Talking to Ourselves

Henry always wants to talk to Daddy on the webcam and when he uses his signs for wanting to talk on the computer I'm supposed to bring it to him, however, lately our schedules have been off so we haven't been able to chat much. So Henry screams and cries because he wants to talk to Daddy and Elizabeth and can't. So I decided today he could talk to himself on the webcam and it worked for a few minutes. Made him stop screaming anyways. :)

Watching Dora the Explorer, but also listening to his classical music. He loves music! Any cartoons with singing he enjoys. My kids must have acquired that some where right Grandma??...

Oh yeah, Daddy when you get around to it, Henry really wants a Dog, I think he's partial to spaniels. :)

Elizabeth at Home

All of these pics were provided by Stephanie! Thanks Steph for capturing some of Elizabeth as she grows!!! The "tomboy" outfit Steph got for her. I have to say the shirt is sooo cute I love it! And she is getting so big and beautiful!! I can't believe how fast she changes.

A day at the A Moosement Park. :) She loved it so I heard...What a little monkey.

Of course hitting the slides.

What a beautiful little girl! Oh how I miss her! It breaks my heart to be away from her and everytime she talks to me on the phone and tells me she loves me and misses me I just about lose it! On the "marrow" the Lord will deliver us... I can't wait to be together as a family again. Good thing we have eternity!

Beginning of a Bad Week!!

Henry has been sleeping much less than he used to, however he was just given a dose of benedryl/reglan... he couldn't help himself. :)

The belly is actually much smaller when compared to a few weeks ago, some day it will be gone completely and you'll all think I was just making it up.. The rolled up blanket with coband on it, is the tube for oxygen "blow-by"

Really only likes to have his blanket it his face, but if he moves too far away from his oxygen tube the alarms sound and mom shoves it back in his face again. At least the drugs help him sleep heavily enough he doesn't care anymore.

Well we began round two yesterday morning, and today Henry is feeling awful to say the least. His nausea is back a bit worse than last time, and much more grouchy with mom. It's awkward to hold him right now because he's hooked up to so many things, and attached to sat monitors and oxygen again, I think many times Henry feels more comfortable just laid out in his bed.

This evening we moved rooms...so we have our own room again! YEAH. So much more convenient and private. Although the window isn't very big, I'm grateful to have a room of our own again.

Our nurse decided to check Henry's oxygen levels this afternoon and decided he was too low, and in need of blow-by again. I'm not sure why but the monitor alarms drive me mad... my blood pressure spikes and I'm ready to start breaking stuff and tearing things out of the wall. Scary I know, not sure why it happens, but I've started practicing my numbers again.. 1..2..3..4..and if that doesn't work I have to try breathing slowly. A bit dramatic I'm sure, but it makes life a bit more stressful and nights a bit more sleepless. The resident on call said that when we have fevers, high fevers like Henry is having, we tend to need more oxygen. Since Henry's lungs aren't the strongest, due to his rather large belly, he needs it even more. I guess the only thing that calms me down when everything starts alarming is thinking to myself that Henry really needs it.

On the plus side, Henry is definitely more active and way more interested in playing than laying in bed sleeping. A friend down the hall has a walker for her little girl that she found at WalMart so I'm thinking about hitching a ride or having someone pick it up for me so Henry can start practicing and exercising.

Alaska Grown!

Terri Baker dropped off a few t shrits for us so we wouldn't forget where we are from and where we want to finally be someday! Although I think Henry has spent more time in Seattle we'll call him a definate Alaskan boy. :) Thanks so much Terri and Gary we love them.

Henry's new favorite game is peek a boo! He doesn't always cover both eye's but that's alright it is adorable.

He Loves the camera and seeing himself... he gets really excited to see Daddy on the computer too! Sending out a Henry wave to everyone! Love you and miss you all.

Round 2

Henry's rash is starting to come back a bit, so the doctors decided today that he should go back into the hospital on Saturday instead of Wednesday. So we'll start round two on Saturday. He's been doing sooo well! Playing and smiling and happy, talking to everyone and playing peek a boo with everyone. He's even more of a flirt now than before if that's possible. The nurses just melt when he smiles at them. He waved at the Doctor today and she just about cried again.. she's pregnant so maybe more emotional than normal but it made her day. What power he has.. ahhaha Anyway, we also found out that Elizabeth isn't a match for the bone marrow. They look at six different "things" when matching and Henry, of course, has one very unique thing so we'll have to depend on the database for donors. Henry has never been one to "fit the norm" so I don't know why I was suprised. Oh well. We're hoping that he doesn't need the bone marrow transplant. He seems to be really responding well to the treatment. His ANC is well over three thousand which is incredible! And his white cells are up and so are his platelets. All on their own, which means there is less LCH in the bone marrow. He did get a blood transplant today, but his counts held out longer than they were before. So definate progress!
This time around we shouldn't be in the hospital quite so long. Probably two and half to three weeks. Depends on how fast he recovers.

Back at home, as some may know, Joel is having some very bad luck! Not sure what else to call it. After figuring out the day shift schedule at work, so that he could take care of Elizabeth and work, Elizabeth got sick. So Joel asked for another week off of work to take care of her, then he got sick and asked for another week off, and yesterday he fractured his toe!!!! So now he's out for possibly six weeks. We are sooooo blessed to have a good job. I think the Lord has a pretty good sense of humor, not sure Joel would agree, but it's definately been an interesting few weeks. Elizabeth will head down to Granny Annie's house in Idaho in a few weeks and then when Henry is recovered from this round and back on maitanence, she'll come back here. Joel's considering writting a book about the worse year of his life. I'm sure that will only set him up for worse years but it would definately make you laugh and cry at the same time! So those of you with Henry in your prayers, perhaps you could also include Joel and Elizabeth! :) I just keep thinking of Elder Worthlin's talk about "come what may and love it!" And when he told us to learn to laugh more, instead of getting angry over things that happen we should laugh over them! So we're trying to have a good laugh over this one. I'm wondering what the Lord has in store for us next. COME WHAT MAY!!!! :)