More of August

Anthony is in the hospital again with a fever.
So, while we're enjoying the lovely food (sarcasm here), I get to update the blog with the super-fast Internet connection here!!!!

Love this vicious face. ;)

Back to the Cheeto days.

The outer play area at the Ronald McDonald House has this small grassy area.

I would put Anthony in the middle and let him crawl out.

My reasoning was that if he had that stimulation on his legs and feet, he would move around more, leading to walking.

I was right. He would crawl over to the cement walkway, then half crawl, half bear walk to not drag his legs on the walkway.

It was nice while the weather was warm enough.

After crawling around, Anthony quickly found the big toy the older children were climbing on.

He learned to climb pretty fast.

Therapy is so fun!

Especially with the huge mirrors with the awesome baby he can show off for. :)

Anthony is enamored with himself.

Near Anthony's birthday, Andy brought Nana's gift for him.

Kelly's hair bands are fun too.

Drama King

Maggie was showing Anthony how to play with them.

Of course, the bath toys have to be played with while the cars and trucks are being played with.

Matching

Anthony LOVES the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Whenever he is sad, the girls quickly start doing this song and signs, or any other they feel he might enjoy. He usually will perk right up and just love it.

Half of August

Daniel and Kelly visited sometime in August. Anthony, Kelly, and Daniel were all wearing their rainbow tie-dye shirts the same day.
Daniel looks funny in this picture because Anthony has a fist full of Daniel's hair. :)

Not the best picture of them all, but that's what happens...

My little Purex commercial.

Anthony loves to play in the laundry basket.

Or, if he's not in it, he's unloading it by tossing out one item after another.

Now, our ALL commercial...

Andy and Anthony watching Disney at Infusion (where Anthony receives fluids and chemo).

Playing during Lee's birthday party at House C.

Just look at his expression. :)

Not a flattering picture of me AT ALL, but this is what Anthony and I often do when he's hooked up to the fluids.

Our little monkey boy.

His first sign (sign language) was monkey. Fitting, huh?!

~~Music~~

Music is such an important part of my life. I am so thankful for music. All my life, I've been exposed to music of one sort or another. My mom played the piano beautifully. She learned to sight-read piano music when she served in our church, and she learned well. It made her so nervous and anxious to play in front of people, but she still did it!



I remember when I was young, maybe somewhere between 4 and 8, for my birthday one year, my sister Shirley let me choose any record (45? the small ones) that I wanted. I chose "Celebration, " by Kool and the Gang. I loved that one.



I taught myself how to play the piano when I was around 11 or 12. There was a favorite song of mine at church, and I wanted to play it. I labeled the sheet music for every key (which key, like "A, B, etc.") and practiced every day, constantly, for a VERY long time, until I could play it decently. Problem is, is that because I taught myself, I learned counting wrong, and some other things. So, when my parents put me in lessons to fix those wrong lessons, I found it near impossible to undo the wrong teaching I had already given myself. Ann was still a wonderful teacher and challenged me to do better. She played the piano at Andy's and my wedding a few years later.



Several years ago, my mom passed away unexpectedly. The first couple years were a blur. But, I remember listening to Enya non-stop for months. Her music was like a soft lullaby, yet ritual too. Very soothing.



Music at church can teach, as it reaches our Spirit in ways words (written and spoken) cannot. My favorite Sacrament meeting happened a few years back. I don't know if it was planned or if the speakers didn't show up. Our organist could play anything and beautifully. So, anyone could go up to the pulpit, tell the hymn and verse they wanted sung, and they could explain why, or they could just request it. It was a very spiritual meeting, filled with worshipful music.



Andy and I both love music, and at home, we constantly have music on, either at home or in the car. I love to download music on iTunes and use it to relax or to exercise to.



I've been exercising lately, and have found that, although the baby has the tv on really loud so he can hear it (the treadmill at the RMH is loud and he can't hear with one ear), I can really enjoy the time exercising if I connect with the music. I can't stand the exercise, but the music makes it so bearable. Even the slower music, if I'm able to enjoy it, helps me to have a good pace while exercising!



One song in particular has touched me a lot this year. It has nothing to do with cancer. My children mock it, and they mock me for liking it. I don't know why. But, it touches me. It's about serving "the least of these" and for some reason, I've always had sympathy for those who are homeless, whether by choice or not. It really is not that hard to share a little of what substance we have (it doesn't have to be money), but it is so fulfilling to share a little love.

That song is called "It's All About Love," by Brian McKnight and his son. It's a Christmas song, but I listen to it all year long.



So, because I feel prompted (actually, I've felt prompted for a few weeks now), I made a list of my favorite songs to share. I'm going to search for youtube videos for each, but if I can't find one, they should be on iTunes. I don't know if any are explicit, but my versions are all clean.



It's All About Love - Brian McKnight and Niko, his son

Any song from the movie, Prince of Egypt

Sara(h) - Starship

Alright - Darius Rucker

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (my wedding song played by Ann) - Bach

Beautiful World (We're All Here) with Adam Crossley - Jim Brickman

Believe - Josh Groban

Celebration - Kool and the Gang

Desert Rose - Sting

EFY Medley: As Sisters in Zion/We'll Bring the World His Truth - Michael R. Hicks

Forever Young - InsideOut Acapella

I'm Alive (With Dave Matthews) - Kenny Chesney

If Everyone Cared - Nickelback

I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor

Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars

Life is a Highway - Rascal Flatts

Orange Colored Sky

Pachelbel's Canon in D

The Prayer (with Charlotte Church) - Josh Groban

Rock With You - Brandy

Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows - Lesley Gore

Tamahana - Te Vaka

This is my Song

What the World Needs Now is Love (live) - Jim Brickman

When I Fall in Love/I Love You (for Sentimental Reasons) - InsideOut A Capella

Where are You, Christmas - Faith Hill

You Put a Move on my Heart - Tamia Washington

4 and 20 - Joss Stone

We're into July pictures now...

Anthony had a fever, I believe, and so needed to be admitted to the hospital.
When children are immuno-compromised, they have nothing to fight infection or illness.
If they develop a fever, they must be admitted to the hospital for a minimum of 48 hours.
Anthony has been admitted for fevers, low fevers (very low body temp.), and a seizure.
His hospital visits have tended to be around 4-5 days long.

Once he starts doing better and is stabilized (septic shock under control), Anthony does NOT appreciate being in a metal crib.
So, we get the Child Life people to bring a play mat, some toys, and bubbles.
In July, Anthony was liking the xylophone.
Working up an appetite again, and again it's chips!

The SeaFair Pirates came to visit.

One of our visits home during the summer.

Notice the steroid cheeks.

Kelly helping him take steps. Anthony has been cruising furniture for almost a year now.

I believe he would have been walking at 15 months if he had not developed leukemia and had to endure the subsequent treatments. The month of December was spent in a crib in the hospital with no energy, and he had to completely relearn how to crawl.

Plus, the chemotherapy is known to cause some atrophy in the legs and weakness.

Getting in my purse again. :)

He does have a diaper on in this picture, but with those steroid rolls, it's hard to see. :D

Yet more pictures

Another day unrolling the toilet paper. This is one reason I was so relieved to discover that he likes Playhouse Disney while I shower. Love the containment of the crib during that time!
Every once in a while, Anthony would open his toy drawer and crawl right in. :)

Happy at Nana's house.

You can see Anthony's scar from heart surgery, plus you can see where his port is. The port is under what looks like a second nipple on the right side of his chest. The horizontal scar right above that is from when they put the port in.

While on Steroids, Anthony goes through bags and bags and bags of Cheetos and other chips, among other strong-flavored foods. He was known as the Cheeto Boy for quite some time, because we would bring Cheetos everywhere to keep him happy.

In the pictures below, you can see how he would get Daniel's attention in the van, receive a Cheeto, then happily enjoy it, right down to the orange Cheeto face.

Another favorite activity is emptying out the bottom of the stroller and diaper bag. I have to remember to zip my purse or Anthony will take things out one by one, or he'll just dump it all at once!

One time at physical therapy, I was showing his therapist his steroid belly. It is so amazing what different medicines do to a body.

One day during the summer, we met the older children at the Seattle Center Fountain, where they were enjoying a day of their summer camp.

Look at his smooth head!

Another one of those crummy days, where he needed to be inpatient to be stabilized.