About a month ago, one of my friends told me about the son of one of her childhood friends. Beginning last March, the little boy started complaining of belly aches. The parents took him to the doctor, who said he thought it was just constipation, and sent the family home.
Over the course of the next month, the boy still complained of random tummy pain. Finally, one night the parents thought something was really wrong and took him to the ER.
That's when they discovered the tumor. Luke Hawley was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma in his abdomen at the age of 2. It had already progressed to a Stage IV tumor and invaded his lymph nodes and bone marrow.
To date, Luke has had 6 chemo treatments and will receive a stem cell transplant next week. The tumor was reduced to the point that it was successfully removed a few weeks ago.
I've never met this family but their story literally brought tears to my eyes. This little boy is so young and so little to have to go through something like this. I've been following their progress via Facebook.
This morning, one of my childhood friends posted a similar story. She knows a family whose daughter was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma (adrenal tumor) in 2006. This little girl has undergone 7 chemo treatments and will receive a bone marrow transplant next week. Her name is Taylor Love and she is 5 years old.
In both cases, the children didn't exhibit any symptoms until the tumor had progressed to the point to cause symptoms. By then, it had already invaded the surrounding tissue and bone marrow.
As a human being, these 2 stories absolutely break my heart. As a mother, I cry. I can't imagine what these families are going through.
Even more worrisome, both families live in the same community. I looked it up on-line and only 650 cases are reported in the United States each year. To have 2 within 10 miles of my house is extremely disturbing. I don't think there's any environmental reason for it. I think it is just pure coincidence but still.
It's scary. And, I'm going to give my kids extra hugs and kisses today.
If you'd like to help via donation or just offer support, here's the links to both families:
Luke Hawley: http://www.facebook.com/TeamLuke
Taylor Love: http://taylorlove.org/index2.php
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
9 Month Stats
The kids' pediatrician appointment went great. The doctor was very impressed with their progress. He even said, "We can throw the preemie thing out the window, they've caught up physically".
He was completely shocked when I told him what Christopher was doing. He said he's very advanced.
Kendall is also on track and consistent with what a 7 or 8 month old should be doing. He expected her to be crawling within the next month or so.
In total, they have 12 teeth (6 each). He said Kendall has FOUR coming in up top and Christopher has the 2 on each side of his front teeth coming in. He gave me the green light to introduce 3rd foods and finger foods whenever I feel they are ready.
I'll post their physical stats because, if any of you are like me, you like to compare your child(ren) against others the same age.
Christopher weighed 19 lbs 2.5 oz and was 29 1/2 inches long. He's in the 25% for weight and 25-50% for height. His head circumference was 17 1/2 inches.
Kendall weighed 20 lbs 3 oz and was 30 inches long. She's in the 50% for weight and 90% for height. Her head circumference was 17 inches.
And! They are charting on the 9-month scale! Absolutely wonderful!
He was completely shocked when I told him what Christopher was doing. He said he's very advanced.
Kendall is also on track and consistent with what a 7 or 8 month old should be doing. He expected her to be crawling within the next month or so.
In total, they have 12 teeth (6 each). He said Kendall has FOUR coming in up top and Christopher has the 2 on each side of his front teeth coming in. He gave me the green light to introduce 3rd foods and finger foods whenever I feel they are ready.
I'll post their physical stats because, if any of you are like me, you like to compare your child(ren) against others the same age.
Christopher weighed 19 lbs 2.5 oz and was 29 1/2 inches long. He's in the 25% for weight and 25-50% for height. His head circumference was 17 1/2 inches.
Kendall weighed 20 lbs 3 oz and was 30 inches long. She's in the 50% for weight and 90% for height. Her head circumference was 17 inches.
And! They are charting on the 9-month scale! Absolutely wonderful!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Ta Ta Toofies
We have teeth galore in my house.
Christopher has his 2 top front teeth and 2 bottom front teeth. When I picked him yesterday from daycare, my sister in law said she thought she saw another tooth coming in to the left of his front tooth.
Sure enough, it looks like somethin' is a brewin' in those parts!
Kendall's 2 front bottom teeth popped through the gum over the last week and I think her 2 front teeth are coming in as well.
Could explain her fussiness over the weekend. Hmmmm, ya think?
The kids have their 9-month check-up this afternoon. I always look forward to these.
What can I say? I love to hear the doctor tell me how absolutely wonderful my children are.
They are, after all, SUPAH STAHRZ!
What can they do, you ask?
Christopher
* Can crawl like nobody's business
* Is able to get up one stair
* Can stand unsupported for about 2-3 seconds
* Can walk/cruise along an object like the sofa or ottoman
* Eats 3 meals per day + 25 ounces of formula
* Says Ma Ma and Da Da but it's still more babbling than anything
Kendall
* Talks all....of....the....time
* Says Ma Ma, Da Da, Ba Ba, Na Na
* Is close to crawling. She sits unsupported really well and has started to lean forward and transferring weight to her knee
* Loves to pat her belly with both hands
* Has just started a waving motion (as in "bye bye")
* Absolutely loves, loves, loves books
I just adore these kids more and more every day. They are the center of my world. I love to see their faces first thing in the morning and I can't wait to pick them up in the afternoons. They are changing so fast and I don't want to miss a thing.
Christopher has his 2 top front teeth and 2 bottom front teeth. When I picked him yesterday from daycare, my sister in law said she thought she saw another tooth coming in to the left of his front tooth.
Sure enough, it looks like somethin' is a brewin' in those parts!
Kendall's 2 front bottom teeth popped through the gum over the last week and I think her 2 front teeth are coming in as well.
Could explain her fussiness over the weekend. Hmmmm, ya think?
The kids have their 9-month check-up this afternoon. I always look forward to these.
What can I say? I love to hear the doctor tell me how absolutely wonderful my children are.
They are, after all, SUPAH STAHRZ!
What can they do, you ask?
Christopher
* Can crawl like nobody's business
* Is able to get up one stair
* Can stand unsupported for about 2-3 seconds
* Can walk/cruise along an object like the sofa or ottoman
* Eats 3 meals per day + 25 ounces of formula
* Says Ma Ma and Da Da but it's still more babbling than anything
Kendall
* Talks all....of....the....time
* Says Ma Ma, Da Da, Ba Ba, Na Na
* Is close to crawling. She sits unsupported really well and has started to lean forward and transferring weight to her knee
* Loves to pat her belly with both hands
* Has just started a waving motion (as in "bye bye")
* Absolutely loves, loves, loves books
I just adore these kids more and more every day. They are the center of my world. I love to see their faces first thing in the morning and I can't wait to pick them up in the afternoons. They are changing so fast and I don't want to miss a thing.
Hey! Come out and play with me!
 |
| I didn't do it. |
 |
| Was that ice cream?! |
 |
| Christopher did it. |
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Ugh!
Yesterday sucked. Pure and simple.
I had my entire office looking for my diamond. I checked my purse 5 times, my lunch bag 3 times, my laptop bag 3 times, my car twice. I re-traced my steps from the parking garage to my office twice. I got down on my hands and knees and looked in, under and around my car.
No diamond.
I looked in my SIL driveway, scoured her living room carpet, tore apart the kids' car seats and even asked if she looked in their diapers that morning.
No diamond.
I came home and looked in the bathroom, in the freezer, in the refridgerator and on the floor from the front door to the living room.
No diamond.
I finally just gave in to the realization that I would probably never find it.
I was playing with Christopher in the living room and sitting on the floor. He moved one of their toys and OMG!
There it was! I found my diamond!!
We took it to the jewelers last night and it is being sent off to be re-set.
I had my entire office looking for my diamond. I checked my purse 5 times, my lunch bag 3 times, my laptop bag 3 times, my car twice. I re-traced my steps from the parking garage to my office twice. I got down on my hands and knees and looked in, under and around my car.
No diamond.
I looked in my SIL driveway, scoured her living room carpet, tore apart the kids' car seats and even asked if she looked in their diapers that morning.
No diamond.
I came home and looked in the bathroom, in the freezer, in the refridgerator and on the floor from the front door to the living room.
No diamond.
I finally just gave in to the realization that I would probably never find it.
I was playing with Christopher in the living room and sitting on the floor. He moved one of their toys and OMG!
There it was! I found my diamond!!
We took it to the jewelers last night and it is being sent off to be re-set.
Friday, July 16, 2010
5 minutes, an earthquake and a lost diamond
Oh my goodness. It's only noon and it's already been quite a day.
My morning started with a minor earthquake. Yep, that's right. At 5:04 am, a 3.6 earthquake hit the DC Metro area! I was downstairs changing Christopher's diaper and DH was upstairs with Kendall. All of the sudden, it sounded like DH was moving heavy furniture across the floor. The house shook and rumbled. The glasses in my china cabinet tinkled together. He came downstairs and I asked, "What the hell were you doing upstairs"? He said, "What do you mean? I was changing Kendall's diaper". I had no idea what it was until I got in my car and turned on the radio!
I got to work at 7:00 am and went to our office kitchen to make a cup of coffee. I just happened to look down and the diamond in my engagement ring is missing. The main stone that is about 1 ct in size. I have no idea of when it fell out. I scoured the office, re-traced my steps from the parking garage to my office and I can't find it anywhere. My SIL checked the car seats, the kids and her house and couldn't find it either. I'll check the house when I get home but I know the chances of finding it are so slim. I am absolutely sick to my stomach.
The ring came with a lifetime warranty as long as you have it inspected every 6 months. Thank God I have. So, I think they will replace the diamond at no cost. I have all of the paperwork at home so I'm going to the jewelers tonight. Worst case, it is on our homeowners policy. But, the sentimental value is what is really getting me. It was my engagement ring!
On the bright side, bedtime went well last night. Christopher fell asleep on Daddy immediately after bedtime bottle, Daddy took him to bed and he actually stayed asleep!
For an hour. And, then he woke up crying.
DH went upstairs, rubbed his back, laid him back down and left the room. And, he fell back to sleep within 5 minutes. I think we're on our way!
Alright, back to work. Say a little prayer for me that I find the diamond at home.
My morning started with a minor earthquake. Yep, that's right. At 5:04 am, a 3.6 earthquake hit the DC Metro area! I was downstairs changing Christopher's diaper and DH was upstairs with Kendall. All of the sudden, it sounded like DH was moving heavy furniture across the floor. The house shook and rumbled. The glasses in my china cabinet tinkled together. He came downstairs and I asked, "What the hell were you doing upstairs"? He said, "What do you mean? I was changing Kendall's diaper". I had no idea what it was until I got in my car and turned on the radio!
I got to work at 7:00 am and went to our office kitchen to make a cup of coffee. I just happened to look down and the diamond in my engagement ring is missing. The main stone that is about 1 ct in size. I have no idea of when it fell out. I scoured the office, re-traced my steps from the parking garage to my office and I can't find it anywhere. My SIL checked the car seats, the kids and her house and couldn't find it either. I'll check the house when I get home but I know the chances of finding it are so slim. I am absolutely sick to my stomach.
The ring came with a lifetime warranty as long as you have it inspected every 6 months. Thank God I have. So, I think they will replace the diamond at no cost. I have all of the paperwork at home so I'm going to the jewelers tonight. Worst case, it is on our homeowners policy. But, the sentimental value is what is really getting me. It was my engagement ring!
On the bright side, bedtime went well last night. Christopher fell asleep on Daddy immediately after bedtime bottle, Daddy took him to bed and he actually stayed asleep!
For an hour. And, then he woke up crying.
DH went upstairs, rubbed his back, laid him back down and left the room. And, he fell back to sleep within 5 minutes. I think we're on our way!
Alright, back to work. Say a little prayer for me that I find the diamond at home.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
20 Minutes
Yes, that's right! We made progress!
Last night started as usual. Dinner, bath, bedtime bottle, fall asleep on Daddy immediately after finishing bottle. Wait 10 minutes, take Christopher to bed and Bam!
Wide awake.
We let him cry for 10 minutes before going in. Daddy went up this time and stayed for a minute without picking him up and then left.
About 10 minutes later, he was fast asleep. 20 minutes of crying was still tough to listen to but it wasn't nearly as dramatic as the night before. Both kids were asleep by 8:15 pm and were still sleeping at 5:00 am when we had to wake them up.
I'm not jumping up and down quite yet because it is still early. And, I know it's not a perfect process.
Wish us luck tonight. I'm hoping tomorrow's post will be titled "5 Minutes or Less".
Last night started as usual. Dinner, bath, bedtime bottle, fall asleep on Daddy immediately after finishing bottle. Wait 10 minutes, take Christopher to bed and Bam!
Wide awake.
We let him cry for 10 minutes before going in. Daddy went up this time and stayed for a minute without picking him up and then left.
About 10 minutes later, he was fast asleep. 20 minutes of crying was still tough to listen to but it wasn't nearly as dramatic as the night before. Both kids were asleep by 8:15 pm and were still sleeping at 5:00 am when we had to wake them up.
I'm not jumping up and down quite yet because it is still early. And, I know it's not a perfect process.
Wish us luck tonight. I'm hoping tomorrow's post will be titled "5 Minutes or Less".
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
40 Minutes
Thanks to everyone for your advice and comments on my last post. It was taken to heart for sure.
Last night started out to be another repeat with Christopher. Fell asleep after bedtime bottle, took him up to bed and he woke up as soon as he hit the mattress.
So, we started the Ferber method. I know there are tons of techniques out there and everyone has an opinion on what works. For now, we'll try this and see where it goes.
After 40 minutes of crying and spaced intervals of soothing, he finally fell asleep. Hearing him cry like that was absolutely torturous for DH and I. I know it needs to be done so I think I probably handled it better than Daddy. But, it was still hard.
He did sleep through the night but that wasn't really our problem to begin with. Our has been strictly limited to getting him to bed in the first place. Based on Christopher's behavior last night, I'm convinced that he does have some seperation anxiety going on. Every time I went into the room, he stood up in his crib and was literally clamoring to be picked up - grabbing my shirt, reaching through the crib, holding his arms out. It was so heart wrenching. I was fighting with myself to follow the technique because my "mom instinct" wanted to comfort him so badly.
Tonight is another night.... we'll see how it goes.
Last night started out to be another repeat with Christopher. Fell asleep after bedtime bottle, took him up to bed and he woke up as soon as he hit the mattress.
So, we started the Ferber method. I know there are tons of techniques out there and everyone has an opinion on what works. For now, we'll try this and see where it goes.
After 40 minutes of crying and spaced intervals of soothing, he finally fell asleep. Hearing him cry like that was absolutely torturous for DH and I. I know it needs to be done so I think I probably handled it better than Daddy. But, it was still hard.
He did sleep through the night but that wasn't really our problem to begin with. Our has been strictly limited to getting him to bed in the first place. Based on Christopher's behavior last night, I'm convinced that he does have some seperation anxiety going on. Every time I went into the room, he stood up in his crib and was literally clamoring to be picked up - grabbing my shirt, reaching through the crib, holding his arms out. It was so heart wrenching. I was fighting with myself to follow the technique because my "mom instinct" wanted to comfort him so badly.
Tonight is another night.... we'll see how it goes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)