Thanksgiving and the 2nd round of Temodar!

We had a very eventful week this week! Particularly, when you consider that Jake is only two weeks old! On Tuesday I HAD to go buy some pants that actually fit me. There is nothing more demoralizing than giving birth and then trying on pants.... Anyhow, I thought that since we had a rather busy week ahead, I might need something to wear besides the Yoga pants I had worn every day since Jake was born! :-) So, Tuesday I went and got Thanksgiving groceries, tried (unsuccessfully - long story) to fill Matt's chemo prescription, and bought pants. On Wednesday Matt had an appointment with Oncology so he could start the next round of Chemo. Matt, Jake, and I left early - around 8:00 a.m. and picked up my mom at work so she could come with us. Matt's appointment went well. We met with a new Oncologist (since our regular, but never actually sees us doctor is on personal leave for 2 months......) and we really liked him. He spent quite awhile evaluating Matthew and talking with us. Matt looked great. His counts were wonderful and he got the go-ahead to start the next round of Temodar. We also found out that next month Matt will get another full set of MRI's. I thought this would be happening in January, and am not really looking forward to having these done a few days before Christmas. I talked to the doctor about our next plan if the Temodar (like the Carboplatin) is not shrinking Matt's tumor. He said there would be another 'tumor board' meeting about him and that most likely Matt would begin radiation earlier than originally planned. I am just anxious to get the scans and results! Each treatment we try brings us closer to the end of the options we have - once you've tried several Chemotherapies, the chance of any Chemotherapy affecting the tumor is slim since all Chemotherapies take advantage of the same process. I just want the Temodar to WORK!!!

Thursday was Thanksgiving (and, incidentally, Warren and I's ELEVEN year anniversary!) and we just had a wonderful day! We hosted the dinner - but I didn't cook anything (thanks Meg for organizing, and everyone for bringing everything and helping!) I was more comfortable keeping Jake at home and having people here, then I was taking him out in the cold while he is so tiny. My brother-in-law did a deep fried turkey. It was so FUN and the turkey was amazing! The food was awesome and the company was even better. Alex (my brother) brought his Wii and there was always a crowd of kids and adults laughing and playing games. Everyone seemed to enjoy eating and visiting and eating some more.

The rest of the long weekend was spent putting up Christmas decorations, and Warren and I were able to go out to dinner Saturday night to celebrate our anniversary. I kept Jake home from church again on Sunday - I'm just not ready to expose him to 'Church germs' yet! :-)

Matt completed his second round of Temodar yesterday (Sunday). He has seemed to tolerate it pretty well, although today he has been complaining of being tired and has had a hard time eating. Tonight I made chicken and black bean enchiladas - usually a favorite dinner for him. However, he took one bite, turned completely pale, and I thought he was going to be sick. He made himself a cheese sandwich, but still only ate a few bites. Hopefully this symptom will be short lived and he will be able to eat normally in a day or two. I will be interested to see if this round of Chemotherapy affects his blood counts. So far, nothing has really bothered his counts, and he seems to have 'Chemo-proof hair'. I keep trying to prepare him to lose his hair, but that isn't happening. His hair is as thick and wiry as ever!

Let the Holidays begin!
-Alli

Introducing Baby Jake!!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

24 Hours Old!

I can't believe how quickly babies become a part of your life. Baby Jake is only 24 hours old and already I can't imagine our family without him. I know he was meant to come to us. In honor of this 24 hour milestone, I want to post 24 things I LOVE about my sweet boy already:

1)His sweet red hair - I was hoping for another redhead!
2)The way he smiles in his sleep.
3)His BIG feet.
4)His soft cry. It's really more of a grunt - I have yet to hear him really cry!
5)His little fingers interlocking in funny ways when he sleeps.
6)His strong neck. He can already hold his head up!
7)The way he sighs. When he is awake he just never stops 'talking'.
8)His cute frog tongue. His tongue flicks in and out all the time.
9)The way he makes Will smile. Jake is definitely Will's brother - they look just alike and Will is so thrilled!
10)His calm personality. He is really quite content to gaze around.
11)His soft skin.
12)His yummy baby smell - how do babies automatically smell this way?!?
13)His scrunchy little nose.
14)His long fingernails. We already had to clip them this morning!
15)His round belly.
16)His long arms and legs tucked in like a little frog.
17)His name. I think Baby Jake is so sweet!
18)That he is ours. We love him so much already!
19)How much the boys love him. Drew just cried last night when Diana took them home because he wanted to see Baby Jake one more time.
20)Watching Nate hold him. You could just tell he was thrilled to be a big brother.
21)How happy Matt is to 'have our very own basketball team!'
22)Jake's serious expressions.
23)How he hates to be swaddled, already. He fights to free his hands.
24)How he completes our family. We are so blessed to be the parents of this little bundle of Heaven!

-Alli

Hallelujia!!!! FINALLY - we have a baby!

Yesterday morning, when I went in for my appointment, my OB gave me the option to induce. He said that since I was close to my due date, my body seemed ready, and I had given birth vaginally twice before that perhaps some low-dose Pitocin was not an unreasonable risk. I thought about it for about, oh, 2 full seconds before I agreed! We went to the hospital, got all hooked up, and once a good labor pattern was established with the Potocin, they were able to turn it off! Apparently my body was ready and just needed a little kick start! After about 7 hours of labor ...........(drum roll please!)

Jacob Dunlap G. was born!!!
He weighed 8 lbs. 15 oz.
He was 22 inches long.
He was born at 8:24 p.m.

I couldn't believe how big he was - my biggest baby by 13 oz.! (Matt was the previous record holder at 8 lbs. 2 oz.).

Pictures to follow soon......

-Alli

Random post - but I thought this was too funny!

So, I expect to have another toddler in my life soon (well, assuming this baby ever decides to come out - hopefully before s/he actually IS a toddler!)

This video cracked me up. Anyone who has, or has ever had a toddler can relate!
Toddler UTube.

Matt's first shower in THREE MONTHS!!!

We are so excited! Because of Matt's Broviac in his chest, he isn't allowed to shower or swim. Other parents I have spoken with who have children with Broviacs are allowed daily showers, but I suppose Primary Children's is extra conservative in this regard. I even went to the 'official' Broviac site and they say that kids can shower and swim with Broviacs in!

Anyhow, any of you with 9 year old boys care to comment on how well sponge baths and 1x weekly bathing would work for your boys?!? Particularly now that Matt is attending school each day, he gets pretty stinky and sweaty. I have been going bananas trying to keep him clean! So, as I was researching on the web I found this product. I bought a package and when his home health supply company called I asked them if they carried this product and they do! They will keep me supplied so Matt can have daily showers! I know it's a silly thing to be thrilled about, but it makes such a difference to us. Imagine being a 9 year old boy and your mother having to bathe you in a bathtub - Matt had to hold a towel over his site so I could help him wash his hair/body without getting his line wet!

He thoroughly enjoyed his first shower in months. The stuff did start to peel off toward the end of his shower. I think we need to play around with it a bit to find a strategy that keeps things perfectly dry, but this was a big improvement over our previous system!

-Alli

Oh, and no, not yet, obviously.....

For those who need to know!

NOPE....... NOT YET! :-)

Since I have received several emails and calls today, I thought I should confirm. I told Luke (my BIL who said the baby would be late) that if he is the winner of our baby poll, he doesn't get the prize!!! (Not that there really is a prize, but it made me feel better to punish him somehow.....)

All is well here, though. Matt is having an exceptionally great week. He looks better than he has looked in ages. He is going to school all day long and is remembering minute details about his day - YEA!!!

I need to post Halloween pictures....... Soon, I (sort of) promise!

-Alli