Friday, January 28, 2011

Hunter Giggling

Last night, Kyle was playing with Hunter and Hunter was just giggling like crazy. This is the tail end of him laughing, once I thought to get the video camera...

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Winter Gala

Kindercare had their annual Winter Gala last night. Each class does a little performance, incorporating the winter theme and something that they've learned over the past year. Peyton's 3's class sang two songs. The first was the Snowman Pokey. This is only about half of Peyton's class. He is third from the right.



Next, Peyton's class sang the Vowel Song, which talks about the two different sounds that each vowel makes. I can't get that video to upload though. The kids were pretty cute though!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Hunter's Baptism Weekend

Hunter was baptized on Sunday, January 23. We had some of Kyle's family come in from out of town to meet Hunter and attend the baptism. Kyle's mom, Linda, left Michigan early Friday morning to drive down here and arrived at our house around dinner time Friday evening. She stayed with us until Monday morning when she left to return home. We had a low-key dinner of tacos and before we knew it, it was Hunter's bedtime, so we put him upstairs. Kyle had a basketball game at 8:00, so he left around 7:20. After dinner, Grandma and Peyton played for a little while, but then it was his bedtime too. Kyle got home from his game a little after 9:00. I think Linda was tired from the 12 hour drive, so she chatted with Kyle and me a little longer and then she and I went to bed as well.

On Saturday morning, Grandma gave Peyton and Hunter their Christmas gifts. Yes, more Christmas gifts! Spoiled, I tell you! Hunter got the Stack and Surprise train.


Peyton got a parking garage and auto complex and some little cars.

She also made little stockings for each of her eight grandkids. Peyton got a little Mini Cooper car and lots of candy.

Hunter got candy too, but I think Kyle and I will have to eat that for him. Oh, the sacrifices we make as parents. Haha. He also got some small books about colors, letters, and numbers.

We just hung around the house Saturday afternoon and then Kyle's dad, Mike, his wife, Becky, and her son, Derek came over in the early evening after they got into town from Michigan. This was the first time that they met Hunter too. One guess as to what Grandpa brought with him. Yup, Christmas presents. I need stock in a toy store, for real, because with all of the stuff that the boys got this year, it seems our family is single-handily keeping them in business.
Hunter got My Pal Scout. Look how focused he is on his gift in the first picture.

Peyton got some puzzles. Two were large floor sized puzzles; one was the alphabet and the other was numbers 1-10. He also got a four pack of puzzles all with pictures of animals - his favorite.

Peyton and Grandpa played with the puzzles for a little while, then we ate dinner. We had chicken quesadillas, which might not have been the best idea, since there were seven of us eating, and we only can cook one quesadilla at a time. Oh well, we sort of ate in shifts, but it worked out. After dinner, Peyton chose Derek to do more puzzles with him. Thanks for being a good sport, Derek. Hunter got sleepy around 6:00, so we put him to bed. Peyton needed to get a bath, so I took him upstairs to do that. Mike hadn't left yet, so I let Peyton come back downstairs until they went back to their hotel, then Peyton went to bed too.
Here is some random Hunter cuteness.

Ryan and Becky drove down from Indiana on Saturday. They were staying at Kate's house, since she and Dave were on vacation in the Caymen Islands (lucky!) Hunter missed Aunt Kate and Uncle Dave, but we did get to see Noah though, because Ryan and Becky brought him up on Sunday to the baptism.
Sunday morning we were all up bright and early to get ready for Hunter's baptism. He was baptized at 10:45 mass at St. Bernadette by Father Jim. My cousins Kim and Bo are his godparents. Here is Hunter before we left for church. I couldn't get him to smile for me because he was too focused on just looking at the camera. Still super cute, though.
Peyton and Hunter before church.

Hunter was baptized during the mass. Our family and Hunter's godparents had to sit in the front row. The rest of our family sat in the next two rows behind us. After the homily, we were called to the altar. Kyle and I were asked if we would raise Hunter Catholic and we agreed. Then Kim and Bo were asked if they would guide Hunter in Catholicism, to which they said yes. Kyle, Kim, Bo and I all made the sign of the cross on Hunter's forehead. Then Father read some blessings and the entire congregation renewed their baptismal vows.

Next, Father moved down to the baptismal font to bless the water. He invited all of the children to assist him in blessing the water. Peyton, Dougie, and Lindsey all helped with the blessing.

Then it was time for the actual baptism. Water was poured over Hunter's head.

The chrism was then applied to his head.

Finally, a candle was lit and given to Bo to hold for the remainder of the baptism.

We returned to our seats and the mass continued as normal. Kyle and I were able to choose people to carry the gifts to the altar. My mom, Kim, Bo, and Dougie did this. I tried to get a picture of them, but they were practically running down the aisle, so it didn't turn out well.
Hunter was so interested with the remainder of mass that he fell asleep. He even slept through some of the pictures that we took after mass. (By the way, why didn't we get any pictures with Nadean, Vester, Austin, and Aunt Bev?)

Our family
Grandmom and Pop-Pop
Uncle Jeremy and Jill
Godparents Kim and Bo, and Dougie
Uncle Ryan, Aunt Becky, Lindsey, Sara, and Noah
Grandma
Grandpa
After mass, we had a party for Hunter at Damon's. In addition to all those that were at mass, Mom-Mom, Uncle Donald, Jessica, Heather, Aunt Marie, Uncle Jay, Aunt Donna, and Uncle Tom attended the party. The food was actually quite good. We had barbecue chicken, Italian sausages with peppers and onions, and sliced turkey for the main courses. The side dishes were macaroni and cheese, steamed broccoli, and a tossed salad. Grandmom and Pop-Pop brought the cake for Hunter.
We sucked at taking pictures at the party... as in, Kyle took one of Noah, and that was it. Boo. After the party, Ryan, Becky, Lindsey, Sara, and Noah came over to our house to play with Peyton and Hunter. However, everyone was sleepy from not getting naps, so they couldn't stay too long. It's nice to see the cousins play together because it doesn't happen very often. I wish we all lived closer.

We ate lasagna for dinner and then opened Hunter's gifts. We were all tired from the busy day and went to bed after the football game was over. I just want to thank everyone who came to Hunter's baptism and party. It means a lot to us!

More Chemo...

It has been about a month since I finished up my radiation and chemotherapy treatments, so I have started having follow-up visits with all of my doctors. First, I went to my primary care doctor who gave me a quick check-up. He determined that I was doing really well. He had a blood test performed on me to determine if my kidneys are functioning well (so that I could get the contrast dye injection for an MRI). They are, so he ordered me to have my first post-treatment MRI, which I had done on January 17th.

Next, I met with my oncologist. He asked me how I fared during the radiation and chemo. I told him that I handled it really well and that the only bad side effects (besides losing my hair!) came from the steroids that I was on. He took a look at my MRI scans and said that they looked good, but that he was no expert in reading them. Then, he informed me that part two of my treatment was about to begin. I was very confused as to what "Part Two" he was referring to. He explained that his original treatment plan called for me to do the oral chemo while I was going through the radiation treatments, then after one month of being finished with the radiation, I would start chemo all over again. This was definitely the first I was hearing about having to do more chemo. The doctor argued with me for 15 minutes that he did tell us this plan in the initial consultation, but I can assure you that he did not. That's a pretty big detail that either Kyle or I would have heard. And I never would have celebrated being finished with radiation and chemo if I had known that there was more chemo ahead. I am not angry about having to do more chemo because I understand that if there is even one tumor cell remaining, the tumor could possibly grow back. I want to be aggressive and get rid of this thing once and for all now so that I never have to deal with this again. I am only angry that the doctor argued with me for so long insisting that he told us about the additional chemo, when I knew he had not. I even called Kyle once I left the office and Kyle agreed that he never heard any mention of more chemo.

But anyway, the plan is that I will be on chemo for about four more months. I will be only taking the chemo pills for five days in a row each month. The rest of the month I will not be on the medication. However, the dosage has more than doubled since my first round of chemo, from 140 mg/day to 300 mg/day. The doctor even said that if I handle this higher dose well that he may increase it further in the coming months. I go back to see him in the middle of February and I'll have another MRI to check my progress in March. I started the chemo for this month today, so I have four more days to go this round. I'm just hoping I handle it well again, although I have a feeling that I'm going to lose even more of my hair.

I also had an appointment with my neurosurgeon. He looked at the MRI scans and told me that everything looked good. He said there was a small spot in one of the scans that was most likely just a "post-surgical reflection," whatever that means... Basically, he didn't see anything to indicate that the tumor was still there or growing back at this point, so that is good news. He checked out the incision on my head and said that everything is healing well from the surgery. I will go back to see him after I have my next MRI in two months.

Finally, I will see my radiation doctor next Monday for my 6 week follow-up. Hopefully that appointment will go well too.

Hunter's 6 month check-up

Hunter turned six months old on January 11th. He went back to the dermatologist in the first week of January because his eczema still hadn't cleared up. We were given a new prescription for yet another lotion (his 3rd different one) and instructions to lube him up with the prescription lotion in the morning and before bed and to apply Vaseline all over his body at each diaper change. So basically we always have a greasy, Vaseline-smelling baby on our hands. However, the third time must have been a charm, because we seem to finally have cleared up his skin!
The following week I took Hunter to his 6 month check-up with his pediatrician. He now weighs 14 lbs 7 oz (10th percentile) and is 26 1/4 inches long (50th percentile). He is generally healthy and is developmentally on track.

The conditions of eczema, allergies, and asthma are all related to each other. Since Peyton had eczema when he was a baby and is practically asthmatic, the fact that Hunter also has eczema was troubling to the pediatrician. About a month ago, we had a blood test done on Hunter to determine what, if anything, he is allergic to. Turns out that he is severely allergic to peanuts. Due to this allergy, we now need to carry an EpiPen with us at all times in case he comes into contact with peanuts and has a severe reaction, such as anaphylactic shock (which is when the airways close up and he wouldn't be able to breathe). It is pretty scary for me to think about that happening. Hunter is also allergic to dogs, eggs, milk, and soy. He is less allergic to soy than milk, so we had to switch him to soy formula as opposed to the milk-based regular formula that he was on. This switch has also seemed to help keep his eczema from flaring up. The pediatrician said that at some point in the future, Hunter will be set up with an allergist. He will undergo further testing periodically to determine how his allergies are changing. He may possibly grow out of the allergies to milk and eggs, but the peanut allergy is definitely here to stay. I feel so bad for Hunter! But Kyle and I are just happy that we had this test done now, rather than feeding Hunter peanuts later in life and having him have a terrible reaction to it that we weren't expecting. It'll take some lifestyle changes and we need to be careful and monitor the foods around us more to make sure that Hunter is safe, but he is worth it!

On a positive note, Hunter was finally given the go-ahead to eat some rice cereal. We tried to give it to him once before (without approval... bad parents!) and he wasn't a fan. Kyle fed him the cereal this time and he still didn't seem to enjoy it, as you can see from the pictures. However, his daycare teacher was able to get him to eat it for the rest of the week, so hopefully it is growing on him. Once Hunter masters eating the rice, we can begin to s-l-o-w-l-y introduce him to vegetables and fruits, but we have to be very careful because there is no test for allergies to these foods, so we have to monitor him carefully between new foods to check for reactions.

"No thanks, Daddy. This stuff is horrible!"

Time sure does fly. It is hard to believe that in less than only six more months, Hunter will be turning one year old.

Mom's Birthday

My mom's birthday was on January 11th and we went out to dinner to celebrate it on the 14th. We met up with my parents, Jeremy and Jill at Squire's. After dinner, we sang Happy Birthday to my mom.

Peyton's favorite part of anyone's birthday is their cake. He was pretty excited about his slice (or at least the frosting off of his slice...).

After cake, my mom opened her gifts. (Personally, I don't think people should be able to be born in December or January as their birthdays are just too close to Christmas and there are not enough present ideas for both occasions! Haha.) Anyway, Jeremy and Jill gave her a candle and a CD.

My dad gave her a kit so that she can have a heated seat in his convertible when she gets chilly.

And Hunter and Peyton gave Grandmom what I thought was a cover for her phone, but apparently was not. Oops, but that is why I included the receipt. Kyle and I gave her a gift card to Bertucci's.

Of course we were at the restaurant late and it was way past Hunter's bedtime, so we hurried to get home to put him to bed. Happy birthday, Mom!

Christmas, Part 6

This is the last of my Christmas posts! On January 9, Kate, Dave, and Noah came over to our house so that we could exchange gifts. Peyton and Noah played for a little while together, but they couldn't stay very long, so we got right to the gifts.

We gave Noah an Elmo See-and-Say that teaches about shapes and the Little People Racin' Ramps Garage.

Kate and Dave gave Peyton a special Godchild ornament for our tree.

They also gave him a big firetruck and a cave piece for his GeoTrax.

They gave Hunter a Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy and the Rhyme and Discover song book.

We appreciate everything that everyone gave our kids for Christmas. They are way too spoiled by everyone and as I always say - It looks like Toys R Us threw up in our house!

Christmas, Part 5

On January 2, we got together with my dad's side of the family to do Christmas with them. We all went to my parents' house around noon and had lunch together. Aunt Bev gave Hunter a gift first because everyone else was busy watching the Ravens game. Once again, he enjoyed ripping off the paper. He got some bongo drums.

Hunter also received this book that has something textured on each page for him to feel. We've read it a few times already and he loves to run his fingers along the furry objects.

Hunter was my favorite present of 2010, so I put a bow on him!

Hunter got plenty more cool toys and cute outfits from Aunt Bev, Kim, and Nadean.

Peyton was simultaneously opening his gifts from Aunt Bev, Kim, and Nadean. He got some more Trio blocks. His favorite was this set that could make a barn. If Peyton loves one thing, it is animals, so this gift was perfect!

Kim, Bo, and Dougie hooked up Peyton with this really fun Chuck and Friends stunt race car track.

There were so many gifts for Peyton and Hunter. There's no way I could include all of the pictures. Again, they are so spoiled!

Kyle, Peyton, Hunter, and I got Austin the Wheel of Fortune game for his Wii and a gift card to iTunes.

We got Dougie the Air Hogs helicopter that takes digital video and pictures as it flies around.

As for the adults, since there are three families on each side (Us, Jeremy/Jill, and Mom/Dad) versus (Aunt Bev, Kim/Bo, and Nadean/Vester) we each choose names out of a hat on Thanksgiving to determine who each couple will buy for. This year, we chose Aunt Bev's name. We got her some car mats and a gift card to Olive Garden.

Kim and Bo got our name. They got us gift cards to Cheesecake Factory and PF Changs. Yum! They also got us a cute penguin blanket and a Terps ornament for our tree. Kim also gave me a picture frame that says "Cousins" with a picture of her and me from her wedding way back when I was only 4 years old. I was her flower girl. That was a pretty special gift.
Everyone hung out for a little longer to finish watching the Ravens game and we had some dessert. Eventually the party broke up and everyone headed home.