Counts Are Up!

Today Colin had his weekly visit and he quickly put on his game face when I told him we were going to put cream on his port. You see this means it's not just a blood draw from his arm but instead he gets accessed, blood is drawn from the port and they also administer the chemo. It amazes me how much he remembers and how he knows the difference at just three years old. Colin showed some anxiety after I put the cream on and was very clingy. Upon arrival, our volunteer friend quickly came to the rescue and swooped Maddie up so I could focus on Colin. Once again Maddie amazes me because she is happy bouncing from person to person and had a great time playing with the volunteer.

Even though Colin was experiencing some anxiety today he didn't flinch when he was accessed and didn't complain one bit during the chemo process. He was also distracted by his new friend the psychologist while they played a sponge bob matching game and built a tower.

The results are in and Colin's ANC is 1,000 which means he started all at home drugs again today including the ugly steroid. Grandma and Grandpa will be happy to hear the news because this means Colin will be able to go to the annual Westbrook clam steam this weekend!

We began potty training however because of the anxiety today we put on a diaper to go to clinic and I underestimated the diaper and we had an accident. So, Colin got a special pair of Dr pants today from one of the nurses!

This is a photo from last week ... Colin and Maddie having a tea party with the volunteer!

Happy Birthday Nanny!

On August 28th we sent kisses and hugs up high while thinking about Nanny who would have celebrated her 89th birthday. We miss you but believe it was you who sent a female and male swan to the lake house to start their family as a sign you are with us. We know you are looking over our family and keeping a loving watch over Colin.

Love and miss you .. Happy Birthday

Neutropenic Week 2

We were hopeful that Colin's blood counts would have rebounded from last week. His appetite and energy levels have been great! Unfortunately, although they did improve, his counts remain below the threshold necessary to safely administer his daily medicines. So, another week off and back next week to try again.....

Rewind - Maddie

With all the craziness over the past couple of weeks we're just getting around to the below update.

Maddie turned one on July 27th!! In between two colds, Maddie had her one year check up on 8/5 and is progressing on schedule. The Doctor was very pleased with her growth and development. She's started to stand on her own and will now take a few steps if you hold her hands. Here's how Maddie and Colin stack up at age one.....

Height - Maddie 29 7/8 inches 75% - Colin 29 inches 25%
Weight - Maddie 22 lbs 13.5 oz 75% - Colin 22 lbs 8 oz 50%
Head - Maddie 46.5 80% - Colin 47.6 90%

As you can see they are following the same pattern so we're very pleased. I tease Dadddy all the time by saying he can't deny Colin as his own and as Maddie's looks transition to toddler I can officially say the same thing about Maddie except for the red hair .. I'll take the credit for that!

Since Maddie's birthday fell on a weekday we decided to hold off and celebrate on a weekend. On Saturday August 14th we baptized Maddie and had a 2 for 1 party back at the house. Bill gave a personal and touching ceremony and once again we couldn't be more thankful. The party was wonderful and watching Maddie eat her first cupcake was hysterical ... at first she wanted nothing to do with it but once she got her first taste it was all over (literally).

Enjoy the photos!!

Peoples Press - Camp Sunshine article

"Our vacation this year was more than your typical dream vacation".

That is the first sentence of the article featured in the People's Press, a local newspaper, about our summer vacation to Camp Sunshine. We were honored to share our story with the community and hope it will draw attention to this amazing organization. You can read the article by clicking the link below. Enjoy!

http://www.peoplespressnews.com/peoplespress/newspaper/article.cfm?img=page6.gif&issue=208