is that she will need the infusion for 10 hours a day for 4 days in a row. We have been assured that they will be very creative to try and diminish the pain as much as possible. Scot and I have decided that we both need to be with Alexis the first day. After that I am going to stay with her the rest of the week. We don't know how Alexis's body will react but we are expecting the worse. Alexis tends to need a lot of pain medicine to control the pain so hopefully this does not follow suit!

Alexis continues to work with Mrs. Tucker about 6-8 hours per week. She continues to make great strides with her school work and has started to bounce back to her normal energy level.

Ever since Easter, we have been trying to keep Alexis very busy! Since Alexis must still wear a mask everywhere she goes, our choices are limited but this has not stopped us. We have taken short trips to the grocery, Kohls, and the drive thru, visited the park and have gone to Grandma and Grandpa Howard's (who have cleaned there house thoroughly so Alexis can visit!). We have also had many visitors. We have been able to see my brothers family, both of Scot's brother's families, my friend Dale's family who lives in Huron and my friend Stacie who lives in Dayton. We went so long without having a lot of visitors so we have enjoyed seeing everyone!

Well, I think I wrote enough for one day. I need to go to bed I have to be to work early. I hope to write more next week.

Take Care,

Jen


If you would like to catch up on Lexi's story, you can read all about her here. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.


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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Thursday's Things To Think About #2

Well, here it is the second week of "Thursday's Things To Think About". Wow, I so need to make a button for this but for now I just have a Linky....just in case anyone else want's to participate and link up.

If shampoo comes in so many colors, then why is the lather on your head always white?




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Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Dear Mr State Trooper, I did NOT lie to you!

Dear Policepeople of Breezewood PA,

I am sorry for making that u-turn RIGHT smack dab in front of your station. Honestly I did not see that HUGE sign saying that your station was right there in front of me. But hey, thanks for not seeing me and writing me that ticket.

Dear Mr Ohio State Trooper,

I do apologize for speeding (even though I was ONLY going 73 in a 65), I was going with traffic. However, you were wrong about my seatbelt. I did not lie when I said that I had had it on since we left Maryland. I also did NOT lie to you when you asked me why I was going so fast. Yes Sir, my mommy did have to poop. And NO, I did not see that rest-area that you pulled me over in front of, because I was too busy watching you in my rear-view mirror. If you would not have pulled out behind me like that, I would have noticed that rest area and my mom would not have to had walk so funny at the gas station at the next exit. But hey, thanks for not making me get my license out of the back of the Trailblazer and thanks for making that the fastest pull-over I have ever known. And thanks for not laughing in my face when I said "My mommy has to poop." and for NOT writing me that speeding ticket. That experience definitely gave us a laugh that lasted for about an hour and we will never forget it. You were awesome!

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Ah, Yet Another Winner!

I have a winner for my

Spring Collection Outfit from Organically Grown

giveaway.

With a total of 114 entries the winner is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

49

Timestamp: 2010-04-20 12:27:36 UTC


49. Jaime said...

Blogged! Entry 1 http://enteringgiveaways.blogspot.com/2010/04/win-spring-collection-outfit-from.html
jaime_890 at hotmail dot com

Congrats Jaime!! I will be sending you an email shortly. You have 72 hours to respond with your information.


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Thursday, April 15, 2010

Thursday's Things To Think About #1

Memes, memes and more memes. Just what the blogging world needs, huh? Well I decided to start one of my own called, "Thursday's Things To Think About" I am thinking what I would post is things that make you stop and think. There are many times throughout the day that I come across something and I say "Huh, I never thought of that." It will vary from famous quotes to things the daycare kiddos have said to things that just pop in my crazy mind. So, here is my very first one:

Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won't have time to make them all yourself.
Alfred Sheinwold





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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Are shoes supposed to match?



This is how she comes to my house on frequent occasions. It's a good thing they only place we ever go is the park. lol What a Princess she is but boy...does she have a mind all of her own. Ah, we love her no matter what she is wearing on her feet. lol


Your can see all my Wordless Wednesday here.


If you would like to see more Wordless Wednesday pictures you can visit 5 Minutes For Mom, MomDot, Jolly Mom and Life Down Our Lane and Go Graham Go.



While you are here, don't forget to enter my giveaways:

ORGANICALLY GROWN outfit (4/19)
Pedigree DENTASTIX gift pack (4/26)

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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

 
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