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!