it's a daisy

We finally had our family Christmas morning today!  Isaiah got a bb gun (which is a testament to his dad's impressive persuasive skills...).

Sienna got cowgirl boots in anticipation of her up-coming riding class.

We enjoyed a great breakfast together...banana pancakes and lavender tea.

And then we went shootin!  (Check out her boots!)

They're both crack shots!

Papa got in on the action.  He's still got it.

I love this shot.  

It was a great day.  Thanks for sharing with us.  

home again

Isaiah's blood culture came back negative for a bacterial infection (which was the main concern and reason for our hospital stay).  His counts are still very low but they're climbing, so they let us go at about 11:00a.m..  We're still off chemo 'till his counts go up.

Thank you for all your calls, texts, and posts here on Isaiah's blog.  We felt very supported and encouraged on Christmas.  We were together, we were well-loved by family and friends, and we were assured of the loving presence of God.

Christmas together

Carmen and Sienna drove down to Sutter with fresh, homemade scones and some of the presents from family members we'd planned to open Christmas morning.  We had a room to ourselves with a huge window looking out toward the Sierras, Isaiah felt strong, and we all really enjoyed opening gifts together.

A little after 10:00, Santa and Mrs. Clause came with stacks of gifts for both Sienna and Isaiah.  One of the Child Life nurses had quizzed Isaiah on Christmas Eve about his and his sister's favorite things and Santa showed up with every single thing he mentioned.  He was amazed!  These were some truly beautiful people who made the morning much better for a lot of kids.  Talk about a worthwhile way to spend Christmas.

The rest of the day we played.  Papa and Bita visited us and brought mandarins and muffins.  Later Aunt Rina came and played with Isaiah.  We all spent the night in room 661.

(We'll add pictures when we get home).

Christmas at sutter

Isaiah got a fever early around 3:30 this morning.  We had to bring him to the doctor at 9 to check things out.  Because his counts are still very low they decided to admit him for at least 72 hours.  They are beginning antibiotics in case his fever is due to a bacterial infection.  So we're here.  For Christmas.  

Please pray for his fever to go away and for his blood to be protected from any bacterial infection.  He's clearly disappointed but remarkably positive.  He keeps telling me he loves me.   

Emmaus friends: we'll miss worshiping with you tonight.  Worship well.  Love one another.  Peace to you.

still low

We were back at the doctor's today to check Isaiah's blood: his counts are still low (400).  So we'll be takin' it easy and avoiding crowds this week.  We're also off all chemo for now.  He's feeling pretty good, just really tired.   

Have a merry Christmas!

mri results, etc.

Carmen and Isaiah went to Sutter today for his regular check up.  The MRI results were in - they confirmed his existing spinal fractures and gave a more-detailed view of their condition.  Not worse.  Not better.  His spinal cord is normal and there's no curvature of the spine - which, of course, is good.  He still has healthy bone marrow in the spine which is producing healthy blood.  

His blood counts were low (300) so we're praying for no infections, no fever, and the freedom to participate in Christmas plans this weekend.  He'll need to go back to the hospital Monday to check counts again.  

He's mostly feeling good.  Thanks for cheering him on and for praying for him.  He's doing great in school and was very excited about the return of his tutor, Ms. Kathy, from Hawaii this week.  

Peace.

self portrait

tying his shoes

checking the weather

Thanksgiving day

mri

Isaiah was very brave during his MRI. He was in the tube for three hours. He woke up dizzy and tired from the anesthesia. He said he was "tippy" because he couldn't balance very well. After 2 or 3 hours he was playing again and enjoying the company of his cousins, Ravinia and Ava.

It felt like a terribly long day to us as parents. The dark drive to the hospital was quiet and foggy. I was thankful that Isaiah would only feel hungry for a short time. We left Sutter 4.5 hours after we checked in. I was so relieved when we got in the car to go home. Isaiah ate his pbnj and requested a strawberry whirl jamba juice. After stopping for juice, we drove home, built a cozy fire and cuddled on the couch.

As we fell asleep last night I was humbled by the fact that he didn't complain once about anything he had to do that morning. Amazing!

accessed sillyness

Our appointment Wednesday lasted a while and we got pretty bored. Next up: 3 hour MRI Monday morning to check on Isaiah's fractured vertebrae. He's feeling good. We're going to play Star Wars! Thanks for checking up on Isaiah!

thanksgiving 08

The kids had a GREAT time with their cousins this weekend: for the girls it was 48 hours of acting, putting on shows, laughing and secrets; for the boys it was non-stop Star Wars.



Yesterday we went to Powell's in downtown Los Gatos. Here's a post-gelato shot. Everyone was chilled!



We were especially grateful to be together this year. Last Thanksgiving landed during the 21 days when we were living apart to protect Isaiah from a possible chicken pox infection. We kept remembering back to that season (click here) and thanking God for the blessing of being together and feeling strong.





This morning Isaiah and his "best buddy cousin" Santana were on the phone discussing more Star Wars battle strategy (check out his badge!).

[Here's a pic of a lady pointing to a cute couple on the streets of Los Gatos.]

some good news

We had our regular appointment today at Sutter. Both Carmen and I went because we were anticipating a discussion with the doctor about a recent bone scan of Isaiah's back. I was, frankly, expecting hard news because I had sensed serious concern in the words and expressions of the technician who did the scan last week. And while there are still a few more tests that need to be done, and Isaiah's compression fractures are a significant and long-term issue, the GOOD NEWS is that the DEXA scan results show an increase in bone density. Maybe the broccoli and calcium supplements are paying off.

We remain very grateful for your prayers for wisdom, grace, and health. Thank you!

Here are some phone-photos of Sienna making sure Isaiah's teeth look good.

hair

We borrowed Sienna's hairbrush!


It's a 1970s throwback!

BIG hair fun!