Stats

Leo had his four month check up on Friday, the overall sentiment, he's doing great!  Our family and some neighbors placed bets on how much he would weigh, the range was 18.2-20 pounds, surprisingly he was less than any of our guesses at 17 pounds, 15 ounces.  He is now on the charts for weight and height but continuing to grow at a rapid rate, looking more like a seven or eight month old.  Someone made a comment recently that I think pretty much sums up Leo, he is positively edible.

 

Two Month Stats

Height:  25.0 inches (greater than 95%)

Weight:  14pounds 8ounces (greater than 95%)

 

Four Month Stats

Height:  27.0 inches (95%)

Weight:  17pounds 15ounces (90%)

 

 From brand new to four months old, grow Leo grow!

 

 

 

 

Four Months

A boy, some days I still laugh a little that I had a boy, I had no idea how happy a little boy would make me.  Leo, you continue to have a very sweet nature, you're happy, determined, strong and patient but your sweetness is undeniable.  A week or so ago I was getting you ready for bed and Georgia woke up, she was crying so we went to see if she was ok, as I explained to her that I needed to put you to bed before I could come and lay with her she continued to cry, you then puckered up your lips and let out a cry... she cried, you cried, sympathy from my sweet boy to his big sister.  

You've moved from the swing to an activity mat, you enjoy being active with your hands and feet.  Just tonight you rolled from your tummy to your back twice, you looked a little startled then it was all smiles, so proud of your accomplishment.  Your favorite thing continues to be being pulled to standing, your face lights up as if you've just made a huge accomplishment!  Yesterday you tried an exersaucer for the first time, you couldn't have been happier, upright, on your own, with toys!

We have your four month check up this week, I'll be curious to see how much you've grown, you were weighed at 3 1/2 months... 17.3 pounds!  Your six month pj's are too short for you so you recently moved in to the NINE month size in some clothes!  Your lightening speed growth must be why you still wake up through the night, you're a decent sleeper but perhaps this month we could make a little progress.. I assure you, the food will still be available in the morning.  Your cheeks and little rolls are just about the cutest thing I've ever seen!  I realize I may be a little bias, but you seem to be the epitome of tall, dark and handsome!

I am so grateful that you are my child, happy four months my boy, you are loved more than you'll ever know.

Boy Genius.. if the shirt says it, it must be true!



Little kankles



Wrist rolls!





Handsome?  Who me?

Tonight as I was getting Georgia's dinner ready you were playing on your mat.. I guess you had quite the workout!

Silly Girls

Summer days bring warm weather, impromptu play dates and a lot of fun.  This afternoon as we pulled in our driveway we saw our neighbor and Georgia's good buddy Sadie out with her mom, we invited her over and from squeals I could tell the girls were excited.  We'd just picked up some ice cream (made with coconut milk no less) and I'd found gluten free ice cream cones.. who says a kid with allergies can't enjoy summer treats?  The girls headed out back and things got silly really quickly.  They moved from ice cream to mud pies, mixing dirt and water in buckets and laughing all the way.  After literally hosing them off they came inside to play and even let Leo in on the fun.  We're so lucky to have such great neighbors!

 

 Looking so innocent with their cones..

 "Hey look at me!"

 "Mmm.. I can do that too!"

 I'm not sure if their faces or tummies ended up with more ice cream!



Clinic

On Monday we set out for Children's Hospital, three months has flown by and it was time for our Hem/Onc clinic appointment.  Georgia had assured me that the "inside of her body was happy" and that she didn't need to get a poke, but was brave as always when she showed the phlebotomist which arm to draw from.  Georgia told him which color Band-Aid she wanted and asked to "shake" the vials once he was done, she's a pro. 
With an hour between her blood draw and our appointment we went to the cafeteria, Georgia said, "I didn't know there was a restaurant here!"  We had a bite to eat and headed to the clinic. These days when we arrive at the clinic I see the question running through the minds of the other parents, they see a full head of hair and wonder, are they new?  It becomes clearer that we've been here a while when the receptionist remarks at how much Georgia has grown.  The questions aren't one sided, I often look at the other children and wonder where they are in treatment and what type of cancer are they battling.  The clinic is a familiar place with warm smiles and horrific memories.  On this day we saw two nurses who we haven't seen in ages, they both said they wouldn't have recognized Georgia if she hadn't been with me, remarking at how grown up she is.
It was finally our turn and we headed to the small room where vitals are taken, she's up two pounds and has grown two centimeters since our last visit.  When Dr. Pollard arrived, she opened the door and was all smiles, she said it was such a treat it was to see Georgia.  Her labs look good, one was a smidge high but that was explained by a recent immunization.  I jokingly asked if we should page her transplant doctor to let him know she'd gotten an immunization, this is a topic that we still don't see eye to eye on. 
It was decided that we would see Dr. Pollard again in October then have our first visit with the Access or Survivorship Clinic in January.  This new clinic is in the same location, just with a different doctor.  We will receive a binder outlining all of the chemotherapies that Georgia received and their potential late term effects.  It's these little reminders that the war will never be over in this journey, we will forever be looking for ways that cancer and therefor the cure has impacted her body.
I have seen our journey changing in the last several months, Georgia is older and has more questions.  She will never remember the events of the past three years that way I do but she will have her own memories. 
A couple of months ago when I was putting Georgia to bed we were chatting about the day, then out of the blue, she asked why she had to get a poke at a different place.  She was referring to the SCCA lab when we did her two year post transplant work up a few months prior.  I did my best to explain that she has doctors in different places, she asked why, the questions continued, she asked why she had to be in the hospital, I told her, because you had cancer, she then asked, "why?"  It was a question that came down like a ton of bricks and a punch in the gut all at the same time.  I'll never be able to answer why and I know the questions to come will only be harder to answer as Georgia understands more.  Life isn't easy, but then again, no one ever said it would be.  For now, I am grateful for the continued healing and growth that is happening, onward and (literally) upward is the only way to go.

Our at home growth chart - she's growing like a weed!

Summer Fun

The summer fun is just beginning and we're taking full advantage of all it has to offer.  This is the first summer where we aren't worried about Georgia taking meds on time, or being immune suppressed or constantly trying to avoid germs.. as if that's possible.  Last summer Georgia was not allowed to dig in dirt - doctors orders.  To keep a 2 1/2 year old out of the dirt, away from germs and out of the sun because of medicine induced sensitivity is tough, and not exactly what you'd call relaxing.  So this summer, this summer we're enjoying the buckets and shovels in the dirt, hugging friends and the beautiful Seattle sunshine, I'd say we're off to a very good start.

 

 

Our good friends the Wilson's came out from Chicago, I can't decide who had more fun, the kids or adults.  We can't wait until they're back in Seattle full time!

 

This is cute now, scary in a few years when they have the same smiles but licenses in their pockets!



Sophie, Georgia & Calvin

The Wilson crew

 Fast friends!

 

We've been having a great time going to BBQ's with friends.  Brian's lifelong friend, Colby had a little boy, Merrick, who is just about two months older than Leo. The big and little boys had fun the day we spent at their house.

Cowgirl Georgia had fun too!

 

Today we had our good buddy Malia over, the girls started playing inside then went in the swimming pool and ended with a little painting... all before noon!

 

Fourth of July

Our fourth of July holiday started a little early, we headed down to Nana and Bawdy's house on the third.  With sun, kayaks, and a splash pool everyone had a good time.   We packed in the fun and headed back the evening of the fourth, poor Brian had to take a redeye out that night for work.  Georgia thought the timing was great, after hearing a few loud fireworks next door she was in tears from the noise that was "too loud!!"

 

 

 This is how Georgia enjoyed the fireworks

 

We headed down the beach for a visit with my dear friend Jody and her family.  The kids hadn't seen each other in years.. in no time at all they were friends again.

Fox Hollow Farms

Last week I took the kids out to a farm in the country... well, actually we went to a farm a couple miles past the neighborhood where I grew up.  This was Georgia's first trip to a farm, it had been strictly forbidden by her doctors in the past, then her mother had to warm up to the idea of petting animals that I'd learned carry lots of bacteria.  I'm working on normalizing my new found fear of germs so we set out for the farm, not just any farm, this one had kids cars, animals, a train, bouncy houses and play houses and pony rides.  We met Leslie and the kids and with the hand sanitizer flowing, we all had a great time!

 

 

 

Making silly faces while beating the heat in their "shirts off lunch."

Happy to be along for the ride

First ever encounter with a horse.. 

she had a great time!

The filthy... I mean cute little pig.

Hot cousins

On the train