Practically Perfect in Every Way

Elise turned 7! And it was a great day. It turned out great thanks to my sisters and friends who really helped me out! Elise was completely happy. My sister Kristine made this cute shirt for Elise. It was a free dress day at school and Elise couldn't wait to wear it. My sister Jane made the necklace.
These Bakerella cupcakes pops are so yummy. They are kind of a lot of work but they turn out so cute. Luckily I had some great help -thanks J&K. Warning: they are bite size and it tricks you. You end up eating more than you should.< My neighbor, Jen, took my kids to Jumpin' Jacks for a couple hours after school. I was able to make a visit up the hospital to check on Kenyon. I don't know if you can tell from the picture but they were playing very hard. Thank you Jen and Love boys!! We all thought it was great birthday activity.

My good friend, Aimee, saved the night. She invited us over for a little birthday party for Elise. It was so great. She had decorated her house and made it so fun for Elise. We ordered dinner and let the kids play. 8 kids and 2 adults. It was a great night. We went home tired and happy. The only thing that would have made it better is having Kenyon join in on all the fun.

Seven things I LOVE about Elise:

1. Her smile and laugh. She loves to giggle.
2. Elise is really easy to please. She is happy with just about anything.
3. She is a wonderful sister- especially to Quinn. Elise takes good care of her.
4. Elise is athletic and loves to try any sport. I love watching her play soccer in the backyard with Kenyon. She is also a great gymnast.
5. Elise loves learning. She also loves playing school.
6. Elise loves her friends. She really cares about them and hates to see people have hurt feelings.
7. Sometimes we butt heads - she can be very stubborn - but she can also be so helpful and cooperative. I love that.

And finally - a Kenyon update - he had a pretty good week. He is feeling his energy coming back and starting to eat. He is slowly adding food back into his diet - toast, rice, noodles, potatoes, etc. Not very exciting but he seems to be tolerating that well. He is also taking his meds orally. We are hoping he will be out of the hospital by Tuesday. The bad news is that it is a slow process to heal from GVHD. He will be back on a lot of meds for a while. The meds include steroids and immune-suppression so we are going to have to really protect our house from those icky winter germs.

We really appreciate the visits, help, and prayers. We feel blessed in so many ways.

Guess Who Came To Visit?

Quinn caused quite a stir at the BMT unit today. They finally said that she could come. I don't know if the original doctor who said NO knows about it but oh well. I was happy to bring her and Kenyon was very happy to see her. All the nurses and aides were also happy to finally meet her. Life is crazy for me so I still didn't stay that long but it was nice to visit.

Kenyon has started Progression 1. That means that he got to add applesauce and cream of wheat to his diet today. Pretty much like feeding a baby. Taking it slow and introducing one food at a time.

Kenyon is feeling much better but the treatment of GVHD is a slow process. I don't know when he is coming home. But, it is better that they get him really feeling well. He is still on IV meds and nutrition and that will take some time to switch over.

He gets a little stir crazy but he is able to work (which we are SO grateful for). He has had some great visits (Thank you!!) and then there is always the bike, pacing the halls, and the TV. I think he is managing quite well.

Isn't he cute?

I am a loser mom! I had no idea that Teague couldn't see. Until recently. We have had a couple of occassions where I realized that maybe Teague needed glasses. I finally got an appt. for him and sure enough. He DEFINITELY needed glasses. And you can't even imagine how excited he was. He picked out the perfect pair of glasses. The lady at Costco told him it would be 10-15 days. Our friend Jen, told Teague that usually the come faster - maybe 5-6 days. Sure enough day 6 came and Costco called. Teague was BOUNCING off the walls. We couldn't get to Costco fast enough.

Best Ever ?

I am not sure I have tasted enough cupcakes to say it is the "Best Ever" but really it is dang good. For sure better than the famous Magnolia Bakery in NYC. But that is worth a visit as well.

Billy's Bakery in Chelsea, NY. In my opinion, it is a must. When I traveled to NYC with my mom and sisters we stayed in Chelsea. Only two blocks away was the cutest little bakery and it was open late. So of course, we had stop by on our way home to pick out a delicious treat.

Thanks to Martha Stewart, we have Billy's recipes for his cupcakes and frosting. For Gavin's birthday, my sister tried out the Vanilla Butter Cream frosting. I'm sure the preschool class didn't appreciate the quality of the frosting the way we did, but they loved the bugs. The color and decor was Gavin's choice. Next time I hope to do something a little more beautiful.

No question in this house - it was the best frosting ever. Now I can't wait to try the Chocolate Buttercream. Oh baby! Or maybe I just need to take a trip back to NYC.

Not Much

I know you are checking. You want a Kenyon update. I don't really have much to say. I really should make him write these. I have been able to go to the hospital for short visits each day. Thanks to all my helpers! But, that means that I really don't know much. The GVHD hasn't spread into other organs -that is good. The steroids seem to be working, but slowly. Today he got to add 500cc (not much) of clear liquid to his diet. Depending on how he tolerates that, he will add a little more tomorrow. The TPN (IV nutrition) is definitely helping. Kenyon seems to be much happier now his body is getting what it needs. We don't have an exact day for him to come home. Probably another week. It will really depend on how each day goes and how well he tolerates food. We would love to have him home but he is getting great care.

Thanks so much for the meals, watching kids, visits to Kenyon, phone calls, and especially your prayers.

coming soon - a post about the BEST cupcakes frosting EVER. Seriously. Love. Love.

Hospital - Day 2

Kenyon is a trooper but he isn't lovin' it. Today he had a central line/port put in. He had one all summer until about October and then had it removed. It seemed that we didn't need it any more. But it is back - and it is probably better. It is much easier to administer meds, fluids, and IV nutrition.

He is on IV nutrition to get his gut/digestive system working properly. It has taken such a beating and he needs to get things stabilized. The bummer is that he feels hungry and wants food, even though his body is getting the nutrition that it needs. Strange. I think he will be on that for a couple days at least.

Kenyon also had the fun of a colonoscopy today. They put him out so he has nothing to say about that. But it definitely makes me not want to get to age 50. I don't want to drink that icky stuff. I have a hard enough time drinking 8 glasses of water a day.

Thanks for all your love, prayers, and concern. We appreciate it and need it.

Hospital - Day 1

Well, it finally happened. We always knew it could but hoped it wouldn't happen. Today at our clinic visit the doctor decided that it was time to admit Kenyon. I have been pretty emotional about it. But we already knew that I am a cry baby. It is really a good thing. Kenyon has been so sick and miserable with this GVHD. They will be able to take care of him and get him the treatment he needs.

Tonight he is back on that stupid bed and his arm is full of IVs. He is also drinking GoLytely (this big old jug of fluids). He gets to have a colonoscopy tomorrow. Fun stuff. He says that the drink is AWFUL. Apparently the pharmacy is out of flavor packets.

Hopefully we get nurse Richard again. Those were good times. It was actually nice to see a few of the nurses and aides that I haven't seen since this summer. They are so good to us up at BMT unit at University Hospital.

Oh and guess what - Gavin turned 5 today. He is miserable. He had a good day despite the sickness and he appreciates all the birthday wishes and gifts. Hopefully he will feel better soon.