Wow, I just started a blog.

Blogging sure seems easy when you are just cutting and pasting. This is my 8th post tonight!

Today was the last day we had to force the antibiotics down Eve's throat (until next Monday). The first two days were upsetting to Natalie and Daniel...seeing your little [screaming, hysterical] sister pinned down by three really big people for little to no apparent reason can make you feel all kinds of crazy things. Yesterday, Daniel broke down while Eve was sobbing. When I asked why he was crying, he said, "I don't know!"

This morning was a different story. As soon as we laid Eve out to so lovingly administer her medicine, Nat and Dan pulled out their kid-sized lawn chairs and watched. It was sweet and deranged, all at the same time.

Once my mom dropped off Search and Destroy [Nat and Dan] at preschool, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and took Eve on a walk. I think it was good for her to get some fresh air. She seems to be doing well, even though her blood counts are supposed to be very low a week to ten days after the trifecta of chemo drugs are given. Her blood counts should start to go back up about a week after they bottom out. We have Eve sleeping in our room right now because Natalie loves to get all up in your business, and let's face it, preschoolers are walking petri dishes.

We got the good word from the good doc that we can bench the lisinopril until we go to the clinic on Friday. It is nice to not have to squirt anything else into that poor child for the next few days, although Nat and Dan will be disappointed to have to find a new form of entertainment.

While I am making a real effort trying to make sure the kids are polished and presentable, I feel as though I, myself, must not be making a good enough effort in the hair and makeup department lately. This morning, Natalie told me I looked "busted." I took it as my cue to get in the shower.

Natalie was so in love with Eve's new haircut, that I took her to get her own short 'do after preschool today. My friend Robin brought her daughter, Avana, to get the girls hair cut at the same time. The girls certainly looked cute and not at all busted. We went out for ice cream afterward and the girls got cotton candy flavor (which is not at all good in it's original form when you are over the age of 10, so I passed on that sliver of culinary brilliance). It was the first time I had done anything with Natalie in about two weeks, so it was a treat for both of us. It was entertaining to watch the girls play Duck, Duck, Goose with two people!

I had some quality one-on-one time last Friday night when I took Dan to urgent care. I don't think my kids have ever gotten sick during normal business hours. When Daniel got up from his nap late Friday afternoon, the lymph nodes in his neck were popping out. Thanks to the Scared Straight program at Duke Oncology, we learned that we have to quarantine any suspects and pump them full of antibiotics ASAP. So, off we rushed to urgent care! (For the record, this was my third visit to an urgent care facility in the past year. The first was when I hurt a tendon in my thumb in that freak break-dancing accident, and the second was when Nat got a pearl lodged in her ear.) Don't let the name fool you. No one walks with urgency at urgent care. It's more of a saunter.

When I explained our situation at home, you know, the whole not-wanting-to-get-Eve-sick-because-she-just-started-chemo thing, the doctor knowingly nodded his head and said he understood. He understood that I must be terrified of hearing the "C" word after seeing how large Dan's lymph nodes were. Seriously?? Is that the first thing that pops into your head when your patient has swollen lymph nodes? I hope strep throat makes it into that doctor's top ten list somewhere.

After 10 minutes of his best Seinfeld low-talker impersonation, the doctor finally swabbed his throat and ran a strep test, which was negative. Dan gets a prescription for 10 days of amoxicillin...for something. Come on, where's the creativity in that? I could have written that script in my sleep.

Oh well, at least we don't have to pin him down to take it.

Tomorrow I am taking Daniel to an ENT to literally figure out what is going on in that head of his. I have only seen the little guy breath out of his nose once in his life, and that was at urgent care when they took his temperature orally. He is also a big snorer, which I think is incredibly cute, but apparently can be an indicator of a serious problem. Maybe we can have his tonsils out this year and meet our catastrophic limit. Something to aspire to!

I know I keep saying how blessed we are to be surrounded by such wonderful people, but it's so true. We have had friends bring us food, cleaning supplies, and money for hospital parking and gas. People are bringing Nat and Dan over for playtime with their families. Even seemingly little things, like an email to check up on us, make a huge difference in our lives right now.

Natalie and Daniel came home from preschool today with gift cards to grocery stores and restaurants from families we have never even met. A photographer friend of ours is hosting a fundraiser for our family. Two of our close friends came over tonight with coffee, donuts, and a check from friends and neighbors to help out with Eve's medical expenses. This has been such a humbling experience, and we have no idea how to even start to adequately thank people for all that they have done. We can only hope to pay it forward and be of service to those in need when the time comes!