July update

WOW.  I am really slacking with the blog updates this summer.  Where to begin?  Cami has been feeling great and we have been out enjoying no schedules and sunshine.  We have been so busy and just LOVING the summer full of fun times.  I get teary watching Cami run around and play or swim or even just doing fireworks, thinking back to how miserable she was last year at this time.  Every time things get chaotic or the laundry piles up so high I want to scream... I remember that none of that really matters in the long run.   We are truly blessed to have a healthy, happy little girl and that is what's really important.

We had a great 4th of July.  

We walked over to Eaglewood with the cousins to see the parachuters land.

We took the kids to a fun little carnival, they loved getting their faces painted.

July is one of my favorite months.  I just love hanging outside with neighbors and snuggling up on a blanket to watch all the fireworks.  

We went through lots of sparklers and poppers with this kid.

Even though the fireworks were booming, Cami fell fast asleep.  

The festivities just wore her out. 

The kids have been loving picking vegetables in the garden (thanks Dennis and Deb).

Unfortunately, Cami was due for a lumbar puncture (bake poke).  Cami HATES how the anesthesia makes her feel so these days are never fun.  

Here she is getting her vitals taken.

Getting her chemo.  It still freaks me out how the nurses have to gown up just in case the chemo were to spill on them, yet they are putting it right into Cami's veins.  CRAZY!

Here she is getting her "sleepy medicine" (or anesthesia).  

I know she looks happy in this picture, but she was NOT HAPPY about being there!

Here's how we have to leave our baby.  

That is probably the hardest part, leaving her in that room where so many things could go wrong.  

It's only a 10-20 minute procedure, but it feels like an eternity waiting out in the hall.  

There's always a chance that the back poke will go wrong.  If they take out too much spinal fluid and don't put enough chemo in, or if they have to poke her multiple times Cami wakes up SUPER grouchy and in PAIN.  Luckily the back poke went smoothly and she woke up happy this time.  

Here she is with Wendy, one of our favorite RTU nurses.

They knew she was nervous, so they gave her these little tiny bears as a prize for being so brave.  

She thought they were so special.

She was a little woozy after her procedure so she wanted to ride in a wheelchair.  We were both so happy to have this back poke over with, now she wont need another for 3 more months!  

Clinic stats 6/30/11:

Height: 111.5

Weight: 19.4 kg (40.9 lbs.)

ANC: 1,200 perfect...hooray!

WBC: 2.0

Hematocrit: 32.4%

Platelets: 250