SUMMERTIME FUN!

Mike and Sophie -- I love this one


Johnny designed his board and colored it with special pens a friend sent him. He was pretty stoked with the results.


We've been busy trying to fill every minute with as much summertime fun as possible -- when we can. Johnny and I are still recovering from the past month. On our good days we do it up big -- surfing, movies, dinner at friends houses, whatever we can!

On June 15 Mike took Johnny in for the works. His counts were okay -- ANC 880, Platelets 248, and HGB 11.2 -- no transfusion needed. Johnny's back swelled again from the spinal -- actually from the lidacaine (numbing meds) they give him prior to the spinal. Both doctors came to check him out and confirmed that was exactly the problem. Next spinal they won't numb him. Which means Mike and I will ask for more meds to knock him out (it's more for OUR comfort than his...).

Right after his big chemo day I thought he was going to need a transfusion, so did Johnny -- he was talking "what-if's" about getting transfused. I took him into the pediatrician's instead of waiting for him to spike a temp, which then means an ER trip. When the results came back that he didn't need blood, the look of shock and confusion on his face was priceless. He even asked "you sure?", shrugged his shoulders, hopped off the table and headed for the door. I guess he just felt like crap because of all the chemo...

Two days later we were all getting ready for a big BBQ/silent auction for Joey and The Junior Guards. At the last minute I thought I should stay home and rest my back (see! I am trying to be good!), I noticed Johnny laying down too and asked if he wanted to stay with me and he said 'yes'.

Big warning sign to Mike.

He took his temp and it was 103.1. Mike took the kids to dinner and I took Johnny to the ER. Luckily, all the tests came back good, they gave him a huge dose of antibiotics and we were home by midnight.

Mike and the kids had a BLAST at the BBQ. Joey is LOVING Jr. Guards, and is doing really well. I'm glad he decided to go, he is meeting kids from the Island as well as strengthening the friendships he made last year. He's is finally starting to like it here. The move to Galveston was the hardest on Joey -- he left all of his friends that he's had since Kindergarten. He would ask us to take him back to Houston to spend time with his friends. Now, he his bonding with kids here. WHEW!


Jr. Guards -- If Joey keeps it up every summer, when he is 16 he will be able to guard for $$$!!!! WOO HOO!

About 3am Saturday morning Mike checked Johnny's temp, it was 105.1 -- I didn't know thermometers went that high!!! I told him that since he just had a huge dose of meds, give him some Tylenol, unwrap him (he was sandwiched between us) and let's see what happens. Luckily it came down. We kept him on a tight schedule of Tylenol every 4 hours and didn't have to make another trip to TCH until our appointment today -- WOO HOO!

Today's clinic visit was just for labs. Johnny's counts are 'okay' again. ANC 720 (just high enough to surf!), platelets 175 (big drop from last time), and HGB 9.5. Johnny's been good about doing his part to keep his counts up. Eating eggs (not a dozen at a time though....), and drinking milk. We're not sure if it makes a difference, but it seems to -- at least to us.

Kathleen came in Saturday for my FORTIETH BIRTHDAY! WOO HOO~!!!!! Mike and I went out to dinner for the first time since our anniversary in September -- it was SO NICE -- just the two of us. And we tried very hard not to talk about the kids -- I think we did a pretty good job too. Sunday Mike set up a small surprise party at one of our favorite hangouts -- Yaga's. It was fun -- the margarita's were nice and strong too... aaaahhhh... 40 ... already off to a great start.

I'm 40!

Monday was my real birthday -- it was raining, perfect for relaxing/recovering at home.


Sophie yesterday at the beach -- she wants to surf like the boys SO bad! She's wearing head-to-toe hand-me-downs from them too


When we got to the beach we saw some friends of ours. Rhonda took Sophie out. She loved it! The boys thought they were so cool because they paddled out to the first break. I knew most of the people out there and they kept an eye on them. It boosted both boys confidence to 'hang' with the big kids.


The boys with Anne. She's coming to CA this summer with us again.